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First Presbyterian Church
Bi-Weekly Newsletter
July 30, 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE . . .
Pastoral Letter
Joys / Concerns
Worship
Summer Faith Formation
Fellowship Events
Service and Mission Opportunities
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From Associate Pastor John Weicher
This summer, I realized that I have now been a professional youth minister for 20 years. And for just about all of that time, I have been trying to describe youth conferences like Massanetta and Montreat to youth and their adults, in the hopes of encouraging, cajoling or enticing them to sign up and join us. I have yet to find magic words that work for everyone.
But maybe I can do it here, in three scenes, which each happened within 3 hours of each other this past Friday night at Montreat.
c. 10:15 pm – The whole youth conference, 800+ Presbyterians strong, is gathered around Lake Susan for closing worship. As has been the tradition for many years, we each have a lit candle. As has been our tradition for two years, our First Pres. youth and adults are intermixed with our siblings from Trinity Avenue Pres. (We do a good amount of youth ministry together during the year, and we have our evening fellowship/discussion and free afternoon shenanigans together.) We are singing the songs from the week and the songs of our faith, which echo around the small, human-made lake that is the very center of that holy place. We hear blessings from our preacher and keynoter. We are told to go in peace and to plant peace, which has been the theme of the week. It is still and poignant and holy. God is there.
c. 11:15 pm – We have reconvened at our rental cottage, after saying goodbye one last time to all the friends we made this week. TAPC and FPC are together for “Back Home Group,” and for the first time in a couple of years, we both have graduating seniors – Lainey from our church and Luke & Tobin from theirs. Like most Montreat youth groups, we do something special for our graduates. We give them hand-carved wooden pieces of the Montreat mountains or gate. We sign the back. And then we bless them. Youth ministers begin by speaking about our seniors, one at a time, each followed by an open time when any other person can say anything about them. We talk about their Spiritual gifts and their contributions to our community. We talk about how faith family has sprouted up in 6 days. We cry. We laugh. We pray. It is thick and beautiful and holy. God is there.
c. 12:45 am – Back Home Group is over, and some of the TAPC folks have returned to their cottage. But Tobin and Luke have stayed and stayed up, along with most of our crew. We play Nertz, which is a sort of like double solitaire, but with as many players as you like. Our Montreat ’24 Spotify playlist is playing, and we are shouting at each other in joy and frustration as we outplay each other or don’t. We laugh. We mockingly insult each other. We eat whatever is left of the snacks. It is boisterous and hilarious and holy. God is there.
Planting Peace,
John
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CONDOLENCES: The love and concern of the congregation is extended to the following:
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Pam and Wilson Gunn, Benjamin and Candace Gunn and their families on the death of Pam's father. Julian Boswell, age 99 and member of FPC, passed away on Thursday, July 25 at Hillcrest. A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held on Saturday, August 10 at noon in the sanctuary of FPC. The family will greet friends at a catered reception in Watts-Hill Hall following the service.
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Shirley Frederick and family on the death of her brother. Ray Frederick passed away at age 86 in Johnson City, NY on July 26th.
CONCERNS:
Fred Callaway is a patient at UNC Memorial, recovering from a severe fall.
Judy Arrowwood is home, recovering from knee replacement surgery.
Click HERE to see more concerns.
The churchlife app can be used to locate address information for sending cards to individuals and families. You may also contact the church office if you do not have access to the app.
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The following persons were received into membership at a called meeting of the Session on Sunday, July 21. They were welcomed and introduced to the congregation during the 11:00 a.m. worship. Their profiles (with contact info and photos) can be found here.
Emily Barré lives in Durham and will be a third-year medical student at Duke University School of Medicine in August.
Michael Colby, Jr lives in Durham. He is an Upper School Humanities teacher at Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill.
Dow and Peggy Needham live in Durham. Dow was born in Memphis TN. His wife, Peggy, was also born in Memphis TN. They are both retired.
Spencer Reeves lives in Durham and works as a program coordinator at Duke University.
Samuel Robil lives in Durham and works as a network engineer.
Nathan Thompson lives in Raleigh. He is married to Amy Thompson, and they have a 14-year-old daughter, Caroline. Nathan is an ESL teacher.
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Stewardship News, Update, and Reminders
Did you know that nearly 80% of the church’s expenses are covered by pledged contributions and that over 190 families and individuals at FPC made a pledge in 2024? Pledges are vital to the ongoing operation and ministry of FPC, and we thank you for your steadfast support as we pass the halfway point of the year.
Pledge contribution statements for the second quarter have been mailed out. Please review the statement carefully to make sure your contributions through June 30 are accurately listed and at the frequency you indicated on your pledge card. Please contact Tom Bloom, FPC Business Administrator, if you see any discrepancies. He can also assist you in setting up automatic payments by direct debit from your bank account or by online.
You may also view your contribution records on-line via AccessACS (NOTE: contributions cannot be viewed on the ChurchLife app). Type the following link on your browser line: https://secure.accessacs.com. You will get the following log-in screen which uses the same credentials as ChurchLife. Please contact Tom if you need to sign up for ChurchLife or re-set your credentials.
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Once you are logged in, click on MY GIVING HISTORY for a list of current or prior year contributions.
To see your pledge amounts, click on PDF Tax Statement to see a complete contribution statement. Please note that your Capital Campaign pledge amount is for all years of the campaign; contact Tom to verify your year-by-year payment plan.
NOTE: While you are logged in, you can also click on MY COMPLETE PROFILE and update your contact information.
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An Update from the Retirement Committee
Members as of 29 July: Doug Butler (Chair), Al Arrowood,
Carol Carson, George Bernhardt, Michael Honeycutt, Deborah Momsen-Hudson, Alice Raney, Laurie Ray, David Sappenfield, Phyllis Supple, Ashley Swavely.
Progress:
The Committee has met most weeks since it was commissioned at the end of April. Teams have met with the three Administrative Staff who have told us of their retirement plans to learn more about the tasks and how those tasks interconnect. The focus is on learning how the staff structure works and how the structure should change or stay the same going forward.
The committee is beginning to benchmark our church staff structure with other churches of similar size and focus to us. e still have plenty to do to look for new people and to plan suitable celebrations for these people who have devoted their time and talents to these important positions. We appreciate the support of staff and congregation for these efforts.
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Sunday, August 4
11th Sunday after Pentecost
11:00 a.m.
Worship & The Lord's Supper
Susan Dunlap, preaching
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Sunday, August 11
12th Sunday after Pentecost
Mindy returns to worship!
11:00 a.m. Worship
Mindy Douglas, preaching
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SUMMER FAITH FORMATION CLASS
FOR CHILDREN
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This summer, FPC offers one Faith Formation class on Sunday mornings for children
from 9:45-10:45 a.m. on the second floor of the Christian education building.
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ADULT FAITH FORMATION
The following classes are not meeting in July and August.
They will resume discussions
in September after
Labor Day weekend:
Faith & Community Class
Journey Class
MnMs Fellowship.
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Join us each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. in the Robert Daye Meeting Room for discussion of the lectionary readings.
August 4: Sometimes the word of the Lord hits too close to home, as when Jesus disclosed his listeners' real motives, or when Nathan tricked David into condemning his own great sin. How do you feel when scripture points a finger at you?
August 11: The gap between God's intentions (or even our own intentions) and the world's reality is very wide, and the excuses we make for our failures are countless. The message is simple: "Be imitators of God, and live in love."
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First Presbyterian Hosting Summer Blood Drive
Thursday, August 1
from 1:00-6:00 p.m.
in Watts-Hill Hall
If you are healthy and it will be over 50 days since your last blood donation, please sign up to give. Most donations take about an hour.
Go online to schedule your appointment:
RedCrossBlood.org.
FPC’s code is firstpres.
Donors will receive a $20
e-gift card after they give.
Walk-ins are also welcome.
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FPC's Men of Faith
Join us for breakfast and some good conversation on Friday, August 2 at 8:00 a.m. at the Mad Hatters Cafe. New faces always welcome.
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Sunday, August 11
All-Church Summer Sizzle
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Hosted by Tyler and Deborah Momsen-Hudson at their home in Hillsborough.
A Signupgenius with details
coming soon!
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Saturday, August 17
First Friends Potluck
hosted by Deborah &Tyler
Momsen-Hudson
at their home in Hillsborough.
EVITE with details coming soon.
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SAVE THE DATE!
First Friends & Families
BEACH WEEKEND
Friday, September 20 -
Sunday, September 22
Contact Kathy Conner to learn more. New families and first-timers welcome to attend.
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Emanuel Food Pantry — volunteer opportunities
all year long!
Service, helping others, building community — all part of our commitment at FPC to be a Matthew 25 church. We have an easy and wonderful way for you to give 2 hours of your time, right here in Durham. No need to pack your bags and travel, just come be part of the incredibly impactful ministry at the Emanuel Food Pantry! We love welcoming new volunteers, and are always grateful for donations of food, rice, beans, and financial support.
To volunteer, simply click here and come join the fun! For more information, contact Margaret Rubiera.
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Coordinator needed for FPC Volunteers
to Urban Ministries of Durham
Jen McGonigle is still looking for someone to take over this group. She is willing to continue until Mindy returns from sabbatical August 5. Please let Jen know if you are interested as she will be stepping down once Mindy is back, regardless of whether or not there is a replacement coordinator.
jlmcg3@juno.com
202-421-5870
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Mt. Level Community Partnership for Racial Justice invites you to come out and join us in the viewing of the documentary, BAD Faith on Saturday, August 3, 2024 from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm at Mt. Level Missionary Baptist Church, 316 Hebron Road, Durham, NC.
This vital and timely documentary tells the disturbing story of the rise of Christian Nationalism in the US and how some are perverting religion to achieve their political goals.
BAD FAITH is a must watch documentary for those who want to learn the history behind the rise of Christian Nationalism in the United States, and the dire implications it could have if they succeed in their goals. The forces tearing apart our democracy have never been more frightening or powerful, but who is actually behind them? BAD FAITH exposes the sinister Christian Nationalism movement and shines a light on its unholy plan to upend the Constitution and impose their version of Biblical law on all Americans. As the 2024 election looms, discover the unsettling influence of Christian Nationalism on the political landscape in BAD FAITH.
Following the viewing of the documentary we will have a brief time of Q&A with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Associate Minister of St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church and Assistant Director for Partnerships and Fellowships at the Center for Public Theology & Public Policy at Yale University.
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE!
Support Durham Public Schools Teachers
Donate classroom supplies in August.
Bring your items to the church and place them in the bin in the foyer.
pencils pencil boxes wide & college ruled paper spiral notebooks Post-its
dry erase markers binder clips dividers highlighters legal pads index cards
paper clips dry erasers ball point pens composition books 4 oz glue bottles 8 oz hand sanitizer permanent markers graph paper
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Saturday, August 24
Showings at 2:00 & 6:00 p.m.
Supper available at 5:00 p.m.
Watts-Hill Hall
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay, the film ORIGIN chronicles the tragedy and triumph of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates a global phenomenon of epic proportions. Isabel experiences unfathomable personal loss and love as she crosses continents and cultures to craft Caste, one of the defining American books of our time. ORIGIN explores the mystery of history, the wonders of romance and a fight for the future of us all.
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