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First Presbyterian Church
Bi-Weekly Newsletter
August 13, 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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Letter from Pastor/Head of Staff
Dear friends,
What a joy it has been this week to see so many of you! In worship, at the Summer Sizzle, and around the church offices. I have missed you very much and reuniting with you after being away has truly been a joy and a gift. It is good to be back.
As I mentioned in my sermon on Sunday, the concept of sabbatical is rooted in the Biblical model of Sabbath-keeping. It is a time of rest and renewal, when the normal tasks of work are set aside for a period. This congregation recognizes the importance of this sabbatical time for our full-time pastors and music director. There is a spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical weight that comes with our calling and the sabbatical season allows for time and space to recenter and fill the empty vessels of body, mind, and spirit so that we might better serve God in this place. I cannot thank you enough for the gift of this time. I missed you very much, and every Sunday I only wanted to be here with you, but the time away allowed me the space to be with family and to reconnect with old friends, to support my husband as he worked through the grief of the loss of his parents, to attend conferences and read books that stretched my mind, to travel and explore, to walk and do yoga, and to read lots of great novels (see link to the list of books I read below).
I am so very grateful for the gift of this time and want to thank the Session and congregation of First Presbyterian Church for granting me this sabbatical. I also want to express my deep gratitude to FPC’s pastoral and administrative staff that stepped up and took on new or expanded roles in my absence. I offer a special thanks to Esther Hethcox, Kathy Parkins, John Weicher for the additional worship and administrative tasks they took on, and to Kathy, Esther, Susan Dunlap, and Amy Heit for the pastoral care they gave so faithfully and generously to so many in our congregation who were going through illness, injury, life challenges, grief, or loss, and to Valerie McMillian, Tom Bloom, Sybil King, and Vernon Cooper who kept everything working smoothly behind the scenes. I am grateful for the guest preachers who brought their different voices to share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with you all. I especially want to recognize the many volunteers in this congregation – deacons, elders, and church members who continued to chair and serve on committees, feed the hungry at Iglesia Emanuel and Urban Ministries, and gathered for worship each week they were in town. Suffice it to say, First Presbyterian Church is a community of faith that does not depend on one person but works together as the Body of Christ - one body with many gifts.
(To continue reading a full account of Mindy’s sabbatical activities, click here.)
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JOYS:
Congratulations to Paul Baldasare who was elected Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Presbyterian Foundation’s board meeting recently. This foundation is the oldest and largest denominational foundation in North America.
We are grateful to Jancy Johnstone who has volunteered to coordinate FPC's volunteers to Urban Ministries of Durham Community Cafe. If you would like to be added to the volunteers' contact list, please let Jancy know: 919-824-6489 or JancyJohnstone@gmail.com.
CONCERNS:
Fred Callaway is residing at Southpoint Rehab recovering from a severe fall.
Esther Hethcox is suffering with a virus (non-Covid) while visiting family this week in Colorado.
Ann Huff is suffering with chronic pain and other health issues.
Rosalind Mutua, sister of Mercy Ndambiri, has been diagnosed with cancer.
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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LAST CALL FOR ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARIES! | |
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Sunday, August 18
13th Sunday after Pentecost
11:00 a.m. Worship
Mindy Douglas, preaching
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Sunday, August 25
14th Sunday after Pentecost
11:00 a.m. Worship
Mindy Douglas, preaching
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SUMMER FAITH FORMATION CLASS
FOR CHILDREN
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During Summer Faith Formation for this Sunday, we will continue talking about COMMUNITY!
***Childcare is available for very young children beginning at 9:45. and for children younger than 5 during worship.****
If your child is interested in taking part in Worship leadership, please let Lenore know! (l.champion@firstpres-durham.org)
Upcoming Calendar Dates
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No children's Faith Formation: Sunday, September 1 (Labor Day weekend)
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Program Year kick off: September 8
Click here: Sign up to help with Summer Faith Formation!
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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.
on August 18: We may pray for wisdom, as Solomon did. But sometimes the wisdom of God comes in words that are difficult to understand.
on August 25: Solomon prayed that God would confirm for him the covenant promises made to his father David. Can we claim to be a part of the covenant? Are we prepared to accept the difficulties and trials of faithful life along with the good promises?
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YOUTH STOCK SALE BRUNCH
Sunday, August 25
following worship
Thank you to everyone who has supported our youth via their (first) Stock Sale. Thanks to your generosity, we raised $2690! Many of you have already gotten letters from Charleston or Appalachia. If you haven’t, and you bought a stock, fear not – yours will be coming from Montreat. Meanwhile, all stock sale holders are invited to a brunch after worship on Sunday, August 25 (12:15-1:30 pm) in Watts-Hill Hall. In addition to a scrumptious meal, you’ll hear youth from these three trips tell stories and share photos.
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE!
Support Durham Public Schools Teachers. You can donate classroom supplies through the end of August. Bring your items to the church and place them in the bin in the foyer.
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First Presbyterian Summer Blood Drive
We are happy to announce that 23 persons donated blood at our summer blood drive on August 1st. Thank you for helping to save lives. We hope you will come back for our next drive which will be held Thursday, November 7. First -time donors are always welcome.
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Saturday, August 17
First Friends Potluck
hosted by Deborah &Tyler
Momsen-Hudson
at their home in Hillsborough.
RSVP via the EVITE
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SAVE THE DATE!
First Friends & Families
BEACH WEEKEND
Friday, September 20 -
Sunday, September 22
New families and first-timers welcome to join us. Click to make a reservation.
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Another landscaping and grounds workday has been set for Saturday, August 24 from 8:00-11:00 a.m.
Contact Barbara Buckley to learn more about the work to be done. New members are welcome.
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Saturday, August 24
You are invited to a special showing of the film Origin on Saturday, August 24. FPC will host two screenings. The first will be from 2:00-4:00, and the second screening will be from 6:00-8:00. A discussion will take place over a pizza dinner at 5:00 pm in Watts-Hill Fellowship Hall.
Origin is a highly acclaimed film and dramatic, poignant narrative that follows Isabelle Wilkerson’s inspiration and research while writing the book Caste: The Origins of our Discontent. The book topped the New York Times non-fiction best seller list. The film Origin follows Wilkerson as she considers the ways in which caste operates through American racism from slavery through the modern day, anti-Semitism during WWII, and the caste system in India. It explores the ways in which oppression and marginalization of groups may be clothed differently in distinct moments of time and space, yet share the same insidious origins. FPC’s Racial Equity Task Force invites you to watch this autobiographical film that is simultaneously disturbing, hopeful, and all together moving. We hope we can also reflect on the questions the film raises and what it calls us to do.
Please sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094EA4AD2DA46-50565828-documentary and let us know your preferences if you’d like to join us for pizza. We would appreciate a reply by Thursday, August 22, though you are welcome to come to either showing of the film without a reservation.
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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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COMMUNITY INVITATION
Pauli Murray Center
906 Carroll St, Durham
September 7, 2024 - 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
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