In this issue you will find the following:

• Pastoral Letter
•  In Our Thoughts & Prayers
•  Worship info
•  Faith Formation for Children
•   Youth Corner
• Faith Formation for Adults
•   Congregational Life/Fellowship Events
• ·Service & Mission Opportunities·       

From the Pastor/Head of Staff

Dear friends,

Happy Easter! 

What joy it was to celebrate the season together on Sunday. Thanks to all those who led, planned, prepared, and shared their gifts during the morning. It was a wonderful day all around!

Easter lasts for fifty days, culminating at Pentecost, June 5. Between now and then, we have many additional celebrations to look forward. This Sunday, we observe Creation Care Sunday. Join us as Mitzi Lesher-Thomas and several members of the congregation share in proclaiming the gospel as they consider our role as faithful stewards of God’s good creation. 

On May 1, we celebrate our 150th anniversary with worship, special music, a dedication of paraments created by member Beth Taylor, and an indoor/outdoor fellowship lunch. We look forward to welcoming friends from far and near as we celebrate our history and look to our future together as an inclusive faith community in downtown Durham.

Also on May 1, we will kick off our capital campaign. The campaign will support the renovation and expansion of our fellowship hall, an enlarged memorial garden with a columbarium, an elevator to our staff offices, an expanded kitchen, additional bathrooms, and mission components that will make a difference in our community and beyond. We look forward to sharing details of these plans (guided by your feedback in 2021) with you in early May. This project is an integral part of our vision for expanding our ability to serve those in deepest need in our downtown Durham community, in addition to providing space for FPC fellowship, spiritual growth, education, mission and ministry. We look forward to sharing these plans in detail with you soon!

The last two years of this pandemic have been hard on us all. We could not have predicted this difficult season, and we don’t know what the future holds. Truthfully, though, we never have. But as people of faith, we know this: God has been with us lo these many years, and God will continue to guide and direct our future. As people of faith have in the past, so we move forward in faith, with a vision for the role God has given us in this place and at this time to share God’s radical, inclusive, expansive, and unconditional love with all. God has been our help in age’s past. God is our hope for years to come.

May God’s arms of grace and love surround you all this Easter season and far beyond.

With love, 

Mindy

Condolences: The love and concern of the congregation are extended to the following:

• the family of Carol McKnight. Carol passed away on April 18, 2022.
• Dan and Amy Mapel on the death of Amy’s father.  Harold Shelton died April 11 in Mt. Vernon, Texas. He had been in hospice care. Mail expressions of sympathy to:

Dan and Amy Mapel

111 Raphael Place

Morrisville NC 27560

• Al and Judy Arrowood on the death of Al’s brother. Gerald Arrowood died April 14 in Marietta, GA. Mail expressions of sympathy to:

Al and Judy Arrowood

2017 Black Walnut Farm Road

Hillsborough NC 27278.

************************

Wes Carson is recovering at The Forest at Duke Health Center.

Roger Kalthoff, husband of Jane Williams, at home under the care of hospice

Katy Loebrich’s father is recovering from a fall.

Paul Cornsweet           Harold Dunlap            Kerry Holbrook               Maxie Honeycutt   

Jancy Johnstone         George Kafula           Mitzi Lesher-Thomas       Katy Loebrich  

CONGRATULATIONS to . . .

Tony and Teddie Brown who were honored recently with two major gifts to Duke's Sanford Institute of Public Policy. Friends of Sanford have established a new professorship and also an innovation fund in both of their names. Learn more here

Jane Wettach, the William B. McGuire Clinical Professor Emerita of Law, recently received the North Carolina Justice Center Lifetime Champion of Justice award for her work as an education advocate. Wettach was honored also was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, the governor's highest honor, given for exemplary service to the state of North Carolina Learn more here.

FPC Durham Family and Friends,

It’s foolish to think I could improve on the Apostle Paul’s time – tested and well – wrought words:

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Jesus Christ’ – he says to the community in Corinth.

“I thank my God every time I remember you” he writes the Philippians.

“We always give thanks to God for you, remembering your work of faith, labor of love and steadfast hope in Jesus Christ”, he writes to the people of Thessalonica.

Day upon day I am left without words, as words turn to tears of gratitude for the incredible generosity of the communities which enfold my family and me; and, for First Presbyterian Church, in particular. The FPC community has borne much these past two years. We have flexed, adapted, adjusted, changed, taken on new things and let go of others.

Where my diagnosis, fluctuating schedule, changing needs, and resources could have become one more burden, faithfully, FPC responded with an abundance of generosity that is life changing. Your gift enables room to breathe, to set aside a piece of the fear and worry, and to treasure time with my family.

I am aware of the daily difference this gift and this community makes in my family’s life, and because I can do nothing else, I will seek ways to ‘pay forward’ the abundant blessings with which we have been blessed.



With gratitude beyond words and love beyond measure,

Mitzi, Troy, Andrew and Mackenzie

Special thanks to Tyler and Deborah Momsen-Hudson who hosted a First Friends Potluck at their home on April 2.

We also thank Jane Austin for hosting three workshops on managing your nervous system during a time of stress. The workshops were followed up with 30-minute one-on-one sessions with Jane. Jane hopes to return in May leading more workshops and one-on-one sessions.

Session digest

In their meeting on March 26, 2022, the Session of First Presbyterian Church:

1) Shared prayer, reflections, and joys and concerns.

2) Heard from Leah Graves, Personnel Committee, that Omar Guess has been hired to the position of Sunday morning sexton, and Robert Daye will be training him. The position of AV Tech still needs to be filled. 

3) Approved the request from John Weicher for a fundraising effort by the youth of FPC. Special tee shirts and caps will be sold to raise funds for the Afghan Refugee Resettlement project.

4) Learned of Mitzi’s plans for a class on April 3 which will present the many mission projects that FPC actively supports.

5) Was told of Mindy’s plans to form a new church committee that will undertake the study of FPC’s racial history. Discussed adding a second mission component in Capital Campaign to address reparations.

6) Welcomed three new members, Lexy Rile, Heidi Biermann, and Mary Ashley Rose.

7) Approved the Service and Mission Committees request to have an additional fundraiser for the needs of one of the Afghan refugee family.

8) Approved the request from the Music and the Arts Committee that they be able to call on Deacons and other church members to be communion servers.

9) Approved the latest architectural drawings received from the Vision Team.

10) Heard of plans being made for the May 1 Day of Celebration of FPC’s 150th anniversary

11) Approved the Capital Campaign Committee members: Amy and Gray Wilson, co-chairs, Tom Bacon, Paul Baldasare, Roxana Boyd, Sharon Hirsch, Kristin Meade, Bob Pleasants, Tom Roberts, Scottie Seawell

12) Heard that the Thriving Congregation Team of Beth Stringfield, Amy Dillon, Torrell Armstong, Tony Brown, Laurie Ray, and Mindy Douglas will be attending a 48 hour conference in Montreat, NC in early April, working with the Black Mountain School of Theology and Community.

13) Approved request from Peter Fish that the Session transfer to the North Carolina Collection, Durham County Library, the Minutes of the Meetings of the Durham Ministers (or Pastors) Association, 1896-1908.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Second Sunday of Easter

Creation Care Sunday

FPC's Spring Book Study is currently on spring break.

View the SCHEDULE HERE.

Upcoming (and on-going!)

Fellowship Opportunity

Next gathering is April 21

6:30-7:30 p.m. at 800 Taylor St.

Each third Thursday of the month we'll gather for a relaxed time of fellowship. No RSVP needed, all ages welcome, light munchies provided and more food available from J. Lights Market & Cafe if you want to make it your dinner or enjoy Two Roosters Ice Cream for dessert!

Someone from FPC will always be there so come when you can, leave when you must. 

Daytimer's luncheon

Tuesday, April 26^th at 11:30 am

Bullock's Barbeque

3330 Quebec Drive



RSVP to Shirley Frederick at 919-384-2017  OR

shirleyafred@outlook.com

SONAM Spring Concert for

Urban Ministries of Durham

Singers of New and Ancient Music (SONAM) is back!

Please join them for their first concert

since January 2020!

Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m.

in the sanctuary of FPC

All proceeds will benefit Urban Ministries of Durham and their mission offering food, shelter, and a future to those in need around the Durham community. The concert will feature music about turning sorrow into joy, including works by Byrd, Palestrina, Schütz, Rachmaninoff, and more.

From FPC's Creation Care Team

Tuesday, April 26. 2022

7:00-8:15 PM on Zoom

Register here

Worldwide about 33% of soil is degraded. U.S. soil is disappearing 10 times faster than it’s being replenished naturally. Can a city-dweller do anything to help? 

Join our speakers Frank Franciosi (US Composting Council), Muriel Williman (NC Composting Council) and Rev. Susannah Tuttle (NC Interfaith Power & Light) in a webinar on building healthy soil, protecting water resources, increasing food productivity while increasing the ability of soils to store carbon and help combat global warming. Learn how you can help right on the spot during the webinar to support composting legislation in Congress.

Hosted by ICCT, cosponsored by NC Council of Churches, Orange-Chatham Interfaith Care for Creation, the Episcopal Diocese of NC, the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, and Pachamama RTP.

More information and registration here

Spring Pop-up Opportunities

·         Saturday, April 30 – 8:00 a.m. Birding with David and Judy Smith at Brumley North Nature Preserve on Old NC 10.

·     Saturday, May 14 – 10:00 a.m. Intro to Yoga with Franzi Rokoske at Rigsbee Shelter at Duke Forest.

·     Monday, May 23 – 6:00-8:00 p.m. Duke Chapel Organ Crawl with Kathy Parkins.

None of these your thing? Keep your eyes open for more opportunities around music and trivia!

Have a hobby or interest you'd like to share? Willing to 'host' a hike on your favorite trail? Have the best backyard for s’mores or a campfire? Looking for some company to wander Duke Gardens? Contact Mitzi Lesher-Thomas about creating/hosting a spring pop-up! 

Go here to see details and to sign up to participate in a pop-up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D49A9AC29A75-first

PLEASE SIGN UP TO DONATE BLOOD...

Our blood supplies in area hospitals are at a critical level again. Donors urgently needed!

FPC is holding another blood drive . . .

Thursday, May 5, from 1:00-6:00 p.m.

Watts-Hill Hall at FPC. 

Go online to RedCrossBlood.org and use code firstpres or use the RAPIDPASS donor App to save time! Information about donating blood can be found in the church foyer or contact Julie Whiddon at 919-730-6673.

We have many slots to fill. Invite neighbors, friends, and co-workers to come and donate blood! Walk-ins are also welcome.

Exploring FPC’s Racial History:

Are you interested in doing a deep dive into FPC’s history, specifically through the lens of race, race relations, Jim Crowe, and civil rights? At our March Session meeting, the Session approved a team that would investigate this history. Join Amy Dillon and Kerry Holbrook in this important investigation. Contact Mindy Douglas for more information!

Things That Matter Book Group

 Our next book group meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, at 7:00 p.m. Celia Dickerson will be leading our discussion of Deacon King Kong by James McBride. Marcia Lorimer will be hosting the meeting at the church. Please be sure to let Marcia know if you will be coming.

Also be thinking of books you would like the group to discuss in the coming year. Dale Gaddis is hoping to get the recommendation form out prior to our May meeting, so that selections can be made prior to our June 14 meeting. We do have one more book to discuss that is on this year’s schedule: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. That discussion will be held on July 12.

Growing thru Grief

Growing thru Grief offers small group support to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Here is our REMAINING schedule for April:

April 26    How to Survive Early Grief—Eight Simple Steps for an Unbearable Time, by Artie Hendricks

Our 4:00 p.m. meetings begin with a presentation about a part of the grief process and then we break into small groups for conversation and sharing. With the pandemic, we are meeting on Zoom, though we hope to return to in-person meetings. To register, contact admin@growingthrugrief.org by 8:00 a.m.on the Monday before the meeting.

Growing thru Grief is sponsored by a coalition of religious and civic organizations; there is no charge to attend.

GROUNDS WORKDAY AT FPC

Join Barbara Buckley and her group of faithful volunteers this Saturday, April 23 from 9:00-12 noon as they work to beautify the grounds around the church. Contact Barbara to learn about the work to be done. Thank you for volunteering.

Day of Service

Saturday, April 23

9:30 a.m. – 12 noon in the parking lot of Iglesia Emanuel

Hi, FPC friends,

In case you have missed the announcements in our newsletter and bulletins, this Saturday, April 23, is our Bagging Rice and Beans Day at Iglesia Emanuel! The weather forecast is perfect for a fun and productive morning as we work together filling bags with rice and beans for the Food Pantry. We have been serving an average of 650 families every single week for months now, so we need all the extra hands we can find to help fill our storage room to overflowing! Please sign up here for a one-hour shift, or two shifts, or to bring some much appreciated snacks to share. This is a family friendly event, and we look forward to having lots of multi-generational, animated conversations swirling about the tables. We will be working outside in the parking lot. Also, we encourage you to bring donations of food for the pantry, specifically cereal or canned protein (tuna or chicken), or monetary donations.

Address of Iglesia Emanuel: 2504 N Roxboro. If the parking lot is full, please park on a side street and come by foot!

Time: Set-up is from 9:15 - 10

First Shift - 10 - 11

Second shift - 11 - 12

Clean up - 12 until we leave everything looking perfect!

Thank you, and we really hope you will be able to join us! Please encourage other friends to join you as well, and even think about carpooling!

most gratefully,

Margaret and Miguel Rubiera

June 18, 2022 - Washington DC

We are taking a bus to the Poor People's Campaign March on Washington on June 18, 2022. It will leave from the FPC parking lot , and we want to fill it up. Jane Williams is the contact person to get your name on the list (who knows, maybe we'll need two buses). We hope you'll join us.

Coordinator and Office Volunteers Needed

The church is beginning to open up as pandemic numbers trend in a positive direction. As a result, we would like to allow our community support groups (Al-ANON, Overeaters Anonymous and AA) to return in the weekday. We now need morning office volunteers to monitor entry into the building and answer the phone. We are also in need of someone to coordinate our pool of office volunteers.

Please contact Valerie in the church office if you would like to serve a morning shift, (9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.) one or more mornings of the week, or the Friday afternoon shift (1:004:30 p.m.). Orientation to duties is available.

Thanks to everyone who is comfortable volunteering!  COVID prevention/spread guidelines remain in place. If you are fully vaccinated, contact Jen McGonigle to sign up for one of FPC's regular time slots each month, or call Jen at 202-421-5870.

Links here for other UMD opportunities:

https://umdurham.org/donate/casserole-recipes.html

https://umdurham.org/assets/files/Recipes-English-and-Spanish-Final-081214.pdf

There are also some other opportunities (hygiene kits/etc.) and they can be found at the link below: https://umdurham.org/get-involved/opportunities.html.

The North Carolina Presbyterian Historical Society’s Spring Tour will be in one of the first areas of Presbyterian settlement in North Carolina, just below the Virginia line in Granville and Vance counties on Saturday, April 23. The Nutbush and Grassy Creek congregations date from 1755-1756, Old St. John’s Episcopal was built in 1773, and in Oxford the group will learn the histories of two Presbyterian churches and a very important school. Registration is $20 including lunch. The schedule, registration form, and address are on the website at www.ncphsociety.org, or contact 919-455-1493 for a copy.