Fellowship Friday - February 18, 2022

This week's gospel passage may be a challenge: Jesus is telling those who will listen to turn the other cheek and just, kind of, well...take it on the chin. While I don't want to play spoiler to this Sunday's sermon, I just feel like, in this day and age, that it's easier said than done. But Jesus says to do it, and so we do...right?

Thank you to all of you who have commented or provided well-wishes on my new role within the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE). It truly is an honor to be able to lead an organization that I love so much - and for the Fellowship Family to be cheering me on and supporting me in this role means so much as well. So, thank you - it's only just begun!

As of this morning, the Guilford County mask mandate has been lifted, Governor Cooper has made comments about mask mandates in schools, Guilford County Schools has it on their agenda for Tuesday night, and I'm sure the City of Greensboro will also be discussing it as well. The Session and Staff here will continue to keep the safety of our Fellowship Family first in our minds, but have not had time to discuss. Please know that the Session will address masks and other COVID protocols at its meeting next week. However, for Sunday, I ask that mask-wearing is honored until the Session meets next week - next week's email will include its decision.

I look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday in worship - whether in-person or online - to worship God as we make our way closer to Lent.

Until Sunday,

Pastor Kathryn

Sunday (Virtual) Worship Information

Sunday worship is in-person, but will continue to be available through Facebook Live, Zoom, and YouTube.

Worshipping via Zoom allows for worship participants to, at the least, see each other during worship, should a participant join through computer. Zoom also allows for worship participants to join by phone, should they not have access to a computer.

To join by phone, call: (646)558-8656

When you dial in you will be asked for a meeting ID number: enter 847 7231 7808. The password is: 658602. Depending on the time you dial in, you may not hear anything to start with. When the Prelude begins, you will hear audio.

To access worship by Zoom via computer, please click here.

(If you'd prefer to access the worship service through the Zoom website, please enter Meeting ID 847 7231 7808 - the password is: 658602.)

To access worship by Facebook Live, please click here.

To access worship by YouTube, please click here.

Don't forget - you can access this week's bulletin via the church's website or by clicking here .

To download a copy of the Annual Report,

please click here.

Email Lee

Macaroni and Cheese Special

Hey Fellowship!

We all love a great deal, right? Harris Teeter is running a special sale on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese! Buy one, get one free!! What a great way to feed folks in our community a high-quality meal that costs us so little! The catch is: it's only good until February 22nd. Let's fill up Fellowship's Mac wagon this Sunday.

Thanks!!

Mac'n'Cheese Team on behalf of the Mission Committee

Congratulations to the 2022

Chili & Dessert Cook-Off Winners!

Chili Overall: Lesa Layno
Chili Flavor & Chili Uniqueness: Mark Kirstner, Austin Campbell, & Nancy Gibble
Dessert Overall, Dessert Flavor, & Dessert Uniqueness: Kim Throckmorton

Important Upcoming Events

March 2, 6pm: Ash Wednesday Worship
March 19, 8am: Pancake Breakfast followed by Churchwide Spring Cleaning
April 10, 9:30am: Palm Sunday Worship
April 14, 6 pm: Maundy Thursday Worship
April 15, 6pm: Good Friday Worship
April 17: Easter Sunday
6:30am: Sunrise Service
7:30am: Easter Breakfast
9:30am: Worship with Communion
10:30am: Egg Hunt

Volunteer with Applewood, Backpack Beginnings,

and Greensboro Housing Authority!

Fellowship has started an ongoing partnership between Backpack Beginnings, Greensboro Housing Authority, and The Applewood Community. Please contact Mary Howe to sign up: maryhowe0712@gmail.com or call/text at 336-698-6541. Please click here to sign up.

Wondering what to do with all of those grocery shopping bags? The Missions committee will be collecting “gently used” plastic grocery bags for Backpack Beginnings. Please bring any you don’t use to church with you, leaving them on the Missions table in the Dogwood Lobby closest to the double doors leading towards the classrooms.

Upcoming Opportunity for Study

Starting February 26!

In honoring our lives as a Matthew 25 congregation, the Mission Committee is offering an opportunity with White Voices Against Racism (WVAR), one of FPC's partners, to participate in "A Journey to Justice". Starting February 26, participants will learn more in a kickoff Zoom call with the We Cry Justice editor, Rev. Liz Theoharis, members of WVAR and other churches who will covenant to learn together on this journey, which includes a 4-month study of the book, regular gatherings for discussion, and visits to many Civil Rights sites around the city. The journey plans to end in September with a tour of the International Civil Rights Museum, also here in Greensboro. For more information, please click here. To register for the event on February 26 at 4 pm, please click here. If you have questions about the Journey, please contact Mark Kirstner.

Upcoming Women's Bible Study

The next women's bible study will be Come to the Waters by Judy Fletcher.

There are over 800 references to water in the Bible, and the significance of water cannot be overstated. This examination of water will take place over 9 weeks, broken up into a five-week session this spring and a 4-week session in the fall.

15 participant books ($8 each) have been ordered by the church, so bible study leaders will notify those interested participants when they are delivered. If you live out of town, please let the leaders know so one can be mailed. Scholarships are available for the book, and should they be needed, please contact either Kathryn or Mimi Carter.

The first Spring meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30pm on Zoom, with subsequent meetings on March 8, March 15, March 22, and April 5.

For more information about the Bible Study or to indicate your interest in participating, please contact Mimi Carter or Jeanie Harrison.

Fellowship Presbyterian has online giving available through the Presbyterian Foundation.

Click this link to be taken to the online donations page.

Pennies For Hunger Lenten Season Challenge

For Presbyterians, the season of Lent is not about giving something up, it is about taking something on. The Presbytery Hunger Committee asks that during this Lenten season you consider taking on the challenge to raise funds for the Pennies for Hunger program.

The Pennies for Hunger program was started by our Presbytery and since the program began in 1989, we have awarded over $3 million in food assistance to domestic and international hunger agencies. Fifty percent goes to local hunger agencies in our Presbytery; the rest is awarded to international projects, such as a primary school for boys and girls in Kenya called Sister2Sister International and Congo Helping hands, a series of chicken farms that produce protein to counteract malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This is one of the most visible Presbytery programs to members, but it is currently facing a funding crisis. No endowment or trust fund exists for this program – what comes in is what goes out. During the pandemic, many churches have not met in person or attendance has been low, so available funds have been low. With government pandemic money ending and inflation rising, the need for food assistance has increased.

During Lent, we ask that you consider ways that your congregation can support this effort. This can be as simple as taking up a hunger collection during each of the seven weeks of Lent. You could also identify a member(s) who would participate in a match, if the congregation can reach a goal. One church in our Presbytery used a combination of the two to raise $4,000 for Pennies for Hunger during Advent. You may also want to challenge another church in your parish. Also, a member of the Hunger Committee will provide Starbucks gift cards to the Session members of the church who raises the most dollars per member during Lent.

Please support this important cause. This is a great way to address one of the central foci of the Matthew 25 initiative that Salem presbytery has adopted which is eradicating systemic poverty. This is away people of faith can respond together to meet the needs of Christ’s world among us, around us, and across the globe!

Thank you.

Prayer Concerns and Celebrations

John Archambault reports that his colleague and friend, Gail Keefe, passed away on Sunday from cancer. John gives thanks to everyone for sustaining her for all of these months with their prayers. He believes Gail was able to have many meaningful times with family and friends as she battled the disease.
Peggy Koppel requests prayer for her high school friend, Michael Boswell, who is undergoing cancer treatments with surgery 2/25 at Duke.
Peggy also requests continued prayers for her husband, John, as he heals. Specifically, she prays that he will gain weight and get his appetite back as he adjusts to new medications.
Gary Anderson requests prayers for his coworker, Todd Martinez, who is undergoing treatment for lung cancer.
Donna Steele requests prayers for Christy, daughter of Donna’s childhood friend, Francis, who has been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, which has also progressed to her brain. Christy is 34 and has small children at home.
Greg French is grateful to the Fellowship Family for its prayers, cards, and support during the deaths of both of Gail’s parents over the last few months. He also shares celebrations that they are expecting another grandchild in September.
Prayers for the countries of Russia and Ukraine, as well as others who face the possibility of war and political unrest.
Mary Howe continues to recover from shoulder surgery and transition to physical therapy.
Julian Bullock requests prayers for upcoming medical appointments.
Continued prayers for our church members: Lea Groves, Donna, Katie & the Steele family, Nancy Baughman, Bruce Weaver, and Marjorie Van Horn.
Continued prayers for the family and friends of our congregation: Marie (Phyllis King’s friend), Katherine and Donald Bennett (Barbara Smith’s sister and brother-in-law), Kurt (friend of Fred Campbell), Felicia Schaps (Lindahl's daughter-in-law's mother), Teresa (Terry Anderson’s coworker), Ashley Long (Joel and Ann Long’s daughter-in-law), John Fair (FPC’s former organist), Joyce Berger (Kandee’s mother), Gwen Flowers & her family (Linda Ueland’s sister), Dorothy & Edward Archambault (John Archambault’s parents), Arch Gravely (Peggy Koppel’s cousin), Tim King family (Phyllis King’s son), Roger Eliason (Tye Wittmann’s coworker), Jenny George (Betsy Craver's cousin), Libby Ansel (Lesa Layno's sister).

If you have any additional prayer concerns, please contact Linda Ueland (336-314-5481) or call Martha at the church (336-288-5177).

Upcoming Events

February 20:

9:15-11:15am: Professional Childcare available (“Preschool” Classroom)
9:30am: Worship – in-person (with masks), on Facebook Live, Zoom, and YouTube
10:45am: Adult Education Hour (Library)

February 21:

12:30pm Personnel Committee meets via Zoom

February 22:

7pm: Session meets via Zoom

February 23:

7am: Men's Koffee Klatch (Panera Bread – Lawndale Location)
12 noon: Bulletin and Blast Deadline

February 24:

9:30am & 1:30pm: Meyler Oil (Fellowship Hall)
1pm: Bridge (Library)

February 27:

9:15-11:15am: Professional Childcare available (“Preschool” Classroom)
9:30am: Worship – in-person (with masks), on Facebook Live, Zoom, and YouTube
10:45am: Adult Education Hour (Library)
1pm: Girl Scouts (Parlor)