FEBRUARY 2026

Though winter is still with us, the season of Lent is just ahead. Lent invites us to slow our pace and enter a more contemplative rhythm—creating space to see what God can do when we pause and are intentionally honest with ourselves and with God.

Lent is a forty-day season during which people of faith are invited into a particularly intentional walk as a way of preparing for Christ’s death and resurrection at Easter. The Bible is full of stories marked by periods of forty days, including Jesus in the wilderness, the flood in Genesis, Moses’ time on Mount Sinai, Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb, and Jonah’s call to Nineveh, among others. During Lent, individuals often fast from something or take on a new spiritual discipline as part of their preparation, with the goal of drawing closer to God and to God’s hopes for the world.

As this season approaches, how will you choose to enter into Lent?



Below are a few options for you to consider:

Ash Wednesday Worship - Wednesday, February 18, 6:00 pm

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday worship, a sacred time to reflect on what it means to entrust our lives to God, in life and in death. Join us in the Sanctuary!

Midweek Lenten Worship (Taizé) - Wednesdays, February 25-April 1, 5:00-5:30 pm

During Lent, we will gather for a brief, reflective worship service in the Sanctuary shaped by song, silence, and shared prayer. This Taizé-style worship offers a different way to pray—rooted in community and simplicity. If this style of worship is new to you, you are especially welcome. No experience is needed, only an openness to God’s Spirit. To learn more about this, read the Rev. Patrick Ryan's excellent article included in this newsletter.

New Bible Study - Thursdays, Beginning February 12, 11:00 am

Join me in the Hawkins Library for an hour of conversation as we explore the scripture from the previous Sunday’s worship as well as the text for the upcoming Sunday. Together we’ll consider the historical context of these passages and their relevance for our lives today. Each session stands on its own—no registration required, and no worries if you miss a week. This is an opportunity both to learn more about scripture and preaching.

However you arrive in Lent, know that it is good to be together.

Dive deeper into the joy of Lent with Miroslav Volf

and Drew Collins' article, Joy during Lent.

ANNA PINCKNEY STRAIGHT

2025-2026 Stewardship Update

Good news! We have begun 2026 with nearly 50 additional pledges, and the commitments received so far align with our anticipated budget for the year ahead. The Session plans to consider budget approval at its February meeting, which means we hope to share more details with the congregation at an Annual Meeting in March. Stay tuned!

And... if you haven’t yet submitted your pledge card, there is no deadline for responding to God’s call to generosity.

FEBRUARY 8

Souper Bowl Sunday

Join us for a Soup and Cookie Luncheon in the Session House immediately following 11:00 am worship on Souper Bowl Sunday. Enjoy a variety of homemade soups along with cookies and fellowship as we gather together as a church family.

All donations received on Souper Bowl Sunday will benefit Religious Community Services, helping support neighbors in need within our community. We are also pleased to have our Scouts serving as ushers during worship that morning. Following the service, Girl Scout cookies will be available for purchase at the luncheon—perfect to enjoy or take home.

Come hungry, bring a friend, and help us turn a simple meal into meaningful support for others.

FEBRUARY 15

Calvin & Hops

Join us the third Sunday of each month from 4:00–5:00 pm at Brewery 99 (1030 Pollock St.) for Calvin and Hops, an informal gathering of men (not limited to Presbyterians) for thoughtful conversation about theology and the life of faith.

Led by Ken Wilkins, the group enjoys good discussion, a beer (beer-drinking not required!), and usually a few salty snacks brought by participants. Come for the fellowship and conversation—no preparation needed.

For more information, contact Patrick Ryan.

FEBRUARY 17

Fellowship "Brinner"

Our next Fellowship Meal will take place on February 17th at 5:30 pm—and yes, it’s Fat Tuesday! If you joined us for last year’s much-loved “Brinner” (breakfast-for-dinner) meal, you already know what a treat this will be.

We will enjoy a delicious spread featuring breakfast casserole, French toast casserole, bacon, fresh fruit, ham biscuits, grits, and sweet breads—a festive and hearty way to mark the day before Lent begins.

Plan to join us for great food, warm fellowship, and lots of good conversation. Come hungry!

FEBRUARY 21

Women at the Well

Gather with us on the third Saturday of each month from 9:30–11:00 am at the Harris Teeter Café (3565 M L King Jr Blvd) for Women at the Well. This relaxed and welcoming gathering offers women a chance to enjoy good company and meaningful conversation—about anything and everything.

It’s a wonderful opportunity for the women of First Presbyterian Church to connect, build friendships, and share a few laughs together. Come as you are and stay as long as you like.

For more information, please contact the church office.

PATRICK RYAN

Lent as Forty Days of Decrease

Lent often gets described as a season of self-improvement: try harder, do better, fix what’s broken. But what if this 40-day spiritual journey can be walked a different way? I wonder if the season of Lent invites us into something truer and far gentler. How would you live out Lent if you didn’t think of it as forty days of increase, but forty days of decrease?

In Scripture, decrease is not failure. It is preparation. Jesus withdraws to the wilderness before his public ministry. John the Baptist names his own calling this way: “He must increase, and I must decrease.” Lent echoes this wisdom. This holy season invites us to loosen our grip on what crowds our lives so that God has room to breathe in us again.

This decrease—it’s not about self-punishment or spiritual minimalism for its own sake. It is about honesty. What habits numb us instead of healing us? What noise keeps us from listening? What illusions of control keep us from trusting God? It is the courage to notice what fills our days but drains our souls. It is the wisdom to recognize where we rely on distraction, control, or busyness instead of trust. Lent gives us permission to step back and ask not, “What should I achieve?” but “What is God inviting me to let go of?” Lent is an opportunity to gently set some of these things down because they are not ultimate.

In a culture trained to measure life by accumulation and productivity, Lent quietly teaches a different math. Less striving. Less noise. Less hurry. Less pretending. And in that holy less, something surprising happens. Space opens. Attention deepens. Desire clarifies. God meets us not in our excess, but in our availability.

Each Wednesday in Lent, we will gather in the Sanctuary at 5:00 pm for a simple 30-minute Taizé service as a way of opening space in the middle of our week. Taizé worship is song-led and is shaped by simplicity, repetition, and silence. Short, sung prayers are repeated slowly, allowing the words to move from our minds into our bodies. Scripture is read without commentary. Silence is not filled or rushed. This kind of worship does not ask us to think harder or do more; it invites us to rest, listen, and be present to God as we are. In a season of decrease, Taizé creates room for God to meet us beneath the noise, offering a quiet, steady place to breathe, pray, and be held.

As we enter these forty days, may we receive Lent not as a burden, but as a gift: an invitation to decrease so that love may increase, to let go so that we may be held, and to trust that God is at work even when we are doing less.

Upcoming Communion

PATRICK RYAN

Women's Connection Conference at Montreat

Make your way with women of First Presbyterian Church to the annual Women’s Connection Conference in Montreat!

This meaningful retreat offers time to reconnect with friends—both familiar and new—while tending to your own spirit through rest and Sabbath. Together we will experience inspiring worship led by women, engage in thoughtful and faithful conversation, and make space for reflection, renewal, and discernment.

Click below to find out more about the conference and the speaker, as well as to register for the Conference by Sunday, February 8.

Questions? Please reach out to Patrick Ryan.

DANIEL SANSONE

Music Notes

As we now move into 2026, there are a number of ways you too can be a part of our amazing Music Ministry here at First Presbyterian Church!

Opportunities include singing in one of our vocal choirs, ringing in our handbell choir, serving as a choir parent, playing an instrument, or serving on our Concert Series Music Committee. There are other ways to be involved too, and I am happy to discuss those with you.

Our Concert Series continues with two more upcoming concerts, one in March featuring the ECU Chamber Choir and our annual Spring Ring in April.



Please feel free to reach out with your interest, or any questions you may have!

WENDY MOELLER

William Lee Hawkins Library

“You know, he looked nothing like that blonde-haired, California surfer dude that we think of!” That is a snippet from an interview my Sunday morning Faith Formation class on Father James Martin’s book JESUS - A PILGRIMAGE [232 MAR] listened to the first week of the class last month as we were reintroducing the book for its encore appearance during January and February, having done the first four chapters last winter (not too late to join that class each Sunday morning at 9:40 am in the Owl Room on the second floor of the Ministry Center). The link to the interview is below, if you are curious; quote comes in about minute 4.

Interview with Father James Martin

And so these last several weeks I have been pondering the abundance of representations of Jesus to which we have been exposed over the millennia. I would guess there are very few of you of a certain age for whom this is not the image of Jesus you have carried with you in your brain since you were a child like me who grew up seeing this painting on the wall of every basement Sunday school class she ever was in. 

This world famous image was painted in 1940 by Warner Sallman and travelled all over the world and then back home again as it was printed on small cards to give to American soldiers heading off to fight in World War II. 

Our William Lee Hawkins Library has a surprising selection of books about the face of Jesus. These are books for lingering over, coffee table type books with more artwork than commentary. I so enjoyed spending time with them these last weeks that I immediately knew they had to be shared as the selections for this month of February. 

May I offer up:

• HIS FACE: IMAGES OF CHRIST IN ART by Marion Wheeler [246 WHE]
• THE FACES OF JESUS by Frederick Buechner [REF 704.948 BUE], both the large coffee table art book with all the images, and the much smaller (pocket-sized actually) text of the meditations also by Buechner, THE FACES OF JESUS - A LIFE STORY [226 BUE] which would be an excellent Lenten devotional.
• JESUS OF NAZARETH - A LIFE OF CHRIST THROUGH PICTURES, currently located in the children’s collection on the second floor, although, on consideration, it may need to be moved back to the adult section, and which includes a large selection of art from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, with accompanying scripture passages.
• THE CHRISTIAN STORY: FIVE ASIAN ARTISTS TODAY by Patricia Pongracz [755.2 PON]. I absolutely LOVED this one! Please treat yourself to more than a glance! 

All of these books will be on the big table in the William Lee Hawkins Library on the second floor of the Ministry Center for the entire month of February. Set aside an hour or so, with a hot beverage, to sit in one of our large, comfortable wing chairs to immerse yourself, or check out, if you prefer. Because I so enjoyed these selections, next month we will have another go-around on other art books related to the Bible.

And, in the meantime, if you really would like to see a “surfer dude Jesus”, sneak into the sanctuary of Centenary Methodist Church on Middle Street, catty-corner from our memorial garden. There, high above the right side of their sanctuary, is a stained glass window with an image of Jesus at age twelve in the temple. All I can say is that Jesus must have taken surfing lessons at an early age. 😉 Please don’t tell our Methodist friends that I sent you!!

STACEY GRIFFITH

Backpack Blessings

Another successful 'Build' to prepare weekend snack bags for our Craven, Jones, and Pitt school children from K through 9 who are 'food insecure' was completed this week. The numbers, sadly, have continued to escalate and this group prepped snack bags for 1150 children in our 3 target counties.

Many willing hands and hearts are needed for this (now) monthly activity and, as always, we are so very grateful for the many First Pres. members who responded. New Bern's Rotary also is active in Backpack, and several Rotary First Pres members participated: Tim Lubsen, Chris Kelso, Jim Finley, and Linda Staunch. Kudos to Priscilla and Stan Van Horn who continue to serve several times during this series, as well as Nancy McAden, Sheila Orth, Anne Goldman, Ann Griffin Hall, Mary Lynne Keener, John Pyburn, Cory Hunter, Taylor McClellan, Kathy Polk, Martha Strickland, Sherri and Alan Goodwin, and Kirsten Sonstegard. As always Jane Dail serves as a Board Member, works builds, and delivers First Pres. bins to our target school.

All this would not be possible without the generous staff support we receive, and the monies, prayers, and willing hands and hearts that our membership brings faithfully to this important ministry! Thank you all!

HELEN ROBINSON

The Christmas Table: A House Church Story

The desire to give to those in need often presents itself more strongly during the Christmas season. At its November gathering House Church #8 wondered out loud about a way to help someone over Christmas. Helen Burlazzi proposed helping a refugee family since we know these neighbors are experiencing greater challenges. The group agreed, and Helen Robinson offered to check with the volunteer coordinator at IRM (Interfaith Refugee Ministry) about special needs.

Our contact at IRM offered suggestions. One idea was to find a kitchen table and chairs for an older Burmese family that was finally moving out on its own after living with another family. Though they had many basics for setting up a household for five, they had no kitchen table nor any chairs.

The house church thought this sounded like a good project. However, a first look around local thrift stores for used tables and chairs revealed nothing promising. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…Then Pat Gillis had a conversation with her daughter Meg in Indiana who shared her frustration about a nice new table ordered online that was taking up too much space in her garage. Meg didn’t want to ship the table back to Wayfair. Pat had an idea: She asked Meg if she was willing to ship the chair to New Bern. Shipping the table here to help a new refugee family appealed to Meg, and the new table arrived at the family’s house in time for Christmas!

At its December gathering, the house church brainstormed about how to find a set of at least five chairs. Laura Wood agreed to do chair shopping. Laura shopped diligently—in town, out of town, and online. She found a great bargain on new chairs--attractive and durable chairs that go well with the table. Laura agreed to store the chairs while the group hatched a plan for assembly and delivery.

On December 29 Pat and her daughter Meg (who happened to be visiting her mom for Christmas) along with Richard Burlazzi met at Laura’s garage to assemble the chairs. Then Roy Balkus and John Young arrived with their vehicles to load and deliver the chairs to the family.

The chairs were delivered with love to the family. The family was surprised and thrilled to receive eight beautiful new chairs to go with their new table. It takes a village…or a house church.

Pat Avery

Montagnard Christmas Celebration

On December 14, our Murphy Smith Building was filled with music, fellowship, and joyful celebration as the Montagnard Christian community gathered for a Christmas celebration that lasted from noon until mid-afternoon. Between 175 and 200 people attended, representing five Montagnard Christian groups and congregations from Charlotte, Raleigh, New Bern, Rocky Mount, and Greensboro. The atmosphere throughout the day was one of deep faith, gratitude, and shared joy.

Each group took turns on stage singing Christmas carols. While many of the melodies were familiar, the lyrics were sung in their own language, offering a beautiful reminder of the universality of the Christmas story. One of the group leaders read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke in English. Our own H’Yor K’Sor offered the opening prayer, and the senior pastor from Charlotte delivered the sermon, introducing each main point in English before expanding on it in his native language.

Before the shared meal, H’Yor and his wife, H’Jun, were invited to the stage and thanked for helping arrange the use of First Presbyterian Church’s Murphy Smith Building for the celebration. H’Yor shared that he is currently undergoing a three-year course of training to preach in his language. The meal that followed was plentiful and delicious, featuring a mix of familiar dishes and new flavors.

It was a meaningful and joyful day, and a gift to be able to share our church space with fellow Christians whose faith and devotion were evident in every part of the celebration.

Debbie Murray

Christmas Offerings: Gratitude

Your generosity during the Christmas season was remarkable! Although more money may come in, the current counts show $5,609.00 for the Christmas Eve collection, $1,985.00 for the Christmas Joy offering, and $6,882.00 raised in Gifts From the Heart. 

This money will be put to good use in our community by supporting the MERCI Clinic, the Food Bank of Eastern NC, Arts to End Genocide, and Coastal Carolina Disaster Resilience Agency (CCDRA).

Many thanks to all of you for your help in supporting God’s work through our outreach projects!

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN

Presbyterian Women of New Hope

Presbytery 2026 Scholarship

The Presbyterian Women of New Hope Presbytery 2026 Scholarship application is now available. The purpose of the scholarship is to aid young women and young men of the Presbyterian Church, in the Presbytery of New Hope, in assisting to meet their financial need as they pursue a degree in higher education.

Scholarships are awarded in the amount of $1000. Those who will be graduating from high school in 2026 are encouraged to apply. Once received as a graduating high school senior, the recipient can reapply for the scholarship in subsequent years.

The scholarship application can be found in the link below. A completed application packet must be received by March 1, 2026. If you have questions, please contact Janet Bryan.

First Presbyterian Church, New Bern Staff

Anna Pinckney Straight - Pastor

anna@firstpresnb.org

Patrick Ryan - Associate Pastor

patrick@firstpresnb.org

Catherine Campbell - Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry

catherine@firstpresnb.org

Daniel Sansone - Director of Music

daniel@firstpresnb.org

Pat K. Rowlett - Associate Director of Music

pat@firstpresnb.org

Susan Mabie

Director of Resurrection Singers

Tim Elliott - Facilities Manager

property@firstpresnb.org

Dawn Inglis - Office Administrator

church@firstpresnb.org

Kerri Quick - Preschool Director

kerri@firstpresnb.org

Summer Hough - Financial Administrator

summer@firstpresnb.org

Morgan Stephens - Director of Communications

comms@firstpresnb.org

Louis Foye - Sexton

Richard Colflesh - Maintenance

property@firstpresnb.org

Stephen Ministry

stephenministry@firstpresnb.org

pastoroncall@firstpresnb.org

After office hours or on the weekend,

a good way to reach a pastor is to

email the pastor on call.

Share your News!

Have an article for the newsletter? Want an announcement placed in the bulletin? See something we should post on social media? Have photos of a church event to share? Email comms@firstpresnb.org to get your news shared!

Bulletin Deadline:

Mondays at 12:00 pm

Weekly Word Deadline:

Mondays at 12:00 pm

First Edition/Monthly Newsletter Deadline:

the 20th of the month at 12:00 pm

Physical Address

400 New Street,

New Bern, NC 28560

Mailing Address

PO Box 1069,

New Bern, NC 28563

Church Office Hours

Monday - Thursday

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Friday

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Contact Information

252.637.3270

church@firstpresnb.org

www.firstpresnb.org