BUILDING COMMUNITY. TRANSFORMING LIVES. ENGAGING THE WORLD. | | | | |
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Last Sunday, we had the privilege of hearing Marge Shelton speak on this year’s stewardship theme, “Better Together.” (If you missed it, you can find her remarks below, along with other stewardship information.) Marge is truly inspiring, but what she reminded all of us on Sunday is that even the best in our midst cannot faithfully answer God’s call on their own. It takes all of us for this congregation to be the Body of Christ God is calling us to be.
I invite you to read this entire newsletter through the lens of “Better Together.” Every article and photo tells the story of something that happened because more than one person answered a call: inviting and welcoming new members, contributing to the CROP Hunger Walk, gathering for a Fellowship Dinner, handing out bulletins for worship, even getting a book rebound. None of these were solo acts. Even this article, written by me, will be edited and formatted by our amazing Director of Communications, Morgan Stephens. I could not do this on my own!
There is one more essential piece of this puzzle: it isn’t just that it takes a community. It takes ALL of us to truly live into God’s call to be better together. It takes YOU. We are all part of this Body of Christ, and the challenge of stewardship is to pray about how God is calling each of us to stretch as we answer that call and come to know God better through sharing our money, our time, and our gifts. Yes, stewardship is how we make budget decisions and determine what we can responsibly commit to in terms of staffing, programs, and outreach. But that is the outcome of stewardship. The primary purpose of stewardship is our deeper, stronger relationship with God, beginning in grace and continuing to glory.
Yes, it is good to be together, and I am looking forward to the joy of Dedication Sunday on November 15!
| | David and Katherine Wilson come to First Presbyterian Church, New Bern, by reaffirmation of their faith. They moved to New Bern two years ago, but they are not strangers to Eastern North Carolina – David grew up in Goldsboro and Katherine in Edenton. After meeting in college, they headed north, where David attended medical school and completed a residency in otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat medicine), and Katherine began building her own business, Katherine Wilson Interiors. They came to New Bern with their son, Elliott, and have since added twins Grey and Russell to the team! | | Arthur Stier comes to First Presbyterian Church, New Bern, by reaffirmation of his faith. Arthur grew up in Northern Virginia and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University. When he moved to New Bern a year ago, he was already part of the FPC family – in 2024 he married Caroline Tolson, daughter of Alice and Hubie Tolson and sister of Scott Tolson, all members of FPC. Arthur is a business analyst who works remotely, and he and Caroline welcomed their son, Charlie, this past spring. Charlie’s baptism is scheduled for December 20, which will make his welcome to the family official, too! | | | | |
NOVEMBER 8
Harpsichord Recital - Daniel J. Sansone
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Enjoy an afternoon of harpsichord music by Daniel J. Sansone, Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church.
The program features Baroque keyboard works by Couperin and Scarlatti, along with Bach’s English Suite No. 2, performed on the church’s 17th-century Flemish harpsichord.
The Harpsichord Recital is Sunday, November 8 at 4:00 pm in the First Presbyterian Church, New Bern Sanctuary.
All are welcome and there is no cost. See you there!
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NOVEMBER 11
Fellowship Dinner
| | Join us for November's Fellowship Dinner on the 11th in J. Murphy Smith Center at 5:30 pm. On the menu: smoked turkey, dressing and gravy, sweet potato casserole, broccoli salad, cranberry sauce, yeast rolls, and pumpkin pie. Please help us plan for the right amount of food by RSVPing below. We need RSVPs by Monday, November 9 at 12:00 pm. | |
NOVEMBER 15
Together in Thanksgiving Luncheon
| | The Presbyterian Women are hosting their Together in Thanksgiving luncheon on Sunday, November 15, following worship. Circle members are asked to bring a salad or dessert to share. All ladies of the church are welcome to attend. Please join us for food and fellowship! | |
NOVEMBER 16 & 17
Backpack Blessings
| | The November Backpack Blessings Weekend Food Bag build is quickly approaching. We will be assembling weekend food bags on Monday, November 16, and Tuesday, November 17, and would love to have your help! Sign up below! | |
NOVEMBER 20
Lunch Wagon Trip: Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium
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We are planning a trip to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores on Friday, November 20, 2026.
The aquarium has timed entrances so we are waiting to hear back from the staff. The plan is to have lunch and then tour the Aquarium.
Tickets for seniors are $14.00.
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They suggest allowing 2 hours to tour the facility. There are multiple benches placed throughout the facility. They feed the fish in the Living Ship-Wreck tank around 3:15. We will leave the church parking lot at 10:30 and return home around 5:30.
Reserve your spot by signing up on the Sign-Up Genius link below or by calling the church office at 252-637-3270. You will need to pay for your tickets when you get on the bus. Nancy Perdue is the contact person (cell-phone 252-670-4868).
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DECEMBER 2
Hanging of the Greens
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Help us prepare for Advent! Join us for the Hanging of the Greens on December 2 at 9:00 am in the Session House as we decorate the Sanctuary and church grounds with fresh greenery.
Bring gloves and pruning shears if you have them. All ages and skill levels are welcome; sign up below!
We are also accepting greenery donations that can be dropped at the Session House on Dec 1 before 4:00 pm and on Dec 2 before 11:00 am. Any of the following are welcome: Cedar, Leland Cypress, Boxwood, Acuba, Yew, Magnolia, Spruce, Pine, Pittosporum.
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PATRICK RYAN
Life of Prayer
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Guided by a seasonal book, Life of Prayer journeys together chapter by chapter along the way that Jesus taught in hopes of nurturing a greater awareness of the spiritual dimension in our lives.
Starting October 28, we began a new book, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barabara Brown Taylor.
If in our last book, Leap Over a Wall, Eugene Peterson paints a picture of what presenting our whole human being before God looks like, An Altar in the World helps us see our whole human life as a place where God may be encountered.
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With the honesty of Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and the spiritual depth of Anne Lamott (Grace, Eventually), Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. An Altar in the World shares meaningful ways to discover the sacredness within the small things. Taylor shows us how to discover altars everywhere we go and in nearly everything we do as we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and revere the world we live in.
Life of Prayer gathers every Wednesday from 12:00-1:00 pm in the Owl Room.
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DANIEL J. SANSONE
Music Notes
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It has been a wonderfully exciting Fall for our Music Ministry here at First Presbyterian Church.
All of our vocal and handbell choirs have been working very hard and continue to share their amazing musical gifts with us each week.
Our pre-school choirs have not only learned so many wonderful songs, they have also been learning about all kinds of musical instruments! We have quite a collection of instruments, some of them given by church members and friends who have traveled to various countries and brought back musical instruments native to that country. The children have had the opportunity to play these instruments and hear how each one sounds different and looks different. Mr. Daniel even brought out his accordion and they enjoyed singing favorites such as the "ABC" song and "Jesus Loves Me, this I Know!" These children are such gifts from God and we love them!
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The Craven Ukes have graciously accepted my invitation to play a special Christmas program again this year for our pre-school which will feature some Christmas favorites and even a sing-a-long!
This Fall the Children’s Choir, Resurrection Singers, the Sanctuary Choir, and the Handbell Choir have also been rehearsing some familiar favorites as well as learning some new pieces of music. It is so rewarding to see and hear their musical skills improve with each and every rehearsal…Kudos to all!
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CHILDREN, YOUTH, & FAMILY
Check Out What's Been Happening!
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There has been a lot happening with Children, Youth, & Family Ministries over the past few weeks!
Want to see what we've been up to? Check out the CYFM newsletter below!
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WENDY MOELLER
William Lee Hawkins Library
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It is November again, the month in which the church celebrates All Saints’ Day, November 1st this year. There will be a list in the bulletin that Sunday of the members lost by our congregation this past year. The tradition of this column has been to profile the books donated in memory of any of those members who have died since the previous November. Our list this year is thankfully, but remarkably, short with only one book donated in the memory of a former member,
Rachel Held Evans' book, Braving the Truth [230.046 EVA], given by Presbyterian Women in memory of Polly Frank who for many years was one of the leaders of Presbyterian Women, but who moved away a couple of years ago. As that book has already been profiled earlier this summer as part of our Voices of Faith Faith Formation class, I will simply mention it.
Instead, let’s highlight the book that Polly herself wrote in the form of a spiritual memoir, The Women in the Mirror and Other Reflections on Living [FPA 814 FRA and 814 FRA]. Polly, who was a member of the First Presbyterian Writers Group (for information on that group, contact Janet Benrey Swain), wrote her book as she reflected back on the terminal illness of her husband, Jerry, and how her faith helped her through that loss of her own.
| | And now a little unexpected detour through the London blitz, Fred Astaire, an Italian flood, Peter Sellers, the Magna Carta, Ross Perot, and the “pecuniary prostration” of a Presbyterian congregation in New Bern, later described by their post-Civil War pastor (Rev. L. Cummings Vass) as “large and deeply interested, although the services were unusually protracted.” | | To figure out how all that fits together, you will need to read the article in Pine Straw Magazine, Pine Straw Magazine Magna Carta Man, and keep an eye out for Preston McNeil, the lovely gentleman who spent the last weeks meticulously restoring for our library one of several copies which we own of Rev. Vass’ 1886 volume History of the Presbyterian Church in New Bern, N.C. [FPA 285 VAS] There are several copies of that original church history in the Donald Taylor History Room (of last month’s crossword fame), most of which are in very poor repair. The Library Committee decided one needed to be restored for posterity and, so, Mr. McNeil’s services were engaged. I will enclose a few before and after photos for comparison. | | If you decide to wander up to the second floor to see the newly restored book itself, be sure to read about Rev. Vass, our pastor from 1866-1890, who shepherded First Pres through its reconstitution after the Civil War, reclaimed the sanctuary and the manse from the Union troops who moved in after the Battle of New Bern, and who still had enough spare time to write his own volume which later served as the jumping off point for the next one hundred years of our church's history as reported by Rev. J. Murphy Smith in The History of Presbyterian Church of New Bern, North Carolina, 1886-1987 [285 FIR and 285 SMI and FPA 242 SMI]. And, with that, we have cycled back to more First Presbyterian “saints”, Rev. L. Cummings Vass and Rev. John Murphy Smith, whose lives we should also be commemorating and celebrating this month. | | |
Let me close with a little public service announcement: For any of you who may have old family Bibles or other precious books which need a little loving restoration, I cannot recommend highly enough, Preston McNeil of Gate City Binding in Greensboro, 336-282-8876, who I am sure would be happy to help you preserve your very own history.
Now check out the above mentioned volumes which 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 November!
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CROP HUNGER WALK
Fantastic Work!
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Thank you, First Pres members! Your generosity helped us raise $7,495 to make the FPC CROP Hunger Walk Team the number 1 team in the New Bern Walk—once again. We're also #45 on the national fundraiser leaderboard!
We are especially appreciative of all the donations raised by Susan and Steve Mabie. We appreciate everyone’s help, either in walking or donating, in helping to “end hunger one step at a time.” CROP (Christian Rural Overseas Program) was initiated soon after World War Two, but grew into an international relief and development agency that is interfaith.
This was the 46th New Bern walk and New Bern is typically a leader in fundraising across the country. Twenty-five percent of funds raised are used locally, through Religious Community Services, and the rest goes to global efforts through Church World Service, such as buying chickens, goats, and seeds. The walk was followed by a family-friendly celebration featuring a DJ, games, food, Kona ice, and fellowship. Marianna Dunn headed our team and, in her absence on the day of the walk, Andrew Bitting stepped in to make sure the event went well. Our team had a great time getting exercise in gorgeous weather, making new friends, and helping others all at the same time. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!
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PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN
Thank Offering
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Presbyterian Women’s November Outreach program is the annual churchwide Thank Offering. Thank Offerings provide grants for a wide variety of projects at both national and international levels. Circle members are invited to bring a check in any amount they choose, made out to Presbyterian Women and with “Thank Offering” on the memo line, to their November Circle meeting, or mail them to the church. You do not have to be a Circle member to contribute!
We are engaged and passionate in all we do to make this world a better place!
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WORSHIP COMMISSION
Worship Ministry Opportunities to Serve
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Our Worship Commission invites members to serve in several areas that support our Sunday services and special worship gatherings.
Usher Ministry: Welcome worshippers, distribute bulletins, assist with special needs, and serve at funeral services. Quarterly training is offered, and all are welcome.
Communion Preparation: Help prepare and arrange Communion elements the day before Communion Sunday and remove them after the final service. Quarterly training is available, and anyone is welcome to serve.
Communion Servers: Current and former elders are invited to join the Communion serving rotation.
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Training for Communion preparation and serving will be offered November 15. Two sessions will be available that morning, before each service. Please arrive 15 minutes before the service you plan to attend.
Interested in serving? Please contact the Worship Commission. Your time and gifts strengthen our worship life and bless our congregation.
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OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
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Serving a 34-county region through a network of more than 700 partner programs, the Food Bank connects individuals and families with food through pantries, meal sites, mobile distributions, and other community initiatives.
Here in the New Bern region, the need is significant. More than 67,000 people across Carteret, Craven, Jones, Onslow, and Pamlico counties face hunger, including 21,000 children. That represents an increase of 17,000 people over the past five years, meaning approximately one in six of our neighbors experiences food insecurity.
In Craven County alone, an estimated 16,360 individuals face hunger, including 5,420 children. Thousands of local students and seniors also face economic hardship that can make putting food on the table a daily challenge.
| | Food Bank garden during growing season | | |
Thankfully, our community is responding. Across the five-county region, 86 local pantries, meal sites, mobile distributions, and delivery programs work together to meet this need. Collectively, these partners distribute enough food to provide nearly 9 million meals each year, with approximately half consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein.
Our church’s donations help make this work possible. By supporting the Food Bank, we join a community-wide effort to address hunger, provide nutritious food, and build a future where everyone in Eastern North Carolina has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we can make a meaningful difference for our neighbors, one meal at a time.
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HELEN ROBINSON
Organic Lawn Care Workshop
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A group of curious gardeners gathered in the Session House at First Presbyterian Church on October 23 to learn about organic lawn care and simple ways to care for the environment at home. Zack McCall shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for practical approaches to environmental stewardship, inspiring attendees to rethink how they care for their own backyards.
The conversation sparked plenty of questions, from managing fall leaves and pine straw to welcoming red wigglers and other beneficial creatures and improving mulching practices. Attendees left with fresh ideas for creating healthier lawns and more environmentally friendly outdoor spaces.
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GIFTS FROM THE HEART
Outreach Ministries
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What is our "Gifts from the Heart" ministry? In 2014, our church started the Gifts from the Heart alternative gift purchasing market. This is an opportunity to give the gift of hope by giving monetary donations to one, two, or all three of the outreach ministries slated during this season of Advent at First Presbyterian Church. Some of the ministries that Gifts from the Heart at First Presbyterian Church have supported in the past include Coastal Women's Shelter, Backpack Blessings, UKIRK at ECU, Craven Literacy, First Presbyterian Preschool, Habitat for Humanity, Reviving Lives, and Camp Albemarle.
During the season of Advent, a GFTH table will be set up each Sunday morning to make it easy to participate in giving. You will have the opportunity to purchase cards in $10.00 increments to give to friends, co-workers, and family members. By giving the cards, you are telling the recipient that a donation was given in their name. Your donations will go directly to the ministry of your choosing. We encourage children to participate. Children may purchase cards for giving for $5.00 each.
This year our three focus ministries will include the Children's Museum of New Bern, Sound Rivers, and World Central Kitchen. You will have the opportunity to read information about each of these ministries in upcoming communications. You will hear from Minute for Mission speakers during Sunday services throughout Advent.
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PAM GASKILL
Deepest Gratitude
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To My First Presbyterian Family,
Please accept my deepest gratitude for all of the loving support you provided at the time of my husband, Dick’s, sudden passing. The cards, calls, food, hugs, and prayers were all so comforting to my family and myself. My family is very reassured in knowing that I have such wonderful support systems from my church family and friends. You are all such a blessing.
Thank you,
Pam Gaskill
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First Presbyterian Church, New Bern Staff
Anna Pinckney Straight - Pastor
anna@firstpresnb.org
Patrick Ryan - Associate Pastor
patrick@firstpresnb.org
Daniel Sansone - Director of Music
daniel@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.
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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
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Share Your Memories!
Have photos from a church event? Use this link to share your FPC memories.
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Physical Address
400 New Street
New Bern, NC 28560
Mailing Address
PO Box 1069,
New Bern, NC 28563
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Church Office Hours
Monday - Thursday
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
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