What should I do? Where do I start? And for whom?

We’re faced with these questions often in situations when we really aren’t sure what the next steps should be. I remember in the fall of 1989, I bought a new house in Concord, NC and moved in right after Hurricane Hugo hit the Charlotte area. Mercifully, the house was spared, yet the woods behind it were thrashed. I often stood on the deck and stared at the damage, wondering what to do first. I bought my first chainsaw and started cleaning up the mess a little at a time. This huge task had to be broken down into small, digestible bites to keep me from getting overwhelmed.

I believe advice on breaking challenging situations into individual elements can be found in Micah 6:8, “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

It’s all there, summed up beautifully in one verse! As Christians we should seek justice for those who cannot obtain it and be sure that the key driver is justice according to God’s definition. Yet justice should be tempered with mercy, and we should be willing and able to distribute that freely. This mercy can come in our thoughts, words, and deeds. It is not our place to deny mercy because we find another undeserving of the same. It should flow down, in double measure, just like our Lord provides for us. I believe to walk humbly with Him means we seek His favor and advice through prayer, scripture, and learning.

Don’t know what to do? Then Act, Love, Walk.

Please pray with me, Heavenly Father, thank you for these simple instructions. Help us to utilize them in our daily lives as well-oiled and calibrated tools for Your work on this earth. Amen.

Andy Dunlap

Discipleship Elder (Adults)

March 12

Marguerite will be back in the pulpit sharing her sermon, "The Minstry of Presence" which is inspired by our Scripture, John 4:5-42.

10:00 in the Sanctuary

You can print a bulletin to worship at home here: March 12 Bulletin

Our 10:00 a.m. worship service is livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

After worship on March 19, please plan to stay for our Wake Forest Presbyterian Church Annual Meeting. We'll listen together to how many of you served God in ministry to the community and the world as we came out of the pandemic phase. You may be surprised at how much WFPC accomplished given the challenges of a transition time and a pandemic. Officers will take us through a PowerPoint presentation highlighting work of the congregation, and where we're headed for 2023. Come celebrate the work of the Spirit through WFPC.  

On Palm Sunday, the Chancel and Alleluia Choirs will present a cantata, “The Passion of Our Lord,” during the worship service. It will start with His entrance into Jerusalem, when the crowds were waving palms, and conclude with the fulfillment of His mission here on earth. The Praise Team will also share special music.

That evening at 7 p.m. in Meymandi Hall (Raleigh), our choir, along with over 225 other voices and orchestra, will be a part of Pepper Choplin’s “God So Loved” — a choral musical for Holy Week. Tickets are available from Joni Amerson and Sandie Buda before and after church for $15 — students (k-12) are free. 

Last week, we'd announced that Marguerite and John would both be out in the coming week. Marguerite's plans have changed, and she will be here. Any emergencies can be dealt with by calling the church at 919-556-7777 or emailing Marguerite at margueritesirrine@wakeforestpres.org.

Our Palm Sunday Eggstravaganza is always a time to gather as a community for the sheer joy of fun and fellowship! In order to help make that happen, we could use your help. Visit https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/3BB3IJq?ref_=wl_share for an Amazon wish list of fun items and eggs. If you are able, grab one or two items off the list and hit send... they will come straight to the church; no need for you to shop! Thank you for helping make this event fun, and mark your calendar for Sunday, April 2, at 3 p.m. for fun for all ages!

Come and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your friends at WFPC on Wednesday, March 15, beginning at 5:30. Delicious food and cookie decorating for the children. Sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090945aeaf2da5fa7-stpatricks or contact Bonnie Habicht at bnbhabicht@gmail.com. Reservation deadline is Sunday, March 12.

During Lent, we celebrate that God connects with us through Jesus’ resurrection, and connects us with “those who have least.” One Great Hour of Sharing is the single, largest way that Presbyterians come together to work for a better world by advancing the causes of justice, resilience, and sustainability. Please give generously to this Special Offering here: https://specialofferings.pcusa.org/make-a-gift/gift-info/oghs/ 

Our JOY Group's next gathering is planned for Friday, March 17, in the CLC. Lunch will be from Chick-fil-A; the cost will be $10. After lunch, Frank Drake will be discussing wills, living wills, and power of attorney. Frank has recently retired after working in this field for most of his career. Contact Dean at joy@wakeforestpres.org if you’d like to join us!

Our March 15 class topic is Improving Communication with Others Involved in Care. It includes tips on how to improve your chances for better outcomes from those difficult conversations with family members, medical professionals, and other key people on the dementia journey.

The April 19 class topic is Improving Communication with the Person Living with Dementia. This class addresses practical things you can do to create better communication with your loved one who lives with dementia which, in return, reduces stress for both of you. 

All classes will be held in person from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room B106 of the CLC. The same class will be held from 2:00 to 3:30 pm via Zoom. Classes are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about care for individuals with any type of dementia. Those who wish to attend the Zoom class and are not already on our mailing list may contact Pat Snyder via email (patsnyder137@gmail.com) to receive a link for the class. 

If you would like to honor a loved one, living or deceased, we invite you to help sponsor our Easter floral enhancements for the sanctuary. We will be decorating with Easter lilies and hydrangeas. We are asking for $10 donations to cover the cost of these flowers, and any excess funds collected will be kept in the Worship-Flowers account for future use. Honorariums/Memorials will be printed in the Palm Sunday bulletin. Please note, you are not purchasing a lily that can be taken home with you. Use this link: https://wfpc.breezechms.com/form/122f2271661265

Once again, Randall's Ralliers will be walking to help raise money to help find treatments and a cure for ALS. WFPC member Randall Keen was diagnosed with ALS on November 13, 2018, after searching for answers about slowed/slurred speech, swallowing difficulties, and breathing issues for almost a year. The Triangle Walk will take place on Saturday, April 15. If you'd like to walk with the team or sponsor a walker, visit https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR/Walks/NorthCarolina?team_id=408781&pg=team&fr_id=15328

To order a t-shirt, use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScP_nG94qltyNIDrKiBRvPOon_e6vQaSWcEXtUY_ifTbSiAfg/viewform

Our Youth Sunday service last week was led and conducted by many Youth who started their WFPC journey by attending preschool here! 

Preschool at WFPC is still going strong. To learn about the many activities happening, click https://conta.cc/3YRhIYS to read the March monthly newsletter.

The preschool has a few three-year-old openings and hopes to open another two-year-old class for the upcoming school year, 2023/2024.

Also, please follow the preschool Facebook and Instagram pages.  

The Facilities Ministry is making preparations for some much needed sprucing-up of our beautiful church campus. We are in need of a total of 250 bales of pine straw for the landscaping around the building and parking areas. Donations are needed at this time to cover the cost. If you would like to contribute, you can do so with a check with “Premise Keepers” in the memo, or donate through Breeze with “Premise Keepers” in the comments. Be sure to save the date for Grounds Cleanup Day on March 25! All are welcome to come out and help.