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Vol. 67 No. 32 ✥ August 12, 2026

August 16, 2026 ❖ The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Lessons: Isaiah 56:1,6-8; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Sermon: "Inclusive Love"

God has chosen, in a scandal of grace, to give us good gifts, in spite of ourselves. From the dawn of creation, God has called us into relationship, and no matter the way we separate ourselves, God is actively seeking after us, no matter what.

Our Second Summer series is Good News for Tough Times and follows the letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome. Paul’s letter to the Romans is addressed to people he had never met, in hopes of encouraging and building up this community to which he dreamed of traveling. Christian life was perilous in those days. In this letter, we learn how God sustains us in the midst of brokenness, both within and without, helping us find wholeness and unity, no matter what crises we are facing.

Anthem:

"All Lands and Peoples" - Lovelace

Worship is live on our homepage and YouTube channel at 11:00 a.m.,

but we love having you with us in the sanctuary!

Starting this week, our staff will begin our transition to our new staff email addresses at our church's URL (web address). You will find each staff member's new email address listed below. Please update your email contact information. If you have any questions about how to update contacts, please don't hesitate to reach out.

**And Don't worry - if you send an email to an old email address, these emails will be checked or forwarded and will not be missed!**

Church Staff Email Addresses:

Lakeside Office (General Correspondence): office@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Liz Broomell (Financial Information / Liz): liz@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Cindy Davis (Secretarial Assistant): cindy@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Libby Grammer (Senior Minister): libby@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Elizabeth Edwards (Associate Minister): elizabeth@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Zack Ross (Minister of Music): zack@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Jacob McCain (Minister to Children): jacob@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Sue Bulluck (Senior Adult Director): sue@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Preschool Email Addresses:

Preschool (General Correspondence): preschool@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Rachel Holloman (Lakeside Preschool Director): rachel@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Wayne Holloman (Lakeside Preschool Asst. Director): wayne@lakesidechurchrmt.org

Carmen Hope (Lakeside Preschool Afterschool Director): carmen@lakesidechurchrmt.org

MEAL TRAIN FOR LELA & SHELTON CHESSON

Lela and Shelton Chesson are both back home and recovering. They could use some meals 2-3 days per week. If you would like to sign up for a slot, please do so using the link below.

Meal Train Link for Chessons

MEAL TRAIN FOR ANDREA & COLLINS CUTHRELL

Andrea is home recovering from surgery while the family enjoys new baby Jay. They could use some meals 2-3 days per week. If you would like to sign up for a slot, please do so using the link below.

Meal Train Link for Cuthrells

AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ROCKY MOUNT COMMUNITY:

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION WITH DAVE CLAWSON

FOR COACHES AND YOUTH LEADERS

One of the exciting opportunities of this year's Turnage Speaker Series is a small group discussion for coaches, athletic directors, and others who work with area youth organizations. On Sunday, August 23, at 2:30 p.m., Dave Clawson will lead a time of dialogue about the challenges of our current environment of high school and college athletics, including reflections on his own journey as college sports evolved into an industry.

The session will include a chance for participants to ask questions and engage in conversation. We hope you will encourage your friends who are involved in school, community, or nonprofit youth and athletic organizations to join us. Participation for this session is by registration only through the Event Registration page of our website by clicking the button below.

In addition to this session, Coach Clawson will share part of his faith journey with us in morning worship on August 23 and offer a public lecture at 5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, where he will share further thoughts about leadership and character and provide a time of conversation. Make plans now to join us!

CBF DISASTER RELIEF: COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE

CBF Disaster Relief posted the following in response to the devastating earthquake in Colombia: On Monday morning a powerful 7.4 earthquake hit western Colombia. Please keep our brothers and sisters in your prayers as we wait for more information and ways in which we may collaborate with our Baptist partners. If you would like to donate to CBF Disaster Relief, use the following link. You may also give to Lakeside and designate CBF Disaster Relief.

Donate to CBF Disaster Relief

Please remember the following persons who need our prayers and support:

At Home:

Keith Abbott, 3413 Brookview Drive (04)

Ann Bishop, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Apt. S210, Durham, NC 27705

Janice Bobbitt (Chuck Taylor's sister), 4204 Whitehurst Drive, Wilmington, NC 28409

Robyn Edwards Chapman (Jeannette Pittman's cousin), 1481 Richardson Road, Apt. C406, Apex, NC 27523

Lela Chesson, 53 Whispering Pines Drive (04)

Shelton Chesson, 53 Whispering Pines Drive (04)

Jennifer Cobb, 1506 West Haven Blvd. (03)

Andrea Cuthrell, 3517 Mansfield Drive (03)

Doug Edwards, 4699 Moreland Drive, Battleboro, NC 27809

Mike Evans, 1151 Falls Road, Apt. 218 (04)

Michele Costa Foster, 105 Gloucester Court (03)

Charlotte Gilliam, 3794 Loblolly Drive (04)

Leland Goslen (Linda and Cameron Graham's great-nephew), 1021 Oakgate Court, Apex, NC 27502

Bill Jones (Dorrie Wright’s brother)

Brian Lassiter, 104 Killian Court (04)

C. B. Morris, 1930 Northern Boulevard (04)

Grady Pittman, 313 Englewood Drive (04)

Jeannette Pittman, 313 Englewood Drive (04)

Billie Stallings, 404 Wildwood Avenue (03)

Patricia Taylor (Napoleon Taylor's wife), 514 Hammond Street (04)

Ziggy Zalzneck, 324 Piedmont Avenue (03)

Our Members at Home:

Jackie Allsbrook, 113 Old Colony Way (04)

Ann Bishop, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Apt. S210, Durham, NC 27705

Sallie Ray Wilkerson, HeartFields at Cary, 1050 Crescent Green Drive, Cary, NC 27518

Give Now

YOUTH NEWS

A new school year can bring lots of excitement, along with some anxiety. A time of new beginnings can also mean saying goodbye to people and things that are familiar. Some of our Lakeside Youth families are sending students off to college or the NC School of Science and Math for the first time. Others are making a fresh start at a different school locally, trying a new sport or instrument, or looking forward to beginning a new class schedule.

Whatever the start of the school year holds for you, I hope you will make participation in Lakeside Youth activities a regular part of your weekly schedule. As our young people develop academically in the classroom, and socially through extracurricular activities, it is vital for them to develop a meaningful spiritual life and grow in their faith.

Each of you is an important part of our youth ministry, and I look forward to having the group together to begin a new fall season. Make plans to join us on Sunday, August 30, for the Blessing of the Backpacks in morning worship and a luncheon to welcome Jacob as our new Minister to Children. Then mark your calendar for our Fall Kick-Off on Sunday, September 13, with a cookout for all youth and children and their families at 5:00 p.m.

Wishing everyone a great start to the school year!

Elizabeth

MUSIC NOTES

Could It Be That God Is Singing

by Becca J. R. Lachman

Could it be that God is singing and these notes are my reply

to the God-light warm within me, joining earth and sea and sky?

Surely mercy has a cadence – I can feel it in my soul!

Surely justice builds a chorus, making all God’s children whole!

Have you carried heavy silence, have you let old sorrows win,

or proclaimed psalms of forgiveness, but not offered them within?

Oh, the Spirit, she was singing, even when we could not hear

her abundant streams of living, waiting for us to come near.

Hallelujah for my Jesus, for his life’s surprising course!

May I, too, live bold resistance to injustice, hate, and force.

Surely peace, it has a cadence, asking all of what we bring!

And if music is God breathing, take a holy breath and sing!

Rehearsals for both the Lakeside Ringers and the Chancel Choir will resume on Wednesday, September 9. Both ensembles have plenty of room to grow, so please consider joining us for the 2026-2027 season. No audition is required.

Zack

CHILDREN'S CORNER

Thank you to every one who has signed up to volunteer so far for Children’s Church and Sunday Nights. I am looking forward to getting you all and working together this year.

Beginning multiple new experiences has been really great so far! Moving to a new place, living in my first one bedroom apartment, and starting two new jobs has been a whirlwind. I am very thankful for the support and love I have been receiving. I still have people from church asking me if there are things I need or how I am settling in and it means a lot to feel cared for, especially while getting accustomed to this new place in my life.

As some of you know, I will begin teaching music at Rocky Mount Academy in a few weeks so I had my first day on campus Monday starting to get my room fully decorated and organized. In both these new places, I feel God’s presence because similar to my Lakeside family, the RMA community has been so welcoming, supportive and gracious toward me. Although, there are still nerves to begin anything new, the care I am receiving makes me feel as if I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

What I have learned so far in my few weeks in Rocky Mount, is to stop and take a moment to be thankful for where you, the people in your life, and what God has done for you. Let us take a moment to always give thanks to God and our neighbors. Thank you all!

Jacob

TOPNOTCHERS NEWS

Our next Continue the Communion lunch will be at Lazeez Indian Restaurant on September 6. Dove Notes will resume on Wednesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. in Godwin Library. In October, we are planning a trip to Hardly Alpaca Farms. Not only will we learn about alpacas and their wonderful fur, and we will also be participating in a soap making workshop. The exact date will be announced once we have finalized the plans.

Sue