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Vol. 67 No. 25 ✥ June 24, 2026

June 28, 2026 ❖ The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Lessons: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10 and Esther 9:20-22

Sermon: "Be Brave: Esther"

It can be difficult to say what needs to be said and give voice to the voiceless. But the story of Esther reminds us that when the going gets tough, the faithful get going. Esther is a woman in a precarious position, but she’s a woman who takes on a challenge to save her people. Perhaps we have something to learn from her as we face our own challenges.

In our first summer worship series, we are exploring stories of brave women of the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament, who served God, risked much, and showed that having the character of God is not limited by gender or status. Despite these ancient stories occurring in a male-dominated society, these women are hailed as heroes of the faith. So we name in Hebrew, “Eshet Chayil” – “Woman of Valor” – the women in our own lives to mirror these inspiring, strong women from our scriptures.

Anthems:

"Pie Jesu" - Webber

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

but we love having you with us in the sanctuary!

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

The Lodge at Rocky Mount, 3322 Village Road (04)

Lela Chesson

At Home:

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

Jennifer Cobb, 1506 West Haven Blvd. (03)

Doug Edwards, 4699 Moreland Drive, Battleboro, NC 27809

Mike Evans, 1151 Falls Church Rd., 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)

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)

Sheila Whitley, Barclay House, 200 Trade Street, Tarboro, NC 27886

Our Members at Home:

Ethel Hines, 125 Cobblestone Court (04)

Ester McKnight (Terry Martin's mother), Brookdale Assisted Living, 650 Goldrock Road, Room 106 (04)

David Ozment, 1249 Green Tee Lane (04)

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YOUTH NEWS

I hope everyone is enjoying fun summer adventures and time away from school. I'm looking forward to seeing those of you who will participate in Gatekeepers in just a couple of weeks.

Remember to mark your calendar for the dates you are scheduled to acolyte throughout the summer. If you have a conflict, please work out a switch or let me know so that we can find a sub. I'm grateful to our youth and children for leading us in worship as acolytes throughout the year.

I will be reaching out to families to try to schedule an outing to Kings Dominion during the last week of July. Please check your schedule and let me know if there is a day that works best for you. We will need parents or other adults to drive and chaperone for this trip.

Elizabeth

MUSIC NOTES

Chancel Choir will have their new group photo taken this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Singers, please make sure you arrive early and are in the loft with your robes so that we can get the picture done right away before we rehearse. All are invited to a recital given by our own Jacob McCain this Friday at 5:00 p.m. at St. James UMC in Greenville! Jacob is one of our Gossett-Biggs Choral Scholars and will be giving this farewell recital as he prepares for his new position at Rocky Mount Academy in the Fall.

Jake

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!