Worship Service Times

9:00 AM - Chapel

10:00 AM - Sunday School

11:00 AM - Sanctuary & Livestream

Baby & Toddler Nursery is available during both services

Podcast Raleigh Court Herald-October 2025 Issue

Church Office Hours

Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

Friday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM

Like an archer who wounds everybody

    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.

Like a dog that returns to its vomit

    is a fool who reverts to his folly.

Do you see people wise in their own eyes?

    There is more hope for fools than for them.

Proverbs 26: 10-12

Watch out for fools!  That’s quite a way to begin a Monday morning. These proverbs are pretty poignant about the behavior of fools.  While most of us haven’t had much experience with archers, we have had experiences hiring someone whose efforts to “repair” or “fix” or “teach” or “construct” have done more damage than good. 

As the owner of a new puppy, I can relate to the image of the dog. We regularly have to keep Winnie safe from trouble of her own making.  And while she’s a young dog and not a human being, you get the picture that fools have to be protected from themselves.

The last proverb helps us to identify the fool (and perhaps beware of being one ourselves). Those with high self-assurance, self-importance, convinced of their way. Those who have to inflate their own ego, organize their own pep rally, brag about their achievements- these are fools.  They’re so foolish that they make wayward archers and dumb dogs look wise.

Foolish pride. It isn’t just the Jewish people who have this understanding, for many are the tales of hubris in literature and film, stories of kings and emperors who saw themselves as above foolish decisions and in their self-assurance they destroy themselves and others. Whether Achilles or Oedipus or King Lear, Julius Caesar to Napoleon Bonaparte or Bernie Madoff, we see the risks of foolish pride. We are warned of it again and again.

May we this day, then, seek wisdom.  The holy wisdom in our proverbs points us away from self-assurance and self-promotion and toward a humility that seeks to do the good instead of being recognized for achievements. Let us not be a wayward archer or a silly dog. Let us learn to be wise.

PRAYER:

O God, quiet my ego.

Quiet my need for recognition.

Quiet my desire to show others that I am right and they are wrong.

Quiet my heart in you.

So that I may serve and give,

Pointing not toward my achievement,

But toward your grace that makes this life possible.

Amen.

-The Rev. Andrew c. Whaley, Head of Staff

Spooky Sprint 5K Supporting West End Center

Join the Spooky Sprint 5K to benefit West End Center on Oct 25th at Wasena Park! Costumes & pets welcome, good vibes guaranteed. Great family event. You can walk or run all or part of the course. Find your best costume or create a family costume theme. Join with friends or individually. Prizes, treats, and fall feels await!

Register now HERE until October 25 for $45

Kids (2-10) only $20!

College Care Packages

Flat fun items are needed to fill packages for 20 RCPC youth away at college. Please consider donating items such as post its, index cards, stickers, cup-o-noodles, hot cocoa packets, popcorn, etc…Items dropped of at RCPC by next Sunday, October 12.

Drumstick Dash Supporting the Rescue Mission

Please consider signing up for the 2025 Drumstick Dash! In-Person is November 27th; however, you can always choose to participate virtually if you plan on being out of town. Either way, an awesome t-shirt is included. Please use the discount code (Williams15) to receive a 15% discount on the registration fee. You can also register your pup to walk or run with you! If you’d like to join Leigh-Ann William's team, it is named "Paws For A Cause". Move your feet (and paws) so others can eat!

Register online here

Besides attending Fall Festival on the day of, here are ways you can be involved:

• Host a trunk for Trunk or Treat - Decorate your trunk, hand out candy to those who come by, and you might just win a prize! If you're hosting a trunk, your car must be in place by 5:30 PM. Sign-Up Here
• Sponsor the event - contact Betsy Prillaman (betsy@rcpres.org) for more information
• Donate Candy - purchase candy to support those hosting a trunk. Donated candy can be dropped off at the church in the designated box in the Gathering Area up through worship on Sunday, October 26.
• Purchase Raffle Tickets - Purchase tickets to win baskets put together by our preschool. Tickets can be purchased at Fellowship Dinners, on the night of the event until 6:30 PM, or look for the order forms available in the Gathering Area.

Adult Sunday School Classes - October

Full descriptions available online at rcpres.org/adult-education

Exploring Christian Theology—Room 101

Led by Mike Lockaby

Join Mike Lockaby and others as they dig into the past to explore biblical and theological themes. Mike will be sharing more information about this semester's focus and class schedule on Sunday, September 7 in Room 101.

The Seekers—Room 201

September 21—October 26: The Bible With and Without Jesus (DVD Study) by Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler

Parent as a Verb—Room 102

October 5—November 23: The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace in a Worn-Out World by David Zahl. Join Andrew Whaley for this study this fall. You are invited to buy the book and read a chapter a week, or you can simply show up and participate in the discussion. We hope to see you there!

Discover RCPC

Led by Andrew Whaley—Room 202

Discover RCPC is a way to learn more about our life together as followers of Jesus. In these gatherings, we will get to know one another better. We will learn about how and why we worship and what is distinctive about being a Reformed Church. We will learn about how Presbyterians practice their life in covenant with each other, and we will learn the story specifically of the Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church: The Church of the Open Door. This is a great opportunity for those interested in membership in our congregation.

October 5 & 12: Following the 11:00 worship service

(12:15 PM—1:30 PM)

Youth Group Dinners & Adult Volunteers

Youth Group Dinners - love cooking for a group? Sign up with a friend or a church group to provide the Youth Group a meal during the year. Click here to sign up. 

Adults are needed beyond our incredible youth advisors to help Youth Group run smoothly. If you're interested in helping with the Youth on a one off basis, click here to look through the various opportunities to help during the year. If you'd like more information contact Hunter Moore. 

September Mission Partner Support - House of Bread

Each month, we designate all cash and coin to one of our local mission partners. For the month of October, we are supporting House of Bread. You can place your money in the offering plate or make an online gift here, noting that it is for Mission, and making a note for House of Bread in the text box.

Pump-A-Pint Blood Drive Results

KUDOS to all those who participated in our blood drive on September 30! We signed in 49 donors and collected 42 units, which translates to 126 lives saved! Heartfelt thanks to all who signed up, showed up, or volunteered to help with this vital mission. WELL DONE!! Mark your calendars now for our winter drive on January 27, 2026. Contact Lillian Alexander at alexanderlj@yahoo.com or go to RedCrossBlood.org if you’d like to schedule an appointment. Thank you again for your continued support. Gratefully, The RCPC Pump-a-Pint Mission Group

NEWS from HAITI

We all know how difficult times have been for the people of Haiti. General circumstances have not improved. Activities at "our" St. Timothee School have thankfully continued, foremost among them being the efforts to bring education to the children of each successive generation. Word recently came that Esther Lovermika, one of the graduates of the program at St. Timothee's, scored the second highest grade on the National Examination of all students at HEF sponsored schools (about 35) and is thus the winner of a full four year scholarship at the advanced school of her choice. Congratulations to Esther and to the teachers and staff at the School. Hopefully, in four years she will return to St. Timothee's as a teacher or to the community of Larevoir serving as a medical worker or other valuable position. Education is the seed of change. May our continuing efforts with St. Timothee's bear fruit for a better Haiti.

Reif Kessler - Haiti Mission Group

West End Center Homework Helpers

Do you have some afternoon time to help a child complete their homework? West End Center is in need of homework volunteers. The time is 3:30 - 5:30. You can stay for one group or do both. Come for one day a week or more if you can. These children just need a buddy to sit with them to help with the instructions and encourage them. If they complete their assignment, play a game, practice math facts or read a book. For more information call Susan Kessler or West End Center - 540-342-0902.

Sudanese Mission Update

Esther needs a couch. If you have one to donate, please contact Sandra Whitt at 540-330-3451. Thank you!

Food Packaging Event

Support of Our Hunger Mission efforts and 3 area food pantries. We are looking for 10 people to set up on Friday, October 31 between 4:30 PM and 5:30 PM, 10 people able to lift and move 30 pound packages on Saturday, Nov 1 between 9:30 AM and noon, and 60 volunteers on that Saturday between 10 AM and noon to package the food. Please feel free to share this link to groups you work with. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Sign Up Here

Roanoke Justice Ministries

Recently, RCPC became a member of Roanoke Justice Ministries along with a number of other congregations in Roanoke. The Word tells us the most important aspects of our faith are justice, mercy, and faithfulness. We do a good job with faithfulness and mercy, but we’re not as good at doing justice, because it is difficult to do as individuals. Doing Justice means holding powerful officials accountable for fixing community problems. That requires group power to do it successfully and typically comes from bringing large groups of people together who agree on a specific vision and work together to accomplish that vision. Through the power of organizing, we can be the solution to bringing life, hope, and love to our community. We can find answers to the questions, “Why is there pain in our community, and what can we do to solve the problems in our city?” But we also have to ask the question, “What will happen to those in our city who are in need if we don’t do anything to bring about justice?”

But first, we as individuals need to be prepared to say something about what we see and hear by stepping out of our comfort zone and calling out what we believe to be wrong. It is our responsibility and obligation to care for others the same way we want to be treated by loving our neighbors as ourselves. We have to be willing to do something that requires a “cost”. Each of us needs to be “a shade braver” by speaking up. In his book “The Cost of Discipleship”, Dietrich Bonhoeffer speaks about “costly grace” being a gift from God that transforms how we live our lives. In his book “The Heart of Christianity”, Marcus Borg’s words about Jesus being a social prophet and a radical critic who protested against the economic and political injustice of the domination system of His day were really talking about the “Common Good”. Faith is a way of seeing, as Borg says, “what is” and then responding in a way that ”generates a willingness to spend and be spent for the sake of a vision that goes beyond ourselves”. Borg explains it by saying, “Jesus is the revelation of what a life full of God looks like – faith is a way of seeing what is and then responding.



There will be opportunities this fall for church members to come together and learn more about Roanoke Justice Ministries and how you can become involved.

-RCPC Justice, Equity, and Belong Committee

Prayer Requests

Marvin & Roena Barbre, Dawn Blakeman, Jackie Blakeman, David-Charles Campbell, Collie Family (friends of Paul Kessel), Cathy Crawley, Beverly Day and family (friend of Camilla and Johnsey Cabaniss), Jim Davis, Nate Ellison (son of Jay and Polly Ellison), Debra Harris, Cameron & Susie Hutto, Sue Garrett, Cheryl Gilliland, Susan Lindstrom, Megan Mallare (friend of Kathy Grove), Rusty McCown, Louise Morris, Betty Nance, Amy Starr Redwine, Randy Remington (friend of Betty Remington), Ian Richardson (brother-in-law of Jonathan Crook), Janis Wertz, and all caregivers.

Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with Bev Stroud and her family following the passing of her sister, Sandy Barksdale, on Sunday, September 28.

(Prayers request as of Friday, October 3 Names in bold indicate an addition to the prayer list this week.)

WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR GROUPS

• RCPC Preschool: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM
• Centering Prayer at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church: Monday, 10:00 AM
• Scouts-Troop 2 B: Monday, 7:00 PM
• AA-Primary Purpose: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:30 AM
• Tai Chi: Tuesday & Thursday, 5:30 PM
• Hip Sober Chicks: Thursday, 6:30 PM
• Opera Roanoke Chorus: Thursday, 7:00 PM
• Al-Anon: Friday, 11:45 AM

The Herald - Deadline for Articles: 10th of each month

This Week @ RCPC - Deadline for Articles: Wednesday of each week

Send submissions for The Herald and This Week @ RCPC to Julie Satterwhite 

Video Board in the Gathering Area - Send Information to Carole Banks