GROWING IN OUR ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST INVITING OTHERS INTO...

Our dinner is the year's highlight of fun, and this year will be no different.more than seven or eight team members, one team per table), choosing your team's theme (sorry, folks, Abba is already taken!), and filling your heads with all sorts of random information.prefer, you can be put on a team when you show up that night.have a lot of fun, for a good cause.proceeds go for Adult Missions project costs.sion

GROWING IN OUR ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST INVITING OTHERS INTO THE ENCOUNTER

GROWING IN OUR ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST INVITING OTHERS INTO THE ENCOUNTER

March

2018

Palm Sunday: March 25

Our 10:30am worship service will include a procession of the palms. We will have a potato bar lunch and an Easter Egg Hunt following

worship. Details, page 6.

Maundy Thursday: March 29

The evening will begin with a Fellowship Dinner at 5:30pm,

followed by a Maundy Thursday Communion Service at 6:30pm. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I

have loved you, you also should love one another. ” John 13:34

Good Friday: March 30

The Sanctuary will be open for meditation between 12pm and 3pm. The Church Office will be closed on Good Friday.

Easter Sunday: April 1

We will have an Easter Sunrise Service at 7:00am at our outdoor worship area, weather permitting; there will be a continental

breakfast afterwards. We will also hold a 10:30am Worship Service

in the Sanctuary, with communion served at both services. Sunday School for all ages will begin at 9:00am.

Holy

Week

The Connection Newsletter March, 2018

A Word from the Pastor Recently I have been reading a fascinating and Pulitzer Prize winning book titled “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt” by Edmund Morris. Teddy Roosevelt often and rightly gets credit for the many things he achieved in his life. He overcame a childhood afflicted with severe asthma to become a very robust and energetic adult. Even on his ranch, while hunting, and while leading the Rough Riders in Cuba people remarked at the difficulty of physically keeping up with him. He then achieved a Harvard education and went into politics in New York while on the side writing books on a variety of topics including The Naval War of 1812, a book which eventually led him to become a self-made expert on Naval policy and his belief in using a strong Navy to project American power around the world. He would become a legislator for the State of New York, a Police Commissioner for the City of New York, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the Assistant Commander of the Rough Riders (volunteer cavalry in Cuba during the Spanish American War), and of course President of the United States. He also gets much credit as sort the father of the National Parks and was a major conservationist. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for brokering the end of the war between Russia and Japan. And while he was conservative in politics and economics, he was known to be very progressive socially, championing his “Square Deal” policies for average citizens and also believing strongly in equal rights for both Blacks and Women. How rare would such balance be today! Teddy Roosevelt is a fascinating person to study. However, the other side of the story I noticed is that in all of this, Teddy was given a lot of advantages. His father was wealthy and Teddy was once taken with the whole family on a year-long trip to Europe while a teenager. When afflicted with asthma as a child his parents gave him loving attention, consulted the best doctors, and his father built a gym on the top floor of their large house. Sometimes during his asthma attacks his father would mount his horse (in New York), put Teddy on his lap, and ride around town fast enough for air to blow into the boy’s lungs. Family connections helped him get into Harvard which then mostly catered to elites from the Northeast. His father’s political involvement and connections in New York helped him get his own start there. Often he received appointments and opportunities because friends lobbied on his behalf. So while Teddy Roosevelt was a very gifted, driven, and likeable man he also received a lot of help along the way. At the same time he certainly had his own faults such as being a severe workaholic and seeming to spend very little time with his wife and family. There are some theological thoughts on this, I believe. For one, while we Americans like to think of our-selves as self-made and the products of our own good decisions and hard work (or the opposite), we rec-ognize that much of what we experience in life comes from outside of ourselves. Some of that comes to us as a great gift – loving parents, a stable family, educational and career opportunities, helpful friends and colleagues, etc. Other things come to us as unavoidable difficulties – like Teddy’s asthma, the loss of his first wife, and career setbacks due entirely to the political machinations of others. During Lent is perhaps a good time to examine such things in our own lives. Think of the gifts that God has given you in your life. Do we recognize those and give credit where credit is due? At the same time, what are the difficulties you

have experienced and how did you overcome them? Who were the people who have helped you along

the way?

The turning point I think is Easter to Pentecost - from resurrection and new life to the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit at work in us and through us. What do we do with the gifts we have been given? Do we have

a drive to use them for the good of others? And one thing Teddy Roosevelt keenly felt was a sense of

community and his place in it. Do we too have a sense of being a part of God’s people, the affect those people have on us and the ways they help us, and our responsibility to serve all people, especially those who are disadvantaged?

Yours in Christ, Alex


Please join us for our biannual Service of Healing and Wholeness on Wednesday, March 7 at 6:30pm.

All By Myself... Unless you have avoided most public places or elevators in the last 30 or so years, you have certainly heard the song "All By Myself". Penned by Eric Carman and released in 1975, the song has been sung by many different artists to great fanfare since then, most notably Celine Dion in 1996. The stirring chorus reflects the pervasive and stirring senti-ment “don't wanna be all by myself anymore”. It is this same strong emotion of loneliness that makes falling in with the crowd so easy to do.

Last month, I wrote about how easy it can be to fall in with what everyone else is doing, even when it is unhelpful or harmful to others. So how do we manage these two conflict-ing ideas: the loneliness of Christ-like values verses the feel-ing of belonging that comes from following the crowd? I be-

lieve the first and greatest step to take is to be proactive in seeking out others who feel the same way or who hold to the same Christ-like values. I wonder if some of the disciples had simply started the conversations with others around them asking, “is this really what Christ taught us?”, they would have quickly found people who would stop their

chants of crucifixion and join them in turning things around. What we often fail to recognize is that most people around us are simply caught up in the moment just like you and I.

All it takes is a few—even one—to start the conversation. The second step, and possibly the most difficult, is never give up. We will all go through moments of success and failure when it comes to following the crowd. The key is to realize that all of us are in the process of becoming Christ-like (read Romans 12:2 or 2 Corinthians 3:18) and that, through Christ, the world is being transformed. The forgiveness you show to yourself and others will go a long, long way in making sure you keep moving forward towards Christ-like living. Even in the times of most desperate loneliness, we can look towards the hope that Christ himself walks alongside us. Remember, Christ was left alone, completely. His experience of loneliness gives us the promise of making it through resur-rected, just like him. I find it interesting that the second verse of “All By Myself” goes like this: “Hard to be sure, sometimes I feel so insecure, and love so distant and obscure, remains the cure”. You see, we all get caught up in the moment of loneliness and insecurity and forget that great remaining cure of God's unwavering, unending, relentless love for all the world. For you, no longer all by yourself.

With You In Christ, Jacob Winslett

Music Schedule

Chancel Choir We rehearse on Wednesdays at 7:30pm. Please note, we will rehearse after the

Maundy Thursday service on March 29, instead of Wednesday during Holy Week.

Praise Band We rehearse on Tuesdays at 6:00pm.

Children’s Choir NEW! Our Sunday School kids will practice songs during their class so they can sing during worship on select Sundays.

on March 11


Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 10a Ladies Bible Study 10a Visitation Team Meeting 10:30a Al-Anon 7p Quilter’s (FH) 8p AA

2 8p AA

3 8a Men’s Mtg 2p Visitation 3p Memorial Service for Rosa Lee Worth 5:30p Calvary Refuge Dinner Serving: Morning Glories Circle

4 9:00a Sunday School 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 10:30a Worship 2:00p GriefShare Emergency Preparedness discussion during Worship

5 6p AA 7p PW Circle: Linda Weller

6 10:30a Al-Anon 6:30p PW Circle: Nightingales 6p Praise Band 7p Committee Mtgs (Admin/Finance) 8p AA

7 7:15a Youth Prayer Breakfast 12n AA 6:30p Healing and Wholeness Service 6:30p Bible Study 7:30p Choir

8 10a Ladies Bible Study 10a Friends & Neighbors Board 10:30a Al-Anon 8p AA Fellowship Hall Reserved for Rummage Sale Set Up

9 8p AA Fellowship Hall Reserved for Rummage Sale Set Up

10 8a MISSION RUMMAGE SALE 11a AA

11 9:00a Sunday School 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 10:30a Worship 11:30a Congregational Meeting 12:00p Lunch Bunch and Bowling 2:00p GriefShare

12 6p AA

13 10:30a Al-Anon 11a PW Circle: Good Fruit 1p PW Circle: Morning Glories 6p Praise Band 7p Session Mtg 8p AA

14 7:15a Youth Prayer Breakfast 9:30am PW Circle: Homebuilders 12n AA 6:30p Bible Study 7:30p Choir

15 9a DAR (FH) 10a Ladies Bible Study 10:30a Al-Anon 8p AA

16 8p AA Newsletter Deadline

17 9a Church Work Day! 11a AA 2:30p Baby Shower for the Eldridges

18

9:00a Sunday School 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 10:30a Worship 5:30p Youth: Missions Night 2:00p GriefShare Endowment Presentation during Worship

19 9a Friends & Neighbors (FH)6p AA 7p Committee Mtgs (Worship)

20 10:30a Al-Anon 7p PW CT 8p AA

21 7:15a Youth Prayer Breakfast 12n AA 5:30p Dinner at Shane’s Rib Shack 6:30p Bible Study 7:30p Choir

22 8a ROAR Store 10a Ladies Bible Study 10:30a Al-Anon 3p Quilter’s (FH)8p AA

23 8a ROAR Store—FES 8a-5p Quilter’s (FH) 8p AA

24 8a-5p Quilter’s (FH) 11a AA

25 9:00a Sunday School 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 10:30a Worship 11:30p Palm Sunday Potato Bar and Egg Hunt! 2:00p GriefShare

26 6p AA

27 10:30a Al-Anon 8p AA

28 7:15a Youth Prayer Breakfast 12n AA Services and Choir will be on Thursday

29 10a Ladies Bible Study 10:30a Al-Anon 5:30p Fellow-ship Dinner 6:30p Maundy Thursday Svc 7:30p Choir

30 12n-3p Good Friday Prayer Time 8p AA

31 11a AA

Nurture Coordinators

Malline Austin and Ann Johnston coordinate our nurture needs.

Malline: 770-703-4339 Ann: 404-403-5101

Presbyterian Women’s Circles

Nightingales Circle will meet at Vickie Jeffries’ house.

Mission: donations to Matthew 28 in memory of Jan Eldridge.

Linda Weller Circle will meet in the church Fellowship Hall.

Homebuilders Circle will meet in the church Fellowship Hall.

Good Fruit Circle will meet at Arline Deacon’s house.

Morning Glories Circle will meet down Heritage Hall (A-2) at the church.


3/2 Asden Lamble Courtney Stone Louise Saylor 3/4 Broecks Moses 3/5 Val Higginbotham 3/6 Ximena Ford Cathy Kelley 3/7 J.T. Jackson 3/9 Lynette Peterson Rob Smith 3/12 Cindy Sheppard 3/13 Kelly Gandy 3/15 Phyllis King 3/16 Ginger Swayne 3/17 Aaron LoRé 3/20 Penn Swayne Heath Park 3/22 Jacob Randle Trevor Phillips Glenda Hasty 3/23 Darrell Bandy 3/25 Sawyer Banks 3/26 Jennifer Moses Bob Johnston 3/27 Pat Sackett 3/28 Ariana Arjun

ANNIVERSARIES

3/4 Neill & Linda McNeill 3/25 Michael & Lisa Paradis 3/30 Mac & Eleanor McConnell

Did we miss your special day? Send us

an email at [email protected] or call the office at 770-461-7147 so we can add you to our database!

Participation in the FPC Prayer Ministry is one way we grow in our encounter with Christ. Prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do in life! Be a part of this ministry and see how God works in our lives. Please update us as concerns change—prayer concerns with no update may be removed after 6 weeks. Written prayer request cards are available in the lobby.

Please be in prayer for... All those serving our country

Beit Sahour Lutheran, sister church in Palestine Neill McNeill, continued recovery Ann Johnston, recovery from knee replacement Mac McConnell, loss of his sister, Annetta Marian Speight, recovering from nasal surgery Ken Salters, undergoing treatments for prostate cancer

Lily Randle, continued recovery, broken hand Robyn, Malline Austin’s granddaughter, continued struggle with blood clots Rick Holcombe, continued recovery Loss of Church Member, Rosa Lee Worth Joyce Britt, recovering, knee replacement

Richard, Virginia Padgett’s son-in-law, healing and rehab after stroke Cheryl Paradis’ relatives, Jacob and Justin, continued recovery Larry, Pepe Bowman’s brother-in-law, leukemia Joann, Vivian Russell’s cousin, kidney cancer

Ongoing Health Concerns: Jeani Holder; Linda McNeill; Betsy Apel; Corey Leonhard; Joe McNeill; Vivian Russell and son, Allen; Yvonne Olson; Larry Olson; Esther Wright; John Sackett; Hettie White; Sarah Klett; John Lamble; Maye Parkinson; Tim, cancer (Glenda Hasty’s cousin); Bernice (Roy Westerfield’s sister-in-law); Sarah (Jim Jacob’s daughter-in-law); Nan (Rob Smith’s grandmother); Susan (Hettie White’s daughter); Ed (Jim Jacobs’ brother); Claudia (Jim Jacobs' sister-in-law); Thomas (Pat Cantoni’s nephew).

Prayer Chain Updates. Effective immediately, the Ayers no longer have a landline. Please call Sharon's cell phone or email her to submit prayer requests. If Sharon does not answer, you may leave a message or call Art's cell.

Sharon: 404-402-4094 [email protected]

Art: 678-276-5585

Lilies for Easter

Decorate the Worship Spaces for Easter by

purchasing lilies for $10 each. You may

dedicate the flowers to your loved one. Lilies

may be taken home after the 10:30am worship

service on Easter. You will find an Easter Lily

display in the main hallway with instructions.


Updates and.

Youth ,

Sunday 3/11—Lunch and Bowling with Church. Sunday 3/18—Missions Night at Youth House. Sunday 3/25—Lunch together after Worship:

Help out with hiding eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt!

March 11 is our 2nd Sunday Focus on Fayette Samaritans. Most Needed this Month: Canned meats - beef, chicken, or tuna; Mixed vegetables; Peas; Canned fruit; Pasta Sauce; Coffee and Tea; Jello; Toiletries. Always needed: Family-sized juices; Canned mixed veggies; Shampoo; Toothpaste; Tooth-brushes (Child/Adult); Liquid dish detergent; Feminine products.

Everyone is invited to a baby shower for Ben & Liz Eldridge

on Saturday, March 17 at 2:30pm in the Fellowship Hall.

Baby Eldridge is a girl! They are registered on www.babylist.com

under Ben and Elizabeth Eldridge, Greenville, SC.

Lunch & Easter Egg Hunt Palm Sunday, March 25 after worship

Come enjoy our Palm Sunday Potato Bar, now with hotdogs and chips included, after worship on March 25. Please sign up in the main hallway in mid-March so we prepare enough food! After lunch, kids up through 5th Grade are invited to join in our Easter Egg Hunt. Parents, please bring at least a dozen treat-filled eggs per child to the church—preferably before Sunday School! (No nuts please). The hunt will begin right after lunch; kids will meet in the Fellowship Hall to head outside together. Don’t forget your baskets!

After worship on March 11, plan to join us for Lunch Bunch at Stevi B’s Pizza, 107 Banks Station in Fayette-ville. After we eat together, we’ll skip over to Fayetteville Fun Bowl, which is just past the Fayette Pavilion on the right on Hwy 85. Cost estimate for bowling/shoes is under $10. Sign up in the hallway or send us an email at [email protected]

LUNCH

BUNCH

and BOWLING!


We need YOU!

What a great opportunity to get to know our wonderful children in this church! Would you be willing to teach Children's Church for 45 minutes during the service two or three times a year? The lessons are prepared for you! See

Susan Holcombe, call or email her, if interested! We also could use some nursery helpers just a few times a year! Thank you for considering this ministry! “Many hands make light work!” {John Heywood (c. 1497 – c. 1580) English writer}

Fellowship Dinner Out on the Town! Wednesday, March 21, plan to join us at Shane’s Rib Shack in Fayetteville at 5:30pm for a fellowship dinner. Wear your FPC tee and INVITE a FRIEND!

MEN OF THE CHURCH

Our next meeting will be on

Saturday, March 3. Fellowship at 8am, Meeting at 8:30am in the Youth House.

Fayetteville Elementary Roar Store

Volunteers Needed!

The Roar Store is set to open March 22-23, 8am-12pm each day. We are organizing 6 FPC volunteers each day. If volunteers

arrive around 7:40am, they can sign in and then familiarize themselves with the store.

A sign up sheet will be in the main hallway!

Grounds Work Day! On Saturday, MARCH 17, we’re having a church grounds’ work day! Starting around 9:00am—we’ll do some spring maintenance to the grounds and beautify our land-scaping in preparation for Easter. Bring gloves and water!

Our AWESOME WEEK of VACATION BIBLE

SCHOOL will be July 16—20.

Jennifer Moses and Phyllis King will be Co-Directors again this year! Kids

entering Kindergarten through 5th Grade will attend—Older kids can help out!

New Adult Bible Study! We have a new study starting up on

Wednesday nights at 6:30pm in the library. We’ll be continuing a Lenten study through

Easter. Nursery provided.

Please join us!

There will be a Congregational Meeting directly following worship on March 11, for the purpose of reviewing the 2018 budget, approving the Pastor’s terms of call, and electing the elder nominating committee for 2018.

Church Staff Alex Moses, Senior Pastor

Cell: 770/990-9578

[email protected]

Emily Smith, Discipleship Coord.

[email protected]

Jacob Winslett, Director of Music

and Youth Coordinator

[email protected]

Chris Whitley, Accompanist

[email protected]

Laurie Winslett, Office Manager

[email protected]

Christina Price, Nursery Attendant

Richard Morris, Facilities Manager

Church Office Hours Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm

Friday: 9am-2pm

www.fayettepcusa.org

facebook.com/fayettepcusa

770-461-7147

Fayette Presbyterian Church (USA) 791 Forrest Avenue Fayetteville, GA 30214

OR CURRENT RESIDENT

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT No. 33 FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214

The Rummage Sale is almost here! It's that time of year again, when we offer help with your spring cleaning! Our annual Rummage Sale will be Saturday, March 10, with dona-tions accepted Thursday/Friday, March 8 and 8, from 9am - 8pm in the Fellowship Hall. This is a fun time of fellowship as we reminisce over items that come in through our doors; and we hope that you will be part of it. If you have large furniture to be picked up, please call Sara Reams, 770-716-8083. We do NOT accept clothes, TV's, computers, or mattresses. Proceeds from this sale go to fund our project costs for this year's Nicaragua mission trips. Thanks so much for your donations; and don't forget to drop by on Saturday, March 10 between 8am and noon to shop! You never know what you might need!

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