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Volume 1, Number 9

February 2018

PFAFFTOWN CHRISTIAN CHURCH RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)

3323 Transou Rd.

PO Box 130

Pfafftown NC 27040

Phone: 336- 924-9925:Fax: 336- 924-2501

E-mail: office@pfafftownchristian.org

www.pfafftownchristian.org

Church Staff

The Rev. Gerald Thomas

Pastor

The Rev. Tim Shoaf

Minister of Music & Programs

Jane K. Hoover, Office Administrator

Inside the PCC Visitor

Page 1: Connect Groups

Elders Ministry

Welcome New Members!

Page 2: As Way Leads to Way

Ash Wednesday Gathering

Ministry Meetings

Page 3: Crisis Control

Goodtimers

Ash Wednesday Service

Notes from Tim

Page 4: CWF

WOC Offering

Page 5: February Servers

Yearbook Updates

Prayer List

Page 6: July-November 1917

Financial report

Page 7: February Calendar

The Lord’s Prayer:

A Lenten Study

The Lord’s Prayer is a steady presence in

worship at Pfafftown Christian. During the

season of Lent, we will examine the prayer

as it comes to us through Matthew’s and

Luke’s gospels as well as the responses of

Christians from across the centuries.

Utilizing a new Lord’s Prayer commentary

by New Testament professor Nijay Gupta,

we will come to a deeper appreciation of

our shared confession in Morning Worship.

9:45 a.m., Downstairs Fellowship Hall

Sunday, February 4

Introduction: “Rabbi, teach us to pray...”

Sunday, February 11

Our Father in Heaven

Sunday, February 18

Let Your Name Be Sanctified

Sunday, February 25

Let Your Kingdom Come, Let Your Will Be

Done on Earth as in Heaven

Sunday, March 4

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Sunday, March 11

Forgive Us Our Sins

Sunday, March 18

Lead Us Not into Temptation, Deliver Us

From Evil

There will not be printed lessons to pick up

before each Sunday. Bring your Bibles and

join with us!

There are also Children’s and Nursery

Connect Groups meeting in the Education

Wing.

New Elders Ministry

is Underway

The Elders share in ministry to

Pfafftown’s members. With Gerald and

Tim, Elders are concerned and will offer

help in every way possible. In January,

every PCC household was mailed a

letter describing our Elder’s ministry

and denoting your personal Elder. The

PCC households have been divided into

groups, with each group overseen by an

Elder. This means that you have an

Elder who works with Gerald and Tim

to care for you. When might you need

care? Look to your PCC Yearbook for

ways to make the most of Elder care,

specifically the page titled When Should

I Contact My Pastor and Elders?

Please do not hesitate to call our Pastor,

Tim and/or your Elder as celebrations

and needs arise in your life.

__________

Welcome New Members!

Dan and Sharon Binkley

4601 Stimpson Ridge Drive

Pfafftown, NC 27040

336-287-8878

Joined by Transfer of Membership

Sunday, January 28,2018

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As Way Leads on to Way

Most of my life as a pastor has been wonderfully and

terribly focused. Like the old mule that once stood in the lot

next to my grandparent’s barn. Put him in front of a plow

within a row and he would walk and pull and break the soil so

food would grow. Take me and put me in a local congregation

or a local hospice or the sixth floor of a cancer care center and

I become focused on the needs of the people within that row.

Not a bad thing, mind you. Some of those folks have been

cared for with good nurture and encouragement in a way that

makes the use of one’s life a gift. I’ve cared for folks and

folks have cared for me in the way that happens in narrow

expressions of the Body of Christ.

Still, one gets badgered. One sees and hears things that are

going to demand busting sod across rows and these are not

happy things. When I was a child, some well-meaning folks

hitched me to the Bible. “In all thy ways acknowledge [God]

and he will direct your paths.” Paths. Rows.

Problems became apparent. The private school built in the

county to keep white children from going to school with black

children—I couldn’t find this path in the Bible. Telling God

who she can and cannot call to do God’s will, that, too, wasn’t

a row I could justify. The more I read the Bible, the more

sins of race, gender, nationalism, denominationalism,

and politics became apparent. Somehow, I don’t think

everyone who harnessed me to the Bible expected me to

read and pull the weight of what I found there. We can read

and know something and act like we don’t know it, but in

time, that will become a burden a mule cannot pull.

So if we demand that in these days we will put “America

first,” I am struck hard by the possibility that the richest nation

in the world would demand to sit at the head of the table and

demand only what will benefit a people who already have am-

ple profits. How can we, with the ability to insure every part

of our nation has more than adequate food, clothing, shelter,

and medical care now demand to be first and foremost? How

much is enough?

Jorge Garcia, living in our country for thirty of his

thirty-nine years and the father of two children, is forced onto

an airplane and demanded to live in a country that he knows

little to nothing about. What does this say about “America

first?” “Papers! Show us your papers, Mr. Garcia!” Those

were the demands of Nazis insuring a demented nation first,

not the call of God who said,“Be kind to the foreigners among

you, for you, too, were once foreigners...”

Like some of you, somewhere, far back down the row, some-

one hitched me to a Bible. It’s been a wonderful burden. It has

been a terrible weight. So many days I want to break and run

for the barn where life would be easier. Just stand in the shade

forming words that sound so much like justice and righteous-

ness, planning events that keep us in the rows of propriety.

But for as long as we have the breath of life, any of us, all of

us, are too young in Spirit to stand in comfort and demand our

feed. — GT

Church Board Meeting Sunday, February 11, 2018

2:00 pm

Downstairs Fellowship Hall

____________

Elders’ Meeting Tuesday, February 13, 2018

7:00 pm

Education Wing, Room 104

____________

The Gathering & Ash Wednesday Service Wednesday, February 14, 2018

6:00 pm and 7:00 pm

DFH and Sanctuary

____________

Congregational Council Sunday, February 18, 2018

Following Worship

___________

Pastor Relations Committee Thursday, February 22, 2018

7:00 pm

Education Wing, Room 104

___________

“Pulling Over...Traveling On,”

An Ash Wednesday Observance Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...

For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

7:00 p.m., Sanctuary

Join us for a meal in the Downstairs Fellowship Hall at

6 p.m. followed by our gathering to prepare our lives for the

Lenten season. See page 3 for more details.

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February CWF Meeting

The CWF will meet on Tuesday,

February 20th at 6:30 pm, in the

Downstairs Fellowship Hall.

A huge thank you to all the ladies who contributed new

kitchen towels and dish cloths to replace our sad, well-

used worn out ones. Thanks to you the kitchen shower

was a tremendous success. __________________

PCC

Chili Cook-Off & Dessert Bake Off

Sunday Evening, March 11, 2018

5:30 pm Upstairs Fellowship Hall

COOKS AND BAKERS NEEDED!

Now is the time for all good cooks and bakers to

display their skills! You’ve got the talent, it is your

time to shine and show off your culinary talents with a

little friendly competition. Go wooden spoon to wood-

en spoon with your family and friends as you cook up

your prize-winning home-made chili and/or baked

dessert for our PCC family to savor and choose who is

the master chili and baked dessert cooker.

If you do not want to compete, that is just fine….

eaters are an important part of this event, too! Bring

your family and friends for this evening of fun,

fellowship and exceptionally good food.

Mark your calendar, brush off your prize-winning,

mouth watering, supercalifragilistcexpialidocious chili

and dessert recipes and tune them up for the PCC Chili

Cook-Off / Bake Off. More details of this yummy

event will be available in the March newsletter.

Have questions? Want to enter the competition?

Contact Lorrie Bennett.

February 18 & 25, 2018

"IT'S STILL IN THE DREAM"

Choose Your Own Adventure books allow the reader to

decide how the story will end. In the story of life in West

Timor, Indonesia, the logical, woeful progression of how

one problem of access creates systemic, far-reaching prob-

lems for people in many villages across West Timor would

not have a good ending.

When you do not have reliable, consistent access to water,

you have to prioritize how to conserve and use the little

water you do have.

For their story the choices are:

—Use that little water to drink more in your hot, arid

climate, but plant less and wash even less.

—Use that water to plant more in your subsistent, fairly

remote farming village to ensure that you'll have food to

eat, but drink less and wash even less.

—Use the water to prioritize good hygiene so that you don't

risk disease, but drink less and plant way less.

None of these choices offer a positive ending. Each creates

more problems that compound and complicate the lack of

both resources and good solutions. Regardless of which

ending the people within a village choose, a lack of access

to safe water contributes to food insecurity, malnutrition,

spread of disease, and a decreased capacity for generating a

local economy, because there are no extra resources to put

into farming or raising animals.

This is the need, what story ending will you choose?

Read the bulletin insert written by a DOC pastor who visit-

ed one of the villages our contributions will support. She

gives more insight into the need.

To learn how your WOC offerings impact this ministry and

others visit: www.weekofcompassion.org/special offering

SERVERS for FEBRUARY, 2018

If you are unable to serve, please call

Lynda Bryant, Jo Stanley.

ELDERS: Lynda Bryant, Ken Davis

DEACONS: Gerald Fletcher, Ann Fletcher

Robert Flynt, Susan Smith

COMMUNION: Ken and Vicki Davis

OPENING/CLOSING: Gerald Fletcher

Thank you for your part in ministry at PCC!

__________________

Remembering in Prayer

Pruitt Health, Elkin: Martha Williamson

Rose Tara: Vallie Cline

Salemtowne: Beth Haddock (Sharon Binkley’s mother)

Recovering: Pat Barber, Betty Clodfelter, Hailey Burns,

Kent Doub, Chuck Kolstad: Evelyn Nifong’s son-in-law,

Connie Snuffer, Wade Tuttle, Jill Robertson’s uncle

Bereavement: Family of Carolyn Bennett, (Aunt of Mark

Bennett, Stepmother of Rita Bennett, friend of the congre-

gation.)

Church Family: Bud Barker, Mary Ferguson,

Lee Terry, Edith Sprinkle

Others: Logan Andrews, Jane Hoover’s nephew

Patty Barber: Frank and Pat Barber’s daughter-in-law

Martha Blevins: Marlene Thomas’ family

Jennifer Durham: Irma & Fred Muetzel’s grandaughter

Geraldine Edwards: Ann Fletcher’s aunt

Bobby Johnson: Helen Johnson’s son

Cayden Kingsbury: Rodney Stilwell’s grandson

Lacy Mabe: Scott, Jill & Emma Robertson’s uncle

Sue Miles: Jo Stanley’s friend, Louise Davis Moore

Angela Joy Neal, Gennie Romanello Sinclair

Judy Sledd, Sue Terry’s cousin

Jamie Stanley, Jo & Skip Stanley’s daughter-in-law,

Darlene Stewart: Ann Fletcher’s sister

Joy Stokes: Jill Robertson’s sister;

Emory and Ella Thomas, Gerald Thomas’ parents

Teresa Tyndale: Edith Sprinkle’s friend

Jon Vickers: Jo & Skip Stanley’s friend.

Judy West: Ann Fletcher’s cousin

Loved Ones in the Military:

Sgt. Samantha Goliat, OH; PRAN;

Joshua Hughes, Norfolk, VA;

Chase Lee, Guam; USS Key West;

Captain Hope Poster, NG, Texas;

Captain John G. Van Hoy, IV, Fort Campbell, KY

Updates

for Life Together yearbook

Dan and Sharon Binkley

4601 Stimpson Ridge Drive

Pfafftown, NC 27040

- - - - - - -

Bob and Beth Faircloth

8120 Elkmont Drive

Clemmons, NC 27012

- - - - - - -

Rick Johnson

1793 Pinnacle Oaks Drive

Rural Hall, NC 27045-9173

- - - - - - - -

Ed and Connie Snuffer

4293 Yadkinville Road

Winston-Salem, NC 27106

- - - - - -

Martha Williamson

Pruitt Health

560 Johnson Ridge Road

Elkin, NC 28621

- - - - - - -

E-mail Changes/Corrrections

Betty Kiger: betty@bettyckigercpa.com

TonyBryant:tbryantnc42@gmail.com

Words/letters in bold indicate changes.

6

Share the Food, Share the

Good News!

Thank you for your faithfulness to the

needs of our community through the

Crisis Control food pantry.

This month, the pantry most needs canned soup.

Super Bowl Sunday is February 4. I wonder how

much soup we can collect on Super Bowl Sunday?

Consider this our PCC “Souper” Bowl challenge!

Please place your cans of soup in the box outside the

Downstairs Fellowship Hall. Feel free to continue to

contribute soup the rest of February, too.

Questions? Please contact Jackie Romanello.

Thank you! ____________

Valentine Luncheon for the

Goodtimers The Goodtimers will be meeting on Monday,

February 12, at 11:30 a.m. in the Lower Fellowship Hall. A

special themed lunch will be served by Evelyn Nifong, fol-

lowed by an exciting and special Valentine program pre-

sented by Tim! Come and join us, invite a friend for an

enjoyable time of fun and fellowship! If you need a ride,

please call Jane at the church office. Thank you!

______________

Ash Wednesday Service, February 14 At 7:00 pm, following the

Gathering, we will gather in the

sanctuary to open our hearts to

God in a time of reverent worship.

This quiet and reflective service concludes with

the imposition of ashes—the marking of one’s fore-

head with the sign of the cross. While the use of

ashes as a sign of mortality, humility, and penitence

may be new to you, it has a significant history in

Christian worship.

The imposition of ashes is a powerful nonverbal

and experiential way of participating in the call to

repentance. All who desire may come forward for

the imposition of ashes at the appropriate place in

the worship service.

This service provides inspiration for the begin-

ning of our Lenten journey which concludes with

the joyous resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Please come and invite a friend.

- Tim

Notes from Tim It is startling for me to realize that the second month

of 2018 is already upon us! The fascinating thing of

a new year is our anticipation of the unknown. We

do not know where or when---but we do know that

we will all experience good times and some bad

times in the days and months ahead...happiness and

sorrow...mountaintops of joy and dark valleys of

heartache.

The truth which stabilizes us all, in an emotional

sense and---perhaps more importantly---in a spiritual

sense is the assurance that the Lord is with us in and

through it all. As we celebrated the birth of Jesus and

are now in the midst of the Epiphany season we once

again affirm the gospel---"Emmanuel," meaning "God

with us." In just a few weeks, we will begin the

season of Lent as we remember the events of Christ's

ministry and ultimate sacrifice for us.

Physical pain, death, loneliness, hardships, natural

disasters, traumatic experiences among loved ones,

neighbors, relatives and friends can plague our lives,

but the light and warmth and renewing power of

God's grace can continue to strengthen us and restore

our souls.

About the only certainty we carry into the coming

months is that God in Christ will continue to be with

us. Actually, that is about the only certainty we need

in this life. Some words come to my mind that James

Cowden Wallace wrote which express this truth and

which can make a significant difference in how we

face the future:

There is an eye that never sleeps

Beneath the wing of night;

There is an ear that never shuts

When sinks the beams of light.

There is an arm that never tires

When human strength gives way;

There is a love that never fails

When earthly loves decay.

That Eye unseen overstretches all;

That Arm upholds the sky;

That Ear doth hear the sparrows call;

That Love is never nigh.

God is with you and me.

Tim 3

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 Crisis Control Most Needs Canned Soup Sunday, February 4, Super Bowl Sunday will be

PCC’s Official “Souper” Sunday.

How many cans can we collect?

4 9:45 am Connect

Groups

11am Worship

“Souper Sunday”

5

7pm Handbells

Scouts

6 6pm

Girl Scouts/

Daisy Troops

7 7pm Chancel

Choir

8 9 10 10am—1 pm

DFH reserved

11 9:45 am

Connect Groups

11am Worship

2pm Church

Board Meets

12 11:30 am

Goodtimers

13 6pm

Daisy Troop

7pm Elders

14 Ash Wed.

6pm-Gathering

7pm Ash Wed.

Service

15 16 17

18 WOC Offering

9:45 Connect Groups

11am Worship

After: Church Council

3-5 Eagle Scout

Ceremony

Sanctuary & DFH

19

7pm Handbells

Scouts

20 6pm

Girl Scouts/

Daisy Troops

6:30 pm CWF

21 7pm Chancel

Choir

22 7 pm

Pastoral

Relations

Committee

23 Noon til…

Pack 918

Pinewood

Derby

24 All Day

Pack 918

Pinewood

Derby

25 9:45 am

Connect Groups

11am Worship

WOC Offering

26

7pm Handbells

Scouts

27 6pm

Daisy Troop

28 7pm Chancel

Choir

February 2018

4 - Erleen Rhein 17—Meghan Bryant

6—Dan Showers 17 - Jerry Edwards

10– Ruth Saalweachter 21 - Betty Tilley

12– Marlene Thomas 23 Connie Snuffer

14 - Amanda Davis 24 Caila Luper

16—Julie Tilley

February 10

Ed & Amanda Davis

7