ISSUE 10

Dear Family, In 2010 Rebekah Brown, who was 16 years old, came to the Session with her passion for children

with special needs. This passion came from love for and life with her sister Ann-Elizabeth. Ann-

Elizabeth passed away in 2006 and as a way of honoring and remembering her sister Rebekah

founded HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Everything). Rebekah ran HOPE for 8+ years. Starting

with just 2 kids, HOPE became a place of fun and fellowship for 40+ kids. Because of HOPE many

of our youth volunteers have gone into special needs careers and ministries.

HOPE’s mission is to show Jesus’s love to families with children who have special needs. The pro-

gram provides a safe and fun Saturday for children with special needs and an opportunity for their

families to have a few hours of respite. This ministry has been one of our EPC flagship ministries.

In 2018, due to changes in Rebekah’s life and EPC not having the right person to run HOPE, we put

HOPE on “pause.” This was a tough decision for Rebekah and it came with lots of prayer and

tears. EPC is grateful for Rebekah’s heart and service.

The EPC Session did not allow the program to be forgotten and we discussed HOPE at most of our

Session meetings. As with how HOPE started with one person who had a heart for children with

disabilities we knew to continue HOPE it would take that same kind of heart. In July, God brought

Amber Bissette Fisher back to our area and she felt God calling her to do something with the special

needs community. We talked, prayed, and Amber is our new leader for HOPE. I am excited to

tell you HOPE will resume October 5th. The program is going to remain basically the same, why

fix what ain’t broke. There will be a few tweaks to help us adapt to a smaller volunteer group.

It always amazes me to see what God can do with the compassion of one person. Sometimes that

compassion comes out of great love and loss. Sometimes that compassion comes out of a heart to

answer God’s call. With great excitement, I am asking you to help HOPE by praying, volunteering,

giving, and sharing with others.

In Jesus, Rob

Help Needed! We are looking for new people to head up the Funeral Meal Ministry (preferably a 3-4 person tag team)! Please call the church office if you would be willing to take this ministry on!

Englewood Presbyterian Church October 1, 2019

Englewood Communicator

ROB’S REVELATIONS by Dr. Rob Westlund

ENGLEWOOD COMMUNICATOR PAGE 2

HOPE Resumes

Our HOPE Program will begin again on Saturday, October 5, from 10 am to 2 pm (volunteers are asked to be here at 10 am)! We need lots of volun-teers and prayers! Amber (Bissette) Fisher will be coordinating it this year.

HOPE is our respite care program for families with children with disabilities.

Red Cross Blood Drive

The next Red Cross Public Blood Drive will be held on Thursday, October 10, from noon to 6:30 pm and Friday, October 11, from 11 am to 4:30 pm.

There is a volunteer sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the church lobby. We need donors! You can make an appointment online at redcrossblood.org.

Eighty percent of the blood donations given to the Red Cross are collected at mobile blood drives just like ours that are set up at community organization, companies, high schools, colleges, places of wor-ship or military installations. The remaining 20% are collected at Red Cross blood donation centers.

Baby Shower

All women are invited to a Baby Shower for Janie Grace Slack, daughter of Lorie and Jeff Slack, planned for Sunday, Oc-tober 6, from 1 to 3 pm in the fellow-

ship hall. They are registered at Target.

Janie Grace was born on September 23, at 12:53 pm. She was 9 pounds and 4 ounces and 21 inches long! She joins

sister Charish Fields and brother Jacob Slack!

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting

There are still a lot of time slots to sign-up for 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting! Sign-up sheets for those wanting to Pray and for those willing to Fast are found in the church lobby. There are Prayer and Fasting guides on the table to help you with scripture readings and prayer suggestions.

Christmas Shower

A Christmas Shower is planned for Lana Hollifield (Sarah Wade’s daughter) for Saturday, October 19, from 2 to 4 pm in the church fellowship hall.

Lana and her husband Dennis lost everything in a fire back in the spring and we would like to help them rebuild their holiday decoration stash! They do not have a specific color scheme, but like whimsical decorations!

Let’s celebrate Christmas in October with Lana and Dennis!

There is a Pig Pickin’ planned for Sunday, October 20, in the fellowship hall following the morning worship service! The pig will be provided and we are asked to bring sides and desserts to share! Go by the bulletin board in the church lobby to sign-up!

Women’s Fellowship

The Women’s Fellowship is hosting a Soup and Sandwich Luncheon with a Movie on Saturday, October 26 at 11 am. The venue will be The Out-post! We hope all ladies will plan to attend and share in this special time of fellowship. Please sign-up on the sheet provided on the bulletin board in the church lobby.

PAGE 3 ISSUE 10 Serving in October

Greeters 10/6 Rose Burnett and Rachel Williams 10/13 Sarah Wade and Elizabeth Langston 10/20 Johnny and Frances Long 10/27 Denise Bissette and Patsy Hinson Ushers 10/6 Ricky Pitt and Wink Hardesty 10/13 David and Ginny Hodges 10/20 Harold and Nancy Colston 10/27 Mac and Yvonne McLeod Soundboard 10/6 Jeff Proctor and Caleb Chesis 10/13 Jeff Slack and Cierra Devine 10/20 Denise Bissette and Caleb Chesis 10/27 Yvonne McLeod and Leona Briggs Lay Readers Children’s Church 10/6 Cindy Batchelor Ginny Hodges 10/13 Denise Bissette Indy Chesis 10/20 Daxie Dozier Jill O’Brien 10/27 Phil Briggs Ellen Henson and Ashley Lanham Backpacks 10/7 Anita Stander and Hope O’Keef 10/14 HOPE U and Rachel Westlund 10/21 Yvonne McLeod and Kay Owen 10/28 Megan and Riley Luper and Sadie Bissette Elders of the Month: Rick Joyner and Stan Neighbors

Birthdays

3 Ellen Henson

5 Ed Moore

8 April Batchelor

9 Rose Bailey

11 Elizabeth Langston

Elaine Moore

12 Fenton Bailey

13 Sherry Young

14 Fannie Zuidema

19 Pat Harris

Marie Michl

28 Christine Anderson

29 Zeke Chesis

Anniversaries

9 Dennis and Jenny Brooks

11 Leon and Sadie Bissette

21 Ray and Anita Stander

Thank You I would like to thank those that came to help on our Workday. We got things done that were needed. The storage room looks a whole lot better now! The kitchen and fellowship hall floors got a good washing and a lot of windows got washed! Also, the youth building had a good clean-up! Thanks again, Johnny Long, Building and Grounds Chair I want to express my deepest gratitude for the cards, calls, and prayers during my recent health issues. Your words of encouragement and comfort were greatly appreciated. John Feagans

ENGLEWOOD COMMUNICATOR PAGE 4

OCTOBER 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thurs- Friday Saturday

1 HOPE U, 5-

8 pm

Outpost, 7-11

pm

2 CORE, HI, 6:45

am

Congregational

Care, LIB, 10 am

Small Group,

Gravely’s home,

6:30 pm

Choir, 7 pm

3 Bible Study, YB, 10:30 am

Stitches of Love, YB, 11:30 am

Outpost, 6-11 pm

4 5 HOPE, 10

am

6 SS, 9:15 am

Fellowship, 10 am

Worship, 10:30 am

Baby Shower, FH, 1-3

pm

World Communion

Sunday

7 Prayer Ser-

vice, SAN,

6:30 pm

Missions

Team, LIB, 7

pm

Outpost, 7-11

pm

8 Women’s

Fellowship

Morning

Group, LIB, 10

am

Outpost, 7-11

pm

9 CORE, HI, 6:45

am

Small Group,

Gravely’s home,

6:30 pm

Choir, 7 pm

10 Bible Study, YB, 10:30 am

Stitches of Love, YB, 11:30 am

Outpost 6-11 pm

11 12

13 SS, 9:15 am

Fellowship, 10 am

Worship, 10:30 am

Elder Retreat, LIB,

noon

Small Group,

McLeod’s home, 6 pm

14 Prayer

Service, SAN,

6:30 pm

Outpost, 7-11

pm

15 Presbyteri-

an Men, FH,

6:30 pm

HOPE U, 5-8

pm

Outpost, 7-11

pm

16 CORE, HI,

6:45 am

Small Group,

Gravely’s home,

6:30 pm

Choir, 7 pm

17 No Bible Study

Stitches of Love, YB, 10:30 am

Outpost, 6-11 pm

18 19 Christmas

Shower, FH,

2-4 pm

20 SS, 9:15 am

Fellowship, 10 am

Worship, 10:30 am

Pig Picking, FH, noon

Small Group,

McLeod’s home, 6 pm

21 Prayer

Service, SAN,

6:30 pm

Outpost, 7-11

pm

22 Outpost, 7-

11 pm

23 CORE, HI,

6:45 am

Small Group,

Gravely’s home,

6:30 pm

Choir, 7 pm

24 Bible Study, YB, 10:30 am

Stitches of Love, YB, 11:30 am

Outpost, 6-11 pm

25 26 Women’s

Fellowship

Soup and

Sandwich

Luncheon &

Movie, The

Outpost , 11

am

27 SS, 9:15 am

Fellowship, 10 am

Worship, 10:30 am

Small Group,

McLeod’s home, 6 pm

28 Prayer

Service, SAN,

6:30 pm

Outpost, 7-11

pm

29 Outpost, 7-

11 pm

30 CORE, HI,

6:45 am

Small Group,

Gravely’s home,

6:30 pm

Choir, 7 pm

31 Bible Study, YB, 10:30 am

Stitches of Love, YB, 11:30 am

Outpost, 6-11 pm

End of 40 Days of

Prayer and Fasting

Blood Drives

Financial Information for September

September

Actual Budget Difference

Tithes and Offerings $33,838.26 $27,949.51 $5,888.75

Other Income 181.00 262.08 ( 81.08)

Total 34,019.26 28,211.59 5,807.67

Expenses 23,822.64 27,112.11 3,289.47

Total Income (Expense) $11,589.91 $ 1,099.48 $9,097.14

Year to Date

Actual Budget Difference

Tithes and Offerings $222,472.92 $251,545.59 ($29,072.67)

Other Income 1,099.48 2,380.72 ( 1,281.24)

Total 223,572.40 253,926.31 ($30,353.91)

Expenses 235,162.31 255,768.67 20,606.36

Total Income (Expense) ($ 11,589.91) ($ 1,842.36) ($ 9,747.55)

Memorials

Memorial Gifts have been given in memory of Linda Griffin by Leon and Sadie Bissette, Harold and Nancy

Colston, Ray and Anita Stander, Nils and Debbie Joyner and Family and the Joyner Keeny LLC employees,

Richard and Paula Asbell, Clyde and Jane Bailey, J. Randolph and Susan Frazier, Gerald and Barbara Harris,

Deborah Jones and Linwood Bowen, Curby and Deborah Key, A.P. and Brenda Thorpe

Tithing is Not Outdated

“Tithings—a dirty word? An outmoded word? Oh, well, we say, the text is from Deuteronomy 14:22-29 and that’s in the Old Testament, so that doesn’t really bind us anymore today. Right? Wrong!

In the original context of this requirement to tithe, the idea was that, since God is the real owner of the land, it’s only fair that He be given a percentage of the produce. Well, that sounds logical enough. And, in addi-tion, the Law given in Deuteronomy states very clearly the religious purposes of the tithe—to care for the Levites, so that they may put all their energies and time in serving in the sanctuary. But—and it’s a very big BUT indeed—this wasn’t the chief purpose of the tithe. The chief purpose was to teach the people the prop-er way to show reverence to the Lord. This wasn’t to be a grudging, ‘well if I have to, I have to’ sort of giving, but a joyous giving, a giving of all that we have, all that we are , in gratitude to God for the things that He have given so freely to us.

No, tithing is not outdated, and it is not likely to become outdated in the future, unless human beings stop needing to express gratitude for God’s great gifts.” [Select Stewardship Sermons, Ester Lense}

PAGE 5 ISSUE 10

Englewood Presbyterian Church 100 S Englewood Drive Rocky Mount NC 27804 Phone: 252-443-3127

Email: engpres@embarqmail.com Website: www.englewoodpres.com

Yam Jam (organized by the CMF Ministry)

Join them for their 21st year of gleaning yam fields to help benefit the

Food Bank of North Carolina

Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 8:00 am

Directions:

From Highway 64, Exit 459/NC-58/W (Nashville/Castalia Exit)

Watch for signs

Please bring your own buckets

For more information contact First Christian Church at 446-4943 or visit their website at

www.fccrockymount.com