Our next issue of “FOCUS” will be printed Wednesday, April 5, 2017. Please sub-mit all articles to [email protected] by 9:00 a.m. Monday, April 3, 2017.
March 1, 2017
I ssue #668 Editor: Janice Gray
FPC FOCUS
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, GREENVILLE, NC
WORSHIP SERVICES
March 1, 2017
Ash Wednesday
12:00 noon and 7:00 pm services
March 5, 2017
First Sunday in Lent
8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - Sanctuary
8:30 - Amanda Hines preaching, “Does Faith Shape Your Values?”
11:00 - Children’s Choirs present
“It’s Cool in the Furnace”
Psalm 32 Matthew 4:1-11
(Service broadcast live on WNCT—1070 AM starting at 11:00 a.m. and streamed live at www.1070WNCT.com and www.fpcgreenville.org.)
Lenten Study Series Rev. Amanda Hines will be teaching a Lenten
prayer and study series, “With Jesus”, beginning in March. The four-week series will meet on Sundays, March 5, March 19, March 26, and April 2, 4:45-6:00 p.m. in the parlor.
We will explore four different passages of Scrip-ture through Bible Study and contemplative prayer. Using different types of contemplative prayer, includ-ing a walking meditation and guided meditations, we will use our imaginations to engage each passage on
a personal level. We will also look at the historical context, scholarly interpretation, and everyday appli-cations of the passages.
March 5 (Mark 10:17-27) “As he set out on a jour-ney….” (to Jerusalem for Passover) Lectio Divina
March 19 (Mark 14:17-25) “The Last Supper” Ignatian Prayer
March 26 (John 14:1-16) part of Jesus’ farewell speech Augustinian Prayer
April 2 (Mark 15:33-39) The death of Jesus Labyrinth – walking prayer
Lent Gatherings Our Wednesday Lenten Gather-ings begin March 8, beginning with Meditation and Music at 12:00 noon and lunch following ($5 donation). Here is the schedule. March 8: Bill Neely, Devotion
March 15: Kathleen Williams, Devotion
March 22: Amanda Hines, Devotion
March 29: Bill Neely, Devotion
April 5: Amanda Hines, Devotion
“Faces at the Cross” Holy Week Services: On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week (April 10, 11, 12), we will have a 30-minute worship service at noon, followed by a soup and sandwich lunch. These services of prayer and Scripture will feature dramatic read-ings from characters of the passion story. The readings are based on monologues from Faces at the Cross by Presbyterian pastor J. Barrie Shep-herd.
We need volunteers to provide the soup/sandwich lunches - sign up in the Welcome Center.
March 1, 2017 Page 2
UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR
“Share the Journey; Grow in Faith”
Sunday, March 5 8:30 am Worship (Sanctuary) 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship (Sanctuary) 4:45 pm Lent Study (Parlor) Children’s Choirs/Spread the Word 5:00 pm Youth Group 7:00 pm Ministry Meetings 8:00 pm Communications Council Monday, March 6 9:00 am Service League (FH) 11:00 am Staff Meeting (HHR) 12:00 noon AA (BFH) 6:30 pm Cub/Boy Scouts (BFH/Rooms) 7:00 pm Overeaters Anon (R211) Stephen Ministry (R205) Tuesday, March 7 7:00 am MOC Breakfast (Seahorse) 11:00 am Age Venturers Service Project 12:00 noon AA (BFH) 6:00 pm Personnel Committee 7:00 pm Bell Choir (R213) Wednesday, March 8 9:30 am Prayers & Squares (R207) 12:00 noon Lenten Devotion/Lunch AA (BFH) Cypress Glen Lunch 6:00 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry (Parlor) 7:00 pm Chancel Choir (R216) 8:00 pm AA (R202) Thursday, March 9 10:00 am Bible Study (Parlor) 12:00 noon AA (BFH) 6:30 pm Confirmation Retreat (FH) 7:00 pm Overeaters Anon (R211) 8:00 pm AA (BFH) Friday, March 10 12:00 noon AA (BFH) 6:30 pm First Friday Club (Ice Skating) Saturday, March 11 9:00 am Youth to Food Bank 11:00 am Overeaters Anon (R211) 7:00 pm Cotillion (FH)
Sunday, March 12 8:30 am Worship (Sanctuary) 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship (Sanctuary) 4:00 pm Brad Collier’s Recital (Sanctuary) 4:45 pm Children’s Choirs/Spread the Word ? 5:00 pm Youth Group (BFH) Monday, March 13 10:30 am Circle 1 (R205) 11:00 am Staff Meeting (HHR) 12:00 noon AA (BFH) 2:00 pm Circle 3 (Doris Robinson) 6:30 pm Cub/Boy Scouts (BFH/Rooms) 7:00 pm Overeaters Anon (R211) Tuesday, March 14 10:00 am Cypress Glen Circle 12:00 noon AA (BFH) 7:00 pm Bell Choir (R213) Circle 6 (Parlor) Wednesday, March 15 9:30 am Prayers & Squares (R207) 12:00 noon AA (BFH) Lenten Devotion/Lunch 6:00 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry (Parlor) 7:00 pm Chancel Choir (R216) 8:00 pm AA (R202) Thursday, March 16 10:00 am Bible Study (Parlor) 11:00 am Service League (R202) 12:00 noon AA (BFH) 6:00 pm PCM (FH) 7:00 pm Overeaters Anon (R211) 8:00 pm AA (BFH) Friday, March 17 12:00 noon AA (BFH) Senior High Retreat Saturday, March 18 11:00 am Overeaters Anon (R211)
Presbyterian Women
Meetings: Circle 1 meets March 13, 10:30 am at the church; Circle 3 meets March 13, 2:00 p.m., at the home of Doris Robinson, 3453 Provi-dence Place, Winterville; Circle 6 meets March 14, 7:00 p.m. at the church; Cypress Glen Circle meets March 14, 10:00 am, at Cypress Glen.
CT meets Monday, March 27, 10:00 a.m. at the church.
All PW are invited to lunch at McAlister’s Deli on Tuesday, March 28, 12:30 p.m. No reserva-tion is needed.
“Share the Journey; Grow in Faith”
OUR MEMBERSHIP CARES
Cypress Glen: Ben Lattin, C120, Beth Clark, A105, Martha Coffman, C213, Margie Wright, B318 Spring Arbor: Jim Finch, Thelma Flye Southern Assisted Living: Joe Sullivan At Home: Betty Ayers, Connie Bond, Jimmy Sutton Vidant:
March 1, 2017 Page 3
Newsletter Delivery If you wish to guarantee that you receive your newsletters on time (and save the church some money), please consider switching to the online version; email Janice at [email protected].
FPC extends Christian sympathy to Lisa Burgwyn and family in the death of her grandmother, Alice Gums, who died February 23, 2017, in Roanoke Rapids, NC.
MOC Events The Men of the Church will meet for devotion and breakfast on Tuesday, March 7, 7:00 a.m., at the Seahorse.
The MOC dinner will be Tuesday, March 21, 6:00 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall.
Organ Recital Brad Collier will present a Lenten organ recital on Sunday, March 12, 4:00 p.m., at FPC. The program will include works by J.S. Bach, Brahms, and Barber. In addition to organ mu-sic, a quartet composed of chancel choir mem-bers will be singing various Lenten chorales. The recital is free and open to the public.
Colorful King Cakes were auctioned Tuesday night as a part of our Shrove Tuesday dinner and fundraiser for our children’s Montreat Week.
March 1, 2017 Page 4
“Share the Journey; Grow in Faith”
First Friday Club Our next meeting will be March 10th with Piz-za Inn and Ice Skating. The cost is $12.00 to cover dinner and skating. If you would like to bring extra money for the snack bar or the ar-cade, that is fine. First Friday Club is for all 4th and 5th graders. Contact Brian Dilday for information, 367-1914.
1 Pat Tutino
2 Jayne Fisher
Austin Phillips
Carrie Hutchison
4 Sonya Longest
Hunter Nelson
Marshall Ogle
6 Shelley Basnight
Fred Wood
Sandra Ward
7 Russ Bartlett
Liam May
8 GiGi Rudolph
9 Edwin Bartlett
Melissa Jolley
Mac McCall
10 Ed Monroe
12 Ann Johnson
Steve Nagy
Scott Vaughan
13 Margaret Kugler
Bob Peck
Bill Baggett
Max Nelson
Clay Koonce
14 Deborah Durham
15 Emilie Kane
Joy Phillips
16 Yvonne Deyton
17 Karen Pearce
18 Mike Horton
Rob Carroll
19 Emmett Koonce
Harding Sugg
Nancy Anderson
21 Brenda Killingsworth
Rostam Amiri
22 Cameron Goldie
Joseph Speight
Emily Harvey
23 Johnnie May
24 Julia Nelson
25 Irma Chriscoe
Bristol Bleau
26 Odell Welborn
27 Martin Hamilton
Emi McCall
Mac Clayton
Nathan Potter
28 Sarah Adams
Larry Phillips
Charlotte Nelms
Pat Sugg
David Wood
Mary Harding Sugg
Emmajean Hearring
29 Linda Shaul
30 Charles Patterson
Maura Nelson
31 Dorothy Muller
Jerry Cox
Barbecue Fundraiser The Mission Team will be having a Barbecue Plate Fundraiser on Friday, March 31st from 10-2. The cost is $8.00 which includes bar-becue, slaw, potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert. Tickets are available from any Mis-sion Team member or from Janice in the church office. If you have an order of 10 or more plates, we will deliver!
Faces at the Cross Services: April 10, 11, 12 (Sanctuary)
12:00 noon Worship Service followed by light lunch
Maundy Thursday: April 13, 7:00 p.m.
with Immanuel Baptist Church at FPC, recep-tion following
Dr. Glenn Jonas preaching, “You Are Servants”
Good Friday: April 14 12:00 noon - Stations of the Cross at St. Peter Catholic
Church 7:00 p.m. - Tenebrae Service of Shadows with Last
Words of Christ at First Presbyterian Church
Easter Sunday: April 16 6:30 a.m. Outdoor Sunrise Service
Amanda Hines preaching, “I Have Seen the Lord” 8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.
Indoor Worship with Special Choirs Bill Neely preaching, “There Shall Be a Day”
March 1, 2017 Page 5
“Share the Journey; Grow in Faith”
Request for Nominations for Honorary Life Membership Please send in your nominations for the Presbyter-ian Women HLM 2017. This award is conferred upon an individual in recognition of her faithful service in some area of the work and life of the church. Nominees do not have to be a member of a Circle or the Coordinating Team (CT) of PW to be nominated, but do have to have been a member of FPC for three or more years. Nomination letters should include information about the nominee and her contribution to FPC in Greenville, N.C. Nomi-nations will be accepted until April 30th and should be emailed or given to: Ginny Hill (HLM Moderator), [email protected].
Hygiene Kit Collection Presbyterian Women are collecting items to make hygiene kits for flood victims We will be collecting the following items during the month of March. We will put the kits together at the church, date to be determined.
Individual toothbrush and toothpaste
Mouthwash
Individual bars of soap
Body wash
Lotion or Vaseline
Disposable razors
Shaving cream
Toilet tissue
Paper towels
Baby Wipes
Washcloths
Socks ( generic black or white tube socks) Mayfest for Missions Our annual Mayfest for Missions yard sale will be held Saturday, May 6. Our storage containers are set up in the parking lot for larger items or boxed small items. We will accept yard sale items Mon-day through Thursday between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30-11:00 a.m. Please fill from the back to the front, stacking to the ceil-ing.
The grant application is on the church website, www.fpcgreenville.org. Please encourage any lo-cal organizations that you are involved in to apply for a Mayfest grant. Deadline is March 24.
The youth group visited residents of Brookdale last Sunday.
Youth Group News: What a great visit we had with the residents of Brookdale this past Sunday! I'm not sure who enjoyed it more--the residents or the youth. Thank you to those who joined us as we had a great turnout. It is definitely a trip we will need to do again. Sunday School--Georganne Perry will be teaching the Mid Highs and Emily Coffman will be teaching the senior highs. This will be the first lesson out of the Spring book. Confirmation Class--Our second retreat will be Thursday, March 9th at 6:30pm. We will have Bill Farrior as a guest speaker. Senior High Retreat--I am excited that 7 of us will be travelling to Camp Willow Run for the Senior High Retreat for good fun, good food, and good fellowship and worship. Mission Trip--Last call to cancel for the Mission Trip without having to pay anything but the deposit. We are in need of youth meals for the week of March 12th, March 26th, April 2nd, and May 7th. Please let me know if you are able and willing to do so. Mission Trip Participants--please be sure to visit the link and register for the trip. Thank you! Let me know if you need the link. Upcoming Dates--mark your calendar!!:
March 5th--Regular Youth--dinner will be provided by the Rushings and the Fraleys
March 9th--Confirmation Retreat
March 11th--Food Bank and Yard Clean Up--we will be helping a family friend of the Robertsons who was displaced after Hurricane Floyd. We will go to the Food Bank from 8:45 -- 11:15. We will meet for Yard Clean Up at 11:15. A hamburger/hot dog lunch will be provided and then we will work.
March 12th--Youth Council
March 12th--Humane Society
March 17-19--Senior High Retreat
March 19th--Regular Youth
March 26th--Regular Youth
March 31st--Barbecue Plate Sale for Mission Trip If you are not receiving the weekly emails from me, please let me know ASAP so that I can send you the Registration Link! I am looking forward to all of the upcoming events that we have to look forward to over the next couple of months. As always, whenever the youth are out and about, I know that we are sharing in the journey and growing in our faith together. Brian Dilday, Youth Director, 252-367-1914, [email protected]
March 1, 2017 Page 6
Sunday Morning Leaders
March 5 March 12 March 19
Communion Servers 8:30 a.m.
Ann Herrin Mickey Herrin
Kim Kooonce Emmett Koonce
Betty Bailey Kim Bell
Communion Servers 11:00 a.m.
Allen Lyle (Captain), Vera & Kyle Braswell, Dave Kemble, Mike Horton, Bill & Wendy Farrior, Will O’Rear, Jeri Jackson, Ashley Rudolph, Malcolm McLeod, Derek Perry
Sunday Fellowship Harding & Pat Sugg Ashley Hardee Emi & Gibson McCall
Flowers – Sanctuary
Flower Arranging Cypress Glen Circle Circle 1 Circle 3
Time for Young Disciples
None Bucket Brigade John Ogle
Godly Play None Angela Vinson Elizabeth Swaggerty
Lay Reader 11:00 a.m.
Jon Randall Melissa Nasea Anne Mauldin
Elder Assisting in Worship
David Webb (8:30) Bill Newill (11:00)
David Webb Karen Kay
Invitation to Discipleship
8:30 a.m.
Tyler Burgwyn Ray Spears Joe Asselmeier
11:00 a.m. Doug Boyd Griff Burgwyn Linda Kean
Greeters
8:30 a.m. Welcome Center Doors
Ann Herrin Spencer Hill Anita Britt
11:00 a.m. Welcome Center Doors
Betty Williams Betsy Baggett Antoinette Patterson
11:00 a.m. Welcome Center Doors
Jim Williams Bill Baggett Cathy Taylor
Communion Preparation Committee
January-March 2017
Barbara Thomson, Cathy Taylor
Communion Baker Marie Prosser
Sanctuary Guild - March Barbara Lanford
USHERS – 8:30 a.m. - March USHERS – 11:00 a.m. - March
Kim Bell (Co-Captain) Don Barnes (Captain) Charles Manning
Jerry Cox (Co-Captain) Georganne Perry Brian Dilday
Mike Webb Shel Downes Mary Helen Stasavich
Katy Webb Woody Crumpler
Tim Longest
Page 7 March 1, 2017
First Presbyterian Church
1400 South Elm Street
Greenville, NC 27858
Phone: 252.758.1901
Fax: 252.758.1365
Email: [email protected]
NON-PROF. ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 264
Visit us online:
www.fpcgreenville.org
PASTOR’S WORD Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As I write this, it is Shrove Tuesday or sometimes known as Fat Tuesday. It comes from an old Eu-ropean tradition of removing all of the fat from one’s house before Lent begins. So folks would get to-gether and eat up all of the butter, eggs, milk, and meat in their homes that would spoil over the next forty days. Lent was a time for fasting, a time for giving up something; however, I’ve always believed that Lent should be a time of taking something on. For me the Lenten discipline consists of finding some activity or endeavor that draws me closer to God and to Jesus Christ.
Lent should be a time for us to focus our attention on what the cross means and why it is so signifi-cant for our faith. Recently I was in conversation with a Jewish rabbi who asked me that very question, why is it that the cross is so important to you Christians? I responded the way I always love to, with a question, “Why is it that the exodus and the Torah are so important to you Jews?” Of course he re-sponded by saying, “Well, those are the things that formed us into a group and a nation, and remind us of just how much God loves us.” And I responded, “And for us, all of that happens at the cross.” You see for Christians the cross symbolizes God cutting in to human history and claiming us as God’s own.
We all look for signs of God’s grace and the assurance that we are loved by God. I can think of no better way for us as Christians than to realize that through the death and suffering and resurrection of Jesus, God’s own Son, we have been claimed as the children of God and made heirs with Christ as brothers and sisters. I informed the rabbi that as Presbyterians we believe that we too are children of the covenant, not by some genetic heritage but through what Christ did for us on the cross. As we move through this Lenten season, may the astonishing, overwhelming, and awesome grace of God bring you to Easter so that like those early disciples, we may also stand amazed and awestruck.
Bill Neely
LABEL
CHURCH DIRECTORY
William K. Neely, Pastor
Amanda Hines, Interim Associate Pastor
Kathleen Williams, Director of
Christian Education
Karrie Rushing, Director of Music
Brian Dilday, Youth Director
Brad Collier, Organist
Deborah Durham, Financial Administrator
Janice Gray, Office Administrator
Terrence Clemons, Sexton
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