November 2010 - First Presbyterian Church
Transcription
November 2010 - First Presbyterian Church
TRADEWINDS First Presbyterian Church Charlotte, North Carolina November 2010 Dr. William P. Wood and First Presbyterian Church III: Milestones from 2000-2010 “We are Preparing for the Future” By Susan Shimp In a period when many Presbyterian churches have suffered a decline in membership, First Presbyterian in Charlotte has seen enormous growth. Membership has nearly doubled during Dr. Wood’s tenure at the church, from 1200 members in 1983 to 2200 in 2010. In the 1990s alone, there was an 82% increase in the number of children. In January 1999, the session adopted an expanded long range plan that affirmed the church’s identity within the Reformed Tradition, renewed its commitment to accomplishing the Great Ends of the Church, and also addressed this remarkable growth in membership. The plan outlined a vision for additional worship opportunities, energized Christian education, strengthened congregational life programs, a continued dedication to service activities, a greater reach of ministries to a larger community, a vibrant and inclusive congregation, and the resources to realize this vision. By April of that year, the “First Things First” campaign was begun with a goal of $8 million dollars - a goal ultimately exceeded through the generosity of the congregation. Construction began that fall on a new 60,000-square-foot addition that included space for the Child Development Center, music rooms and offices, the new Fellowship Hall and kitchen, new adult classrooms, an expanded Loaves and Fishes pantry, and classrooms and activity areas for youth. The campaign also included in its commitment benevolences for both local and global missions. Continued on page 5 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Stewardship 2011 PW Advent Communion Service Thanksgiving Honorariums From The Senior Minister TRADEWINDS A monthly publication of First Presbyterian Church 200 West Trade Street Charlotte, NC 28202-1623 Thanksgiving is a season in which we are called to remember those things for which we are grateful and to express to God our gratitude for the goodness and grace that fill our lives in so many ways. For me, this Thanksgiving has a special poignancy in that on Sunday, November 21st, I will preach my last sermon as the Minister of First Presbyterian Church. This is a time of both sadness and joy - sadness at stepping aside from a position and a people I have loved but also joy at knowing the opportunities that exist for our church and for me as new opportunities and horizons open. Any person who has served as a minister in our church understands the uniqueness and special qualities that constitute the First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte. For almost 200 years, our church has engaged in a remarkable ministry in the center city of Charlotte. Through its worship, its television ministry, its numerous outreach programs and the unique leadership of the congregation, our church has helped to make the city of Charlotte a better city for all its residents. In addition, our church has enjoyed a special sense of community. Though we come from many different neighborhoods, there is a remarkable unity, fellowship and caring that is rarely found in any church. The First Presbyterian Church has a lot for which to be grateful. We have experienced remarkable growth as a congregation in a time in which the mainline Protestant denominations have suffered from an extraordinary decline of membership and influence. Over the past two and a half decades, our church has welcomed hundreds of young families, baptized almost 1,000 infants, and maintained a vitality and consistent witness of the power of Jesus Christ for the transformation of human lives and the greater community. In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, he summarizes the gospel of Jesus Christ in this fashion: “For by grace you have been saved by faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:9) And so in this season of Thanksgiving, it is appropriate that I acknowledge my gratitude to God and to the congregation of our church for the gift of allowing me the unique privilege of serving as your minister for these twenty-seven years. TRADEWINDS 2 Thanks be to God! William P. Wood Volume 26, Number 10, November 2010 Second Class Postage Paid, Charlotte, NC, USPS #751730 CHURCH TELEPHONE: 704.332.5123; FAX: 704.334.4135 HOME PAGE: www.firstpres-charlotte.org SUNDAY WORSHIP: 9 am and 11 am OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am to 5 p.m. SENIOR MINISTER: William P. Wood ASSOCIATE MINISTER FOR SERVICE & MISSIONS: Kathleen A. Crowe Associate Minister for PASTORAL CARE & CONGREGATIONAL LIFE: Katherine W. Cooke ASSOCIATE MINISTER FOR EVANGELISM & YOUNG ADULTS: Wesley B. Barry ASSOCIATE MINISTER FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: J. Kirk Hall, IV BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR: Dan Woodall Director of Music Ministries: D. Edwin Huss, Jr. ASSISTANT Director of Music Ministries: Becky Puster Director of Children’s Ministries: Lou Johnson DIRECTOR OF SENIOR HIGH MINISTRIES: Josh Herrin director of middle school ministries: Jen Evans administrative assistant for youth ministry: Jamille White MEMBERSHIP Development COORDINATOR: Sarah Price VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: Lisa Dillard CHILD & FAMILY OUTREACH COORDINATOR: Jessica Patchett WEEKDAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR: Janis Rikard Interim Director, CDC Debbie Shirkey Financial Manager: Jan Gaddis ASSISTANT FOR FINANCE: Dowling McConnell Communications Manager: Dartinia Hull PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR: Roger Blackwelder PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT: Chris Bodmer ASSISTANT TO THE ASSOCIATE MINISTERS: Regina Backlund ASSISTANT TO THE ASSOCIATE MINISTERS: Judy Ploch Assistant to Senior Minister & Tv Ministry: Caren Loftin ASSISTANT FOR CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES: Diane Baker TECHNICAL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Ben Treece FOOD SERVICE MANAGER: George Hamilton OPERATIONS MANAGER: Bill Fairchild SUPERVISOR-SECURITY/CUSTODIANS: Ron Williams RECEPTIONISTS: Donna Dendy Doris Mataragas TRADEWINDS EDITOR: Jan Atwater T V M inistr y Thanksgiving Honorariums N ext May will mark the 50th anniversary of the first live broadcast of First Presbyterian’s 11 a.m. Sunday morning worship service on Channel 9 WSOC-TV. The mission of the TV Ministry has been to bring a traditional Presbyterian Worship Service into the homes of people who cannot attend church. Indeed, the TV Ministry has grown into a significant outreach ministry of our church where each week more than 39,000 households, not including viewers in hospitals, nursing homes and retirement homes, tune in for the service. The TV Ministry has heard from literally thousands of viewers over the years of the importance of the broadcast to their lives. The TV Ministry’s $400,000 annual budget is largely funded by income from endowments and bequests from both members and non-members as well as weekly contributions from the TV audience. Thanksgiving is an important time of the year where we reflect on many of God’s gifts. On November 28, the Sunday following the Thanksgiving Day holiday, the TV Ministry is initiating a Thanksgiving honorarium program. For a contribution to the TV Ministry, you and your family can honor or remember a loved one by becoming one of the sponsors of the broadcast. Similar to how the Christmas Holiday Wreath/ Poinsettias and Easter Lilly honorariums are listed in the order of worship each year, the Thanksgiving honorariums will scroll down the screen during an appropriate part of the November 28 broadcast. If you wish to purchase an honorarium, please send a check for $250, payable to First Presbyterian TV Ministry, to Caren Loftin, 200 West Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. Checks are due Friday, November 17. Please include the name of your loved one(s) and indicate if it is a memorial or honorarium. Please let the church office know if you have any questions. Dr. Wood’s retirement will also begin a transition period for our TV Ministry as well. Rest assured, high on the Transition Committee’s list is the interim pastor’s ability to connect with the TV audience and to continue to lead this ministry until we find a new pastor. The TV Ministry relies on the support of church members and TV viewers alike. It is not funded through the church’s annual operating budget or stewardship. The economic slowdown has had a negative impact on weekly contributions and as a result, the TV ministry has run operating deficits for the past several years. This honorarium opportunity is a meaningful way to recognize loved ones and support this important ministry at First Presbyterian Church. Thank you for your support. Wednesday Connect Every Wednesday thru November 24th The Fall 2010 Wednesday Connect series offers new opportunities for fellowship, compelling programs, wonderful music for your children and a scrumptious dinner. This is an educational, fun and enriching experience for the whole family. Wednesday Connect concludes the Fall Series with a Memorable Evening on Thanksgiving Eve, November 24th Enjoy a Holiday Feast and a Special Worship Service with Music by the Children’s Choirs! For registration, payment and more information, please go to the church website at www.firstpres-charlotte.org. TRADEWINDS 3 from whom all b l e s s i n g s f l o w. . . Stewardship 2011 As you read this, we are nearing completion of the 2011 Stewardship Campaign, themed “From Whom All Blessings Flow.” This comes as we approach the time to celebrate Dr. Wood’s service at First Presbyterian Church. The juxtaposition of these events, and the related emotions, are more similar than they may first seem. The celebrations of 27 years of service, leadership, and ministry are a conclusion in one way, but also the beginning of the next phase of the work of First Presbyterian Church. Dr. Wood noted in his letter to the congregation that “this is the occasion for new leadership, a new vision, and renewed ministry in our witness for Jesus Christ in the heart of the city of Charlotte.” The stewardship campaign is also a beginning, in this case to the missions and ministries we will provide in 2011. Each and every one of us is responsible for ensuring that we provide the leadership and vision noted above as the church moves forward with our ministries. That requires not only our time and our talents, but also our financial commitments. Dr. Wood has challenged us with a campaign goal of $3.1 million, the same as last year. Our entire church family was generous in your support of that campaign, providing both traditional annual fund gifts as well as “extraordinary times” commitments. We are not seeking the additional gift for 2011; rather we are looking for participation from all church members. Only with this full participation will we be successful in our effort to maintain our commitment to the church’s programming and critical mission work. If you have not yet pledged this year, please prayerfully consider doing so, either online or by returning a pledge card to the church. Each and every pledge, regardless of amount, is helpful and necessary. It is not too late – to make the financial commitment, to honor Dr. Wood, and to remind ourselves about how First Presbyterian Church has served as a refuge of hope and comfort for our congregation and our community for almost 200 years. TRADEWINDS 4 Musical Notes A Gift of Music in Celebration of Dr. Wood’s Service During the Special Worship Service on November 21st Through the gift of music, we will worship God and celebrate Dr. Wood’s many years of ministry at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, November 21. The Sanctuary Choir along with the Carolina Brass will offer special music during our morning worship services. Our Opening Voluntary will be presented by the Carolina Brass as we gather for worship. During the service, the Choir will sing anthems by Felix Mendelssohn, J. S. Bach, and John Ness Beck. The congregational hymns will be accompanied by the Carolina Brass, organ and timpani. Ivey Handbell Ringers to Perform with The Charlotte Symphony The Ivey Handbell Ringers are proud to announce that they will be one of the featured performance groups in the 2010 Magic of Christmas concerts presented by the Charlotte Symphony. The high school ringers will play a solo piece, a setting by Kevin McChesney of the famous Leontovych “Carol of the Bells”, and will also join the symphony players on the final two selections of the concert. This year the members of the Ivey Handbell Ringers are: Wilson Sink, Alex Jenkins, Lee Landess, Mary Elizabeth Schultze, Ann Eubank, Alex Hoover, Dana Neidinger, Julia Hoover, Meriwether Lyman, and Meredith Dann. The Magic of Christmas concerts are December 3-5 at Belk Theater. Plan now to attend and cheer on the Ivey Handbell Ringers! Dr. William P. Wood and First Presbyterian Church Continued from page 1 “We are Preparing for the Future” In his remarks at the dedication of the new Poplar Street Building on May 20, 2001, Dr. Wood said of this milestone for our church, “We are not simply remembering the past, nor giving thanks for the present. We are preparing for the future. This church is a living witness to the power of God’s grace in Jesus Christ to nurture, inspire, and encourage the people of God in this place.” By the end of 2001, Ben Long’s fresco depicting the Parable of the Good Samaritan would be completed in the Poplar Street Building lobby. Over the past decade, in addition to the facility expansion completed in 2001, FPC also met the needs of its growing membership through expanded staff, adding associate ministerial positions for Evangelism, Pastoral Care and Christian Education. In 2005, the Child and Family Outreach Coordinator position was created. Opportunities for worship were also extended with the Children and Worship program during the Sunday morning services, and with a contemporary service on Sunday afternoons from 2005-2008. Wednesday Worship continues to provide a mid-day service and lunch for both members and for visitors in Uptown. The past decade has also been a time for significant technical improvements to the Television Ministry. Reaching as many as 39,000 households, in addition to hospitals, nursing homes and retirement homes each week, this outreach has paralleled the changes in broadcasting itself, starting in black and white in 1961, color in 1974, adding new cameras in 2001, high definition cameras in 2008, and an additional camera installed in that year to allow events in the Fellowship Hall to be recorded. But as in its inception, the TV ministry simply shows a traditional Presbyterian Worship service, live and unedited, with church volunteers continuing to work the soundboard every Sunday. When asked of his goals for the television ministry, Dr. Wood said in a 1983 interview with the Charlotte Observer, “We don’t do anything special. We want to show the baptisms, the people walking around when we serve communion and take up the offering, the announcements . . . aspects of day-today church life. We’re trying to extend the ministry of a real church with real people.” As Moderator of the Presbytery of Charlotte, and as President of the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for Reformed Theology, Dr. Wood’s service to the Presbyterian Church at-large reflects a commitment to its traditions and to its future. And as we celebrate nearly three decades of his service to our church, let us continue to ask how First Presbyterian in Charlotte can be a “living witness to the power of God’s grace in Jesus Christ to nurture, inspire, and encourage the people of God in this place.” TRADEWINDS 5 2 0 1 0 Evening Advent Worship Services After last year’s strong interest in the Evening Advent Worship services, First Presbyterian Church is building up to offer another series of meaningful worship services. Starting the first week of Advent, these worship services will be held in the Chapel from 6:00-6:45 p.m., with a fellowship gathering to follow. Childcare is provided, but we also encourage families to attend together. Each service will explore the theme “Emmanuel: God is with us.” On the first week of October, First Presbyterian held its annual Fall Festival. The gathering on the front lawn was an incredible event that brought together our church members, and demonstrated to our neighbors the vibrant community of faith at First Presbyterian. Across the front lawn, the laughter of children and adults and the musical skills of Beth Williams could be heard. Beneath the changing color of autumn leaves, two giant inflatables entertained the children, while different activities and games occurred. The youth organized and held relay races for some of the kids, while the Reverend Katie Crowe and Kathleen Shields painted faces. Rich Neidinger impressed the crowd with his balloon animal skills, and David Dillard was our Bingo caller. However, one particular activity captivated the crowd the most...the Dunking Booth. The Reverend Wes Barry, Jen Evans, Josh Herrin and the Reverend Kirk Hall all braved the crisp cold air of October as the children lined up in order to dunk the ministers and staff. This gathering was a huge success as it brought together a wide range of church members and visitors. Thanks to the Children’s Ministry council, the youth, and the Evangelism Committee for hosting such an incredible event. November 28th: Wholeness and Healing December 5th: Jazz December 12th: Taize December 19th: Celtic Communion Please contact Regina Backlund at rbacklund@firstpres-charlotte.org if you would like to help in any of these worship services. TRADEWINDS 6 Fall Festival 2010 Bring Hope to Haiti February 4-9 Mission Trip When you travel to Haiti you do not just bring yourself, you bring hope. That is what our partners in Haiti consistently reflect to our mission teams when they travel. You are invited to bring hope to Haiti with your presence on our 2011 mission trip to Bayonnais. On Friday, February 4, the team will depart in the early hours of the morning and travel to Port au Prince, Haiti, where we will meet our friends at OFCB Ministries and drive to Bayonnais. For four days, we will worship with the community, meet and interact with the students of OFCB, help them practice their English and bear witness to their world. We will return to Charlotte on February 9. The cost of the trip will be approximately $1100, with additional costs for immunizations and passports as needed. Scholarship support is available upon request. Space is limited, so please contact Katie Crowe with your interest by December 1 at kcrowe@firstpres-charlotte.org or at 704-927-0253. Come and bring hope to Haiti, and we promise that you will be filled with hope in return. Returning to Russia On June 17-27, 2011, a mission team from First Presbyterian will return to Ryazan, Russia, to visit our friends at Hope Baptist Church. For ten years our congregation has partnered with Hope Baptist, traveling to visit them every other year, while Pastor Pavel and elders from his congregation have traveled to Charlotte to experience our life and ministries every other year. Despite severe persecution from the Orthodox community, Hope Baptist continues to bear witness to the gospel, remains committed to Christian education and ministers to women in the nearby women’s prison. What began as a small community gathered in a single rented room has grown with the support of First Presbyterian Church, into a multi-staff ministry that is living into its name and spreading the hope of Jesus Christ. The team will support Hope Baptist in its life and ministries, meet with church members, and participate in the worshipping life of the congregation. To learn more about being part of the mission team, please contact Katie Crowe at kcrowe@firstpres-charlotte.org or at 704-927-0253. TRADEWINDS 7 It’s that time again... Room In The Inn needs your Involvement Room in the Inn (RITI) needs your involvement this winter as we will again host 12 homeless guests every Monday and Tuesday night at First Presbyterian Church from December through March. Please consider preparing and serving part of an evening meal, staying over night, or purchasing and delivering breakfast food or bag lunches for guests to take with them when they leave our church in the morning. This ministry requires 350 individuals to step forward in service. Since 1996, First Presbyterian has joined with other congregations and colleges across Charlotte-Mecklenburg as part of the community wide program sponsored by the Charlotte Urban Ministry Center. Room in the Inn provides hospitality, shelter and food for the homeless in our community during the winter months. The RITI program is a unique way for people of faith to come alongside our homeless neighbors and share Christ’s love. It’s also an opportunity to sit and listen to their stories around the dinner table and share your own. Bring a friend and serve together. The simple goal of the ministry is to provide dignity and safe space on cold winter evenings. But the greater goal is to provide a compassionate presence and supportive relationship to the homeless for a night. RITI brings the Biblical admonition to love thy neighbor to life, revealing that everyone in our community is our neighbor. Sign up to help a neighbor in need today. Contact Lisa Dillard, First Presbyterian Volunteer Coordinator, at 704-927-0242 or ldillard@firstpres-charlotte.org to serve as an overnight host or to provide a meal. Your presence makes a difference! Meet the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte (formerly known as the Emergency Winter Shelter) In 2010, the Emergency Winter Shelter (EWS) changed its name to the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte. The name change occurred when the 30-year-old EWS, a seasonal facility, and the year-round Uptown Men’s Shelter merged administrative responsibilities in order to provide more comprehensive services to the homeless men in our community and to save on costs for both organizations. The combined year-round shelter is now known as the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and operates on campuses on North Tryon Street (formerly the Uptown Shelter) and Statesville Avenue (formerly the EWS). Both locations provide nourishment and shelter for homeless men living on our streets, men who are not eligible for the Urban Ministry Center’s Room in the Inn program and works with them to create a plan for getting and staying off of the streets. It attempts to prevent people with the very least in our community from being without shelter. The Men’s Shelter of Charlotte is a collaborative effort among volunteers; CMC provides free medical screening, the Charlotte Rescue Mission prepares hot meals, and Dove’s Nest washes the linens. The combined locations sleep 500 men each evening. First Presbyterian Church will once again provide volunteers to register guests, serve dinner, and distribute blankets at the Statesville Avenue site in the winter months. Seven volunteers are needed on the nights of Tuesday, November 30, Wednesday, January 26, and Monday, February 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Serving at the men’s shelter is the perfect hands-on opportunity for individuals or groups who want to volunteer but whose busy schedules do not allow for a large commitment of time. If you would like to serve the homeless in our community through this very important ministry this winter, contact Lisa Ku at 704-525-0430 or lisaku@carolina.rr.com. TRADEWINDS 8 ADVENT COMMUNION SERVICE & LUNCHEON Thursday, December 2nd, 11:30 a.m., Sanctuary Join us for our Advent Communion Service and Lunch on Thursday December 2, at 11:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Come and prepare your hearts and minds for this season of Advent and Christmas as we are led in worship by Dr. Luke Powery, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Powery’s combined experiences in preaching, African American religious culture, and theology will nourish us during this season of hope and anticipation. This service is a tradition of our Presbyterian Women and is open to all members of our church, all churches through out the city, our downtown community, our friends and neighbors and anyone seeking spiritual nourishment. The Advent Communion Service will be followed by a boxed lunch in the Fellowship Hall at 12:15 p.m. Lunches will also be available for carryout. Reservations may be made by sending a check for $6 payable to Presbyterian Women and marked Advent Communion Lunch, mailed to 200 W.Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. Please send your check by Monday, November 29. You may also make reservations by calling the church at 704-332-5123 or at sign-up tables on Sunday mornings at church or pay online at www.firstpres-charlotte.org. Click Congregational Life, then Presbyterian Women. To make a reservation for childcare please contact Carmalita Monroe at 704-367-4934. For transportation to the event, contact Anne Wilson at 704-364-5059. During the service, a Christmas Joy Offering will be accepted. Fifty percent of this gift is sent to the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for assistance programs for church workers and the other half is directed to racially ethnic schools and colleges of the PCUSA to help deserving students pursue their education. As we approach this season of preparation and waiting, we hope you and your friends will join us as we take time to worship and reflect on the season. Presbyterian Women Series on the Heroines of First presbyterian church Lemma Shepherd Howerton Last spring, the Presbyterian Women celebrated their annual Birthday Dinner by honoring some of the historical female pillars of our church. Lemma Shepherd was born in Alabama in 1905. When she was 10, she moved to Charlotte, where her father operated John C. Shepherd Lumber Corp. with his brothers. The history of First Baptist Church chronicles that her father and her uncles gave chimes for the sanctuary of First Baptist Church on Tryon Street (now the Spirit Square auditorium). Lemma found her way to the reformed tradition about the time she married Philip Howerton in 1926 and began an active membership in First Presbyterian Church. From the historical accounts we have, it seems that Lemma Howerton, who was thirty years younger than Pattie Cole, was Pattie’s chief of staff. Both were influenced by evangelist Billy Sunday’s January 1924 crusade in Charlotte and believed in the need for Bible study for women. Lemma and Pattie teamed up on the Young Matrons Class, with Lemma taking the truly young and Pattie focusing more on the formerly young. Lemma’s life was cut short by cancer at the age of 42. After her diagnosis she invited friends to her home to try on her clothes and sent them off with dresses that she thought were most becoming to them. Husband Philip Howerton, perhaps with the benefit of Lemma’s Bible lessons, became the moderator of the Southern Presbyterian Church from 1958-1959. Lemma’s husband and son, also named Phil, gave in honor of her service to our church the beautiful silver flower urns that grace both sides of our sanctuary pulpit. Like her mentor, Pattie Cole, we have a Sunday School classroom named in honor of Lemma Howerton. Presbyterian Women began their new year at the Annual Fall Gathering on September 14. Following a wonderful lunch in the Fellowship Hall, Katherine Cooke introduced our Circle Studies for the year and Dr. Thomas Moore offered a beautiful program of music. Many new things are being celebrated and we hope you will join us throughout the year for monthly Circle Bible Studies and special events. TRADEWINDS 9 Created by God Workshop Well-Received by Youth and Parents By Suzy Nurkin On Friday evening, October 1, and Sunday morning, October 3, thirteen 5th grade youth and their parents convened at church for the biannual Created by God Faith and Sexuality Retreat. The retreat was organized by Jen Evans, Director of Middle School Ministries and Lou Johnson, Director of Children’s Ministries, and run by a special guest speaker, The Reverend Dr. Becky Davis, Professor of Christian Education at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. While the children began their workshop, parents met with Becky to get a better understanding of the focus of the 2-part workshop: the concept that we are all created by God, in his image, and applying that truth to how we feel about and treat ourselves and others. After the introduction, parents dispersed for date nights and fellowship while their children immersed themselves in learning and relationship building. The kids, while building trust and comfort, completed drawings of themselves noting what they did and didn’t like about their bodies. They also split up by gender to search out the “ideal” male and female from magazines. While details of what went on are not well known by parents due to the confidential nature of the workshop, it was clear at the end of the evening that the kids had a great time together. The weekend workshop concluded on Sunday morning during Sunday school with all youth and parents meeting together. Becky asked the families a series of questions that encouraged openness and honesty. The questions were intended to show the youth that everyone has things they do and don’t like about themselves, and that nobody (and no body) is perfect. Parents were encouraged to let their children answer first and to practice in active listening and thoughtful response. All were sent home with a final question for discussion and the challenge to always keep dialogue open and flowing. In the end, both the parents and the kids felt the experience was rewarding and beneficial and were asking Jen and Lou to schedule another session soon. Children’s Ministries Congratulations to our 55 3rd Graders who received their Bibles this year (The largest class to receive Bibles during Dr. Wood’s 27 years of service) Upcoming Special Events - Save the Dates! December 4th Breakfast with Mary & Joseph December 11th Children’s Christmas Pageant Practice December 5th Advent Workshop for Elementary Grades December 12th Children’s Christmas Pageant TRADEWINDS 10 Staff Spotlight Jamille White Introducing Jamille White, one of our newest staff members. We thought the best way for you all to get to know Jamille was to have a little Q & A session. What’s a brief description of your job and how long have you worked at First Presbyterian? I’ve been here almost two months and I help Jen and Josh with administrative assistance in Youth Ministry. What is your favorite aspect of working at First Presbyterian? The people, the warm welcome I felt like I fit right in my first day here. What is your favorite location in the church? My desk. I love the space and hearing the WDS and CDC kids coming to the gym and playing. If you had one place to travel where would it be? I think it would have to be Hawaii. I’ve never been, but heard it is really nice. What’s your favorite TV Show? I don’t have one… I am more into music. My favorite type of music is neo-soul. What are you reading right now, if anything? Required school reading, I’m working on a bachelor’s degree in business management. Reading for pleasure has had to take a back seat until I finish my degree. Do you have a favorite hobby? (Laughs) See previous question… Studying takes up a lot of my time so my priorities are 1) time with my Boys 2) yoga 3) jogging 4) dinner out at Cantina 1511 Do you live in Charlotte? Family? I live in Rock Hill with my twin boys, Jamal and Javaris Thanks Jamille for all that you do and also for having an awesome “do!” Senior Adults Tour Save Your Shoeboxes Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief agency. This unique project sends a message of hope to children in crisis areas of the world through gift-filled shoeboxes. Members of our church will be preparing boxes filled with gift items such as toys, school supplies, flashlights, hygiene items, watches, balls and other articles of interest to children. All church members are invited to participate in this very special project, presenting the church with a special opportunity to touch children’s lives throughout the world. Brochures will be available on the credenza located on the right side of the Sanctuary, near the Lemma Howerton Room, and on bulletin boards throughout the church. In addition to gift boxes, monetary donations are also welcomed. Checks should be made payable to “Samaritan’s Purse,” marked “Operation Christmas Child” on the memo line and sent to the church office. Dedication Sunday will be November 21 during the 9 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship services. For information regarding the boxes, please contact church member Ann Burton at 704-334-3909 or by email atburtongirls3@carolina.rr.com. First Presbyterian will also be sorting boxes at the Samaritan’s Purse Collection Center in Charlotte on Tuesday evening, November 30, from 6 - 9 p.m. If you are interested in participating in this event, please contact church member Elise Barksdale, 704-375-1870 or brielise@bellsouth.net, to register. Everyone 60 and over is invited to join the Senior adults for a morning of fun. We will meet at the church on November 9 at 9:45 a.m. and tour the Mint Museum uptown for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Lunch will follow at Johnson and Wales University. Individuals are responsible for the cost of museum admission and lunch. Transportation: church van or personal automobile. For questions or to make reservations, please call Judy Ploch at 704-927-0234. TRADEWINDS 11 TradeWinds PERIODICALS Postage Paid Published monthly by First Presbyterian Church 200 West Trade Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-1623 CHARLOTTE NC USPS #751730 Postmaster, please send address changes to: Tradewinds, First Presbyterian Church 200 West Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202-1623 Decorate Your Home and Help the CDC The holidays are quickly approaching! First Presbyterian Church and Child Development Center is having our annual wreath sale and we would love to make it our best yet! We need your support. This is our major fundraiser for the year. Please remember your co-workers, friends, and family with an early holiday surprise. We are selling the items listed below. These items will be ready for pick-up on Thursday, December 2 and Friday, December 3 at the CDC between the hours of 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. If extra wreaths are available at that time, we will sell them on a first come, first serve basis. The greenery will be coming from Hawk Mountain Tree Farm in Boone, NC. Please visit our website to place your order. We must have your PRE-PAID ORDER by Friday, November 19. 20” Fraser Fir Wreath $15 • 24” Fraser Fir Wreath $19 30” Fraser Fir Wreath $23 • 25’ White Pine Roping $10 2 ½’ - 3’ Table Top Tree $15 (with stand and bowl) 3’- 4’ Mini Tree $20 Introducing Engage! Child and Family Outreach Ministries now has its own newsletter named Engage! You are invited to subscribe by emailing Jessica Patchett at jpatchett@firstpres-charlotte.org
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