January 11-31 2015 - First Presbyterian Church

THE SPIRE LIGHT
First Presbyterian Church
100 Silver Creek Road, Morganton, NC 28655
828-437-1811
www.fpcmorganton.org
January 11-31, 2015
January 11, 2015
Rev. Michael R. Bailey
Baptism of West Veazey
Lectionary
Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29
Acts 19:1-7
Mark 1:4-11
Greeters
Jim and Beth Peterson
Mark and Leslie Rostan
January 18, 2015
Rev. Adam C. Bowling
Lectionary
I Samuel 3:1-20
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
I Corinthians 6:12-20
John 1:43-51
Greeters
Wil and Lena Kenan
Mary Lou McDaniel
January 25, 2015
Rev. Michael R. Bailey
Lectionary
Jonah 3:1-6, 10
Psalm 62:5-12
I Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20
Greeters
Wil and Lena Kenan
Mary Lou McDaniel
January Visitors’ Table
Jane Rigsbee
From Your Pastor . . .
Happy New Year! I hope that 2015 turns out to be a great one
for you and yours. It is looking good so far! Of course, that outlook
is largely influenced by the fact that not much of 2015 is “in the
books”! History and sheer odds tell us that this year will be a difficult one for some of us and for some we know and love. Worrying
about exactly who will get hit with the hard times this year, however, is neither predictable nor particularly helpful. And it certainly
is not reflective of a person of faith. Persons of faith also look at history to anticipate the future but in a much more hopeful way. Persons of faith look at the faithfulness of God in the past, and that
gives hope and strength for the future.
This hopeful/faithful way of viewing the future in light of the
past, I think, can be summed up in one word from scripture:
“Hitherto.” In 1 Samuel 7, the Israelites were facing some daunting
enemies which could have made their future look rather dim. Samuel, instead of looking at the size of the enemies on the horizon,
looked backward to the faithfulness of God in getting the people
through past difficulties. He set up a kind of stone statue as a memorial and reminder of God’s past faithfulness and declared,
“Hitherto, the Lord has helped us.” Whenever the Israelites passed
by that stone (which Samuel named and we still sing about in a favorite hymn—“Name that Tune”!), they were reminded of how God
had been there for them in the past, through thick and thin, and
how God helped and delivered them. They then realized they simply had no reason to doubt God’s love, help, and favor moving into
the future—no matter what it seemed it might hold.
So as this new year unfolds and the inevitable distant clouds
seem like they might bring disruption to the preferred sunny skies,
think to yourself “Hitherto!” and move forward in faith, hope, and
love. Whether the dreaded storm materializes or not, God will be
there to help you through whatever comes.
Please know that I will be praying for you, and that I would
much appreciate your prayers as well. And know how glad I remain
to be on the Journey with you!
—Michael
Committee Night Is Wednesday, January 14
Please RSVP by Monday, January 12, for the
simple meal of pizza, salad, and drink.
Cost: $4 adult, $2.50 child ($16 family cap)
Member Giving Update Through December 31, 2014
Pledged Giving
Non-pledged Giving
Budgeted
$557,562
55,000
Received
$548,667
46,293
Budget Shortfall
$8,895
$8,707
Adult Sunday School Elective Class
A four-week Sunday School class on The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren will be held
Sunday mornings during January at 9:45 AM downstairs in room 102. Rick Leissner will
facilitate the discussion about this New York Times bestseller and second most-translated
book after the Bible. ...“The Purpose Driven Life” will guide you to greatness—through living the Great
Commandment and the Great Commission.” —Billy and Franklin Graham
Memory and Hope Sharing Group
The Memory and Hope Sharing Group will meet on Sunday, January 18, 4:00 PM, in the church parlor. You are
welcome to join us as we rediscover in the midst of our pain and sadness a fresh awareness of God’s love. For information, contact Rev. Dr. Robert Lowry (828-460-3490) or Rev. Beth Ann Miller (828-433-6431).
Backyard Bible Club
Backyard Bible Club begins on February 18 and will run for six weeks through March 25. The children will be
using the “Diary of a Godly Kid” curriculum. Through a study of the early life of David, kids will learn that they
don't have to be perfect to be godly. They just have to have a heart that seeks after God.
Backyard Bible Camp—“Blast to the Past”
Mark your calendars for July 20-24, 2015; 9:00 AM-3:00 PM!
The Worship Committee would like
to thank all who:
-Advised
-Arranged
-Attended
-Decorated
-Donated
-Iced
-Phoned
-Planned
-Played
-Poured
-Preached
-Prepared
-Read
-Sang
-Secured
-Served
-Treed
-Trimmed
-Typed
-Ushered
-Watered
...during a glorious Christmas season.
Happy New Year!
Tree of Warmth
Did you get a new coat, hat, sweater, or pair of mittens
for Christmas? Do you have any extra that will just sit
in the back of the closet collecting dust? Why not
share it with someone who could use it now? Bring
your warm clothing donations to the church, and we'll
get them to those in need. Remember what Jesus said:
"Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and
whoever has food must do likewise." Thanks!
Thank You
Dear Church Family,
Steve and I want to tell you how grateful we are for the support you gave us during my brother-in-law’s illness and death. The calls, cards, and emails have comforted us during this difficult time. Please continue to pray for my sister as she deals
with her loss.
Sincerely, Jane Gantt
To Our Fellow Presbyterians,
On behalf of the family of Roy Lynn Sanders, we wish to express our heartfelt
gratitude for all acts of kindness and condolences during the illness and passing of
our loved one. It is hard to find appropriate words that convey how grateful we are
for prayers, visits, cards, calls, flowers, and an abundance of food, hugs, and sharing
of memories and tears. We have felt the love and comfort of such kind Christian people. Thank you for the uplifting of our spirits when we needed it so badly.
Sincerely, Velma Sanders
Friday, January 9-Sunday, January 11—Winter Retreat in Winterplace, WV
Student
Registered participants are asked to meet at First
Ministries
Baptist Church in Morganton at 3:30 PM on Friday,
January 9, packed and ready to go! Remember to Rev. Adam Bowling
pack layers, your ski clothes and equipment (if you
828-448-8914
aren’t renting), a swimsuit (for the indoor pool), revabowling@bellsouth.net
and spending money for two meals, snacks, and
souvenirs ($25-50). Please contact Pastor Adam with questions or concerns.
Sunday, January 11—No PM Youth (Winter Retreat participants will be back around 4:30 PM.)
Friday, January 16, 7:00 PM—”The Show” at the CoMMA
Do you like surprises? Join your youth group friends for an evening of entertainment at the CoMMA in Morganton. However, we won't know what "The Show"
is until the curtain goes up. Not even Pastor Adam knows what we are going to
see and experience! We've been promised by a certain someone that "you're
gonna love it!" So RSVP today and don't miss out on the fun!
P.S. Tickets are $10 through Pastor Adam and are limited! Also, once you see "The
Show," you can't tell anyone what we saw. We will meet at CoMMA at 7:00 PM
for the 7:30 PM curtain.
Sunday, January 18—No PM Youth
Sunday, January 25, 5:00-8:00 PM—Souper Bowl of Caring Food Drive Planning Meeting
All youth interested in helping out with the Souper Bowl of Caring Food Drive are encouraged to attend this
meeting. We will eat dinner, work on the Minute for Mission, and make flyers and collection bags for the event.
Please bring a snack (last name A-M) and/or drink (last name N-Z) to share and $3 to help cover the cost of dinner. Bring your Bible and bring a friend! Please RSVP today to Pastor Adam via Facebook or email. Hope to see
you there!
Sunday, February 1, 12:00-4:00 PM—Souper Bowl of Caring Food Drive
Help collect canned goods and donations after the worship service on Sunday, February 1. Then stay for lunch in our fellowship hall and for the Souper Bowl of Caring Food Drive. Like last year, we will compete against other youth groups to collect the most donations. FYI—this year we plan to win back the trophy from First
Baptist! Bring a change of clothes, a coat, and $3 to help cover the cost of lunch.
ADULTS: We need adults to drive teams around town for the food drive. Contact
Pastor Adam if you are willing to help out.
In Sympathy
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
Congregational love and sympathy are extended
to William Mode and family at the death of his
uncle, Hunter Maguire, on December 23, 2014.
Congregational love and sympathy are extended to Shari LeGoullon at the death of her mother, Shirlee Mamone, on January 1, 2015.
Congregational love and sympathy are extended to the family of
James Carr at his death on January 2, 2015.
Congregational love and sympathy are extended to Kay Hensley
and Tara Mode and their families at the death of their father and
grandfather, Raymond Saunders, on January 4, 2015.
First Presbyterian is a connectional church;
let us therefore pray for other congregations
within our Presbytery:
Canton Presbyterian Church, Canton, NC
In Prayer
Lord, you know that
I am imperfect, yet
you don’t give up on
me. Thank you for
loving me and perfecting “that which concerns me.” Amen.
For 2015, Resolve to Feel Young at Heart—It Just Might Help You Live Longer!
A research letter in this week’s JAMA Internal Medicine found that older people who felt three or more Parish Nurse
News
years younger than their chronological age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt
their age or those who felt more than one year older than their actual age. Did a youthful feeling
by Jean Bolton
keep people alive? There was no association between self-perceived age and cancer death. But reRN-BC, LPC
searchers did find that the relationship between self-perceived age and cardiovascular death was
strong. They speculate that feeling younger may lead to better health habits. “Feeling younger or
older itself seems to have an effect on our health,” says Dr. Ronald D. Siegel, assistant professor of psychology, at Harvard
Medical School. He says there are several ways that feeling younger psychologically might lead to better health. One is exercise. Good health is associated with 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. “When people see themselves as old, they’re more likely to abandon physical challenges which feel difficult, such as, ‘I don’t think I should ski any
more, I’m an old man.’ When people feel younger psychologically, even if physical exercise is challenging, they’re more likely
to pursue it, believing no pain no gain,” Dr. Siegel explains.
Another way that feeling younger leads to better health may be attitude about diet. “If we feel old, we’re likely to treat food
with an ‘I won’t live much longer, I might as well enjoy this’ attitude which could lead us to eat unhealthily. If we feel young,
we may have more of a future orientation that will lead us to eat with future health in mind.” Avoiding added sugars and
trans and saturated fats and increasing dietary fiber, good fats, whole grains, and omega 3 fatty acids is important.
Feeling younger may also inspire a sense of resilience that keeps people young. Along with addressing physical activity and
nutrition in your resolutions for 2015, challenge yourself to try new things, learn new ideas, and develop new skills. Realizing
that most human abilities follow a “use it or lose it” pattern can motivate us to stay active.
Bring your attention repeatedly to the present moment, through formal mindfulness meditation or informal mindfulness practice. It can help you to appreciate this moment, rather than becoming lost in regrets about the past or imagining future deterioration.
Develop a sense of meaning in life. Focus on something larger than yourself, whether that’s connecting with people close to you or helping improve the lives of others. Or commit yourself to a hobby
you love, such as gardening, attending the theater, dancing, or reading. “When our focus is just on
our own immediate pleasure or pain, we’re much more likely to have difficulty with the aging procSource: Harvard Medical School Newsletter
ess,” says Dr. Siegel.
SESSION NOTES
First Presbyterian Church, Morganton, NC
Summary for December 21, 2014, Session Meeting
The Session continued to work on updating rolls in ACS (the church membership database), focusing at this time on the list of
affiliate members. Lisa Antley presented changes to this roll as recommended by the ad hoc committee on membership, and
these changes were approved. The facility request policy has been updated. The request form is mandatory for any outside
group requesting to use the church facility. This change should eliminate any confusion about schedules. In addition, a formal
process was created to resolve conflicts which may arise if the church has need for the facility when a group (church or nonchurch member) has the facility reserved. Lisa Antley and Ken Clough will attend the next stated meeting of the Presbytery on
January 31, 2015, in Gastonia.
Missions/Outreach Committee: Tom Kilgore recommended that the Christmas offering be given to BUCM and The Meeting
Place Mission. The offering will be split 50% between these two groups. Administration Committee: The 2014 budget numbers have improved. A small shortfall is predicted, but no significant measures will be needed to end the year. The committee
will keep the Session updated as the year closes. Pledges for 2015 are approximately $30,000 less than 2014. Work on the
2015 budget continues, and the committee plans to submit it to Session in January. Nominating Committee: Per a previous
Session-approved motion, each class of elders will have five members rather than seven. The committee noted that this will
affect the constitution of each class in terms of new elders and elders who have previously served. Procedures indicate that
each class shall be comprised of one-third new elders, one-third who have previously served, and one-third other. This does
not affect the operating policies, but it will affect the numbers in each category.
The State of the Church Congregational Meeting will be held February 8, 2015, so committee chairs will be preparing summaries of their committee’s goals and accomplishments for distribution at this meeting.
Michael requested continued prayers for several church members with health concerns.
As always, if you have any questions, affirmations, or concerns to express to the Session, please contact any member of the
Session.
Submitted by Elsie Bartlett, Clerk
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CALENDAR
Sunday, January 11
9:30 AM Sunday School
10:00 AM Chancel Choir
10:55 AM Worship and
Baptism Service
No PM Youth
Monday, January 12
3:00 PM Circle 3—Parlor
Sunday, January 18
9:30 AM Sunday School
10:00 AM Chancel Choir
10:55 AM Worship Service
4:00 PM Hope and Sharing
Group—Parlor
No PM Youth
Monday, January 19
Church Office Closed
Tuesday, January 13
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast
9:00 AM Soup Kitchen
10:00 AM Exercise—Rm. 212
1:30 PM Staff Meeting
Wednesday, January 14
12:00 PM Al-Anon—Rm. 200
5:00 PM Chancel Ringers
5:15 PM Dinner—Simple Meal
6:15 PM Committee Night
7:15 PM Chancel Choir
Thursday, January 15
6:00 PM Session Meeting
Friday, January 16
7:00 PM Youth @ CoMMA
Saturday, January 17
8:00 PM Al-Anon—Rm. 200
8:00 PM AA—Rm. 102
Sunday, January 25
9:30 AM Sunday School
10:00 AM Chancel Choir
10:55 AM Worship Service
12:00 PM Shepherd Program
Meeting—Fellowship Hall
5:00 PM Youth Planning
Meeting for
Souper Bowl of Caring
Monday, January 26
12:00 PM Spire Light Deadline
7:00 PM PW Coord. Team
Meeting—Rm. 200
Tuesday, January 20
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast
10:00 AM Exercise—Rm. 212
1:30 PM Staff Meeting
Tuesday, January 27
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast
10:00 AM Exercise—Rm. 212
1:30 PM Staff Meeting
Wednesday, January 21
Wednesday, January 28
12:00 PM Al-Anon—Rm. 200 12:00 PM Al-Anon—Rm. 200
5:00 PM Chancel Ringers
10:30 AM Spire Light
No Meal/Program
Volunteers
7:15 PM Chancel Choir
5:00 PM Chancel Ringers
No Meal/Program
Thursday, January 22
7:15 PM Chancel Choir
9:00 AM Soup Kitchen
Saturday, January 24
9:00 AM Chancel Ringers
8:00 PM Al-Anon—Rm. 200
8:00 PM AA—Rm. 102
Saturday, January 31
8:00 PM Al-Anon—Rm. 200
8:00 PM AA—Rm. 102
Newsletter Deadline
The next issue will cover February 1-28 events. Please submit information to the church office
or email to Lori at lori@firstpresmorganton.org by noon on Monday, January 26.
The 2015 Souper Bowl of Caring
The Youth of First Presbyterian, First Baptist, and First
United Methodist churches of Morganton invite you to be a
part of a little friendly competition—they are competing to
see which church can donate the most food and money to
Burke United Christian Ministries by February 1, 2015!
This national youth-led food and service drive is called the
Souper Bowl of Caring.
In 2014, the youth, advisors, and parents from these
three churches raised a total of $10,552 and 4,297
pounds of food for the hungry in Burke County!
This year they want to break that record, but can't do
it without your help.
Please drop off your canned goods and nonperishable food at First Presbyterian Church on
Sundays or during office hours now until February 1. Donation checks can be made out to "First
Presbyterian Church." Please put "Youth-Souper
Bowl" in the memo line.
Help our youth bring back the #SouperBowlTrophy
to First Presbyterian Church!
Previous Winners:
2014: First Baptist Church
2013: First Presbyterian Church
2012: First United Methodist Church