FIRST PRESS NEWS

September 2015

Firs t Presbyter ian Church 153 N. Church Street

Rocky Mount , NC 27804 www.fpcrm.org

252 -446 -9121

Sunday, September 13, 2015 9:30 a.m. Fellowship Hall Sunday School Kick-off

11:00 a.m. Worship schedule resumes 4:00-7:00 p.m. Church-wide picnic at Rose Hill

All Are invited…

► 2015-16 Sunday School Year Kick-off for all ages at 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall with refreshments, fellowship and a program regarding Christian Education opportunities

► Meet and greet our new pastor Rev. Chris Berardi and his

family

► 3rd Grade Bible presentation during 11:00 a.m. worship

► Church-wide picnic at Rose Hill from 4:00-7:00 p.m. **Bring a side dish or dessert to share—chicken & beverages will be provided! SWIMMING, FISHING, GAMES & MORE!

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Restaurant Gatherings at 6:00 p.m.

September 2—Hunter Hill Café September 9—Hing Ta Please call Sue Jackson by the Tuesday prior to each gath-

ering for reservation purposes.

Gatherings at FPC Just as last year, we will have a covered dish meal in Lacy Hall from 6:00-6:45p.m., followed by a presentation in the Session Room from 6:45-7:30 p.m. One may enjoy the meal and the study or one of the other. Beginning September 16th (after Rally Day at Rose Hill), we will have a study by Max Lucado entitled “Before Amen”. This study will be led by:

9/16/15 Mary Kathleen Duncan 9/23/15 Laura Durham 9/30/15 Bettie Kirkpatrick

Please notify the church office if the nursery is needed at 446-9121.

Brown Bag Bible Study will not meet Monday, September 7th, but will continue to meet the following Mondays at

noon—bring your lunch and join the pastor in the Session Room for fellowship and thoughtful biblical discussions!

...with First Presbyterian!

In-Betweens Fellowship Group Save these dates:

October 25, 2015 5:00 p.m. Hosted by Pat Mauldin at the home of Beth and John Turnage. Bring a side dish or dessert to share!

December 8, 2015 Time TBA

The Main Course at

Belmont Lake Golf

Course

“Lunch Bunch” is a group that meets monthly for a noon meal at the church. Volunteers prepare and serve a luncheon plate to the group, and partici-pants who choose can make a contribution to help with the cost. Anyone who would enjoy this time with friends is encouraged to attend. Our first gathering will be Monday, September 21st at noon in the Session Room. The menu will be: baked ham, pineapple casserole, broccoli-rice casserole, rolls, and an ice cream dessert. Call the church office or make a note in the friendship pad during Sunday worship in order to make a reservation.

The Spiritual Nurture and Fellowship group will resume meeting in the church library on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. beginning Sept. 10th.

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Our Heritage, Our Mission

Capital Campaign

Update

Total Pledges to date:

$1,158,866.11

Funds Received (through 7/31/15):

$895,570.00

There are extra copies of The Story available from last year’s curriculum at a bargain base-ment cost of $5.00! Stop by the church office to purchase one today!

The church office will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of the Labor Day Holiday.

After September 8th, our new pastor’s office hours will vary as he and his family work out the details of their move to Rocky Mount. During this period of transition, should you desire to meet with him—please call the office first to check his availability.

We now have new bus guidelines along with a bus use log in the Church bus thanks to Jeanne Shannon. Please contact Dionne Seale to check bus availability and Jeanne Shannon to receive guideline instructions. A copy of the guidelines can be provided upon request.

Christian Education theme for 2015-2016

Read below for opportunities to engage your faith this fall All Sunday School classes meet in the Education Build-

ing from 9:45-10:30 am each Sunday morning

Children – All Children (Pre-K – 5th Grade) will be studying the Deep Blue Curriculum this year. Come and dive deep into God’s word with us this year!

Middle School – This age division of our youth group will be studying the Echo the Story Curriculum. Come and listen for how God’s word moves through the stories of scripture and moves through you!

Sr. High – The high school youth will be study-ing the sacred act of pilgrimage through a study called, “Sacred Journeys”. We will explore how different religious traditions seek to encounter God through travel in the world.

Adults: P.E.P. (Presbyterians Educating Presbyter-

ians) – The P.E.P. Sunday School class will be studying the curriculum, Believe. This is a theological study that builds off of the momentum of The Story from last year. You can follow along by purchasing a book for $10!

Present Word – This class will continue to dig deep into God’s well of faith by study-ing the renowned curriculum of the same name.

Conversations on Communion – Make plans to join Rev. Mary Kathleen Duncan & Chris Feno for this four week class on an important aspect of the Christian Faith. We will meet in the session room on the following Sundays – November 1, 8, 15, and 22.

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Our August 19th Parent’s Afternoon Out outing to Briar Creek Kidzone had

to be postponed due to the threat of storms, so we decided to enjoy a

movie afternoon together instead! The Session Room was transformed into

our own indoor screening room with lots of popcorn, candy, and lemonade. Luckily,

none of the kids had seen our movie, “Yellowbird”, an animated film about an orphaned

bird that finds friendship and a new family when he “accidentally” has to lead a flock of migra-

tory birds to Africa. After the movie, we talked about the new school year that was ap-

proaching—this led us to our devotional about school erasers and how they can remind us that

God is like an eraser—his love and forgiveness erases our sins away. Each child received a pen-

cil shaped eraser and goody bag to celebrate the beginning of the new school year.

Cinema seating at its finest!

Upcoming Parent’s Afternoon Out Gatherings in the works: Dates subject to change—email reminders will be sent!

September 16th: “For the birds” theme & playground fun!

October 14th: Bus outing to Briar Creek Kidzone—pumpkin fun!

November 18th: Bus outing to deliver Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes!

December 9th: Gingerbread House Excitement!

Check out our sunflowers

on the playground—

amazing how

a little seed

can grow into some-

thing so magnificent!

First Presbyterian Scouts Update

Cub Scout Pack 7 is actively recruiting for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grad-

ers. If you have a child or know a child who would enjoy camping, service

and fun, please come to our 1st meeting on September 8 at 6:30.

The Boy Scouts will resume meeting on Monday, September 14 at 7:00

p.m.

Our Girl Scouts are celebrating a great cookie season by heading to the

Great Wolf Lodge in Virginia tomorrow (Aug. 28). We will have a full

troop of 12, after adding one girl this year, for the fall. Our meetings

start on September 14.

The Brownies are looking forward to their first campout at the

Chesnutts' farm house. We will also be adding a church member, Nan

Barnhill, to our troop and are happy to have 8 Brownies returning this

year. Our first meeting is September 21.

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Senior Highs

9/13 Church-wide Picnic at Rose Hill

Swimming, fishing, eating, laughing…Join us for this fun, yearly gathering of our church family! The fun be-gins at 4:00 pm and ends at 7:00 pm. It will be a great time to meet our new pastor, Chris Berardi, and his

family!

9/20 Youth Group Kick-Off

We will gather at the church from 5:00-6:30 for a meeting to kick-off our year in youth group. Parents are in-vited and encouraged to attend.

9/27 Neighborhood Prayer Walk

Do you ever feel like you don’t know your neighbors? Come and get to know the neighborhood of the church better as we explore downtown Rocky Mount with a prayer walk.

Middle School 9/13

Church-wide Picnic at Rose Hill Swimming, fishing, eating, laughing…Join us for this fun, yearly gathering of our church family! The fun be-gins at 4:00 pm and ends at 7:00 pm. It will be a great time to meet our new pastor, Chris Berardi, and his

family!

9/20 Youth Group Kick-Off

We will gather at the church from 5:00-6:30 for a meeting to kick-off our year in youth group. Parents are in-vited and encouraged to attend.

9/27 Who is MY Neighbor?

How many neighbors do you have? Did you know that Jesus had neighbors, too? Join us for a Bible Study at the church on what it means to be a neighbor.

Meeting times for Youth Group @ church Meeting times for Home Gatherings Middle School – 4:30-5:30 pm Middle School – 4:00-5:30 pm Joint Youth Dinner – 5:30-6:00 pm Sr. High – 6:00-7:00 pm Sr. High – 5:30-7:00 pm

At right- Youth Sunday Participants

August 23, 2015

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Buy a jar of local Conetoe Honey!

$10/jar

Honey can be purchased from the

church office to benefit the

Conetoe Family Life Center!

“Rock the Mount” Day at NCWC Several church members helped answer questions and pass out goodies to the nearly 430 incoming students at NC Wesleyan College on August 25th! Dionne Seale and JJ Jeffries set up the booth, and Mary Kathleen Duncan, Janice Smith, John Ether-edge, Sylvia Phillips and Edie Reeves enjoyed greeting visitors to the FPC table. Choir member Jay Quinan, a NCWC Professor of Psychology, was also on hand to discuss choir opportunities!

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

12:00 p.m.

Please RSVP to Kara Cox at 252-908-4749 by September 10th if able to attend!

First Sunday of the Month

The following items are most appreciated and can be brought to

the church on the first Sunday or placed in Room 111 (PW Room):

United Community Ministries #10 size cans (preferred) of either vegetables or canned fruit, and paper products such as paper towels and toilet paper.

Tar River Academy Be sure to check out the wish list for Tar River Academy on the bulletin board outside the church office describing school supplies, food, hygiene items, and baby supplies needs. Dur-ing the months of August and September, the following items are especially appreciated: clear plastic protector sheets, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, high-lighters, flash drives, colored pencils, markers, and crayons.

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Greetings from the Stewardship Committee! Stewardship is an important part of the Christian life. Making a financial pledge to the church each year is what keeps the work of the church inside of our walls going. However, there is another aspect to Christian stewardship, too. The Stewardship Committee this year is planning new and exciting ways to keep you informed on how First Presbyterian Church of Rocky Mount uses your gifts of money outside the walls of our church. Our focus is on SHARE THE WELL: GRACIOUS GENEROSITY. Your generous gifts are the fuel that makes our ministry inside and outside our church walls go. As we prepare our hearts and minds for the stewardship campaign, we invite you to pray and discern our steward-ship verse: 2 Corinthians 9:6-9. “The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, ‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’

Our goal this year is to inform you about the various ways FPCRM extends itself beyond our church walls by giving you the opportunity to “link” to the various institutions we support via the church weekly emails and the monthly newsletter (see below).

Also, be on the lookout for alternative ways to give in the October newsletter’s “Makes Cents” article. Please mark these “Stewardship” dates below, with details to follow!

October 18, 2015: Stewardship Dinner November 1, 2015: Consecration Sunday

May you be richly blessed.

Camp Albemarle: www.campalbemarle.org ($2500.00 contribution budgeted) Camp Albemarle serves over 700 children each

summer in residential camping programs and several thousand more individuals throughout the year in its retreat and conference activities.

Wee Kirk Conference: www.montreat.org/event/2015-233-kirk-conference ($250.00 contribution budgeted) The Wee Kirk Conference is for pastors, CLP’s, and lay leaders of PC(USA) churches of 200 members or less & its purpose is to “inspire, equip, motivate, encourage, and provide rest and refreshment. Provided at a modest cost, this conference is designed as a gift from individuals, larger congregations, and governing bodies in the PC(USA)”.

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HANDCRAFT MINISTRY

The Handcraft Ministry will meet September 15 at the home of Joan Ratford starting at 1:30

p.m. This wonderful ministry provides prayer shawls, prayer cloths, blankets, etc. to those in need of God’s warmth! Yarn and/or monetary

donations for yarn are always appreciated!

♫ The children’s choirs and the handbell choir will resume Wednesday rehearsals on September 16th.

♫ Update on Todd Barnhill: Many of you remember

Todd Barnhill, who was an ECU Choral Scholar here at First Presbyterian in 2011-2013. Todd gave a recital here in late April, as he was preparing to at-tend the Miami Summer Music Festival during the month of July. Todd’s month at the festival provid-ed him with some very important contacts for his future as an opera singer. He sang the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni and was indeed fortunate to have as his coach Caren Levine, an assistant con-ductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He also had an opportunity to sing for Michael Heaston, who heads the Washington National Opera. In October, Todd will be joining the Ashe-ville Lyric Opera, a touring company, for its pro-duction of The Barber of Seville; he will be sing-ing the role of Count Almaviva. He will sing in two productions in Asheville during the week-end of Oct. 23-25. If you would like to read about Todd in this upcoming production, visit the website at

http://ashevillelyric.org/barber-of seville/. We continue to wish Todd much success as he pursues his career!

Mark Your Calendars!

Saturday, September 26, 2015 10:00-12:00 p.m.

Bethlehem Presbyterian Church

1460 Bethlehem Rd, Rocky Mount

Registration 9:30-10:00 a.m.

PW UPCOMING EVENTS

September 13—Craft Circle will meet for calendar planning during Rally Day picnic at Rose Hill, 4:30 p.m. by the pool

September 14—PW Coordinating Team at 10:30 a.m.

September 14—7:00 p.m.—Circle of Friends at home of Janice Smith with Mary Lou Fountain leading the Bible Study

September 15—10:00 a.m.—Circle of Joy at the church

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SEPTEMBER WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS

“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”

1 Peter 4:10

September 6 **10:00 a.m. worship Head Usher: Kevin Schrimper Ushers: Ryan Schrimper, Randy Adams, Sally Adams, Pat Blanchard (Welcome Table) Greeter: Scarlett Schrimper Children’s Sermon: Tim Lane Nursery Helpers: Linda Amerson, Laura Dudley September 13 **11:00 a.m. worship resumes Head Usher: Kevin Schrimper Ushers: Ryan Schrimper, Randy Adams, Sally Adams, Pat Blanchard (Welcome Table) Greeter: Scarlett Schrimper Liturgist: Randy Adams Children’s Sermon: TBA Nursery Helper: Christie Sondergard September 20 Head Usher: Ben Roberson Ushers: Richard Hunt, Kim Sutton, Bobbie Lambeth, Valerie Roberson (Welcome Table) Greeter: Sylvia Phillips Liturgist: Joe Callaway Children’s Sermon: TBA Nursery Helper: Chrissy Barnhill September 27 Head Usher: Ben Roberson Ushers: Richard Hunt, Kim Sutton, Bobbie Lambeth, Valerie Roberson (Welcome Table) Greeter: Sylvia Phillips Liturgist: Bill Buchanan Children’s Sermon: TBA Nursery Helper: Christy Outlaw

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8-10-15 Today, Mary Lou Fountain delivered the most beautiful arrangement of flowers to me! Marianne and David Farris gave them for the August 9th church service. Someone re-arranged them in a most unique and beautiful way, and Mary Lou brought them here. I am so thrilled to have them and appreciate them so much! This is a wonderful service that our church carries out and I do appreciate it. Thank you to all who had a part! I wish each member could see them and appreciate them — as I do! Ida Stanley

8/18/15 Please pass along my sincere thanks to our FPC family for flow-ers delivered yesterday by Bobbi and Hassell Weeks from the Sanc-tuary flowers provided by Roslyn and Larry Gragg. They are beauti-ful and help light up our home. I also want to thank everyone for their prayers throughout this re-covery period. I feel the sincere warmth that they provide me and the encouragement to continue working hard through the rehabili-tation process. I could not move along as quickly as I have without everyone’s support. Blessings to all of you. Greg Hutchins

Dear Friends, We would like to thank you for the beautiful blanket and booties for Alice Elizabeth Gessaman. I’m sure she will enjoy using them, and how thoughtful of you, especially when you completed a blanket for Jacob in October! John and I are blessed to have our faith and church during these past months. With blessings for grace and peace to each of you. With love, John and Verna Gessaman

Dear First Pres. Rocky Mount, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go to Scotland. It was a great pilgrimage and helped me journey into my faith farther than I have in my lifetime. Also thank you for making it possible for the youth to go to Montreat! It was my first year and it will be hard to beat! Thank you so much. Samuel Phillips

Dear First Pres. Rocky Mount, Thank you so much for making it possible for me to go to Scotland with the rest of the Youth Group. I had never been out of the country be-fore that amazing trip so it was truly a dream come true. Also, thank you for helping us attend the Montreat Youth Conference this summer. It was, as always, an eye opening week filled with great memories. We really do appreciate all you do. Wyatt Phillips

Dear Church Family, I am both thankful and honored to have re-ceived scholarship money from the Littrell-Thorpe Scholarship. I will use this money to help myself as I continue to pursue a degree in Astrophysics. I am truly blessed to know that my church family is there to support me and I cannot wait to be back in Chapel Hill and make everyone proud! Thank you so much! Logan Barnes

Dear Littrell-Thorpe Scholarship Com-mittee, Thank you so much for awarding me a scholarship to use toward my college ex-penses. I am so blessed to have grown up in such a wonderful church. I’m thankful for your support and everything the church has done for me. Sincerely, Ann Claire Roberson

Thank you for thinking of me after my recent surgery. I enjoyed the flowers and the handmade blanket. Jeannie had me on a “fast track” recovery plan and I am back at work after only a week. Tim Lane

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AUTUMN CARE Nashville

► Kacky Fountain

THE FOUNTAINS AT THE ALBEMARLE Tarboro

► Janice Mayberry ► Tom and Ann Dill

THE COTTAGE AT SPRING ARBOR Rocky Mount

► Mardy Callaway, mother of Joe Callaway

TWIN LAKES RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Burlington

► Liz Cole

ADDITIONAL CONCERNS Jean and Frank Edge

Anne Etheredge John Gessaman Julian Fenner

John McInnis, Mary Perry’s brother Bill McMenamin, Tricia Vestal’s brother

Susie Park, Fred Park’s Mother Blanche Robinson

Evelyn Reese Maida Sessoms Bobbi Weeks

If you would like to honor someone or a special occasion, the following dates are still available to

place flowers in the sanctuary:

October 4, 25 November 1, 8, 22

Simply contact Dionne Seale, Church Ministry Coordinator for more information at 446-9121.

CONTACT INFO CHANGES:

Kindly notify Dionne Seale, Church Ministry Coordinator, of any email, address, or phone number changes so we can keep our database up to date! Thanks!

Austin and Jenna Brown of Atlanta, GA (son and daughter-in-law of Pete and Donna Brown) are the proud parents of William Stafford Brown, born August 18th, weighing 7 lbs 12 oz.

Paton Steed and Ben Shepherd of Atlan-ta, GA were united in marriage here at First Presbyterian on Saturday, August 22, 2015. Paton is the daughter of Beth and Tom Steed.

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Come Meet Mission Co-workers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Larry and Inge Streshley

Please join us in welcoming Larry and Inge Streshley, Mission Co-workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at West Haven Presbyterian Church on Thursday, 9/24/15. Larry is chief of party of Access to Prima-ry Health Care, which works with government, churches and the community to develop a resilient health care system to 8 million people in 5 provinces of the country. Larry said, “When I started, (over 2 decades ago), I could not even envision all that God would lead me to be involved in. Over the years I have moved from helping the church manage a handful of clinics in Kinshasa to creating one of the largest church-run health programs in Africa.” Inge is working with the ASSP project to address the problems of malnutrition. Through nutrition educa-tion and home gardens, she is helping to increase the availability and variety of foods for families and their children. You may find more information and follow letters from the Streshleys on the web at the link below.

http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/sthreshley-larry-and-inge/

We are pleased that the Streshleys will be visiting West Haven Presbyterian Church during their time in the US. West Haven is also inviting Bethlehem Presbyterian, First Presbyterian, Morton Presbyterian and Mt. Pisgah Presbyterian churches to join us for dessert, and to hear from the Streshleys on 9/24/15 at 7:00 p.m.

Scenes from the August 16th Road Trip to Conetoe!

At left—the famous

“bee bus”

After worshiping together at Conetoe

Missionary Baptist Church, FPC

church members were given a tour of

the farm and bee project area by Rev.

Richard Joyner.