Called to Worship, Empowered to Serve
Star Press THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF STARMOUNT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
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December 31, 2015
INSIDE... From The Associate Pastor ......... 2
Starmount at Worship ................ 2
Starmount Stats ......................... 3
Starmount People ...................... 4
Starmount Leadership ................ 5
Starmount Youth & Young Adults ...... 6
Starmount Missions ................... 7
Starmount in Pictures ......... 6 & 8
Starmount Volunteer Central ..... 9
Starmount Calendar ................. 10
Starmount Library News .......... 11
Dear Starmount Church Family,
The staff of Starmount Presbyterian Church joins
together in expressing a big thank you to the
members of the Starmount Presbyterian Church
for our recent Christmas gift. We are humbled
by your generosity and are grateful for the opportunity to serve in your
midst. It is a blessing to be part of this loving, caring,
and sharing community of faith.
With deep gratitude,
Thank you also to everyone who
participated in the Advent activities!
2 Starmount Presbyterian Church
Last year, at this same
time, I reflected on the
following quote: "You
have been God's grace
to me."
The quote from author
and theologian
Christine Pohl is one that
I continue to hold on to and think of often.
She explains the statement by saying:
“Hearing from another person that ‘you have
been God's grace to me’ changes how we
experience the ordinariness of our lives and
the sacrifices we willingly make for the good
of others. Seeing ourselves and others as
expressions or embodiments of God's grace
transforms life together. It simultaneously
recognizes God's goodness and the ways in
which we have been gifted through other
persons. It involves learning not to wait until
we're about to lose something we cherish
before we express how much we value it. A
posture of gratitude allows us to see beauty
and receive it, to recognize goodness and to
take pleasure in it, even when circumstances
are difficult.”
In the midst of transitions and gifts and losses
that Starmount has had through the past 12
months, I continue to be thankful for this
congregation and the gift of grace it has
been to me. It has been a gift to watch as the
session and staff has come together to
continue to serve as its leadership. It has been
a gift to hear the many ways the
congregation has continued to pray for one
another – perhaps in new and different ways.
It has been a gift of grace to watch the
Transition Team hard at work to assist in this
family’s next steps.
January 3 - 2nd Sunday after Christmas Day
Sacrament of Communion - Pastor Kathryn
Campbell preaching; Frances Gallagher assisting.
January 10 – Baptism of the Lord -
Faith Sharing: Jim Fisher, Karen Smith
Ordination/Installation of new Elders
January 17 – 2nd Sunday after Epiphany -
Epiphany will be celebrated. Guest preacher,
Rev. Christy Clore preaching; Pastor Kathryn
assisting.
January 24 – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Guest preacher Rev. Lori Pistor, Pastor Kathryn
assisting.
January 31 – 4th Sunday after Epiphany
Pastor Kathryn Campbell preaching, Pat Hall
assisting.
From Pastor Kathryn
at Worship
So, I say it again: You, Starmount Presbyteri-
an Church – each and every one of you –
has been God’s grace to me. I can’t thank
you enough.
Blessings and Thank You!
Pastor Kathryn
OPEN FLOWER DATES
If you would like to give flowers for a
worship service, the following dates are
available: January 17 and 31.
Contact Brenda Valle at
[email protected] or 299-8234.
January 2016 3
Average Worship Attendance
January 196 July 159
February 186 August 174
March 183 September 185
April 172 October 206
May 187 November 176
June 180 December 203
2015 GENERAL FUND PLEDGES
BUDGET vs. RECEIVED
Month Budgeted Pledges Difference
Pledges Received
Over/
(Under)
January $ 58,000 $ 59,711 $ 1,711
February $ 44,000 $ 42,440 $ (1,560)
March $ 48,000 $ 55,870 $ 7,870
April $ 52,000 $ 43,193 $ (8,807)
May $ 46,000 $ 61,825 $ 15,825
June $ 48,000 $ 48,443 $ 443
July $ 48,000 $ 42,108 $ (5,892)
August $ 46,000 $ 35,215 $ (10,785)
September $ 44,000 $ 48,377 $ 4,377
October $ 50,000 $ 45,620 $ (4,380)
November $ 56,000 $ 44,153 $ (11,847)
2015 Total $ 540,000 $ 526,955 $ (13,045)
Stats
Be counted—please be sure
to sign the Friendship pad
as it is passed on
Sunday morning.
Starmount Nametags
Jesus calls us by name and so should his
disciples. Help us make that a reality by
wearing your nametag weekly.
If you have never received a nametag,
one will be ordered for you at no charge.
If you would like to order a new nametag
to replace a lost one or for some other
reason, the cost is $9.50.
Email [email protected] or call
299-8131,ext. 10.
Annual Meeting – February 7
Please mark your calendars for Starmount’s
2015 Annual Meeting. It will take place with
a simple soup lunch immediately following
worship on February 7, in honor of Super
Bowl Sunday. It will be a wonderful way to
celebrate the wonderful ways God is
working through the Holy Spirit at Starmount
Presbyterian Church! Registration for the
lunch will begin in a few short weeks –
please check the Sunday bulletin for more
information.
JUST LUNCH January 17
Just Lunch meets third Sundays at a local
restaurant. Dana, Josh,
Mason and Carter
Nelson will be hosting.
Immediately following
worship, stop by for
lunch and fellowship
with your Starmount
friends. Check
announcements in the Sunday bulletin for
location.
4 Starmount Presbyterian Church
1.
People
Just for
Women …..
2016
Starmount
Women’s Retreat
Good food, good faith, good fun!
February 19-21
Come to the Mountains to rejuvenate
and discover Mindfulness: through
the practice of yoga. This is an
introduction so it is for all ages and
abilities.
Join us for the weekend with Cathy Yonaitis
leading our program. Cathy has an extensive
background in Occupational Therapy, and
has practiced for over 17 years in many
different settings. She learned about yoga
about five years into her OT career and
realized the profound effect on healing her
own body, mind, and spirit. Yoga helped
take away her nagging back pain, calmed
her restless energy, and her spirit soared
with the yoga philosophy she learned in
training.
Cathy has always been a "seeker" of God.
Her father is a Lutheran Pastor. She has
over 2000 teaching hours logged and her
primary occupation is a "Yoga Therapist."
She works with clients whose average ages
are 40-70 and has private clients up into
their 80’s. Information/Registration
Brochures are available at the Welcome
desk in the narthex. Deadline: Sunday, February 10.
January Birthdays
1 William Ayuel
Gai Riak
Sonia Chhuani
Justine Koutou
Boris Belkoyo
Fidelia Allah-Issem
2 Ajak Ajak
3 Chuck White
George Shaffer
Keech Riak
4 Alice Schick
Libby Wilson
7 Lauren Shook
8 Jerry Davis
10 Norm Garrett
12 Linda Bradshaw
Jason Gundaker
13 Alice Connelly
15 Delois Shelton
Jim Edwards, Jr.
Adam Butler
16 Amanda Hunt
17 Caroline Smith
18 Suzanne White
Karen Smith
20 Connor Rechtin
21 Holli Melton
Kyle Webb
24 Mark Brassfield
25 Riak Ajak
26 Bob Hood, III
27 Greg Rechtin
28 Debbie Stubbs
31 Gene Parker
Joseph Owusu-Adjei
Frances Gallagher
January 2016 5
Fellowship
Leadership
The transition team has been hard at
work. We have vetted 13 interim pastoral
candidates, interviewed five of them, and
have “unanimously” narrowed our choices
down to one very strong candidate, with
two strong back-up contenders.
As we relayed during the congregational
listening sessions, the next step is approaching
the Committee on Ministry (COM) at
Salem Presbytery. The COM will review
our desired candidate and if approved,
we’ll then submit our candidate to
Session. Session has final approval on the
selection of the interim pastor.
We are hopeful that this approval process
will happen quickly. Our goal is to issue
the call and have the interim pastor in
place sometime in the month of February.
We have definitely felt your prayers during
this process and urge you to continue
them as we discern God’s will for this next
important step in Starmount’s future!
Happy New Year!
The Transition Team
Slade Lewis
Susan Porter
Rhonda Overman
Gale Owens
Lauren Shook
We give thanks for the
hundreds of folks who have
served Starmount in 2015 and
have given of their time,
talents, and treasure. We
especially give thanks for the
elders in the class of 2015: Lindsay Craven
Mark Hammer
Nancy Jones
Kurt Kronenfeld
Vera McLendon
Susan Preston
Gary Webb
Well done, good and faithful
servants.
We are grateful for newly
elected elders whom God
has called to reach for the
baton and lead Starmount
into the future: David Buchanan
Austin Campbell
Kim Dawson
April Hamilton
Jennifer Overman
Mary Vigue
Chris Wilson
We pray for your discernment
and we pledge our assistance
as you lead us forward in
Christ’s service.
Passing the Baton
Ordination / Installation of new Elder
class 2018 on Sunday, January 10th.
6 Starmount Presbyterian Church
Guinness and the Good News
If you are a young adult and would like to enjoy
fellowship, food, and great conversation, meet Pastor Kathryn and others at The PorterHouse
Bar & Grill, 4608 W. Market Street (between Montrose and N. Westgate Drive) for the
gathering’s next installment on Wednesday,
January 6, at 8 p.m.
UKirk and Starmount attend the
Montreat College Conference
January 2-5 each year is an exciting time that college students always look forward to. Why
those specific dates? Because it’s the same
dates, each year, of the Montreat College Conference! This year, twelve members of
UKirk Greensboro, including two Starmount college students, will join over 1,000 other
college students from across the country at the annual College Conference.
This year’s conference theme is “Faith in 3:16”,
asking participants to “reclaim” John 3:16 as a foundational scripture verse in our Christian
faith without being exclusionary. Of the conference’s topic, the leadership states:
“What did Jesus really mean when he said that? It is actually a text about a God that
LOVES and GIVES. It is a text that invites us to life. So how can this conference help us
reclaim the text in a reformed way?” Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber and former NFL athlete-
turned-farmer Jason Brown tackle this topic further.
Please pray for them during this conference
and make sure to ask questions about it when you see them!
Youth & Young Adults In pictures
January 2016 7
Missions
New Garden Friends Meeting invites you to join them in learning
how to help refugee families.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
New Garden Friends Meeting
801 New Garden Rd.
Event Schedule
10:00 Check-in and refreshments
10:15 Welcome and Introductions
Margaret Webb, Pastor NGFM
10:30 Greensboro’s History of Refugee
Resettlement
Dr. Raleigh Bailey, Director Emeritus CNNC
10:45 One Church’s Experience
Linda Anderson, Starmount Presbyterian
11:00 Panel Discussion
World Relief, Joseph McCann
Church World Service, Stephanie Adams
African Services Coalition, Million Mekonnen
11:45 Comments and Questions
12:00 Call to Action
Margaret Webb
January 2016 9
JANUARY WORSHIP ASSISTANTS
Acolytes
3 Karenna Porter
10 Fidelia Allah-Issem
17 Boris Belkoyo
24 Isabelle Gustafson
31 Caleb Wilson
Readers
3 Kevin Kattmann
10 Matt Winters
17 Nancy Edwards
24 George Brown
31 Connie Fowler
Ushers
3 Team 5– Brad Smith, Head
10 Team 1– David Wallace, Head
17 Team 2 - Jack Sills, Head
24 Team 3 - Bryan Starrett, Head
31 Team 4 - Gary Webb, Head
Sound / Video Booth
3 Carter Walton / Rachel Young
10 Mark Hammer / Parks Williams
17 Campbell Buchanan / David Buchanan
24 Carter Walton / Rachel Young
31 Josh Wilson / Richard Porter
Parking Lot Greeters
3 Steve Blackwood
10 Fred Andresen
17 Stan Dixon
24
Lee Goodson
31 Josh Nelson
Openers / Closers
3 Parks Williams / Ray Shelton
10 Parks Williams / Stan Dixon
17 Parks Williams / Kevin Kattmann
24 Parks Williams / Brownie Owens
31 Parks Williams / Austin Campbell
Volunteer Central
NEXT STAR PRESS DEADLINE
Thursday, January 14
Email articles to Brenda Triplett:
Come and join us as we knit prayer shawls and scarves for the homeless. Don’t know how to knit? We will teach you. You have to learn only one stitch to knit a prayer shawl.
We have the yarn and the needles. You only have to bring your willing hands!
Our next meeting will be on Monday, January 25, at 10:30 a.m. in the Parlor. If you have questions, call Katherine Poole, 299-1984.
We Need New Knitters!
10 Starmount Presbyterian Church
Friday, January 1 Happy New Year! Church Offices Closed
Saturday, January 2 Montreat College Conference
Sunday, January 3 Montreat College Conference Christmas decorations taken down
Monday, January 4 Montreat College Conference 6:30-7:30 p.m. Personnel Committee
Tuesday, January 5 Montreat College Conference
Wednesday, January 6 6-7 p.m. Communications Committee 8-10 p.m. Guinness & the Good News
Thursday, January 7 9:30-10:30 a.m. Preschool Chapel 6-6:45 p.m. Thursday Ringers Rehearsal resumes 7-8:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal resumes
Saturday, January 9 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Session / Staff Retreat, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, January 10 New Elder Ordination/Installation 5:18-7 p.m. SPY! Youth Group 7:15-8:30 p.m. Faith Formation Committee
Monday, January 11 10:30 a.m. Sarah Circle
Tuesday, January 12 9-10 a.m. Administrative Committee 12-1 p.m. Mary Circle 1:30-2:30 p.m. Caring Ministries Committee 3-4 p.m. Ruth Circle 7-8 p.m. Martha Circle
Thursday, January 14 9-10:30 a.m. Preschool Committee 5 p.m. Star Press Newsletter Deadline 7-8 p.m. Finance Committee
Sunday, January 17 11:15-12:30 Just Lunch 5:18-7 p.m. SPY! Youth Group 7-8 p.m. Session Meeting
Monday, January 18 Church Offices & Preschool Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Wednesday, January 20 9-10:30 a.m. Preschool Pre Chapel 12-1 p.m. One Church, One Book, parlor
Thursday, January 21
11:30 a.m.
Higher Ground Ministry
8-9:30 p.m.
Bithiah Circle, parlor
Friday, January 22 Preschool Workday - No School
Sunday, January 24
5:18-7 p.m.
SPY! Youth Group
7-8 p.m.
Mission Committee
Monday, January 25
10:30-12:00
Knit One, Pray Too, parlor
Wednesday, January 27
6:30-8 p.m.
Being Mortal Book Discussion,
parlor
Thursday, January 28
9-10:30 a.m. Star Press Volunteers
Sunday, January 31
5:18-7 p.m.
SPY! Youth Group
Weekly Recurring Events Not Listed:
Sundays 8:45-11 am Common Grounds Coffee Café 9-9:50 am Sunday School - Adults, VIP’s, Children and Youth 9-11:30 am Childcare 10 am Worship 10:15 am Children’s Sunday School, (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Sundays)
11:10-11:30 am
Children’s Choir Rehearsal
11:10-11:55 am
Youth Ringers Rehearsal
Tuesdays 10-11:50 am Staff Meetings 7-8:30 pm UKirk Greensboro Fellowship
Wednesdays 11:30 am UKirk Greensboro-Lunch for All
Thursdays 7-8:30 am Men’s Bible Study 6-6:45 pm Thursday Ringers Rehearsal 7-8:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal
January 2016 Calender
ONE CHURCH, ONE BOOK Wednesday, January 20
noon-1 p.m., parlor Starmount’s book discussion group will be reading and discussing A Walk in the Woods - Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. “The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).” Amazon.com
January 2016 11
Library News Peaceful Neighbor, Discovering the
Countercultural Mister Rogers by
Michael Long. "Fred Rogers was one
of the most radical pacifists of
contemporary history. We do not
usually think of him as radical, partly
because he wore colorful, soft
sweaters made by his mother. Nor do we usually
imagine him as a pacifist; that adjective seems
way too political to describe the host of a
children's program known for its focus on
feelings. We have restricted Fred Rogers to the
realm of entertainment, children, and feelings,
and we've ripped him out of his political and
religious context. Rogers was an ordained
Presbyterian minister, and although he rarely
shared his religious convictions on his program,
he fervently believed in a God who accepts us as
we are and who desires a world marked by
peace and wholeness. With this progressive
spirituality as his inspiration, Rogers used his
children's program as a platform for sharing
countercultural beliefs about caring nonviolently
for one another, animals, and the earth."--
Provided by publisher. Call no. B Rogers 2015
Slowing Time, Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen Door by Barbara Mahany. "In our hyper-e-networked world, too many of us live under the tyranny of the urgent. With Slowing Time, Barbara Mahany reminds us how not to lose sight of the things which are truly important
--the beauty, serenity, and sanity that we can find in life's calm and quiet moments. Whether the chirping of a bird, the tingle of an autumn breeze, or the hug of a child, Mahany helps us to see that when we entertain the seemingly mundane dimensions of life, we are embracing the sacred!" "We need whatever we can get to help us pay closer attention, be more awake to the moment, more alive amidst the clamoring distractions of the internet age. Barbara Mahany gives us a treasure--a thorough, practical guide full of wisdom, blessings, recipes, luminous facts, and elegant language. With her as our astute and patient
leader, we gain an intimate knowledge of the seasons." Reviews from back cover. Call no.242 Mah 2014
The Cultivated Life, From Ceaseless Striving to Receiving Joy by Susan Phillips. "Susan Phillips tells great stories and uses vivid word pictures. Her contrast between circus and garden reveals deep truths about the overstimulation in our daily lives and
Jesus' invitation to cultivate a restful and focused life rooted in him. Cultivation implies habits and discipline, and Susan winsomely invites us into new patterns of living. A garden implies lush green leaves and fruitful bounty, and Susan guides our paths into joy and rest. Come into the garden with Jesus and journey into abundant life." (Lynne M. Baab, author of The Power of Listening and Sabbath Keeping) Call no. 248.4 Phi 2015
Why Your Weirdness is Wonderful, Embrace Your Quirks & Live Your Strengths by Laurie Wallin. “We all have insecurities―quirks that preoccupy our minds and convince us we aren’t good enough. We worry too much, argue too much, talk too much… or not enough. We fight who
we are and beg God to make us different. But what if God gave us these quirks for a reason? What if who we are right now is exactly who God meant us to be? What if our weirdest, most annoying characteristics are actually . . . for a purpose? Author and certified life coach Laurie Wallin teaches us to stop fighting ourselves and to start following God. And the first step, she says, is to embrace our weirdness. In short, dynamic chapters, Wallin helps you move past obstacles by learning to see your “stumbling blocks” as strengths. She will show you how your weirdness enables you to love God uniquely and to love others more effectively. As you work to discover why your weirdness is wonderful, you will learn more about yourself and about God, and about how deeply he loves you--quirks and all” From Amazon.com Call no. 158 Wa 2014
Written by Mary Jane Conger
Ministers
Associate Pastor Parish Visitor
Rev. Kathryn G. N. Campbell Rev. Dr. Ken Meeks, Jr.
Ext. 13 [email protected] 706.202.8821
Pastor Emeritus
Dr. George Carpenter
Church Staff
9 a.m. Sunday School
10 a.m.
Worship/
Children’s Sunday School
Director of Music Ministries Robert Overman Ext. 20 [email protected]
Pianist/Organist Michael Parker [email protected]
Director of Congregational Fellowship and Parish Visitor Leslie Webb [email protected]
Director of Communications Thea DeLoreto Ext. 15 [email protected]
Director of Finance and Administration Libby Wilson Ext. 17 [email protected] Administrative Office Manager Brenda Triplett Ext. 10 [email protected]
Youth Coordinator Tracie Fitzpatrick [email protected] Preschool Director Cindy Lee Ext. 24 [email protected] Custodian Y’Mem
336-299-8131
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