senior day · may 7 debbie osterhoudt may 21 may 9 lisa cauley, emma buus may 22 may 10 richard...
TRANSCRIPT
Keeping Up with
Covenant Presbyterian Church News
Wendell, North Carolina
May 2018
Church office hours: Mon.—Thurs. from 9:00—2:00 p.m. [email protected] (919) 365-7979
www.covenantwendell.com “Celebrating the Past—Building the Future”
Covenant Presbyterian Church 125 S. Selma Rd. Wendell, NC 27591-9705
NEWS UPDATE! The Session has voted to mail our newsletters to your home unless you would prefer to
receive it via e-mail. Please let us know in the church office if you would prefer an e-mail version only. We will be
entering updated membership data into a new computer software designed for churches and hope to have a new di-
rectory for you in a couple of weeks!
Senior Day May 20th
Celebrating the lives of our
Graduating High School Seniors during worship.
Daughter’s Brunch May 5th
Fellowship Hall at 9:30 am
Come join us for friendship and laughter and good food!
Prayer Concerns:
Members – Roberta Hole’s family
Assisted Living: Faye Kelley (Car illon), Beth Lewter (Zebulon House), Louise McClaid (Sunnybrook, Raleigh), John Chambers (Crescent Green of Carrboro), Peggy Fink (Brookdale, Wake Forest), Louise Weant (Stone Ridge, Cary)
Member Friends & Family –
Harold Forrester (Tammy Strickland’s father)
Greg Forrester (Tammy Strickland’s brother)
Stacey Swart (sister-in-law of Susan Smithson, breast cancer)
Steve Moody (Joan Davis’ cousin, cancer)
Logan Barnes (Ewing’s sarcoma treatment)
Melinda & Carl Cassick (Sherman McClaid’s daughter & husband)
Janice & Bill Readshaw (Carrie Petrosky’s parents; Bill fell and broke his hip)
Gloria Baker (Judy McCurdy’s cousin)
Tom Hutchison (Judy McCurdy’s brother)
Conner Hutchison (Judy McCurdy’s cousin)
John Taylor, cancer
Jeff VanGelder (Tim VanGelder’s brother, cancer)
Zack Stalls (cancer, co-worker of Jeannie Driver)
Sue Studt (Judy Raybon’s niece, brain tumor)
Bob Studt (Judy Raybon’s brother, heart)
Arta Anderson (Juanita Taylor’s mother, lung cancer)
John and Mary Jane Roberts (Jennifer Carnes’ parents)
Liz and Justin Smith (friends of the Bowmans, pregnancy complications)
Larettie Schmidt (Linda Higgins’ mother, now living with Linda)
Step-sister of Chris Murphy, cancer
Joy Grubb (reoccurrence of ovarian cancer)
Natalie Perkins (Vanessa Turner’s sister, lung cancer)
Billy Jones (Peggy Buffaloe’s brother-in-law)
Gene Hester (Mary Jo Cashion’s uncle, health issues)
Please let us know of folks we need to add/delete from the prayer concerns by either calling the church office, Pastor Debbie or turning in a prayer request card during worship.
A Note from the Pastor
Dear Friends,
The Session and the Mission Study Team have been considering the community/culture in
which the Covenant Presbyterian Church is located/lives. We are doing this in order to consider
how best to reach out to our neighbors, inviting them to join us in ministry. We have observed and considered
the following:
1. Millennials (people born in the 1980’s and 1990’s) have been internet and IT savvy their entire
lives. They communicate and gather information through the internet and social media. In an ef-
fort to communicate more efficiently with these young adults, our Session has created a separate
ministry team, Communications Ministry Team, and Lisa Bailey, elder, is moderator of this new
ministry. The Communication Ministry Team will help us maintain a Facebook page and webpage
as well as consider ways in which we can effectively communicate who we are and the events/
ministries in which we are engaged with our community. This includes a technical support and
marketing function. Lisa is in the process of creating her team (and if you would like to serve in
this capacity, please contact her) and holding initial meetings.
2. Research has identified that only 11 percent of millennials identify as mainline Protestants and 16
percent as Catholics. In fact, in a recent Harvard poll, most millennials are wary of institutions.
They are forcing churches to re-consider and re-establish our priorities and communicate the signif-
icance of the gospel in new ways. Millennials are looking for authentic relationships/community,
not necessarily “programs.” Millennials also see inwardly focused churches as a living contradic-
tion to the gospel. They want to make a difference in their communities and in the world. Given
what we are learning, we recognize our need to explore ways to reach out to young families/adults
in ways that will create relationships and offer opportunities to engage in mission/outreach. The
good news is that you guys are a very welcoming community of faith; we just need to discover how
best to invite folks to come join us.
3. New developments are exploding in the Wendell/Zebulon area. All you have to do is drive around
within a 10-mile radius and you will see the new growth. Wendell Falls is expecting to triple the
current (7,000) population of Wendell. So the potential for inviting new folks to join us is abun-
dant! And the opportunities for ministry are abundant!
God has blessed this community of faith in so many ways. The challenge is how we will use those
blessings to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and engage/reach out to the community surrounding us. Stay
tuned. New opportunities to serve will be coming your way. If you have thoughts or ideas, please do not hesi-
tate to talk to me or any of our elders!
You guys are an absolute joy and I am so grateful to be able to serve alongside of you!
Debbie
The Grief Group meets on the first and third Tuesday at 7:00 pm in the Sessions room. If you are
grieving a loss, don’t try to do it alone. Share your feelings with others as we “walk” together through
the wilderness of grief. At the end of our journey together, may we be able to experience the wonderful
memories we have of those we have lost.
If you have any questions, contact Judy Shotts at 919-366-0849 or [email protected].
Prayer Concerns
Worship
Elders Barbara Sneade & Tim VanGelder
Choir Chatter
Your choir is enjoying a time of not having to work so hard. With the excep-
tion of a couple of pieces, we’re working with music that isn’t so difficult. Jeff and I
are looking at tour locations and music, and will be ready to announce that shortly.
Now is a great time to give us a try. If you try and don’t want to stay, we won’t be
angry. What if you try and love it? You’ll never know until you come on Wednes-
day at 7:30 pm and sit in.
Also, remember that this year’s concert series is nearly done. On April 29th at 7:00 pm, we’ll have our final
concert of the season. Triangle Youth Jazz Band and Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra will present a concert that
celebrates thirty years of the organization’s existence. They are under the direction of Lisa Burn. We look for-
ward to having them with us. The orchestra was with us in 2016, and we are delighted to have these two en-
sembles with us this year.
Raleigh Boy Choir will be unable to present in May, but we look forward to having them on the list for next
year, if possible.
See you in church,
Wanda
Gift Cards: Thank you for supporting our church by purchasing gift cards through Covenant! We
continue to raise almost $4000 per year and that has really helped the budget. Food Lion, Lowes and Walmart
are available in the Narthex before and after service. There are now over 700 retailers who give a percentage
to Covenant –nothing out of pocket!! Order on Sunday and have your gift card the following Sunday. Please
think about paying for your groceries, prescriptions, gas, gifts, household items, restaurants, travel, etc. using
gift cards. For more information, please call Susan Darby at 919-605-5792 or David Meyers at 919-524-0244
or email [email protected].
May Birthdays
May Anniversaries
May 2 JoAnn Lanzi, Becky Morgan
May 3 Marshall Page
May 4 Rachel Page, Dylan Haswell
May 7 Debbie Osterhoudt
May 9 Lisa Cauley, Emma Buus
May 10 Richard Warner, Dorine Newton
May 12 Allison Buus
May 13 Betty June Dale
May 14 Terrell Thomas
May 15 Kristen Myers Stahlman
May 12 Rusty & Bonnie Wagstaff
May 13 Larry & Lisa Bailey
May 15 Adam & Erin Hamrick
May 23 David & DeAndra Field
May 26 Tim & Ronica VanGelder
May 27 Bob & Carolyn Fleming
May 17 June Bowman, Louise Weant, David Field
May 18 Cheryl Kelley
May 20 Nancy Clemmons
May 21 Angie Petrey
May 22 Mary Carnes
May 23 Mollie Grace Smithson
May 26 Heather Wolfgang
May 29 Sherman McClaid, Linda Warner
May 30 Hugh Cashion, Ed Sneade
May 31 Alan Thorne Driver, Ron Hall
Church Staff: Transitional Pastor Reverend Debbie Osterhoudt, 478-363-2010 (mobile)
Pastor Emeritus Reverend Bob Borland
Directors of Christian Ed. Linda Berry [email protected] Dorine Newton [email protected]
Administrative Assistant Mary DeFino [email protected]
Minister of Music Wanda Ramm [email protected]
Church Musician Jeff Bottoms [email protected]
Clerk of Session Fred Lanzi [email protected]
Church Treasurer Carol Rich [email protected]
Accounts Payable Joe Bowman [email protected]
Accounts Receivable Judy McCurdy [email protected]
Webmaster Lisa Bailey [email protected]
National Day of Prayer - May 3rd
Noon service at J Ashley Wall Square
7:15 pm at Wendell Community Center
We are ordering new paraments and a new
acolyte lighter.
We are still looking for a few more volun-
teers to be ushers, please contact Barb
Sneade or Tim VanGelder if interested.
First Sunday Lunch - May 6th - Sub sandwiches with fixin’s and sides.
Congregational Care Committee Meeting - May 20, 2018 at 12:15 p.m. in Session Room
Presbyterian Women of the church meet the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm (May 22) in the Fel-
lowship Hall. Inviting all women to come join us for a great night of fellowship and wonderful lesson from
Judy Shotts. We have just begun a new study on “Back to the Well” Women’s Encounters with Jesus in the
Gospels by Frances Taylor Gench. Judy Shotts is the Bible Study leader, she is also using “Women of the Gos-
pels” Friends and Disciples of Jesus by Stephen J. Binz. We enjoy lively discussions about what the Bible is
saying to us and how we can put the message into action in our daily lives.
Come and join us as we all journey together to strengthen our faith.
May 5th - “Daughter’s Brunch” to be held in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30
am. We had a great time last year with requests for a repeat event. Please
sign up in the narthex at church or call Judy Shotts, so we will know how
many people to prepare for.
Breakfast Fellowship May 7 & 14
The Clayton group meets at Jones Café at 9:30 am on the first Monday of the month, and the Zebulon group
meets at McLean’s on the second Monday, both at 9:30 am. EVERYONE is welcome - at either or both
groups!
Prayer Shawl
The Knitters meet at 5:00 pm on the third Sunday of the month and create shawls & throws for comfort in time
of need. Want to join the group? Experienced knitters are happy to help & share patterns. Some supplies are
available. Call Christine Mailliard at 919-366-0883 for more information or if you know of someone who
could use a shawl.
Join a special care ministry
(Contact Paula Daniels at 919-675-0363 or Jeannie Driver at 919-365-5521 for more information)
Handy Hands helps with home repairs and chores for those who find it difficult to manage by themselves.
They have installed several ramps for those with problems with mobility. Need is more important than ability
to pay, so donations are appreciated.
Martha’s Ministry provides meals in time of need. If you are experiencing difficulties - illness, stress or
any other reason and having a meal delivered would give you a lift, please let the church office know (919-365-
7979). If you are able to help prepare and/or deliver meals, please call Paula, Jeannie or the church office.
Presbyterian Men’s Breakfasts are on summer break. We will resume in September .
Congregational Care
Elders Paula Daniels & Jeannie Driver
SUNDAY SCHOOL TIMES:
Classes begin at 10:00 and end 10:45.
The Will Smithson Class will be lead by Dorine Newton this month; the Junior class will be lead by Robin Harris. Both classes will be studying the following lessons:
May 6th ......................... Lydia
May 13th. ....................... Paul and Silas
May 20th ....................... Pentecost
May 27th ........................ Shipwrecked
The youth will meet with Leann Dale this month in their study of discipleship.
ADULT CLASSES – Underhill Class, Serendipity Class, Stomp and Holler Class all meet at 9:30; Coffee and Con-versation meets at 10:00.
A NEW HEALTH FORM is needed for all children in our nursery, Sunday School program, and youth program. We have been advised to do this to ensure the health of all children. Letters are being distributed to all parents and grandparents and guardians of any children who might attend. We are growing, and we need to know all allergies, food restrictions, etc. of all of the children in our care. Thank you for returning these forms to us. If you did not receive one of these, please see Dorine New-ton or Linda Berry.
ATTENTION: ALL CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES, YOUTH GROUP, COFFEE AND CONVERSATION, AND CHIL-DREN'S CHURCH TAKE A VACATION DURING THE SUMMER.
The last day for Sunday School, Coffee and Conversa-tion, and Children's Church will be May 27th.
The last day for youth group to meet will be on May 20th.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL MEETING—May 8th at 7:00 pm
SENIOR DAY: On May 20th, we will honor our high school graduates during the worship service. We will award the Covenant Scholarships at this time as well. There will be a reception in the Fellowship Hall afterwards.
MISSION TRIP: Our youth will leave for their mission trip to Washington, DC on June 24th. Keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this life changing event. Thank you to all who have supported them in their fund raising and to those who simply donated money for this event.
BIBLE STUDY - Come join us for a study of the Gospel of John, led by Pastor Debbie, on Tuesdays at 10:00 am or Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. We are having lively discussions and you don’t want to miss this!
CONFIRMATION CLASS: Rev. Debbie will be of-fering a confirmation class this fall for our youth who have not been confirmed. It will begin in September and continue during the fall; Rev. Debbie is committed to a mission component in the confirmation experience. Please let Linda or Dorine know if you and/or your youth are interested.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL:
JULY 8 – 12TH: We are in preparation for VBS al-ready; this year the children will be going on a Rolling Rover Rampage. Please let Linda, Dorine, or Leann know if you would like to help. We want to encourage all children to bring a friend, all grandparents to bring their grandchildren, all neighborhood children to attend. We will be doing a big invitational campaign in Wendell Falls and other new neighborhoods. Please help us get many children to attend. We have great leaders already signed up.
The Christian Education Committee has changed its monthly meeting to the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30.
Christian Education
Elder Paula Perry
We are working on energy use reduction proposals with Duke Progress Energy
that will reduce our yearly energy costs significantly. One that you may notice, if you are on campus after
dark is the change out of the bulbs to LED in our area lights. This will result in about an $825 savings.
Another proposal, is changing out the light bulbs in the Sanctuary & Education Building. After we receive
the energy audit from Duke Progress, we’ll be able to tell the potential savings. Initial estimates indicate
an annual savings of a couple thousand dollars.
Our “smoked” window panes in the Sanctuary should be changed out by the end of April. Then in May
we are having the windows cleaned in the whole sanctuary building.
Clerk of Session Report
Fred Lanzi
Mission/Outreach
Elders Bud Lawler & Rusty Wagstaff
Oliver House residents enjoy reading magazines. If you have some old
magazines that you would like to donate to the Oliver House, place them by
the food pantry box in the narthex and someone will deliver them.
Finance/Stewardship
Steve Hicks & Carol Rich
Finance Report for March 2018:
Expenses YTD: $21,750.00
Income YTD: $23,390.00
Heritage Fund YTD: $2,750.00
Mortgage Balance as of 3/31/2018: $1,013,477.00
Dear Friends,
Back in the 70’s my brother was the baseball coach at Broughton High School. There was young man, Billy, who devotedly served as team manager. Billy had no way home after practice and games so my brother would drive him home. Billy was significantly underdeveloped physically and
the school social worker said that it was due to a lack of nutrition when Billy was very young. Most days, on the ride home, my brother would buy food for Billy. After a couple trips through the drive-thru, Billy asked my brother to drive slow so he could eat all the food before he got home. When my brother asked why, Billy said that people at this home would take the food away from him.
I have never forgotten this story. I can’t stand the thought of anyone being hungry. It shouldn’t be this way but the sad truth is that it is very real. Hunger exists right here in our neighborhood. You all have done a won-derful job of donating to the food pantry and the Backpack Buddies program. Please keep up the good work. Together we can help to eliminate hunger and ensure that several children in our community go to bed with full tummies on the weekends.
God Bless,
Your Mission and Outreach Team
Carver Elementary Backpack Buddy
Program
Don’t forget our weekend meals for
Carver kids. We need hearty soups,
vegetables, peanut butter and fruit.
There is a designated bin in the Nar-
thex and lists with suggested items
on the bulletin boards.
The Food Pantry is an on-
going project supplying bags of
groceries to needy families in our
area. Non-perishable foods are
welcome.
Emphasis for May: Canned
fruits, chicken noodle soups, in-
stant potatoes, soap, shampoo,
toothpaste, and toilet tissue.
Don’t forget that the fourth Sun-
day of the month we receive
Pennies for Hunger during wor-
ship.
Bring your food for the Back Pack Buddies and Food Pantry on Communion Sundays.
When we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the second Sunday of each month, we recognize God’s
amazing gift of Jesus Christ to the world and the incredible sacrificial gift Jesus made for us. The table of the
Lord’s Supper is a table of incredible love and grace shared for us all. But we are called to be not only receiv-
ers of the gift, but givers of the gift. What better way to share than to bring our food to the table for the local
food pantry and Back Pack Buddies. Did you know that we provide bags of food to some 30 plus families
with children from Carver Elementary School which will enable them to put food on their tables for the week-
end? We are inviting you to bring your food - canned vegetables, fruit cups, soups, etc., - Communion Sun-
days. The children will collect your food during the Conversation with the Children - just like they do with
their Pennies for Hunger - and then place the food in the baskets at the communion table, reminding us that
we are called to be not only receivers of God’s grace, but givers. We will continue to gladly receive your food
any time, in the boxes in the narthex. Just remember to bring a can or two on communion Sundays as well!
Many thanks!
Volunteer Schedule for May 2018
Date Lay Reader Audio Greeters Ushers
May 6 Elaine Vaden Kevin Dale John & Judy Shotts
Chris & Heather Wolfgang,
Don Agee, Doug Petrey
May 13 Marc Johnson Walker Driver Pam Hardee,
Carol Rich
Becky Abate, Jeannie Driver, Ed & Barb Snead
May 20 Hulon Perry Billy Cuthrell Paula Daniels,
Nicole Bills
Bud Lawler, Bill McCurdy, Matthews Bills, Tim VanGelder
May 27 Carol Rich Tim Harris Tom & Stella Martin
Philip & Annette Kirk,
Al Cates, Steve Buus
Date Children’s Sermon Nursery Volunteer Acolyte
May 6 Jennifer Carnes Pam Hardee James Newton
May 13 Don Mailliard Robin Harris Emma Buus
May 20 Bob Borland Karen Marsh, Nathan Marsh Mollie Smithson
May 27 Mary Selke Carrie Petrosky Usher
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1
10:00 Bible Study 6:30 Girl Scouts 7:00 Grief Support
2 6:00 Bible Study 7:30 Choir Practice 8:00 AA
3 4 5 7:00 AA 9:30 Daughter’s Brunch (Presby Women)
6 First Sunday Lunch 5:30 Youth Meet
7 9:30 Breakfast Fel-lowship– Clayton 7:00 Wendell Council of Churches
8 10:00 Bible Study 7:00 VBS Meeting
9 6:00 Bible Study 7:30 Choir Practice 8:00 AA
10 11 12 7:00 AA
13
Mother’s Day 6:00 Property
14 9:30 Breakfast Fel-lowship– Zebulon 6:30 Perennial Gar-den Club
15 10:00 Bible Study 6:30 CE Committee 6:30 Girl Scouts 7:00 Grief Support
Newsletter items due!
16 6:00 Bible Study 7:30 Choir Practice 8:00 AA
17 18 19 7:00 AA
20 Senior Day 5:30 Youth Meet 6:00 Mission 7:00 Session
21 22 10:00 Bible Study 7:00 Presbyterian Women
23 6:00 Bible Study 7:30 Choir Practice 8:00 AA
24 25 26 7:00 AA
27 5:30 Youth Meet
28 29 10:00 Bible Study
30 6:00 Bible Study 7:30 Choir Practice 8:00 AA
31
May 2018