THE BELL AND THE WELL November 2014

Transcription

1 THE BELL AND THE WELL November 2014 Volume 48 Number 9 Thanks Giving One s Life Away Thanksgiving, not the holiday, but the state of one s spiritual being is perhaps our greatest challenge. Being grateful is like being happy. Sometimes you can t be if you re not. Being thankful, being grateful is a drum scripture beats more often than any other, even love. St. Paul encourages the members of the early church to be grateful, to rise and shine each day with a song of thanksgiving upon their lips. According to Paul, it is gratitude that characterizes the true follower of the risen Christ. A follower/disciple of Christ gives thanks beyond oneself. I am today who I am not only because of personal determination. I am who I am because of the grace of God. Giving thanks for God s grace sets us apart. Our Christian witness points to God s grace, the grace that teaches our hearts to fear and, more importantly, to give thanks. A unique part of being thankful is the freedom to give oneself away fearlessly. It is a freedom that believes God replenishes our lives with more. The pattern is not mysterious or complex. The more we give away or give up or spend in being the church, the more God gives us in return. Take note: the Lord ordains the cycle. The more we give, the more we receive. That s not the church s desire. That s God s design. Stewardship season causes some to come clean with what they believe, and really believe. We may say we believe, but as soon as God leads us to our treasure we tend to draw a line. Somehow, we seek to condition the unconditional grace of God. It is then we begin to wonder why giving seems so hard, appears so painful, and is so often left untried! Instead, we opt out of participating in God s plan to replenish, to repay us for what we give to be the church. Gratefully, God understands our fear, understands what it feels like to be vulnerable financially. Instead of stepping out on faith, we hunker down. We leave little room to notice how God does make it all work together by giving back to us. A thankful and grateful spirit trusts and follows, gives and receives. Thanksgiving is hinged to the balance of life whereby night follows day, rain follows sun, death follows life. Such a design is, thankfully, not the result of human effort, convenience, or determination. The design is God s. The marvel is that it works! And it works no less miraculously than the resurrection of the One we lean on and trust in, the very One Who once chose to place us on the receiving end of God s unconditional largesse. Thanks be to God! Faithfully, Gus Succop, Pastor We Dedicate Ourselves to be the Church of Jesus Christ in 2015 on Dedication Sunday, November 9.

2 News, Events, & Happenings in and around Quail Holla Wednesdays at Quail Holla After School: Head on over to QHPC any time after school lets out to do your homework, hang out with friends, play games, catch up on that week s TV shows, and more! Oasis Dinner: We eat dinner together with the rest of QHPC at 6 pm (cost is $5). It s always something new and always delicious! Small Groups: At 6:45 we meet to tackle a tough question through separate middle and high school groups. This month we ll be talking about: Did God create the devil? Is Jesus really the only way to God? Why do Christians believe Christianity is the best religion? Can someone lose their salvation? Church School In Church School, we re talking about Traditions. In October we were introduced to the church calendar and the idea of being Reformed. In November, we re going on to more specific Reformed topics: If God has already predestined me to heaven or hell, why does it matter what I do? What s so great about doing things decently and in order? Are we Reformed or being reformed? We will also be wrapping up our discussion of Holidays by taking a look at the ones that show up as purple on the liturgical calendar. November 2014 Youth Group In Youth Group our theme is Life Together, and we re taking a look at what it means to be the Church. On November 2 we ll talk about what it means to be a good follower. We ll also be doing some catch up for questions we didn t get to in Can I Ask That? on Wednesdays with these two questions: Does God discriminate against women? How can I follow a God who would let Christians do such bad things? Life Together will warp up officially at the Fall Retreat with a study of what it means to be 1 based on Paul s message in Ephesians. Special Events Fall Retreat: Quail Holla and the youth from Sharon UMC will be on retreat the weekend of November at Camp Pee Dee in Bennettsville, SC! As mentioned above, we will be talking about the idea of being 1 : 1 God, 1 baptism, 1 faith, and more (see Ephesians 4). We ll be exploring that in all sorts of ways, including on a high ropes course and a long term zombie survival game! Cost is $55. Deadline to sign up is November 9th. Make sure you see Matt to get a list of what to bring and not bring and all the other important details.

3 PAGE 3 PW/QHPC NEWS Our Circles are preparing to meet on Tuesday, November 11th. The Morning Circle meets at 10:00 a.m. and the Evening Circle meets at 7:00 p.m. Both Circles meet in the Betty Lambeth Parlor. This month the QHPW will continue to collect items for the Dove's Nest Tote Bags which will be filled and readied for delivery at the Joy Gift Luncheon in December. Also, we will collect money for the annual Thank Offering. The Offering funds projects that meet the needs of people who are aging, disabled, homeless or displaced, as well as children, youth, and women, through educational, health, peace, and justice programs. At least 40% of the Offering will fund hospitals and health ministries. Joy, Joy, Joy Time for the Joy Gift Luncheon! Many of the ladies call the Joy Gift Luncheon one of the very special events of the Advent Season. It is my favorite! Please mark your calendar for Saturday, December 6 at 11:00 a.m. in Johnston Hall. If you are able, please bring a salad or dessert to share and an item for the silent auction. In addition to a delicious luncheon we will have a guest speaker and wonderful music to enjoy and to sing. ALL the WOMEN of QHPC are invited. We hope you will attend and bring a friend. If you have any questions, please call me: Peggy Nelson, ( ), Moderator of Presbyterian Women. The installed 2014/2015 Presbyterian Women officers are: Moderator - Peggy Nelson Treasurer - Phyllis Brown Secretary - Cheryl Mims Missions - Mary Hice Search - Debbie Ferguson Morning Circle Leader - Nancy Gottschalk Morning Bible Study Leader - Jean Bacheldor Evening Circle Leader - Gracie Kattenhorn Evening Bible Study Leader - Karolyn Hudson

4 PAGE 4 November Scripture Lessons Indeed, the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4: 12) November 2, 21 st Sunday in Pentecost: Psalm 107: 1-7, Pastor Succop preaching: Count On Me November 9, 22 nd Sunday in Pentecost: Matthew 25: 1-13 Pastor Succop preaching: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare November 16, 23 rd Sunday in Pentecost: Psalm 123 Pastor Succop preaching: Looking in the Right Directions November 23, 24 th Sunday in Pentecost: Psalm 100 Pastor Succop preaching: The Reason for our Thanksgiving November 30, 1 st Sunday in Advent: Isaiah 64: 1-9 Pastor Succop preaching: Selective Memory Quail Hollow Church Family, We want to express our appreciation for your prayers & concern for our daughter and daughter-in in-law (Jennifer Morgan and Mary Osterloh) during their breast cancer procedures and treatments. They are both doing well and ask that we pass along their thanks also. In Christ s love, Tom & Cindy Vaden

5 PAGE 5 I LIVE IN THE LAND OF THANKFULNESS I love the Land of Thankfulness where blessings overflow; I claim it as my native home, most charming land I know; And if I ve need of anything, no matter what it be, I just give thanks with confidence and see it come to me. I like to live in Thankfulness--- would live there all my days; Would let its spirit stir my soul and fill my heart with praise. I questioned once how I had found a place of such a kind; Knew I d discovered it, because I d thankful thoughts in mind. Oh, come with me to Thankfulness! We ask but this of you; That you be always thankful, friend--- but this is all you do. And if there s anything you need, no longer doubt or fear; The thing you seek s awaiting you, it surely will appear. ~Frank B. Whitney

6 PAGE 6 Since November is a month of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for a Preschool that is a great place to work, that is full of history, and where great memories are made and remembered. See below recent posts that came across Facebook! Suzy Owens October 2 at 8:48am While sitting at a stoplight this morning after dropping off my 7th grader, I am reminded of how quickly time flies with our children. Remembering those precious years at Quail Hollow Presbyterian Preschool! Catherine Goodman Farley, Julie Bragg- Jones, Diane Keske Sadow and 15 others like this. Catherine Goodman Farley Special memories from QHPS...great start for children! Believe it or not, the Farleys have all "graduated" now!! Beth Boehling Schneider And... Bo says, it was the best times of his life. Lol!

7 PAGE 7 Please note: If a portion of your giving is meant specifically for Renovation Debt Retirement, please indicate your intent on your check. Thank you! Debt Retirement Update Outstanding Loan balance: $430, Outstanding Debt Retirement Pledge balance: $8, Stewardship 2015 is under way. Jim Hudson, our Stewardship leader, spoke to us a few weeks ago about how we are planning to be the church in 2015 and how we must finish strong in being the church in Dedication of our 2015 Giving Cards will take place on Nov. 9. The act of giving to the witness of Christ s resurrection has never been a sure thing. Such giving is what it has always been: an act of pure faith. Ladies Lunch Out LLO! Yes, it is time again for Ladies Lunch Out. Please mark your calendars for November 18 at 11:30 a.m. We welcome any new members of our congregation to join us. Meet us at BONEFISH GRILL (7520 Pineville Matthews Rd) Please call Carol Crumbley ( ) if you plan to join us by November 15 th. We look forward to seeing you. Thanks to all who helped with our Fall Craft Fair!!! From those who set up, to those who baked, and those who shopped, and finally our servants who cleaned up, it was a successful day and one the vendors and shoppers greatly appreciated. Funds are still being counted but we raised $1506 for the Live Nativity!!! ~Barbara

8 PAGE 8 It s time to start collecting items for your Operation Christmas Child shoeboxe(s)! Collection dates are early this year! So be sure to return the boxes on Nov. 9 but no later than Nov. 16 th so they may be blessed at the 11 a.m. worship hour. Each shoebox is an expression of God's love. Suggested items to include are school supplies, stickers, wash cloths, bar soap, toothpaste and brushes, combs, hair bows and small toys. Wrapped boxes are waiting for you to pick up in the Narthex. Let's collect more than the 198 boxes we collected last year! Contact Stephanie Burns at or stefburns@carolina.rr.com for more information. All types of pet food are needed: dry and canned food for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. Open food containers cannot be accepted because the food is distributed to the public. Smaller bags of 10 pounds or less are preferred because they are easier to store and distribute. There are two barrels in which to place your donation. Upon entering the Narthex one is to the right at the short entrance to the Preschool wing. The other is at the left at the short entrance to the kitchen/ administrative wing. As we begin celebrating the giving season (Thanksgiving & Christmas), let s remember our ongoing effort to help those among us who are in need. Please consider giving groceries (oatmeal, grits, canned fruits, vegetables and meat, etc.) and personal items (soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.) to the Loaves & Fishes Pantry at St. Giles Presbyterian Church. (This pantry serves families per week.) Your gifts should be placed in our mission manger outside the choir room. Let s make the giving season a hungry-free season for everyone!

9 PAGE 9 I would like to purchase poinsettia(s) at $12.00 each to be used in the sanctuary during the Christmas season. I have made my check out to QHPC with a note stating Poinsettia. Turn orders into church office or place in offering plate. Instead of flowers, I would like to make a monetary donation to the following fund: General Fund Debt Retirement Endowment Fund Global Mission Fund Don Rogers Scholarship Fund Live Nativity Fund PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY In honor of In memory of To the Glory of God Given by: Amount paid $ (names as you wish them to appear in the bulletin) ORDERS DUE BY November 23 th

10 PAGE 10 Laura Robertson November 1 Michael Mangum November 2 Susan Stone November 2 Harrison Bellamy November 4 Gracie Kattenhorn November 4 Deborah Bergman November 6 Gale Burke November 7 Morgan Brimhall November 8 Reid Johnson November 8 Bill Navarro November 10 Stefanio Sojo November 15 David Baysinger November 18 Geoffrey Gummerson November 18 Andy McDaniel-Milliken November 18 Jim Berryhill November21 Nancy Dearman November 24 Ron Blake November 26 Conner Gillis November 26 Betsy Baskwell November 27 Helen Parker November 27 Karen Baysinger November 30 Nov. 9 Stewardship Dedication Nov. 16 Blessing of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes Nov. 25 Park-Sharon Thanksgiving Service (St. Vincent de Paul) Dec. 3 Advent Dinner Room-in-the-Inn Dates Dec. 27, 2014 Jan. 10 & 24, 2015 Feb. 14, 2015

11 PAGE 11 Thank you for remaining current with your pledged giving! If you have not yet made a pledge for 2014, pledge forms are available in the Narthex. September 2014 Financial Report September Tithes and Offerings $ 22,346 YTD Tithes and Offerings $ 260,223 YTD Budget for Tithes & Offerings: $ 241,078 YTD Actual Tithes & Offerings vs. Budget +$ 19,145 New address? New mailing address? New phone number? Please notify Ministry Assistant, Liz Hambly (liz@qhpc.org; ) of your changes. YTD Total Church & Preschool Actual Revenues (offerings + other revenues) versus Expenses: + $ 8538 November Ushers Gifts were received from the following members and friends of Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church. In memory of Ruth Parolari Cheryl Mims Jim & Billie Berryhill In memory of Jack Dempsey Cheryl Mims Joel & Becky Aelick Jamie & Erin Gillis Conner & Cole Gillis Hughs Hice Usher Coordinators: Allen Smith & Steve Nelson December/January Newsletter Articles-Information Deadline: Friday, November 14h VISIT THE CHURCH WEBSITE AT Submit your articles to qhpcnewsletter@gmail.com

12 Class of 2014 Rich Bonnell, Clerk Reid Johnson Waldo Miller Bill Navarro Janet Stephens Session Class of 2015 Jan Federal Sherrie Young Stephanie Burns Loving God...loving neighbor Class of 2016 Marybet Hudson Scott Kusel Pettus Lilliott Grace Mitchell Moderator: Gus Succop, Pastor VISIT US ON THE WEB! Visit us on Facebook! CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday: 8:00 to 1:00 p.m. Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church (USA) Learning Hour 9:45 a.m. 11 a.m. Worship Church Office: Preschool: Office Fax: Newsletter published monthly from Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church 8801 Park Road Charlotte, North Carolina 28210