The Sunnyside. Pastor s Note: Lighting The Way. He walked forward. He prayed constantly, The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness

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1 Sunnyside Presbyterian Church Newsletter The Sunnyside Online every month: April 2011 Pastor s Note: Lighting The Way Inside this issue: Walking our Prayers 2 Salad and Celebrations 2 All God s Creatures Great and Small Sweet Fellowship Behind the Scenes Palm Sunday Reflections 4 Youth Spotlight 5 Calendar Hope is one of the most powerful things in the world. It draws us along the way, like a ray of light piercing an impenetrable tomb, or the glorious dawn shining upon an empty cross. As Christians we follow our Savior Jesus throughout Lent. His footsteps bring us closer to our worst fears of encountering sin it. and death. But if you strain hard enough to hear Easter, you may notice that his footsteps pattered a steady cadence of hope. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome John 1:1-5 He walked forward. He prayed constantly, while reaching out to people to show the glory of God in their midst. Like the great pillar of light in Exodus, the Light of God was with the people, leading them into God s will. Christ even walked to the darkest place...the place that scared everyone...death. Yet the darkness did not overcome it. As a judge perfectly able to condemn people in their sins, Christ refused to leave the cross. His words were of hope to a criminal beside him and urgent pleading for forgiveness for those whose sins were killing him. No matter what darkness you are struggling with, Christ proved there is hope. Take some time to think about how Christ is with you no matter what you are facing. How might God be calling you to embody hope to others? I see you ve laid up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Is this some sort of tax dodge? Captured by a Vision Church leaders today must understand that people do not capture a vision. Vision captures a people. It is as if an angler went fly fishing. He was compelled to fish by a profound desire to fulfill himself. He stood for days and days, hip deep in cold water, making cast after cast, eaten alive by mos- quitoes, catching nothing. Finally, on the seventh day, an enormous whale of a trout leaps out of the water, swallows him up, and swims away. That s what happens with Biblical visions. You think you are going to catch a vision and take it home with you. Maybe the church will cook it and enjoy it. Maybe they will just mount it on the wall of the narthex or publish the picture on the cover of the worship bulletin. Everyone will admire it greatly. The Biblical reality is that the vision will catch you and take you home with it. The vision will cook you and use you. The vision will eventually mount you on the memorial wall of the saints and everyone will admire your faithfulness and wonder how you ever had the courage to do it. Thomas G Bandy

2 PAGE 2 Walking Our Prayers Information gathered from: One step at a time article by Rodger Mullen, from The Sandspur newspaper, Feb. 16th Mark Wonderly is on the prayer list of our congregation. But like everyone on our prayer list, he is more than a name or a sickness. He is a real person with a real story. Here is part of that story and how it may touch your life. I would say it ranked as one of the worst days of my life, Wonderly told Rodger Mullen from The Sandspur back in February this year. You pretty much feel like your life is over and there s nothing you can do. Finding out you have Multiple Sclerosis can be scary. As the same Sandpiper article noted, MS is an inflammatory disease that affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other. There is currently no cure. Symptoms vary widely and can included muscle weakness or spasms, difficulty with coordination and balance, problems with speech and vision and cognitive problems. Patients usually go through flareups of symptoms and periods of relapse. Many people diagnosed with MS may go through a period of depression even Wonderly did. But he then resolved to live his life to the fullest, not only for himself but for his family. This is just a glimpse into the name on our prayer list. Each name is a beginning of transformation and action not only for that person but for our congregation. How can God use prayers to change lives? Try praying with actions in addition to your words. Come join the Sunnyside MS Walk team and join Mark Wonderly himself in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society s Walk MS in Honeycutt Park. Registration begins at 1pm and the walk starts at 2pm. Let the power of prayer move your feet and resources so that we can be part of God s overwhelming response to this disease. April 10th could be a day that changes many lives for the better! Sign up on the sign-up sheet or donate/sign up on our website. Johnnie s Cranberry Salad By Johnnie Evans Ingredients: 2 small packs of cranberry Jello 1 container cranberry (whole berry) sauce 1 container crushed pineapple (drained) 1 tablespoon chopped celery 1/2 cup crushed pecans 2 cups boiling water 1/2 cup crushed ice Cool in 8x12x2 Pyrex dish April Birthdays Reba Carter April 11th Stanley Carter April 20th Directions: Boil 2 cups of water and add to 2 packs of cranberry jello. Stir until thoroughly dissolved. Add cranberry sauce. Add 1/2 cup of ice to help cool. Let sit until ice has melted. Then stir well and add 1 can crushed (drained) pineapple. Drink leftover pineapple juice from can. Add chopped celery and mix well. Let cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle pecans on top. Refrigerate for several hours. May be served with mayo as salad or whipped cream as a dessert. April Anniversary Alan and Shannon Fisher April 18th Brittany Workman April 28th Casey Workman April 29th

3 PAGE 3 New Life Easter is a time of new life and new birth. As it becomes Springtime it is amazing to see the new life God brings forth in our community! (above) Gary Frease shows Anne and Evie a baby goat. He raises them to sell as pets. (above) The book of Genesis describes Adam naming all the animals God creates. It looks like Evie is giving that a try. (above) Catherine and her cousins enjoyed getting to see the baby pygmy goats. She stands in awe of the tiny animals. (above and left) Leslie shows the 2 day-old foal born at his family farm. Alan and Shannon Fisher, Leslie and Joyce s son and daughter-inlaw, run the horse farm. This cute little horse is mostly legs. Though most young foals stay close to their mother, this particular one was very curious and pranced around for us.

4 PAGE 4 Hungry for fellowship? Different churches approach evangelism in various ways. At Sunnyside, we like to let the food do some of the most important talking. Just as disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, so too do many people recognize the love and attention this church gives its neighbors in the homemade desserts on our table. Come join us and experience the sweetness of God s love. Last Wednesday night of the month at 6:30 pm Your family, friends, & neighbors are welcome Bring a dessert or 2 liter drink if you would like, but it is not required. One of Christ s favorite parables was the Great Feast. You are invited to the Great Feast. Come join us! Come: for everything is ready now. -Luke 14:17 A Sneak Peek BEHIND THE SCENES - Special thanks to Building and Grounds volunteers You come to church on Sunday and all the lights on the Sanctuary are on. There are no pine cones in the yard as you walk in, until a strong breeze blows one down in the distance. The shrubs have been trimmed back over winter. Someone seems to have replaced the plants in the court yard. Is this God s doing? Yes! But God is working through the selfless dedication of people such as Stanley Carter, Leslie Fisher, and Arthur and Ned Weeks. Ned and Arthur have picked up pine cones and raked pine straw each week at the church and manse all winter. Stanley brings out the blower to blow the leaves away, and prunes the shrubs around the perimeter of the church. He repainted a classroom so that a new class for young children could begin. Leslie came and extracted the prickly holly bush in front of our main walkway, powerwashed the whole walkway and tended the plants lining the court yard to prepare for springtime. On behalf of Sunnyside Presbyterian, thank you for your hard work. Keep reading newsletters to learn more about the hard work done behind the scenes! Palm Sunday Reflections by Emily Harrison I realized recently that Palm Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays, right up there with Easter. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It commemorates the day that Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey. Why is it called Palm Sunday? Well, just as we roll out red carpets today, people in the time of Jesus also covered the path of honored people. They covered his path with palm branches and waved them in the air as well. In the Bible, palm branches symbolize victory and triumph. Here are some memories of past Palm Sundays Growing up in Winston-Salem, I remember that we received palm crosses to wear during the service. Had to be careful with the straight pin holding that cross to my dress! Afterward, the crosses were collected to be the ashes for next year s Ash Wednesday service. In Kentucky, we started our church service by venturing outside and meeting up with members of a neighboring church. Waving our palm branches, we sang hosanna as we marched back to church. It was a freeing experience to sing to God in the bright sunshine. The church that Evan served in Connecticut had many bible-themed costumes. On Palm Sunday, Evan dressed as Jesus and led the children from outside into the sanctuary. His height, beard, and Birkenstock sandals sealed the deal. We surrounded them with our waving palm branches. This year, as I look toward my first Palm Sunday here with Sunnyside, I am excited. Hope to see you there!

5 PAGE 5 Youth Spotlight MUSTANGS FOR CHRIST Rev. Harrison is helping support the local MUSTANGS FOR CHRIST club at Mac Williams Middle School. Youth are encouraged to come to these meetings at Mac Williams. Go out and make disciples of all nations. We meet in the Mac Williams cafeteria on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. YOUTH VISION The youth have talked about various images and values that Sunnyside embodies. Sarai said that Sunnyside is really like a family. Having been touched by the kindness and love of the church family, the youth have sought to model the same sense of family in the youth group. The 4th, 8th and 11th graders sit down and talk to each other, care about how their day went, and help one another as a team. During bible study, the youth put away phones and help one another try to figure out the answer to the question at hand about the bible. During guitar practice, they help one another tune the guitars and play the correct chord. When singing, they all jump in and sing loudly with enthusiasm. Putting Bread on the Table The youth are participating in a number of camps this year. To help maintain a healthy youth budget, the youth came to a fundraising discussion earlier this month to brainstorm ways of raising money to help not just themselves, but other youth in the community. With the help of older adults who have had experience fundraising, they decided on a chicken and pastry fundraiser in May. The youth will help sell tickets, prepare food the day before and work the day of the fundraiser alongside adults in their church family. Contact Rev. Harrison if you would like to participate. Middle School Youth Retreat 2011 What was one of the most exciting activities you did at the retreat? Casey: Well, Evan W. and I loved the inflatable bounce house. They had one of those there and we got to jump around in it. It was awesome! How was this youth retreat different from other camps and retreats? Evan W.: One thing that was neat about this retreat is that you get to meet and hang out with all kinds of people your age. It s not just boys or just girls. Everyone can talk with everyone. The other adult leaders there were also very cool. Karry Syphrit takes our middle schoolers to Camp Kirkwood for the 2011 retreat. Over 80 youth and dozens of adult leaders participated. How did you enjoy the retreat going as an adult? Karry: It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed getting a chance to meet youth advisers from other Presbyterian churches and talk with them.

6 3997 Sunnyside School Road Proud member of PC(USA) Fayetteville, NC Everyone is Welcome! Phone: (910) Sunday School: 10 AM Sunday Worship: 11 AM website: Bible Study: Wednesdays 7-8 PM *Fellowship Dinners: Last Wed of month 6:30pm, all are welcome!* Sunnyside Presbyterian Church, as a body of believers in Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit, seeks to glorify God through worship, prayer, nurture and care, education, fellowship, service to others, and good stewardship of the blessings God has bestowed upon us as we seek to do God's will in our daily lives. We seek to share our faith with others through every aspect of our life, following the words of St. Francis: preach the Gospel without ceasing, and if necessary use words. Serving Christ from the heart of Vander Visit us online at Sign up to receive newsletter by April 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 3 Communion Session Mtg 6pm Donna s classroom 10 Honeycutt Park 2pm 2pm 4 Youth Group 11 Youth Group Youth Group 24 See Events 25 Youth Group pm Peggy s class No bible study tonight Women s Circle at Elaine s 7pm pm Peggy s class aafellowship Supper 6:30pm Fundraiser Planning Meeting 7pm Peggy s class 7pm in Sanctuary Serving communion Easter Sunday Events AM Come enjoy Easter Sunday Breakfast cooked by the Men of the Church 10 AM Children s Easter Scavenger Hunt 11 AM Easter Worship :15 Easter Egg Hunt