Central Life. Central Presbyterian Church August 14, Coming soon. Fellowship Hall

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1 Central Life Central Presbyterian Church August 14, 2013 Coming soon When: Sunday, August 25, 2013 Gathering Time: Dinner: 5:30 p.m. 5:45 p.m. Where: Fellowship Hall Event: Covered Dish Dinner, please bring your favorite childhood dish of Southern Comfort Food for A Walk Down Memory Lane. Entertainment will be by Dr. Brenda White Wright. Dr. White Wright is a motivational speaker, storyteller, and diversity consultant with over 40 years of experience in business management and organization development. She earned her Bachelor s Degree in Business and Communications, Master s Degree in Reading and Storytelling, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from ETSU. This will be an event to be remembered Southern Comfort Food and Southern Comfort Stories. This will indeed be A Walk Down Memory Lane - just like being at Grandma s house. Everyone invited!

2 Page 2 Central Presbyterian Church August 14, 2013 Pastor s Corner The word encourage comes from the French word lecoeur, meaning heart. In other words, when we attempt to encourage someone, we could say to them: Take heart --- be encouraged. That is my word for us all in this newsletter. I have found that when we give folks around us words of encouragement, these same folks live up to what their friends believe and espouse for them. I want to offer words of encouragement to each one in our Church community. It is my belief that a goodly number of folks in the Church feel that they have a ministry to offer and act upon their sense that God is calling them to unique ministries, which helps to complete the vision and ministry for this Church. Yet, there are many more who are like I was in the past. When I was younger and before I entered the call to be a pastor, I gave my excuses to all who would listen, why God surely could not use me in such a role. Finally, in 1974, I was caught off guard and said yes to going to Seminary and becoming ordained. If you ever thought how it is that God could not be calling you to a ministry, using your talents and time and have given God reasons why not, you may be a candidate for a ministry as a layperson or as an ordained person. Some ministries come from the most unusual thoughts. A few years back, I lived next door to a woman that was about ninety years old and could not continue to pursue her love of gardening. In some ways what I did was symbolic, but it brought good memories. I planted three tomato plants for her and staked them so she could reach out and harvest them as they ripened. What ways can you take heart and be of good courage? Upon your feeling encouragement, you can pass it along and further encourage someone else. Would you let us know how you feel God is calling you for ministry in our midst? In His peace, Pastor Mike PRESBYTERY LISTENING SESSION: Abingdon Presbytery is spending some time this summer listening to its members about what a Presbytery is supposed to be and do and to find out what hopes and dreams its members have for the life of the Presbytery. Elders are strongly encouraged to attend but all members are invited. A team from the Presbytery will be meeting here at Central Presbyterian Church on Thursday, August 29 at 5:30 p.m.

3 Page 3 Central Presbyterian Church August 14, 2013 Worship News Sunday, August 18 10:00 a.m. Mike Chamberlain preaching Understanding Beyond Misunderstanding Isaiah 5:1-7; Luke 12:49-56 Sunday, August 25 10:00 a.m. Mike Chamberlain preaching When the Meaning Is Missed Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 13:10-17 Sunday, September 1 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Mike Chamberlain preaching You Will Be Blessed Jeremiah 2:4-13; Luke 14:1, 7-14 Celebration of the Lord s Supper 5 cents a meal offering Meetings coming up: Session - Tuesday, August 20, 7:00 pm PRESBYTERIAN CHILDREN'S HOME BACK TO SCHOOL The Presbyterian Children's Home of the Highlands in Wytheville is going back to school too! As a Covenant Church with the Home, we have an opportunity to help with school supplies for the children, elementary through high school. As a Board member, I am asking anyone who would like to help, to place general school supplies in the box near the office, or you may send in contributions to the Home at PO Box 545, Wytheville, VA (mark on your check for back to school ). I will take supplies to an upcoming Board Meeting. Thank you for your generosity to help support the ministry of the Home. Ed Whitehead FALL SCHEDULE CHANGES... Used computers available... Sept. 1 - Return of worship services to the regular schedule at 8:30 and 11:00, Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. Sept. 4, Wednesday Night Activities begin Sept. 4, Handchime and Handbell Choirs Sept. 15, Church Picnic at Waldo Miles Sept. 18, Bloodmobile at Central After the recent computer upgrades at the church, there are some older computers available for purchase. These have been cleaned up and are ready to go to their new homes. Each has XP operating system, all their parts and peripherals, and WORD installed. The cost is $75.00 or less for each one (with no warranty). If you are interested, please contact the church office ASAP. If we have more requests than we have computers we will enter your name in a drawing to see who gets to purchase them.

4 Page 4 Central Presbyterian Church August 14, 2013 HUNGER PROGRAMS Sometimes we jus plain ole mess it up, but when it comes to supporting hunger programs, Central offers a variety of great opportunities! Please take note of the following three. Whatever we have, we are called to share. We can donate throughout the year, but generally need to be reminded. Therefore, whenever we celebrate the Lord s Supper to eat the bread, drink from the cup, and hear the call to Remember Jesus, let us use the occasion to remember people who are physically hungry. Please bring your food offerings, whether food or monetary, on the first Sunday of each month (Communion Sunday), or drop it by the church at any time. We will work to remind all of us to be the people God has called us to be. Mission, Outreach, Evangelism Within our church, it is time to begin again the Backpack Program for children in need in the two schools we support (Stonewall Jackson and Washington Lee). Needed items are promoted throughout the school year and may be placed in the designated container at the end of the office hallway. In our community, the Bristol Emergency Food Pantry stands ready, with our help, to provide necessary food to people who have lost jobs or can t support themselves or their family. Many of us can t imagine the depth of this kind of need so as Christians, we study, learn, and respond to Jesus words when he teaches and reminds us to care for others. These donations may be placed in the large Soup Can container also found at the end of the office hallway. In our world, Central supports the 5 Cents A Meal Program or also called Cents-Ability. This Presbyterian hunger program works to support alleviating hunger around the world. Some funds support things locally (as in the Seed Potato program in the spring) with other funds providing nutritional help to needy countries around the world. Please designate your offering if placed in the offering plate, put it in containers marked in the back of the worship areas, or in the world globe outside of the church office. MOE THANK YOU! Thanks to those able to attend the Aug 4 MOE meeting to allow us to better understand your experiences (present and past) of all aspects of this vital area of the church. If you were unable to attend, but would like to share your experiences, please talk to any of our committee or session members. We plan to continue experiences to allow for Central s growth (both in depth of understanding and involvement) in the future. We appreciate everyone s participation in this process. Mission, Outreach, and Evangelism Committee - Connie Boger, Grace Himstedt, Caroline Jones, and Paige Thompson Church Women United has reorganized and will meet on August 26, 7:00 pm at Anderson St United Methodist Church.

5 Page 5 Central Presbyterian Church August 14, 2013 DISCERNMENT OF GOD S CALL, TRANSITION, AND FUTURE MINISTRY. You can tell they are Christians by their love - love of one another and all God s creatures. We can start with each other - we are closer. Discernment comes from prayer daily prayer to know God s will. After prayer comes Stewardship. Stewardship usually makes us think of money. Money is important, we need it, and we as a church are accustomed to having more for staff and programs than we have now. But Stewardship also includes our Ideas, our Talents and our Time. Most of us have more Ideas, and Talent, and Time than we have money, so that s easier. It doesn t matter how new a member you are, or how long your family has been here, we need all those things from you so we can have a church you can be proud to have joined or know your ancestors will be proud of what you have done. This is where the Interim Steering Committee comes in. They all are caring people who have worked hard for our church, most as officers. All are loving listeners and know how to help you get your Ideas heard and your Talents used. Talk with them! This is the essence of an Open Source Church. The Committee consists of Ann Landis, Barbara Mann, David White, Wes Ritchie, John Barker, and Frank Blanton. All have computers except Ann and her telephone number is in the Directory. She has a mailbox with the Session outside the Church Office. Mike has proposed we approach the Stewardship season with a short narrative summary of each Church Committee s budget so we will know where the money goes. This way we can approach our future based on our aspirations for future ministry rather than on past financial figures. Determining our future ministry will help us know God s will, help us to know ourselves, and to know what sort of pastor we want -- and then we can begin our search. Frank Blanton, Clerk of Session Volunteers For Sunday, August 18: Coffee helpers - Elise Taylor & family Nursery helpers - Linda Waldron, Jack & Alicia Wycoff Greeters 10:00 - Connie Bullock, Joe Davis Head Usher - Casey McComish Safety Team - Bill Canter, Ben McCord After Church Visitor - Ruby Brown For Sunday, August 25: Coffee helpers - Trish James, Lois Clarke Nursery helpers - Drew & Rebecca Porter Greeters 10:00 - Rhonda Comer, Gena Prince, Bruce Hendricks Safety Team - Jim Gibson, Casey McComish, Larry Clarke After Church Visitor - Jim & Daphne McCord For Sunday, September 1: Coffee helpers - Kim & Lauren Pruett Nursery helpers - TBA Greeters 8:30 - Caroline Jones, Helen Outlaw, Jim Gibson 10:00 - Nancy Kiser, Glenn Myers Head Usher - TBA Safety Teams - Jay Hall, Sheree Taylor; Mark McCord, Ken Moss After Church Visitor - Randy & Phyllis Morris Attendance: Sunday, August in worship Sunday, August in worship

6 Page 6 Central Presbyterian Church August 14, 2013 News of the Church Family Recuperating at home: Thomas Eugene Routh (Central s cleaning crew supervisor) We offer our Christian sympathy to: Harvy Stanley and family on the death of his grandmother in Wise, VA on August 1; Vickie Salyer and family on the death of her brother in Bristol on August 4; Family of Gus Sorenson, former Central member, who died in Bristol on August Group Sign up now for the upcoming trips... Lunch at the Farmer s Daughter Restaurant and shopping at the Amish Store on Friday, September 6, leaving the church at 11:00. On September 20, a trip to Tamarack near Beckley, West Virginia to have lunch and browsing on the premises. Details soon. A gift has been given to the Bristol Faith in Action Fund in honor of Alice Blanton by Doris and Hal Harkrader. Congratulations to Tasha Barnes and Adrian White on the birth of a son, Carson Adrian White, born July 28, He weighed 6 lb 9 oz. Mike Barnes is the proud grandfather. A note of thanks... Thanks to each and every one for all the prayers, cards, and visits on the day of my brother s Memorial Service. You are the nicest, kindest people for all your thoughtfulness. In Christ, Vickie Salyer & family CENTRAL STAFF: Mike Chamberlain, Pastor mchamberlain.cpc@bvu.net Christina Patterson, Education/ Youth Leader patterson.christina.marie@gmail.com Robert Campbelle, Music Director robertcampbelle@gmail.com Joy Smith-Briggs, Organist gvbjoyb@btes.tv Rob Hollo, Contemporary Worship Leader rhasu83@yahoo.com Mark Rash, Contemporary Worship Leader mark.rash@yahoo.com Patty Caldwell, Office Manager/Newsletter Editor pcaldwell.cpc@bvu.net Sarah Blakeney, Financial Director sblakeney.cpc@bvu.net Selena Jackson, Director of APPLE Academy applepreschool@yahoo.com Donna Leonard, APPLE Administrative Assistant Thais Sikora, Volunteer Parish Nurse Barbara Mann, Volunteer Parish Nurse OFFICE HOURS: M-F 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

7 Page 7 Central Presbyterian Church August 14, 2013 Central Presbyterian Church 301 Euclid Ave. Bristol, VA We Believe Mission Statement We are servants of God called to love God and love others by living the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the center of the church. Everyone is a child of God. We are inclusive: teaching tolerance, nonviolence, and peacemaking. God calls us to be responsible stewards of our finances, time, talents, and environment. Taking action on Christ s teachings is essential to spiritual growth. The church s purpose is to celebrate God s word to all through preaching and teaching and local and global service and missions. Scripture is the framework of our faith. Worship is based on praise, prayer, confession, and the preaching of the Word. Music is an important way of communicating our faith. It is our obligation to reach, instruct, empower, and nurture children and youth. Prayer is vital to the life of the church and the individual. A more diverse membership leads to a more diverse ministry. A strong church requires everyone s participation. Creating partnerships is a way to share our vision, goals, and values. In strong programs of caring and visitation. In the value of support groups.