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For Friday, November 3, 2017
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 WFPC Officers' Column
Can you believe it is November already? Are you looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas? If so, I am so happy for you. But you know, this time of year is not happy for everyone. This time of year brings back memories to many people of times they had with loved ones that have already gone to be with God. It brings back memories of times when their health was so much better, family was closer, they still had a job, their spouse was still living with them, so much of their life was better. Have any of these people ever thanked you for listening to them talk about any issues like these? Then you just might be thinking about becoming a Stephen Minister. If you would like to know more about what a Stephen Minister is and what they do, then join us on Wednesday evening November 8 at 6:30 PM in the Blue Modular, Room 1. We will answer all your questions with no pressure at all to join our Stephen Ministry class in late January. Make your reservation now for a delicious meal in the CLC, and then join us to learn all about Stephen Ministry.
Oh, also if you are one of those people that will be having a difficult holiday season this year, please contact one of our Stephen Leaders to have a Stephen Minister walk with you. Your Stephen Leaders are: Barbara Winch, Judy Ide, Pastor John Fawcett, Pastor Rebekah Maul and myself.
Armin Harrell, Deacon
919-556-7307
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Commitment Sunday
November 5
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Mark 9:23 All things are possible for the one who believes.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generation, forever. Amen
November 5th -- this Sunday -- is Commitment Sunday. It is also a Communion Sunday. To combine the two can be a powerful reminder of who we are; whose we are; and why we follow Jesus as believers, as disciples, as servants. We use the common religious terminology talking about Jesus' sacrifice, but we tend to forget that Jesus did not stay dead. He defeated death, so that we can reevaluate everything, starting with how we live the great gift of life. Jesus' deliberate sacrifice and awesome resurrection accomplished something powerful... release from all the stuff that creates chaos and confusion in our lives, and all the untruths, and all the fears in this life that prevent us from living our faith deliberately and joyfully. Trusting God can be a hard thing for many. Choosing to trust God can be disconcerting. And yet... we affirm "all things are possible to him that believes." We profess that "we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us." The deliberate and courageous tithe and pledges we bring to the ministries and mission of Wake Forest Presbyterian are done as an act of worship, acknowledging that all good things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. We are called. Be part of it. Prayerfully, and deliberately, and courageously bring your pledge card on Sunday when we rededicate ourselves and our church's purpose to God.
Can't find your pledge card? There are extras at the church.
Won't be in town this Sunday? Mail in your pledge card within the next few days as the ministry budget for the coming year is finalized.
Cannot make a financial commitment at this time? Then pray about this, and commit something of yourself.... your time and talent, so that all of us can participate into the vibrant future of Wake Forest Presbyterian Church.
Prayer:
Lord of heaven and earth... Lord of our todays and our tomorrows... Lord of all that we have and all that we hope to be... We pray that you will bless our church home and our church family. Bind us together in your love and in your hope, both of which are greatly needed in our world. Continue to help us to be Your Good News as we plan and as we act as a church... so that other's will be assured that you are with us. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Fall Back!
Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend. Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour when you go to bed Saturday night!
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A Note of Thanks for All Saints' Worship
Thanks to all those who helped with All Saints' day this past Monday. What a blessing it was to have such a meaningful worship service of remembrance for those passed. A special thanks to Kathy Drake for making the banner, Lynette Wilson and Karen Mohlmann for making the butterflies, Sandie Buda for decorations, and all who helped with visioning this service!
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Stephen Ministry
Wednesday, November 8
Would you like to explore a great way to reach out and help others through grace-based listening? Would you like to have someone to walk alongside you as you climb whatever mountain it is that is making your life less than perfect, someone who will listen and not judge? Join us on November 8, 2017, at 6:30 PM in the Blue Modular, Room 1, and learn about Stephen Ministry at Wake Forest Presbyterian Church. There will be no arm-twisting or pressure of any kind to join us -- we just want you to know that Stephen Ministry is alive and well and what we can do with you and for you. Questions? Armin Harrell at 919-556-7307, Judy Ide at 919-971-6237, or Barbara Winch at 919-846-3342 or 919-870-5918.
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JOY Group
Friday, November 10
Join the JOY (Just Older Youth) Group this month on Friday, November 10! We will gather in the CLC at 6:15 and enjoy our potluck at 6:30. Paul and Carol Swartz will be our hosts. Please contact Carol at cakswartz@yahoo.com or 614-975-5225 with your RSVP and covered dish offering. Our program will be "The Lands Down Under." The Swartzes will share pictures and stories of their Australia and New Zealand tour.
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Screenagers
6:00-8:00 PM | Sunday, November 5
Dinner and follow-up materials provided
Are you watching kids scroll through life, with their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw that with her own kids and learned that the average kid spends 6.5 hours a day looking at screens. She wondered about the impact of all this time and about the friction occurring in homes and schools around negotiating screen time -- friction she knew all too well.
In Screenagers, as with her award-winning documentaries on mental health, Delaney takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including her own, to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through poignant and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists, Screenagers reveals how tech time impacts kids' development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance.
The New Hope Presbytery's ConnectED team is very excited to partner with Wake Forest Presbyterian for a screening of Screenagers.
The documentary is geared for youth ages 10 and up, and we are strongly encouraging parents and teens to join us! A preview of the documentary can be found
HERE
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We ask that folks please RSVP, as we are providing dinner for all participants and want to ensure we have enough food! We are asking that each participant provide $3 to help cover the cost of food.
RSVP HERE!
Our hope is that this is just the beginning of great community conversation surrounding how we use our media, and how we empower our children to be smart consumers of both screen time and content!
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Fall Clean Up
Saturday, November 11
In preparation for our community-wide Walk Through Bethlehem, we will hold our Fall Clean-Up on Saturday, November 11. We will gather at the narthex entrance at 8:30 AM and plan on finishing by noon. There will be projects for all ages. We will be doing some pruning, spreading of pine straw, and cleaning of beds. In addition, we will be sealing the decking around the mods. Most tools will be provided, but what we need most is YOU and your time. If you can't stay the whole time, come when you can and leave when you must. Contact Wayne Moore or Jon Gutekunst if you have any questions (waynemoore670@gmail.com or jon.gutekunst@gmail.com).
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Advent Decorating
Christmas helpers are needed to decorate the sanctuary, narthex, and entrance to the church. The first Sunday in Advent is December 3; decorating needs to be completed before Walk Through Bethlehem begins on December 1. There are two opportunities to join the festivities. 9:30 AM on Monday, November 27, in the sanctuary and 10:30 AM on Thursday, November 30 to unload and place the poinsettias in the sanctuary. Any questions, please contact Sandie Buda at
sandiebuda@nc.rr.com. Your help is greatly appreciated!
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Walk Through Bethlehem
December 1, 6:00-9:00
December 2, 5:00-9:00
December 3, 5:00-8:00
WTB WORKDAYS: November 4, 18, and 25
Please join us on Saturday, November 4 at 8 AM to work on assembling the Walk Through Bethlehem set. We need as many helping hands as possible to transform our "back yard" into Tiberius and the beginning of the journey to Bethlehem. The makeup date will be Saturday, November 11, if it rains. On Saturday, November 18, we will work on the breezeway area and finish hanging the felt. On Saturday, November 25, we will install the props on the main set. Please contact Paul Swartz at swartzp51@gmail.com if you have questions.
10,000 COOKIES!
Walk Through Bethlehem has over 3,000 visitors each year. Part of our hospitality is to share cookies and a hot drink with our guests. Please consider a donation of cookies (Christmas cookies are the best!) or a monetary donation for hot drinks. Drop off your cookies in the kitchen or at the desk in the narthex beginning Sunday, November 12. Checks can be dropped in the offering plate with "WTB Refreshments" on the memo line. Questions? mandyduguid@wakeforestpres.org.
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Wednesday Night Dinner Menu
for November 8
chicken corn chowder OR beef chili
salad
rolls
cheesecake
Veterans eat free in honor of Veteran's day!
The cost is $5/adult and $3/child. Please make your reservation by Sunday evening by emailing Dean Tryon at
dinner@wakeforestpres.org.
Click here for a complete list of Wednesday Nights Together offerings.
Click here for the entire winter/spring menu.
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Mission and Service
Last week, our adult mission volunteers traveled to Kinston, NC to provide hurricane disaster assistance to a family still living in a badly-damaged home one year after Hurricane Matthew devastated portions of our state. The experience gave everyone involved a deep sense of accomplishment and joy for a wonderful week's work, fellowship, and friendship. Judy Ide, who oversees WFPC's adult mission trips, said this trip was one of the best. With a number of new volunteers joining our longtime volunteers, they completed their assigned project for a grateful grandmother and her grandchildren in just four-and-a-half days. First Presbyterian Church of Kinston has already invited our team back, if only for a couple of days. Judy said this has happened only once before in all of the fourteen trips we have conducted. Great job, team!
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Body & Soul Ministry
What is diabetes?
The Centers for Disease Control provides a simple explanation of what diabetes is. Here is what they say:
Diabetes is the condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood. This is why many people refer to diabetes as "sugar." https://www.cdc.gov/media/presskits/aahd/diabetes.pdf
Statistics about diabetes:
- 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes in 2015 (the last year for which statistics are available). Of these, about 7.2 million adults were undiagnosed.
- The incidence of diabetes rises as one ages. About 25.2% of adults age 65 and over, or about 12 million seniors, have diabetes -- either diagnosed or undiagnosed.
- 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
- Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2015, with 79,535 death certificates listing it as the direct cause of death, and a total of 252,806 death certificates listing diabetes as the direct or a contributing cause of death.
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His Kids News
OUR NEXT CLUB 4/5 MEETING IS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, AT HOPE REINS. Hope Reins pairs hurting kids with rescued horses to find hope and healing, and we'll be helping them out! All our fabulous Club 4/5 kids, their families, and their friends are invited to join us. We'll begin at 8:30, and invite you to stay for a tour at 10 AM!
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KIDS HELPING KIDS
: We have two mission partners here at WFPC that our kids can help support in very real ways. For the month of November, we are asking that our kids help collect size 5 and 6 diapers for Tri-Area Ministries and healthy, non-perishable snacks to supplement our BackPack Buddies program. There will be bins labeled for each mission in Holywood, so our kids can drop off items any time they head to the Red Mod.
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4TH/5TH GRADE SCRIPTURE READERS: If your child is interested in reading scripture during worship, please contact Katherine to sign them up! We would love to have kids read at both services, but if you're only able to do one, that's okay too! We will send you the Bible passage the week before, and Katherine or Pastor Rebekah will be available Sunday morning to practice 15 minutes before the service begins.
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FIRST FRIDAYS FOR FAMILIES! We'll meet in the CLC tonight at 6:00 for pizza. We'll show The Emoji Movie, beginning at 6:30, on the big screen. Bring blankets, beach chairs, and anything else you need to get comfortable. Please RSVP to Amy Cebrick (amycebrick@yahoo.com) by noon today. There is no charge, but we do accept donations to offset the cost of our dinner!
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UPCOMING DATES TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR:
First Fridays today in the CLC
Club 4/5 on Saturday, November 4 (family workday at Hope Reins)
Screenagers on Sunday, November 5 in the CLC (see announcement above)
SHinE year-end celebration on Saturday, November 18
~Katherine Peiper, Director of Children, Families and Youth Ministries |
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Youth News
JUST A REMINDER THAT WE DO NOT HAVE OUR NORMAL YOUTH GROUP MEETINGS THIS WEEK. Join us for Screenagers! Doors will open at 5:30 and you want to get here then -- we have a big crowd coming!
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TAKE STOCK IN YOUTH: If you haven't had a chance to return your Take Stock in Youth envelopes, please do so today. You can give them to Janet or place them in her box in the admin wing. Missed out on grabbing an envelope? No worries! Place a check in an envelope of your own and turn that in... you choose the amount! Thank you for your generosity.
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WE NEED SINGERS!
All middle school and high school youth are invited to join a choir to sing at the 9:00 AM service on Christmas Eve (arriving at 8:15). Rehearsals will be on 11/8 and 11/15 from 4:45 until 5:15 in the sanctuary, and on 11/29 and 12/7 from 5:30 until 6:00 in the CLC. If you are interested or have any questions, contact Lisa Dolfi at lisadolfi@gmail.com.
~Janet Briley, Assistant Director of Youth Ministries | youth@wakeforestpres.org
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| November 5 Scripture, Sermon and Music
Our Scripture will be John 2:1-12. Pastor Rebekah Maul will share her Commitment Sunday sermon, "Fine Wine and Belief." We will also be celebrating the Sacrament of Communion.
Click here
to check out our Music Ministry's selections.
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2017 Annual Budget
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$883,212.00
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Year-to-date Budgeted (September)
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$651,159.00
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Year-to-date Actual (September)
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$622,179.57
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Year-to-date
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$28,979.43
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October Budget
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$72,351.00 |
| October Tithes and Offerings (thru 10/29/17) |
$71,056.00 |
| October 29, 2017 |
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| Tithes and Offerings |
$8,087.00 |
| Designated Gifts |
$1,638.70 |
| Debt Elimination Gifts |
$812.00 |
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Sunday School Attendance
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98 |
| 9:00 Attendance |
175 |
| 11:15 Attendance |
172 |
Debt Elimination Monthly Budget
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$12,000.00
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| Debt Elimination Received (thru 10/29/17) |
$4,524.00 |
...all shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.
Deuteronomy 16:17
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WFPC Calendar Highlights
Friday, November 3
6:15 AM |
CLC B017 | Friday Morning Men's Bible Study
6:00 PM |
CLC | First Friday for Families
Saturday, November 4
7:00 AM |
CLC Youth Room | Iron Sharpens Iron
8:00 AM |
WTB Set | Walk Through Bethlehem Workday
8:30 AM |
Hope Reins | Club 4/5
1:00 PM |
CLC | Ladies' Luncheon
Sunday, November 5
9:00 AM |
Sanctuary | Contemporary Worship
10:00 AM |
Campus Wide | Discipleship Hour
11:15 AM |
Sanctuary | Traditional Worship
5:30 PM | CLC
| Screenagers
Monday, November 6
6:00 PM |
CLC
| FaithFit
7:00 PM |
Campus Wide | Boy Scouts
all day | CLC | Elections
5:00 PM | Off Campus | HOPE Tutoring
6:45 PM |
CLC
| Praise Team Rehearsal
7:00 PM |
CLC B103 | SALT
Wednesday, November 8
5:30 PM |
CLC
| Wednesday Night Dinner
7:00 PM | Sanctuary | Chancel Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, November 9
6:00 PM |
CLC
| FaithFit
7:00 PM | CLC B017 | Diaconate
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Wake Forest Presbyterian Church
12605 Capital Blvd
Wake Forest, NC 27587
919-556-7777
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