What's Coming Up!
Read an informational letter from Walt McCanless: HERE.
Friday
August 7, 2020

What's coming up this weekend...
Sunday - Coffee Hour at 10:00 am (link below)
Sunday - Worship Video (to be sent early Sunday morning)
PLEASE READ WALT'S LETTER REGARDING OFFICE HOURS THIS MONTH &
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR OUR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMS THIS FALL!
PRAYERS:

Kathie Gazda, Linda Miller; Nancy Chambers; Jane Bauer's grandaughter; Judy McClanahan and family; Christy Smith’s daughter, Stacey; Walt’s daughter Emily’s soon to be mother-in-law, Mrs. Crabtree; Howard Murphy; Jan Chandler; Susan Patterson’s daughter, Andi; Lynne Snider; Bill Clewis; Barbara Kinniburgh; Judy McClanahan’s daughter-in-law, Nicole McCoy; Ken Kilpatrick; Ed Day's sister, Margie; Jim & Michele Day; Francis Davis and her son, Pete; Lynette Sisson upon the passing of her mother, Lorna Centofanti; Chris Peace on the loss of friend, Scott; the Neisler family.

For our Preschool leaders, teachers, parents and students as they pray and work hard to open school safely this year.

COVID-19 REGATHERING INFORMATION:

Small group gatherings can resume outdoors and indoors at PPC in the Christian Life Center Gym. Scheduling of all gatherings should be through the church office. E-mail the facilities coordinator here. Small group gatherings will need to fill out a facilities request form found here.

Leaders of PPC Small Group Meetings (Sunday school classes, circles, men’s groups, book clubs, etc.) may find a written copy of the relevant PPC COVID-19 Mitigation Measures to be observed by clicking here. All group leaders are encouraged to maintain a confidential list of attendees at each meeting for at least 30-days after such time, the list may be destroyed.

In-person Gatherings of Small Groups Affiliated with PPC (AA, Scouts, etc.) also should be scheduled through the church office and are coordinated by the Usage Subcommittee. Group leaders of these affiliates are encouraged to maintain a confidential list of attendees for each meeting for at least 30-days after such time, the list may be destroyed. The Application and Agreement to Use Church Facilities for the 2020-21 year may be found here.

All current PPC COVID-19 information is available for download on our website here.



UPCOMING IN-PERSON EVENTS/GATHERINGS

August 20, (6:30 PM), ESTHER, (CLC GYM)
August 26, (7:00 PM), PPC BOOK CLUB, (CLC GYM)
September 9, (7:00 PM), WEDNESDAY NIGHT CIRCLE, (OUTDOORS/COURTYARD)



If you have any ZOOM (Virtual) Events that you or your ministry area would like listed, please send the date/time/link to our devoted Office Staff.
FALL WOMEN’S LUNCHEON
ANNOUNCEMENT & REQUEST

Much like the rest of our lives right now, the Annual Fall PPC Women’s Luncheon won’t look like we expected it to look. A decision as to how it will take place (either virtually or outside/socially distant) will be made closer to time in accordance with plans established by Session and the Regathering Task Force. However, this does not mean that we can’t connect with one another in a meaningful way. We would like to use the Fall PPC Women’s Luncheon to hear from some of your stories. If you are interested in sharing, please submit your story in writing first (to be shared aloud either live or pre-recorded on the day of the event). While we would like the general theme to be joy, there are many ways to expand on this theme (joy in sorrow, finding the meaning of joy, joy in waiting, surprised by joy, to name a few). Please aim for your story to be no longer than five minutes when shared aloud.  Please e-mail your submission to either Jessica Jacks-Turkas or Courtney Ritchie by September 1st. As we get closer to the luncheon, we will make further announcements as to the luncheon’s structure and format. Thank you in advance for your contribution to making this event a success.
FACES MASKS!

A local company has recently begun manufacturing surgical masks. Because the machines and operators are new, they have a number of imperfect products that can’t go to doctors and hospitals. We’ve been given several large bags to go through and sort.
The ones that are intact will go to Home of Hope, an orphanage in Guinea. Some only need the elastic to be attached in one corner.

It should be an easy task to sit in front of the TV with a needle and thread and take a few stitches to make a functional mask.
The repaired masks will go to tent city and other organizations who need donations.

If you’re interested in sorting or sewing please contact Gale Kinney and she'll gladly bring them to you!
FOOD/SUPPLY DONATIONS REQUEST!

If bringing food/supplies to the CLC for donation to QC Family Tree or other organizations, please do not leave food/supplies outside the door. Use the furtherest right door in front of the CLC and the code 28031 to enter. Please leave food/supplies inside the lobby of the CLC. We have had numerous critters eating our outreach supplies when left outdoors. Thank you for your help and support.
For a little PPC Garden video showing the different types of bees and wasps enjoying our Mountain Mint, visit HERE. Video taken by Craig Veazey.
THE GLEANING GARDEN
#11 in a series of articles by
Anne Wood

Statues and Real People
 
“Before you speak of peace, you must first have it in your heart."
-Francis of Assisi

If you take a walk around the perimeter of the old ball field, now the Wildlife Habitat, apiary, and gardens, you will pass the Nancy Rea and Frances Davis Advent Herb Garden. Right in the middle of the rosemary and thyme is a little statue of St. Francis of Assisi that silently marks the advent herb garden. The Advent garden has been moved to its present location by Suzy and Craig Veazy so that it gets good sun and can thrive. Nancy and Frances once decorated the Advent wreath in the sanctuary with herbs they grew and dried. Nancy Rea died in 2013 and Frances continued the tradition for a few more years. She once led a workshop and wrote a booklet on “The Making of the Herbal Advent Wreath for Providence Presbyterian Church” to teach us the significance of the herbs and how to care for them.

Many other people have contributed to the success of pollinator field and gardens. Tim Good brought his huge Kuboto tractor to the field one year and plowed the gleaning garden, just as Willie Rea and Jack Matthews have done, turning the soil over for a good smooth start to the season.

Not all gardeners are members of Providence. When word gets out that we have available plots, it’s just a matter of meeting them at the garden, showing them around and having them fill out a liability waiver and agree to share their produce. As long as we have space, we welcome anyone to come and plant things and be part of our community of growers. One woman only speaks Chinese and every year her daughter and son-in-law help her have a bountiful garden. I have learned to say “Nihao” and “xie xie” to say hello and thank you. God’s people speak so many languages!

We have gardeners of all ages too. Jim Rorie is our elder statesman of the Providence gardens and never stops thinking of ways to make things more accessible and easy for everyone. In addition to the wonderful watering system we now have, Jim installed a low voltage electric fence to deter deer, even though Daisy found a new born fawn under some squash leaves recently! Jim and his team also put up a gate to the road leading to the field to deter those who couldn’t resist an open field to try out their 4 wheel drive vehicles!

There is also a young man who has the gardening fever. Wyatt Williamson is the grandson of Diane and Duane Baker and great grandson of Mosie Grotophorst. At eleven years old, he already signs up to volunteer to pick and deliver vegetables from the gleaning garden. He is so enthusiastic and you can see how proud he is to show off the bounty he picked in one day (see photo above).

The Providence Garden is a win-win-win endeavor. The church community wins in having this mission outreach. People who work in their gardens win the pleasure of growing thing to eat and share. And those who receive the gift of fresh produce win in knowing that Providence Presbyterian cares for them with God’s abundant love.

-C O M M U N I C A T I O N-

Have something to say in our next What's Coming Up edition? E-mail our PPC communications team in advance of Wednesday 12:00 pm, and we'll help you out.

Be on the lookout for Weekly Devotions from the leadership of our church community. Read this week's devotion here.

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