|
|
Outer Banks
Presbyterian Church
News & Notes
July 8, 2020
|
|
In This Issue:
- July 12th Worship Service
- Devotional from Rev. Moore
- Outdoor Worship Service
- Prayer Requests
- Staycation Bible School
- Church Reopening Updates
- Elder Class of 2023 Nominations
- Request for Ushers
- Assistance from Church
- OBPC on Facebook
- Online Giving
- Anniversaries & Birthdays
|
|
- Click the button above to watch worship services live streamed on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. or watch any past services on demand.
|
|
July 12th Worship Service
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.
Jesus often taught his disciples using parables, examples from everyday life that illustrated the nature of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ parables tease our imagination. When Jesus teaches about a sower who scatters seed, his disciples are confused, so Jesus explains the meaning of the parable. Jesus invites us to minister faithfully, planting seeds that God can help blossom and grow.
|
|
The flowers in the sanctuary on Sunday are given in honor of Benny and Kerrick Horton's 50th anniversary by their family.
|
|
Devotional From Rev. Dr. Jody Moore
I want to begin by expressing my gratitude to Jason Evans and the musicians who led our 12
th
annual Let Freedom Ring concert this past Sunday afternoon. A limited number of musicians offered their beautiful music to an empty sanctuary, but many people have viewed the service online. Music has the special power to inspire and uplift us as we reflect on our high calling as a nation to promote life, liberty, equality, and justice for all.
Several years ago, for one of our OBPC newsletters, I told the following story about freedom as our nation celebrated its independence. I thought that it was worth sharing again. One day, Mark Reed of Camarillo, CA was eating lunch at a small café. Mark saw a sparrow hop through the open door to peck at some crumbs near his table. When the crumbs were gone, the sparrow hopped to the window ledge, spread its wings and took flight. But the flight was very brief. It crashed against the clear windowpane and fell to the floor. The bird quickly recovered and tried again. Crash. And again. Another crash.
Mark got up and attempted to shoo the sparrow out the door, but the closer he got to the bird, the harder it threw itself against the pane. Mark nudged it with his hand. That sent the sparrow fluttering along the ledge, hammering its beak at the glass.
Finally, Mark reached out and gently caught the bird, folding his fingers around its wings and body. It weighed almost nothing. He thought of how powerless and vulnerable the sparrow must have felt. At the door he released it, and the sparrow sailed away, free and clear.
There are a lot of misconceptions about freedom. Many of us want to have the freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want. But that is not true freedom. Many of the decisions that we make are not what will set us free: our sinful choices hold us captive like the sparrow that was captive in that café. The sparrow running into the glass window makes me think about how we, when we stubbornly seek our own agenda, can end up banging our heads against the wall. God desires to show us what true freedom is. God wants to free us from sin and all that is holding us back from experiencing God’s joy and grace. Our Lord wants us to soar: will we be open to receiving the remarkable freedom that only God can provide?
Scripture: Isaiah 40:29-31
:
God gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Prayer
:
Gracious God, we thank you for the freedom that you offer us in Christ to liberate us from all that holds us captive. While we sin and fall short of your glory, you never stop reaching out to us with your forgiving grace. We pray for all who are feeling weary, particularly during this global pandemic. As we read in Isaiah, we pray for you, Lord, to renew our strength when we feel lost, anxious, or depressed. We ask for your justice and righteousness to reign in our hearts and in our world. Amen.
Peace in Christ,
Jody Moore
|
|
Outdoor Worship Service July 26!
The Session of OBPC has approved an outdoor worship service planned for the last Sunday in July--July 26th. The service will be held at 6:00 pm on the east lawn of the church, near the playground. Attendance will be limited to 50 people, including the worship leaders. Beginning next week, we will have instructions for how to sign-up to attend the service.
We will practice social distancing and face masks will be required. If you do not have a face mask, one will be provided. If you have a lawn chair and can bring it, that will be helpful. You will be instructed as to where to place your lawn chairs in order to maintain social distancing. The church building will be open for restroom use only through the door on the east side. Please
click here
for complete information about this service.
|
|
Prayer Requests for Our Church Family
Please pray for Louise Roberts, who had a heart attack on Monday, June 29th. She spent 8 days in the hospital in Greenville and went home on Tuesday, July 7th. Please pray for Louise, for Winkey, and their entire family as she recovers.
We offer prayers of Christian sympathy to Bob Messinger and his family following the unexpected death of Bob's sister, Doris Richards, after a recent diagnosis of advanced cancer.
We offer prayers of Christian sympathy to Brenda Brown and her family following the death of Brenda's mother, Blanche Amanda Robinson, on June 30th.
|
|
OBPC Staycation Bible School 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have cancelled in-person VBS for summer 2020. However, we look forward to bringing you an online experience...STAYCATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2020!
Beginning July 1, materials will be available online and outside the church for grab 'n go pickup. These materials are designed to provide your family five days of Bible stories, crafts, songs, games, and fun activities. They can be completed at your leisure to accommodate your family's summer schedule.
Join us on Facebook for updates, live sessions, photo sharing and more!! Search Facebook group: OBX PRES STAYCATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2020. For more information, e-mail Hollie Writtenberry at
holliewrittenberry@gmail.com
. Please feel free to invite anyone with children to be a part of this exciting VBS adventure!!!
|
|
Church Reopening Updates
The Covid-19 Task Force met on June 15 to evaluate current conditions and recommendations by state and local health officials. The Session reviewed and approved the Task Force's recommendations at its June 17 meeting. Below is the summary of changes to the previously issued reopening strategies. To read the entire revised plan, please
click here
.
Strategies for Re-Opening Church:
Additional Actions Taken by Session on June 17, 2020
Update to the Session Policy Approved on May 26, 2020
Key Updates Made by Session on June 17, 2020
:
A
.
The previous document allowed for in-person worship to begin sometime after June 26
th
. Now the Session has decided to have an until further notice, open-ended date for in-person worship to restart pending at least ten days of notice. Live-streaming and recorded services will continue. When Session decides to re-open the church for worship, there will be 45 seats available at each Sunday morning service, the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services. The 45-person limit includes the pastor and all others participating in the service. Five seats will be held open for visitors or walk-ins who have not pre-registered. The Session still believes that we have developed a good plan for re-opening the church when conditions merit based on science and the data from the State of North Carolina, the CDC, and Dare County.
B
.
The section on music and worship was clarified to indicate that one or two musicians and one or two soloists will be allowed to participate in worship services. Because initially there will not be congregational singing when the church re-opens, some of the congregational singing responses will be phased out to match the format that will be used when the church re-opens.
C
.
Holy Communion will continue to be done virtually on the first Sunday of the month while the church is worshiping on-line only. Once the church re-opens, the Session will consider when communion may be served in the sanctuary using the protocols approved in the original re-opening document.
D
.
Tenant groups and Bible studies will not be allowed to return until after the Session determines that they can meet, which may be when the State of North Caroline enters Phase 3 initiatives that would allow for larger groups to gather indoors. The Scouts were given permission to meet outside provided they meet outside group limits specified by the Governor.
E
.
Vacation Bible School for 2020 will be known as Staycation Bible School 2020 using a curriculum “Feet that Follow” published by the Presbyterian Outlook. Staycation Bible School is a five-day curriculum and will be held virtually through the month of July. Packets of materials for the Staycation VBS will be available at the church for those families who wish to pick up additional VBS resources.
F
.
The youth group will be allowed to travel to Montreat, NC to stay in the house that our church has rented for a “back home retreat.” Our youth group will not interact with other churches—just with youth from OBPC. Parents will sign a liability-release waiver, giving their permission for their youth to participate. While in Montreat, our youth will participate together in the on-line curriculum provided by Montreat and Massanetta Springs. The youth group will also participate in service projects through Asheville Youth Mission, which partners with Montreat, and is offering outdoor mission projects for groups of 10 or less meeting social distancing guidelines. The dates for this “back home retreat” to Montreat are July 18-25, pending the state of North Carolina moving into Phase 3 of Reopening by that date.
|
|
Nominations for Elder Class of 2023
The Nominating Committee is beginning to work on selecting 3 persons to serve as Elders for the class of 2023. An elder should be a person who is committed to their faith in Jesus Christ, is a dedicated member of Outer Banks Presbyterian Church, and works well with a team as we seek to serve the Lord. The Nominating Committee would like the help of the congregation. Ordinarily, we have placed a ballot box in the gathering space for you to indicate your suggestions. This is not possible while the building is closed, so we encourage anyone with nominations to contact directly the two elder representatives on the Nominating Committee, Bobby Gentry and Bob Messinger. You may contact Bobby G. at 757-718-8353 or
bobbygentryobx@gmail.com
and Bob M. at 252-305-9388 or
bobnance55@gmail.com
. Thank you for your thoughtful considerations!
|
|
Announcement: Ushers Needed
When we return to in-person worship, two ushers will be needed to serve at each service. The responsibilities of an usher will be a little bit different when in person worship begins. Instead of handing out bulletins, the ushers will direct worshipers to a table where they can pick up their own bulletin. Instead of passing offering plates, the ushers will point worshipers to stationary offering plates where individuals may place their gifts. One usher will now serve at the front door and one at the south door (the only doors open to enter the church). They will greet those entering and encourage them to remain six feet apart and direct them to one of the Elders at the entrance to the Sanctuary
who will
direct them to their seat.
If you would be willing to serve as an usher during this reopening process please contact Cathie in the church office. Serving as an usher during these uncertain times is a vital aspect to OBPC safely reopening. Some of our regular ushers will be unable to serve at this time, so it is important for some new people to volunteer.
|
|
Assistance from Your Church Family
Two important resources to remember during this time are our Prayer Team and our Assistance Coordinator.
- If you have any request that you would like the prayer team to lift up, please share it with the prayer coordinators. Our prayer coordinators are: Jean Basnight and Rosalyn Pugh and you may share a request with them by phone at 252-480-1028 (Home) or 252-619- 7661 (Cell).
- Elder Barbara Nock is coordinating services and requests by members and friends who need any type of assistance. Twenty-four people have volunteered to help. If you or someone you know needs assistance with groceries, pharmacy pick-up, or anything else, please contact Barbara at 252-255-5979 or nocktwice@embarqmail.com.
|
|
Do you have a Facebook account? If so, we invite you to join OBPC on Facebook. Just Click on the button at the left, log on to your Facebook account, and select "join" on the OBPC group page. Some things you will find there include:
|
|
- Announcements about the Adult Sunday School Class.
- Children's Church with Hollie.
- Posts from Pastor Jody and comments from members of the congregation.
|
|
Online Giving
There are two ways to give to the church during this temporary closure. You may mail pledges and donations to the office at PO Box 2199, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948. Or, you may give online. Just click on the Give Now button to go to our website, then click the button on the home page and follow the directions for online donations.
|
|
|
|
Birthdays this Week
- Jillian Tillett, July 11
- Kelly Bragg, July 12
- Suzanne Olejasz, July 12
- Karen Foard, July 13
- Marilyn Hinson, July 14
|
|
Outer Banks Presbyterian Church
907 S. Croatan Highway, Milepost 8.5
PO Box 2199
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
|
|
During this time of irregular office hours,
you may reach Pastor Jody or administrative staff
by calling the office at 252-441-5897 and leaving a message or by sending an email to
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
