The Lex Pres Summer worship schedule will begin on June 6 with worship beginning at 10AM.

During the Summer months there will be no children's, youth, or A.S.K. Sunday School classes.

Koinonia will continue to meet at 8:45AM on Zoom.

August 1, 2021

Sermon: The Bread of Life

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 51:1-12

New Testament Reading: John 6:24-35

Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome

Worship Assistant: Maurine Houser

August 8, 2021

Sermon: Darkness is the New Light

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 130

New Testament Reading: John 6:35, 41-51

Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome

Worship Assistant: Liz Shupe

August 15, 2021

Sermon: The Babushka Factor

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

New Testament Reading: Acts 20:28-32

Preacher: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle

Worship Assistant: Tom Goodale

August 22, 2021

Sermon: Faith... a Credible Substance

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 84

New Testament Reading: John 6:56-69

Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome

Worship Assistant: Hardin Marion

August 29, 2021

Sermon: Practice What You Hear

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 15

New Testament Reading: James 1:17-27

Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome

Worship Assistant: Youth

Please check our weekly newsletter for more information on worship services.

Doors Opening Wider!

In-person early worship is returning to Brady Chapel on 19 September, 2021, at 8:45. We welcome our regulars and invite new participants. Features of this service include an informal and easy-going atmosphere with lively music and weekly communion. Never fear, you will hear the same inspiring sermon from the pastor in addition to a unique meditation by a lay leader.

Come join us!

Christian Education programs at Lex Pres seeks to provide a broad range of opportunities for spiritual growth through which we can deepen our faith, live more fully into the new life we have in Christ, and live more faithfully in our relationships and vocations.

*All classes will meet at 9:45 AM in person and begin on September 18 unless otherwise noted.

Adult Sunday School Class Offerings

Ask Class

The ASK Class (Ask, Seek, Knock) will be taking up the exciting (if a bit daunting!) task of “Understanding the New Testament.” Our teacher will be David Brakke, who holds the Joe R. Engle Chair in the History of Christianity and is a Professor of History at Ohio State University. We will view him on video from The Great Courses. The half-hour lectures will leave us with another 30 minutes each week to discuss what we have heard. Dr. Brakke begins the series with a discussion first, of how the New Testament came to assume its form of 27 books, and second, of the Jewish origins that formed Jesus’ own religious background and against which Christianity developed. He then proceeds to talk about the books of the New Testament in the order of their composition, beginning with the letters of Paul. This chronological examination results in an understanding of the history, thinking, and practices of the early church. This will be a fascinating course that will help us to better understand our own faith and its traditions. Come join us in Room 113! 

This class is facilitated by Ann Massie and will meet in-person each Sunday at 9:45 AM. For more information, email Ann @ massiea@wlu.edu or via Realm.

Koinonia Class

Through various written materials, this class engages in discussions that attempt to make our faith current and alive right where we are. 

This Fall the Koinonia class will read “Freeing Jesus,” by Diana Butler Bass.

Bass challenges the idea that Jesus can only be understood in static, one-dimensional ways and asks us to instead consider a life where Jesus grows with us and helps us through life’s challenges in several capacities: as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence. 

This book is an invitation to leave the religious wars behind and rediscover Jesus in all his many manifestations, to experience Jesus beyond the narrow confines we have built around him. It renews our hope in faith and worship at a time when we need it most.

This class is facilitated by Kelly-Ann Rayle and will meet in-person and on Zoom each Sunday at 9:45 AM begin October 3. For more information, email Kelly-Ann @ karayle@gmail.com or via Realm. 

Theology Class

The Theology Class promotes serious discussion of important theological issues. Everyone contributes their own views as we work to understand texts by leading theologians. All who are interested in exploring and wrestling with theological questions are welcome to attend, and particularly any new members.

This fall the group will “re-start” the H. Richard Niebuhr book, The Responsible Self. The great theologian's delineation of the principles and fundamental character of the moral life focuses on the idea of responsibility as a guiding ideal.

This class is facilitated by Lad Sessions and meets each Sunday at 9:45 AM in room D-5. For more information, email Lad @ lad.sessions@gmail.com or via Realm.

Parents of School-Aged Children and Young Adult Class

Our curriculum for the 2021-22 year is PC (USA)’s “Feasting on the Word”, based upon the Revised Common Lectionary. Each week we will explore a different bible passage aligned with the lectionary and with the children's Sunday School classes. We will discuss the implications of the passage for our lives and share our common experiences as parents. There is no homework or outside reading associated with this class and all the lessons can stand on their own allowing for those with busy schedules to come as they are able to do so. The class will meet in the library and will begin a few minutes after Children's Sunday school starts and will end in time for us to pick up our children from their classes.

This class is facilitated by Abbott Keesee and will meet in-person each Sunday @ 9:50 AM in the Church Library, room 111. For more information, email Abbott @ abbottkeesee@gmail.com or via Realm.

Children Sunday School Classes

Pre K-K

Our Sunday School class for preschoolers and kindergartners introduces children to our Faith through Bible stories, prayer, songs, games, crafts, coloring, and even Play-Doh! The Beginner’s Bible and its accompanying curriculum is the foundation of the class, and each family will receive a copy of this easy-to-read and colorfully illustrated Bible.

This class will be under the direction of Nancy Bidlack and taught by various members of our Sunday School Teaching Team and meets each Sunday @ 9:45 AM in the Preschool classroom. For more information, email Nancy Bidlack @ nancybidlack@hotmail.com or via Realm.

Faith Village Grades 1-5

Faith Villagers in Grades 1 through 5 will join for Bible stories, singing, faith activities, crafts, prayer and a sense of service. We explore the stories given to us in Scripture, our purpose as God’s children in this community and the world, and the meaning of our friendship with each other and with Jesus Christ.

Our curriculum for the 2021-22 year is PC (USA)’s “Feasting on the Word”, based upon the Revised Common Lectionary. This allows us to connect with the day’s sermon and adult classes, so that families may talk together at home about the day’s lessons. 

This class will be under the direction of Poppy Orendorf and taught by various members of our Sunday School Teaching Team and meets each Sunday @ 9:45 AM in the Faith Village Classroom. For more information, email Poppy Orendorf @ orencorp@verizon.net or via Realm.

Youth Sunday School Class

Youth Sunday School offers middle and high schoolers the opportunity, through study and fellowship, to learn what it means to be a follower of Christ in today's world and build community.

This fall the group will engage in the BE BOLD curriculum published by Group Publishing. The BE BOLD curriculum offers our youth an adventure of affirmation and exploration by focusing on embracing and validating the tough faith questions youth often wrestle with during their unique season of life.

Join us as we journey and explore what it means to BE BOLD in faith, fearless in life, and make an important difference as they serve the class, church, and community.

This class will be led by Andy Coffey and his Teaching Team and will meets each Sunday @ 9:45 AM in the Youth Sunday School, D-2. For more information, email Andy Coffey @ acoffey@lexpres.org or via Realm.

Mid-Week Class Offerings

Campus Ministry Class

We are excited to offer this new class for our local college community. Using the new PCUSA curriculum This class intends to study what it means to free people to live their Reformed faith by remembering, reclaiming, and rearticulating what we believe about who God is and who we are so the patterns of our lives embody the liberating love and grace of Jesus Christ.

This class will be facilitated by Kelly-Ann Rayle and will meet each Thursday evening for dinner @ 5:45 PM in Dunlap Fellowship Hall and study and reflection @ 6:15 PM in room D-2. For more information, email Kelly-Ann Rayle @ karayle@gmail.com or via Realm.

Leah Circle

Are you familiar with Circles in the Presbyterian world?

• A Circle is group of women who meet for fellowship, sometimes a mission, bible study and other interests or activities.
• Circles are not what one thinks of a traditional Christian Education environment, though it is a wonderful place to learn. Circles are groups that build community, affirm women’s calls to leadership and spiritual growth, raise concerns, and channel information throughout the church. They are a great way for women to connect with one another in a smaller, more intimate setting.
•  A Circle is a place where faith is nurtured, and growth takes place through worship, study, friendship and outreach.

The Leah Circle meets meet monthly from September through June, in person, during the day. Meetings are held at the church on the second Wednesday of each month at 2:00 pm. There are about 30 members in total but generally about half that number attend any given meeting. Ruth Circle membership has declined so they have been invited to join Leah Circle. Everyone enjoys the fellowship and bible study. There is no firm structure to the Leah Circle at LexPres, and participation is welcoming and casual.

• Leah Circle has a coordinating person to handle communications and scheduling; members take turns voluntarily leading the monthly discussion that follows the Upper Room Disciplines book of daily devotions, or they address a topic/scripture/reading that is current and relevant. In the past, Ruth Circle followed the Presbyterian Women’s bible study book so some combination of that and Upper Room Disciplines will likely evolve.
• Leah Circle also has some specific projects they coordinate (Christmas cookie baking/delivery to shut ins, Jesse Tree, and a few members participate in the Habitat Women’s Build).
• The Circle takes a voluntary monetary contribution; decisions about spending and need are jointly determined by members.

It is in our Circles that church acquaintances become good friends and a support group. Feel free and welcome to visit Leah Circle to see if it fits your time and interests. Reach out to Debbie Pollard (703) 919-1386 or via Realm if you would like more information. The day, time, and place of this gathering is TBD.

Lectio Divina Bible Study

Lectio Divina is the practice of reading scripture, meditating, and praying. Traditionally, it has four separate steps: read, meditate, pray, contemplate. It is not intended to be a study of God's Word but rather a way for each person reading or meditating to experience God's Word for them. We invite you to experience this contemplative time of listening, meditation, and discussion with us.

This class is facilitated by Mary Ellena Ward and meets each Tuesday @ 10:00 AM in person in room 113 and on Zoom. For more information, email Mary Ellena @ meward@termineigh.com or via Realm.

 Explore Class

This class meets at various times throughout the year for three sessions to do just what the name implies, explore. We spend time considering what it means to be Christian, what it means to be a Presbyterian Christian, and finally what it means to be a member of the Lexington Presbyterian Church. This class is truly an occasion to explore. When the classes are concluded the hope is that you will choose to join this church...but that is not a foregone conclusion. Anyone interested in knowing more about our theological background is encouraged to explore together. For more information about when the class will be scheduled, contact Tom Groome @ tgroome@lexpres.org or via Realm.

Call to Worship: Opened the meeting with a Responsive Call to Worship and a unison Prayer of Adoration. Rev. Groome read a scripture and shared reflections after a time of silence.

Congregational and Sessional Data: Current membership-371 (one death and one new member). No congregational baptisms, births, or weddings. One death-Norm Jones (6/3/21). One new member-Jack Eason by letter of transfer from First Christian Church in Bowling Green, KY. Approved to have Nominating Committee form a Pastor Search Committee.

Administrative Committee: LPC finances are in good shape for now. Approved a contract extension for Rev. Groome covering September 15, 2021, to September 14, 2022. May be terminated with 60 days’ notice. Session thanked Tom Groome for his excellent service to the LPC congregation during this interim time.

Christian Education: Twenty children attended VBS 6/28-30/21. Faith Village kids and families had a pool party.  In-person Sunday School classes, nursery care, Children’s Enrichment and probably Parents’ Night Out will resume this Fall. Need teachers for classes! Youth took an intergenerational hike. Youth helped with a congregational summer cook-out at Richardson Park. Need helpers for this group as well. Adult Library has re-opened. Fred Marmorstein did an incredible job of reorganizing the library. Please donate current new/used books by diverse authors. Planning a viewing of Nomadland with discussion following. Fall Thantastic Thursday programs are being planned. Rally Day will be on September 12. Campus Ministry awarded 14 educational scholarships

Communications: Working on a Spiritual Gifts Inventory. Asks that groups request the use of bulletin boards around the church to display the work of their group.

Nominating: Worked on the list of Session Class of 2024. Gathering names for the prospect list for Pastoral Search Committee. Sent out a letter to the congregation explaining about the work of the search committee. The Presbytery CPT (Committee on Pastoral Transition) group approved the forming of our search committee. Approved Session Class of 2024 (see names below). A congregational meeting was approved for July 25 to vote on the class as well as a president for our corporation (see below). 

Outreach: Worked with representatives from other community groups regarding their work in our area and to explore how LPC could or already does fit in. LPC will participate in a Faith Build for Habitat July 20-August 14. Call the church office to sign up.

Property: The committee worked on many projects for repairs, upgrades, and construction/installation of the new audio-visual improvements for the sanctuary.

The meeting was adjourned after a Charge and Benediction by Rev. Groome.

Mary Atthowe, Clerk of Session

Congregational Meeting, July 25, 2021, following worship, Synopsis

Voted on Session Class of 2024: Debbie Pollard, Kaitlin Smith, Mary Elena Ward, Philip Blackburn, Tom Goodale, and Neely Young. Mary Elena Ward was approved to be the President of the Corporation.  

Two Bean Baked Beans

I have been asked to repost our LexPres Dressing Recipe. Your wish is my command! The second recipe is for the two bean baked beans that we had a few weeks ago. Enjoy these wonderful recipes!

- Skip Hess, Director of Culinary Ministries

This recipe was given to me by Marilyn Emrey, a longtime member of Lexington Presbyterian Church, when she moved away from Lexington.  I have used it many times for LPC dinners and I named it Lexington Presbyterian Dressing.  

Lexington Presbyterian House Dressing

Ingredients:

1 Medium White Onion (quartered)  3 Cups Vegetable Oil

1 Cup White Vinegar                         1 Cup White Sugar

1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard Seed       Parsley Flakes (pinch)

1 Tablespoon Celery Seed

Directions:

Peel onion and rough cut into quarters.   Add onion to blender along with the other ingredients and process on high until smooth. Do not use food processor as the liquid will run out around the blade.   Chill before serving. You will need to stir it up after it chills as the oil will separate from the vinegar.

This dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Two Bean Baked Beans

 Ingredients:

2 - Cans Bush’s Baked Beans (22 ounce)

1 - Can Hanover Dark Red Kidney Beans (15 ½ ounce)

4 - Slices Bacon

1 - Small Sweet Onions, diced

1 - Bell Pepper - diced (any color pepper)

2 - Cloves Garlic - minced

¼ - Teaspoon Salt

¼ - Teaspoon Pepper

2 - Tablespoons Vinegar (Apple Cider)

2 - Tablespoons BBQ Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)

2 - Tablespoons Ketchup

1 - Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 - Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine baked beans (with sauce) and red kidney beans (drained). Set aside. In a frying pan, fry the bacon until brown. Drain and chop the bacon and save the grease.

In a bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Mix well.

Add this mixture to the beans and add the onions, pepper and bacon with grease. 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes.

For best results, bake the day before, refrigerate overnight and then reheat the next day!

ARE YOU READY FOR CHOIR?

Greetings, dear friends, as we approach the beginning of a new choir cycle, which means the long awaited resumption of our regular routine of singing and ringing!

We are confident that September 2021 will see the resumption of the regular meetings of our choirs for rehearsal and fellowship, and of regular, full choir participation in worship and other aspects of the life of the church.

All of our choirs will resume activity and some point in SEPTEMBER! 

We’re still working out the details and schedules, so STAY TUNED for updates and announcements over the coming weeks.

CHOIR OPPORTUNITIES:

ADULT CHOIR – Thursday rehearsals (7:30 p.m.) will resume on September 16

CHILDREN’S/YOUTH CHOIR – Meetings will resume on/after September 19.

HANDBELL CHOIR- Rehearsals (Sundays at 7:00 p.m.) will resume on September 26.

NOW is the time to make plans to resume or return to singing or ringing, or to act on that little voice inside you saying “You should try out the choir!”

After the unexpected hiatus which the pandemic brought to so many parts of our routine and activity menu, we are all in need of REBIRTH.  This is a perfect time to bring music-making into your routine. It’s food and nurture for your spirit, and praise and glory to God!

Please contact me (wmccorkle@lexpres.org) about singing choirs, and please contact Mayumi Smitka (mayumi_smitka@yahoo.com) about handbells.

We want YOU on the music team!

Faithfully,

William McCorkle, Director of Music

Youth Ministry

August 22, 5:30pm - Video game night!

August 28 - Community Festival; Youth will be setting up games and activities

Lex Pres sends best wishes to Anna Murdock, another of our 2021 Educational Grant recipients. Anna returns to University of Richmond and is thinking of a career in law or clinical psychology.

Campus Ministry is gearing up for our students, cadets, and Rats. Rat Sunday is August 29, and we need Host Families for Fall 2021. If you are interested in making a big difference for a young man or woman, contact Liz Ramsey at 540.570.5361 or ecramsey1969@gmail.com for more information. Remember that you can share hosting with another couple or family.

The Adult Education Committee will continue its film and discussion series this month with the film Minari. Join us Wednesday, Aug. 18 for the Zoom watch party (link to come) and for our Thantastic Thursday meal and discussion on Aug. 19 at 5:45pm. More information will be made available on Realm and in our weekly newsletters.

Faith Build

The 2021 Faith Build is underway! Join fellow Lex Pres members on Tuesday and Thursday mornings through Aug. 12 to help build a home for an area family. The directions were shared in an earlier post.

No construction experience is necessary, as Debbie Pollard and Pam Luecke can attest! On their shift Thursday morning, they were taught to tie metal twisties to rebar - and their work passed a county inspection!



Sign-up sheets are outside of the Church office and Sanctuary, or contact Sandy Nye at sandybnye@gmail.com and she can provide more details.

Thank you to all who have helped and those who are signed up to help!

Thank you for your continued support, your prayers, interest, and financial support. What a privilege to have a part in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world that is hungry for good news.

Checks may be made to Lexington Presbyterian Church with "Rafiki Foundation" on the memo line or your may give online.

Summer of Song: A Concert Series

Summer of Song: A Concert Series is brought to you by the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, and was created as a way to thank Giving Catalog supporters for their generosity. Music has been missed by so many during the pandemic, with church choirs quieted and live music venues closed. This new series will celebrate the ways song brings us together as people of faith. 

The final concert on August 21 at 7 p.m. EDT will feature The Mission Musicians, Presbyterians coming together to share their belief in the power of music to spread God’s love. They will perform a selection of beloved songs. 

Lexington Presbyterian Church

120 South Main Street

Lexington, VA 24450

Phone: 540-463-3873



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