BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT:

Congratulations to Leslie Winner and Jerry Postema on the birth of a grandchild. Leslie’s daughter (Jerry’s stepdaughter), Lily Schorr and her husband, Mike Goldstein, welcomed Dorothy Ann Schorr into this world on May 22. 

Congratulations to Bob and Sheila Breitweiser on the birth of twin great-grandsons. Henry Thomas Hannigan and William Robert Hannigan were born in Charlotte on May 22 to Bob and Sheila’s eldest grandchild, Madeline King Hannigan.

Concerns: 

• Marie Sappenfield is recovering at home following hip surgery.
• Bet Lawson will have knee surgery this week.
• Cathy Guajardo is recovering from a fall.



Click HERE to see other prayer concerns.

Thank you to Mickey Velkey for organizing another Daytimers' Luncheon at Bullocks Barbeque on May 23.

On Sunday, May 21, new officers were ordained and installed.

Ruling Elders

Jon Abels

#Jennie Alwood

#Gordon Campbell

#Amy Dillon

Alice Raney

Katharine Whitmore

Deacons

#Rachel Bethune

Teddie Brown

Andy Henry

Kathryn Murchison

#Mary Ashley Rose

#ordained

The new Clerk of Session is

Jane Wettach.

We wish to thank the Class of 2023 officers and Johanna Bernhardt (Clerk of Session) for their service during the pandemic. Well done!

This summer, the children's class will meet from 9:45-10:45 a.m. as a one-room schoolhouse. The theme is "Journey with Jesus."

Faith and Community Class

Lectionary Class

Join us each Sunday at 9:45 in the Robert Daye (East) Parlor for discussion of the lectionary readings.

on June 4 (Trinity): St. Patrick wrote "I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the threeness, through confession of the oneness of the Creator of Creation." How can we understand the paradox and the power of trinity? Are there clues in scripture to help us resolve threeness versus oneness?

on June 11: Quoting the prophet Hosea, Jesus told his questioner that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. How did Jesus exemplify that mercy? How can we follow his example?

MnMs (Meaning in the Middle) Fellowship - Summer Plans

We encourage the 9:45 a.m. in-person class to attend the other adult classes being offered this summer.

8:00 p.m. Zoom time will meet for a time of fellowship and check-in for the four Sundays in June. We'll send out the link each week. If you have been attending in-person at 9:45 a.m. feel free to pop in as you can this summer. We will be taking the month of July off.

We'd love for folks to plan some spontaneous pop-up in-person activities throughout the summer. Given enough time, John can advertise on social media for us.

YOUTH CALENDAR SUMMER 2023

Appalachia Service Project

(High School) – June 11-17

CROSS Missions (Middle School)

– June 18-23

Massanetta Middle School Conference – July 18-21

Montreat Youth Conference

– July 23-29

Help retire medical debt in

North Carolina

In 2022, the Session of First Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC voted to set aside $50,000 from our capital campaign to help eliminate debt for our neighbors in NC who have been saddled with overwhelming medical bills. Our first of three campaigns raised $26,000 and paid off $5 million in medical debt in NC in Durham and other counties in NC. On May 1, 2023, we launched a second campaign which targets the counties with the greatest number of people of color in their boundaries (including Wake, Guilford, Forsyth, and Mecklenburg). 

Please share the link below with anyone who wants to eliminate medical debt for our eligible neighbors in NC.

Link to give: 

https://ripmedicaldebt.org/campaign/building-beloved-community/

Small Group Dinners

Are Coming

In response to our recent fellowship survey, FPC is forming dinner small groups. Dinner small groups are intergenerational, and all are welcome. The groups will meet six times a year, approximately, and we are hoping participants will commit to the group for one year. This will be a time for fun and fellowship. We will gather in homes or at church for potlucks or at restaurants.

Please sign up

 (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0c4ca5ab2dab9-first2#/) for the times that you are interested in gathering and indicate the number of people. Groups will be formed and notified in the next few weeks. 

If you are willing to serve as a group coordinator for scheduling, please indicate in the comments. Please feel free to reach out to Deborah Momsen-Hudson: dmomsenhudson@gmail.com for more information.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE INSIGHTS WITH THE THRIVING CONGREGATIONS COMMITTEE

This campaign is only interested in collecting your perspective and insight. If you are not able to make any of the available dates, please email Janefrancesbrown@gmail.com to let her know. We are going to be scheduling more sessions in the Fall and want to gauge interest.

You should voice anything you think is vital to take First Presbyterian into God’s work for us, your insights, what you see, and are called to in your heart.

Thank you. CLICK TO SIGN UP!

Volunteers needed. Contact Jen if you can serve.

Jen McGonigle - 202-421-5870

UMD opportunities:

 https://umdurham.org/volunteer/

Sunday, June 4

11:00 a.m.

Worship & Communion

Esther Hethcox, preaching

We will acknowledge our Class of 2023 graduates

during worship.

Communion Servers needed for this Sunday, June 4.

Sign up using this link.

Friday, June 2,

8:00 AM

Men of Faith

Breakfast Fellowship

(at Mad Hatter Café) 

Join us for a

Day of Service

at Iglesia Emanuel



Saturday, June 3

Sign up link

Let's kick off the summer with a perfect combination of service and fun! Bring the family and invite your friends to help stock the shelves of the Emanuel Food Pantry with lots of bags of rice and beans. We continue to serve close to 650 families every week. All contributions of muscle, energy and joyful spirits are welcome! We will be working under the trees in the Iglesia Emanuel parking lot, 2504 N Roxboro. Please sign up for one or more shifts.

Presbyterian Women will hold an end of the year picnic on Monday, June 5 at the home of Linn Lopez. Time TBA.

“Birding in Southern India”

Many tourists to India (birders and others) spend most or all of their time in the northern part of the country, visiting New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and maybe the foothills of the Himalayas. But there are lots of great birds and mammals, along with culture and scenery, to be found in the south. Our members David and Judy Smith spent three weeks last fall in southern India and returned with many memories and photos, which they will share in a slide show on Tuesday, June 6, at 7:15 in Watts-Hill Hall.  If you’re interested in a Zoom option, please contact David.

AI: Theological Implications of the coming age

June 14, 5:00 p.m.

Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

219 Hood Street, Durham

Join Eric Wiebe and Mindy Douglas for a conversation about the theological implications of AI.

First Friends June Event

Saturday, June 17

Andy & Cherrie Henry will host a Kaffeeklatsch at 9:30 AM at their home. Stay tuned to more details.

The May 27 grounds workday has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 24 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Contact Barbara Buckley if you would like to help.

CHURCH OFFICE VOLUNTEERS

The church office is still in need of weekday volunteers. If you are interested in a half-day (4-hour) shift, sign up on the OPEN SHIFTS scheduler. To learn more about this important ministry, contact Sarah Wright at 919-218-7890.

COMMUNION SERVERS NEEDED

Would you like to help with communion during worship? We have need for communion preparers and servers (serving communion is not limited to elders and deacons!).  

July - December 2023

Sign up here.

If you are interested but would like to have more information or some instruction before volunteering, please contact Mary Ann Compton (919-363-8822).  

MEDIA VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

 The audio and video streaming consoles at the back of the sanctuary are operated by volunteers, and we need more. The equipment may look intimidating, but training and mentoring is provided. If you’re not afraid of technology and are interested, please speak to one of the operators on any Sunday. Middle school and high school youth are particularly welcome.

SHARING WORSHIP FLOWERS WITH THOSE WE LOVE

Visiting someone after worship? Please take them a bouquet, courtesy of the FPC Diaconate! About 10 minutes after worship--after you're done shaking the preacher's hand!--please head to the kitchen to pick up a beautiful bouquet of flowers, arranged by the Deacons. Please tell the Deacon arranging the flowers who you are taking them to, so we don't take duplicates. Thank you for spreading the beauty of God's creation--these flowers bring joy to those unable to attend worship, recovering from illnesses, 

grieving, celebrating or simply in need of the reminder they are loved by their church and God. Please email Brianna Bennett or Esther Hethcox with any questions. Thank you!

SERVICE & MISSION

FRESH VEGETABLES AVAILABLE FROM

SANKOFA FARM

First Presbyterian, through the Creation Care Committee, is once again participating in a community supported agriculture (CSA) project with Sankofa Farms in Orange County.

HOW IT WORKS:

The boxes of vegetables will be delivered to First Pres every Thursday afternoon, beginning May 18, and be available for pickup between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. in the church foyer. This cycle will run for six weeks, from May 18-June 22. Other pick up options include Thursday evenings at Westminster Presbyterian from 6:00-7:30, and Saturday mornings at the Hillsborough Farmers Market from 8:00-12:00.

THE COST: $35 per week for a full share and $25 for a half share. 

For the full six weeks it is $210 for a full share and $150 for a half share. 

Shop for vegetables: www.sankofafarms.com.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Tom Bacon,

George or Johanna Bernhardt, Cris Rivera, or Larry

Brockman.