4th Sunday of Easter: April 30

April 30

Sermon: Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
Worship Leader: Peter Pequeno
Scripture Reader: Kathy Moody
Head usher: Bob Keck
Flowers: The Harrisons
Baptism of Louise Hues Harrison

Bulletin for Sunday, April 30

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Doors will be locked when service begins for security reasons. Please knock on ramp door to be let in.

Baptism of Louise Hues Harrison

April 30

Louise is the daughter of Skyler and Nicole and sister to Mary Miles and Foster.

Work Day:

Sat., April 29, 9am-noon

In preparation for the upcoming razing of the Lighthouse and renovations to the Scout Hut, we are having a work day starting at 9am on Saturday, April 29. We will be mainly moving things into the dumpster. It would be a good idea to wear protective shoes and work gloves.

We especially need some heavy lifters. We have to dump a refrigerator among other things.

Come when you can and leave when you must.

Help for Migrant Workers

Deadline to Donate: April 30

Surry Medical Ministry is holding a toiletry drive for Migrant Farmworkers who will be in our area. Our Missions Ministry Team, along with the Beacons, will have a collection box in the foyer for the following items: (full size, not trial size please)

tooth brush and toothpaste
shampoo
shaving cream, disposable razors
sunscreen
comb and brush
soap, deodorant
hand and body lotion
feminine hygiene products

May 2: noon: Bible Study

May 7

Sermon: Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
Worship Leader: Shevaun O'Connell
Scripture Reader: Shevaun O'Connell
Head usher: Steve Yokely
Flowers: Mary Botkin
Pennies for Hunger collected
Women's Fellowship lunch/meeting following service

May 9: noon: Bible Study

May 10: 6pm: Church Security Meeting with MAPD: See article below for details

May 14: Mother's Day

Contemporary Service led by Beacons
Sermon: Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
Head usher: Steve Yokely
Flowers: Needed

May 15: 7pm Session Meeting

May 16: noon: Bible Study

May 21

Sermon: Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
Worship Leader: David Rives
Scripture Reader: David Rives
Head usher: Steve Yokely
Flowers: The Trotter Family

May 23: noon: Bible Study

May 28

Sermon: TBD
Worship Leader: Derek Higgs
Scripture Reader: Derek Higgs
Head usher: Steve Yokely
Flowers: Lydia Taylor

Complete Church Calendar

Worship Volunteers Needed:

There are lots of ways to get involved during Sunday morning worship. We need scripture readers, flowers for the sanctuary, greeters, nursery helpers and Little Church helpers. There are sign-up sheets in the foyer, click the button below, or contact Anna at office@fpcma.com

Volunteer

Pennies For Hunger: May 7

The first Sunday of the month we pass around yellow buckets for our Pennies for Hunger offering. You can also give to this fund through the Realm app.(click here) Just go to the giving tab and select the fund "HUNGER"

Women's Fellowship Lunch: Sunday, May 7

On Sunday, May 7 we will have a luncheon after church. If you are interested in helping organize the luncheon, please reach out to Beth Pequeno at beth.pequeno@gmail.com.

To RSVP and/or sign up to bring something, click the button below or see signup sheet on bulletin board.

Lunch Sign-up

To order the Horizons Magazine and/or devotions book for 2023, CLICK HERE.

Church Security Meeting with MAPD

Wednesday, May 10th at 6pm

A meeting with officers of the Mount Airy Police Department has been scheduled for Wednesday night, May 10th at 6:00pm in the Sanctuary. It is crucial that we have at least one person from each family in attendance.

We will be discussing new security measures being implemented at FPCMA going forward. Please make plans to attend this important meeting. It should last approximately an hour.

Childcare will be provided.

Prayer List

Please keep the following people in your prayers:

Ginny Collins, Bob Chilton, Paul Walters, Brian Minter, Jordan Tucker, Bill Rountree, Legh Beal, Antonio, Jim and Janice Younger, Jean Arrington, Ron Atkins, Becky Lyons, Terri Keck, Pam Church, Kathryn Benfer, Wendy Bryd, Mariah Tate

If you have a prayer request, contact Anna in the church office or email office@fpcma.com.

For more information about our Children's Ministry, contact Loida Slate at loida@fpcma.com

Godly Play (ages 3 - 2nd grade) and Faith Friends (3rd-5th grade)

We will meet for a weekly Bible lesson and fellowship time together on:

Wednesdays: 5-6:30pm

in the Scout Hut

Note: No meeting on the 10th due to the security meeting.

Beacon News:

April 30, May 7, 21, 28: 5pm: Scout Hut: Meet for Bible study and fellowship time together.

Meal providers: needed

No meeting on May 14 in observance of Mother's Day. Enjoy some time with your mom.

Beacons will be learning about death and resurrection with Mr. Bob Moody, at Moody’s Funeral Home, time and date TBA.

Sunday, May 14: Mother’s Day - Beacons will be leading in a contemporary worship service with Rev. Fritz.

Meals for the Beacons

The Beacons are looking for people to provide light suppers for their meetings on Sunday evenings. If you are willing to be a supper host, click the button for available dates and more details.

Meals for Beacons

Montreat and Massanetta Conferences:

Payments are now due for Montreat conference, and the first payment will be due soon for those who are going to Massanetta. Loida will be in touch with parents to update you on cost and due dates. Please reach out to her if you have any questions. We are in need of an adult, male chaperone to go on the Massanetta trip.

Massanetta Middle School Conference Center is near Harrisonburg, VAand is for our 6th-8th grade Beacons, We will go Tuesday July 18 through Friday July 21st. Approximate cost will be $450 per student.

Montreat High School Youth Conference is in Montreat, NC and is for rising 9th graders to 2023 graduates. We will goSunday, July30th to Saturday, August 5th. The approximate cost will be $600 per person.

Lunchtime Bible Study

Every Tuesday, Dr Ritsch offers an hour long Bible study starting at noon.

We are currently studying the Gospel of Mark.

Bring a lunch if you’d like as we discuss what both scholarship and our hearts tell us as we study God’s word.

To date this calendar year, we have received $57,806.50 of $176,206 that has been pledged for the year. Our March total receipts came to $9,420.50, while our total expenses came to $13,926.68.

Calling all toddlers ages one and two! Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year begins March 1st! Please contact Mary Alice at firststeps@fpcma.com for an application. A one-time, nonrefundable enrollment fee of $150 is due with the application.Classes will fill up quickly, so don't wait to reserve a spot!

First Steps needs substitutes! If you are a lover of little ones, and open to spending an occasional morning substituting, please reach out to Director Mary Alice Leonard at firststeps@fpcma.com.

Support our Children's Ministries by Helping Fund Much Needed Renovations

in Memory of Shasta Bode Brown

The Renovations Committee has decided what needs to be renovated at the Scout Hut which houses our children's ministry activities including Godly Play, Faith Friends, and the Beacons. There is also a sub-committee looking at redoing the playground since these groups use it as well as First Steps.

Improvements include:

painting interior and exterior
new roof and fix drainage issues (this is an urgent need)
new flooring, remove stage
renovate kitchen and bathrooms
add WiFi (completed in March)
new lighting (if Duke Power reimburses 80%)
re-landscape area for playground and change fencing
new playground equipment (grant being applied for)
providing area for older kids to play
Lighthouse- raze and clean up

It is estimated that all the renovations will cost around $84,000 for improvements to the Scout Hut. In addition, the Lighthouse will be burned as practice for the fire department and the clean up will cost around $15,000. The group looking into replacing the current playground equipment and fencing is trying to keep the cost around $25,000 and is looking into grants to offset the cost.

We received a $10,000 donation to renovate the interior of the Scout Hut and have another $10,000 pledged. We especially need to have this funded soon so work can be completed over the summer.

If you would like to donate, please write a check and put "Scout Hut Reno" in the memo line. We are in the process of setting up a way to give online.

**We are doing these improvements, not only because they are desperately needed, but to honor the children's ministry of Shasta Bode Brown who touched the lives of so many of us. We are working on how to commemorate this project and will start referring to the Scout Hut as the Lighthouse, which was a name created by Shasta and her first Beacons. We will plan an event to make it official.

Questions? Talk to Gene Rees, Blanton Youell, Loida Slate or Beth Pequeno.

Items for Sale

Yard Sale to Help Pay for Renovations: online through June

We will have an online yard sale just for our members and friends for the next couple of months. Click the button to see what we're selling. Items will be added as we get them.

We are still trying to have a small in-person yard sale as well. If you have items we could sell that are valued at over $10, let Beth Pequeno or Loida Slate know and we'll make arrangements to meet you at the Scout Hut. No clothing donations please.

Vacation Bible School:

June 26-28

Jerusalem Marketplace

We will take a trip back in time to the Holy Land, and experience what it looked and felt like to live during bible times! We will have a kickoff Sunday on June 25th, and a lunch to follow worship that day.

Contact Loida if you would like to volunteer.

Support Our Area Charities

Baskets are located in the foyer for donations of non-perishable food for both agencies. Helping Hands also accepts paper products and toiletries.

Please note that the government has returned to pre-pandemic support, so Second Harvest has reduced the amount of food given to our local pantries. They are struggling to meet the needs of our neighbors in need.

This month's special requests are:

Yokefellow:

Spaghetti noodles and sauce
Ramen noodles
Mayonnaise

Helping Hands:

canned fruit
canned protein (chicken, tuna, etc.)
tomato sauce
oil and sugar

Shepherd's House: Coffee

Books Needed

The Missions Ministry Team is working on a project for The Shepherd's House, Helping Hands, and Surry Medical Ministries to provide children with books to keep. We need new and gently used books for children (all ages), young adults, and adults. Spanish books or simple books to help learn English would be extremely helpful. There will be a box for donations in the foyer. Contact Beth Pequeno (beth.pequeno@gmail.com) if you have questions or would like to help with this project.

Adult Sunday School:

Odds and Ends: This is our longest established class and it meets every Sunday at 10am in the classroom located at the end of the long hallway upstairs.

May Birthdays

5/3 Jackson Heath

5/4 Charlotte Banfield

5/7 Will Sheppard

5/14 Ginny Collins

5/17 Legh Beal, Evan Bush, Theresa Minter

5/21 Bill Rountree

5/23 Jenny Cooke, Shevaun O'Connell

5/25 Kelsey Carlisle, Les Slate

5/27 Ben Heath

5/28 Claire Youell

5/31 Mae Daniels

May

Anniversaries

5/14 David and Marinda Rives

5/17 Drew and Wendy Clabough 5/21 Will and Christie Sheppard 5/22 Lee and Mae Daniels

5/25 Luke and Lizzie Morrison

5/26 Bobby and Sylvia Chilton

5/26 David and Melissa Whitfield

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

9-8-8 is the new three-digit dialing code to reach help for suicide and crisis help across the United States. Please help to spread the word about this very important topic, and encourage anyone you know who may need help to dial 9-8-8. Texting is also an option.