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GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE
MORNING WORSHIP
Sunday, March 19, 2023 @ 11 am
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Sermon - "Take Heart" | Scripture reading - John 16:25-33
Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor
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both in-person and on Facebook or YouTube (click here)
Comments: We have set our YouTube channel to accept comments. If you are viewing, we ask that you say hello or to let us know you are there so we can count you as part of our attendance.
ELDER OF THE MONTH - SHERRY SNODDERLY BAILEY
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SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION | |
LENTEN THOUGHTS
In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus tells his disciples many things. We saw last week that Jesus was continuing to tell the disciples that a Helper, The Spirit of Truth, would be with the disciples. While they might not have fully understood what Jesus was talking about, Jesus wants them to find comfort in this promise. That the Spirit of Truth would glorify God in the world and through their words and deeds. This week, we hear more comforting words from Jesus to his disciples. He says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot put it out, and though there be troubles in this world, be courageous, because the peace of Christ is with us.
Yours In Christ,
Brandon
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LENTEN STUDY / SERVICES
Our weekly Lenten study with Covenant Presbyterian Church continues on Mondays through April 3rd. We are exploring what it means to be the Church by looking at a diverse group of theologians and scripture. The Study alternates between WAPC and Covenant. We hope that you will join us!
Holy Week services includes Maundy Thursday on April 6th at Covenant and Good Friday on April 7th at WAPC. Look forward to seeing you here.
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ADDITIONAL LENTEN STUDY SERIES
Meditations on Love is a meditation circle being led by Rev. Lee Clements, Becky Keeler, and Mark McCalman held each Sunday evening in Lent through April 2nd in the Jonesborough PC Fellowship Hall at 5:30 PM. These services will complement the current book study on “The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World’s Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian” by Brian McLaren. Themes for the meditations will focus on The Greatest Commandments: love for God, self, and neighbor. We invite you for prayers, scripture, singing, and silence that open our hearts to Jesus’ teachings and examples of love in action
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LOAVES & FISHES UPDATE
We have heard from Jeff Douds of West Main Street Christian Church concerning Loaves & Fishes this Saturday, March 18th. They are planning on serving indoors as they did before the pandemic. Please give Phyl Summers a call to see if she needs more helpers to prepare the food, pack and deliver it to the site. This will be their spaghetti meal with salad and cupcakes.
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
The Adult Sunday School class is currently reading and discussing Adam Nicolson's book, "God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible."
The class meets in the Poteat Library at 10 am. If you wish to join the class there is always room for one more.
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FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD
The Lunch Bunch / Meal Schedule for MARCH
March 19 @ Carrabba's (175 Marketplace Blvd, North JC)
March 26 @ Fellowship Easter Potluck Lunch
This month's potluck has an Easter theme. We want to see those meat and vegetable dishes, those salads, pastas and potatoes, along with desserts and fruit. We know all will be delicious.
IF ANYONE HAS SUGGESTIONS FOR LUNCH BUNCH DINING IN 2023, PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE SO IT CAN BE ADDED TO THE LIST!!
Please note: our annual Church in the Park Father's Day service and picnic will return this year on Sunday, June 18 at the Meredith Pavilion / Winged Deer Park.
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CHURCH DIRECTORY UPDATE
We would like for everyone (members / regular attendees / our stay-at-home members / friends of the congregation) to be included in our upcoming church directory. We would like everyone to please submit the following information so we can check it against our existing files and to issue a new directory. A deadline has been set for Sunday, April 16th. You are welcome to submit your information to us by email (office@wataugapc.org) or to drop it into the collection basket in the narthex.
NAME: ______________________________________________________________
CURRENT ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE: (LAND) __________________________ (MOBILE) ___________________________
EMAIL: __________________________________________________________________________
BIRTHDATE: (MO. / DAY) _____________________
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING WEEK | |
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Thursday, March 16, 2023
3 pm Green Team (via Zoom)
Saturday, March 18, 2023
9:30 am Loaves & Fishes preparation at WAPC
3:30 pm Loaves & Fishes serving @ West Street Main Street Christian Church
Sunday, March 19, 2023 - Fourth Sunday in Lent
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "God's Secretaries" by Adam Nicolson
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Carrabba's
2 pm Afternoon walk at Willow Springs Park (located off West Walnut & Huffine Road)
5 pm Lenten Meditations on Love @ Jonesborough PC Fellowship Hall
Monday, March 20, 2023
6 pm Lenten Study 4 @ Covenant PC Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
5:30 pm Worship Team meeting in Sanctuary
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, March 26, 2023 - Fifth Sunday in Lent
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "God's Secretaries" by Adam Nicolson
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:15 pm Fellowship Easter Potluck Lunch
5 pm Lenten Meditations on Love @ Jonesborough PC Fellowship Hall
Monday, March 27, 2023
6 pm Lenten Study 5 @ WAPC Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
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GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE: | |
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[2023 Annual Budget - $ 177,600
Budget through March 17, Week #11 ($37,569)
Receipts $ 72,205.49
Disbursements -$ 34,072.97
Balance $ 38,132.52
We will be receiving the ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING special offering
on EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 9th.
We hope that you will give to One Great Hour of Sharing, and join in God's call to share our read with the hungry, to aid and shelter people overcoming catastrophe and conflict , and to resource communities working to cast off the bonds of poverty and oppression.
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MARCH BIRTHDAYS
March 21 - Rev. Bob Lowry
MARCH ANNIVERSARIES
March 20 - Phil & Marsha Brandt
The Chancel flowers were
given in memory of Doris Martin
and in honor of Karen Martin.
This beautiful new silk arrangement
was created by Camilla Lyle
and was a gift of Jean Darling.
PLEASE NOTE: THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY
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For Friends
Susan Turner (fractured ribs); Karen Martin and family in the loss of her mother, Doris Martin; Sally Gerhardt (in rehab); Beth Gerhardt's friend Teri Chapa and son, Ormar Torres; Jonathan Sharp; Michelle Browning's step-father, Rick Elm; Fred Burrell; Janice Hollingshead; Ginger Helm's brother, Larry Ray Davis (pancreatic cancer); Don Loughry; George, Jo & Nikki Rolling; Rev. Maggie Lauterer; Stephen Patrick's cousin, Linda Strock (on hospice); Sue Shanks' friend Judy Klein; Sarah Suptin; church neighbor, Dorothy Harvey; Kelly Hodges.; Edna Campbell.
UPDATE on Sally (no longer in Mars Hill) - new transitional address - Givens Estates (Skilled Nursing & Short Term Rehabilitation), 600 Barrett Lane, Asheville, NC 28803. Currently in Room 208 and phone 828-552-5829.
Prayers for others
Continue to pray for the four major ongoing international crises: the Turkey-Syria earthquake; Sao Paulo, Brazil flooding; the Horn of Africa hunger crisis and the Ukrainian Humanitarian Crisis. These emerging crises also need our prayers: fire in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, Bangladesh; flooding in Malaysia; severe storms across the Southern U.S.; and the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu that suffered two tropical cyclones (Kevin & Judy) and a 6.5 earthquake from March 1-3. Prayers are also needed for California that is experiencing both excessive snow and now rainfall and flooding. Additional prayers for the women of Afghanistan. And especially prayers for our nation and for strength, endurance, faith and courage for all.
CENTER FOR DISASTER PHILANTHROPY - https://disasterphilanthropy.org/
UN OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA) - https://reliefweb.int/
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE - https://rescue.org
US FEMA - DECLARED DISASTERS - https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations
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Remember this? Lots of planning and organizing.
When did this all begin?
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Forests are vital. We've long known about their importance to the health of our planet, but do they matter to human health too? In a new report for the World Wildlife Fund, forest specialists assembled existing evidence across multiple disciplines to demonstrate the critical relationships between forests and the health and well-being of people. When a forest is cleared, wildlife gets concentrated in less space where species are more likely to swap pathogens with each other. The crowding also leads to stress, making them more likely to shed viruses. Loss of forest cover means greater exposure of wildlife to humans or their domesticated animals and, consequently, increased chances of disease spillover from wildlife to people.
We have known we need forests to address climate change and prevent wildlife extinctions, but this report articulates how forests are connected to human health. It gives us a road map to understand forests and public health together. (GSN #140)
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VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK | |
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KEUKENHOF - GARDEN OF EUROPE - NETHERLANDS
Wanderlust Travel Video
(April 2019 : 56:15 min.)
Keukenhof is one of the world's largest flower gardens, situated in Lisse, South Holland. The Keukenhof features a variety of different gardens and garden styles. For example, the English landscape garden features winding paths and unexpected see-through points (designed by Zocher in 1830, the garden architect of the Vondelpark in Amsterdam, among others). The historical garden is an enclosed garden where you can see many old types of bulbs. The nature garden consists of a water garden where shrubs and perennials are combined with bulbous plants. The Japanese country garden is a non-traditional garden in a natural environment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZZihcN8_hc&t=2s
KEUKENHOF - THE WORLD'S BIGGEST FLOWER GARDEN
Wiede de Jager (April 2015 | 2:10 min.)
Beautiful short video of the gardens by drone view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgdtoEfQfZA
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IN THE POTEAT LIBRARY
NOTE: The books donated by Sally Gerhardt are currently in process; those books not being added to the library collection are being placed on a book truck in the Heritage Room for your browsing and taking. Please remember the library is open by appointment and you are welcome to drop by the church library if you are looking for something new to read. We ask that you to sign out any books on the register sheet found on the file cabinet in the corner with the call #, book title, your name and date checked out.
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The Cities that Built the Bible
By Robert R. Cargill
(220.9/CAR)
For many, the names Bethlehem, Babylon, and Jerusalem are known as the setting for epic stories from the Bible featuring rustic mangers, soaring towers, and wooden crosses. What often gets missed is that these cities are far more than just the setting for the Bible and its characters—they were instrumental to the creation of the Bible as we know it today.
Robert Cargill, Assistant Professor of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa, is an archeologist, Bible scholar, and host of numerous television documentaries, such as the History Channel series Bible Secrets Revealed. Taking us behind-the-scenes of the Bible, Cargill blends archaeology, biblical history, and personal journey as he explores these cities and their role in the creation of the Bible.
He reveals surprising facts such as what the Bible says about the birth of Jesus and how Mary’s Virgin Birth caused problems for the early church. We’ll also see how the God of the Old Testament was influenced by other deities, that there were numerous non-biblical books written about Moses, Jacob, and Jesus in antiquity, and how far more books were left out of the Bible than were let in during the messy, political canonization process.
The Cities That Built the Bible is a magnificent tour through fourteen cities: the Phoenicia cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos, Ugarit, Nineveh, Babylon, Megiddo, Athens, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Qumran, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Rome. Along the way, Cargill includes photos of artifacts, dig sites, ruins, and relics, taking readers on a far-reaching journey from the Grotto of the Nativity to the battlegrounds of Megiddo, from the towering Acropolis of Athens to the caves in Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
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Congregational Concerns / Prayer Requests - Please contact the church office or Sherry Bailey with information.
Flower List - The 2023 Flower List has been posted on the bulletin board in the side entry. Please sign up to sponsor flowers for our weekly worship services in honor or in memory of loved ones.
Arrangements are $65 each.
Liturgists - We are always looking for new people to be liturgists. Please contact the church office, if you would like to volunteer.
e-Avenue deadline - Please submit information to church office (office@wataugapc.org or 926-7942) at any time and for the April issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, April 17tth. This includes team and committee meetings, news, planned events and other newsworthy items.
Facebook - Please remember to friend and follow our Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Watauga-Avenue-Presbyterian-Church-94712920937/ ]. All news and events will be reported there.
Photos needed - We welcome contributions to our Facebook page via your comments and photos of church events and activities. Please also submit your photos to the church office for archiving. It will be wonderful to have a visual record of all of the positive things that Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church does for our community.
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WATAUGA AVENUE PC IS ON .. click and see for yourself. | | |
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Established 27 September 1892, Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ. Reformed in theology and Presbyterian by way of organization, it is related to Holston Presbytery, the Synod of Living Waters, and to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | | | | |
