Building Community * Transforming Lives * Engaging the World

Sermon audio available on website www.firstpresnb.org/worship . Sermon manuscripts are available by request and can by emailed to you by contacting: church@firstpresnb.org .

OUTREACH

A Year of Transitions: March 2020

A Letter from Jhanderys Dotel-Vellenga and Ian Vellenga, our PCUSA Mission Co-workers serving in Nicaragua

2020 is an important year for the Council of Evangelical Churches of Nicaragua (CEPAD) as an institution, and for 80 different communities in Nicaragua. This year’s Bible message is inspired by Psalm 26:7 (NKJV): “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all Your wondrous works.” Much like King David, CEPAD wants to proclaim its gratitude to God, thankfully recalling the gifts received during this period, the providence and kindness it received in 2019 as an institution, and Nicaragua’s slow recovery as a nation. On February 18th, CEPAD celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony of its new Center for Peace dedicated to Gustavo Adolfo Parajón. Dr. Gustavo Parajón, as many of you remember, was the founder of CEPAD and led the organization for many years. This Center for Peace will become CEPAD’s new central office in Managua, RadioCEPAD’s studio, and provide accommodations for visiting groups. In terms of our work with the different communities, we are in the “Transitioning Year.” It is a year when CEPAD says goodbye to the 40 communities it has worked with for five years and says hello to 40 new communities. This is an important year because we get to see the results of the work we, as partners with CEPAD, have done in 40 communities for the past five years. There will be celebrations, graduations, and some level of sadness as CEPAD takes a step back, and these 40 communities continue working on their own improvement. Familiar faces, mostly CEPAD staff, will not have such a strong presence in those communities anymore.

At the same time, a new set of 40 communities will be chosen to work with CEPAD during the next quinquennium (5-year term). This work usually starts with a lot of meetings, evaluations, and learning about each community’s primary concerns and needs, its demographics, and its main sources of income.

In some ways CEPAD is like a foster parent or foster family. It chooses to help communities and their individuals to grow, develop, and learn for a period of time. This comes with the hope of improving their living conditions and helping them understand their rights. CEPAD offers the communities supervision, guidance, and nurturing. Different programs are offered that discuss leadership development, women’s economic development, and food security. Courses are taught on environmental practices in agriculture, developing international partnerships, and building solidarity. CEPAD’s main focus also includes the strengthening of families, the improvement of communal relations, and the creation of self-sustainable projects and programs. But being a foster parent or family usually comes with a lot of challenges. Leaving the communities after five years of getting to know many of their members, learning their personal stories, and seeing them grow, is not as easy as it sounds. Every community has a different story, and its members relate to each other and CEPAD in different ways. One community might already have an established group of leaders, while another community might be made up of individuals who would usually not interact much with each other or the community at large. Some individuals in a community would be willing to work with CEPAD from the beginning, while others might remain skeptical for a long time or never fully integrate themselves into any of CEPAD’s programs.

At the end of the 5 years, we hope the communities are united in their desire for further improvement. We hope that they will have learned new ways of making important decisions and will continue the work they and CEPAD undertook together. Like a faithful and loving parent, CEPAD rejoices in their steady growth and happiness, and hopes they can continue their journey towards growth and development by using everything that has been shared and taught.

We know the work ahead is long and hard for these communities, so we hope you join CEPAD in this year’s journey and the journeys to follow. We invite you to continue working for the improvement of CEPAD as an institution and also for the betterment of the people of Nicaragua. You can also help to support CEPAD’s work by starting a partnership, donating to CEPAD’s programs, and by supporting us and our work in Nicaragua. We are grateful, beyond words, for all the support we have received from all of you this past year.

God bless you.

Jhan and Ian

Write to Ian Vellenga

Write to Jhanderys Dotel-Vellenga

Individuals:  Give online to E200391 for Ian and Jhanderys Dotel-Vellenga’s sending and support

San Francisco Libre

Placement of Symbolic blocks

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Lenten Lunches – Service & Faith by Hollis Brannon

Three days after hurricane Florence hit New Bern I received the first of three phone calls from The Rev. Bill Hawkins asking if I would consider coordinating the disaster response and recovery effort for First Presbyterian Church and its members following Florence. Due to the county evacuation order Nevada and I had left New Bern and were resting comfortably at our daughter’s house in Clayton, NC. We still had power and air conditioning, and her home had not sustained any damage from the storm. We had seen the widespread devastation inflicted by the hurricane to New Bern and the rest of ENC via the TV stations in Raleigh; and were also well aware that our house in Carolina Colours had also sustained damage when two trees fell on our roof opening up several gaping holes allowing rain water to enter our master bedroom, bath and closet area. Neighbors had sent us photographs of the damage and remotely I was able to make arrangements with the management of Carolina Colours and our builder to remove the trees and make emergency repairs to the roof.

After Rev. Hawkins call I was stunned and immobilized by his request but indicated that I would think about it. I had no prior disaster recovery experience and had no idea where to even begin. The next day Rev. Hawkins called again asking if I would consider his request and gave me additional information about the extent of the devastation and how some of our church members had lost everything. He further indicated that communications from the church were very limited due to lack of phone and internet service in the surrounding areas. I told him that I wasn't sure I was the one to lead this program and he said that he had asked another church member to help with the coordination so that it would be a shared effort. I didn’t accept yet but I told him I would consider it and get back with him the next day. My 3-year term on the Session was ending in January 2019 and in my mind I had been searching for something challenging to do possibly with Habitat for Humanity and/or Craven County Disaster Recovery Alliance (CCDRA).

Does this story sound familiar whereby Peter denied knowing Jesus three times after his capture and before his crucifixion? Well, I wasn’t about to let Rev. Hawkins call me a third time. Instead, after praying about it and discussing it with my wife, I called him and yes, I accepted the challenge with much reservation and in trepidation not knowing where to begin and what to do in order to get started. Rev. Hawkins indicated that Carl Chapman had also agreed and from this point on we set out as co-coordinators for the FPC’s Disaster Response & Recovery Team to develop and initiate a plan. I called and spoke with Carl and he told me what he knew about the devastation in New Bern both from a personal and community prospective. By the way, he also mentioned that he would not be available for the next 2 weeks since he and his wife would be leaving for Iona, Scotland with Lloyd Griffith’s group. At the time, we were still in Clayton watching our granddaughters since school was cancelled and our F/A daughter had to go out and fly with no one to watch the girls. We finally returned to New Bern ten days after we evacuated to witness firsthand the damage in New Bern, our community, and finally our house. The next day we attended church and began talking to people and asking what was going on within our church community. Jerry Ryan heard of our plight at home and offered to come over that afternoon and help us remove wallboard, bedding, furniture, rugs, etc. and cart it out to the road with all the trees and yard debris which lined our street. God was at work preparing me to take on this task by sending me people to help out because I was unable to handle it alone. My favorite slogan for life when things got tough and out of control has always been to “Step Out of the Way and Let Go, and Let God.”

Lists of church members and other people affected by the storm were gathered by various church members and people were contacted so we could assess their immediate and long-term needs. Being an engineer spreadsheets were developed listing all the people affected along with their needs, and a process was initiated so that we could concentrate on the most critical needs. Chris Kelso, Carl, and I met many times to discuss the needs and what to do, and from there we helped church members move antiques, lots of furniture, remove yard debris, re-locate from one house to another several times, repair a roof, reinstall walls, remove a cast iron boiler from a basement, line up assistance from third party organizations, etc. We also received an outpouring of gifts and support from other Presbyterian Churches from as far away as Manhattan, KS. We aligned with CCDRA and presented info to the congregation on long term recovery and where to get both local and FEMA assistance. Our church also offered financial grants to church members up to $2500 per family to help defray costs for damages resulting from the storm from donations received for local disaster assistance. Our church family was relatively fortunate in that only a small number of members sustained major damage with the majority sustaining little or no damage with most of the costs being covered by insurance and/or assistance from FEMA. Throughout this period we were richly blessed and sustained by God’s love and guidance, and received much more gratification by helping others than we would have received otherwise.

In January 2019 Carl and I expanded our outreach to support a vision proposed by the Session of Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church and the Rev. John Robinson (Interim Pastor and Executive Director of CCDRA) to repurpose and rebuild the vacant education building behind the church and convert it into a volunteer center. Thus the New Hope Volunteer Village would be constructed to house work teams from around the country who were interested in helping to rebuild homes in Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties damaged by hurricane Florence and other potential future disasters. Over 6500 hours of volunteer labor from FPC members was expended during this time. The rest is history and with a dedicated core group of volunteers from FPC including Hal & Marilyn Vandersea, Jay Haggard, Phoebe Briley, Cathy Warren, Carl Chapman and myself plus countless other part-time FPC volunteers tirelessly working together with other Presbyterian Church groups from NC and VA, the village was finally completed in March 2020. Throughout this process we gained lasting friendships and bonding with others, and a multitude of skills which we otherwise as a group wouldn’t have developed and enjoyed while fulfilling our mission to the Glory of God. Thanks be to God for His bounteous love, guidance, and support.

Lessons learned:

1.     Nothing is too big for God.

2.     Learn to listen and trust that still small voice (Let Go and Let God).

3.     All things are possible for those who love and obey God’s commands.

4.     Together as a unified body in Christ we can accomplish anything we set our minds to do.

5.     Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Blessings and Peace to All,

Hollis Brannon

Lenten Lunch Reflections: Service & Faith – Carl Chapman 4.5.2020

Hollis provided an excellent summary of our organizing effort and the work on New Hope Volunteer Village (NHVV). I would like to provide a few more details about the Village, then delve into service and the Spirit, and close by describing results.

When the Hurricane Florence rebuilding effort started in New Bern and surrounding counties, there were very few places for volunteers to spend the night and clean up after a day’s work, in fact it was a bottleneck to bringing volunteers to the area. The New Hope Volunteer Village was conceived to partially fill that gap for this disaster and be ready for the next one.

I have been keeping a rough running total of volunteer hours dedicated to the NHVV. To date, members of First Presbyterian Church NB have contributed approximately 7,000 volunteer hours; more than 30 members of our church family have been directly involved with the efforts at NHVV in many different capacities while the rest of the congregation has supported through intercessory prayer and your financial support. All other volunteer groups, including many Presbyterian Churches, have contributed approximately 3,000 volunteer hours. 10,000 service hours is a staggering investment in a facility that will provide volunteers a place to stay while rebuilding Hurricane Florence damaged homes in the New Bern area; over 2,000 homes still need to be rebuilt. Your First Pres team planned the work, organized the effort, purchased and transported most of the materials, did a lot of the work, learned new skills, built strong friendships, cleaned up, and made safety a daily priority.

So far, we’ve talked about service hours and repurposing a building but the real story to be told is about people coming together to help families impacted by a disaster and growing through their teamwork and commitment to a common cause (a metaphor for a vibrant Church?). An example:

On June 23, 2019, a Sunday, I received a text saying we would have a group of eight volunteers from Unity Presbyterian Church Denver, NC for the week. We were in the middle of hanging sheetrock in the hallways and rooms and therefore had ample planned work and supplies to effectively utilize this much labor without much notice. At 8:00 AM Monday, the Unity Team arrived, one adult and seven high school girls in the 9 ^th – 11 ^th grades. I gave them the customary orientation and safety briefing and then asked how many of them had previous experience doing construction work or using tools. Of course, you can guess the response; no one had ever done any work like that, but the girls said, mostly because no one had ever let them! Hal Vandersea and I quickly huddled, devised a plan, and shared it with the Unity team. We divided them into two teams and Hal and I would teach them how to hang sheetrock; that meant learning how to use a measuring tape, how to use a safety knife to cut sheetrock, how to locate wall studs, how to screw sheetrock to the studs using battery powered tools, and no one was going to get hurt doing it. You might be thinking, good luck with that, but they were excellent students and by mid-week they were adept at using all the tools, hanging sheetrock by themselves, and having a good time doing it. When we recapped the week on Friday afternoon, Hal and I thanked them for their work but they quickly stopped us and said they were the ones that wanted to thank us: for the leadership, the training, the confidence, and the opportunity to do something no one had ever thought they could do. You could tell they were immensely proud of their accomplishments, with the results of their newly developed skills and teamwork on display in the building, and they looked forward to telling the folks back home all about the experience.

This same infectious enthusiasm for a common cause and working hard together for a worthwhile goal was evident in every visiting group we had the pleasure to work with. The same Spirit has been present with 30+ members of your First Pres team as we labored together for the last 15 months, preparing a place where we can help the helpers.

Lloyd Griffith encourages us to look for evidence of the Holy Spirit among us, to “turn and see the Spirit”. There is no question in my mind that the Holy Spirit has been and is active right here in the New Bern area and is encouraging us to help the helpers repair homes of the less fortunate damaged by Hurricane Florence.

The New Hope Volunteer Village received its official Certificate of Occupancy from the Craven County inspector 4 weeks ago. There are beds for 60 people, showers, bathrooms, and cooking facilities in the Fellowship Hall next door; nothing fancy but very adequate in a summer camp sort of way. There is a Board in place to guide the Village’s operational and financial direction, plans to hire a part time facility director, and commitments for cleaning bedding and the building. All under the guidance and with the support of Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church’s Session.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the members of First Presbyterian Church and our community while we’re recovering from Florence. Blessing and peace,

Carl Chapman

New Bern CROP Hunger Walk 2020 a Success!

By Steve Mabie, Walk Coordinator

Sunday, March 8, 2020 was a beautiful day in New Bern! The annual CROP Hunger Walk at Union Point Park was the featured event of the day. The CROP Hunger Walk is an outreach of Church World Service. (CWS). Church World Service is active in development, relocation, and hunger needs across the globe. Beginning in 2019 the New Bern Walk moved to Daylight Savings Sunday in March, and the weather did not disappoint.

This year the Walk Host Partner was Faith Connection, an interfaith association of churches and worshiping communities in the Craven – Jones – Pamlico County area. Faith Connection Volunteers helped with Walk Registration and staffing. The group is led by Deacon Jim Hackett of St. Paul’s Catholic Church.

Sixteen Walk Teams featuring 239 total Walkers met for their choice of a 1-mile or 3.5-mile Walk route. The NBPD insured the Walkers’ safety during this city sponsored event. Fortunately, our SAG Wagon reported no Walker injuries or mishaps. Weather Forecaster, Donnie Cox, our MC for the Walk Program, delivered on a gorgeous day. Mayor Dana Outlaw presented the “Golden Sneaker Award” to NBHS-AVID, an academic achievement service group at New Bern High. AVID had the greatest number of First Time Walkers – 45! Teacher Gayle Hardy leads the group.

First Presbyterian Church, New Bern took home the Team Fundraising honors with a total of $5215.05. The Team was led by Meredith and Mara Edmister. Mara was also the lead Youth Fund Raiser for the Team, with Susan Mabie leading in the church’s Adult Fundraiser category.

New Bern’s top Individual Fundraiser was Lee Ann Fordyce of Christ Episcopal Church. Although checks are still coming in, the total amount raised will be in excess of $22,500 after all expenses. Walk logistics were ably completed by NBHS – NJROTC cadets, Epiphany School Interact Club, Broad Street Christian Church, and RCS Volunteers. Religious Community Services (RCS) receives 25% of the funds raised to address local hunger issues.

Following the completion of the Walk, participants enjoyed refreshments and DJ Tunes at the park Gazebo. Next year’s Walk is scheduled for Daylight Saving Sunday again – March 14, 2021.

Thanks to all the Sponsors, Walking Teams, Planning Committee, and Volunteers who made this year such a success! For additional information, contact Steve Mabie, Walk Coordinator – 252-876-2309, or shmabie137@gmail.com.

Steve Mabie and his friend Steve Peter's installed a new sign at New Hope Volunteer Village @ Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church.

Craven Country Disaster Recovery Alliance ( CCDRA) GOOD NEWS:

VOLUNTEERS MAKE FACE MASKS

FACE MASKS FOR CRAVEN , a project sponsored by CCDRA (Craven Co. Disaster Recovery Alliance) began organizing the first of April with an intention to help protect “community helpers” by providing reusable face masks with a high-quality filter. After doing an initial needs assessment by phone, CCDRA volunteers decided to focus on workers in community agencies whose continuing service is vital for the wellbeing of the community.

Within less than three weeks, this group had produced and delivered 1000 reusable face masks throughout 20 agencies in Craven County! This feat has been possible only with the tireless, flexible, good-humored, and collaborative effort of a team of volunteers that now numbers over 100 individuals.

In our ongoing updates, we will be featuring a variety of individuals who have come together to help protect and support our community.

 

1) On Monday, April 19, as we delivered a large order to an assisted living facility, we surpassed 1000 face masks ! This is remarkable, considering that we made our first delivery on April 8. So now we are working on the next thousand. Requests have been growing from other community agencies.

2) Some of our elastic has arrived.  For those who have been involved in the particulars of production, you know how noteworthy the availability of elastic is!  Not only do many people prefer an elastic band around the top of the mask, using elastic reduces the production time substantially. 

3) Activity in our distribution center at the New Hope Village (housed in the Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church on Old Cherry Point Rd) is picking up. People are getting into the rhythm of coming here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 10:30-12:30 to bring finished work and pick up more projects. A big thanks to Steve Mabie and the other hosts who run this operation. 

Thanks to all of you for your help and support!

Helen Robinson

Annick Smart is one of a group of “strippers” in the Greenbrier neighborhood. These women are the heroes who have helped reduce the biggest bottleneck in production by “prepping” the strips or ties—thus reducing the work of those who sew masks! After getting involved, Annick quickly enlisted two more friends. Annick is really surprised by the need in our community for protection. It means a lot to Annick to help those who put their lives in danger for all of us.

Rhona Beadle is another versatile volunteer who cuts, irons, sews—and coordinates with a group of neighbors.  Rhona joined the volunteer effort early on; she believes it is essential to protect those in our community who are helping others. It pleases Rhona to know all of us together are making a difference in this difficult time. Rhona says she is struck by the amazing coordination of resources in this project!

Dan Frey is a valuable member of the Mask Team. Dan shares that he was “drafted” by a friend at First Presbyterian Church and finds satisfaction in knowing that he is helping defeat the coronavirus in Craven County. Dan says he is amazed at how many new people he has gotten to know over the past three weeks! Among the volunteers, Dan is well-regarded as a bender, stripper, cutter, driver, and host—a man of many talents!

EDUCATION

Spring Sunday School Classes

Spring Quarter Adult Sunday Classes

The Present Word  

George Evans will lead the winter quarter of "The Present Word in Exploring Honoring God".

Lessons based on 1 Chronicles and 1 Kings, are stories of how King David and King Solomon established the center of worship in Jerusalem and built the temple. Studies from Matthew and Luke focus on Jesus’ teachings about right attitudes that honor God through worship. These lessons include the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer. Gene Peele and Darryl Warren will assist. Class meets online using Zoom. Please contact George Evans to receive a meeting room ID.

PILGRIMAGE OUTFITTERS

Equipping pilgrims for the spiritual journey

Small, intentional communities committed to listening together for God’s Spirit are one of the ways of deepening the journey into discipleship. 

Centering Prayer Group 

Don’t let this title frighten you off. Centering prayer has been around for a long time and is regaining more attention as a useful way of nurturing our new life in God’s Spirit. We will study The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr as our guide in re-discovering God’s Spirit present in all life. Connecting through Zoom on Monday at 11:30 am and Wednesday at 12:00 pm.

Wednesday Evening Worship

This contemplative, or reflective, approach to worship is offered each Wednesday from 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm. This quiet service is focused around silence, prayer and reflection on the Biblical text chosen for preaching the coming Sunday. 

Travel Guide: Lloyd Griffith

Please contact Lloyd Griffith, to be added to email lists and Zoom meetings.

252-675-8196 or lloyd@firstpresnb.org

Vacation Bible School (VBS) at First Pres is currently scheduled for June 15-19, 2020, 9am-12pm. It is for children ages 5 through those who have completed 5 ^th grade. We’ll be following the guidelines set by the governor and hold VBS if we are able to follow the guidelines. If we are unable to hold VBS on June 15-19, it will be cancelled for 2020.  

SALT (Serving And Learning Together) ministry for our 3 ^rd -5 ^th grade children will continue meeting virtually over Zoom on Fridays, May 1 & 15, 4-5pm. We invite children to join in for games, service ideas, and Bible story lesson. Please contact Daewon for Zoom sign in information at daewon@firstpresnb.org    

Youth Group will continue our meetings virtually through Zoom on Sundays, 2-3pm, until otherwise notified. Please contact Daewon for Zoom sign information or if you have any questions on Youth activities at daewon@firstpresnb.org

First Presbyterian Preschool

During this uncertain time our littlest blessings are missing their school and we are missing them! In order to keep communication open with our preschool families we are offering 9 different Zoom playdates each week for ages 2-PreK. It is so sweet to see their little faces and the excitement they have when they lay eyes on their buddies and teachers! Our 1-year old classroom, teachers are doing individual Facetime or Skype meetings with their students each week. Our MMO teacher is contacting each of her students' parents once per week. In addition, each preschool class is posting one activity per week on our Facebook page. Our music teacher is posting a "Music Monday" lesson weekly as well. Fun stuff! I’m so proud of our amazing teachers who have taken on this new way of doing things with such enthusiasm! Nothing compares to real hugs but we’re very lucky to have these opportunities to “virtually” hug our kiddos!

Kerri Wheeler - Preschool Director

MID-WEEK ADULT OPPORTUNITIES

Thursday Morning Women's Bible Study

Leader:  Maren Sonstegard-Spray

​ Meets: 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Every Thursday: 

Location: on Zoom

Text: 7 by Jen Hatmaker

Please contact: Rev. Dr. Maren Sonstegard-Spray ( Maren@firstpresnb.org) to join and get on the mailing list for reading assignments and zoom meeting ID and password.

CARING

Retirement Centers:

McCarthy Court

(252)637-7133

1321 McCarthy Blvd.

New Bern, NC 28563

Don Bailey, Apt. 208

Morag Cheesman, Apt. 209

Flo Jones, Apt. 303

Frank & Arlene Yeager, Apt. 305

Barbara Williford Apt. 310

McCarthy Court II

1325 McCarthy Blvd.

New Bern, NC 28563

Donna Fleck, Apt. 16

Jean Hoffman, Apt. 39

Edna Harkins Apt. 34

Assisted Living Facilities:

Courtyards at Berne Village

(252)633-1779

2701 Amhurst Blvd.

New Bern, NC 28562

Mary Olstad, Villa #9

Brookdale

(252)558-1291

1336 S. Glenburnie Rd

New Bern, NC 28653

Kenny Baxter, Apt. 206

Joyce Krumnacher, Apt. 302

Carl McMath, Apt. 708

Dick Shelley, Apt. 107

Riverpoint Crest

(252)637-4730

2600 Old Cherry Point Rd.

New Bern, NC 28560

Barbara Bell, Apt. 108

Ray Henderson, Apt. 20

Croatan Village

(252)634-9066

4522 Old Cherry Point Rd.

New Bern, NC 28560

Lane Mitterling Rm 311

Joys and Concerns

Congratulations to: The family of Emerson Leah Abravanel, born to Daniel and Carrie Abravanel, in Boston, MA 9 lbs. 3 oz. 03/15/2020. Grandparents are Wendy and Rad Moeller.

The sympathy of the congregation is extended to the entire family of Edna Watjen who passed away in Dallas, GA on April 22nd at the age of 91. She and her husband Ed had been faithful members of the church since the mid 80's. She will be cremated and a service will be held in New Bern sometime this summer.

Congratulations: Happy 100th birthday Mary Monte on April 24th.

Congratulations: Joyce Krumnacher on the occasion of her 90th birthday on May 1st.

ADMINISTRATION

From the Administration Commission and Finance Committee:

Grace and peace to each of you. We look forward to a time soon where we can safely gather to worship our God from whom all blessings flow. We want to thank you for the support you offer FPC. We are blessed with a community of faith that although separate continues to work together. We wanted to provide you with a quick overview of some of the decisions and actions taken while we are practicing safe social distancing.

·         Staffing - Our staff members continue to work from home. Most of the work is computer based. Two “Zoom” accounts were added to our expenses so that we can host Commission and Committee meetings. Several classes were held, and Lloyd’s centering prayer and contemplative offerings were offered. Pat was able to reconnect with her children and youth choirs. Daewon was able to hold youth meetings and confirmation during this time of social distancing. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday worship services were conducted. Cathy, our Communication staff, increased her hours to help guide us in the use of technology and communication.

·         Preschool update – As many of you are aware, we closed the Preschool at the beginning of March. Our Administration Commission and the Finance Commission are committed to the good work our Preschool, and our staff are essential for our success. So, we agreed that we needed to invest in our teachers as they are a gift to the children and families in our care. We decided to pay the Preschool Staff through the end of April, and we applied for the Paycheck Protection Loan (to be forgiven if used for payroll). Our Finance Committee will meet April 23 to consider paying our teachers through the end of May.

·         J. Murphy Smith Center – The kitchen expansion and more extensive repairs to the structure are completed. We still have some outstanding items. For instance, the Middle Street entrance and rebuilding the fence around the playground still need completion.

·         The Session House - The renovations to the Session House’s kitchen floor is still in the design phase. We received the insurance monies for the damages. We also put together a small group of stakeholders in its use. We hope this project comes together soon.

·         The Sanctuary – After receiving three bids for painting the outside of the sanctuary building to include the repair and painting of the steeple, a contract was issued and signed to begin the work starting the week of April 21.

·         The Fountain and Memorial Gardens – A new fountain motor was installed, and a new lining of the fountain completed. We are still exploring new pavers to replace the ones that are prematurely wearing in the Memorial Garden.

·         The church’s grounds – The biggest facelift at FPC is the church grounds. Each of our flower beds were weeded, trees cut back, new plants set, and many hours of work given to making the place look better. If you are out for a walk or driving in the area, please stop by and see how it looks. Make sure to keep proper social distancing.

We appreciate your continued support of the FPC. As we move through these difficult times, our normal operating expenses continue. To date, we are financially ahead of where we were last year with our income and our expenses were less. So, we are positioned well going into the summer months. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts, prayers, and giving.

Be well and stay safe.

Your Administration Commission and Finance Committee

CHURCH LEADERSHIP & STAFF

Pastoral & Program Staff

The Rev. Edward (Eddie) Bellis, Interim Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Maren Sonstegard-Spray, Designated Associate Pastor

Daewon Goldenbaum-Yang, Director of Education & Youth & Family Ministry

The Rev. Lloyd Griffith, Parish Associate

Music Program Staff

Pat K. Rowlett, Director of Music

Vance Harper Jones, Organist

Susan Mabie, Director Resurrection Singers

Cindy Sutten, Assistant Organist & Pianist

Dru Wilkins, Music Assistant

Office & Support Staff

Tommy Hall, Facilities Super

Priscilla Miller, Office Administrator

Cathy Wingfield, Communications Facilitator

Amber Zapffel, Financial Administrator Secretary

Kerri Wheeler, Children's Worship & Director of Preschool

Louis Foye, Sexton

Cindi DeVoe, Nursery

Missy Dixon, Nursery

Lisa Wood, Nursery Coordinator

James Briley, Jr., Treasurer

Session

Moderators, Rev. Edward Bellis, Dr. Rev. Maren Sonstegard-Spray

Karen Reed, Clerk

Chair of the Commission is underlined

Administration

Betsy Conzelman '20

Jim Findley '21

Marc Finlayson '22

Trudy Martin '20

Outreach

Peggy Clark '21

Bruce Pollock '21

Julia Speight '22

Care

Patti Fleming '22

Polly Frank '20

Margaret Cooper '22

Education

Janet Bryan '20

Madison Crum '22

David Hale '20

Fellowship

Kevin Avolis '22

Beth Foley '21

Peter Moeller '20

Cathy Warren '20

Worship

Janelle Haggard '21

Gayle Hardy '21

George Moore '21

Hal Vandersea '22

2020 CALENDAR for May