PEWSLETTER
WEEKLY
First Presbyterian Church
Lincolnton NC
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And God said,
"Let there be a dome
in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
So God made the dome and
separated
the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so.
God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said
, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear."
And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together God called Seas.
And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:6-10
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The Session has called a Congregational Meeting for June 14, 2020 at 10:30 am. to vote on the following: Pursuant to Book of Order G-1.0503 c, the Session adopted in its May meeting: “to make a request to the Presbytery of Western North Carolina, that the ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Lincolnton, North Carolina, be concluded and that the congregation be dissolved.”
The meeting will take place virtually, by invitation to join a Zoom meeting via computer or by calling in on your phone. Instructions for participating will be sent to active members. Once the meeting is concluded, all members will be asked to send in their vote via mail postmarked no later than Wednesday, June 17, 2020,
% Kathy Robinson, Clerk of Session
114 West Main Street,
Lincolnton, NC 28092
The results of the vote will be tallied by the Clerk of Session and Rev. Dr. Kathryn J. Cameron, Moderator of the Session. The results of the vote will be communicated to the congregation within a week, and in the June 25, 2020 Pewsletter.
If the vote is in favor of making the request to Presbytery, the ministry of the congregation will continue until Presbytery takes action to concur and to appoint an Administrative Commission to assist the members in the process of dissolution.
If you have questions before the meeting please call the following:
Kathy Robinson, Clerk of Session; Session Members: Joe Morgan, Judy Roberts, Jim Ross, Pam Sipe and Scott Smith; Rev. Dr. Kathryn Johnson Cameron, Bridge Supply Pastor and Moderator of Session
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Our Church Photo Journal will be available to order soon.
Anne Fitzgerald Godfrey
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Jim Ross would like
everyone to know his son, Bryan Ross, received a new kidney this past Tuesday from a live donor. Both the donor and Bryan are well and healing. Jim, Evelyn and family thank all of you for your prayers and support these last few years.
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For this coming Sunday, the Second Sunday of Pentecost (also Trinity Sunday), we have a reading from
Genesis 1:1-25
(or through 2:4) and
Matthew 28:16-20
. Our Psalm for this week is
Psalm 8.
Our Tuesday Bible Study group joins in the virtual communion service celebrated by Pastor Kathryn. Gather your bread and wine or other elements to join in the communion service. A service of worship will arrive in your email Saturday evening.
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When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
Psalm 8:3,4
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
God, who in creation saw all
that is good, beautiful, and loving,
continue to see us as beloved
children in your divine family.
Your Word called forth
the stars in every universe,
still speaks to us of giving ourselves through the baptismal life.
Your Spirit moved over creation,
breathing life into all things,
now fill us with peace and patience,with hope and healing to share.
Hear our prayers for our extended families:
For Jan Duncan and Bryan Ross with thanks for successful surgery and healing in these next few weeks.
For Helen Fox, Evelyn Fox Ross's mom; and for all those in isolated care.
For David Beaver,Jeremy Gilbert, Bill Thomas with their families and friends who celebrate these birthdays in June.
For those who mourn the loss of this sanctuary, home to their worship, place of gathering with friends in Christ.
For the millions who have lost their jobs and the waves of business closings.
For the peaceful demonstrations of love in action to stand and kneel with our brothers and sisters, people who bear the unjust brunt of our common history.
God of all creation, may you look upon us and see the good among us. Amen.
Please send your prayer requests to Pastor Kathryn @dkkwcam@gmail.com
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All mail, including donations and pledges, is being held at the Post Office until picked up by our Administrative Assistant, Jill Goins.
“Mourning means people still believe things can change.
Protest is hope.
The hope is in the mourning. And it is deep.”
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And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:18,19
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Musings from Scott Smith, Elder
Following is an article updated that I wrote years ago for "The Messenger" the newsletter for St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. At the time, our church also had declining membership and income. As we ponder our church building's future and the prospects of our members, which 'church' will we choose?
Many years ago, while still traveling as a bank examiner for the Commissioner of Banks, when working down East, I would take the 'quick" interstate route early on Monday mornings well before daylight. To avoid the usual Friday afternoon parking lot, Interstate 85/40 between Raleigh and Greensboro, I would return to Charlotte at the end of the week via the Southern route. Just skirting the outer limits of Fayetteville and Goldsboro, driving through the heart of places like Newton Grove, Clinton, Parkton, Steadman, Red Springs, Wakaula, Maxton, and others so small I never saw the town limit signs. Since I rarely keep my eyes on the road, I began to notice churches. I suddenly came to a startling revelation.
Well, maybe it wasn't precisely that apocalyptic, but I thought it was profound, nonetheless.
After careful observation, I realized that the size of any church building, including the sanctuary, education building, fellowship hall, etc., was directly proportional to its steeple. Churches that occupied the whole city block in Goldsboro had towers that reached high into the sky, like a giant lightning rod, presumably to make it easier for the Spirit of God to enter the sanctuary. Must be working, because as big as the church was, they were still building on.
But churches that had no steeple were the small cinder block buildings with dirt parking Jots in small towns.
How could the Spirit enter if there were no steeple to let in God? Then I thought how as children we would clasp our hands together, index fingers extended, pointed up and tips touching, and we'd say "This is the Church this is the steeple," then we'd open our palms with fingers intertwined and say, "Open the · doors and
here are the people." That was it! We learned that if only we had such an edifice, we would get more people.
Steeple equals People. But where would we start?
My observations revealed one thing---there are so many options. I saw steeples that were not much more than a giant knitting needle. Others were only four triangular pieces of plywood stretching only five to eight feet in the air from its roof perch. The more elaborate of those had a small cross at the top. Of course, those needles and triangles were generally the tiny towns, dirt- lot churches.
Larger churches had elaborate hexagonal or octagonal steeples, twenty to thirty feet tall, sitting atop even more elaborate boxes attached to the roof. Some had louvers or windows, even stained-glass windows. Some also had towers posted as if to protect the steeple from errant airborne automobiles. Some of the steeples resembled a "crow's nest" atop the mast of a pirate's sailing ship. Some churches had their steeple roofs, shingled to match the roof of the church. Some of the steeples were large enough to allow a person to stand inside. Had it not been for those, Paul Revere would have never been able to tell us that the British were coming.
Of course, there's an exception to every rule.
Consider those churches like Duke Chapel and First Presbyterian Lincolnton with no steeple, but a tower. The towers I saw were primarily on Methodist churches. And most resembled ancient Medieval castles, with parapets and turrets, perhaps to allow Christian soldiers to defend the faith? I saw some steeples that were not even attached to the church. One church had a separate brick cylinder resembling a small silo about three stories high with a 15-foot cross perched at the top. The steeple at a church in Brevard resembled a pod, an Unidentified Flying Object, not unlike what Ezekiel described. And then there's the church that is a steeple in itself. The first time I went to South Park shopping center, I thought the church across the street looked like a ski jump, its facade corning together in the center and curving up four or five stories to the sky. Alas, it is no more. Not even a steeple guarantees people.
What we're meant to remember, is that the church is the people.
Your continued gifts of tithes and offerings will see us through the upcoming months of June and July and help our church complete our mission and ministry. We want to leave a legacy of LOVE as we continue to REACH, TEACH, FEED.
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Church Staff
Rev. Dr. Kathryn J. Cameron, Bridge Supply Pastor -
pastor@fpclincolnton.org - (828)-450-7182
Rebecca Beatty, Director of Music, Organist -
becbea50@gmail.com
Jill Goins, Administrative Assistant -
admin@fpclincolnton.org
Kristen Willis, Preschool Director -
preschool@fpclincolnton.org
Nancy Rudisill, Sexton -
admin@fpclincolnton.org
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Office Hours
Suspended until further notice. Jill Goins checks messages on a regular basis.
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