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News & Updates from Your CPC Family
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Psalm 100: Make a Joyful Noise by Lucy Adams
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Worship Service Online
Christ the King / Reign of Christ
Sunday, November 22, 2020
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Worship: 10:00 a.m.
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16; Matthew 25:31-46
A Conversation: Wondering Sheep
Alan Bancroft and Katelyn Riffle
Online Service Participants - 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Dr. Paul H. Lang; Rev. Alan Bancroft
Guest Preacher: Katelyn Riffle
Music Director: Ed Yasick
Special Music: Diane Garber and Susan Birchfield, Duet
Time With Our Children: Jen Pierce
Graphics: Beth Cleveland Tech: Troy and Alan Burton
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This Week's Floral Dedication
The flowers in the Sanctuary
are given to the glory of God
by Paul and Audrey Rose-Sausman
in honor of their anniversary.
Floral dedication slots are filled through December 6.
Thank you for enhancing the online worship experience.
The Flower Shuttle of Raleigh recycles flowers from recipients and makes arrangements that are delivered to those living with sickness, terminal illness, disability who normally don't receive flowers. If you want to coordinate a donation to the Flower Shuttle,
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Worship will be streamed to the internet
(You do not need a Facebook account to access this link.)
(If you have Joys and Concerns, please submit them by e-mail
by Friday before the service.
We will note them to publish in the weekly Joys and Concerns update and will include them in our announcement during the service.)
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This Week's Generosity Update
Thank you to everyone who has already returned a 2021 planned giving card!
As of November 15 (two weeks after our original due date), we have received responses from 134 pledging units for total planned giving commitments of $535,406. This represents approximately 67% of the members we anticipate hearing from. Our total giving goal is $702,000, and we would appreciate your help making this happen!
For those of you yet to respond, we encourage you to to make your commitments of time, talent and financial resources as soon as possible.
All forms can be found on our CPC website at this link, including an online pledge form. If you need an extra packet or have any questions, please contact Barbara Carew in the church office.
It's a wonderful reminder of the many ways CPC has shared the light of Christ with our members, friends and neighbors during the past year. Enjoy!
Generosity Video Team:
Rowena Morrison, Su Johnson, Summer Bohm, and Donna Adkins
Graphic Artist: Jennifer Merriam
Piano Accompaniment: Ed Yasick
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Advent for Families
Advent is right around the corner!
To help make the season meaningful for you and your family, CPC is providing Advent Boxes that explore the traditional themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love in creative ways.
Boxes will be available in the front courtyard of the church on Sunday afternoon, November 22 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.; after that, they'll be in the Narthex.
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Faith Formation for Children/Youth
Faith Formation for Children (Grades K-5) continues!
All Children are invited to join us each Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
We meet outside in the 'bus parking lot' when weather allows. Due to increasing community spread of COVID-19 and recent changes to the State of NC gathering limits, ALL indoor group meetings at CPC are being suspended until further notice. Outdoor gatherings may continue in zones. As the weather is looking good for this coming Sunday 11/22, we are planning to meet. Please bring a blanket if you think you'll be cold.
This week: We will do a lesson on creation, and being thankful for those who supply our food sources.
Next week: Note that there will be no class on 11/29 due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Be on the look-out for special Advent plans for 12/6 and 12/13.
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Adult Faith Formation for Fall
Faith and Family / Faith Today
Continuing this coming Sunday, November 22, 11:00 a.m. (or immediately following worship)
The New Testament You Never Knew:
Exploring the Context, Purpose, and Meaning of the Story of God
This ZOOM video & discussion series will have you travelling to places throughout the Holy Land in conversation with N.T. Wright & Michael Bird. Discover things you never knew about Jesus' baptism and journey into the wilderness, the meaning behind his parables, and the significance of his death and resurrection.
No homework require - enjoy the journey and join the conversation!
Facilitated by: Sheri Mitten, Hunter Piermont, & Lisa Weber
CPC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
NOTE: THIS IS A RECURRING LINK
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US
Bible and Beyond New Class Information
The Bible & Beyond class will begin a four-week study of the life of the apostle Peter on Wednesday, November 25, at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The study is based on the video documentary series In the Footsteps of St. Peter, presented by David Suchet. We will watch a portion of the video and then discuss it in each session. There is no homework required to enjoy this study, and it is open to anyone interested.
Meeting ID: 892 6939 4336
Passcode: 614614
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The Spiritual Discipline of Waiting
A Course from Pastor Paul
The Spiritual Discipline of Waiting is a course developed by pastor Paul and offered through The Pilgrimage ministry. Members of Cary Presbyterian are invited to register and get ready for Advent, a season of waiting.
We tend to view waiting as an uninvited and unwelcome interruption to our busy lives. Waiting in traffic, or in line at the store, or in a doctor's office... these are often experienced as a suspension of life while we await "getting on with" whatever needs to happen next. What if, however, the experience of waiting is viewed through the lens of faith? What do we find, for example, when we explore the Bible for mentions of waiting? And who waits? We wait, that seems clear - but what about the God who waits?
This short course (just three 75-minute sessions) will explore waiting as an active posture of faith and will seek to show how faithful people of God have always been in the waiting game, and how God, also, is one who waits. The course is designed and timed as a liturgical segue into the Season of Advent in 2020 - a season in which waiting is a prominent theme.
The course will be offered on the coming Sundays:
NOVEMBER 22, 29, & DECEMBER 6 - FROM 5:00 PM EST TO 6:15 PM EST
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Pastor Paul and the Worship Team Need Your Help!
We are looking for four families who are willing to make a simple video (just use your phone to make the video) of you lighting the Advent Wreath.
- We will provide the reading to go along with the lighting.
- We will also provide Advent Wreaths/Candles for you to take home (in the Narthex of the church).
We will use your videos in the worship services for Advent this year (beginning Sunday, November 29).
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Advent and Christmas Reflections
For the Advent and Christmas season, Pastor Paul has co-authored a series of daily reflections which will be available on his website. Please register your email with him if you wish to receive a daily email with an attached link to that day's devotion.
These devotions will begin on Sunday, November 29 and conclude on Tuesday, January 5 (Twelfth Night). The reflections were composed in 2012 by Pastor Paul with friend and fellow-author David Crean. David wrote for the Episcopal church and passed away during the approach of Advent. Be sure to subscribe at the link to receive the daily emails.
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A Pastoral Note About Regathering
Dear Friends,
I want to share this brief note with you about in-person gatherings at church and in-person worship opportunities. I, like many of you, yearn for a return to times when we can gather in person for fellowship, faith-formation, and worship. I have been meeting with the Regathering Task Force since my arrival in early September and I want to thank the task force for its studious and judicious work. Every meeting has included the airing of a variety of thoughts about what the current data tells us and how we can best serve God and our community by setting policy relating to the gathering of people at the church. I am very impressed with the work of the task force.
Given the recent increase in both infections and in hospitalizations in NC (you can see data accurate to today here ), the task force has asked for a temporary pause on in-person gatherings inside the church. (See the link in red below for the most recent guidance from our team.) We want to not only be safe as we gather, but also be good members of the broader community in erring on the side of caution. The Regathering Task Force will meet again soon to further review the situation and to provide on-going guidance.
Yours in peace,
Pastor Paul
Revised Nov. 11.
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News from Fair Trade at CPC
Hello, CPC Friends, from Fair Trade at CPC - now in our 8th year! Thank you for your continued support of Fair Trade farmers around the world as well as our Esperanza partners.
We continue to make deliveries to homes within 20 miles of CPC, and we hope you will consider Fair Trade products in your Christmas giving plans. Please make note of a few details:
- We are featuring a new item for Christmas: Midnight Sun whole bean coffee for $9.00/bag.
- Some inventory, in a number of categories, is past its best-before date. Such products will be offered at a discount.
- Products past their best-before date typically maintain their quality, but may not be the best choice for gifts - with one exception. All of our chocolate minis are past their best-before date but not by much. (They are not marked with the date, and we are confident of their quality.) We are offering them at half price:
- Bags of 6 chocolate minis (dark, milk, or 3 of each), regularly $2.00/bag, will be 2 bags for $2.00
- Bags of 15 chocolate minis (dark or milk), regularly $5.00/bag, will be 2 bags for $5.00.
Inventory as of November 10, 2020
- Whole bean regular coffee: Mind, Body and Soul - $9.00/bag; Midnight Sun - $9.00/bag
- Ground regular coffee: Mind, Body and Soul - $9.00/bag; French Roast - $9.00/bag;
- Sisters Blend - $10.00/bag
- Ground Decaf coffee: Plain; Hazelnut Crème - $10.00/bag
- Tea: Irish Breakfast; Green; Peppermint; Ginger; Tea Sampler - $4.00/box or bag
- Hot Cocoa Mix: $7.00/can
- Dark Chocolate Bars: Caramel Crunch; Very Dark; Mint Crunch - $4.00/each
- Milk Chocolate Bars: Plain; Caramel Crunch - $4.00/each
- 6 Chocolate Minis: Dark Chocolate; Milk Chocolate; Mixed - regularly $2/bag, now 2 bags for $2
- 15 Chocolate minis: Dark Chocolate; Milk Chocolate - regularly $5/bag, now 2 bags for $5.
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Meet with Pastor Paul!
The Transition Team Invites You
to Join the Conversation
Now that Pastor Paul has become acclimated to CPC Worship Service, Staff, Deacons, and Session, the Transition Team thought it helpful to provide opportunities for the congregation to meet with Pastor Paul in a small group setting - either in the Fellowship Hall or on Zoom.
Pastor Paul is looking forward to meeting you in these small groups! We encourage you to take the opportunity to sign up at this link.
Peace,
The CPC Transition Team
Scott (moderator) & Denise Peoples, Beth Campbell, Beth Cleveland, Len & Renee Clark, Tim and Sally Goettel, Janet Robinette and Caroline Derifaj
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Cool Books Club News
The Cool Books Club book for November is
Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, & Politics in the Book of Revelation by Elaine Pagels.
A comment from Amazon: "A startling exploration of the history of the most controversial book of the Bible... " The book is available in the public and church libraries and is available online.
We will meet via Zoom on November 24 at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to join us, please contact Josetta McLaughlin at josettamclauglin027@gmail.com.
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Upcoming Classes, Meetings, and Events
Due to the open-ended nature of the current pandemic situation, upcoming scheduled classes and meetings are listed below in the bulletin and in E-link each week (in place of making website calendar changes and additions to the calendar grid). If you have group classes and meetings that should be added below, e-mail all information by noon each Thursday to office@carypresbyterian.org.
Due to increasing community spread of COVID-19 and recent changes to the State of NC rgathering limits, ALL indoor group meetings at CPC are being suspended until further notice as of November 11th, 2020. The ReGathering Team will reconvene on December 2 to provide recommendations to Session for group gatherings after the Thanksgiving Holidays. Outdoor gatherings may continue as per the guidelines below for each Zone.
- Faith and Family/Faith Today Class, Sun., Nov. 22, 11:00 a.m. via Zoom
- Advent Family Box Pick-up, Sun., Nov. 22, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. (available in Narthex after this pick-up date)
- Children and Youth Faith Formation, Sun,, Nov, 22, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at CPC Bus Parking Lot or Faith Hall of Fame
- Cool Books Club, Tues. Nov. 24, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
CPC Calendar: November 22 through November 29
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Stephen Ministry Support
is Available
Efforts at being safe and attentive in order to avoid the spread of COVID-19 have caused both physical and emotional isolation for many people.
Important and helpful conversations can certainly take place via telephone and by computer (Zoom or FaceTime). CPC Stephen Ministers are congregation members who receive special training to provide confidential, one-to-one listening care to church and non-church members. Stephen Ministers are trained to be present and to listen and can be a good resource if you are feeling isolated and lonely. Other times that Stephen Ministers can be helpful are if you are experiencing grief, divorce, hospitalization, disability, job loss, fertility issues and many other struggles of transition and change.
To learn how you or someone you know can receive care, please speak with a pastor or one of our Stephen Leader Referral Coordinators, Len Clark (919) 612-4302 or Linda Oglesby (919) 270-5980.
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CPC Best of the Best
The Transition Team asked for the church's recommendations for an area Best of the Best list of stores, restaurants, recreation locations, etc., to help Paul and Sarah get oriented to the Cary area, and there were plenty of great responses.
When the list was compiled, it was suggested that the suggestions be made available churchwide. You can check out the list of places at this link, and have fun trying out new places as things continue to open up!
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Send Your News and Announcements
Bulletin and e-Link announcements for an upcoming newsletter or bulletin need to be received in office email
by 12:00 noon on Wednesday prior to the first day they need to run.
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The CPC Church Directory is Online
For a link to instructions about using the directory,
If you have not accessed the directory yet, an invitation will have to be sent to you by Servant Keeper. If you need this new invitation, email office@carypresbyterian.org with your name and an invitation will be requested for you. All invitations are good for only two weeks.
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The public CPC Facebook page is a great continuing source of information about what is upcoming and what has happened at CPC. Visit it frequently for news and pictures you won't see elsewhere, and share the posts with your friends and on your own Facebook page!
Follow the links to the public page and the CPC family page below:
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CPC Church Service Podcasts
CPC Service podcasts are added weekly to Soundcloud and to the website
on this page. They appear with the most recent service at the top of the page, with the illustration from that week's bulletin as an identifier (Soundcloud page shown above).
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Did You Know?
Cary Presbyterian Church is a part of a larger family of churches comprising the New Hope Presbytery.
From Efland to the Outer Banks, spanning 33 counties, with 122 congregations representing 28,314 members, we are a Mid-Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA) serving eastern North Carolina.
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