Salem Matters News of What Matters This Week
in Salem Presbytery
February 1, 2023 | Volume IX, Number 5
Hispanic Worshipping Community at Sedgefield Presbyterian Church
Graham Presbyterian
Unity Presbyterian - Woodleaf
Mt. Vernon Presbyterian - Woodleaf
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
“No branch can bear fruit by itself”     
~John 15:4
Who:  Teaching Elders of churches with installed ministries
What:  Call to Conversation on innovative ideas being pursued by churches in Salem Presbytery, resources to help, and how we can walk alongside our struggling churches
When:  11:00-1:00, lunch will be provided!
Where*: Fellowship Presbyterian Church (Greensboro) and on ZOOM. See below for Zoom link.
In the deep of winter, come enjoy the warmth of fellowship with your colleagues and begin reconnecting and sharing lessons learned as we prepare to lead the beloved into a new Chapter of Kin-dom life in Salem Presbytery.
*In person attendance is highly encouraged. A Forbes Insight  study shows 85% of people say they  build stronger, more meaningful  and effective relationships during in-person meetings. We do understand and respect  that this is cold/flu season so  please know we’d still rather see you on ZOOM than not at all!
Salem Presbytery Florida Mission Team Report

An eleven member team from 3 Salem congregations and 2 additional congregations went in mission January 23-28 to Ft. Myers Beach, Florida to provide disaster assistance following the September 2022 arrival of Hurricane Ian. Transportation was provided by Mt Hope UCC outside Greensboro. The Team was hosted by Inspiritus, a Lutheran disaster assistance agency, and was housed at Anthem (Nazarene) Church in Ft Myers. Oversight was provided by the Inspiritus staff and the Salem team was joined by young Americorp team members and a team of church volunteers from four congregations in the Bahamas. (US teams had worked in the Bahamas following a hurricane there two years ago.)

As did the Salem team that went down in November, the January team encountered major devastation with the destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses. The Salem team was assigned to serve in a neighborhood of low income, (manufactured) homes. The water level in the homes had reached 6 feet during the storm. The tasks focused on the removal of sheetrock, paneling and the flooring from the homes as well as removing furniture and appliances. All debris was placed on the streets for pickup by FEMA. The Salem team was assigned to gut 4 homes preparing them for future reconstruction teams to rebuild.

The team had very meaningful experiences when they met the homeowners of three of the homes as well as other neighbors in the community. Their stories of the storm and the aftermath were heart wrenching! One single mother with three children, working at Walmart, lost everything in the storm and could not qualify for a loan to start replacing her belongings. Other low-income retirees were bunking with their children or friends until they could return home. Even the Anthem Church building was covered with tarps with estimated damages approaching one million dollars. The most rewarding experiences for the team were the many heartfelt expressions of thanks and appreciation from homeowners, the Inspiritus team and the congregation's employees as well as the joy encountered while making new friends among the co-workers. Those experiences were lasting gifts for the team members after many hours of hard labor in very difficult surroundings.  

Team members, as is the case in most mission service, experienced the feeling of being enriched and blessed by their experiences at Ft. Myers. We thank our home congregations for commissioning us for these mission tasks and for their prayer support during our trip. In the future, the Salem Mission Committee anticipates sending additional volunteers to serve those in need at sites near and far. If you are interested in serving on a mission team or have ideas for mission opportunities contact the Mission Committee at raymims1@gmail.com. There are opportunities to answer the call of God and to be the hands of Christ for people of all talents and abilities. 

Members of the team were: Bennie Garner (Mt. Hope UCC), Bob Harris (1st Salisbury), Dave & Connie Blakesley (Mt Hope UCC), Greg Rectin (Starmount), Katherine Logan (1st Boone), Neal Huffman (Starmount), Ray Mims (Salem Presbytery), Richard Miller (1st Salisbury), Robert Leonard (Catholic Church), and Sharon Mims (Mt. Hope UCC).
Kathryn Campbell Installed as President of APCE

Approximately 700 educators, pastors, and volunteers gathered in person in Birmingham and online January 25-28, for their annual conference, with this year's theme, "Unforced Rhythms of Grace." At the meeting of the corporation of the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE), Salem Presbytery's own Rev. Kathryn Campbell was installed as the next president of APCE. Kathryn currently serves as pastor of Fellowship Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. This marks at least three members of Salem Presbytery who have served as president of APCE over the years! Congratulations Kathryn!
Salem Presbytery Super Bowl Connections!

Did you know that there are family connections to Super Bowl LVII, which will be held on February 12th? Mac McCain, a cornerback, is the son of Rev. Vicki McCain, and is on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. Also, Javon Hargrove, a defensive tackle, and son of Rev. Timothy Bates, also plays for the Eagles! Congratulations to both teams, and to these proud parents!
Beware of Email Scams

Please do not fall victim to 'email spoofing' scams. Scammers will imitate an email address that appears to be in the name of someone you know, such as a colleague or presbytery staff, but is off by a few characters, asking for cash or emergency gift cards. Please note, Presbytery Staff will never email or text you asking for money, gift cards or any financial help in an emergency. Such "urgent" requests are scams and should be deleted.
First Presbyterian Salisbury - Lewis Preaching Series

Please plan to join us on Sunday, February 5, for our 2023 Lewis Preaching Series. The Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston, senior pastor at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, NY, will be our speaker for Sunday School, unified worship, and a dinner presentation.

Here are a few words from Scott to describe this year’s event: “Fight like Jesus? Most people seeking a few pointers for an upcoming boxing match probably wouldn’t turn to our Lord. Jesus excels at many things. Mixed Martial Arts is not one of them. On the other hand, Jesus does talk about conflict. Jesus tells story after story about family members who are at odds with each other. He acknowledges that forgiveness is hard for us. He also reminds his followers that anger can eat holes in a person’s heart. When preaching, Jesus regularly challenges people to treat their neighbors with respect, and yes, he goes way out on a limb and commands that we love and pray for our enemies. What do you say? Got conflict in your life? Need a few pointers? Feeling uncertain about whether you even want to walk down a path that could lead to reconciliation? Well, friends, then this year’s Lewis Preaching Series is for you. Come to First Pres on Sunday, February 5, and learn…to fight like Jesus!”
Great Resource from Our Resource Center
Becoming Tomorrow’s Church Today: 
A Leader Training Resource to Help Congregations Connect, Enrich, Empower, and Sustain Their Circles of Faith

Written and Edited for APCE by Christy Clore, Thom Cunningham, Mary Morrison, Lauren Scott

As a number of our educators and lay leaders head to APCE’s Annual Event from January 25-28, we wanted to highlight this digital resource that was produced by APCE last year that is designed for a group of congregational leaders who are recognizing the ways congregational life is shifting. This resource is designed to help these lay leaders move through a 4 part series that uses scripture, reflection about the ways we are called to be in community with God, and interactive engagements to discover what may already be happening, and might be overlooked, and to help identify what might prove to have a great deal of potential to grow toward in our faith communities.

This free resource (printable leader guide and 4 session videos) was created to celebrate APCE’s 50th Anniversary and is available from the resource site Opening Doors to Discipleship, which is filled with many other great resources for church leaders. If you have questions, as one of the writing and editorial team members, I’d love to answer them and help your group of lay leaders engage with this tool for developing creative ways to foster faith formation throughout your local faith community’s life.


Opening Doors to Discipleship (https://odtd.net)
The Rev. Dr. Randy Harris to preach on ‘Day 1’
Pastor of Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.  
 
The Rev. Dr. Randy Harris, pastor of Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., is the featured preacher February 12 on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast. 

His sermon “Fully Human” draws from Matthew 5:21-37, the portion of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus’s comments seem to make portions of the Torah even more demanding. “Let’s be honest. We really wish he had said something different,” Harris says. “But that’s not what he does. Jesus sets a high bar here for sake of life together.”

Before going to Winston-Salem in 2008, Harris served congregations in Pickens, S.C., and Columbus, Ga. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College in Farmville, Va., he earned his M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va., and a D.Min. from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga. He was the book review editor of “Presbyterian Outlook” and has published homiletical essays in “Feasting on the Word,” Feasting on the Gospels,” and “Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology.” He serves as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. 

The program includes interviews with Harris conducted by Wallace, who is also executive producer. 

“Day 1” has been broadcast every week for 78 years, formerly as “The Protestant Hour.” Featuring outstanding preachers from the mainline denominations, “Day 1” is currently distributed to 200 radio stations across America and overseas, and the “Day1 Weekly Program” is on all podcast apps. The program is produced by the Alliance for Christian Media, based in Atlanta, Ga. "Day 1"® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Alliance for Christian Media, Inc. For more information, check the program’s website, http://day1.org
Job Opening - First Presbyterian Salisbury

First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury is advertising for the position of Christian Formation and Discipleship. For a full Job Description and Information, click HERE.
Job Opening - Starmount Presbyterian, Greensboro

Starmount Presbyterian Church in Greensboro is advertising for the position of Director of Music. For a full Job Description and Information, click HERE.
Upcoming Ordination Anniversaries!

Please Pass along congratulations to the following who are celebrating anniversaries of their ordinations:

Parish Matters
Prayer Matters
February Prayers for:
 Church Growth and Transformation Committee
Commission on Ministry
Please Hold the Following in Your Prayers
  • Rev. Laura Spangler, whose father passed away on January 27, 2023.

We will list these prayer requests for two weeks unless we are notified that they are to be continued. You may submit prayer requests through the link below.

PCUSA Matters
Board of Pensions Call to Health
Click the link below to join the Board of Pensions Call to Health.

PCUSA News and Announcements
Click below for the latest news and announcements from the PCUSA.