Happy Friday, Fellowship Family!

Thanks to all of you who asked about the Swim Meet and took interest in how Avis did amongst the 1000+ swimmers at the City Meet last weekend - she had PRs (personal records) in both of her events - something we are celebrating with her! As I mentioned to someone just the other day: with the summer swim season behind us, it almost feels like summer is starting all over again! New schedules, different camps, and different rhythms. It all adds to the fun!

Andrew - and we only knew his first name - came to the church office on June 9, explaining that he had been parking his truck in which he lived and had all of his belongings, that had broken down and was at the Brassfield Shopping Center parking lot. As he politely explained, he was needing to move it before it got towed to an unknown location for which he would not only have to pay for the tow, but also to release it from the towing company. As one who "flew a sign" as his main source of income, he asked if he could park it at the church for "about two weeks" while he raised money to pay for the truck's needed repairs. I informed him that the Session would have to make a decision on it, but that he could park it - at the least - through the weekend until the Session could make a decision and I could get back to him about what was decided.

Session approved Andrew's van and, because of it, him and his two large dogs, to park the truck in the parking lot. During the two weeks, we learned that Andrew is a Marine Veteran who is wanting to get back to California, where he had been living prior to coming to visit friends here in North Carolina, where his truck broke down. Our church was able to provide him with some hospitality, including coming inside to use the bathroom and shower from time to time, as well as refill his water cooler. Recognizing the church's kindness, he helped roll garbage cans to the curb when asked, as well as take items to the dumpster when asked. When people were around him or the truck, he made sure to have the dogs on-leash and keep to himself because he "knew how he could be perceived." Many of you met him on one of the two or three Sundays he attended worship.

Two or three...that's right. Two weeks stretched into closer to four. Rumblings seemed to grow louder with more grapevine questions making their way down to my office. While his time stretched longer, he understood that he and the church had agreed to him parking for two weeks and so, last Friday morning, he had his truck towed to some other location in Greensboro. He did send me a text message after the truck had been towed off of the property, thanking the church for its hospitality during his stay. I do not know to where he was towed, nor do I think we will come to know - Andrew seems to march to his own beat and is rather insistent on doing things his own way. Not once did he ask for - or accept offers - of financial assistance. Even when offered gift cards to either Harris Teeter or Sheetz, he declined, stating, "someone may need them more."

Why do I tell this story? Because many of you wondered, but I also learned a few things. Why did I even present the request to the Session in the first place? Because of our mission statement that we adopted in January. Because of the ways that having a broken-down truck in the parking lot may not be aesthetically pleasing but could be helping someone in the long run just by parking in an available space in our lot.

Did I learn a lot? Yes.

Did it push us to extend love to our neighbor in a way that might have stretched our comfort zones? Yes.

Did we extend hospitality and serve as Christ's hands and feet? You betcha.

After he left, I wondered if it made a difference. I hoped that it had in Andrew's life - something that was a bit of an inconvenience for us could hopefully make a big impact, despite the phone calls and questions of concern. With the mission statement in mind, I trusted God that all would work out. I'm grateful to the Session for trusting as well, on behalf of the congregation.

A card showed up in the mail this week. Along with a generous check, it read as follows:

This. Notes like this, Fellowship Family. A simple gesture like allowing a man to park his truck and stay with it for a few weeks. It was noticed as being a ministry - which it was. And I am, again, thankful to the congregation to leaning into making him feel welcomed.

I don't know if we will be able to give Andrew the contribution that Jackie made, but that money will be deposited into the Pastor's Discretionary Fund to help others like Andrew when they come seeking help, which they have been during this summer of high gas prices and inflation.

I think about last week's "ring finger focus" as we thought about how to love our neighbor as I think about Andrew. And as we continue our "Talk to the Hand" sermon series this week, we come to the middle - of the series and the finger - and see how something to be known as so crass in our society can actually tie into the bible...come and find out - you won't want to miss it!

Whether in-person or online, I hope you can join us for worship. And remember: I'm always looking for reasons to get out of the office! Breakfast, lunch, coffee break, a stop at Ozzie's Ice Cream - you imagine our meeting, I'll find time in my schedule! It's my most-favoritest part of being a pastor - visiting and hearing stories and learning more about what makes each of you tick.

Sunday worship is in-person, but will continue to be available through Facebook Live, Zoom, and YouTube.

Worshipping via Zoom allows for worship participants to, at the least, see each other during worship, should a participant join through computer. Zoom also allows for worship participants to join by phone, should they not have access to a computer.

When you dial in you will be asked for a meeting ID number: enter 847 7231 7808. The password is: 658602. Depending on the time you dial in, you may not hear anything to start with. When the Prelude begins, you will hear audio.

To access worship by Zoom via computer, please click here.

(If you'd prefer to access the worship service through the Zoom website, please enter Meeting ID 847 7231 7808 - the password is: 658602.)

To access worship by Facebook Live, please click here.

To access worship by YouTube, please click here.

Don't forget - you can access this week's bulletin via the church's website or by clicking here.

This fund, external to the 2022 operating budget, is being funded by these special gifts. Several gifts to this fund are already in hand; if you would also like to contribute to this gift, which will be awarded at the end of this month, you are asked to do so by THIS SUNDAY, July 17. Thank you, in advance, for your prayerful consideration toward this gift to our staff.

Beer and Hymns is back! Join Fellowship’s own Rev. Blake Tickle as he leads the singing of hymns at Oden Brewing Company on Sunday, July 31^st, from 3-5pm. All are welcome to share in a pint and a song at this ecumenical event.

If you are interested in more information about becoming a Guardian ad Litem, please visit the website above. If you'd like more information about what it is like to do this important work, please ask Julie Davis and Susan Harman.

Click this link to be taken to the online donations page.