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GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE
MORNING WORSHIP
Sunday, April 23, 2023 @ 11 am
Sermon - "God of Creation" | Scripture reading - Psalm 104
Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor
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both in-person and on Facebook or YouTube (click here)
Comments: We have set our YouTube channel to accept comments. If you are viewing, we ask that you say hello or to let us know you are there so we can count you as part of our attendance.
ELDER OF THE MONTH - KAREN CLARK
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SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION | |
EASTERTIDE THOUGHTS
This week, we have the opportunity to celebrate Earth Day and I would ask you to take a moment today to pray for our planet. We are called by God to be stewards of Earth, to care for God's creation with a mind for not only our wants and needs but those of future generations as well. I would be so bold as to say we are to love God's creation the way God loves the creation. Join us as we explore how we can play a part in that every day.
Yours In Christ,
Brandon
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
The Adult Sunday School class is currently reading and discussing Adam Nicolson's book, "God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible." They hope to conclude their study in April.
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The class as selected Philip Yancey's book, "Vanishing Grace: what ever happened to the Good News?" as their next title, which they begin reading and discussing on Sunday, April 30th. You should have plenty of time to secure your personal copy and join them in class. Good used copies can be found on Amazon, as well as BetterWorldBooks.com.
The class meets in the Poteat Library at 10 am. If you wish to join the class there is always room for one more.
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FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD
The Lunch Bunch / Meal Schedule for APRIL
April 23 @ Bella Vita's (2927 North Roan Street)
April 30 @ Fellowship Potluck Lunch (Cinco de Mayo theme)
At our Cinco de Mayo Fellowship Potluck lunch we will be receiving an offering that will go to Latin America and Caribbean (General Support). Funds given to this PC(USA) project will be used to further the work of World Mission among our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean. The funds will be used where the need is greatest so that they will have the greatest impact. (E864600)
IF ANYONE HAS SUGGESTIONS FOR LUNCH BUNCH DINING IN 2023, PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE SO IT CAN BE ADDED TO THE LIST!!
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SAVE THE DATE
There will be a wedding shower for Alynda Worrell in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday,
May 6th, beginning at 2 pm. The wedding of Alynda and Alec Welch will be on Saturday, June 17th in Hillsville, Virginia. Everyone is invited. Go to their website for more info: https://www.theknot.com/us/alynda-worrell-and-alec-welch-jun-2023
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UPPER ROOM
Copies of the May-June issue of the Upper Room will be found on the table in the Narthex.
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SURVERYS FROM GENERAL ASSEMBLY
During the next several months a variety of General Assembly-mandated surveys will be distributed. The first is The GA-MC-12 CHANGING FAMILIES survey the is for members of the congregation and staff alike. This survey covers marriage and romantic relationships, family structures, and expressions of gender identity. For each of these sections, they ask about your statuses and identities, your thoughts and opinions on certain topics within these categories, and what you may need from the Church in terms of these topics. Your answers are entirely anonymous. They have absolutely no way of knowing who you are unless you tell them in one of the open-ended questions.
The link is https://surveys.pcusa.org/s3/Changing-Families-in-the-PC-USA
Please contact Research Services:research@pcusa.org if you have any technical issues with this survey. This survey will remain open through May 31st to allow churches ample time to share this survey with those in their fellowship. They thank you in advance for your patience and participation with the General Assembly mandated surveys.
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING WEEK | |
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Saturday, April 22, 2023 - EARTH DAY
11 am Earth Day walk @ Sycamore Shoals State Park (possibly lunch afterwards)
Sunday, April 23, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "God's Secretaries" by Adam Nicolson
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:15 pm Coffee in the Library
1 pm Lunch Bunch @ Bella Vita's (2927 North Roan Street)
Monday, April 24, 2023
6 pm ETSU / U-Kirk supper and service (hosted by WAPC)
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, April 30, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:15 pm Fellowship Potluck Lunch (Cinco de Mayo theme)
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
9 am Holston Presbytery Meeting @ Holston Presbytery Camp, Banner Elk, NC
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Thursday, May 4, 2023
10 am PW meeting in Fellowship Hall
Sunday, May 7, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
11 am Morning Worship / Communion, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ White Duck Taco (126 Buffalo Street)
2 pm Green Walk at Jacob's Nature Park (1220 King Springs Road)
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GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE: | |
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[2023 Annual Budget - $ 177,600
Budget through April 21, Week #16 ($ 54,646)
Receipts $ 84,380.49
Disbursements -$ 51,517.10
Balance $ 32,863.39
The next special PC(USA) offering will be taken on Pentecost.
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APRIL BIRTHDAYS
April 22 - Mike Miyamoto
April 23 - Theresa Lura
April 24 - David Wood
April 25 - Maggie Lauterer
ALSO NOTE: THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE IN REQUESTING CHANCEL FLOWERS.
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For Friends
The Brown and Taylor families in the loss of BeverlyTaylor Brown's husband, Sutton Brown; Susan Turner; Sally Gerhardt; Beth Gerhardt's friend Teri Chapa and son, Ormar Torres; Jonathan Sharp; Michelle Browning's step-father, Rick Elm; Fred Burrell; Janice Hollingshead; Don Loughry; George, Jo & Nikki Rolling; Rev. Maggie Lauterer; Sue Shanks' friend Judy Klein; Sarah Suptin; Kelly Hodges.; Heather Hughes; Edna Campbell.
Update on Sally She has finally been able to move into her new apartment at the Givens Estate, 100 Wesley Drive, Apt 404, Asheville NC 28803 and phone 828-285-2313.
Prayers for others
Continue to pray for the victims of recent wave of tornadoes and severe weather across the United States; and the four major ongoing international crises: the Turkey-Syria earthquake; Sao Paulo, Brazil flooding; the Horn of Africa hunger crisis and the Ukrainian Humanitarian Crisis. These emerging crises also need our prayers: the armed conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Yemen; Syria; South Sudan; Burkina Faso; and gang violence in Haiti; the aftermath of tropical cyclones; flooding; forest fires; and recent earthquakes around the world. Additional prayers for the women of Afghanistan. And especially prayers for our nation and for strength, endurance, faith and courage for all.
CENTER FOR DISASTER PHILANTHROPY - https://disasterphilanthropy.org/
UN OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA) - https://reliefweb.int/
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE - https://rescue.org
US FEMA - DECLARED DISASTERS - https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations
GLOBAL DISASTER ALERT & COORDINATION SYSTEM (GDACS) - https://gdacs.org
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Mike Miyamoto's birthday in 2018 at Ole Guacamole with the Lunch Bunch. | |
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A record-breaking 30 hurricanes hit the Atlantic Ocean in 2020. Three tropical cyclones thrashed the Mexican Caribbean in October alone. However, thanks to a program in Mexico launched by The Nature Conservancy in 2018, a reef brigade of 53 trained community members, including dive-tour operators, fishers, and scientists, was ready to repair coral reefs damaged by the storms. The brigade rescued 12,000 coral fragments in the waters of Puerto Morelos Reef National Park, including critically endangered elkhorn coral. Using zip ties, metal rods, and cement, divers transplanted the fragments and stabilized 1,933 displaced colonies.
Tropical storms can be especially devastating to reefs weakened by pollution, overfishing, and rising temperatures, but a TNC leader says rapid-response brigades are able to act before it's too late. They are now extending the model to Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. In the future they hope to expand the brigades to address other threats like diseases. (GSN #145)
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EARTH DAY WALK AT SYCAMORE SHOALS
Our next walk will be at 11 am on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton. Take highway 321 toward Elizabethton. The park is about 8 miles from the church. Turn left into the park from the highway and follow the road past the fort, on your left, to park by the tennis courts. The entrance to the park is just before you get to Sycamore Shoals Hospital. .
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UPCOMING WALK ON SUNDAY, MAY 7th
Johnson City’s 28-acre Jacob’s Nature Park at Sinking Creek was dedicated in 2016 to Jacob Francisco who passed away in 2004 from an E. coli infection contracted from an unknown source. The park is open to the public and offers several hiking trails, a living roof pavilion, a wetland area and an abundance of wildlife including fish, frogs, salamanders and many species of birds. In 2018, the National Wildlife Federation recognized Jacob’s Nature Park as a certified wildlife habitat. Within the park boundaries is also a native tree arboretum. Learn more about the park at jacobfrancisco.com. Meet at 2 pm in the parking area off King Springs Road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L174GyfXIg
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VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK | |
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MALERWAG - THE PAINTER'S PATH, GERMANY
Trekking Project
(August 2018 | 5:30 min.)
No other route through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains offers such a wide range of sights; this is what makes it so unique. Where once painters sought inspiration for their timeless works, The hiking trail near Dresden stretches over 116 kilometers from its starting point in the village of Liebethal through the wild rock formations of Saxon Switzerland National Park to the Bohemian border. Returning on the left side of the Elbe River, it meanders through the realm of the table mountains to its final point in the heart of the small town of Pirna. Narrow gorges and endless expanses, enchanted valleys and sunny heights, dreamy villages and lively tourist towns: all this is what the trail offers to those who venture on it.
Trekking Project - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDQ_e8v2svY&t=330s
THE MALERWAG: ONE OF GERMANY'S MOST IMPRESSIVE HIKES
Brut America (August 2020 | 2:18 min.)
This is one of Germany's most scenic hiking trails, nestled in the heart of breathtaking landscapes. This is the Malerweg. This short provides an informational overview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmibh5EV5ko&t=3s
MALERWEG // SAECHSISCHE SCHWEIZ
Costa T (June 2020 | 4:13 min.)
This short provides a wonderful drone view of the route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNlTVxyBE98
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IN THE POTEAT LIBRARY
NOTE: The books donated by Sally Gerhardt are currently in process; those books not being added to the library collection are being placed on a book truck in the Heritage Room for your browsing and taking. Please remember the library is open by appointment and you are welcome to drop by the church library if you are looking for something new to read. We ask that you to sign out any books on the register sheet found on the file cabinet in the corner with the call #, book title, your name and date checked out.
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Jesus the Sage: The Pilgrimage of Wisdom
By Ben Witherington III
(223/WIT)
The path of wisdom from Solomon to Jesus and from Jesus to the church In the early Jesus movement, wisdom in the person of Jesus was believed to have returned to heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, and to reign from there. But Jesus as wisdom had left both his legacy and his influence behind. The sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels reflect not only the influence of the Israelite wisdom traditions, but also the tradition of the personification of wisdom.
In this provocative volume newly available in paperback, Ben Witherington provides both an introduction to Israel's wisdom traditions and insight into how Jesus and his sayings fit in that tradition. Beyond this, he demonstrates the on-going significance and influence of these traditions on other New Testament writings. He concludes that Jesus may be viewed primarily as a prophetic sage emphasizing instruction, insight, and humor in a vein counter to the dominant culture.
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Congregational Concerns / Prayer Requests - Please contact the church office or Sherry Bailey with information.
Flower List - The 2023 Flower List has been posted on the bulletin board in the side entry. Please sign up to sponsor flowers for our weekly worship services in honor or in memory of loved ones.
Arrangements are $65 each.
Liturgists - We are always looking for new people to be liturgists. Please contact the church office, if you would like to volunteer.
e-Avenue deadline - Please submit information to church office (office@wataugapc.org or 926-7942) at any time and for the May issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, April 14tth. This includes team and committee meetings, news, planned events and other newsworthy items.
Facebook - Please remember to friend and follow our Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Watauga-Avenue-Presbyterian-Church-94712920937/ ]. All news and events will be reported there.
Photos needed - We welcome contributions to our Facebook page via your comments and photos of church events and activities. Please also submit your photos to the church office for archiving. It will be wonderful to have a visual record of all of the positive things that Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church does for our community.
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WATAUGA AVENUE PC IS ON .. click and see for yourself. | | |
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Established 27 September 1892, Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ. Reformed in theology and Presbyterian by way of organization, it is related to Holston Presbytery, the Synod of Living Waters, and to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | | | | |
