Issue #390

The Weekly AVENUE

June 22, 2023

GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE

MORNING WORSHIP

Sunday, June 25, 2023 @ 11 am

Sermon - "From Laughing to Tears"

Scripture reading - Genesis 21:8-21

Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor

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 - David Hughes

SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION

SUMMER REFLECTION

The first person to name God in Scripture is an Egyptian foreigner slave woman named Hagar. She calls God the one that sees her, El Roi. This a person that held very little status in the community, if any at all. However, in this one moment she names and proclaims that the God of the Universe sees her. And this continues into the story that we are reading this week. Abraham and Sarah tell Hagar that she must leave their home with her son Ishmael. It is in the wandering through the desert that again, God hears the cries of Hagar and her son, and God intervenes. God includes them in the kingdom. So come this week, and hear the story found in Genesis 21 of how inclusive and expansive God’s Kingdom really is and really will be.

Yours In Christ,

Brandon

CHURCH IN THE PARK 2023

It was wonderful to return to Church in the Park after several years of seclusion during COVID. This was Pastor Brandon's first service there and we had a good turnout with 42 in attendance. It was nice to see that there was actually water in the lake with boaters and fishermen out there enjoying themselves. Our fine lunch of Bar-BQ, baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw was almost entirely eaten. Lots of people came together to make this return visit to the Meredith Pavilion at Winged Deer a success.

We thank everyone who made this possible.

GOOD SAMARITAN SUMMER BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE

GOOD SAM Back to School program participants will receive two food boxes during the summer months and a backpack for each registered child attending school in August.

Food Box Distribution 2 & Backpacks - July 21-22, 2023

WAPC has been asked to collect three canned items - we are waiting on Good Sam to tell us our "new" items. We continue to collect cans of these items through July 17 for food box 2. Items can be placed in the big container located in the side entry hall.

For backpacks - Good Samaritan Ministries needs the following unused / new items for our Back to School Program: 1″ hard cover binders; Loose leaf paper (college and wide rule); Black/blue ball point pens; Red ball point pens; 24-count crayon packs; 12-ct colored pencils; #2 pencils; Highlighters; Glue sticks; 12″ rulers. The ministry strongly recommends choosing one or two items to focus your collection drive.

If you wish to contribute monetarily, please make your check out to WAPC and be sure to include Good Sam backpacks in the note line.

FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD

The Lunch Bunch / Meal Schedule for JUNE / JULY

June 25 @ El Charolais (1805 West State of Franklin, JC)

July 2 @ Rainbow Asian Cuisine (2412 No. Roan Street, JC)

July 9 @ Mad Greek (2010 Franklin Terrace, JC)

July 16 @ Red Meze (109 Buffalo Street, dwtn JC)

THERE IS A SUMMER SCHEDULE OF ALL LUNCH BUNCH LOCATIONS POSTED ON THE BULLETIN BOARD.

IF ANYONE HAS SUGGESTIONS FOR OTHER DINING VENUES, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE TO ADD THEM TO OUR LUNCH ROTATION. THANKS.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING WEEK

Sunday, June 25, 2023

10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey

11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ El Charolais

Monday, June 26, 2023

6 pm Summer Bible Study (in Conference Room)

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Sunday, July 2, 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 noon Personnel Committee (in conference room)

NOTE: The Personnel Committee will meet on Sunday, July 2, immediately after worship in the conference room across from the Poteat Library. Agenda and resource material have been distributed to members of the committee. Please contact Wilsie Bishop, if you have questions.

12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Rainbow Asian Cuisine

Monday, July 3, 2023

6 pm Summer Bible Study (TBD)

Tuesday, July 4th - INDEPENDENCE DAY

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Sunday, July 9, 2023

10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey

11 am Morning Worship, Dr Laura Ong, Guest Minister (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Mad Greek

Monday, July 10, 2023

6 pm Summer Bible Study (in Conference Room)

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Friday, July 14, 2023

7 pm Music on the Square in Jonesborough featuring Ed Snodderly

FINANCIAL UPDATE

GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE:

[2023 Annual Budget - $ 177,600

Budget through June 23, Week #25 ($ 85,385)

Receipts $ 96,563.49

Disbursements -$ 76,619/40

Balance $ 19,944.09

Please remember the 5 Cents per Meal Offering this week

and every first Sunday of the Month. The next special PC(USA) offering will

be in September for the Peace & Global Witness offering.

JUNE / JULY BIRTHDAYS

June 26 - Ruth Crawford

July 9 - Brandon Davis

July 12 - Linda Brashear

JUNE / JULY ANNIVERSARIES

June 26 - Paul & Wilsie Bishop - 52nd

June 27 - Wayne & Sherry Bailey - 42nd

June 30 - Carl & Libby Krell - 52nd

July 3 - George & Jo Rolling - 52nd

July 11 - Fred & Alice Burrell - 64th

ALSO NOTE: THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE IN REQUESTING CHANCEL FLOWERS.

Request Chancel flowers

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS

For Friends and Family

Jennifer Hughes; Marty Shanks' sister, Judy Hall; 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.

Prayers for others

Continue to pray for the people in Ukraine as they continue their fight against the Russian Invasion. For the people Sudan as they are caught between an armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan and continues to be an ongoing humanitarian crisis, as well as the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Continuing prayers for the people across the south with the ongoing severe storm systems; along with prayers for the people of Bangladesh and Myanmar with Cyclone Biparjoy and in India with Cyclone Mocha. Prayers are needed for the refugee crisis and European migration issues in Greece. Prayers for U.S. troops and migrants seeking refuge along the southern U.S. border. 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

Prayer Requests

GARDEN HEALING

The pollinator garden is ever changing. Our statue was mysteriously righted onto the base the other evening by person or persons unknown. Lanny and David have now attached the other arm and it is under wraps until it has had time to set. Once that is done the statue will be remounted on the stand. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, our garden will have turned to its former glory and serenity..

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Church in the Park 2016. Hopefully, someone took photos

of this year's event and can forward them to the office.

NEW WALK SCHEDULED

Our next walk is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26th at 10 am along the downtown portion of the Persimmon Ridge Trail in downtown Jonesborough. Those interested should meet at the Chuckey Depot Museum / railcar parking lot on South 2nd Avenue in Jonesborough. Lunch to follow.

GREEN SPACE NEWS

Seabed stars slice across the ocean floor using thousands of tiny tubelike projections attached to their arms. Seawater pumps through their bloodless body cavities, hydraulically powering their limbs. And instead of a brain, they have a decentralized nervous system, with each limb essentially calling its own shots. However, one aspect of the sea star's biology may be threatening its survival in some parts of the world. Sea stars don't have gills. Instead, they breathe through their skin, making them sensitive to changes in oxygen levels in the water. Unfortunately, today's warming oceans may be contributing to blooms of bacteria that deplete the ocean oxygen sea stars rely on.

This condition may help explain an ailment called sea star wasting disease that has been decimating these animals along the west coast of the United States since 2013. Losing so many sea stars helped set off an ecological chain reaction that erased acres of kelp forests between Alaska and Mexico, highlighting the importance of these invertebrates and the urgent need to halt climate change by curbing emissions. (GSN #153)

VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK

MOUNTAINS

Francesco Signorini

(July 2019 | 2:31 min.)

Stunning brief film highlighting the Italian Alps and Dolomite mountains.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp7iq6kc4Pc&t=3s

DOLOMITES

MICHELE COLOMBO

(September 2016 | 2:48 min.)

Beautiful brief film of timelapse view of the Dolomite mountains in Italy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q92HyKh9Vf4

IN THE POTEAT LIBRARY

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.

God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World – and Why Their Differences Matter

By Stephen Prothero

(201.4/PRO)

In God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World, New York Times bestselling author of Religious Literacy and religion scholar Stephen Prothero argues that persistent attempts to portray all religions as different paths to the same God overlook the distinct problem that each tradition seeks to solve. Delving into the different problems and solutions that Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Confucianism, Yoruba Religion, Daoism and Atheism strive to combat, God is Not One is an indispensable guide to the questions human beings have asked for millennia—and to the disparate paths we are taking to answer them today.

REMINDERS

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 July issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, June 16th. 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.

WATAUGA AVENUE PC IS ON .. click and see for yourself.

Visit our website

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.)