Midweek News Nov 13, 2024
Nov 13, 2024
Announcements and Items of Interest
Sunday, November 17, 2024. Thanksgiving Worship in the fellowship hall at 11:00 a.m. followed by our November Thanksgiving Potluck Luncheon. Roast turkey and dressing will be provided. Please bring a side dish to share.
Choir practices every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. If you enjoy singing, please come! Session will meet this Tuesday, November 12, at 3 p.m. in the fellowship hall.
Volunteers are needed for a Grounds Clean-Up Day on Saturday, November 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The plans are to clean up leaves and sticks in the cemetery, so bring anything you think might be helpful, i.e. rakes, tarps, work gloves.
Wednesday Bible Study continues Wednesday, November 20, 3-4:30 p.m., in the fellowship hall. Pastor Kathy and Daniel Coffey are leading the group in a deep dive into the Gospel of Mark. Daniel is helping with the Bible study as a part of his internship for a Master’s Degree in Christian Education. Everyone is invited!
The Crossnore Children’s Fund, our church’s endowment for Crossnore Elementary School, was our September mission project. We were given an anonymous gift of $150,000 to start the endowment and since then we have raised an additional $13,000 which brings the endowment’s total to $163,000 and is still earning interest. Principal Bentley will meet with the Session before the end of the year to let us know how the interest from the endowment can best be used this school year for those students in need. Thanks to everyone who donated to this worthy mission!
The CPC Hurricane Relief Fund is being used to assist our partner non-profits in Avery County when there are no government or private funds to cover expenses for those in desperate need. Since October 1, we have raised over $65,000. Thanks to all who have already contributed! Some of the connections we are making include: providing another camper trailer for a woman whose home is unlivable until repairs made possible through our partnership with Avery County Habitat for Humanity. Bridges for Avery is building culverts for people in Avery County whose property is not covered by FEMA or other agencies. They have built 20 culverts so far and plan on building at least 12 more. Our church is writing grants to assist with financial support. We paid for drywall and mud for a family rebuilding their flooded home. The Lion’s Club from Ohio is providing take out Thanksgiving Dinner at Cranberry Middle School for 2,000 people.
Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte has given our church a great gift: They are paying the salary of a part-time person to assist us in our hurricane relief and recovery outreach for the next six months. Bobbie Willard has been hired by the Session to fill this position and is already hard at work networking with our non-profits to serve those in need.
Our November mission project is purchasing household goods for eleven low-income residents of the Linn Cove first floor apartments that were flooded. The mission committee is making these purchases while Reaching Avery Ministry and Volunteer Avery County is providing all the furniture and appliances. Volunteers will be needed when we get the move in date. This mission project replaces our annual Thanksgiving baskets because the people we have helped in the past are being helped by other agencies at this time.
Volunteer Opportunities at this time: Reaching Avery Ministry- next to Dollar General in Newland- Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.- help with food boxes and clothing distribution; Feeding Avery Families- look at their Facebook for details
A Thanksgiving Prayer
O God,
We thank you for this earth, our home;
for the wide sky and the blessed sun,
for the ocean and streams,
for the towering hills and the whispering wind,
for the trees and green grass.
We thank you for our senses
by which we hear the songs of birds,
and see the splendor of fields of golden wheat,
and taste autumn’s fruit,
rejoice in the feel of snow,
and smell the breath of spring flowers.
Grant us a heart opened wide to all this beauty;
and save us from being so blind
that we pass unseeing
when even the common thorn bush
is aflame with your glory.
For each new dawn is filled with infinite possibilities
for new beginnings and new discoveries.
Life is constantly changing and renewing itself.
In this new day of new beginnings with God,
all things are possible.
We are restored and renewed in a joyous awakening
to the wonder that our lives are and, yet, can be. Amen.
~ written by Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918)
