Sunday, July 9: 

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

• Sermon: Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
• Worship Leader: Blanton Youell
• Scripture Reader: Blanton Youell
• Head usher: David Rives
• Flowers: Mary Planer
• Commissioning of Charlotte Ann Banfield as Massanetta Camp Counselor

Doors will be locked when service begins for security reasons. Please knock on ramp door to be let in.

Prayer List

Please keep the following people in your prayers:

Jordan Tucker, Bill Rountree, Antonio, Jean Arrington, Ron Atkins, Becky Lyons, Terri Keck, Pam Church, Kathryn Benfer, Wendy Byrd, Mariah Tate, Katherine Heath

If you have a prayer request, contact Anna in the church office or email office@fpcma.com.

July 15: 10am: Sandwich Saturday

July 16

• Sermon: Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
• Worship Leader: needed
• Scripture Reader: Maddie Youell
• Head Usher: David Rives
• Flowers: Mary Planer
• Massanetta participants commissioned

July 18: noon: Bible Study

July 23

• Sermon: Rev. Dr. Vicki Jones Johnson
• Worship Leader: Shevaun O'Connell
• Scripture Reader: Shevaun O'Connell
• Head Usher: David Rives
• Flowers: Mary Planer

July 25 : noon: Bible Study

July 30

• Sermon: Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
• Worship Leader: Derek Higgs
• Scripture Reader: Derek Higgs
• Head Usher: David Rives
• Flowers: Mary Planer
• Montreat participants commissioned

Worship Volunteers Needed:

There are lots of ways to get involved during Sunday morning worship. We need scripture readers, flowers for the sanctuary, greeters, nursery helpers and Little Church helpers. There are sign-up sheets in the foyer, click the button below, or contact Anna at office@fpcma.com

Sandwich Saturday: July 15

Help us make 75 bag lunches to be delivered in two of our neighboring housing units. We need volunteers, peanut butter, jam (easier to spread), 8oz. water bottles, and monetary donations for bread, and other supplies.

Sign-up sheets are in the foyer for July 15, and August 19. We start assembling lunches at 10am in the Fellowship Hall.

Each Saturday costs approximately $100 for all the supplies. To donate online, click the button and select "Sandwich Saturdays." For more information, contact Beth Pequeno at beth.pequeno@gmail.com.

Help Our Local Seniors

July 11 at 10am

Give65, a program of Home Instead Charities, is devoted to helping nonprofits raise money online for programs and services that are helping aging adults live with independence and dignity.

Out of North Carolina's 100 counties, Surry County was ranked the 28th worst for food insecurity (USDA, 2019) with a current food insecurity rate (15%) that is 3.2% higher than the state average (Feeding America, 2023). Our rural service region presents complex access barriers for local seniors to receive consistent, adequate nutrition.

Helping Hands is working to ensure that seniors remain safe and nourished through:

• Weekly fresh produce distribution
• A bimonthly community pantry
• Monthly TEFAP distributions
• A "blessing box" that's accessible 24/7
• Street outreach to identify and serve the needs of unsheltered community members
• Gardening education to help food-insecure clients establish and maintain community gardens to bolster produce access

Please donate to Helping Hands food pantry at 10am on July 11th using the website https://www.give65.org/helpinghandssurry to enable us to continue doing this vital work.

As an added bonus, additional rewards will be provided to organizations who raise the most donations and have the most unique donors.

Online donation steps: Visit

https://www.give65.org/helpinghandssurry

Click the green "donate now" button

Follow the steps in the donation form, click "checkout."

Determine if you'd like to give as a guest or create an account. Follow these steps based on your preference.

Once you've successfully made your gift, please check your email for emailed gift receipt for your tax-deductible contribution

The donation will appear as GIVE65.ORG DONATION on your credit card statement.

Vacation Bible School:

June 26-28

Beacon News:

We will not be meeting this week.

Massanetta:(Middle School) July 18-21

Montreat: (High School) July 30-Aug.5

Godly Play (ages 3 - 2nd grade) and Faith Friends (3rd-5th grade)

We will not be meeting this week.

Lunchtime Bible Study

Every Tuesday, Dr Ritsch offers an hour long Bible study starting at noon.

We are currently studying the Gospel of Mark.

Bring a lunch if you’d like as we discuss what both scholarship and our hearts tell us as we study God’s word.

A reminder that we are in the middle of a fundraiser for the Scout Hut Renovation project and we are in need of donations to make that project happen. You can make a donation to this fund on Realm by selecting “Scout Hut Fund”. As we enter into the summer travel season and our attendance historically will drop, please continue to keep your pledges up to date by giving online through the Realm App. We appreciate your continued support of this church and our ministries! 

June's financial report will be in next week's message.

Support Our Area Charities 

Baskets are located in the foyer for donations of non-perishable food for both agencies. Helping Hands also accepts paper products and toiletries.

Please note that the government has returned to pre-pandemic support, so Second Harvest has reduced the amount of food given to our local pantries. They are struggling to meet the needs of our neighbors.

This month's special requests are:

Yokefellow: Canned fruit and cereal

Shepherd's House: Deodorant (male and female)

Helping Hands: Non-perishable food items

Adult Sunday School:

Odds and Ends: This is our longest established class and it meets every Sunday at 10am in the classroom located at the end of the long hallway upstairs.

Next Women's Fellowship Lunch will be September 10* after our worship service.

To order the Horizons Magazine and/or devotions book for 2023, CLICK HERE.

*Date changed due to Labor Day weekend.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

9-8-8 is the new three-digit dialing code to reach help for suicide and crisis help across the United States. Please help to spread the word about this very important topic, and encourage anyone you know who may need help to dial 9-8-8. Texting is also an option.

Session Members

Moderator: Dr. Rev. Frederick "Fritz" Ritsch

Clerk of the Session: Bob Keck

Elders:

Class of 2023:

Margaret Cockerell, Beth Pequeno, Mike Branch, Mark Brown, and Taylor Pike (youth elder)

Class of 2024:

Lydia Taylor, David Rives, Gene Rees and Steve Yokely

Class of 2025:

Kelley Jackson, Thomas Reisinger, Laura East and Jane Tesh