The Grove Growing in Christ Together

Piney Grove Baptist Church 278 Piney Grove Road

Mount Airy, North Carolina 27030

Monthly Newsletter April 2018 Volume XIII, Issue 4

September 4 – Tonya Oakley, Catrena Whitaker

Church Staff

Rev. Mark A. Reece, Jr., Pastor Rev. Kermit Gray, Pastor Emeritus

Rev. Santiago Reales, Associate Pastor of Hispanic/Latino Ministry Paul Danley, Minister of Worship Scottie Isaacs, Ministry Assistant

Dawn Marion, Pianist Ivy Head, Organist

Bruce Hodges, Sound Technician Tommy Haymore, Videographer

Eric Mauldin, Audio- Visual Technician

278 Piney Grove Road Mount Airy, North Carolina 27030

(336)356-4196

www.pgbcmountairy.org

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April Birthdays

April 3

Rev. Mark Reece

April 5 John Willey

April 6

Sarah Fulk

April 7 Elaine Smith

April 14

April Bouldin

April 15 Myron Marion

April 16

Presley Creed Parker Creed

April 20

Brooks Chilton Rusty York

April 21

Hunter York

April 22 James Beck

April 24

Steve Draughn

April 26 Dawn Marion

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Piney Grove Baptist Church PERIODICAL 278 Piney Grove Road Mount Airy, NC 27030 THE GROVE is published monthly by the Piney Grove Baptist Church, 278 Piney Grove Road, Mount Airy, NC. POSTMASTER send change of address to THE GROVE, 278 Piney Grove Road, Mount Airy, NC. Volume XIII, Issue 4, April 2018

Community Event Surry County Schools Elementary Honors Chorus

Friday, April 27, 2018, at 6:30 PM Piney Grove Baptist Church

Condolences Our love, prayers, and Christian sympathy are extended to Dennis Miller

and family on the death of his mother, Peggy Ann Nixon Miller. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our love, prayers, and Christian sympathy are extended to Kevin Huff and family on the death of his grandmother, Laura Mae Gardner Cassell.

Contributions To the General Fund

In memory of Peggy Ann Nixon Miller by The Vine Sunday School Class In memory of Dan and Peggy Ann Nixon Miller by Larry and Kathy Robertson In memory of Peggy Ann Nixon Miller by Milton and Ivy Head In honor of Dot Simpson by Jerry and Carolyn Sawyers In honor of Dot Simpson by Larry and Kathy Robertson

A Note of Thanks Thank you for all the calls, visits, cards, food, and prayers during my knee surgery. Larry Robertson

April Calendar of Events Copies of the April calendar of events are now available on the stand in the narthex.

Special Notice All information for the May newsletter must be submitted by Sunday, April 15, 2018.

Pastor Mark’s Navy Reserve Drill Dates Thursday, April 5, Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7, 2018

Dates to Remember

April 15 Youth Fundraiser: Spaghetti Luncheon

April 16 Deacon’s Meeting

April 17 A Place at the Table at Chase N Charli Restaurant By the River (1384 South Main Street, Mount Airy)

April 21 Latino Community Program

April 22 Baptism Service American Red Cross Blood Drive

April 27 Surry County Schools Elementary Honors Chorus at Piney Grove Baptist Church

April 29 Communion Service

May 5 Women’s Fellowship: Festival of Tables

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Easter Sunday Services April 1, 2018

Sunrise Service at 7:00 AM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Followed by breakfast in the fellowship hall at 7:30 AM

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Sunday School at 9:45 AM

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Worship Service at 11:00 AM

Baptism Service Sunday, April 22. 2018

Communion Service Sunday, April 29, 2018

Children’s Ministries/Mission G.R.O.V.E. Kidz

Children’s Bible Study,

Crafts, Games, Music, and FUN!

G.R.O.V.E. Kidz meets the 1st,

2nd, and 3rd Wednesday nights in

the month of April from 6:30 – 7:30 PM.

Youth Ministry

Our youth will meet on

Wednesday nights from 6:30 – 7:30 PM.

Wednesday,

April 4 Wednesday,

April 11 Wednesday,

April 18 Wednesday,

April 25

SEEDSyouth NO

SEEDSyouth Jon and Ruth

Ann Lattimore DeAnne Danley

Jeni O’Neal

G.R.O.V.E. Kidz NO

G.R.O.V.E. Kidz Sharon Bledsoe

Sharon Bledsoe

NO G.R.O.V.E. Kidz

GAs, RAs, and Mission Friends

The GAs, RAs, and Mission Friends will meet on Wednesday night, April 25, 2018.

Missions Backpack Ministry

Items for Mountain Park Elementary School We will be collecting items for Mountain Park Elementary School during the month of April. Items needed are packs of nabs and cookies. Please leave your items in the blue tub near the old sanctuary.

Latino Ministry

There will be a Hispanic Leadership meeting on Wednesday night, April 4, 2018, at 6:30 PM.

(Continued on Page 3) Page 2

From the Pastor – Rev. Mark A. Reece, Jr.

I do not know why I am surprised every year when it snows

in March. But for some reason, after one nice March day, I have a tendency to assume that it is time for warm weather, baseball games, and the smell of fresh-cut grass. Typically, that is when I turn on the Weather Channel and discover they are calling for snow and frigid temperatures. Last week, that happened. The flowering trees in my yard were in full bloom, but quickly they were blanketed with snow and beaten up by the winds. It was indeed a beautiful snow, but flowers and snow do not belong together. Winter, it

seems, was trying to overshadow the lovely colors of spring. Yet, the flowers fought hard to maintain their colorful composure with the heavy snow weighing them down. The lovely and somewhat surprising image left me in deep reflection.

As a preacher, lent is tough. As a parishioner, lent is tough. From the Ash Wednesday commitment to Good Friday, reflecting on human sin and our subsequent mortality is tough but necessary work. The challenging days of lent can beat us down, but since the pilgrimage leads to Easter, we are trained to keep pressing on and looking forward to the joyous resurrection celebration at Piney Grove – cathead gravy biscuits, fresh fruit, and all! The greater challenge in the Christian life, I think, comes after the lenten pilgrimage and the Easter festivities, when the celebration is over and the congregational singing of “Because He Lives” fades away into the distant past. As Pope John Paul II once said, “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song.” But, after Eastertide is behind us, it is easy to lose the energy, optimism, and hope that came forth from the empty tomb. How do we keep on singing? While we like to put lent in one hand and Easter in the other, life tangles them together like a messy ball of yarn! That is why I love those flowers covered in snow. The ultimate proclamation of Easter is that God has power over sin and death. As the church, we celebrate the promise of eternal life. The post-resurrection narratives that we reflect on in Eastertide reveal that Easter was not just for the dead, but also the living. The larger narrative proclaims afresh the message that begins the liturgical year, that of Emmanuel, “God with us.” On the Emmaus Road, Cleopas and the other disciple thought they were alone, but Christ was walking with them. The disciples were alone in the Upper Room, yet Jesus appeared in their midst. The disciples went back to their old trade of fishing. They were tired, hungry, and empty handed after a long night on the water, yet Jesus cried out from the shore where he was already busy cooking their breakfast, telling them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The Easter story challenges us to see and appreciate the flowers covered in snow, to acknowledge God who is with us on life’s journey, to open our hearts for the peace of Christ when all of the doors seem to be closed, and to hear the voice of God over the crashing waves that can so easily prevent us from exercising the courage to cast our nets on the other side of the boat. In an inspiring Easter sermon, Will Willimon once said, “Jesus Christ is on the Loose.” He later tweeted that “the resurrection of Jesus means not only that Jesus is loose, on the move among us, but it also means that we can get loose.” That is really what Easter is all about. We can always break free from wintry times and live into the new days of spring. This Easter, join me in looking for the signs that point to God. They are all around us and we find Christ in the most unlikely places. The snow melted. The flowers bloomed. Spring is here. Summer is on its heels. Fall will come and the dead of winter will strike again. But Easter is always there even if covered in snow. Thanks for being such a great church. May God bless you all this Eastertide!

Church Conference

G.R.O.V.E. Kidz and

SEEDSyouth:

April’s Guide to Worship and Study

Sunday, April 1 “Skeptics, Scandal, and Sunday”

John 20:1-18

Wednesday, April 4 Worship Seeds John 20:19-31

Sunday, April 8 John 20:19-31

Wednesday, April 11 Worship Seeds John 21:1-19

Sunday, April 15 John 21:1-19

Wednesday, April 18 Worship Seeds

Acts 8:26-40

Sunday, April 22 Service of Baptism

Acts 8:26-40

Wednesday, April 25 Worship Seeds Luke 24:13-33

Sunday, April 29 Celebration of the

Lord’s Supper Luke 24:13-33

Website

Sermon videos can be viewed via PGBC website

or www.vimeo.com and search PGBC.

Stewardship Report 2017-2018

Through March 18, 2018

02/25/18 Offering $3,658.20 03/04/18 Offering $4,161.25 03/11/18 Offering $3,206.88 03/18/18 Offering $2,428.00 Total $13,454.33

Budget: $177,250.00 YTD Goal: $99,260.00

Budget This Period YTD $99,260.00 $13,454.33 $84,235.76

Over/(Under ($144.43) ($15,024.24)

Sunday School Attendance Four-week Average –86.5

PRAYER LIST

Nursing home and long-term care Nancy Edwards Gladys Hooker Leona Huffman

Eva Briggs Elsie Hayes

Grover Haymore

Home or hospital Dean Branch

Avis & Hilda Huff Phyllis Hewitt Lonzo McHone

Charles & Blanche Brintle Banner Combs Josie Woodruff Faye Beasley Todd Brown

Seth Beacham Michael Stephens

Patti Miller Ricky Draughn Junior Sawyers

J.W. & Joan Branch Susan Johnson Gladys Collins Anne Sechrist Faye Danley

Janice Draughn Eileen Kidd

Doug & Kathy Simpson Judy Dollyhigh Jakob Goettel Bill Gingrich Foye Moser

Daniel and Paige Combs Janice Barker Brintle

Charlotte Lawson Gary Kniskern Jack Dollyhigh

Military

MM2 Lammon, Andrew USS Theodore Roosevelt

(CVN 71) RX/RM FPO AE 09599-2871

e-mail: Andrew.lammon@cvn

71.navy.mil

Please contact Scottie

Isaacs to add or remove names from our prayer list.

Phone (336)356-4196

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Missions (Continued from Page 2)

The Grove’s Helping Hand”

“The Grove’s Helping Hand” is a ministry that gives a helping hand to struggling families who run out of groceries before their paycheck arrives. It’s also a ministry to those who have been in the hospital and just don’t have the strength to tackle the grocery store yet. Perhaps we could give a helping hand to some elderly person who can’t get out at all. The food closet is located in the rear of the chapel. A wagon for donations is located in the narthex and it includes a list of needed items.

April Needs Pasta sauce, canned potatoes, and toiletries (hand soap, body wash, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.)

Senior Adult Ministry Council

We are very interested in reviving this important ministry at Piney Grove Baptist Church. It has lain dormant for a while and it is time to get it going again! If we are able to gather enough interest, it will be easier to plan activities for everyone. Not everyone has the same physical capabilities, and it would be great to have varied acticvities so more could participate.

If anyone is interestd in taking on this very special ministry (or pairing with another person), please contact the Nominating Committeee or Pastor Mark.

From experience, I have found that stepping out and getting involved is indeed the only way to feel the joy and reward that comes from truly giving of yourself for God’s purposes. Thank you, Linda Hodges

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Discipleship

Worship Seeds with the Pastor

Wednesday nights from 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Ladies Gathering

Our next Ladies Gathering will be held Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at 6:30 PM.

Christy Williams will be talking about autism and the ladies will also be painting rocks.

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“A Place at the Table” is a monthly lunch gathering for spiritual reflection and discussing issues at the

intersection of faith and culture. Are you able to break for lunch? Retired? Needing an alternative

Bible study? Everyone has “A Place at the Table.” Join us at noon on the third Tuesday of each month.

Come early. Come late. Just come. Please reserve your weekly spot by emailing Pastor Mark at

markreecejr@gmail.com. Forgot to reserve your spot? Come on. We’ll pull up a chair. Our next

gathering is at noon on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at Chase N Charli Restaurant By the River (1384 South

Main Street, Mount Airy).

American Red Cross Blood Drive

Sunday, April 22, 2018 2:00 – 6:30 PM

Piney Grove Baptist Church Fellowship Hall

Youth Fundraiser Join us for lunch on Sunday, April 15, 2018,

following the 11:00 AM worship service in the fellowship hall.

Menu Spaghetti, Salad, Bread,

and Drink

Take-out plates will be available.

Donations only!

We will also sell whole pans of spaghetti.

Proceeds will benefit the youth’s trip to PASSPORTchoices this summer.

Festival of Tables

Save the Date – Festival of Tables

Saturday, May 5, 2018 Brunch from 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

If you have questions or would like to reserve your space as a table hostess, please contact Katy Reece, Ruth Dollyhigh, Michella Huff, or Kathy Creed by Sunday, April 22, 2018.

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