The Carillon A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 V O L U M E 3 4 I S S U E 8

A Publication of

First Presbyterian

Church

2101 N. Herritage St.

Kinston, NC 28501

252-522-1921 (phone)

252-522-1922 (fax)

info@fpckinston.org

www.fpckinston.org

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Pastor’s Page 2

Worship in August

3

Education & Nurture

3

Music News 4/5

Graduate Recognition

6

Birthdays 6

Prayer Requests

7

Matthew 2:1-12

They Saw

They followed

They worshipped

If you would like a

porch visit,

contact the

Church Office at

252-522-1921.

P A G E 2

T H E C A R I L L O N

“The Dog Days of Summer” The Dog Days of Summer are upon us. This idiom comes from Hellenistic astrological connection of the rising of the star system Sirius, which the Greeks connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs and bad luck. Today the dog days of summer are connected to the hottest, most uncomfortable parts of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, typically late July through early August.

The last few weeks have been hot. We have had more days with heat advisories then days without. The ground has turned dry, and as I look out my front windows I can see those dry parched places appearing in

our yard. Rain has been scarce and what was once a dark green lush scene of life, has turned light green with intermittent patches of brown.

In my own life, it seems as though when we get to this time of year I find myself spiritually dry. Those areas in my life that were rich, vibrant, and overflowing earlier in the year have become a parched, empty, and brittle faith-scape. Since the shut down in March, every moment of our lives has been magnified, weighed down, and at times even more difficult. It is important for us to recognize and realize when we are running low so that we don’t burn out or become overwhelmed.

Just like maintaining our physical health takes diet, exercise, and regular doctor visits, our spiritual health requires routine maintenance and check ups. When we work out we need to replenish and restore our bodies with the fuel we need. Our bodies require food, water, and rest to be renewed and replenished. Our spiritual lives are no different. We need to find spiritual practices that feed us, nourish us, and sustain our relationships with our Lord. I give thanks to God for his invitational nature. Jesus said in the Gospel of John, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.”

Jesus is the living water. When we come to Jesus in prayer, when we come to him in study, when we come through mission, when we come to him in worship, we drink of his life giving water. Our parched, dry, and withered souls are renewed and restored. As we journey together may you find the life giving waters to be refreshing and replenishing as we seek to remain faithful during this difficult and trying time. Over the next few months we will be exploring new and different ways to join together so that our thirst might be quenched, through worship, study, service, and even fellowship. Joyfully, Pastor Travis

From Your Pastor

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 3 4 I S S U E 8

Worship in

August

Stated Session

Meeting

Monday, August 18,

5:30 p.m.

August 2

Scripture: Genesis 32:22-31;

Matthew 14:13-21

August 9

Graduate Recognition

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28;

Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b;

Romans 10:5-15;

Matthew 14:22-33

August 16

Scripture: Genesis 45:1-15

Matthew 15:10-20;

August 23

Scripture: Romans, 12:1-8;

Matthew 16:13-20

August 30

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21;

Matthew 16:21-28

Education & Nurture News Back to [Church] School 2020

We can all agree that 2020 has been unprecedented: as the CV-19 pandemic burst into our conscious, we have been forced to isolate, halt, and re-configure every kind of ministry to which we’ve grown accustomed. Before mid-March, we were rolling along with Children’s Church, Children’s Choir, and Kids’ Club; welcoming a consistent group of children (ages 4 thru 10) each week. Our youth had just completed a really fun retreat to Camp Albemarle and was gearing up for the annual Chili Cook-Off; then it all just stopped. Remote learning for schools and Zoom burnout made it tough to connect together this spring. This summer, I’ve studied what sister PCUSA churches are doing throughout the country for children’s and youth ministry; discussed some options with trusted colleagues; and am coming up with a plan to propose to the Education & Nurture committee and Re-Imagining Ministry Task Force. Currently, the Fall 2020 kick-off time and date is August 23 at 4:00 p.m. More information will be sent to our families in the coming days. There will be opportunities for safely-distanced support for our children and youth; so please consider helping out as those options are published. Please keep our families with children and youth in your prayers. Isolation from family, friends, and the cessation of all their activities have been difficult to understand and continue to produce anxiety. Children and adolescents unknowingly absorb the stress of those around them — if you feel it, they are feeling it, too. These young people aren’t just the future of this congregation and the Church, they are the very real, active, and spiritually-hungry present. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas for upcoming plans, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. My heart and (socially-distant) door, are open to you and yours,

Year-to-

Date

Budgeted

Amount Difference

$201,859.88 $202,636.85 ($776.97)

Pastor Sydne Director of Education & Nurture

P A G E 4

T H E C A R I L L O N

ECU Students and Singing during Covid 19 In early spring semester I started to work on finding a replacement for Jordan Snow, our Children’s Choir Director and tenor choral scholar for the past several years. I also began to solidify choral music for our Easter and Holy Week services. I know everyone knows that a lot has changed since that time!

As we brave the heat this summer for outdoor worship we have been blessed to have our college choral scholars Abigail Williams, Noelys

Montilla, Jordan Snow and Zach Palma come to sing several times. Jordan will not be with us this fall on a regular basis as he starts his first job teaching in Farmville however I am expecting our other three choral scholars to sing for us as is possible with the virus this fall. I have asked all four of them to update us with their plans as we try to start this most unusual year!

Meanwhile at the ECU Music School we are very apprehensive about the coming semester. We will start this fall with a hybrid of in person and online teaching. Our semester will begin on August 10 and then end the day before Thanksgiving. The spring semester will start the day after Martin Luther King Day and end at the usual time. We will have no Fall Break or Spring Break and the Christmas Holiday will be 7 weeks! There will be no live performances at the Music School and we are not sure what we will do for our ensembles especially the choral ensembles.

Singing is one of the most dangerous ways to spread and contract the virus. I will continue to keep up with the recommendations of professionals about the safety of singing alone or in groups both inside and outside. At the moment solo (or a times distanced duo singers) with masks outside is safe. I am not sure when and if we will be able to have singing of any kind once we return to indoor worship. I will keep you informed and provide what music we can. I will likely bring in more instrumental music when we return to indoor worship as that is much safer for spread and contracting the virus.

I have enjoyed seeing people from a distance this summer and on zoom. Don’t hesitate to chat with me via an email any time. I miss seeing and talking with everyone!

John O’Brien, Director of Music/Organist

V O L U M E 3 4 I S S U E 8 P A G E 5

Abigail Williams moved to NC from NY about 5 years ago in order to pursue her degree in music, leading her to sing at FPC Kinston. She did not know being in NC would open her up to so many new incredible people, incredible opportunities for growth, and that in 5 years she would fall in love with the state of NC. She wants to thank all the wonderful members of FPC for letting her be apart of their community for the past four years, and making her feel so at home with the church family. She looks forward to continuing to worship with you all, pandemic style!

Abigail Williams

Noelys Marie Montilla

Zach Palma

Jordan Snow is an ECU Alumni, class of 2020. He received the “Most Outstanding Senior Award: Music Education Choral” and is currently working as the Director for Choir and Orchestra at Farmville Middle School. He has been a part of the Kinston First Presbyterian Choir since Fall 2017 and has helped with the Children’s Choir for the past two years as well. He has sung with the ECU Chamber singers, ECU University Chorale, ECU Men’s Chorus, and the ECU Collegiate Choir.

Zach Palma is entering his Junior year at ECU as a Music Therapist and Composer. He is also studying piano under Kwan Yi. He is from Apex, North Carolina and is involved with the ECU Chamber Singers, University Chorale and Colligate choir. During the 19-20 academic school year he had the pleasure of singing, composing and playing for FPC and is optimistic towards his future at the church. Over the past summer he lived in Cary with his family and worked as a swim instructor and lifeguard at the local YMCA.”

Jordan Snow

Noelys Montilla is currently getting ready to enter her last year at ECU. Throughout her time there, she has participated in the ECU Chamber Singers and was conducting for the Collegiate Choir before school had shut down for COVID 19. She has also participated in many of the operas including Dialogues of the Carmelites and the title role of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. Noelys will be student teaching at Hope Middle School and Wintergreen Elementary school this coming fall. She is anxious to start her new year at school and wishes everyone stays safe and healthy.

T H E C A R I L L O N

P A G E 6

3 Gunnar Hunneke 15 David Fillippeli 27 Joyce Witherington

4 Trevor Johnson 16 Frances Theodorakis 28 Mary Ann Johnson

5 J. C. Carraway 18 Lee Cox 28 John Roberts

12 Neela Mohan 24 Randy Angel 29 Wilma Boldt

12 Sharon Truman 26 Ruthie Stroud 29 Kelley Marshall

13 Jim Dobbins 27 Bill Stallings 31 Kennedy Brown Porter

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 3 4 I S S U E 8

Serving in

August 2 9 16 23 30

Liturgists Aaron Dale TBD Inez Dale John Marshall Cindy Archie

Steward Scott Williams Scott Williams Scott Williams Scott Williams Scott Williams

Members Mary Louise Smith

Becky Barbee Ruthie Stroud

Linda Brown Kathryn Thutt

Ralph Clark April Walrath

Honey Fuller Honey Whitaker

David Mills Pamela Williams

Hope Shackelford Brenda Woodley

Spring Arbor Jim Marshall Max Tabory

State Veterans Home Fred Antonowich

Cypress Glen, Greenville Gertrude Dalzell

Family & Friends

Bill Anderson Shannon Moore

J. Warren Creech Joe Poole

Kristin Cummings Kenneth Rouse

Kirk Fuller Ella Faye Sessoms

Bill Gay Donald Shiffler, Jr.

Judy Greer Michele Spence

Peggy Holliday Mitchell Tippet

Amy Smith Johnson Glenwood Waters

Sue Martin Faye Womble

Please keep the Reimagining Ministry

Task Force in your prayers as they

meet regularly to discern when and

how in-person ministry may happen

again. The Task Force members are

John McPhaul (chair), June

Cummings, David Fillippeli, Beverly

Jenkins, and Leigh Patterson. If you

have any questions, comments,

concerns, about our ministry together

please let this group know.

To share a specific prayer concern or make known a particular concern or suggestion, please see any of the members of Session listed below who comprise the elected leadership of our church.

The Session

Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Class of 2022

Cindy Angel Sidney Baker J. C. Carraway June Cummings David Mills Jason Cherry David Fillippeli Patricia Noble Karla Grizzard Killen Harper Joy Shortell Gina Mackey George Jenkins Scott Williams John McPhaul Michael Martin Bett Rouse Cathy Wooten Clerk: George Jenkins

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Travis Allen, Pastor

Sydne Allen, Director of Education and Nur ture

John O’Brien, Director of Music/Organist

J. C. Carraway, Assistant Choirmaster /Organist

Linda Johnson, Financial Administrator

Shelly Sparrow, Office Administrator

Jeff & Christi Boyd, Missionar ies to Cameroon

News Around FPC’s World First Presbyterian Church

2101 N. Herritage Street

Kinston, NC 28501-2221

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