July 2, 2013

What does God require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. — Micah 6:8

I have always loved learning. Growing up, I loved the learn-ing that took place in my grandfather’s old work shop behind his house. It was there I learned how to take apart a lawn-mower and put it back together. It was there that I learned what a soldering gun can do. (For those who don’t know what a soldering gun is, it is a tool for soldering metals using tin-based solder to achieve a strong mechanical bond.) It was in my grandfather’s work shop that I learned my first math skills as he taught me how to measure wood pieces to be cut for stakes in his garden. Without a lot of words and with endless patience, my grandfather taught me many life skills in that old work shop that was sacred ground and a sanctuary for me.

As I got older, school became the primary place of learn-ing – at least formal learning. I have fond memories of ele-mentary school and how excited I was to be there. That feeling lessened as I got older and became more interested in sports and having a social life. Throughout middle and high school, my attention was on just about everything except learning. It wasn’t until I went to college and seminary that a deep and intense love of learning re-surfaced.

Throughout my pro-fessional life, I have made it a point to engage in continuing education – both formally and infor-

mally. You, the Pullen people, have taught me so much about life and ministry – you have been and continue to be like my grandfather’s old work shop. I have also continued my formal learning while with you – completing a doctorate of ministry degree and engaging in continuing education through pro-grams like the College of Preachers at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Those opportunities have happened be-cause of your support and the way this church values learning.

I now have another opportunity to engage in continuing education. I have been accepted to the 2013 Theology Sum-mer School program at the University of Oxford in England. The program lasts for two weeks in August and offers me the opportunity to take four theology classes with other individu-als from all around the globe. The Personnel Committee has approved the two weeks as study leave and I am excited about this opportunity. The four classes I will be taking are as fol-lows: Some Ethical Issues Across the Faiths; Transforming Community: The Five Marks of Mission; Empathy, Religious Practice and Ethical Action; and Ethical Issues in Science and Religion.

As a part of the application process, I had to write a “personal statement” as to my interest in participating in the program. Here is a portion of what I wrote:

My purpose in pursuing ongoing education, and specifically, Oxford’s Theology Summer School, is to cultivate my ca-­pacity to offer thoughtful reflection to my congregants on how theology and faith relate to the world in which they live. As a life-long learner, I draw hope and energy from joining my colleagues in thinking deeply about our faith and our work in the world, and feel Oxford’s summer program would provide me such a forum. And, as one who has devoted my ministry to congregational life, I feel compelled to leaven that academic dialogue with the realities of daily parish life. Such deliberate inquiry is more critical now than ever. As our world is experiencing rapid change in societal sys-tems, the church is a part of that change. As we experience the shift from religious and institutional loyalty to a spiritual and more pluralistic way of approaching faith, I’m convinced that the social gospel is how the church will remain relevant and transformative as a key component of our societal struc-tures. The courses that deal with ethics and ethical dilemmas in the world, issues related to the poor and the oppressed, and our beleaguered environment are critical to what I be-lieve is a new kind of faith being birthed in the world today. As a participant in these courses, I offer my 21-year experience with a particular congregation that has sought to make a difference in the world by adhering to a thoughtful theology that bends toward the social gospel in practice and theory. My congregation seeks to combine the best scholarly approach to theology while being relevant to the particular social justice issues that the world now faces. Our congrega-tion has also been intentional about creating and nurturing close dialogue and exchange with sister churches throughout the world, as we strive to be one humanity united in our common bond of being God’s beloved. As I have visited our partners in Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Republic of Georgia, I have found that it is through the exchange of ideas and ex-periences that we become more wholly the commonwealth of God here on earth.

The bottom-line reason that I am interested in learning is so that I can be the best minister to you and our community that I can be. I feel certain that while I may learn some inter-esting ideas and concepts through the books I will read for my study, I anticipate that the most enriching part of my experi-ence will be learning from my classmates. The exchange of ideas with others is deeply exciting to me.

So, I wanted to let you know that I will be gone most of August. I will take a week’s vacation in London before I go to Oxford to begin my learning adventure. I hope you will keep me in your prayers, as I will keep you in mine. And I will re-turn in late August with lots of stories and experiences to share with you.

—Nancy

2013 Theology Summer School

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

—Gandhi

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Ins ide Pul len : Summer Sunday School

Pullen Staff

David Anderson (x220) Community Ministry Coordinator

danderson@pullen.org

Laura Foley (x217) Minister with Youth & their Families

lfoley@pullen.org

Janice Hocutt (x211) Organist

Sylvanda Judd Custodian

Lisa Kazmierczak (x224) Administrator

lkazmierczak@pullen.org

Nancy Petty (x215) Pastor

npetty@pullen org

Larry Schultz (x219) Minister of Music

lschultz@pullen.org

Libby Stephens (x212) Minister with Children &

their Families lstephens@pullen.org

Cathy Tamsberg (x214) Associate Pastor

ctamsberg@pullen.org

____________

Church Office

919/828-0897

Church Fax

919/833-9364

Church Web Site

www.pullen.org

Twitter

@PullenChurch

Facebook

www.facebook.com/PullenChurch

Podcast

feeds.feedburner.com/PullenBC

Summer Sunday School Continues July 14 No Sunday School July 7. Worship at 11:00 AM Our Summer Sunday School takes a break this coming week, then resume July 14 with programs for all ages. Adults will continue their series called “What’s Trending? Keeping Faith in a Complex World” with a session led by Allan Freyer. Allan joined the Justice Center in June 2011 as a Public Policy Analyst focusing on economic and workforce development issues and economic analysis. He has over a decade of experience in federal, state, and local economic development policy, including service as a pol-icy advisor to three Members of the United States Con-gress and as an independent economic development con-sultant to nonprofits, universities, and state and local gov-

ernment agencies. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Duke Univer-­sity and a Masters in City & Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he is also currently pursuing his PhD in Economic Development.

All adults will meet in Finlator hall. What’s Trending? Keeping Faith in a Com-­plex World is the topic for this summer’s Sunday school. Our lives are increasingly fast-paced and complex, which presents both opportunities and challenges for being faithful lovers of justice and mercy. We will consider trends in a number of areas and reflect on how we can respond in life-giving ways.

The remaining schedule looks like this:

July 7 NO SUNDAY SCHOOL July 14 Economic/Employment Trends Allan Freyer — NC Justice Center Budget Analyst July 21 Educational Trends Ann McColl — NC Association of Educators General Counsel July 28 Technological Trends Mike Amburn — Red Hat Product Manager August 4 Where Faith Fits In Adult Education Committee

Youth Summer Sunday School

The youth will be covering the same topics as adults each week, but from the perspective of their generation. All youth will meet together in the Youth Room. Children’s Summer Sunday School

During Summer Sunday school, the kindergarten through fifth grade (e.g. rising 1st graders through rising 6th grad-ers) will meet together in Room 125 for lessons and activities focused on caring for all of Creation. This topic will offer great connections for the children as we celebrate Creation Season in worship during the month of June. Childcare will also be avail-able for the three, four and five year olds in Room 120 and for nursery, toddlers and two year olds in Room 117. Sunday school begins at 9:45 AM. We hope you will join us!

—Education Staff

PullenNews: July 2, 2013

Sundays at Pullen Page 2 Pullen People Page 3 Adult Education Page 4 Pullen Youth Page 4 Pullen Children Page 5 Pullen Missions Pages 6-8 Pullen Partners Page 7 The Hope Center Page 8

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Ins ide Pul len — Pu l l en Peop le

7/2/13

Deadlines for Newsletters and Bulletin Updates Next deadline for PullenNews: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 Deadline for Sunday Update: Preceding Tuesday by noon

Submit all articles and announcements to: news@pullen.org.

PullenNews articles should not exceed 500 words; Update articles should not exceed 200 words.

Pullen People

We grieve with: Bob Rodriguez and his family in the death of

his mother, Helen Rodriguez.

Jeanne Sumpter in the death of her husband, Ed Sumpter.

Jim Epps in the death of his aunt, Alice Dean.

Lib Hutchby in the death of her aunt Kate Sechler.

Marion Gwyn in the death of her daughter, Molly Lee.

Mike Phillips, in the death of his grandmother, Elvie Phillips.

We give thanks for: God’s glorious creation. We pray for wisdom

and courage to embody our gratitude in ways that protect our fragile earth.

Meet Our New Members Lucy Daniels is a writer and clinical psychologist who uses the lessons learned in her per-sonal victory over anorexia nervosa and writer's block to assist others. Lucy teaches an annual seminar, “Our Prob-­lems as the Roots of Our Power,” that helps others ad-­dress their own creative blocks and process. Her novels in-clude the best-seller Caleb, My Son (1956), High on a Hill (1961), and The Eyes of the Father (2005). A memoir, With a Woman's Voice (2002) and Dreaming Your Way to Creative Freedom (2005) chroni-cle her empowerment. Lucy is the founder of the Lucy Daniels Foundation and the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood located in Cary, North Carolina. She is a mother of four, grandmother of eight, and dachshund-owner of two.

LGBT Fellowship Second Sunday Lunch July 14 at David’s Dumplings.

Visitors and new members are welcome.

Summer Chancel Choir: All Are Welcome The Chancel Choir will take a break from worship leadership through the end of July. The group will resume worship lead-ership on Sunday, August 4, meeting at 10:30 AM. On Wednesday, August 7, at 6:30 PM, the Summer Chancel Choir will rehearse mu-sic for the remainder of August. Join us!

During the month of August, youth and adults are invited to participate in the Summer Chancel Choir. Interested persons simply join us for a brief rehearsal at 10:30 AM in the Rehearsal Hall (Room 128-B) on any Sunday morning. Music for these Sundays will be accessible and easy to sing with others. The Chancel Choir always welcomes new members and summer is a great time to consider participation by joining us to sing for worship.

—Larry Schultz

Mom’s Group Gathers at The Pit For our July get together, we will meet Thursday, July 11 at 6:30 PM for dinner at The Pit, located at 328 W Davie St in Raleigh. All moms are invited. Please bring a contribution for the Moore Square Christmas fund. For more information call me at 919-360-0975. Hope you can make it!

—Rita Rakestraw

Family Recovery Support Group On Hiatus The Family Recovery Support group began meeting in Sep-tember 2011 to provide support for family members dealing with addiction in their family life, past or present. The group has met monthly and supported a number of Pullen family members along the way. Those of us who currently attend regularly have discerned that the group has served its purpose well for us and this is a good time to take a break from meet-ing regularly. The Family Recovery Support group has no additional meetings planned at this time. We appreciate the past support of the Congregational Care Committee in the formation of this group.

—Chris Tew and Ginny Going, co-facilitators

Help Needed with Funeral Receptions Providers of cookies, fruit, nuts, crackers and cheese, or per-haps a dish for a family meal are needed to assist our funeral reception teams. We currently have four teams of Pullenites who have agreed to assist with food for a reception or family meal when a member of our Pullen family dies. Each of these teams could use one or two more people who are willing to provide these items as they are able. If you can help us sup-port grieving families in this important way, please contact Cathy Tamsberg at ctamsberg@pullen.org or 919-828-0897.

—Cathy Tamsberg

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Summer Reading Series at Pullen On the third Tuesdays this summer, we will gather for our book series. The books chosen for summer reading touch on important aspects of our life together. Join us in Poteat Chapel at 7:00 PM for great conversation and reflection.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh Tuesday, July 16 Our July selection will help us better understand why the Hope Center at Pullen now serves youth coming out of our foster care system. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, Victoria Jones is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through

flowers and their meanings. Now 18 and emancipated from the system with nowhere to go, Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But an unexpected encounter with a mysterious stranger has her questioning what’s been missing in her life. And when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

Finding Sanctuary by Abbot Christopher Jamison Tuesday, August 20 In a book that grew out of a BBC TV series about life in a monastery, Abbot Christopher Jamison suggests the teachings of St. Benedict are a tool for everyday life. St. Benedict wrote his Rule for monastic living 1,500 years ago when he was abbot of Monte Cassino, the monastery that sits atop an inspiring mountain to the East of Rome. The name, “The Rule of St. Benedict,” often mis-­leads people into thinking that Benedict wrote “a book of rules.” In fact, he wrote insights for Christian living with practical suggestions for daily practice. The insights still guide people today and many of the rules have been adapted to local conditions as Benedict requested. This book ex-plains how St. Benedict’s wisdom can be applied to busy modern lives, and how sanctuary, peace, and insight can be achieved by people living inside and outside of monasteries.

The Abbot’s voice is tuned especially for those who are not sure what they believe, but are looking for ways to find spiritual space and peace in the busy and often confus-ing modern world. This simple book contains profound wis-dom for busy American life.

—Cathy Tamsberg

“Harlots, Heroes, and Hallucinations: Youth Investigating the Bible”

Think of it as Bible 101 designed for Pullen youth taught by the dynamic and hilarious Brian Crisp with occasional semi-helpful interjections by your trusty youth minister. Vickie Leigh and Nora Petty have graciously allowed us to hold this gathering at their home.

Schedule: Sundays, 6:30 to 8:00 PM July 7 • July 14 • July 28 • August 4

Brian D. Crisp has a passion for literature that has infil-trated his studies and work. Combining his studies in educa-tion and literature with seminary studies, his career has fo-cused on the transformative nature of story.

—Laura Foley

Adult Education

July is Food Justice Month at Pullen Because this is a hungry month for many people, for the month of July we will give attention to ways we can help hun-gry people obtain the food they need. It’s a hungry month be-­cause food donations are down and children who receive free/reduced lunch are not in school. More generally, people across our nation and around the world don’t get enough to eat.

We will focus on hunger in three ways:

Bring Food to Church For the entire month, we ask you to bring nonperishable food for the Urban Ministries Food Pantry. You can leave it in the baskets at the back door and in the information room beside the sanctuary. Rice, pasta, canned meats and vegeta-bles, cereal, dried beans, and other staple goods will feed adults and children in the coming weeks.

Package Meals for Stop Hunger Now Join us on Wednesday evening, July 10, for our Stop Hunger Now meal packag-ing event for all ages. See the Second Wednesday information for more de-tails. There are sitting, standing, simple and more complex tasks, truck unload-ing for strong backs, and light tasks for those with bad backs. Everyone can participate. Come at 5:30 PM for din-ner or arrive at 6:15 PM to package meals. Dinner is $6.00 for adults and $3 for K-5th grade.

See “A Place at the Table” Fifty million people in America and one-in-four children don’t know where their next meal is coming from despite our having the means to provide nutritious, affordable food for all. After worship on Sunday, July 21, join us for lunch and the film “A Place at the Table” about hunger in America and what we can do about it. In this 80-minute documen-tary, actor Jeff Bridges and others describe how we can feed our nation’s hungry people if we have the will to do so. Res-­ervations are not required.

Please help us help hungry people here in Raleigh and around the world by participating in these events.

—Missions and Outreach Council & Pullen Mission Women

D o Just ice, Love Kindness

5 7/2/13

Pullen Programs: Children, and Their Families

Calling All Families: Enjoy a Day at Kerr Lake We would like for you to join us at Kerr Lake for a day of fellowship and fun on Saturday, August 3. Come as early as 9:00 AM to avoid the heat of the day, and stay as long as you want.

It's an easy one hour drive from Raleigh up US 1 or Hwy 50. Can't rule out the possibility of canoeing or a bonfire! Please RSVP by July 31 to Helen & Walter Tenney, 2parent-sand3kids@gmail.com or 919-834-9254, and directions will be sent to you.

Wondering what to Bring? The things you would want on the beach or the lake:

Swim suits Towels Sunscreen Beach Chair, or blanket A change of clothes Some food to share (burgers, hotdogs, and veggie options provided) We hope to see you there!

—Helen & Walter Tenney

Vacation Bible School Made a Big Splash! Pullen’s fourth annual Vacation Bible School was held over four nights, June 17-20. Twenty-seven children, three year olds through rising sixth graders, participated in activities that taught them about God’s gift of water, ways to use wa-­ter wisely and keep it clean, and ways that we can help oth-ers have clean water.

Here are some of the activities the children partici-pated in: Decorating personal water bottles (donated by Whole

Foods) Baking cookies Singing songs Doing science experiments about germs Learning how a water filter works from the Nicaragua

Mission Group Playing games (and getting a little – or a lot – wet) Making rain sticks

VBS was a great time to learn about God’s good Crea-­

tion and how we can do our part to take care of it. We also had some fun, got to know each other better, and made some memories.

—Libby Stephens

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Stop Hunger Now at Pullen July 10, 6:15 PM Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief organiza-tion located in Raleigh that coordinates the distribution of food and other life-saving aid around the world. On Wednes-day, July 10, our children, youth, and adults can pack meals in Finlator Hall to support this good work. All are welcome!

—Missions and Outreach Council

Pullen in the World: Missions and Outreach

Missions & Outreach Council Grants for 2014 If you are a member of Pullen, now is the time to submit an application for either a support grant ($250) or major grant ($1,000) to organizations or ministries in which you are di-rectly involved that meet human needs in our community and around the world. Top areas of concern to the Pullen congre-gation are: healthcare, education, care of creation, housing, employment, peace and reconciliation, and child abuse.

Past support grants have included student field trips for community service for students with special needs, hygiene items for migrant workers, outreach activities for recovering addicts, fees for day camp, transportation costs for meal deliv-eries, and a host of local nonprofits for which Pullen people work or volunteer. Some Major Grant recipients include Cuba missions, Emmaus House, AMOS Health and Hope, and NC Interfaith Power and Light. We look forward to hearing from Pullen people making a difference in our world.

Local, national, and international projects will be consid-ered although not all requests for Major Grants will be funded. However, organizations not selected for Major Grants will be considered for Support Grants without completing an addi-tional Support Grant application.

Applying is simple and straightforward. Forms are avail-able on the church website and in the church office. The dead-line to submit an application is August 5. Questions may be directed to Cathy Tamsberg, Associate Pastor, at 919-828-0897x214 or ctamsberg@pullen.org.

—Missions and Outreach Council

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sunday: July 21 You are invited to bring a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly on Sunday, July 21. This will be a contribution to Urban Min-istries of Wake County to help feed the children that are out of school. We will have collection places at our main entrances before Sunday School and our Sunday Worship Service.

This is a part of our emphasis on food justice during the month of July. Please, do your part. Thank you.

—Pullen Mission Women

Support Pullen’s ‘Moral Mondays’ Arrestees

M oral Monday events of protest at the North Carolina General Assembly are growing in strength and num-

bers. Already many of our Pullen members are joining in to participate in demonstrations and support the Forward To-gether movement sponsored by the North Carolina NAACP and other progressive groups. These protests cover many con-cerns around the recent activity of North Carolina’s lawmak-­ers, including: the downward shift of the tax burden to those who can afford it least, the limitations on voting rights, the rejection of expansion of Medicaid to many of the working poor in our community, the diminished funding of our public schools, disregard for the needs of the mentally ill, cuts in unemployment benefits, trashing of the Racial Justice Act, and much more. Already four of our Pullen members have been voluntarily arrested to show their vigilant witness and strong resistance to certain laws being passed and considered by our elected state officials.

There are many ways in which we, as Pullenites, can participate in this important endeavor. One option is to offer direct support to those who have taken the step of civil disobe-dience as they move toward court appearances and possible fines.

If you are willing to financially assist those arrested when charges result in court costs and expensive penalties to them after trial, send a pledge indicating the amount of money you are willing to offer to help them with this burden. Once the trials have been held and the penalty fees have been estab-lished, you will be notified and can send your pledged amount to help pay the fines.

If you are moved to pledge your financial support to those who are currently awaiting trial and those who may take the risk of arrest in the future demonstrations, send your pledge in an email to Carolyn Billings at cvbnurse@aol.com or call me at 919-889-0931. You will be called to honor your pledge only if and when fines are assigned by the court. If you have questions, contact Carolyn for further explanation.

—Carolyn Billings

Get on Board with Support Circle Team Ministry Helps Families Living in Homelessness

T he Support Circle is a program sponsored by Catholic Charities to help families transition from homelessness

to stable housing. Members of the Support Circle establish relationships with members of a family to build mutual trust by personal interactions with the family. The period of the support is one year, over which time we walk with the fam-ily and offer emotional support for the family during this time of transition.

Pullen formed a Support Circle and partnered with a family last year. We witnessed the complexity of the causes and effects of losing housing and helped address the issues involved in regaining stable housing. The experience of working with the family to meet the daily challenges they encountered was frustrating at times but still rewarding. We also discovered that as we built relationships with the fam-ily, we fostered and strengthened relationships with the other Pullen members in the Support Circle.

The Support Circle program offers an opportunity to work with other Pullen members to support a family as they work to build better lives for themselves and further a caring community within Pullen. We plan to partner with another family later this summer. If you are interested in joining the Support Circle at Pullen, contact David Anderson at dander-son@pullen.org, or call or stop by the church office.

—Ben Suttle and Jeff Cherry

Pu l l en in the Wor ld Pu l l en Partners

7 7/2/13

Travel to Nicaragua to Serve with Pullen’s Partners

If you would like to help distribute glasses and share love with our friends at AMOS Health & Hope, consider traveling to Nicaragua with

other Pullenites from August 30 to September 8. For more information, please contact Deb Nor-

ton at doctordebnorton@earthlink.net. Some financial assis-tance is available.

—Deb Norton

A Front-Line Witness for Peace Join us as we gather for peace in a military city! The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America and Quaker House are partnering together to host a friendship tour in Fayette-ville from September 7-9. Tour participants will visit Quaker House and Fort Bragg. This Friendship Tour will explore critical military issues such as:

Suicide Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Domestic and family violence Use of torture and drones Lack of truth in military recruitment Impact of repeated deployments

Founded by the Religious Society of Friends, Quaker House has been working for Peace and GI Rights since 1969. Fort Bragg U.S. Army Base is one of the largest mili-tary installations in the United States. For more information, con-

tact LeDayne McLeese Polaski, program coordinator of the Baptist Peace Fellowship, at 704-521-6051 or le-dayne@bpfna.org.

—Jonathan Sledge

First Baptist Church of Matanzas, Cuba, celebrated 114 years of ministry in their community this past May. Pastor Orestes Roca will be at Pullen July 23-29. Wanda Roca (far left) will be ordained in Matanzas in October.

Pullen’s Reach Beyond Our Walls: My Friend Millie I believe you would like Millie because she likes Pullen just as we members do, even though she has not attended. I met Mille about six years ago when she moved into my neighborhood. I went over to welcome her to Merwin Road, and I discovered a lively senior citizen living alone with only a trace of vision; despite this apparent limitation, Millie stays active by gardening, sewing and cooking. Since that time I have spent many visits talking about our interests, especially family news and ideas about what I do at Pullen. Millie wanted to know more about my participation in the Back Door Ministry, welcoming people living in homeless-ness into our church and giving them bagged lunches and bus tickets, as well as other programs at Pullen. She decided to find a way to get involved. Millie has made blankets for families in Nicaragua, made regular contributions to the Backdoor Ministry, and has learned to know Julia and her flower ministry. Millie knows that we are a welcoming church and approves of Pullen’s mission. She speaks of David, Nancy and Cathy as though she is acquainted with them, and reads each edition of PullenNews.

Millie will be 90 years old on August 10, and she receives shots every six weeks to keep her macular degen-eration at bay. Thank you Millie for being my friend and a friend of Pullen. We love you.

—Sarah Benbow

Pullen Poetry Meeting July 8 Theme: Free Flow When: Monday, July 8th at 7 PM Where: Home of Miriam Pritchard 4000 Glenaire Circle, Cary.

Miriam’s phone number is 919-481-9887 if you need help finding the house. For more information about the group, contact Mike Lindsay at: 828-0619 or email inform@nc.rr.com.

You don’t need to be a poet to enjoy poetry. Come join us in an eve-ning of expressing and sharing thoughts.

—Mike Lindsay

Fall Service Project: Give the Gift of Home

F ew things are as empowering to a fam-ily as finding quality, safe, affordable

housing. Join other Pullenites in September as we seek to contribute our time and energy to making the dream of homeownership come true for one local family.

Volunteers from Pullen are needed to work on a new home being built through Habitat for Humanity in southeast Raleigh on Saturday, Sep-tember 14.

Habitat for Humanity helps families achieve the inde-pendence that comes with owning a home, using volunteer labor, and interest-free financing to overcome the barriers that keep many families from being able to purchase a home.

No experience, tools, or special skills are necessary. Contact David Anderson for additional information.

—Missions & Outreach Council

The Hope Center at Pullen

Alex Atwell | Program Manager aatwell@hopecenteratpullen.org

Stacy Bluth | Executive Director ddaily@hopecenteratpullen.org

Tania Grant | Mental Health tgrant@hopecenteratpullen.org

Pat Hielscher | Office Manager phielscher@hopecenteratpullen.org

Caitlin Taylor | Education Specialist ctaylor@hopecenteratpullen.org

Phone | 919-322-2751 Web | www.hopecenteratpullen.org

New Executive Director & Case Manager Join the Staff of The Hope Center at Pullen The Board of Directors of the Hope Center are very excited to introduce to you our new staff. With the move of Diane Daily and her family back to Arizona, the Board decided to divide her job and hire two part time staff.

Stacy Bluth is our new Executive Director. Stacy comes to us with 10 years of experience leading non-profits serving young people with the goal of insuring a successful education experience. She also worked for Teach for America. Stacy graduated from American University and has a master's de-gree from Stanford University. She and her husband moved to Raleigh three years ago and during this period of time she has committed herself to a number of volunteer roles. She is on the Board and Events Chair of Arts Together. She has also led a very successful project with Stop Hunger Now at the Montessori School where her children attend. Stacy de-scribes herself as committed to" empowering individuals liv-ing in poverty, work which she loves."

Alex Atwell has joined the Hope Center as our new Case Manager. Alex is a new graduate from NCSU with a Masters in Social Work. In addition to her master's degree, she brings vital experience working with the homeless population. While at NCSU, Alex was an intern with the Capital Collabo-rative and also interned at the Raleigh Rescue Mission. She has volunteered with Neighbor to Neighbor and the Salvation Army. We feel very fortunate to have Alex join our staff.

Please come by the Hope Center to meet our new staff.

—Anne Sayers

Silent Auction Items Available We have several items left from out silent auction. Remaining Items: 4 tickets to Altar Boyz (July 12-21); Mountain Dew golf bag; one hour golf playing lesson at Pine Needles Resort for 2 followed by ½ hour range lesson; 2 weekly grounds tickets for the PGA McGladrey Classic Nov 7-10 on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia;; Custom Fitted Teeth Whitening Trays (dental); $1000 gift certificate off invisalign treatment (dental); $1000 teeth whitening session, consultation, oral exam, custom touch up trays (dental). Make an Offer!

Call Pat if you would like to get additional information.

Pullen Memorial Baptist Church 1801 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 919-828-0897 | www.pullen.org | @PullenChurch

Used Stamps Help the Congo Pullenites have been a part of the Stamps for Missions project since early in 2005. Pullen Church’s part in this mission effort is to save and donate our stamps. Each Tuesday afternoon a group of retired min-isters, missionaries, and spouses come to Peggy Reinhold’s cottage at Sunnyside

Retirement in Harrisonburg, VA to help with the soaking and sorting of the stamps. Boxes of donated stamps arrive there from churches and individuals all over the US and even Canada. Some stamps will be filed for many months waiting to accumulate 100 stamps of a kind. Dealers provide lists of the stamps they are currently buying. Some stamp companies will take smaller numbers of special stamps. This processing is very tedious and exacting work and requires experience.

The Stamps for Missions project has helped to bring the message of God’s love to the Congo since the 1980s. Sometimes the message comes through Bibles and hymn-books in Tshiluba (their native language), sometimes through continuing education events for pastors and evan-gelists, and sometimes through scholarships for students called to leadership in the church. In the midst of their po-litical, social and economic crises, the church in the Congo is alive, vibrant and busy. Churches are full for two-hour or longer services. Choirs of women and men, children and youth, lift their voices in praise. God is their rock, their ref-uge and their salvation. The Congolese people need our prayers, and they are praying for us.

When you open your mail, keep a bag or box handy to save those stamps for the Congo. Include the entire enve-lope, or cut a ¼ to ½ inch envelope border around cancelled stamps to protect the stamp. Deposit all stamps and enve-lopes in the Stamps for Missions collection box in the Infor-mation Room off the east foyer of the sanctuary. If you have questions, please contact Lois Gibbon at star-fish@portbridge.com or at 919-834-4513. Thank you for your help.

—Lois Gibbon

2013 Cycle for Hope: Saturday, October 5 50K – 100K – 12 Mile Greenway

We are currently looking for sponsors for Cycle for Hope. Individuals, families and businesses may choose from four sponsorship levels: $2000 (Event Sponsor), $500, $200, $50. If you can’t ride you might consider sponsoring a rider for $50. Help us grow our sponsorship base. Sponsorship forms are available in the information room next to the sanctuary.

—Pat Hielscher, Hope Center at Pullen

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