“Be still, and know that I am God!” Amongst the Holiday hustle and bustle and countdown to a new year, let us remember to be still in our souls. Join us on New Year's Eve morning for one worship service at 10:00 am. Nursery provided. No Sunday School.

by Katie Harrington

We will return to our regular Sunday morning schedule beginning January 7th:

We will ordain and install new officers and celebrate the sacrament of communion. 

by Betty Jo Bennett

The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC) continues to follow the PC(USA) protocol for seeking an associate pastor. Our committee used the Ministry Discernment Profile to establish selection criteria and we have received Pastor Information Forms from applicants who best matched those criteria. Upon reviewing and screening the applications, we will begin virtual interviews in January.  As the team prayerfully works through this process, we thank the congregation for their prayerful support. Please contact the team if you know of any individual who may be interested in this position.

by John Bobrink

Just a quick reminder to get your pledges in as soon as possible. If you have already sent it in, thank you. Help us reach our goals for 2024. We are counting on you to be a part of our exciting, Thriving in 2024! Pledges can be done online, by mailing your pledge card or contacting Susan Dykes at the church office.

By Gail Richardson

Merry Christmas from our preschool staff and families! December has been a month of high energy, lots of love, laughter, learning about Jesus, singing, and creating gifts for parents. This past week we dressed in Christmas colors and on Thursday we had pajama day and hot cocoa. Well, warm to cool cocoa. Fun was had by all.  

Thank you for encouraging the preschoolers when they sang on December 10th. We will be on break until January 2nd. We have a teacher workday on January 2nd and school resumes for students on January 3rd.  

Registration for current families for the 2024 - 2025 school year starts on January 3rd. Registration is open for other families starting on January 15th.

by Kathy Benson

Please give a warm welcome to new members Justin & Lucy Lockamy and their three children, Silas, Thomas, and Cora Lee. Justin & Lucy recently joined by letter of transfer from Graves Memorial Presbyterian Church in Clinton, NC. While at GMPC, Justin was ordained as an elder and Lucy, a deacon. They were both active in the life of their previous church and now come to us with hearts ready for service in our congregation and community.

All family members are native to "The Good Old North State." Justin is an attorney in commercial real estate with the firm of Lee Kaess. Lucy is the school nurse (BSN RN) at Castle Hayne Elementary in the New Hanover County School System. Silas (grade 7) enjoys making movies with his friends while Thomas (grade 4) hones his skills in soccer. The youngest, Cora (grade1), enjoys gymnastics. Justin joked that he and Lucy have this shared pastime of ferrying the children around town, while trying to exercise and fight the growing effects of aging! Best wishes in all your sports endeavors!

Pictured is the Lockamy Family during an outing to Lookout Mountain overlooking Montreat, NC...a favorite spot for everyone to enjoy together!

by Shelley Hobson

This year's education campaign goal is $25,000.  As of December 13th, close to $8,000 in donations have come in. We have a way to go!  

Please consider including the gift of education in your Christmas gift-giving or year-end donations now. Help us change children's lives from preschool to secondary school. Your gifts also include meals for preschoolers and students in the vocational training program, and hunger in the village is acute due to a paltry harvest this year.  

Since 2011, this ministry has been vital to helping combat poverty through education and is an essential part of our partnership with Chuluchosema, CCAP (Central Christian African Presbyterian).

Zikomo!
The Malawi Partnership Committee

m&m resumes Wednesday, January 10, 2024.  All children K-5th grade are invited to attend.  For more information, contact Cindy Litzinger

Yes, there will be life after the Christmas season! Pencil in Wednesday, January 10th as our first POPS dinner, followed by Bingo night for all. On January 17th,  Katie will offer "Confirmation for All," in one 60-minute session. And on January 24th, we will hear "A Psychologist's Ground Rules for Communicating in Hard Conversations," with our own Ben Rigby. All programs run 6:30 pm-7:30 pm after dinner.

Representatives from various camps and organizations will be available to share what opportunities they provide for children and youth in the summer. People can gather information and sign up!

Mercy Pouch Donations: January is the month we will be collecting Mercy Pouch supplies.  Last year, again, we distributed over 1,000 pouches. Thank you!!!  The bulletin board in the 15th St. Lobby near the Narthex has tickets for the items needed.  Please take one ticket or as many as you can and help purchase the items. Thank you again for your contributions and for distributing these pouches to our neighbors in need.  

Physical Labor Needed: Go & Serve's Shelter Care volunteers have built over 11 ramps in the past year and half. These ramps are built locally and typically happen on Saturdays. Please prayerfully consider joining the work crew and participating in 2024. If you are interested, contact Palmer at 910-622-4040.

Tutors Needed: Saturday Academy is a tutoring program designed to help 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders from Title 1 schools with reading and math in preparation for the EOGs.  Beginning in January 2024, volunteers will meet two Saturday mornings a month, January through May, at Rachel Freeman School of Engineering, 2601 Princess Place Drive.

High School students have an opportunity to travel together to Wintergreen Ski Resort.
Never been skiing - we will teach you! Don't want to ski? - we have an option to go and just hang out!

Cost:
Skiing - $595/person
Not Skiing - $350/person

We will be leaving BEFORE DISMISSAL on Thursday, February 1st, and will require an early checkout that day.

Registration is open via our mobile app!

The Lord gives his people strength.  The Lord blesses them with peace. 
Psalm 29:11

Dr.  Tom Craven died on December 19th.  No service arrangements are available at this time.

Carlton Kimbro died on December 19th.  No service arrangements are available at this time.

The Brad and Debbie Reid family request prayers.

The Malawi Partnership Committee requests that we pray for rain to come to Chuluchosema so that they may have a successful growing season.

Barbara Hart was transferred to Azalea Health Care for rehab.

Shannon Playl’s cousin-in-law, Shad Norris, recently received a liver transplant, has had a setback and is being treated for respiratory failure at UNC-CH.

Paige Williams is having thyroid surgery at Duke on Tuesday, December 19th.

Billy Purdom (USS Stout DDG ), Smith Beacham (Fort Richardson, Anchorage, AK), Jack Looney (USS Carl Vinson, San Diego, CA), Samuel Makepeace (Fort Polk, Louisiana), Brennan Litzinger (Fort Bliss, Texas), Mikayla Reifert (Kadena, Japan), Bradley Garrett (Coast Guard, Elizabeth City)

Prayer requests: Click here to tell us about your need.

Hospitalizations: Please click here to email Ann Benson or call 910.762.9693 x202 to leave a message.

December 27: Will Cherry, Matthew Moore
December 28: Vicci Dechent
December 29: Charles Brown, Bert Hale, Betsy Thompson
December 30: Ella Hilliard
December 31: Blake Lowry
January 1: Margaret Blanton, Dave Hoff
January 2: Stephanie Gould, Ann Bennett Sasser
January 3: Dexter Hayes, Catherine Hill
January 4: Rick Andrews, Barbara Curtis
January 5: Hobbs Sutton, Ricky Wheeler, Libby White
January 6: Shelley Hobson, Caroline Johnson, Jack Waldrop
January 7: Carolyn Jefferies, Sheila Woods, Cecil Worsley
January 8: Russell Herring
January 9: Megan Johnson