Rev. Harrington will lead us in worship with the sermon text coming from John 6:35-51. We will enjoy a Moment for Mission provided by Emily Vassar. It's also 5 Cents a Meal Sunday. During the first song or hymn bring your offerings to the front and place them in the baskets next to the communion table.

Thank you for contributing to the work and love of Jesus through St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church. Your gifts enable us to stay Faithfully Present in Our Community.

As of the end of June, giving is below budget expectations, resulting in a year-to-date shortfall of $132,109.  So that we can continue to spread the Word of God, as well as serve our congregation and the community, please prayerfully consider giving to help rebound from this deficit.

Financial updates will be provided each month.  If you have any questions, please contact Susan Dykes, Financial Administrator, 910-762-9693x207, sdykes@sacpc.org; or our Church Treasurer, Ed Hobson, treasurer@sacpc.org.

by Katie Harrington

Dear Friends,

Like many of you, we are also actively watching the movement of Hurricane Debby. Currently, we are operating as scheduled and will continue doing so for the foreseeable future. If this plan changes for church-wide events, like our worship services, we will notify the congregation via email. No news is good news. If you have questions about a specific ministry's event, we encourage you to contact the event's ministry leader directly.

As we prepare for the coming storm, let us pray:

God of heaven and earth, you are our refuge and our strength, our help in times of trouble. As we prepare for the storm, we are reassured that even the wind and the sea obey your voice. Speak your words of power and might into the storm and into our troubled and worried hearts: "Peace, be still." Be with us, encourage us, and guide us. Sustain us even as the waters rise, and be with us, and with all of your children, today and every day. For indeed, in Jesus Christ, you are our hope and our strength. Amen.

Godspeed,

Katie Harrington

by Jen Phelps

REROUTE / Reschedule! It's gonna be raining -- so we are moving our Banned Book Club meeting to NEXT WEDNESDAY (AUG 14)!

We are monitoring the weather leading up to our OUTDOOR event this Sunday night at Bill's! Keep an eye on the mobile app and Instagram for possible updates/rescheduling/or relocation plans.

by David Massey

Calling all Men… The Men’s Football Ministry is Fast Approaching.

Starting Thursday, September 5th our Men’s Football Ministry will host the NHHS football team for their weekly “pre-game” team meal.  While many of us have been lounging on the beach during these hot summer months, our football boys have been sweating it out on the practice field preparing for another football season.   Men, please feel free to join us this fall.  This ministry is a wonderful avenue to fellowship with the neighborhood boys. If you have questions please feel free to call me and/or Russell Herring. Go Wildcats! David Massey 910-617-8546 Russell Herring 910-520-9238

by Earth Care Education

The Earth is the Lord's, and all that is in it.  Psalm 24:1 

What can fly sideways, backward, and hover in place, but is not a helicopter? The answer is dragonflies/damselflies or odonates. Our good Father has given us these amazing creatures to delight and benefit us. These insects are nature's most lethal predators of mosquitoes, gnats, deer flies, and wasps, with a 95% success rate when hunting.  

Odonates have excellent vision, and can also race up to 30 mph with their independently operated four wings, which also account for their agility.  Being the strongest insect fliers in the world, some travel thousands of miles in their adult lifetime.  

Adults usually live about six months, but usually take from 3-5 years to develop underwater as nymphs before emerging as adults, which explains their living and breeding near water.  

They are an old species. Some types were around over 350 million years ago before birds and dinosaurs went extinct. There are many folk legends about these insects. Some referred to them as the "devil's darning needles", and misbehaving children were told these needles could sew their mouths, ears, or eyes shut!  But more cultures saw them in positive ways and associated them with good fortunes and spiritual awakening. There was a legend that said the dragonflies/damselflies were given an extra set of wings so angels could ride on their backs. Native American legends explained that they began as dragons, but were tricked by a coyote to shape-shift into an insect. Once it changed, it couldn't shift back. However, for this writer, the fact that they feast on mosquitoes is enough for me!

Sources:  Iowa State University Dept. of Etymology; reviz.com; Sierra Magazine - Summer 2024

By Katherine Brandi, Beth Cherry and Colleen Holliday

Are we pretending to be invincible? We are called to care for creation not only because the earth and its members belong to God, but also because a healthy creation sustains human well-being. Calls to care for society’s least powerful members resound throughout Scripture. Stories of environmental injustice may have different zip codes with headlines from different news outlets but they often have a connecting thread: increased monetary gain at the expense of the health and well-being of marginalized populations (“environmental racism”). We are all connected and when our neighbors are oppressed, all are oppressed. Those marginalized people and places are where Jesus went with his ministry to bring hope and healing. We are called to work for a world that values relationships and connectedness over individual achievements and the bottom line. We are called to come together to work for each person’s freedom and for the flourishing of the earth. It is difficult to live up to this expectation of God to care for the earth and each other. Our hope is that this study will aid us in understanding the care we should be providing to people and our environment.

All are welcome to join our Presbyterian Women (PW) Bible Study; “Let Justice Roll Down; God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation.” This Bible study was written by the Rev. Dr. Patricia K. Tull who is a Rhodes Professor Emerita of Hebrew Bible at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is a published author about the ecological crisis in “Inhabiting Eden; Christians, the Bible and the Ecological Crisis”.

Our faithful Bible Study facilitator, Beth Cherry, is joined this year by other expert facilitators who will be sharing their expertise and time with us. At the end of the study, we hope to become a fuller version of ourselves, viewing nature as God’s creation and recognizing our responsibilities to care for it and each other.

The tentative agenda for 2024-2025 is as follows:

Classes are held in the Dining room at 10:00 am. Each lesson is repeated three times.

SEP 10, 11, 12:    Environmental Justice, facilitated by Peggy Hayes
OCT 8, 9, 10:     Land Justice, facilitated by Beth Cherry
NOV 12, 13 14:   Food Justice, facilitated by Lynn Atkinson
DEC 10, 11, 12:    Water Justice, facilitated by Emily Donovan
JAN 8, 9, 14:      Air Quality, facilitated by Gwen Behen
FEB 11, 12, 13:    Climate Change, facilitated by Beth Cherry
MAR 11, 12, 13:   Economic Climate Justice, facilitated by Emily Donovan
APR 8, 9, 10:     Intergenerational Justice, facilitated by the Rev. Barbara Hager
MAY 13, 14, 15:  Sustaining Creation’s Health for All, facilitated by Beth Cherry

Join us on any of these days listed above. Since each topic is repeated three times per month, you may choose whichever best meets your schedule. Perhaps we may find some stepping stones helpful in guiding us to our goal of using measures effectively as advocates of environmental health. Each step we take matters. We can only survive if nature thrives

Join us this fall for new and favorite programs beginning Wednesday, September 11th.

12: 30 pm Sermon Shapers Bible Study
Bring your lunch and join Rev. Harrington for a Bible study on the sermon text for the week. We'll explore the connection of life and Scripture together.

4:30 pm M&M (Music & More)
Students in Grades K - 5th gather on the 15th St. Lawn at 4:30 pm then split up into groups for the "Music" and "More" portions. The theme of the "More" portion this fall will be "GOD'S TEAM: THE BODY OF CHRIST." Students will explore the various ways we can work together as God's Team to be the Body of Christ in the world. Teamwork is the key to using our gifts together to spread God's love in this hurting world.

5:30 pm POPS Meal
Share a delicious meal with your church family every Wednesday evening. Dinner is served in Brown Hall from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. The cost is $25/family of 5+, $7/adult, and $5/children under 12.

6:30 pm POPS Programs
Did you know that POPS stands for Preparing Our People for Service?? Every Wednesday from Sept. 11th through Nov. 13th we will offer a different topic for discussion or exploration.

6:30 pm D-Groups
Students in Grades 6th - 12th gather every other week at The HUB for games, fellowship, and Bible Study. Meeting dates this fall include SEP 11 & 25, OCT 9 & 23, NOV 6 & 20.

6:30 pm Handbells
NOTE: Adult Handbells begin fall rehearsals on September 4th. Meet in Handbell Rm 200. See Cindy Litzinger for more details.

7:30 pm Adult Choir
NOTE: Adult Choir begins fall rehearsals on September 4th. Meet in Choir Rm 202. See Angela Burns for more details.

by Sue McCaffray

POPS = Preparing Our People for Service. Your staff is busy assembling a full plate of programming each Wednesday night after dinner (6:30 pm - 7:30 pm) from Sept. 11 through Nov. 13. Several programs will be hosted by our Let's Talk About It team, which will lift up the "Great Ends of the Church" as we consider together how the church carries out its witness in challenging times. We will hear from our Malawi visitors, from our own Olivia Phelps about her summer work with the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness, from the local Church World Service which works with refugee families, and even about how to sign up for insurance in our Medicare years! Mark your calendar and join your church family on Wednesday nights this fall. See our mobile app for more details.

by Sue McCaffray

All are welcome to join our ZOOM group this fall, September 26th - November 7th from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm, as we dig into N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope." We have some assigned scripture and book reading each week and join online to view a brief video and discuss our readings. Contact Dave Hoff for information or to sign up.

Our next Banned Book Club book is Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You; A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning (AGES 12 & UP). We will meet in person this time at The HUB for discussion and desserts.  Amy Stuart will be leading our discussion. We are welcoming any that want to be included, but we are reading the young adult version recommended for ages 12 and up. Parents are encouraged to read the book along with their students!

On Sunday, August 25th, at 9:00 am and 11:00 am worship services, we will bless our teachers and students as they return to school. While we always hold you in our prayers throughout the school year we want to take this opportunity to bless the beginning of another school year for those who teach and those who are receiving the gift of teaching. 

Join us the last Saturday of even months as SACPC volunteers prepare and enjoy breakfast with our neighbors at Vigilant Hope. There are many ways to serve--with your time or your donations. Click the link below to sign up or see the supply list. See Jen Phelps for more details.

Come celebrate the end of summer and get plugged in with all the things happening in and with SACPC this fall! There will be food, games, prizes, and a special mission project. Find your people and maybe your purpose in serving in our ministries.

Join us for breakfast and a dedication of our newly-renovated Brown Hall! We will enjoy a time of fellowship and gratitude for the generous gift the Rudisill family gave in honor of Debbie as we dedicate Brown Hall to the glory of God.

Save the Date for our Fall Festival! We are joining with The Block tenants to put on a festival for the community including food, games, and a Trunk-or-Treat! More info coming soon. See Ann Danchak for details.

This month children in our county are either getting ready to return to school or, in the case of our year-round schools, are already in the classroom. For some of those children, the beginning of school means a return to regular meals, community, and much more stability than they’ve had during the summer. Once school starts, many of these children will be provided with free breakfasts and lunches, but snacks that they can either eat during or after school are also important. Some of you may not be aware that teachers often purchase such snacks themselves.  Please prayerfully consider helping fill these students' bellies this month. Donations needed:

• granola bars
• fruit or applesauce cups
• individually-packaged crackers
• pudding cups
• small water bottles or juice pouches

Donations may be delivered to the table in the 15th Street lobby. Thank you!

UPDATE: We are monitoring the weather leading up to our OUTDOOR event this Sunday night at Bill's! Keep an eye on the mobile app and Instagram for possible updates/rescheduling/or relocation plans.

As summer winds down - join us at Bill Landen's house for walking tacos and lots of water fun.  Friends are welcome, dress prepared to get wet!

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

Elizabeth Bland died on April 22, 2024.  A service is planned for August 9th at 9:00 am with a reception to follow.  

Debbie Dunaway Reid died on August 3, 2024.  No arrangements are available at this time.

Jackie Samgour, a friend of Sue Messina, continues to have infections and kidney stones.

Mitzy Lesher-Thomas, daughter of Jeanne Owens, has a brain tumor on the right side that has extended to the left side of the brain.  Mitzy is being treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Her husband has been called to a church in Clemmons. The family asks for strength, energy, and healing.  

Nathan Strickler is scheduled for surgery on August 9th to remove brain cancer.

Travelers and all people affected by the storm.

Billy Purdom (USS Stout DDG ), Smith Beacham (Fort Richardson, Anchorage, AK), Jack Looney (USS Carl Vinson, San Diego, CA) , Samuel Makepeace (Fort Moore, Georgia), Brennan Litzinger (Fort Bliss, Texas), Mikayla Reifert (Kadena, Japan), Bradley Garrett (Coast Guard, Elizabeth City), Patrick Falvey (Landstuhl Military Medical Center, Germany)

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.

August 6: Betty Brown, Katie Harrington, Shanley Hunt
August 7: Karen Carson, Carey Sasser, Mary Singleton
August 8: Angela Brownfield, Carol Query
August 10: Anna Catherine Burney, Henry Herring, Lilly Kays
August 11: Carolyn Brumit, Ann Conner, Theresa Ivey, Brice Krau, Justin Lockamy, Gretchen Murden
August 12: Judy Potter, Taylor Williams
August 13: Walter Futch, Don Harris

View our most recent Session Reports.