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First Christian Church
P.O. Box 2702
207 Tarboro Street NE, Wilson NC 27894
Website: www.fccwilson.org
Email: firstchristian@fccwilson.org
Church Office: 252-237-4125
252-237-4126
Volume 59, Issue 4
The Church Bell
April 1, 2015
A Preview of Holy Week
Palm Sunday - March 29
The traditional Procession of the Palms will be a part of both of our worship services. Each worshipper will receive a gift to center us in our Holy Week devotions.
Maundy Thursday Seder Dinner - April 2, 6pm
Our Maundy Thursday observance again will be built around the meal. So, join us for this pot luck
event as our Fellowship Hall becomes our “Upper Room” and we reflect upon the events of the last night of
our Lord’s life.
Our worship experience will lift up the story of the events of that evening as they are uniquely told
in the Gospel of John. Join us for community, hymns, prayers and a dramatic presentation.
Good Friday - April 3
Service - 1pm Walk of the Cross - 2pm
In what is becoming a tradition at First Christian Church and in our community, we will host an ecumenical Service of Remembrance in our sanctuary. Musicians from churches all over Wilson will gather to
lead and inspire us in our worship. As we read through the story of Jesus’ passion, our worship will be
deepened by the music and the shared prayers that mark our common faith. During the service, the Christ
Candle in our Lenten Wreath will be extinguished.
At the end of the service, the community Walk of the Cross will depart from FCC. Another growing
Wilson tradition, you can walk the distance out Nash to Airport Rd, even taking a turn at carrying the cross.
Join us in route, drive along in the procession of vehicles following, or meet us at the destination for a closing time of devotion. Let this year’s Walk of the Cross make your Holy Week memorable.
Easter Sunday - April 5
Our worship will be joyful beyond words as we gather to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death. The
activities of the morning will be fun and festive: flowering the cross with pickings from your garden, a continental breakfast between services, and an egg hunt for the children. Both our Wellsprings and Traditional
services will echo the joy of Easter resurrection in music, prayer, and proclamation. Come join us with hallelujahs on your lips.
167th Regional Assembly - April 18th
The Christian Church in North Carolina will gather again on April 18th at Hillyer Memorial Christian
Church in Raleigh. The day will begin with opening worship at 9am followed by the Purcell Lecture (John R.
Levison), workshops (Christopher Smith), the Sprinkle Lecture (Lance Pape), and a business session.
Registration is only $30 and forms are available in the church office.
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Wanderings . . .
The liturgical church year is rather contrived. It has evolved over many centuries to the
basic structure we have today. We begin with Advent (most years in late November) and
move to and through Christmas, Epiphany and Lent; then we celebrate Easter, observe Pentecost and march through a long, six-month period of time which is often and somewhat appropriately called Ordinary Time.
Casey, Linda and I have had a couple of conversations lately about what kinds of decorations, music and themes we want to use for Holy Week. I think it was Linda who said, Of
course, the reality is we live in a post-Easter reality. Her point is that while we don’t want to be
singing Christ the Lord is Risen Today half-way through the Lenten season, the reality is that
we are always worshipping in the light of the resurrection. Hence the contrived nature of the
liturgical year – we may be celebrating Jesus’ birth, but we know where his story is headed.
Not that the flow of the church’s calendar is pointless – it shapes the mood of our worship in very important ways. Especially emotionally – in the ways we feel over against think
our faith. This occurs perhaps at no time more than during Holy Week, that compacted eight
day period of time when we go through a whole gamut of emotions. We may start the week
shouting Hosanna and end with Hallelujah, but in-between we find ourselves grappling with
the darkness: betrayal, denial, arguing, sleeping . . . watching and burying . . . going home in
the heavy, lonely silence. Emotionally, I find myself wanting to be depressed on Friday. I want
to let those words weigh on me: With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. I want to hear that
deep bell slowly tolling until something in me cries out, Enough . . . stop . . . no more! Without
that emotional heartbreak, for me, our worship two days later cannot feel like the rescue it is.
So, we shall gather again several times this coming week as we try to create an atmosphere for this artificial but sacred journey.
Arrangements have been made for the palms which will adorn our worship centers this
Sunday and be waved by young and old.
On Thursday, we will eat together because . . . well, because that is what Jesus did that
night. Bring a dish or two to share and we will lift forks together. And several of our
members are working up a little dramatic presentation to help us understand what was
on Jesus’ heart and mind when he gathered with those he loved one last time.
Friday, we again will be hosting the community ecumenical service. We will pray and read
the story of the day, and while the power of scripture is all that is needed, we are further blessed; Casey and her colleagues have been working hard to prepare the magnificent music which is so much a part of this service. A new opportunity has been
added to our Good Friday calendar. At the conclusion of the service, the community
Walk of the Cross will begin from our church lawn. The journey out Nash to Airport will
take a couple of hours to complete, but you are invited to walk and help carry or drive
for as much of the journey as you like . . . or meet us later at the destination for a brief
devotional time.
We will begin our Easter worship with music and litanies asking, Were You There. My
hope is that we will be able to say, Yes – we were there – we felt it all. So come that
day for a continental breakfast, an Easter Egg Hunt, and to let the emotion pour out as
we celebrate God’s mighty act of raising the Lord Jesus.
My prayer is that the week to come will be a blessing to all of us . . . that the depths of
our faiths and our commitments to discipleship will grow in new ways. May God bless each of
you.
Blessings and Peace, Gary
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CWF
Outreach
Evening Circle
Date: TBD
Leslie Kendall’s home
1000 Branch Street NW, Wilson
Jane Webster, Professor of Religious Studies at
Barton College, will be giving a book talk on "Lady
Parts" which she co-edited. This book is a collection of narratives about women in the Bible as told
through a variety of twenty first century female
voices.
Afternoon Circle
Tuesday, April 7 at 2:00 pm
Church Parlor
Contact person - Sue Newcomb at 252-291-7973
Relational Groups
Photoplay
Monday, April 13, 7pm
Novel Idea Book Club
Tuesday, April 14, 7pm
My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House by
Lillian Rogers Parks. The book is a collaboration by
two domestic servants whose careers at the White
House span 51 years, from 1909 to 1960. Get your
taxes done early and join us!
Camp Caroline Workday
Postponed to May 2
Weather has played havoc with many
scheduled events in recent weeks. Because the
conditions at Camp Caroline are so wet and difficult
at the moment, the Region has postponed the
scheduled workday to the next available time—
May 2.
There is much to do to get the camp ready
for the summer season, so if you can lend a hand,
let the church office know and we will work out
some carpooling.
Young At Heart Group
BACK ON TRACK
Thursday, April 16
Details to be shared soon
Denominational Assemblies
General Assembly
July 18-22—Columbus, OH
Call the office for information about attending.
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FCC Financial Report
Treasurer’s Report
YTD February 28, 2015
Tish Scott/March 16, 2015
1/1/2015 - 2/28/2015 - YTD Operating Budget
Income
Expenses
Actual YTD Surplus / (Deficit)
(All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar)
Actual
$48,148
$49,430
($1,282)
Budget
$51,034
$50,461
Variance
($2,886)
($1,031)
Actual
$27,999
$24,098
$3,901
Budget
$25,517
$25,230
Variance
$2,482
($1,132)
Month of January - Operating Budget
Income
Expenses
Actual YTD Surplus / (Deficit)
(All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar)
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FCC Music Ministries - April 2015
Music Highlights in Worship at FCC
Each and every Sunday our congregation and musical talents share their God given talents through service. We
sing and most importantly offer music in praise to God, not to ourselves. We merely experience the
secondhand blessing of hearing the music that is first handedly shared for the Glory of God. Here are some of
the exciting pieces of worship that members have been preparing for weeks and even months and will be sharing in the month of April.
Good Friday, April 3 – This service will feature music representing churches from across the community.
This choir has been rehearsing on Sunday afternoons and Thursday evenings and will be directed by Kelley Garris (First Baptist), Casey Childers and accompanied by Janie Bostick, pianist. We welcome back Byron Watkins,
violinist.
Sunday, April 5
9AM With an uplifting affirmation, our Encounter leaders will share in an upbeat and contemporary piece called, “Hallelujah to the Cross”.
11AM At this service, we welcome Steve Baker & David Richards (trumpet), Frank Longino &
Christina Thompson (trombone) and Corey Elrod (timpanist) with us in worship! We also have many
youth returning to sing with the FCC Chancel Choir as we celebrate in song the resurrection of our Lord!
Closing Abendmusik Concert Coming in May
Mark your calendars! On Friday, May 15, Joel Gay (Associate Music Director at First United Methodist) and Casey will be sharing an evening of works for voice and piano. This will be the closing concert for the 2014-15 year.
Thanks to ALL who have contributed by your physical attendance and your financial support to this series! We
hope to have you join us for this closing evening of music & fellowship!
Kids Praise In April
In April, our Kids Praise will be meeting on Sunday, April 12 and Sunday April 26! Our plans
are to take an outing the afternoon of April 26 so be prepared to go and DEFY GRAVITY!
Mobile music ministry Has Jumpstarted – Join us In April!
The “Mobile Music Ministry” is a group of members who a healing factor in visitation, praying and singing. We
are blessed to have so many teams who visit and pray with our homebound members. This ministry brings a
“singing” dimension which our members lack when they are unable to be with us in worship. The song uplifts
the souls and brings healing when words don’t seem to suffice. We have visited with Juanita Thomas and Ann
Watson already. Both have been a remarkable experience for all involved.
Our April visitation dates (at 11AM) are Monday, April 6 and Monday, April 20. By way of their requests to us,
on April 6 we will be with Charlotte Wallace and on April 20 we will be with Shirley Burnette. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Casey or Jack Clifford. Though a core group has been leading this effort, this is
open to anyone who wishes to pray & sing. Remember that the anointing of oil is a part of this visitation, but
only upon the request of those wishing to be visited.
Thank You!
Thank you to so many who have given their time in recent weeks to prepare and offer music to our congregation, visitors, all who hear and most importantly our God. What we share is never in vain. To the Chancel Choir,
Encounter team and Chalice Ringers who share countless hours week upon week, thank you. For all that you
bring to our worship services, thank you.
To Rod Werline for his gift of music and for sharing his creativity of music composition for our worship services,
thank you! You are all such an incredible blessing to our congregation and family at FCC.
Blessings, Casey
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Our Church Family
Prayer Concerns
Happy Birthday
April 1
Mary Louise Gray
Ashley Quick
April 3
Charles Smith
April 5
Theresa Mathis
Ryan
Wetherington
Michael
Wetherington
April 8
Peggy Almond
Peggy Walston
April 11
Joyce Gay
John Glover, Jr.
David Moses
Larry Finch
April 13
Kathy Sandifer
April 14
David Elliott
Norma Faye
Etheridge
Harriet Severence
April 16
Caroline Anderson
April 17
Leslie Kendall
April 18
Boots Philyaw
Ian MacLachlan
April 19
Shirley Burnette
Bud Ruffin
Michael Webb
April 20
Anna Brinson
April 23
Pat Campbell
June Etheridge
Hollie Woodruff
April 27
Margaret Scott
Barry Page
April 29
Alice Thomas
April 30
Matthew Quick
Laurie Winstead
Marilyn Bass, Val Brooks (Sue Ferrell’s brother),
Judy Gates (Linda Walling’s mother), Janice High,
John Horne (Jane Brinson’s brother), Barbara Inscoe (Jeanne Daniel’s mother), Lib Jones, Roderic
Logan, Duncan Mathis, JoJo Beland Near, Myra
Powell’s mother, Russ Powell, Charles Smith,
Juanita Thomas, Charlotte Wallace, Ann Watson,
Jim Watson
Stephen Ministry
Please notify the church office at (252) 237-4125 if someone’s
birthday is missing or if you have some exciting news to share.
Stephen Ministry meeting
Monday, April 27
6 pm in the Parlor
Congratulations!
Clara Boren Campbell was blessed in First Christian
Church on March 22. Holding her are Pat and Sheldon Campbell, the proud grandparents. She is the
daughter of Peggy and Patrick Campbell.
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April 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
5
6
7
9:00 AM Wellsprings
11:00 AM Mobile
Music Ministry
11:00 AM Staff
Meeting
9:45 AM Continental
Breakfast, Egg Hunt,
6:30 PM Team
Flowering of the Cross, Meetings
& Family Photos
7:30 PM Program
10:00 AM Church
Cabinet
School
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
7:00 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal
6:00 PM Maundy
Thursday Seder
DinnerFellowship Hall
1:00 PM Good
Friday Service
10:00 AM
Chancel Choir
Easter
Rehearsal
9
10
11
17
18
8
2:00 PM Walk
of the Cross
7:00 PM Elders
2:00 PM CWF
Afternoon Circle Church Parlor
11:00 AM Traditional
Worship
EASTER SUNDAY
EASTER OFFERING
12
13
14
15
9:00 AM Wellsprings
7:00 PM
PhotoPlay
11:00 AM Staff
Meeting
6:15 AM Koinonia
7:30 PM Program
Cabinet
5:30 PM - Encounter
10:00 AM Church
School
11:00 AM Traditional
3:00 PM Kids Praise
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167th
Regional
Assembly Hillyer
Memorial
Church Raleigh
7:00 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal
6:30 PM - Chalice
Ringers Rehearsal
7:00 PM - Book Club
“A Novel Idea”
Church Parlor
19
20
21
22
23
9:00 AM Wellsprings
11:00 AM Mobile
Music Ministry
11:00 AM Staff
Meeting
7:00 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal
7:00 PM Elders
26
27
28
29
30
9:00 AM Wellsprings
6:00 PM
Stephen Ministry
Church Parlor
5:30 PM - Encounter
6:15 AM Koinonia
10:00 AM Church
School
24
25
11:00 AM Traditional
Worship
10:00 AM Church
School
11:00 AM Traditional
3:00 PM Kids Praise
Deadline for
May 2015 Church
Bell Articles
6:30 PM - Chalice
Ringers Rehearsal
7:00 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal
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Servant’s List—April 2015
April 19
April 12
April 5
April 26
Elders
Tim Sharp (B)
Todd Brame (C)
Elders
Allan Daniell (B)
Martha Beland (C)
Elders
Patsy Ferrell (B)
Julia Floars (C)
Elders
Robert Wells (B)
Phyllis Leary (C)
Deacons
Leslie Kendall (C)
Gay Cook
Mac Wetherington
Lloyd Brinson
Jeannette Etheridge
Glenn Etheridge
Peggy Williford
Dennis Daniels
Deacons
Bobby Gray (C)
Greg Daughtry
Brooke Bissette
Laurie Winstead
Christina Terdik
Jeff Flowers
Brittany Wooten (R)
Libby Daniell (R)
Deacons
Melissa Whitley (C)
Faye Boykin
Thomas Brown
LuAnn Wooten
Davis Wooten
Kathy Daughety
Michael Wetherington (R)
Christy Webb (R)
Larry Finch (R)
Deacons
Wendy Wingrove (C)
David Scott
Tish Scott
Ricky Brown
Wanda Brown
Jobi Cook
Norma Faye Etheridge (R)
Marshall Quick (R)
Linda Walling (R)
Greeter
Tim Sharp
Greeter
Bob Kendall
Greeter
Steve Kite
Greeter
Buren Williford
Ushers
Steffanie Sharp
Peggy Anderson
Ushers
Leslie Kendall
Celia Avery
Ushers
Phyllis Leary
Sara Etheridge
Ushers
Peggy Williford
Larry Finch
Stewards
Andrew Whitley
Allan Daniell
Stewards
Bob Kendall
Jennifer McHarg
Stewards
Tim Sharp
Zeb Whitehurst
Stewards
A.J. Walston
Lloyd Brinson
Worship Leader
Julia Floars
Worship Leader
Dick Gurkin
Worship Leader
Jeannette Etheridge
Worship Leader
Bob Kendall
Wellsprings Guild
Mary Louise &
Bobby Gray
Wellsprings Guild
Joann Bass
Wellsprings Guild
Bob Kendall
Wellsprings Guild
Kristin Lamond
Nursery
(10 AM-12 PM)
Savannah Flowers
Nursery
(10 AM-12 PM)
Kristin Lamond
Nursery
(10 AM-12 PM)
Bobby Gray
Nursery
(10 AM-12 PM)
Pat Campbell
Worship & Wonder
Story - Jesus is Risen:
Appearance to
Mary Magdalene
Teller - Leslie Kendall
Greeter - Phyllis Leary
Worship & Wonder
Story - Jesus is Risen: The
Road to Emmaus
Teller - Mandy Flowers
Greeter - Wendy Wells
Worship & Wonder
Worship & Wonder
Story - Jesus the King Story - Jesus’ Last
Passover
Teller - Jamie Brown
Greeter - Jason Brown Teller - Brooke Bissette
Greeter - Savannah
Flowers
Attendance
W-Wellsprings, SS-Sunday School
CW-Combined Worship
T-Traditional Worship
March 1: W - 25; SS - NA;
March 8: W - 25; SS - NA;
March 15: W - 29; SS - NA;
March 22: W - 21; SS - NA;
March 29: W - NA; SS - NA;
T - NA
T - 91
T - 100
T - 112
T - NA
Altar Flowers
If you would like to provide
flowers for the sanctuary during 2015, please contact the
church office to check availability at 252-237-4125.
Chancel Guild
April
Nan Owens
Wendy & Brian Wingrove
Mary Louise & Bobby Gray
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