WEEKLY EMAIL FROM FIRST REFORMED UCC
JANUARY 14, 2022
A MESSAGE FROM REV. HORTON
Dear Beloved Community,
Because of the forecasted winter storm, we will not have In-Person worship on Sunday January 16th.
WE WILL Worship virtually at 10:30am via our FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/firstreformeducc
We will formally celebrate the 121st Anniversary of the church in person on January 23, 2022.
Once again, we find ourselves in the midst of uncertainty. To be frank, because of so mAny unknown variables, I am not exactly sure what the worship experience will look like on Sunday morning. Since the news stations call for numerous possibilities of snow, ice, rain, power outages, etc., it’s hard to anticipate what to expect. It’s hard to plan ahead.
As a result, let us decide not to anticipate what to expect with the weather or with worship. Let us trust that God will still be God regardless of what the weather does, or what we ourselves do.
Let us decide to be present to this very moment.
To be present to the needs of the people around us.
To reach out to those who live alone or who feel alone.
To have compassion for those on the front lines.
God spoke through the prophet thousands of years ago, and God speaks to us today:
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
Let us step into the unknown…
May you feel the unshakable peace of God within you.
May you know the unfailing love of God is lavished upon you.
FIRST REFORMED UCC ANNIVERSARY TRIVIA!
Even though our 121st Anniversary worship is postponed a week, we can still celebrate a little! How well do you know your church’s history? Please join me in saying a hearty thank you to Rita Lohr for researching and writing these the trivia questions. (Answers will come in next week’s weekly email.) See how many you can get!
1. On what date was the first worship service held?
2. What college did Reverend Jacob Calvin Leonard graduate from in 1889?
3. Where was the first parsonage located?
4. Who was Johns River Valley Camp purchased from in 1936?
5. How many women from First Church served in the Armed Forces during World War II?
6. How many years did Marguerite Leonard serve as organist at First Church?
7. Who was minister when our present Educational Building was built?
8. Where was our Casavant pipe organ built?
9. Why was there a delay on the delivery of the Casavant organ?
10. What church did Reverend Lee Jessup serve before he came to First Church in 1980?
11. What year did the United Friendship Club form?
12. Who were the first to use the Memorial Garden as their final resting place?
13. Who was minister for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of our church?
14. What was the first Reformed church in Davidson County?
15. Who was the first minister to be given a housing allowance instead of living in a church parsonage?
16. Who was founder and first pastor of First Reformed Church of Lexington?
17. What year did Rev. Jacob Calvin Leonard lay the cornerstone for the First Reformed Church of Lexington?
18. Who was President of the United States in 1901 when our church started?
19. How many charter members joined the First Church?
20. How many elders and deacons met for the first Consistory meeting in January, 1901
21. When was our Sunday School organized and with how many members?
22. Who was the first adult and first child to be baptized at First Church?
23. Who was the first organist who also taught music on the Melodeon?
24. Who gave the first endowment to our church in 1916?
25. What was the membership number in 1921 when the First Church celebrated the twentieth anniversary?
26. What year was our present church building completed?
27. What architectural style is our present church building?
28. Who became the second pastor of First Reformed Church?
29. Who asked the Consistory to purchase a duplicator and wide carriage typewriter in order to print the first bulletin in
1939?
30. Who donated the Carillon to our church in 1942?
31. What year did Rev. Banks Peeler send out the first church newsletter?
32. What year was the Casavant pipe organ installed?
Together with you,
Elizabeth
IT’S GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME
Jianna Miller will have Girl Scout cookies for sale after worship on Sunday, January 23. Troop #2160 will also hold a drive-thru cookie booth at the church from Noon to 2 pm that Sunday. Enter the driveway by the grass lot beside the Education Building. For faster service, you may pre-order your cookies and pay online by January 22 at bit.ly/order2160cookies.
MENTAL HEALTH MINISTRY THROUGH FIRST REFORMED UCC
Thank you to Cathy and Joe Browder for the ministry and resources they are bringing to families who live with Mental Illness.
Below is an article from the Thomasville Times.
NAMI BRINGS SERVICES TO DAVIDSON COUNTY
By Daniel Kennedy
Jan 10, 2022
DAVIDSON COUNTY — Mental health services are now more accessible for Thomasville residents thanks to the efforts of a group of Davidson County residents.
A partnership with Northwest Piedmont National Alliance on Mental Illness will bring meetings to the area via Zoom and, eventually, to First Reformed United Church of Christ in Lexington. When COVID restrictions are lifted, meetings will be held in person, but in the meantime, all meetings are offered on Zoom.
Cathy Browder, who sits on the board of the NW NAMI chapter, reiterated that the mission of the organization is to provide support, education, advocacy and public awareness so that all affected by mental illness can build better lives. Now instead of having to go to Winston-Salem or Greensboro for mental health support services, many will now have the ability to remain in their home county.
“We just called together a group of people from our church and said we’re going to have this Zoom call, talk about NAMI, mental illness and getting some help in Davidson County,” Browder said. “The way it worked out is that we discovered NW NAMI, which serves Forsyth, Davie and Stokes counties. We reached out to them and asked if we could join their affiliate.”
Browder said NW NAMI asks for someone to join the board when a new county joins the affiliate, so she represents Davidson County on the board. Working under their patronage, Browder said the county has been given full access to four key services offered through NW NAMI.
The first of these services is a family support group, which occurs on a monthly basis, where individuals can talk to each other about experiences with a loved one afflicted by a mental health condition. Additionally, NW NAMI offers an eight-week educational program for family members and those who support loved ones battling mental illness.
Peer to peer groups allow the mentally ill to learn coping mechanisms, and connection recovery support groups meet monthly to allow individuals to talk about how they’ve been coping with their mental condition. Long term, Browder anticipates the possibility of branching out to include Crisis Intervention Team training for law enforcement.
For now, the priority remains finding those in need of help and recruiting individuals willing to help with the groups.
“Once we are in person, we’re going to need more facilitators,” said. “Once we’re out of this COVID world and we do have in-person meetings, we’re going to need more people in Davidson County who are willing to facilitate these sessions.”
For individuals who wish to assist with the meetings, those who are living with someone or are supporting someone with a mental illness are encouraged to volunteer for support groups. Those willing to train for this are asked to visit https://naminc.org/become-a-program-leader. Browder is scheduled for training in February and will be glad to speak to anyone about the process. If you or someone you know is living with or supporting an individual with a mental health challenge, please contact Browder at namidavidsoncounty1@gmail.com.
Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-NAMI or in a crisis, text “NAMI” to 741741.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
SIGN UP TO HELP WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRIES FOR 2022
YOUTH MINISTRIES
SUNDAYS at 6:00PM: Youth Group (Fellowship Hall)
WEDNESDAYS at 6:30PM: Youth Study (Youth Room)
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT YOUTH STUDY HERE
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
SUNDAYS at 10:30AM Children’s Church (Theater Room)
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR CHILDREN’S CHURCH HERE
WEDNESDAYS at 6:30PM: Children’s Fun & Activities (Fellowship Hall)
SIGN UP TO VLUNTEER FOR WEDNESDAY CHILDREN’S FUN & ACITIVITIES HERE
BIBLE STUDY THROUGH JANUARY 30, 2022
“Love Never Ends: Being the Body of Christ”
Ordinary time is the season that follows Epiphany, although most of the time we call it the “Season of Epiphany.” The Epistle readings in Year C of the Lectionary Cycle are the letters to the Corinthians. The best-known passages are from I Corinthians 13 known as the “Love Chapter.”
This Bible Study is based on the Epistles readings as a way of seeing the Light of Christ through the lens of love. “Love Never Ends” is both a description and a promise. You are invited to journey with others, guided by the Corinthian Epistles to let the light shine around you, in you, and then from you as we seek to continue to become disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
We who have seen the Light of Christ now desire to reflect it in our community and in our world by letting others see Christ through our loving presence.
Our Sunday morning Bible study begins at 9:30AM in the educational building or via ZOOM. The themes and scripture readings for the month of January are as follows:
Sunday, January 23rd
“You Are the Body” Facilitator Eddie Yates
I Corinthians 12:12-31a
Sunday, January 30th
The Greatest of These” Facilitator Smithie Parrish
I Corinthians 13:1-13
USHERS ARE NEEDED EACH SUNDAY…PLEASE SIGN UP TO SERVE
Please sign up to serve as an usher on Sunday mornings. Open slots are available on most Sundays. You may use the Sign-Up Genius link below to pick a Sunday to volunteer.
Feel free to sign up for more than one Sunday of service! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f44abae28a7fe3-usher
PLEASE PRAY FOR…
Alisa Johnson
MEMBERS AT HOME AND IN CARE FACILITIES:
Peggy Bates, Sherry Bonner, Lee & Ellen Bouchard, Ruth Essick, Pattie Everhart, Vogen Everhart, Lib & Jimbo Hinkle, Jeff Hutchens, Marguerite Leonard, Deanna Michael, John Potts & Janette Neal, Lib Sink, Carolyn Spivey, Adena Wall
OUR FRIENDS:
*Kiana Sinz (friend of Patti Lovell), *Earl Parker (Rev. Elizabeth Horton’s father), *Jimmy Grubb (Rev. June Grubb’s brother), *Roger and Debbie Byerly (friends Alane Holste and Robin Champion), *Family of Tommy Nelson (friend of Robin Champion), Jody Jacobs (cousin to Robin Champion), Cynthia Adams (friend to Robin Champion), John Ray Ward (Patti Lovell’s brother-in-law), The Family of Ken Holmes (neighbors of Jerry & Patti Lovell, Nicole Holste (Alane Holste’s sister-in-love), Family of Will Swaim (friend of Alane Holste), Ed Leonard (Sylvia Walser’s brother), Miller Abernathy (Sylvia Walser’s son-in-law), The family of Evelyn York (friend of Alane Holste), Marc Frye (son of the late Doris Frye, Ashley Thomason (Ron & Heidi Hutcheson’s daughter-in-law)
JANUARY CELEBRATIONS
BIRTHDAYS: ANNIVERSARIES:
18th…Patti Lovell…Mike Price 16th…Walter & Ann Hoffman
19th…Heidi Hutcheson 20th…Chris & Raeann Allred
21st…Carolyn Robbins
22nd…Lisa Nelson
CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES IN OUR CHURCH
Monday, January 17:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day…CHURCH OFFICE IS CLOSED
Tuesday, January 18:
12:00PM 2CFAR (via Zoom)
7:00PM Book Study “The Book of Joy” (via Zoom) Facilitator: Smithie Parrish
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84691635471?pwd=WnJHblBaK1pZamRRc29GMjFKU3ZQZz09
Wednesday, January 19:
5:30PM Confirmation
6:30PM Children’s Fun and Games: Marge Doty & Smithie Parrish (Fellowship Hall)
Youth Study: Rev. Evan Sieges & Rev. June Grubb (Youth Room)
Thursday, January 20: Church’s Anniversary (actual date)
4-6:00PM Clothing Ministry Workday
6:30PM PFLAG Meeting via Zoom
Saturday, January 22:
12:30PM Take-out Lunch Ministry (Kitchen)
Sunday, January 23: 121st Anniversary
9:30AM Adult Bible Study: “Varieties of Gifts” I Corinthians 12:1-11 Facilitators: Jay & Cathy Whitley
10:30AM Worship Service (in person and via YouTube)
10:45AM Children’s Worship: Rev. Sieges & Smithie Parrish (Theater Room)
Following Worship
Prayer Circle
Girl Scout Cookie Sale
12:00-2:00 Drive-thru Girl Scout Cookie Sale
(Enter at driveway by the grass lot beside the Education Building)
6:00PM Youth Group (Youth Room)