Shelby Presbyterian Church

226 East Graham Street
Shelby, North Carolina 28150
704-487-8503

 

   
 
AUGUST 2008
 
   

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T H E   S H E L B Y   P R E S (S)
Published monthly by the Shelby Presbyterian Church
226 East Graham Street
P. O. Box 1444
Shelby, NC  28151-1444
Phone: 704-487-8503
Fax: 704-487-8504
e-mail: info@shelbypres.org


Pastor: Luke Harkey                                                                                      ................................................ Educator: Bonnie Sanford
Associate Pastor: Allen Huff                                                                        ........................... ....................... Editor: Jane Szymborski
Parish Associate for Visitation: John Campbell                                 ...  ...................................  Pastoral Counselor: Pablo Fernando
Youth Coordinator: Tom Viall
 

 

  August 2008

Dear Members and Friends,
            This is our first newsletter since I returned from General Assembly.  I have included my report to the Presbytery of Western North Carolina.  In addi-tion, three discussion times have been scheduled.  Our Men’s Bible Class is sponsoring a discussion of GA in the church parlor on Wednesday, August 13th at noon.  Our presbytery is planning a lunch-time conversation with our presbytery GA commissioners at the Saturday, August 9th “Celebrate” lay leader training event at First Church Morganton.  For more information, contact our church office or call presbytery at 1-800-435-7404.   I will present a program on General Assembly on Wednesday, August 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall.  I welcome opportunities to tell you about my experience and answer questions about the work of the assembly.
            I’m excited about plans to establish Stephen Ministry at Shelby Presbyterian. I would like to express my deep appreciation to our Member Care Committee, our Session, and those who are being trained as Stephen Leaders: Mike Alexander, John Auten, Joyce Boyette, Allen Huff, Jessi Ogburn, Jo Ann Richards, and Kathy Wilson.   I will also be a part of the leadership team.  I was trained as a Stephen Leader in 1997 when I helped to establish this ministry at First Presbyterian Charlotte.  These eight Stephen Leaders will plan, teach, and administer our Stephen Ministry program. During August and September you will hear much more about this ministry of compassion and care.  We hope many of you will give prayerful consideration to serving as a Stephen Minister.  It is a very big commitment, but also can be life-changing.
            If you have not already made plans to attend our congregational retreat August 23-24 in Montreat, it is not too late.  There is still limited space available at the William Black Lodge.  There is also space at Assembly Inn and at the Montreat campground.  This is a wonderful opportunity for getting closer to God and to your church family.

Luke

SPECIAL PRESENTATION
  Mr. Bradley Reed, President and CEO of Water Missions International based in Charleston, SC, will be with us on Monday, August 4, at Noon.  He will talk about the feasibility of having safe drinking water for our sister church in Las Animas, Guatemala by using a water filter.
            If safe drinking water is a topic dear to your heart or if you just want to hear what Mr. Reed has to say, please join us on August 4.  A BBQ lunch will be provided, so we need to know if you plan to attend.  Call the church office by 10am Monday to make your reservation.

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
will be served Sunday, August 3,
at the 8:45 and 11:00 services
and on Sunday, August 17,
at the 8:30 service.




LET’S CELEBRATE!
            Please register for the “Let’s Celebrate” workshop on Saturday, August 9th at First Presbyterian Church, Morganton.  In addition to workshops covering all areas of ministry for adults and youth, Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II will be the guest worship leader and workshop presenter focusing on evangelism.  Participants will be exposed to a relational, communal and contextual model of evangelism that embraces the overarching themes of John’s gospel.  Dr. Nelson is a third generation Presbyterian Pastor serving Liberation Community Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee.  This African Centered Congregation is committed to social justice work and evangelizing the poor to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
            For additional details, pick up a registration brochure for this Presbytery Leadership Training Event on the ledge outside Jane’s office window.  Interested in attending, call Bonnie.

 

WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY ARE COMING TO LUNCH
         Our 150th Anniversary Celebration is fast approaching.  We want to be sure all of our church family members are invited.  Since there will be no written invitation, we are extending to each family an invitation to join us Saturday, September 20th, for an ice cream/dessert reception. 
            On Sunday the 21st, we are having a luncheon in the fellowship hall following the service.  Please let us know how many plan to attend the luncheon by filling out the form below by September 12 and placing in offering plate or turning it into the church office.
            Help us remember to include members that have moved away, college students, as well as sons and daughters living out of town.
            Thank you and be sure to mark your calendars.
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name_____________________________________

Number attending Sunday lunch:________________

Please respond by Sept. 12th.

 

MEN’S BREAKFAST FELLOWSHIP
All men are invited to join this group the first Thursday of each month.  We will meet Thursday, August 7, at 7:00 a.m. at Ken & Mary’s Restaurant, 1628 S. DeKalb Street, for Dutch-treat breakfast and program.
       
COLLEGE OF ELDERS
            .........The Session has approved a proposal to initiate a program called “The College of Elders”. This is a program whose purpose is to keep all ordained PCUSA Elders and retired Pastors attending Shelby Presbyterian Church active in the life of our church whether serving on the Session or on rotation. Not only does it keep them active; but; it provides a resource to the Session. The Session can use their experience, knowledge and talents as a resource and assign them tasks. An Elder is Ordained for life and it just makes sense to provide a program that allows an Ordained Elder to remain active. Service opportunities include serving Communion, assisting in Baptism, greeting new members, helping with the confirmation classes, the Stewardship Campaign and the list goes on.
            The College of Elders does not take away any of the responsibilities of the Session. It has no authority, it does not decide, it does not implement. The College of Elders does support the Session,
carry out assignments, and act as a sounding board.  Membership is granted to all PCUSA Ordained Elders and retired Pastors attending Shelby Presbyterian Church.  The College of Elders will be chaired by an Elder on rotation who will be known as Dean and will serve a one-year term. The Dean will be nominated by the College and appointed by the Session. There also will be an Assistant Dean.
            Details are being worked out and it is hoped to have this program implemented in the early fall. The Session is excited about this opportunity to continue to include all Elders in the life of our church. We are sure that the experience, wisdom and knowledge of all Elders can be utilized as we all work together to strengthen Shelby Presbyterian’s commitment to doing God’s work.
      
                      
Memorials were received in July for
George Brant and Gretchen Campbell.

 

THIS REPORT ON THE 218TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HELD IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, JUNE 21 -28, WAS PREPARED FOR THE JULY 29 MEETING OF
PRESBYTERY BY LUKE HARKEY

Thank you for the privilege of serving as a commissioner to the 218th General Assembly from the Presbytery of Western North Carolina.  Let me share some of my impressions of General Assembly and describe some of our work as commissioners.
            As a commissioner, I was very aware of a large number of people across the church praying for us.  I received numerous letters such as this one:
            “It is our joy and privilege to pray for you as a commissioner. May you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as you go about your meetings and worship.” 
            I want to thank all those who were praying for us.  I encourage you to continue to pray for our denomination, even as you prayed for us as commissioners.
            I was impressed by the dedication of other commissioners I met at General Assembly.  My roommate Andy, for example, had just begun a new assignment as a research chemist.  With no vacation available, he arranged to take a leave from work without pay so that he could attend General Assembly.

            Over the first three days at General Assembly we spent most of our time in committee.  I served on Committee 11: “Peacemaking and International Relations”.  Our sessions were intense and long with few breaks.  I calculated that we spent over 23 hours in committee.  Some of those who spoke to the committee about human rights in countries such as Columbia, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe, did so at great personal risk.  These church leaders face arrest, even death, because of their witness to Jesus Christ and the persecution facing Christians in their homelands.
            Bruce Reyes-Chow, a new church development pastor from California, was elected Moderator of the 218th General Assembly.  In speaking with him before his election, it was clear that his energy, his charisma, and his self-deprecating sense of humor, as well as his passion for Jesus Christ and for the church, would have broad appeal. Before each vote on contested overtures, the moderator would repeat these words: “Brothers and sisters, sharing our common faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and walking humbly with our God, let us proceed to vote on the question before us."
            On Thursday morning we faced our first major debate. The Assembly voted on whether to recommend to the presbyteries a change to the Book of Confessions.  The recommendation from the committee was to return to the "original wording" of the Heidelberg Confession. The Assembly was divided, some saying this recommendation does not sow seeds of peace, and others arguing that this is a more faithful historically-correct translation. The debate was vigorous. The change was recommended to the presbyteries by a vote of 64% to 39% with 2% abstaining.  The GA also approved, with little discussion, the study of a South African Reformed confession, “The Confession of Belhar”, for possible inclusion in the Book of Confessions.
 
            After lunch we debated action on the proposed FOG (Form of Government) revision. The overture from our presbytery -- that FOG be sent back to the task force and to the presbyteries for at least two years "for study, discernment, and consideration of the advisability of further action" -- was approved.
            On Friday we elected the new Stated Clerk. During the week I spent time with each of the four candidates, and was able to assess different gifts that each would bring to the office. For one hour the candidates responded to questions from the floor. I was deeply impressed that such capable and dedicated people are willing to offer their services to the church in a role that has often been surrounded by controversy in recent years. The election took place by electronic ballot.  Gradye Parsons, who has been serving as an Associate Stated Clerk in the Office of the General Assembly, was elected on the first ballot.
            Later in the morning, the assembly voted by a majority (54%-46%), to approve an overture that will send the fidelity-chastity ordination standard back to the presbyteries for another round of debates and votes.  In the same motion, the assembly approved authoritative interpretation that seems to reopen the possibility of local option as presbyteries and sessions decide who to ordain.  Although no constitutional change can happen without a vote by the presbyteries, the implications of this authoritative interpretation remain unclear subject to review by the Permanent Judicial Commission of our denomination.

            After lunch we addressed overtures presented by the Peacemaking Committee. The assembly approved emergency food aid to North Korea with funding from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and One Great Hour of Sharing.
            The assembly approved a recommendation from the Peacemaking Committee not to divest in companies doing business with Israel.  The assembly also voted not to allow the General Assembly Council, now renamed the General Assembly Mission Council, to pursue divestment without explicit approval from General Assembly.  The MRTI (Mission Responsibility Through Investment) committee of the PC(USA) reported on slow, but encouraging communications with Caterpillar and Motorola as both corporations are adopting human rights policies for the first time.
            The assembly voted to endorse the Amman Call, an ecumenical paper that is critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in occupied territories.  The assembly also called for our government to cooperate with the international community in working for a lasting peace and responsible return of our troops. The assembly adopted motions in support of our troops including increased veteran’s benefits, and in support of victims of violence.
            After dinner the assembly rejected a call to rethink the traditional definition of marriage.  There were many other issues before the assembly, but these are some of the actions that stand out in my mind.       I would like to conclude with the words of the closing prayer Friday evening by the Rev. Robert Austell, a commissioner from Charlotte Presbytery who is the former pastor of Lenoir First.

            He began: “Would you please stand and hold the hand of those on either side of you, stretching across the aisles as well.
            Let us pray.  Heavenly Father, we are divided on much.  Chances are that the person beside us voted differently on significant issues, passionately held.  It is so easy to see one another as ‘the enemy’ and yet you declare those who hope in the Lord Jesus Christ as family.
            You declare it – in Christ, we are one family!  Yet, we struggle so to experience it!  Some of us believe truth is at stake; some of us believe justice is at stake; some of us distrust each other, and we struggle with other issues that would drive us apart.  Some leave rejoicing; some leave in sorrow; some are not sure what they feel.
            What hope do we have apart from your grace through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  What hope?  Grace seems a fragile flower in a room full of elephants.
            Give us a vision for your grace-unconditional, true, winsome, and strong.  Help us to see the person on our left and on our right, not as the enemy, but like us, a broken son or daughter for whom Christ has died.  Help us cling to your Word and live in your Spirit.
            We ask in Jesus’ name, Amen!”
                                    Luke Harkey
                                    Minister Commissioner



A NEW SMALL GROUP IS BEING FORMED!
     In early September, Doug and Joyce Boyette will begin leading a new small group using the Companions in Christ format.  The book for the nine-week course is entitled The Way of Prayer.  The meetings will take place on Sunday evenings at 6pm in the narthex parlor.  To sign up or to find out more information, call the Boyettes at home, 704-482-4105.                       
                                                      
GETABOUTS
     After vacationing” for June and July, the Getabouts will resume their travels on Thursday, August 21, with a visit to Flat Rock Playhouse for a matinee and an early dinner in Hendersonville.
            We will try a new form of transportation, a bus from South Mountain Tours.  Details will follow in a card from the church office to those on the Getabouts mailing list (age 55 & over).  If you have not been receiving these cards and would like to be on the mailing list, please get in touc
h with the church office.
           Details (when available) will also be in the Sunday bulletin.
           --Ace Richards, Jo Ann Putnam Beattie, Allen Huff                   
                     
BOOK BAGS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES
         You are invited to purchase book bags and fill them with much needed school supplies for some children at Marion School.  Or if you’d prefer to give money for gift certificates for supplies for teachers to use as needed, you may make you check payable to Shelby Presbyterian Church and marked for school supply certificates.  Thank you for your generosity.                                               

Articles for the September 2008 Shelby Pres(s) are due in the church office by August 25.

MEMBER CARE
            Summertime and families bring to mind trips and traditions of  joy and sadness; memories of the tapestry of individual and family life stories. What happens in the home, with the family, is very important and very holy.  If you are like most people, maybe you would be willing to admit the “important” part; “holy” is harder to agree with.  Did you say to yourself, “But you haven’t been on a trip with me nor been to my house with my family?”
            Your family/your home, any home/any family, no matter how many persons that represents, is where the Good News of Jesus is first lived, communicated, felt, and celebrated.  It is at home that we first find (or do not find), a sense of God----not just words about God, but a real sense of being loved just as we are.  This is the Good News that we share with others.  Family prayer and celebration are not about making family life holy or bringing God into your home, but about realizing the holiness that is already there.  As we rediscover the holiness of our families and homes, our spirituality can begin to focus on God’s presence in our daily lives.  God’s divine graciousness is his steadfast love and promise to be present at all times and in all places.
            As we emphasize the holy places, experiences, and times in our midst, prayers of thanksgiving become the cornerstone of our lives, even the lives of very young preschool children.  Prayer becomes a habit, one which can help teach our children and ourselves much as we teach them habits of good hygiene and manners.  Of course, this does not guarantee that they (or us) will continue these habits once they have left our homes, but we will have planted the seeds for lifelong prayer. 
            Begin early to pray with your children.  Pray not just at mealtime and bedtime, pray any time you are mindful of the Good News of Jesus in your daily life. In my experience, prayer happens within the events and occurrences of ordinary----and extraordinary----life, and is usually rather informal. I am convinced that the most “teachable moment” for both family and individual prayer is when children are between the ages of two and ten.  It is difficult in the teen or preteen years to initiate family customs that were not begun earlier; just ask a parent of adolescents.
            In the business of life, and summer trips and camps and relaxed schedules make prayer a daily priority for yourself and your family.  If we listen, our children can teach us much about God.  In the book Chicken Soup for the Soul, Dan Millman tells of four-year-old Sacha asking to be left alone with her newborn baby brother.  Through a crack in the door her parents could see her go over quietly and put her face close to his, saying, “Baby, tell me what God feels like.  I’m starting to forget.”
            May you be blessed by prayers from the ! hearts ! of children throughout the remaining pages of this newsletter.
            Thank you for expanding your prayer list to include specific children/youth each month.  During August, pray for our rising Sixth and Seventh grade classes.
            Our rising Sixth Graders are Hannah Appling, Kruesi Barker, Sheridan Blakey, Matthew Campbell, Parker Campbell, Tyler Hendrix, Sydney Lampley, Alyssa McNeary, Jake Taylor.
            Our rising Seventh Graders are Morgan Beam, Meg Binion, Grant Byers, Olivia Gebel-Cook, Ann Huston, Kaitlyn Kennedy, Chelsea Lee, Brennan Teddy, Chandler Young.
                        --Jo Ann Richards & Bonnie Sanford
                                     
FROM PROPERTY & GROUNDS
             Eight people showed up for the church work day on June 28.  The outside windows on the courtyard side of the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall were cleaned (mostly by Ric Daughenbaugh).  Lionel Dodson finished painting and glazing the lower windows along Harris Street.  Allen Huff, Hartsel McSwain, Greg McIntyre, Bill DeVane and Bill Hoyt reinstalled storm windows over Lionel’s fine work.  Jill Dodson weeded and trimmed flower beds.  Hartsel McSwain and Bill DeVane replaced lights in the Sanctuary using the 30 foot A-frame ladder.  Ceiling tile replacement and boiler room cleaning remain for another day.    
                        
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Good Morning, God.
            Thank you for the day that is just beginning. It’s like a shiny, new present that hasn’t been opened yet. As I open it today, help me to watch for all the special ways you show me that you love me; all the invisible gift tags that say, “To You, with great love, God.”
            Thanks again for today. Help me to show my thanks by loving others as you love me and by using with great care the world you’ve given us.  Amen.

COMMUNITY BIBLE STUDY
2008-09
Deuteronomy/Hebrews
First Class Day:  Tuesday, September 2
Registration Deadline:  August 1
~~Non-denominational~~ All ages Welcome~~~
The mission of Community Bible Study is to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in our communities through caring, in-depth Bible study, available to all.
Registration:  $25/adult;  $10/child
Teaching Director:  Cindy Nunnery
For children’s registration, call:
Children’s Director: Marywinn Amaya 704-482-0489
For adult registration call:
Coordinator:  Bobbie Luckadoo, 704-482-6140
www.communitybiblestudy.org

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Dear God,
            Please bless each of us as we leave today to go on vacation. Please help us to remember that you go with us wherever we are. Help us to bring you to others and see you in the people we are with today. And please keep us safe until we are back home again.  Amen.

YOUNG ADULT VOLUNTEER
........The Presbytery of Western NC is excited that we will be sending a new PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer onto the mission field for the 2008-2009 year.  Rachel Brown, who graduated this spring from UNC Greensboro, is a member at Mills River PC. She will be going to Kenya some time in late August or early September. Her specific mission will become more fully defined during her orientation, but she is a gifted young woman who is eager to share Christ’s presence in the world.
         Rachel will be with us on Sunday, August 17, to do a minute for mission at each of the services and to meet with anyone who would like to learn more about her and about the work she hopes to do in Kenya.  The mission committee has committed $500 to help support her. If you would like to contribute to her mission support, please make checks out to Shelby Presbyterian Church and designate them for Rachel Brown - YAV.  And come and meet her on Aug. 17

    
LITERACY
Shelby is most fortunate to have the Imagination Library.  Our SPC children, as well as all the other children in Shelby from birth to age 5, receive an age appropriate book each month.  The Partnership for Children depends on financial donations to provide these books.  Consider celebrating a special event with a gift to this program that benefits everyone of us.  Also make sure all the preschool children you know are registered to receive these books!  Thank you!
GROCERIES AND BILLS
            With school children at home and the lack of jobs, more of our brothers and sisters in Christ are needing additional help with groceries and bills.  You may bring groceries or you may make financial contributions and Faye McCants and helpers will grocery shop for us.  You are encouraged also to make contributions labeled for bill assistance.  Another way to help is to make the 5-cents-a-meal an important habit at your table time with your family.  The needs are always great; we are so bountifully blessed.  Thank you for your prayers and assistance in serving in the name of Jesus.    
           
RALLY DAY
The new Sunday School year begins on September 7th in the Fellowship Hall. This will be a day of celebration for all ages to begin again regular attendance for learning.  There will be special activities and refreshments during the Sunday School time.  Teachers will also be dedicated and installed during the 11:00 a.m. worship.  Make plans now to attend!  Barbara Wakefield, story teller, will be back!!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Dear God,
            It’s rumbling and flashing outside, and it feels pretty scary. Sometimes, when the weather is like this, it seems like you’re angry with the world. Help me to remember that you love us and want us to be safe......then I can enjoy the natural fireworks show!  Amen.

STEPHEN MINISTRY REPORT
            ........We celebrated the first step of our Stephen Ministry when Joyce Boyette and Jessi Ogburn were among the 517 participants (congregation members and pastors) attending a Stephen Series Leader’s Training Course in Dallas, Texas July 13-19. Jo Ann Richards, Kathy Wilson and Allen Huff will attend an August session in Pittsburg, PA, and John Auten, Mike Alexander and Luke Harkey will join our Stephen Ministry
Leaders in January.
            The Stephen Ministry will give Shelby Presbyterian Church an effective way to train and organize members to provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals with specific issues. All Christians are called to care for and love one another – it’s not just our pastors’ job. By equipping lay people we can help them fulfill their calling as Christians and also expand the amount of caring ministry available through SPC.  You will be seeing more information about this ministry in future months.
    
                                  
THE GRETCHEN CAMPBELL FUND
FOR STEPHEN MINISTRY
         We rejoice in announcing the establisment of this fund for the caring ministry of Shelby Presbyterian Church. In gratitude, we give thanks to Jesus Christ our Lord, for all of you who have given gifts already and for all of you who will continue giving gifts to this fund, in honor or in memory or in thankfulness, for the ongoing work that was so lovingly inspired among us by Gretchen Campbell.
            As was Gretchen's example of doing for others in the strong name of Jesus, the first $500 bought a heifer for a family through the Heifer Project International. Monies have also enabled folks to go for training in Stephen Ministry, and they will soon be teaching others to be Stephen Ministers to provide the caring ministry among us that reflects the compassion of Jesus Christ.
            “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant gift and sacrifice to God.”   Ephesians 5:2.
                                 
GOAT HELPED “LUCKIEST GIRL”
REACH DREAMS
(Reprinted from The Charlotte Observer, July 7, 2008, written by national columnist, Nicholas D. Kristof)
            This year's college graduates owe their success to many factors. But one of the most remarkable of the new graduates, Beatrice Biira, credits something utterly improbable: a goat.
            “I am one of the luckiest girls in the world,” Beatrice declared after earning her bachelor's degree from Connecticut College.
            Beatrice's story helps address two of the most commonly asked questions about foreign assistance: “Does aid work?” and “What can I do?”
            The tale begins in the rolling hills of western Uganda, where Beatrice was born. As a girl, she desperately yearned for an education, but it seemed hopeless: Her parents couldn't afford to send her to school.
            Beatrice was on track to become one more illiterate African woman, another of the continent's squandered human resources.

Children send opportunity
            In the meantime, in Niantic, Conn., the children of Niantic Community Church decided to buy goats for African villagers through Heifer International, a venerable aid group based in Arkansas that helps impoverished farming families. A dairy goat in Heifer's online gift catalog costs $120; a flock of chicks or ducklings just $20.
            One of the goats bought by the church went to Beatrice's parents and soon produced twins. When the kid goats were weaned, the children drank the goat's milk and sold the surplus for extra money.
            The cash accumulated, and Beatrice's parents decided they could afford to send their daughter to school. She was much older than the other first-graders but was so overjoyed that she studied diligently and rose to be the best student in the school.
            An American visiting the school was impressed and wrote a children's book, “Beatrice's Goat,” about how the gift of a goat had enabled a bright girl to go to school. The book was published in 2000 and became a children's best seller — but there is now room for a more remarkable sequel.

            Beatrice was such an outstanding student that she won a scholarship, not only to Uganda's best girls' high school, but also to a prep school in Massachusetts and then to Connecticut College. A group of 20 donors to Heifer International financed her living expenses.
            Granted, foreign assistance doesn't always work and is much harder than it looks. “I won't lie to you. Corruption is high in Uganda,” Beatrice acknowledges. A crooked local official might have distributed the goats by demanding that girls sleep with him in exchange. Beatrice's goat might have died or been stolen.
            Millions of things could go wrong. But when there's a good model in place, they often go right. That's why villagers in western Uganda recently held a special Mass and a feast to celebrate the first local person to earn a college degree in America.
New dream: Changing the culture
            Moreover, Africa will soon have a new asset: a well-trained professional to improve governance. Beatrice plans to earn a master's degree at the Clinton School of Public Service in Arkansas and then return to Africa to work for an aid group.
            Beatrice dreams of working on projects to help women earn and manage money more effectively. Changing that culture won't be easy, Beatrice says, but it can be done.
            When people ask how they can help in the fight against poverty, there are a thousand good answers, from sponsoring a child to supporting a grass-roots organization through globalgiving.com.
            The challenges of global poverty are vast and complex, and buying a farm animal for a poor family won't solve them. But Beatrice's giddy happiness these days is a reminder that each of us does have the power to make a difference – to transform a girl's life with something as simple and cheap as a little goat.

PRAYERS & SYMPATHIES
           . . . to Ann Brant and family on the death of her husband, George E. Brant, on July 2, 2008.
            . . . to the family and friends of Emma Robbs who died on July 5, 2008.  Emma was one of our nursery care givers on Sundays and Wednesdays in the 1970's and 1980's.
            . . . to Lillian Collins and family on the death of her brother, Kenneth M. Brinkley, on July 26, 2008.  (He was the father of former member, Roy Brinkley.)

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Wow, God,
            I just found something very special. [a bug, rock, flower, ant, new friend, etc.] I almost missed it, but you had it there, waiting as a surprise for me. Thank you for this discovery, and for the eyes to see it. Help me to keep looking for the wonders you’ve made all around us, especially the little ones that people often miss.  Amen.

THANK YOU FROM
LIFE ENRICHMENT CENTER
Dear SPC Friends,
            Many thanks to all the SPC members who donate their flowers from Sunday services to the Life Enrichment Center.  Sometimes we place them at the front door for all to admire.  We get so many positive comments from all our visitors.  Other times we break the arrangement down and the participants make smaller bouquets for the dining tables.  Either way– your kindness certainly brightens the lives of many people.  Again–thank you!
                                                Fondly,
                                                  LEC
NEEDED: PICTURE FRAMES
            In preparation for the 150th anniversary, Alyssa Dodd and Dot Roark would like to ask for picture frames (any size) you may have available that they could use.  They would prefer to have frames they could keep, but if you would like them returned, please put your names on them.  (This might be a good time to go through your old boxes and pull those empty frames out to recycle for good use!)

                       
REMEMBER
    The anniversary Christmas ornaments, a brass ornament similar to our historic Shelby ornaments, featuring our own church structure are available for $10 each in the church office. Along with these, the DVDs containing interviews with long-time members and present and former staff are available for purchase for $15 each.

TO THOSE SIGNED UP FOR MONTREAT
            Montreat Weekend is August 23-24.  If you have reserved a room at the William Black Lodge, please have your full payment to the church no later than August 15 at 12:00 pm.  We cannot hold your room reservation without payment after that time. 
            Also, in the past, several families have decided to go up on Friday; however, the Lodge will not be open Friday night unless we have at least 10 people.  So far, we have 2; therefore, if you are planning to go up on Friday, call the church office ASAP.


MOMENTS IN HISTORY
From the Kings Mountain Presbytery Minutes, 1954:
            Dreams too often have a way of fading into nothingness.  Not so with the dream of a new church with the Shelby Presbyterians of yesteryear. It became very dim many times but always lingered until April 11, 1954 gave to the congregation a new Sanctuary – elegant in simplicity, warmth for fellowship, and an atmosphere conducive for prayer and worship.  A great day long to be remembered.  Encouragement for hope and definite planning came when the Trustees reported that the money from the Ellis Estate had grown through the years.  From time to time other gifts were added to the Building Fund.  Sufficient funds from campaigns completed the building of the Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary which is only a part of the entire church plant.  So a dream full of prayer, genuine sacrifice, and faithful labors of the committees, the architects, and contractors had come true.  At that first service R. T. LeGrand Jr., chairman of the Building Committee, with words of thanks and appreciation for all associated committees, turned over the keys of the Sanctuary to Athos Rostan, chairman of Board of Deacons, who in acceptance pledged to keep the building beautiful always for the glory of God.  Dr. John S. Brown, Pastor, in his sermon urged the making of a new Sanctuary “a house of prayer, a house of thanksgiving, a house of preaching which would always hold up the face and gospel of Jesus Christ.”

DIRECTORY CHANGES
+Myra Carpenter has moved to 218 T. R. Harris Drive, Apt. B4, Shelby, NC 28150.
+Pam Coalson has moved to 91-5 Edgemont Avenue, Shelby, NC 28150.
+Colin and Marta Holden have moved to 4623 Stanford Avenue, Dallas, TX 75209.
+Watt & Libby Jackson have moved to 131 Spring Forest Drive, Shelby, NC 28152 ---704-434-4939.
+Tom Viall has moved to Gardner-Webb University, PO Box 6129, Boiling Springs, NC 28017.
                       
COLLEGE ADDRESSES NEEDED
          
Please call or e-mail the church office the addresses of college students so they may receive the newsletter, 704-487-8503 or jane@shelbypres.org.  We will publish them in the September edition of The Shelby Pres(s) so the church family can keep in touch.                          
                                                    
          
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Loving God,
            Thank you for summer. Thanks for the sun, keeping us warm, helping things grow. Thanks for water, to drink and to play in, in sprinklers and in squirt guns. Thanks for long days and warm evenings, with more time to enjoy all you’ve given us. Thanks for shorts and swimsuits, popsicles and picnics, camps and parks, lakes and oceans and mountains, the beautiful world you have created. Help us to enjoy this world and take good care of it and love you in the midst of a wonder-filled summer.  Amen.

SHELBY COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE
at Shelby Presbyterian Church
Tuesday, August 19,
1:00-5:30 pm
ID required at registration.

CONGRATULATIONS
. . . to Al and Norma Mancinelli who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 26, 2008.

. . . to Sarah Winstead and Josh Brown who were married June 28, 2008 in Boone, NC.

. . . to Tommy Greene for winning 3rd place in a photography contest sponsored by Our State
.. . .magazine.  (See photo on page 61 in August edition.)

. . . to Beth Ramsey who will celebrate her 90th birthday on August 7, 2008.  Cards may be sent to Beth at
..... 513 Gold Street, Shelby, NC 28150.

. . . to Ben Hibschman who will celebrate his 90th birthday on August 8, 2008. Cards may be sent to Ben
..... at 218 T. R. Harris Dr., Apt. E-1, Shelby, NC 28150

 Church Retreat at Montreat
is August 23-24.
Sunday School
and 8:45 & 11:00 Worship Services
will be held in Shelby as usual. 
 Dr. John Campbell will lead worship.
The 8:30 Service will not be held.

JULY STEWARDSHIP REPORT
2008 Basic Budget   $687,790.00................................. Needed Weekly         $  13,226.73
  Received to Date       $351,973.54 ...............................  Required to Date     $396,801.90
July 6
Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$  10,491.89
Heritage Capital Campaign . . $       725.00
5¢-a-meal offering . . . . . . . $       234.36
Sunday School Attendance . . . . . . . .  98
8:30 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   65
8:45 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
11:00 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
July 13
Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$  11,493.75
Heritage Capital Campaign . . $    1,485.00
Sunday School Attendance . . . . . . . .107
8:30 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
8:45 am Worship  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  54
11:00 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

July 20
Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $   11,943.75
Heritage Capital Campaign . .$     1,265.00
Sunday School Attendance . . . . . . .  102
8:30 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   52
8:45 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   55
11:00 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
July 27
Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$    7,761.29
Heritage Capital Campaign . . $       547.00
Sunday School Attendance . . . . . . . .116
8:30 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
8:45 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
11:00 am Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

The Session did not meet in July;
therefore, there are no Session Meeting Notes
for the August newsletter.

ARE YOU ON DUTY IN AUGUST?
Acolytes: 5th & 6th Graders with Acolye training needed!
9:30 Sunday Morning Fellowship Time
   Aug.   3    Jenny Dickson & Elliot Dodd
            10    Melissa & Bill DeVane
            17    Barbara & Glenn Moore
            24    Margie & John Auten
            31    Barbara Hannah
Deacons To Take Up & Count Offering & Usher
   Ina Harrington         Robin Smith
   John Schweppe III   Drew Beam
   Shannon Blackley
Sunday School Class Taking Breakfast to Shelter
   Aug.   6    F3
Summer Sunday School
   Aug.   3    Ages 2-4 Amy Goforth
                    K-5          Lance & Catherine Ware
            10    Ages 2-4  Holly Petrilli
                    K-5
            17    Ages 2-4  Becca Schweppe
                    K-5    Jessi Ogburn & Barbara Blackburn
            24    Ages 2-4  Kathy Neff
                    K-5          Tricia Butler
            31    Ages 2-4  Alison Moore
                    K-5
Sound System/Tape Ministry Engineers
   Aug.   3      8:45
                    11:00     Victor Kennedy
            10      8:45     Steve Winstead
                    11:00     Randy Sweeting
            17      8:45     Bill Jobe
                    11:00     Brock Taylor
            24      8:45     Bill Hoyt
                    11:00     Josh Jones
            31      8:45     Dan McLaurin
                    11:00     Paul McNeary
Worship Guild
   Aug.   3    Faye McCants & Grace Teddy
            10    Marlene Lovelace & Debbie Griffin
            17    Barbara Hannah & Barbara Blackburn
            24    Dick & Betty Bowling
            31    Bud & Ann Worden
Nursery Caregivers
   Aug.   3    Carolyn Jackson
                    Amy & D Goforth
            10    Melanie Johnson
                    Margo & Jason Greene
            17    Holly Petrilli
                    Tonya & Drew Beam
            24    Elizabeth Goss & Tricia Butler
            31    Tricia Butler
                    Neal & Meg Binion
Sanctuary Flowers
   Aug.   3    Marty & Amy Allen
            10    Richard & Ellen Fletcher
            17
            24
            31

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
         
Over the years, the Presbyterian Women have had a SERRV Sale featuring gift items for Christmas and other occasions that have been made by women in third world countries.  Many of these items are part of the Ten Thousand Villages products that we can also purchase while at Montreat.  Our PW will have a sale on Wednesday, November 19th.  So, mark your calendar and come do your Christmas shopping for uniquely beautiful gifts that empower women artisans to make a living for their families.
.................  Watch for details; speak to Becca Schweppe, Alison Moore, Ann Anderson.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Loving God,
            It isn’t fun being sick. I’m tired of lying here in bed with nothing much to do. I know that you love me and care about me even when I don’t think about you. Please be with me in a special way while I’m feeling this bad. Help me to imagine myself climbing up on Jesus’ lap and getting a hug from him as he did for the children who came to him when he was teaching. Please help me to get well soon; especially bless those children who won’t ever get well.  Amen

MENTORS CHANGE LIVES
For more information on mentoring a young person in our area, please contact Chavis Gash or Laura Mitchell at Communities In Schools Hands Need Hands Program at 704-480-5569.  This is outreach, the kids need you

TOGETHER IN WORSHIP
Our Fifth Sunday gathering with John Knox, Ryburn Memorial and Shiloh Presbyterian Churches will be held Sunday, August 31, here at Shelby Presbyterian Church.  Covered dish supper begins in the fellowship hall at 6:00 pm followed by worship service.

Shelby Presbyterian Church
is Celebrating
150 years!

Please mark your calendar now!

September 20-21

Dessert Reception
SPC’s Fellowship Hall
Bring your favorite churn of homemade
ice cream or a sweet treat to share! 
We’ll reminisce with former ministers
and share our favorite church memories!
Saturday, September 20 at 7:00

Church Picnic
in the Fellowship Hall
Featuring
Chicken and Sides prepared by
Ed Blake and Steve & Cheryl Sisk
Immediately following
Sunday morning worship
Sunday, September 21