Providence Presbyterian Church Volume XXXIV

Providence Presbyterian

Church

2850 Union Rd Gastonia, NC 28054

Rev. Harper Price, Pastor normanhprice@gmail.com

www.providencegastonia.org

Church Office: (704) 865-2587

tammy@providencegastonia.org

Hours:

Monday-Thursday after 1:30

Tammy Bassett

Secretary

Terry Williams Music Director

Patti Anderson

Pianist

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

Upcoming Events

1

Serving Christ 2

Moving Forward

3

Prayer Corner 4

Congratulations 5

December Events

6

Treas. Report/ Celebrations

7

Calendar Insert

Activities at Providence

Sunday 9:45 Sunday School 11:00 Worship 12:15 Fellowship Lunch (2nd wk)

6:00 Heart & Home (2nd wk)

6:00 Heart & Home (3rd wk)

Tuesday 6:30 Women’s Ministries (1st wk) 6:30 Men’s Bible Study Wednesday 6:30 Family Prayer 7:00 Choir Rehearsal Thursday 6:00 Heart & Home (date set at mtg)

December 2018

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth

peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:14

Ushers Head Usher: Bob Bassett

2 Jim Dotson

9 Wes Marquand

16 Lyle Branagan

23 Ron France

30 Lawrence Thompson

Elder Worship Leader Children’s Church/Nursery

2 Bob Bassett 2 Lyle & Karen Branagan

9 Lyle Branagan 9 Ron France

16 Harper Price 16 No CC/volunteer nursery

23 Terry Williams 23 Need Volunteer

30 Wes Marquand 30 Need Volunteer

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Children’s Church, it is very simple. Each week a folder is all ready for you with story and craft. We need volunteers, men and women, to lead the children. If you would like to sit in on a class one week to observe, you are welcome. This is an important time of learning for our young ones at Providence! We need you!

Heart & Home Groups will resume in January! Watch for dates/times in the bulletin and January newsletter.

Providence Profiles December 2018 Page 2 Providence Profiles December 2018 Page 7

October 2018

Oct. ‘18 YTD Actual

YTD Budget

INCOME:

Tithes & Offerings $ 6,788 $88,425 $90,792

EXPENSES:

Benevolent Gifts $ 367 $ 3,947 $ 3,917

Ministry & Worship 5,798 55,263 54,917

Christian Education (72) 265 333

Administration 1,013 7,993 8,417

Building & Grounds 3,018 23,352 23,250

Fellowship 90 225 125

Total Expenses $10,214 $91,045 $90,959

10 Sydney Marquand

18 Christian Haskins

Providence Profiles December 2018 Page 3 Providence Profiles December 2018 Page 6

This month I address everyone, not just the ladies! The Women’s Ministries are hosting a few events this month. Join us! Tammy To all at Providence,

Angel Tree December 1 - December 19

The Women’s Ministries have put up an angel tree in the fellowship hall. This year we will be collecting items for the Crisis Pregnancy Center along with items for some within our church family. If you are able, take a tag, or two, and write your name next to the tag # you choose on the list beside the tree. Please return your gift wrapped (or gift bag) and attach the tag on the gift. A special thank you for helping us to be a blessing this holiday. We need all gifts brought to the church by December 19th.

Providence Family Christmas Party December 16 @ 5:00 pm at the church

Everyone is invited, including the kids! Bring your favorite appetizer or dessert and of course we’ll need beverages as well. If you would like to join in on our crazy game, bring an item you have at your home that you do not want or need. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure! Bring a ‘gift’ for each partici-pant that would like to play. Handmade gifts are nice too! Hope to see you all there! It’s always a great time! Good food, family, and fun! And now to all the ladies,

Women’s Ministries Christmas Celebration December 4 at Dino’s Italian Restaurant

located at 610 Gastonia Hwy, Bessemer City. They don’t have a large parking lot so I would like for us to meet at the church by 6 pm sharp so we can ride together. Meals range from $8-11 and everything is delicious! Thank you to the ladies of the church for all you do! Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tammy Bassett, WM President

Moving Forward into 2019. . . On November 12, 2018 Harper surprised many in the congregation when he announced that he had accepted a new call to Peachtree Corners Church in Georgia and that he would only be with us through the end of December. With the recent arrival of a new daughter, we need to remain in prayer for the patient endurance of her parents, especially Courtney. We also need to continue to pray for Harper’s transition to his new church. A key question now faces our congregation at Providence – what is God’s plan for us in 2019 and beyond? The Session at Providence has already discussed this challenge. Several short term tasks have been identified:

• Hold a congregational vote to dissolve the existing call from Providence to Rev. Price effective December 29, 2018.

• Communicate the results of that vote to First Presbytery, specifically the Committee on Minister and His Works (currently chaired by Rev. Andrew Shoger).

• Work with this Committee to appoint an Interim Moderator for the Session at Providence.

• Work with this Committee to retain a Supply Minister to provide regular preaching and some shepherding at Providence.

• Form a Providence Pastoral Search Committee. This committee is required to consist of 50% elders (inactive and active). The first action of the search committee is to perform a self-assessment of our congregation to help us identify the desired characteristics of our next pastor. The Session has been in prayer for many weeks after Harper shared with us his sense of a new call. Now, we need each of our members and regular attenders to join them. Each of these steps, as well as the overall process, require on-going prayer to God for wisdom, unity and direction for our congregation and for each member. As a suggestion, there is a regular prayer time at the church at 6:30 pm on Wednesday evenings; if you cannot be with us in body, please commit to join us before God’s throne in prayer! Questions and comments can be shared with the Session, and in about a month, with the Search Committee.

2018 Session: Terry Williams, Robert Bassett, Lyle Branagan (clerk) 2019 Session: Robert Bassett, Ron France, Terry Williams

Providence Profiles December 2018 Page 4 Providence Profiles December 2018 Page 5

Providence Prayer Corner *Providence Members/Regular Visitors

New Requests/Updates Mary Lewis Bryant (Hugh Bryant’s wife) daily strength and healing Kent Bryant (missionary) was not accepted into the research project, pray he will get approved for a new medication Teresa Coleman* – will be moving on Dec. 3, pray for a smooth transition, needs healing that only the Lord can provide, pray that she will continue to praise God and trust in Him through these difficulties Gratia Ford (Pat & Jim’s granddaughter) missed several weeks of school due to illness and no diagnosis has been made, very weak Pat & Jim Ford* – Pat will have a sleep study, Jim had more skin cancer removed Lee France (Ron’s father) in-patient rehab, unstable on his feet Carol Lewis* – healing from broken ankle and surgery, rehab will follow Mike Muterspaw – daily strength and healing, legs are weak Lin Reavis – recovering well from back surgery, limited activity for up to 3 months Robin Rowell* – having physical therapy for frozen shoulder Ongoing Prayer Requests Anderson Family* – healing of broken family relationships Tammy Bassett* – healing in shoulder, daily pain and limited use Karen Branagan – cannot hear well in one ear, some improvement but not 100% Pastor Andrew Brunson & Norine – prayers for God’s direction in their life, how God wants to use them moving forward (their personal request) Donna (friend of Lawrence Thompson) in need of prayer Dustin Eads – pray for his salvation Tammy Field (Lawrence’s daughter) neuropathy is worse, unable to work Claire Hoogmoed* – daily strength and healing Rhanda Lewis (Carol’s daughter) strength & endurance in Christ as she struggles with cancer Lynn & Gustavo Lopez* – final steps to become licensed foster parents Pat Lucy* – daily strength and healing Michelle Marquand* – daily pain shoulder and back, pray for healing Anna Spach (friend of Tammi Rhoney) bed ridden and paralyzed on left side after suffering a massive stroke, is at Brian’s Center God’s wonderful and loving plan for our church family at Providence is taking us into new pastures that will move us forward along our path of proclaiming and living the gospel in Gastonia. Philippians 1:6-7 says,

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.”

We pray that each of us will pray both individually, and corporately, for God’s love, mercy, and grace that gives us strength to endure all trials that we will face. God is good!

Providence Post Office is now open!

If you would like to share a Christmas card with the families in the church, address the family name on the front and drop them in this box in the fellowship hall. No postage necessary! A list of families is right next to the box. They will be sorted and distributed by December 23. Merry Christmas!

Congratulations Harper & Courtney!

Gretta Ida-Mae Price

November 19, 2018

5 lbs 14 oz, 19”

Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him.

Psalm 127:3

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2 1st Sunday in Advent

9:45 SS

11:00 Worship

12:15 Congregational

Meeting

3 4

6:00 pm Women’s

Ministries Christmas

Fellowship

5

6:30 Family Prayer

7:00 Choir

6 7 8

9 2nd Sunday in Advent

9:45 SS

11:00 Worship

No Fellowship Lunch

10 11 12

6:30 Family Prayer

7:00 Choir

13

6:30 Session Meeting

14 7:30 pm

Christmas Festival

Gaston Symphonic

Band, 1st Assembly

15 7:30 pm

Gaston Choral

Society Christmas

Concert

16 3rd Sunday in Advent

9:45 SS

11:00 Worship/Cantata

5:00 Family Christmas

Party

17 18 19

6:30 Family Prayer

7:00 Choir

20 21 22

23 4th Sunday in Advent

9:45 SS

11:00 Worship

24 Christmas Eve

7:00

25 Christ is born! 26 27 28 29

30

9:45 SS

11:00 Worship

31

New Year’s Eve

2019