From the Pastor’s Heart… What are you thankful for this year? With all the difficulties and challenges, you might be thankful this year is almost over. Sure, we’re thankful for many things big and small, but are you able to give thanks to God no matter what? In the midst of great suffering and persecution, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and to us: Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Why? To help us remember God is bigger than our circumstances and to challenge our faith to grow. Here are some things we can all be grateful for right now… ·Thank God for the freedom to worship and for a safe gathering each week to put God first. ·Thank God for the faith family here at FPCW. Each member and friend is vital to the church, the body of Christ. ·Thank God for our Elders, Deacons, and Discipleship teachers and their faithfulness in leadership. ·Thank God for our excellent staff: (Office Manager) Kristi Siplon, (Music Directors) Diane Combs & Joel Lillethun & (Sexton) Tony Caldwell. ·Thank God for our amazing (Treasurer) Nancy Thompson & (Assistant Treasurer) Melonie Gross, and for the untold hours they contribute here. ·Thank God for all the ways we contribute and minister to this community. ·Thank God for progress on the Elevator & Parking Project as we provide safe access for all. ·Thank God for what our Lord has planned for us in the months and years ahead, and for all the surprising things God will do. With much love and gratitude for you! Holly

November 2021 Volume 15, Issue 11

Upcoming Events Nov. 10

Food Drive-by

Nov. 17

Mini Concert

Nov. 25

Thanksgiving

Nov. 27

Greening of the church

Nov. 28

First Sunday in Advent

Dec. 1

Mini Concert

Dec. 10

Poinsettias delivered (Order

information in

November)

Dec. 11

Poinsettias placed, starting

at 10:00 a.m.

Dec. 15

Mini Concert

Dec. 24

Christmas Eve service at

5:00 (gathering music 4:45)

Jan. 3

De-greening of the church

Rev. Holly Davis

Church Elders

Beth Johnson, Missions

Ruth Caldwell, Elder for Deacons

Rick Croskery, Building & Grounds

Charlotte Casey, Discipleship

Gregg Miller, Worship

Hughes Roberts, Finance

TBA, Communications

Ron Tingle, Clerk of Session

Deacons

Beverly Benson

Stan Briggs

Bill Covin

Lee Hutchison

Janet Tingle

Sylvia Lonnee

Church Staff

Joel Lillethun, Minister of Music

Diane Combs, Organist

Kristi Siplon, Office Manager

Tony Caldwell, Sexton

October’s food drive was another success – we guesstimate 20 folks dropped off boxes at church prior to the drive, and 15 cars came by on the collection day. We collected 141 boxes of kid’s ce-real. The next drive through food collection for Haywood Christian Min-istry (HMC) will take place on Wednesday, November 10 from 10:00 to noon. This month, they have requested canned pasta, which is another new category for us. Please note this is not dry pasta, but already cooked in a can, like SpaghettiOs, Chef Boyardee ravioli, etc. Personally, I wish they would ask for healthier food op-tions, but unfortunately, these are the items their clients request, and the bottom line is, we are providing food to ensure people eat some-thing. Once again, thank you to all who donate. Your generosity is so help-ful to those less fortunate in our community. HCM is so appreciative of our faithfulness in providing re-quested items, month after month.

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Mission Drive Through Food

Melonie Gross

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COVID Corner – September 2021

Gregg Miller

Data are current through the end of the day on Tuesday ,October 19.

We have reached the peak of the September surge and are seeing the number of new cases each week

decline. While new cases are decreasing, Haywood County is still considered a high transmission area.

There is concern about the potential combined effects of the number of Covid cases and the upcoming flu

season.

For high transmission areas, the CDC currently recommends masking for everyone, including those fully

vaccinated, in public indoor settings. Even those who are fully vaccinated can become infected with the

Delta variant, and spread it to others. More details can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html .

November– A Month for Gratitude

According to Wikipedia, gratitude comes from the Latin word: gratus, meaning pleasing or thankful for kindness, generosity, help, or gifts to-wards the giver of said gifts. Gratitude has been the focus of several worlds’ religions as well as philosophy, and most recently, psychology.

In Judaism, gratitude is considered an essential part of the act of wor-ship and a part of every aspect of a worshiper's life. Jewish prayers speak of many blessings throughout the day. Jews emphasize gratitude for acts of kindness and goodness and are charged to practice gratitude in their daily lives.

Martin Luther referred to gratitude as the Basic Christian attitude and the heart of the gospel. Christians are inspired by God’s generosity as the selfless giver of all things, which encourages them not only to feel grateful but to show it in their thoughts and deeds. In a small study with Catholic nuns and priests, love and gratitude were reported as the most experienced emotion towards God. And the Eucharist (communion), is derived from a Greek word meaning thanksgiving.

Theologian Karl Barth (1886-1986) declared: The Christian life is shaped

by gratitude-gratitude for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of

God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit. It is by God's grace that we

receive the gift of our own lives, and so we are called to shape the whole

of our lives by grateful response.

Psychologist Martin Seligman introduced a new branch of psychology called positive psychology in 1998, which focuses on reinforcing the positive traits of oneself and others. Subsequent studies have shown that those who practice gratitude are healthier, less stressed and have better relationships with others.

Being thankful means less time is spent on ruminating about one's mis-fortunes. Being grateful will increase not only your happiness but the happiness of those around you. Expressing kindness, love, and compas-sion increase our joy and strengthen our bonds with others.

So find some ways to practice gratitude. Give thanks before a meal and to those who prepared it-your food might even taste better. Write a note to someone who has helped you and be sure to mention what they did and how it affected you. Or keep a gratitude journal-some find writing a few grateful things before bed help them sleep better!

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Candy Roaster Pie With love from Kathi 2 cups cooked candy roaster squash 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 T flour 3/4 cup Carnation Evapo-rated Milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/3 tsp lemon zest 3 T melted butter Oven to 350 degrees Mix flour and sugar. Beat eggs and milk. Mix all together. Add remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 50 minutes, until knife comes out clean. Enjoy!!!

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Mini Concert Series-Diane Combs

Budget Tracker –Nancy Thompson

I will be recording monthly mini- concerts, with Sarah Cifani joining me, playing her beautiful flute. The concert in November will focus on Thanksgiving, with one patriotic arrangement, and will be available November 17. There will be 2 concerts in December, available December 1 and 15.

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Session Notes-Ron Tingle, Clerk of Session

Your Session met on October 11th in the Fellowship Hall. Attending were Ruth Caldwell, Rick Croskery, Beth Johnson, Gregg Miller, Hughes Roberts, Ron Tingle, Treasurer Nancy Thompson, and Pastor Holly Davis. Charlotte Casey was traveling and excused. For informational purposes and church records:

Sunday in-person worship attendance in September: 5th: 63, 12th: 65, 19th: 50, 26th: 60. 10-Cents-a-Meal Offering: $305 for the Nickel-a-Meal hunger program

$305 for Nkhoma Hospital in Malawi

Pastor Holly opened the meeting with prayer. She reminded the elders that one responsibility of a serv-

ing ordained elder is to step in, if needed, with a message (sermon) for our congregation. A good place

to start might be the elder’s own faith story, highlighted by a meaningful passage from the Bible. As a

devotional, Pastor Holly shared her own faith walk. Ruth Caldwell reviewed health and welfare concerns

from the congregation and Pastor Holly led the elders in prayer for intercession and praise.

A quorum was declared, the agenda approved and the September meeting minutes were approved.

Treasurer Nancy presented the financial report for September. Income was $19,723, trailing expenses of

$22,081. However, year-to-date income is still $15,379 ahead of expenses. At 75% into the year, pledge

performance is 69%, very typical. Fall pledge performance always seems to catch up. Session reviewed

financial details and comparisons to 2020. The Elevator-Parking Project fund has a balance of $89,800

after paying the October contractor’s bill. This will likely cover November’s construction invoice, estimat-

ed to be $81,000. We closed on our construction loan on September 22nd, but will likely not draw until

after November. Using current estimates of costs and pledges, we will likely need to borrow $351,638.

Gregg Miller delivered his monthly Haywood Covid statistics figures and trends. There was actually a

slight drop in the number of COVID cases, week over week, in the county. However, Gregg recommend-

ed no changes in our Sunday worship procedures. We should continue to encourage masks and distanc-

ing.

Rick Croskery updated Session on construction progress. The elevator is being installed, the tile roof is

90% pressure washed, but will wait until the elevator shaft roofing is complete before finishing the pres-

sure washing. Masonry work will start in October and continue for 2-3 weeks. After brickwork, interior

work can start in earnest. Also, after brickwork is complete the parking lot will be paved – perhaps dur-

ing Thanksgiving week. Construction continues to be on budget. Completion anticipated by early Spring.

Elders reviewed upcoming events on the calendar and there being no further business, Beth Johnson

moved for adjournment. Hughes Roberts closed the meeting with prayer.

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FPC Artist and Craftsman Mike McKinney

Recognized by

Haywood Arts Council

Worship Team Minutes 10/11/2021

Gregg Miller

Present: Denise, Janet, Beth, Diane, Holly, Joel, Gregg

Gregg opened with prayer.

The updated procedure used for Communion in October (household groups coming forward while

maintaining spacing), generally went well, with some uncertainty about when to partake of the ele-

ments. The same procedure will be used for November, with more instructions for further clarifica-

tion.

Despite the mixed results of the livestream of recent Sunday services (no audio for the music por-

tions on one Sunday, a problem with a key component preventing the livestream on another), the

team feels that livestreaming Sunday services remains an important part of our worship and out-

reach. Gregg will check with Drew to investigate cause of the component failure from this past Sun-

day. Joel will contact some professional audio/video firms to assess our current setup, and see if

there are options for making it simpler to operate. There is also a need for documentation/diagram

of our current setup.

The new nativity scene approved in September’s meeting has arrived, and will be used this Advent/

Christmas.

The practice of offering yellow bags for visitors was discussed, and is something the team would like

to resume. Target date is after the first of the year, once we see who is interested in the hospitality

committee from the time and talent form results.

Questions of the placement and content of the gathering music were raised, in particular the cur-

rent order of the welcome, prelude, then gathering music. Previously, it had been gathering music,

welcome, prelude (from informal to formal). Since the gathering music is intended to invite

congregation participation (rather than a choir selection), it was suggested that it consist of a short

list of familiar pieces, repeated frequently, with the choir singing in unison on the melody. Holly will

take the comments under consideration.

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(Worship Team Minutes Continued)

Beth reported that the T-coil audio induction loop driver in the sanctuary appears to be working properly (all

indicator lights seem to be normal). Joel will coordinate the final step of testing whether someone with a

hearing aid can clearly hear what is being transmitted. Once verified, we’ll run a newsletter item reminding

worshippers of its availability.

The planned budget for 2022 was reviewed. Diane and Joel provided specific details on the music portions,

which are seeing price increases in sheet music and license renewals. Since expenses in other line items for

2021 came in under budget, decreases in those line items were suggested in order to keep the total budget

the same for 2022. The 2022 proposed budget was approved, and will be submitted to the finance team.

Upcoming dates:

Nov 25 - Thanksgiving

Nov 27 –Greening of the church starting at 10:00 a.m.

Nov 28 - First Sunday in Advent

Dec 10 – Poinsettias delivered (info on ordering to go out in November)

Dec 11 – Poinsettias placed, starting at 10:00 a.m.

Dec 24 – Christmas Eve service at 5:00 (gathering music starting at 4:45)

Jan 3 – De-greening of the church, starting at 1:00 p.m.

Jan 8, 9 – Keyboards After Christmas concert

Holly closed with prayer.

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ELEVATOR/PARKING PROJECT OCTOBER UPDATE

Rick Croskery

We have a working elevator! Although some door parts are yet to be deliv-ered, the platform and elevator box are installed and go up and down. Simi-larly, we are awaiting crucial parts for the roof and the masonry, which are otherwise here and ready to install. Once they arrive, you will see the exte-rior shape up fairly quickly. The exterior trim is in place and scheduled to be painted soon. When the painters return, they will complete the unfinished pressure washing of our tile roof. (Have you noticed how nice the cleaned part looks?) Meanwhile, on the inside, the electrical rough-in work is pro-ceeding quickly in the elevator lobbies, restroom, and the multipurpose room above the portico. Plumbing rough-in will start next, then drywall. We are preparing what Pastor Holly likes to call “the upper room” to be a flexi-ble space for use as a meeting room, classroom, chapel/worship overflow, family use during weddings and memorial services, fellowship, etc. Supply problems related to COVID are currently a fact of life for all big con-struction projects, but our crew is doing a great job of working around the problems and keeping the overall project on schedule to be completed by early March of 2022. However, the need to keep some heavy equipment on site has delayed paving of the parking lot until the upcoming cold weather season has passed and asphalt is again in production in the spring. The ex-tra time before paving will actually allow more complete settling and com-paction of the surface and give us a better, longer lasting parking area in the long run. As always, if you have questions or ideas, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or a member of the EPP Team. Rick Croskery, EPP Team Chair richard.croskery@gmail.com

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LET ME NOT SEE MYSELF AS LIMITED-Margaret Stockwell

My motto these days is: Let me not see myself as limited. When I do, I imprison myself from the gift that is awaiting me. The gift is usually unknown. Sometimes the gift may seem unfair, hurtful, uncaring, or positive, hopeful, joyful- or very loving-but I always have a choice to see the very best in what is given-- because I am learning that whoever may have given the gift had my best interests at heart. I have been learning to see others without judgment or criticism. If I take personally what is said, then I may reflect the comment in some manner. One of the biggest lessons I am learning is not to see others as wrong, but to see the Christ in them. To see them whole, forgive because what I see in others reflects me, and my unforgiveness is about forgiving myself. Of course, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are supporting me in my journey, as long as I am willing to ask for help. I re-member they may speak through others as well. Another avenue I have discovered is The Love Project Way, written by Arleen Lorrance and Diane Kennedy Pike. The authors advise us to follow these principles:

Be the change you want to see happen instead of trying to change everyone else. Receive all persons as beautiful exactly where they are. Provide others with the opportunity to give Perceive problems as opportunities. Create your own reality consciously, rather than living as if you have no control over your life. Remember: Choice is the life process. In every moment of awareness, you are free to make a new choice.

These principles are not necessarily easy to follow, but can bring great, joy, freedom, and peace. On my journey I make mistakes but try to forgive myself, correct them, and move on- not always easy! The third thing I find helpful in my journey is St Francis' Prayer:

Lord make me an instrument of peace Where there is hatred let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy. Oh, Divine Master

Grant that I may not so much Seek to be consoled as to console.

To be understood as to understand. To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving, that we receive. In pardoning, that we are pardoned.

In dying that we are born to eternal life.

I want to take this opportunity to thank this community for caring, loving, being there for each other, and sup-porting as the need arises. We are all brothers and sisters. Bless you and thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you, Holly, for holding our feet to the fire.

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ee, Ian, Paula, Gwen & Will

Craft Fair-Beth Johnson

Craft Fair Fought the Weather and WON

With much help from members of our congregation and Tuscola’s ROTC, the Craft Guild held successful sales on Oct. 9 and October

16. Almost $4,000 was raised to support local missions.

COVID precautions resulted in the Craft Sales being moved outside to the front parking lot. Seven canopy tents were put up on two

Friday afternoons. Each canopy leg was tied to two gallon jugs, filled with water, to hold down the tent, should winds occur. That

system kept the tents upright and in place through a night of thunderstorms. Rain came on both Saturday mornings. Yet, the Craft-

ers were not deterred, and with the help of volunteers, moved crafts outside and were ready to sell by 9 A.M.

On the second Saturday, gale force winds blew pillows, hydrangeas, hats, and potholders off some of the tables. Two tents had to

be shut down early, and we closed an hour earlier than planned. Our ROTC volunteers helped carry everything back inside the

church.

Hundreds of handcrafted items, including handbags, cloth books, Christmas decorations, wreaths, honey, felted pumpkins, and

okra witches were purchased. Again, because of COVID, no baked goods were offered this year. The crafters are grateful to all

those who purchased items that support our local community.

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Editor’s Corner-Kathi Armstrong

One of the discoveries that comes with age is that for many of us, Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday.

There are so many reasons for this preference, and I am going to list just a few of mine.

Turkey-

I love turkey, no matter how it's prepared. When Rich is the cook, he grills the bird on his Webber grill.

Both of our sons enjoy smoking turkeys, a method passed down from their grandfather. My brother-in-

law, also a Rich, prefers to fry the turkey, and saves the oil for a fish fry on Friday-super yummy.

Pies-

Who says you can't eat pie for breakfast! Our family digs into the pies on Thanksgiving morning, getting

their fill of pumpkin, blueberry, apple, and of course, the decadent bourbon chocolate pecan. Topped

with real whipped cream, of course.

Football-

Sadly, this is not going to be the Year of the Gator for me, but we always gather for the Gators-Seminole

game, wearing our team's regalia. This does mean we have to change out of our pj's-but it's for the

team spirit. This year, we have a baby Hurricane cheerleader, thanks to her dad finishing his residency

at U Miami (finally).

Walks-

Some years, we enter Turkey Trots and our family walks in the morning before the feasting begins. With

babies now in the picture, trots will likely be shorter and arranged around naptimes.

Dirty Turkey-

My sister, a retired art teacher, came up with a fun activity for the Thanksgiving evening hours. Dan

(son) found an awful turkey hat, which he wears as he hands out the carefully selected presents, which

can be kept or exchanged, but only up to 3 times. The more hilarious the gift, the better. Most of us

start our DT shopping very early, hoping we find the gift everyone wants!

Gratitude-

It’s the day that we remember to be grateful for all kindness and goodness we've experienced and

when we can, express our thanks. I am grateful to FPC, for welcoming us into this fellowship of belong-

ing, and for Pastor Holly, who always makes me laugh and think during her Sunday sermons. Happy

Thanksgiving to all of you. And Go Gators!!!!

First Presbyterian Church 305 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786

news@fpcwaynesville.org 828-456-3243

The First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville is a vibrant community of faith to call home. Everyone is welcome and each of you is valued.

Our varied backgrounds and stories woven together produce a beautiful tapestry of faith, bound together with a common mission of

loving God and our neighbors.

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