CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2020

Session’s Scripts ................ 6

Behind the Scenes .............. 3

Birthdays............................. 6

Calendar ........................... 15

Debt Free by 2023 .............. 6

Food for Thought ......... 10-12

God’s Garden ..................... 4

Growing Place .................... 5

Missions ............................. 5

New Members .................... 8

Point of View ....................... 7

PW Activities ............... 9 & 13

Regathering Checklist ....... 16

Sermons & Scriptures ......... 2

Trivia ................................. 14

147 N. Main Street / Cleveland, GA 30528 / 706-865-6499 Email: info@fpccleveland.org / www.fpccleveland.org / Facebook: First Presbyterian Church Cleveland GA

We VIEW Life through the Cross

First Presbyterian Church

Rev. Burnetta Armour Pastor

The VIEW

Rev. Burnetta Armour

Pastor’s Pondering

(continued on page 2)

New Shoes and

Other New Things

We like new things . . . new shoes, new

purses, new clothes, new carpet, new curtains, new paint, new

cars. We even buy car air fresheners that promise to make our

sixteen year old car with over 183,000 miles smell like it just came

from the car lot brand new. We try out new TV shows and dabble

in new activities. We try new recipes. We hear new ideas, and

even embrace those new ideas, sometimes. We like new. New is

better. New is innovative. New is cutting edge. New is exciting

except when it comes to us being made new.

Being made new is exciting to some and frightening to others. It

scares us because we don’t know what being made new will entail

or where it will lead. Changes bring out a defensiveness in some

of us as we wonder, “What’s wrong with the old me that I need to

be made new?” Well, whether we think it is exciting, frightening, or

unnecessary, the truth is that we are in the process of being made

new—new creations in Christ. The Scriptures tell us that we, who

have seen the face of Christ in our life, who believe in him as “Lord

and Savior,” are being made new every day being changed by the

Spirit to look more and more like Christ. Paul writes in his second

letter to the Corinthians, “So all of us who have had that veil re-

moved can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord,

who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like him as we are

changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18, New Living

Translation). Did you read what I read in that passage?

We are being made more and more like Christ, being changed into

his “glorious image.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wake up in the

morning and be the same person I was the day before. I want to

wake up and know that today I am a little more like my Savior.

My goal, as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a child of my heavenly

Father, is to become more and more like Jesus in my thinking and

in my living. I want to wake up knowing that the Spirit is working

within me (by no good deed of my own) to change me in order that

I might become the person God is calling me to be—a person who

Page 2 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

Pastor’s Pondering (continued from page 1)

mirrors his Son. Now, do I think that I will wake

up one morning with a halo over my head, and

somehow I will be holy, good, and perfect in all

things Christian? NO! I know that I’m going to

mess things up. I know that I’m going to say

the wrong thing, think the wrong thing, or act

the wrong way. However, I also know that the

Spirit will be speaking to me—in a still, small

voice—to point me in the right direction and

move me toward becoming who Christ has

made me—a new creation that can rest in the

promise that my sins are forgiven and that

God’s grace is working in my life.

Every day is a new creation. Every day you

are a new creation. Celebrate the new work of

the Holy Spirit in you and then, go out into the

world (wearing masks and socially distancing,

of course) and be what you are—a child of

God, formed in his image, and living for the

glory of his name. Amen.

“No Fair!” Sermon Series: September 6-20

If we are willing to admit it, some of the stuff

that Jesus says we are to do is a little hard to

swallow. His commands frequently go against

our sense of what is and is not fair and against

our very human nature. Join us outside for a

sermon series that explores the hard words and

hard work to which we are called. No one ever

said following Jesus was easy, and no one said

it was fair. Below, I have listed the Scriptures

and sermon titles for this series:

September 6: “How to Fight Like a Christian”

Matthew 18:15-20

September 13: “The Math of Forgiveness”

Matthew 18:21-35

September 20: “A Fair Wage”

Matthew 20:1-16

Coming Soon: Our Stewardship Series:

“Enemies of Gratitude”

On September 27th, we will begin our Steward-

ship season with series of sermons called

“Enemies of Gratitude.” In these sermons, we

will be exploring what gets in the way of our

gratitude. Take a look below at the topics we

will be covering:

September 27: “Nostalgia”

Exodus 17:1-7

October 4: “Worry”

Philippians 4:1-9

October 11: “Entitlement”

Matthew 22:1-14

October 18: “Greed”

Matthew 22:15-22

October 25: “Disappointment”

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

September Sermon and Scriptures

Setting up outdoors every week can

be a daunting task. If you would like

to assist in setup and/or tear down

operations, please contact David Arvold

at 770-364-5442 or email

davidarvold@gmail.com.

Volunteers Needed

SEPTEMBER 2020 THE VIEW Page 3

Behind the Scenes Ever wonder what goes on behind the

camera on a Sunday morning, when we view

the Sunday Worship on our cell phones,

computers, or laptops? Believe me, it is not

just turning on a camera . . . a lot goes into the

process so we can sit in the comfort and safety

of our homes and share Worship with our

church family and friends, no matter what the

weather, where we are, or being confined to our

homes. Being able to share Worship together

has been especially vital to all of us since the

start of this Coronavirus and the closing of our

church building.

Once the

Church Bulletin

is received, the

hymn verses

need to be

typed and put

into a Power

Point slide.

This is the same for adding the responsive

reading and prayers, as well as the prayer

list, and acknowledgements. After the Power

Point slides are completed, then they have to

be added to another program in order to be

compatible with yet another program used to

broadcast the service. Then a trial run needs to

be done in order to check for accuracy and

compatibility. This can take up to 3 hours or so.

This is done by either Dave

Arvold or Kim Ciriello.

After arriving at church

for Worship strictly online,

from the sanctuary,

candles need to be filled

and lit, flowers put in place,

Worship paraments

changed, if necessary, all

equipment needs to be

powered up, mics and

cameras need to be

checked. This can take up

to 45 minutes. Then prayers are lifted that the

internet cooperates.

For outside services, equipment needs to

be transported to the service location in the

lower parking lot, cables need to be run,

connected and tested, service area gets roped

off, all equipment (cameras, mics, keyboard,

podiums, folding tables for bulletins, offering,

and hand sanitizers) needs to be put in place.

For Communion services, the elements must

be transported to the Worship area and set up

for distribution of “Jesus Lunchables” as they

have been nicknamed

(individually packaged

elements). After all

things are in place and

connected, everything

needs to be tested for

volume, clarity, and

placement. This process

can take up to 45

minutes, if all goes well,

and internet works.

After the Worship, all

equipment for the outside

service needs to be

taken down, disconnected and stored for the

next service. This process takes up to a half an

hour after the service.

This is a team effort by Burnetta, Dave and

Clair Arvold, James Geiger, his wife, Jenny,

and children Lilly and Charlie, and Kim Ciriello.

So, when you see any of them, tell them a

big “THANK YOU!” but please try not to hug

them.

Page 4 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

Nanette Baughman

"Stock the Pantry" Drive a Big Success

August.1 was a beautiful

summer morning for our

community to ban together to

help the White County Food

Pantry. And, that is exactly

what happened. First Presbyterian Church of

Cleveland's Mission team sponsored a

community-wide "Stock

the Pantry" drive-in

donation opportunity

to support one of the

county's leading not-for-

profit organizations. The

church's 15-passsenger

van was filled to the

brim with donations of

cleaning supplies, toilet

paper, paper towels …

and yes … food items.

"We live in such a wonderful and caring com-

munity, and today just once again proves we

truly live in God's

Country,"

commented

Nanette

Baughman, FPC

Cleveland's

Mission Elder.

"Thanks to the

White County

News and Social

Media, the word

was spread, and donations came from all over

… not just our church family."

In addition to all the food and supplies, over

$650 was collected and donated to WC Food

Pantry to purchase additional items. Due to the

on-going COVID pandemic, donations are

down, and need is up, especially for cleaning

supplies and paper products, according to WC

Food Pantry staff.

Our September Mission of the Month is The

Growing Place.

( L to R) Annelise

VanderWerf and

Sophia Whitten

help fill the FPC

van with supplies

and food for the

White County

Food Pantry

Annelise gives

Judy Winski a

helping hand.

SEPTEMBER 2020 THE VIEW Page 5

By Clair Arvold

It is the start of another school year!!! At

least, I think it is. Let’s see…today is May, or

June? July!! No! August. Yes, August!! Two

weeks from Tuesday is September 8th, our first

day! “Thirty days has September.” “All the rest

are 2020!” Yep, another school year … sort of.

The Growing Place is proud to be the

Mission of the Month for September. We

always need and appreciate your prayers,

especially at this time of year. Now, with all of

the uncertainty associated with Covid-19, we

covet your prayers even more! Our plan is to

make some positive changes to limit the spread

of germs, spend more time outside in the fresh

air, initiate a car rider line, and then love our

children and play and snuggle and teach just

like we always have. If someone tests positive,

we will take a break to

regroup and sanitize

before starting back.

We are excited to have 10

students!!! Three are return-

ing from last year and 7 are

new to us this year. If you’d

like to make a donation for our class, we’d love

to have individually packaged snacks, 12 to a

box. We love snack crackers, grahams, and

low-sugar cereals. We also need some items

just because of the new procedures we’re put-

ting in place. If we’re spending more time out-

side, we’ll need a wagon to pull our supplies to

the pavilion, a shade tent, and a misting sprayer

to cool us down. Think “new pressurized spray-

er for garden misting,” not “super soaker.”

We’ll also need box fans for moving air inside.

We are blessed with a church with so many

windows … and very few of them open! Who

knew?! Box fans will help to move fresh air

from the few windows that do open and perhaps

we can benefit from that.

After seeing our crazy wish list, JudyP

stepped up! She has researched and dis-

covered a gift registry website that will help

you to help us with the things we need. This

site allows you to shop at any store you choose,

online or in the store. It works like a bridal

registry. Go to www.myregistry.com and type

in “the growing place” in the search bar. You

choose from our wish list, place your order,

and, presto!, our supplies are on their way to

making a tiny group of tiny people have a great

year … in spite of that nasty ole’ Covid-19!

If you don’t feel comfortable using the gift

registry, you could just purchase items and drop

off at the church.

Wish List!!! Individually packaged snacks, 12 to a box

(Snack crackers . . . Cheez-Its, Honey

comb Cereal, Teddy Grahams, Graham

crackers, low-sugar cereal)

Paper towels

Napkins

5-oz cups for snacks

13-gallon trash bags

Lysol wipes

Playdoh

Glue sticks

Washable glue

Apple juice

Goldfish

Bananas

and any snack appropriate for toddlers

Wagon

Box fans

Pressurized garden sprayer

Back to

School

Thank you!!!!

Page 6 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

Session Scripts Bruce Morgan

At the August meeting, your Session:

Examined new members candidates Kim

and Kevin Castle and approved them for

membership,

Received Thank You notes from Back Pack

Buddies and the White County Food Pantry,

Determined that a Social Media Specialist

staff position was not required,

Discussed plans for Worship in the sanctu-

ary and approved outdoor Worship on a

weekly basis,

SEPTEMBER Birthdays

BOB THOMASON

BERNICE ROGERS

TYLER LEDFORD

MARYANN CLYBURN

DANIEL BAUGHMAN

BETTY GOSWICK

A very special “Thank You” to Kim Ciriello

for taking the time to arrange these beautiful

flowers and displaying them to brighten the

sanctuary for our Sunday Worship Services.

These flowers add a bright spot and make our

service feel more normal, during our “sheltering

at home” time. Thanks be to God!

From God’s Garden

Appointed two Elders to be nominated to the

Congregational Nominating Committee and

set a Congregational Meeting for

September 13, to elect three members

from the congregation and two Elders to

the committee,

Combined two Session committees and

voted to reduce the number of Ruling

Elders to 7,

Heard the report of two commissioners to

the summer Presbytery Meeting,

Approved the use of the Fellowship Hall by

PW for Bible Study,

Prayed for the needs of our members and

adjourned after two hours.

By Judy Winski

Our Mortgage Balance

continues to go down at an

amazing pace. Our mortgage

balance is now . . . drum roll,

please . . . $76,140.04, down

$5,402.11, from last month!!!

Give yourselves another round of applause!

Please keep those contributions coming as

no amount is too small (or too large).

We’re continuing on the way!!

We WILL do it!! Debt Free BEFORE 2023

2023

Debt Free

August 2

August 9

August 23

SEPTEMBER 2020 THE VIEW Page 7

Point of View Jean Kelly

Our Consummate

Volunteer Kim Ciriello is our

consummate volunteer.

Merriam Webster defines

consummate in many

ways, including:

1: extremely skilled

and accomplished…

a consummate professional

2: of the highest degree… consummate skill

3: complete in every detail

First Presbyterian Church defines our

consummate volunteer as Kim.

Need a wall painted? (see at right)

Need a mural painted with her Mom?

(see at right)

Need groceries delivered?

Need Worship live streamed each and

every Sunday due to Covid-19?

Need a Facebook page created?

Need crafts and handiwork photographed

and posted for sale? (see page 13)

Need the website kept up to date?

Need a helpful hand?

Need a helpful point of view?

Who do you turn to? The answer is simple,

it’s Kim Ciriello.

As chairperson of the Diaconate, she and

her Deacons have had extra duties keeping in

touch with their flock during this pandemic.

Kim is there for all of us and our church,

with a big smile and a “can do” attitude. We

are blessed to have her as part of our church

family. She deserves a heartfelt thank you!

And, that’s my point of view.

You can’t feed your body by watch-

ing other people eat, and you can’t

feed your soul by watching others

Worship. So make this a spiritual

time … sing, pray & read the word

along with us. Most importantly,

listen for God’s voice and respond

in faith to what He says.

Worship, don’t just watch

Kim and her Mom, Penny Murdoch, tackled the first

painting project, the womens

bathroom.

The nursery Depicts

Bible stories of Noah,

Jonah, and others.

The childrens bathroom is like a walk in nature.

Page 8 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

Congregational Meeting Sunday, September 13

Immediately following outside Worship.

Purpose: to elect three members from the congregation and two Elders to the 2021

nominating committee.

In case of rain, it will be on

Sunday, September 20th

Immediately following outside Worship.

September Worship Schedule

In case of rain, services will be Online only.

SEPTEMBER 1 World Day of Prayer for Creation

Please pause and pray for all creatures, large and small

SEPTEMBER 6 Communion Service

Worship Service Outside* and via Online 9:00 a.m.

SEPTEMBER 13

Worship Service Outside* and via Online 9:00 a.m.

Congregational Meeting to follow Worship

SEPTEMBER 20 Worship Service Outside* and via Online

9:00 a.m.

SEPTEMBER 27 Worship Service Outside*

and via Online 9:00 a.m.

Welcome New Members, Kimberly and Kevin Castle

Kevin and Kimberly were high school

sweethearts in Louisville, Kentucky, until life

took them in different directions only to be

reunited in 2011 and married in 2013. Together,

Kimberly & Kevin have 5 children - 3 girls and

2 boys. By the end of 2020, they will have 6

grandchildren - all girls!!!

Kimberly is an associate professor in the

doctoral physical therapy program at the

University of North Georgia in Dahlonega,

where she also does research on children who

need help moving. She has a private pediatric

physical therapy practice in Dawsonville.

Kevin owns and runs a homecare business,

Alliance Care of Atlanta operating out of Duluth,

GA. They provide home care for individuals

throughout Georgia north of Atlanta.

Kimberly & Kevin split their time

between their home in the mountains

outside Dahlonega and at their lake home in

Hartwell, GA. They have 2 golden-doodle dogs,

Membership Lindalee Walters

Phin & Lambeau (in

honor of Kimberly's

love of the Green

Bay Packers - alt-

hough she is now

also a Falcons

fan). They are both

very happy and

excited to make

First Presbyterian

Church of Cleveland their church home and to

get to know the church family!

Kimberly has a son, Benjamin, a daughter,

Morgan, (soon to be in California), and another

son, Ryan (La Crosse, Wisconsin).

Kevin's daughters are Megan (Los Angeles)

and Elaine (Maggie Valley, NC).

SEPTEMBER 2020 THE VIEW Page 9

Lindalee Walters

PW CT Meeting

The monthly CT Meetings will begin on

Wednesday, September 2nd. This first meeting

will be held at 12 Noon, at the outdoor pavilion.

Bring your own lunch, drinks will be provided.

For those who cannot attend in person, you

can participate via Zoom.

PW Bible Study Resumes

PW will meet Thursday,

September 10th, at 10 a.m.

in the Fellowship Hall in the

Church. Social distancing

and face mask protocols

will be followed. We will

begin our new Horizons

study, "Into the Light,

Finding Hope through

Prayers of Lament."

In this nine-lesson study, Lynn Miller revives

lament as a proper theological response to

the difficult situations of our world. One of the

foundational points of the study is that, in

scripture, lament usually leads to hope. Hope

implies movement: both God’s inherent move-

ment toward justice and our movement toward

God. Recovering lament may be one of the

church’s most timely gifts to the world.

What a providential blessing that we would

have this study during this time when we are in

such need of "finding Hope"! All ladies are in-

vited to attend. Study books will be available

Sunday, Sept 6, at our outdoor service, or you

may purchase one the day of our meeting.

Cost is $10. Any questions or concerns,

please contact Lindalee Walters.

For those who cannot attend in person, you

can participate via Zoom.

Thursday Morning Prayer Meetings

We continue to have our Zoom prayer meet-

ings each Thursday morning at 10 a.m. This

has proven to be a time of sharing, fellowship,

and prayer which is very meaningful to the par-

ticipants. Please join us! In case you won-

dered, you will not be called upon to pray. We

discuss prayer concerns, and Lindalee Walters

leads the actual prayers. We are very thankful

to Elaine Wiegert as she is our Zoom Master

who keeps us going on Zoom technology!

EVERYONE is invited and encouraged to

join in . . . men included. If interested and you

do not usually receive the information to join,

please contact the church office.

PW Handmade Items for Sale

Please see page 13

A Helpful Suggestion Many of you have mentioned you have

problems viewing the Sunday morning Worship

Service or joining in on the Zoom Prayer

Meetings on Thursday morning because of

little to no internet service.

This may be a

suggestion and

get you out

of the house for

a little outing.

Gather up your

phone, tablet, or

laptop (bring your charger, just in case) and

drive to a restaurant, store, or even the church

parking lot, and piggy back off the wifi from

there. That usually gives stronger signals once

you are out of the dense woods. You may find

that location will provide uninterrupted internet

service for your viewing ease. We all know

internet is not always dependable but this may

help.

Page 10 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

“Well, I guess what I’m trying to say

is that I’ve been imagining killing myself,”

the pastor said.

I was on a Zoom call recently with 10 pastors

across three denominations, when one of the

participants shared a struggle with suicidal

thoughts in these challenging days. By the time

the meeting concluded, four of the 10 had found

the courage to admit their own suicidal idea-

tions.

I was the youngest person in the group, so

these aren’t young, green pastors. These are

veterans who have gone through plenty of

difficult things in their time, but today’s intensity

and difficulty is unprecedented.

One pastor shared the heartbreaking story

of going back to church too early and losing a

beloved church member to COVID-19. Another

shared how congregants were daily emailing

him with threats to leave the church if they

didn’t reopen immediately — and withholding

their tithes until then.

One pastor was fired. Her husband passed

away several years ago, leaving her a single

mother of two children. Without child care, she

was forced to work from home as best she

could. Parenting is a full-time job, and parenting

two small children alone during a pandemic

stretches the metaphor beyond its breaking

point. Her church was unhappy with her leader-

ship, sermon quality, and lack of a vision during

this time of crisis, so they let her go.

Another pastor was forced to lay off half the

church’s staff members because so many of

the church’s congregants lost their jobs and

are unable to give right now.

I know of another pastor who wasn’t in this

meeting who after preaching about race one

week, a congregant came to the church office

and kicked his office door off of its hinges in an

attempt to incite the pastor into a fist fight.

One shared that the survey results the

congregation took about whether they should

return to in-person worship or not resulted

in a nearly perfect 50/50 split, with several

members writing in the comments section that

they would leave if the church (1) didn’t open

immediately or (2) attempted to open at all.

“Leading anxious congregations

amidst a pandemic, a hyper-partisan

culture, a civil rights movement,

and an upcoming election is

destroying the lives of our

pastors. Literally.”

Leading anxious congregations amidst a

pandemic, a hyper-partisan culture, a civil

rights movement, and an upcoming election

is destroying the lives of our pastors. Literally.

The only thing that surprised me about the

confessions made by these four pastors

struggling with suicidal ideation was that there

were only four admissions. This Zoom call only

echoed the reality that I’ve heard other pastor

friends across the nation report for months now.

There’s a story in the Old Testament about

King Saul being defeated in battle. Instead of

Food for Thought...an eye opening article

Too many pastors are falling on their own swords By Jakob Topper, Pastor

NorthHaven Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma

(continued on page 11)

SEPTEMBER 2020 THE VIEW Page 11

waiting on the opposing army to torture and

ridicule him before killing him, he chooses to

take his own life by falling on his sword.

Well, pastors are already facing ridicule not

just from their adversaries but from many of

their own congregants. They’re being tortured

by their own inability to lead their churches out

of a pandemic, out of hyper-partisanship, and

out of racism.

Falling on their swords is starting to look

pretty attractive.

Church always has been a place where

people can act foolish with little consequence

— where people have the space to act out

toward clergy in ways that aren’t safe to do

toward their bosses or their spouses. Being a

pastor never has been easy, but this is a new

level of hell that pastors are living.

If you’re a congregant reading this, here’s

some advice:

First, accept the fact that your church is

not The Church. The body of Christ here on

earth is not Christ himself. Don’t conflate the

two. Churches are fallible organizations full of

sinners saved by grace.

“Those people who are hell-bent

on saving the church are ironically

the very ones who end up doing

her the most harm.”

In my experience, those people who are hell-

bent on saving the church are ironically the very

ones who end up doing her the most harm. The

person who chooses to love the church just as

she is, for this is what Christ does, is the one

who is able to grow with her.

So stop comparing your church to the one

down the street or the one your kids go to.

Accept your church for who she is.

Second, accept that your pastor is a

shepherd, not The Shepherd. If we’re unable

to accept that our pastors are human beings

with flaws, that says more about us than it does

our pastors.

And stop comparing them to the pastor down

the street or on the podcast you listen to. It isn’t

fair to your pastor, and such comparison incites

in us the sin of envy. One of the Ten Comand-

ments teaches us not to covet —and I believe

healthy church members will not covet their

neighbor’s pastor.

Third, pray for your pastor. Pray for his or

her mental health. Pray for the pastor’s family.

Pray for the pastor to flourish. Pray for God to

give you understanding and patience with your

pastor and to show you how to be a source

of light and life during this time of death and

darkness.

Fourth, for the next six months, commit to

staying and being the best church member

you can be. I’ve learned that when I get angry

emails, I don’t need to respond on the same

day. I write a response, then I sleep on it. If I

still feel like I need to say those things the next

day, then I do. But 90% of the time I don’t, and

I craft an entirely new email.

If you don’t like how things are going in your

church, that’s OK. No one is saying you should,

but I am absolutely suggesting that you keep it

to yourself until the pandemic is over and then,

if you still think it’s worth addressing, do so at

that time.

It’s common for church members to smile to

themselves when their pastor does something

they like but never reach out with a compliment

— and then be quick to speak out when the

pastor does something they don’t like. That

means the only time we hear from some of you

is when you are unhappy. It’s exhausting, and

isn’t an honest representation of who you are

or your relationship with the church and your

Too many pastors are falling on their own swords

(continued from page 10)

(continued on page 12)

Page 12 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

pastor. Share the good things, and share them

often.

Practice the Christian virtue of being long-

suffering, and ride this storm out. Be committed

to your church. Be committed to its financial and

spiritual success.

Fifth, advocate for you pastor’s mental

health. Ask committees to use emergency

funds to pay for your pastor to see a counselor,

get a spiritual director, or even just get out of

town for a bit. Assure your pastor that if she

or he needs to take a leave of absence or an

extended vacation, they are empowered to do

so. Their lives may depend on it.

If you’re a pastor reading this, I have

advice for you too:

First, get a counselor. Find a professional

outside of your congregation whom you can get

real with, and then be brutally honest with that

counselor.

Second, be honest with your primary care

physician about anxiety and depres-

sion. You may need to see a psychiatrist, but

odds are that your PCP is dealing with a lot of

mental health issues right now and may have

some wonderful advice for you. And you may

need medication in the short term. It’s worth it.

Your life may be at stake.

“We are in a pandemic. Reevaluate

and recreate realistic expectations.”

Third, do less. Being a pastor right now

is killing pastors. That isn’t hyperbole or a

metaphor. The workload and the mental strain

are inhumane and unsustainable. We are in a

pandemic. Reevaluate and recreate realistic

expectations.

Some things can be delegated to other staff,

deacons, committees, or lay teams. Other

things will need to be dropped for a time. Hope-

fully your church will understand if you com-

municate your needs to them, but even if they

don’t,

losing your job is better than losing your life.

Fourth, practice friendship. One of the

worst things about the pandemic is the isola-

tion. We are in this together, but we are doing it

separately. Reach out to your friends and put a

weekly or monthly Zoom date on the calendar.

Have a drink, cuss, play video games or any-

thing else that brings even a modicum of relief

to the internal pressure you’re carrying.

Community and intimacy are prescriptions

for the spiritual disease of isolation, and you

probably cannot get your prescription filled in

your congregation right now.

Fifth, lean on your peers. No one can

support a pastor quite like another pastor. Ask

a few trusted peers to be in a small peer group

that carries each other’s pandemic burdens for

the next six months. And then tell them the

truth, pray for each other fervently and often,

and hold each other accountable for their taking

care of mental health. When my other pastor

friends ask me if I’ve made an appointment with

my counselor yet, then I feel compelled to do so

in a way that I don’t otherwise feel.

You may think you don’t have any more

room to carry anyone else’s burden, and that’s

true, but I’d wager you will find the burden is

actually lessened when

shared with competent com-

panions who are on the

same journey.

Reprinted from

Baptist News Global

August 18, 2020, edition

Jakob Topper serves as

pastor of NorthHaven

Baptist Church in

Too many pastors are falling on their own swords

(continued from page 11)

SEPTEMBER 2020 THE VIEW Page 13

Handmade items for sale It is the goal of Presbyterian

Women to donate funds made

from the sale of handmade

items to local and other

worthy missions and projects.

The PW of FPC make neck-

laces, shawls, scarves, hats,

ponytail hats, boot cuffs, baby blankets, note

cards sets, Christmas decorations, RADA

Knives, and other items to generate funds to go

toward the many important missions, including our own

church. To see more of these

beautiful items, check out the

Facebook post. If you are interested

in anything particular, or for further

information, send an email to

fpcpwcleveland@gmail.com

Some items pictured may

have already been sold but

others are available.

Top and left, hats and pony tail hats.

Right, holiday earrings.

Above, kitchen items.

Right, Boot Cuffs and Infinity

Scarves.

Holiday discs.

Crosses.

Baby items.

Page 14 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

September, in Old England, was

called Haervest-monath (Harvest Month). This

is the time to gather up the rest of the harvest

and prepare for the winter months.

There are flowers enough in the summertime,

More flowers than I can remember—

But none with the purple, gold, and red

That dye the flowers of September!

—Mary Howitt (1799-1888)

September’s name comes from the Latin

word septem, meaning “seven.” This month had

originally been the seventh month of the early

Roman calendar.

Notable Dates in September

September 7 ... the first Monday in September

is Labor Day.

September 11 is Patriot Day, held in honor

and remembrance of those who died in the

September 11 attacks of 2001.

September 13 is Grandparents Day. Honor

your grandparents today, and every day!

September 17 is Constitution Day. This day

celebrates the adoption of the U.S. Constitu-

tion, which occurred on September 17, 1787.

September 18 brings the start of Rosh Hasha-

nah, at sundown.

September 21 is recognized as the annual

International Day of Peace. Observances

range from a moment of silence at noon to

events such as peace walks, concerts, and

volunteering in the community.

September 22 marks the start of fall! This

year’s Autumnal Equinox falls on September

22 at 9:31 A.M. EDT. At this time, there are

approximately equal hours of daylight

and darkness.

September 27 is Yom Kippur, the holiest

holiday in the Jewish calendar.

September 29 is Michaelmas. Michaelmas is

an ancient Celtic “Quarter Day” which marked

the end of the harvesting season and was

steeped in folklore.

“Just for Fun” Days

Have fun with these strange celebrations

in September!

September is National Happy Cat Month

September 8: National Hug Your Hound Day

September 13: Kids Take Over the Kitchen

Day

September 19: International Talk Like a

Pirate Day

September 24: National Punctuation Day

September Zodiac

September’s zodiac signs are Virgo (Aug. 23–

Sept. 22) and Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22).

September Astronomy

Full Corn Moon

September’s full moon, the Full Corn Moon,

reaches peak illumination on Wednesday, Sep-

tember 2, at 1:23 a.m. EDT. For the best view

of the full moon, look skyward on the night of

the 1st! Read more about September’s Full

Moon.

Moon Phases for September

Full Moon: Sept. 2, at 1:23 a.m. EDT

Last Quarter: Sept. 10, at 5:26 a.m. EDT

New Moon: Sept. 17, at 7:00 a.m. EDT

First Quarter: Sept. 23, at 9:55 p.m. EDT

SEPTEMBER 2020 THE VIEW Page 15

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Page 16 THE VIEW SEPTEMBER 2020

The View Editor & Chair ................... Jean Kelly Publisher ................... Penny Murdoch

COMMITTEE Kim Ciriello Bruce Morgan Bonnie Frost Adele Page Dick Frost Judy Parsons

Elaine Wiegert

____________________

THE SESSION Clerk ............................ Bruce Morgan Moderator ....... Rev. Burnetta Armour Clerk Emeritus .................... Jim Hiers

CLASS OF 2020 Missions .............. Nanette Baughman Worship .......................... Becky Clark Congregational Care .... DeWayne Nix

CLASS OF 2021 Communications................ Jean Kelly Membership ............. Lindalee Walters

CLASS OF 2022 Buildings & Grounds ... Jim Crawford Education .................... Elaine Wiegert Administration & Finance ....................... Judy Winski

______________________

THE DIACONATE Moderator ...................... Kim Ciriello Session Liaison ............DeWayne Nix

CLASS OF 2020 Walter Bogart Kim Ciriello Tony Clark

CLASS OF 2021 Linda Leslie

Rachel Romfo

CLASS OF 2022 Judy Massingale

Adele Page

First Presbyterian Church 147 N. Main Street Cleveland, GA 30528

OUTDOOR Regathering Checklist Arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the service.

Masks are required.

Social Distancing is required..

Go directly to the Lower Parking Lot and set up your

chairs on the marked spaces.

Sanitize your hands before picking up a Bulletin.

Leave your offering in the designated area either before

service or when you exit.

At the end of service, PLEASE

continue social distancing as

you depart.

If you don’t feel well, please

STAY HOME!!!

Follow leadership team directions

at all times.

These requirements are for

your safety and ours, so please

comply with all requirements.

Attending church will be VERY

DIFFERENT.

Reopening

for

OUTDOOR

WORSHIP

PHASE 1