Midweek News Nov 6, 2024
Nov 6, 2024
Announcements and Items of Interest
Sunday, November 10. Worship at 11:00 a.m. Join us for cookies and coffee following worship.
Choir practices every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. If you enjoy singing, please come!
Wednesday Bible Study continues this Wednesday, November 6, 3-4:30 p.m., in the fellowship hall. Pastor Kathy and Daniel Coffey are leading the group in a deep dive into the Gospel of Mark. Daniel is helping with the Bible study as a part of his internship for a Master’s Degree in Christian Education. Everyone is invited!
Session will meet on Tuesday, November 12 at 3:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall.
Volunteer opportunity! There will be a Grounds Clean-up Workday on Saturday, November 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Gloves, rakes, and tarps would be handy. We will be cleaning up the cemetery. Contact John Kehoe for more information.
Our November Thanksgiving Potluck Luncheon will be held on Sunday, November 17, following worship. Please bring a side dish to go along with roast turkey. Would you like to roast a turkey or a turkey breast for our meal? Please contact the church office: 828-733-1939,
The CPC Hurricane Relief Fund is being used to assist our partner non-profits in Avery County when there are no government or private funds to cover expenses for those in desperate need. Since October 1, we have raised over $61,000. Thanks be to God! Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte has given our church a great gift: They are paying the salary of a part-time person to assist us in our hurricane relief and recovery outreach for the next six months. We hope to have someone on board this week. We will regularly update the congregation on the projects being funded through midweek news and Sunday announcements.
Our August Mission Project was raising funds for UnDue Medical Debt to erase medical debt in four mountain counties: Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, and McDowell. We did it! Our $20,000 donation will abolish three million dollars of medical debt for those who qualify (households that earn less than 4x the federal poverty level--varies by state, family size--or whose debts are 5% or more of annual income). Our campaign is officially closed, and it will take roughly 4-5 weeks for UnDue Medical Debt to abolish the medical debt. From there, they will start sending out letters to the beneficiaries. This process takes around 1-2 weeks. The beneficiaries have no tax consequences or penalties to consider. Just like that, they’re free of medical debt. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this important mission! A big thank you to Joel Strickland for doing the research on this non-profit organization and helping us get started.
Volunteer Opportunities at this time: Reaching Avery Ministry- next to Dollar General in Newland- Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.- help with food boxes and clothing distribution; Feeding Avery Families- look at their Facebook for details.
Hurricane Helene Relief and Recovery Update:
Our Hurricane Relief and Recovery Fund continues to grow- our new total is around $64,000. What a joy! Some good news to share from some of the ongoing work in Avery County:
- Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte is paying the salary of a part-time assistant (10 hours per week for six months) to assist Pastor Kathy and the mission committee in partnering with our local nonprofits, sponsoring projects, and sharing resources. Bobbie Willard has been hired to be our hurricane relief/recovery coordinator. She has recently retired from many years as Avery County’s 4-H Director and worked with WAMY before that. With her years of networking in the county, she will help us to be more effective in a broader outreach to those in need in our county. Welcome Bobbie!
- Our November mission project is providing home goods for 11 Linn Cove apartments in Newland that were flooded due to the hurricane instead of our traditional Thanksgiving baskets. All the residents of the first-floor apartments lost everything and had to move out. They will return to their newly renovated apartments in early December. Reaching Avery Ministry and Volunteer Avery County are providing all the furniture and appliances. Our mission committee will be providing some of the home goods: dishes, flatware, glasses, bakeware, cookware, utensils, towels, bed sheets, shower curtains, and wastebaskets. The pots and pans and bedding have already been donated. What a fun project and the funds will come out of our hurricane relief/recovery fund!
- We were able to help provide another camper trailer for a woman whose home is unlivable until repairs are made through our partnership with Avery County Habitat for Humanity.
- Bridges for Avery is building culverts for people in Avery County whose property is not covered by FEMA or other agencies. They have built 20 culverts so far and plan on building at least 12 more. Our church is writing grants to assist with financial support.
- The Lion’s Club from out of state is providing Thanksgiving Dinner for 2,000 people in Avery County.
A Prayer
Almighty God, you rule all the peoples of the earth. Inspire in the hearts and minds of all elected women and men the responsibility of government and leadership in our country. Give to them the vision of truth and justice to work for the common good of all Americans and be a force for good in the world. Give our country a passion for justice and the willingness to break down barriers instead of building walls. Forgive our shortcomings as a nation; purify our hearts to see and love the truth. May we as Christians use our freedom to walk in the way of Christ, loving our neighbor and speaking the truth in love, knowing that your presence and power are with us always. We pray all these things through Jesus Christ. Amen.
