Many thanks!

This last Sunda, along with so many events in the past 14 months, were history making! We welcomed our friends from Cotton Memorial Presby. Church to be with us in worshiping God on world-wide Communion Sunday.

Then we joined together in the Fellowship Hall, and for the first time ever, we broke bread together and ate together.

Thank you, one and all, for a beautiful going away reception. Your love and faith were truly on display.

This is my last blog posting. Hard to believe!

God speed!

Peace!

Your former interim pastor,

The Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell

Welcome Rev. Walter Fauntroy!

I've never been here for the Royster Series before, though I know quite a few of the past speakers/preachers personally, so this is my first and only time of aiding in the program portion of the series. That being said/written, let me say what a joy and privilege it has been to welcome Rev. Walter Fauntroy of Washington, D.C. to the pulpit of First Presbyterian Church of Henderson. While there are other Baptist preachers who have been behind the pulpit of the Church, this has been an historic event, because Rev. Fauntroy is the first African American speaker in all the years of the series.

If you have not had a chance to hear this honorable gentleman preach, please do come tonight (Monday, Sept. 28th), and hear this awesome preacher bring the Word of God to the people of Henderson and Vance County.

Peace!

Pastor Brett

Congregational Meeting: Calling Keith Benze!

The PNC did a wonderful job on Sunday, Sept. 20th, 2009, in presenting the news of the next called minister of FPC: Mr. Keith Benze. He and his wife, Cheryl, are from the Raleigh area. This is Keith's first called ministry, so his ordination is going to be on Sunday, Oct. 18th, at First Presbyterian Church, Raleigh, NC.

Welcome, Keith, to First Presbyterian Church!

Peace,

Pastor Brett!

Along with School, the Church Goes Into Full Swing Programmatically...

Yesterday said it all: Rally Day!

I've come to understand in the South that Rally Day is the day Sunday school officially starts off with a "Bang!"

S.O.M.E. followed later that day, with people lining up at the door by 11:30, and the Boy Scout troop helping in the act of feeding those who were hungry.

And the Royster Series parts are all coming together.

"Ready, Set...Go!"

Peace,

Pastor Brett

The coming Royster Series preparation work is in full swing!

During my writing sabbatical last week, and then again this week, I've been busy with the preparation work for the upcoming Royster series, featuring the Rev. Walter Fauntroy.

This is all quite exciting.

Elder Raynah Adams is the main person in charge. He is constant contact with Rev. Fauntroy. And like years past, Elder Phil Hanny is working hard on posters to be distributed around the area next week.

Choirs are getting lined up for singing, soloists are excited, hosts for dinners and lunches are in place...this is going to be an historic event, right at First Presbyterian Church of Henderson, NC!

Let us pray for God to continue to do amazing things...do I hear an AMEN?

Peace,

Pastor Brett

The Emergency Men's Shelter

I write this blog entry from my desk at St. Benedict's Monastery. I've been reflecting upon the good and right action of the Church in welcoming the space that was formerly known as the Boy Scouts' room into the emergency men's shelter of Vance County. The room is currently a mess from not being used, and will be easy to clean up. It is prime for this new service project and outreach of the Church: providing shelter for the strangers who will come our way, looking for a room in the "inn," this time the "inn" being the Church.

It was said at one of the community meetings with ministers and town-leaders that we are always sending our youth "out" to do mission projects. Henderson has, itself, enough possible projects going on that we should be welcoming others to help us in being Christ in the world in providing food, shelter, and clothes.

There is more in the way of empty, unused rooms in the Church, and there are more needs of the people of Henderson and Vance County.

May our work in being Christ in the world lead us to do more from the bounty that God has given us.

Following Christ with you, the People of First Presby. Church...

Pastor Brett

Emergency Men's Shelter and FPC! A New Outreach Ministry

FPC, along with the Ministers Community Partnership and the town of Henderson, are officially set to open up an emergency men's shelter in the old Boy Scouts' room at FPC on November 1, 2009. Session gave its approval during our last Session meeting on Monday, August 17, 2009, to open the shelter to the wider community. The vote had a considerable amount of enthusiasm as well, because people understood how much this new ministerial outreach would be meeting the needs of others in the Henderson-Vance-Granville community.

Now the real work begins. In the coming weeks and months, people from all the surrounding churches will be asked to provide volunteer help in working overnight at the shelter, provide financial means for the shelter's operation, provide food daily, and meet other requests. The shelter will be in operation for 180 days of the year, usually during the coldest period of the year.

We praise God for this opportunity to meet the needs of others. For it is in meeting the needs of the stranger among us that we meet and serve Christ.

Peace!

Pastor Brett