Home-To-Home
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Home-To-Home 529 S. Church Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Phone: 336-722-6171 FAX: 336-723-5085 email: [email protected] www.homemoravian.org Home Moravian Church Fulfilling Christ's call to love God, live in community, and serve our neighbor. February 2017 What Will We Be Together? Have you ever wondered how it feels to be called as pastor of Home Moravian Church? I did—until the day David Guthrie gave me the news that the Joint Board had issued that call to me. Let me share some of the things I’ve been feeling since that day. First: I’m grateful. Deeply, deeply grateful to the Joint Board for their decision, and for the trust and hopefulness it implies. Grateful to the whole congregation for the warmth of your affirmation and the confidence you have expressed, of which I pray to be worthy. Grateful for the many personal expressions of support and love. And grateful to God, not just for this call but for the many ways God has guided my life toward this exciting time, from my childhood at Home Church, to a love of words that has helped me as a student of the Word, to the summers at Laurel Ridge that opened my ears and heart to a call to ministry as a second career. I am grateful! 1 Second: I’m scared! This is a very big job, and in spite of the four years I’ve been at Home Church in a pastoral role, this is a very new job. It’s a different call with different responsibilities, some of which require me to build skills that are new. Knowing that I have your affirmation and confidence is helpful but also part of the scariness: What if I let you down? It helps me to remember what Rick Sides often said: Whom God calls, God also equips. I have faith that this is so. Still, I have to admit: I’m scared! Third: I’m joyful. How could I be otherwise? In my four years as associate pastor, I have been filled with joy, thanks to you. We have laughed together so many times; and when we have wept together—also many times— there has been joy in our connection through Christ, which upholds us in grief and loss. There is also deep, abiding joy in doing the work of Christ as Home Church has always done: quietly, but effectively, with deep generosity of time, treasure, and spirit. It is a joy to be part of this giving, living community with all of its history and all of its commitment to the future. Finally: I’m curious! I’m curious about what will happen as we enter this new chapter in our history. With each new pastor, relationships in the congregation change in some way, creating a new body and unleashing new potential. Who will we be? What will we do in Christ’s name? What will we be together? If you’re feeling what I’m feeling, I know at least four answers to that last question. We’ll be grateful. We’ll (sometimes) be scared. We’ll be joyful. And I hope we’ll be curious, always open to discerning and exploring what God has in store for us. Curiosity gets me out of bed every morning. Let’s be curious—gratefully, a little fearfully, but always joyfully curious—together, and see what happens next! —Ginny Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017 HOME MORAVIAN CHURCH Sister Fran Saylor 10:00 AM Coffee Hour 10:45 Music 11:00 AM Worship, Nursery Provided 2017 Days of Prayer Sunday, March 5 - Christ Moravian Church, The Rev. Kelly Moore, 2:00 pm Lovefeast, nursery provided Wednesday, March 8 - Trinity Moravian Church, Dr. Debbie Norris Lanier, 11:00 am Worship & lunch Wednesday, March 15 - Ardmore Moravian Church, Dr. Robert Shackleford, 9:45 am Coffee Hour, 10:45 am Music, 11:00 am Worship, nursery provided Wednesday March 22 - Calvary Moravian Church, The Rev. Dr. Nola Knouse, 9:45-10:45 Coffee Hour, 11:00 Worship, nursery provided Wednesday, March 29 - Fairview Moravian Church, The Rev. David Marcus,10:30 am Band Prelude, 11:00 am Worship with Communion, nursery provided Wednesday, April 5 - Konnoak Hills Moravian, The Rt. Rev. Graham Rights, 11:00 am Lovefeast Elders Report The Board of Elders met on Monday, January 3, 2017. Sister Nola Knouse led devotions, and the minutes of the December 5, 2016, meeting were approved. On behalf of the Finance Committee, Sister Kathy Barnes presented the budget approved by the trustees. The elders affirmed the work of the committee and the trustees. Committee reports showed a busy and fruitful time at Home Church. Sister Margaret Norris’s report on 2 Christian Education spoke of the incremental and sustainable growth that has come from building relationships in our education programs. The Mission Committee has seen much recent activity, from the mission lovefeast set for January 15, to Tommy Cole’s upcoming trip to Cuba to assess mission possibilities, to Sarah Jennings’ and Fran Huetter’s exciting plan to spend six weeks in Nepal this spring. The attendance report showed attendance holding steady (average 269/week) and excellent attendance at our Christmas lovefeasts (3,462 for the five services, an increase of more than 100 over last year). Rev. Tobiassen outlined the call process for an associate, which will begin with a joint board meeting to develop the position description. The board will set a date for that meeting in the near future. The Board took the following actions: • elected 2017 officers: Scott Rhodes, vice-chair, and Susie Gatland, Secretary. • approved a request by an associate member to return to regular status • a request by a former member to be received again, • and a request from a member to transfer to another congregation • discussed the need to elect two lay members to attend an Intersynodal Conference in February and made a plan for voting • set a tentative date of February 25 for the Joint Board retreat • approved the following building uses: rehearsals for a barbershop group including two members (Fellowship Hall); celebration for a retiring member of the Salem Academy staff (FH); and a “Salem Century Ball” by a group including one member (FH) • agreed to receive, from member Bert Bahnson, a portrait of Emma Fries Bahnson to hang in the Club Room. After a review of correspondence, the meeting closed with intercessory prayer for the congregation. —Ginny Trustee Report 3 Mark Your Calendar: For children through 5th grade and their families Sunday, April 2, 12:15 pm-2:00 pm (includes lunch) Sponsored by the Youth Fellowship Wednesday Night Fellowship Lecture Series February-May 2017 Feb 1-Feb 8 Nola Knouse and Barbara Strauss: Our Liturgical Heritage Explore liturgies in the Moravian Book of Worship over four sessions. We will explore historic links of General Liturgy I, seasonal and topical liturgies, biblical sources in the liturgies, special liturgies, services for Holy Communion and the Psalms and canticles. Feb 15 Arthur Spaugh: Home Moravian’s beginnings Venture (virtually via film) through Salem to learn about Salem Moravians’ first places of worship. Then, also via film, explore Home Moravian’s nooks and crannies as we learn about our building’s history. This film session will be followed by an inside walking tour for any interested participants. 4 Feb 22 Paul Myers et al: Home Moravian’s Clock Before his retirement from Home Moravian’s maintenance team, Paul Myers was filmed by Mark Wright demonstrating Home Church’s clock. It has since been worked on by David Graf. Hear about this historically significant piece of Home Moravian’s architecture. Mar 1-Apr 5: Lenten Communions Apr 12 Holy Week Service Apr 19, May 3, and May 10: Moravians in Salem Apr 26 Children’s Choirs Play Meals for WNF February 1 - Potluck, fried chicken provided February 8 - Jerusalm Sampler - Hummus with pita wedges; Fattoush (chopped Arabic salad); roasted chicken with fennel and clementines; basmati and wild rice with chickpeas, currants, and herbs; and duvshanyot (spice cookies) for dessert. February 15 - Stuffed (large) shells with homemade sauce, mixed greens salad, homemade bread, and strawberry pretzel jello dessert February 22 - Taco Night - choice of shredded chicken, ground beef, or mixed veggies with taco fixings - soft and crunchy tacos - sopapillas for dessert American Red Cross: Our community is fortunate to have very loyal donors from Home Church who give blood and platelets (P) throughout the year. We thank the following for their time and generosity in 2016: Beth Baldwin (P), Sandy Baldwin, Ted Bowen, Cathy Guidetti (P), Karl Kapp, John Mickey (P), Bob Miller, Suzanne Miller, Paul Morse, Gordon Nifong, Laura Piner, Trish Putnam, Keith Robinette and Susan Spence. Join them in donating life-giving blood at the Red Cross on Coliseum Drive. Call 336-403-1770 or go to www.redcrossblood.org. Please sign the church donor book in the canteen. Important World Mission News There are some very, very exciting things being planned. Br. Tommy Cole will be going to Cuba in February for ten days. He will be seeking ways that our congregation can support and assist work happening in Cuba. A Mission Trip to Cuba is being planned for October. Sunday, February 19 - Please plan to stay after church for the famous Charlie Clabern Chili and Tomato Basil Soup Luncheon. The luncheon will be at 12 o’clock noon in Fellowship Hall. We ask you to bring a dessert to share. Proceeds from the luncheon will go toward a Mission Trip to Nepal by our two members, Fran Huetter and Sarah Jennings.