Parkway UCC March Pulse 2019 - Through God's Spirit, We Listen Deeply, Build Community, and Act For Justice - Parkway United Church of ...
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Through God's Spirit, We Listen Deeply, Build Community,
and Act For Justice
PUCC Calendar Visit our Website
Parkway UCC March Pulse 2019
Celebrations of Ministry from February
The Winter Retreat in early February brought together 23 reflective souls to consider the animals and dormancy of winter time
and the gifts and challenges of dormancy and rest for our own spirits. That same weekend, we shared a moving blessing of Rev.
Liam Hooper and his family and ministry.
A planning group has formed to put together a spring day retreat at Seven Spring Camp, Mocksville. The group walked the
grounds and began shaping the day, its theme, and opportunities.
Some of us participated in wider church events. Joni Yoder, as representative on the Western North Carolina Association board
has hosted the board at our church and represented us at the installation of our associate conference minister Colleen
Samson. Tim Binkley sat on a panel at the recent Southern Conference Faith and Food workshop in Haw River. Deborah
Woolard was on the planning team for a conference on faith communities and persons with disabilities entitled Widen the
Welcome. Others have been active planning the upcoming Beating Guns book tour.
Our youth participated in a Friday dinner, an ecumenical lock in and food preparation night for Mardi Gras all in February.
We’re grateful to so many in leadership with Church Council, Finance, Personnel, Worship and Education, and others in
reflecting and preparing a proposed Ministry Plan for 2019 over these last months that will be brought to the congregation on
Sunday, March 10 for a decision.
Worship in March
Ash Wednesday Vespers Wednesday, March 6: Join us for a centering Ash Wednesday service focused on the
theme of dirt. We'll have imposition of ashes, poetry, silence, and chant.
March 3 Mardi Gras Sunday the Irving Street Ramblers will play and lead us in lively song for this worship. We’ll
focus on the theme of glory in the midst of suffering and mortality. We’ll read several short excerpts about glory from
contemporary prophets. Following worship, join us for the Mardi Gras Lunch fund-raiser to support our youth service
trip to Reach Beyond Mission in Austin, Texas this summer. The offerings will be jambalaya, pretzels and other
snacks.
Lenten Worship Journey
This year’s Lenten Sunday services will center on the theme A Time to Receive, A Time to Let Go. We’ll focus on
the non-hierarchal breath of God flowing through all creation as we draw from various parts of the Biblical canon. The
impulse toward exploitation of earth resources is woven into a white Christian church legacy of gender-domination,
white supremacy, hetero-superior, and property-privileged reading, tradition, and understandings. We’ll begin with
expressions of gratitude in Deuteronomy 26: 1-11, pray during Silent Sunday with Psalm 27, consider the costs of
glory in Isaiah 55: 1-3, 11-22, and listen with new ears to the parable of the prodigal son. We’ll conclude Lent in April
with the fragrant ointment on Jesus’ feet (John 12) and the procession into Jerusalem from Luke for Palm Sunday.
Each week in Lent we’ll hear a contemporary good news witness from one of our members about how their faith and
service in the community connect.
March 10 - We begin Sundays in Lent with an exploration of gratitude in Deuteronomy 26: 1-11. The choir will sing
Walk in the Light.
March 17 - Silent Sunday We’ll have an extended time of silence. The service music will be chants from various
traditions allowing us to pray with Psalm 27. There will be communion in the pews and opportunity for healing
prayers with anointing oil.
March 24 - We reflect on glory and cost with the prophecy from Isaiah 55. The choir will sing O Lord Throughout
These 40 Days.
March 31 - Brunch Church at 11 am in the Fellowship Hall Our quarterly Brunch Church will take place at our
regular worship time, but in the fellowship hall. We encourage you to bring a brunch-like item to share as our
potluck. We’ll begin our time of worship going through the food line, and finding a table and engaging in conversation
at table. We’ll then start the more structured time of worship with song, the parable of the prodigal son, prayer, and
reflection.
Second Sunday Practices for Vital Congregations
Join us Sunday, March 10, 9:45 am for further discussion of a strategy of implementing core changes through
practices in the life of our congregation. There will be opportunity for small groups to craft proposals on specific ways
we implement two core visions for our congregation, that have emerged out of our expressed dissatisfaction with the
status quo:
These visions for the future:
*A church with a growing racial, ethnic, gender, and abilities diversity in which we enjoy distinct opportunities for
generations to interact in play, art-making, prayer, service, and justice-seeking.
*A church turned regenerative community center in which practices restore ecology, relationship, soul, body, and
spiritual community.
Lenten Book Study Thursdays at 7 p.m. March 14, 21, 28, and April 4
Pick up a copy of Diana Butler Bass’ book Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks in the church
narthex (suggested donation: $23) and a study guide. We’ll be discussing how gratitude is actually a political practice
of justice-seeking, community-bonding, and prophetic resistance to status quo power. Even if you cannot read the
material for each week, come anyway since the discussion will center around our experiences and our hopes.
Here’s the schedule:
March 14: Part 1, pages 3-48 led by Anne Herndon
March 21: Part 2, pages 49-92
March 28: Part 3, pages 93-134
April 4: Part 4, pages 135-194
Greetings & Blessings from Andy Hagler, PUCC Council President:
• Please remember that the next PUCC Congregational Meeting will take place after Worship on Sunday, March
th
10 . Please mark and note this in your calendars and plan to attend.
• Stemming from this past Sunday’s Congregational Meeting (February 24), our Chair of Finance, Barb Nicklas, is
receiving increases in current pledges for the 2019 Ministry Plan. If you plan to adjust your 2019 Pledge or if you want
to make a pledge, then you need to send in your information ASAP to Barb Nicklas at nicklasbarb@gmail.com
• Finance is going to look at the increases and make adjustments to the current Ministry Plan and then submit to
Council.
• Therefore, please know that we plan to present an amended 2019 Ministry Plan to the Congregation on Sunday,
th
March 10 .
• Finally – please accept my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Together, and through Christ, we will listen deeply, build
community and work for justice.
Yours in Christ,
Andy Hagler
Council President
Parkway United Church of Christ
_________________________________________________________________________________Mardi Gras Luncheon
PUCC Youth Fund Raiser
Parkway UCC Youth along with a few adults will be
traveling to Austin, TX in June to participate with Reach
Beyond Mission. The trip will consist of immigration
justice and helping refugees. If you can please consider
coming to the Mardi Gras fundraiser after church on
March 3 and donating or showing your support whatever
way you can. There will be vegan and meat jambalaya
being served along with other delicious Mardi Gras
treats! Suggested donation is $10. Thank you!
Table Talks on Gratitude
Parkways series Table Talks began February 23, and is running through March. The gatherings will be held at different
locations and times, hosted by Parkway members at their homes. We will also have one meeting at Parkway after worship
service at 12:30, March 10. Several seats are still open and we encourage you to sign-up and participate in conversations that
will focus on both individual and congregational ways to focus on our gratitude in daily living. A sign-up board is in the
narthex and you can also sign up online below. The dates listed still have open seats to be filled.
March 1 - Schwartz Home March 20 - Plummer/Lange
Home
March 9 - Smith Home
March 24 -
Reister/Tampanna Home
March 10 - PUCC
Fellowship Hall
Wentz Update
As you may have read, this year we
would like for our Wentz offering to be a
self-sustaining project and not take up a
line item in the budget. We had already
cut our budget to $175 for the year 2019
so Your participation is even more
important!
So far we have met our goals for January and
February. The next pick-up will be on Monday, March 11.
That gives us 2 more Sundays to bring in donations: March
3 and March 10, so please keep up the good work! Don’t
forget to pick up a couple of cans and drop off in the front Register to Attend
collection box either on Sunday or any day you find yourself Thursday, March 7
at the church.
Please contact me with any questions, thoughts, or to join We invite all men of Parkway to come join us
us! for our monthly Men's Luncheon Group at
Carole Holt cholt@triad.rr.com; 336-978-5136 Parkway in the fellowship hall from 12-1:30 pm.
RSVP for an accurate head count for
meal needsBeating Guns Book Tour, Tuesday, March 12 at 7pm
Parkway is a lead sponsor and organizer for the Beating Guns book tour
coming to Winston-Salem on Tuesday, March 12, 7 pm at Great
Commission Community Church, 3733 Ogburn Avenue, just off Akron
Drive. Authors Shane Claiborne and Mike Martin will be leading a 90-
minute interactive experience to give hope in the face of gun
violence. They'll set up a forge outside Great Commission and blacksmith
a gun into a garden tool, inviting community people, especially survivors
of gun violence, to wield the hammer at the forge. There will be song,
stories, and strategies for organizing from their new book Beating
Guns. We've organized with a dozen other congregations and community organizations, the Winston-
Salem Police Department, Sheriff's Department, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action,
neighborhood organizations, and others to host this event, part of a 37-city tour this Lent. We hope we
can have a strong showing from Parkway for this event and looking for a few volunteers to help at the
book signing table and simple reception.
The event is free, but registration is appreciated at Eventbrite.
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEEERS: Saturday March 16 from 9-12 we will be having a
Church clean-up day. Weather permitting we will have some volunteers working in the
garden cleaning up. We will also have a group working in the kitchen and hopefully some
general clean-up and window cleaning in the sanctuary and other areas. Come out for a
time of fellowship and help make our property sparkle. You never know who you might get
to work with and discover things you didn't know about them. Bring your favorite work
gloves and tools if you plan to work in the garden.. Other cleaning supplies will be provided.
Peace and Blessings... Jim Ward
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: Sunday, March 17, 3:30 to 7:00 pm
Some Parkway UCC musicians and a few friends will come together on Saint Patrick’s Day
to play Irish music in the Fellowship Hall. Please feel free to come, either to play or listen.
Some folks are planning on bringing hearty foods like corned beef and cabbage, and
others will contribute soup, bread, or whatever they wish. Beyond that, food has not been planned, and is
not mandatory. However, if you plan to eat, please bring snacks or foods of some kind. Coffee and water
will be provided.
Solutions to Reverse Global Warming
Thursday, February 28th, 6:30
UU Fellowship of Winston-Salem
Fellowship Hall
4055 Robinhood Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Turn your despair into action! Join us for a riveting overview of "Project Drawdown," which is the
most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming.
Tim Binkley, an environmental engineer who is familiar with these technologies and strategies, will
lead this introductory meeting.
If there is enough interest, we will form a Climate Change Study Group. Come and help shape the study group and/or decide
if it's for you. We will use the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming as
our guide. This book describes one hundred of the most effective techniques and practices to curb global warming; some you
may
Questions? Click hereBrunch Church Potluck HANDCRAFTED CARDS
March 31 from 10:45 am -12 pm
BY CHERE SCHATZ
Bring your favorite brunch dish and join us in the
Fellowship Hall for a gathering of food, fellowship and The second Sunday of each month, Chere Schatz
worship sells her beautiful handmade cards for holidays and
special occasions. This is a unique way to surprise
someone special on their birthday, during a holiday or
Hosted by the West and North Neighborhoods -
special occasion, or as a get well. Chere is always set
Neighborhood leaders: Janice and Sean Nelligan
up the narthex before and after worship.
Remember that a portion of all sales are given to
Parkway UCC.
The Memory Garden
History Moment by Peggy Taylor
When we look out of the window in the sanctuary, we see a garden of shrubs, trees and flowers. It is our Memory
Garden. (This past Sunday I saw a jonquil and some Lenten lilies). When Carolyn Marshall was historian, she researched the
beginnings of the garden. I am using that research as the basis for this article.
The garden was largely made possible by a bequest of $10,000 from Joan Gand, a member of Parkway, who died in
2003. The meditation/memorial garden had been started some years earlier, but these new funds enabled the committee
members to enhance the area.
The first ashes scattered in the garden were those of Joseph Paul Szesze, Jr. Ashes of two sons of Joe and Phyllis are also in
the garden. On the exterior wall of our building are plaques for all persons who have been memorialized in the garden.
In 2006 the Memorial Garden Committee, with approval from council, began removing dead and diseased trees from the area
between the church and the “little house” we owned on Irvin Street. Council minutes for May of that year note that “the church
gets mulch in perpetuity from the company that did the work.” Pathways were marked with stone and covered with mulch. A
large stone bench was placed in the area. Plants were added and others re-arranged, as were shrubs and trees.
Directions for using the garden for scattering of ashes may be found in the church office. Contact the secretary for copies.
Many people have been involved in making the Memorial Garden. Those that I can recall are Amy-Mann Mitchell, Pat Van
Cleve, Chris McFadden, Ann McLain, Henrietta Fulton. It is an ongoing program, and new help in keeping the garden would
be appreciated.
________________________________________________________________________________
Message from Rev. Kelly P. Carpenter: You have probably seen, or will
see, news about our upcoming unpleasantness (aka Wild Rumpus) at the
United Methodist General Conference 2019, in St. Louis. It begins on
Saturday the 23rd and ends on Tuesday the 26th. This is a specially called
world gathering for the sole purpose of deciding on how our church will be in
ministry with the LGBTQ community.
I have been working on a post-GenCon19. We will be hosting this event at
Green Street for the area United Methodists to gather following the
Conference. This will be a time to grieve/celebrate and to affirm our
commitment to work for greater inclusion in the church. As members of Open
and Affirming congregations in WS, I wanted you to know about this
gathering, and of course invite you to join us. Always good to have our
closest friends around. There is a worship service on Saturday morning at
10:30 am. Should be fun, affirming and prophetic. (If you are interested in
learning about UM polity, you can stick around for the briefing by our retired
Bishops.Social Justice Documentary Film
and Panel Discussion
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem
Thursday, March 14 at 7 pm
To see more
Future Events
Parkway Table at local NAACP Freedom Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful
Fund Gala, May 17 Saturday, April 6
We’re looking for ten Parkway persons who can Keep America Beautiful is coordinating the annual Great
join us at the Friday, May 17 Freedom Fund American Cleanup in Winston-Salem on Saturday April 6
Gala at the Hawthorne Inn, 6:30 pm. Tickets from 9am to noon and we need volunteers to help clean up
are $40 per person and the event funds local local neighborhoods, parks, schools and streams. We’ll
NAACP chapter justice-seeking and provide all the supplies as well as drinks and lunch! Adopt-
scholarships for local students. The keynote A-Street, Adopt-A-Park and Adopt-A-Streams can use this
speaker for the evening is Anita Earls, Justice time to do their regular cleanups. Public schools can use
of the North Carolina Supreme Court. this time to clean up their campus before we conduct the
spring Clean & Green judging. Youth groups, schools, etc.
can use this opportunity to complete service hours. If you
don’t have a cleanup location we’ll find you one.
Parkway UCC 2019 Rummage Sale,
May 18, 8 am - 12 pm
Never say Never…..Andrea and I (Vicki) have decided to do one more
RUMMAGE SALE!!!! So, begin filling up those bags and boxes.
Proceeds as always will benefit local charities and PUCC outreach
programs that could not be funded in the 2019 Ministry Plan.
Watch the weekly announcements and the April PULSE for further
updates about the sale. We prefer not to get any donations until Sunday,
th
May 12 – if you cannot keep donations until the we will find a way. Our issue is room to store items until then. If you are
interested in sorting, setting up, check out cashier, there will be a sign up sheet in the narthex in April.
We are looking for clean, useable items such as knick knacks, pottery, glass, baskets, art, paintings, framed art, needlework,
all kitchen items, toys, books, hand tools, gardening items, camping gear, holiday décor and JEWELERY and VINTAGE
ITEMS.
WE CANNOT ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING:
Clothing or accessories, Large Furniture, Electronics, MicrowavesYou can also read
