Nursery
A nursery is provided for ages 3 & under in the Ministry Center room 1.23 under normal circumstances but not at this current time.
A nursery is provided for ages 3 & under in the Ministry Center room 1.23 under normal circumstances but not at this current time.
Sunday School
Preschool age children
Watch our Children's Worship & Wonder Video on our Worship page or on Facebook
Preschool age children
Watch our Children's Worship & Wonder Video on our Worship page or on Facebook
Kindergarten – 5th Grade children
Invited to worship with us at 10:00 am
or watch our online service
and the Children's Worship Video on the Worship page or on Facebook.
We hope to gather again in person as soon as we can do so safely!
Invited to worship with us at 10:00 am
or watch our online service
and the Children's Worship Video on the Worship page or on Facebook.
We hope to gather again in person as soon as we can do so safely!
Middle & High School
Invited to worship with us at 10:00 am
or watch our online service
Sunday School on Zoom at 8:30 am
link and passcode in Sunday email
Invited to worship with us at 10:00 am
or watch our online service
Sunday School on Zoom at 8:30 am
link and passcode in Sunday email
Children’s Worship & Wonder
After the Children’s Moment at 11:00 am worship, children ages 3 through 2nd grade may attend Worship & Wonder in the Ministry Center room 1.25. This is an age-appropriate time of worship where children can grow in their understanding of God and praise God through prayers and songs.
*Currently found ONLINE on our Worship Page and on Facebook, we are not having a Children's moment at our 10:00 am worship service.
After the Children’s Moment at 11:00 am worship, children ages 3 through 2nd grade may attend Worship & Wonder in the Ministry Center room 1.25. This is an age-appropriate time of worship where children can grow in their understanding of God and praise God through prayers and songs.
*Currently found ONLINE on our Worship Page and on Facebook, we are not having a Children's moment at our 10:00 am worship service.
Caste: What Would Jesus Do?
Leaders: Lloyd Griffith
Begins: January 17 - May 2
Location: Via Zoom from 8:30 - 9:30 am
Text Referenced: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Caste: What Would Jesus Do? This class is a review of the history of a powerful caste system which unconsciously influences our lives and behavior beyond race, class or other factors. It explores our response in shedding this inherited thread and awakening to the kingdom of God that Jesus saw among us. The class is offered on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am via zoom. The meeting ID and Passcode are available in your Sunday email if you would like to be included in on the email list for this book study fill out the form below. The study text is Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and is available through Amazon. I hope you will join us and friends are also welcome! Please fill out the form below to get on the email for this book study.
Begins: January 17 - May 2
Location: Via Zoom from 8:30 - 9:30 am
Text Referenced: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Caste: What Would Jesus Do? This class is a review of the history of a powerful caste system which unconsciously influences our lives and behavior beyond race, class or other factors. It explores our response in shedding this inherited thread and awakening to the kingdom of God that Jesus saw among us. The class is offered on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am via zoom. The meeting ID and Passcode are available in your Sunday email if you would like to be included in on the email list for this book study fill out the form below. The study text is Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and is available through Amazon. I hope you will join us and friends are also welcome! Please fill out the form below to get on the email for this book study.
Click the buttons below for reading material related to the class.
The Present Word
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"Wisdom Literature"
Location: on Zoom Sunday at 10:00 am - 11:00 am The Present Word is a cooperative curriculum written and supported by five denominations, including PCUSA. It is designed to cover the entire Bible in five-year cycles, but each quarter stands on its own. George Evans will lead the winter quarter of "The Present Word class is studying "Call in the New Testament" Gene Peele and Darryl Warren will assist. Please contact George Evans (gkevans4@gmail.com) to receive a meeting room ID and password. |
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Invitation to Lenten Discipline:
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The season of Lent will soon be upon us. On Shrove Tuesday, February 16, our Fellowship Commission will provide a pick-up pancake dinner at the J. Murphy Smith Center kitchen (you can contact the church office to reserve your meal by Monday, February 15). Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent and is the time to finalize plans for your Lenten observance and celebrate with sweets (syrup!) before the time of fasting and somber reflection during Lent begins.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. We will have two ways for you to worship that day: in-person at 11am in the Sanctuary with the imposition of ashes (administered with individual Q-tips rather than fingers) and communion, and virtually at 7pm over Zoom with at-home communion. For those at home, we will be mailing you a “stand-in” for ashes. These black paper wristbands symbolize the ashes you would have received, reminding you that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. These are adjustable and can be worn by every member of the family and can be worn for the entirety of Lent as a reminder to you of your Lenten self-examination and discipline.
In place of our beloved Lenten Lunches, we will have a weekly Lenten Devotional Gathering on Tuesdays (starting February 23 and ending on March 30, six weeks total) from 12:30-1:15pm over Zoom. We will use the devotional book “Let Me Go There: The Spirit of Lent” by Paula Gooder. You can purchase a paperback book for yourself on Amazon (kindle version also available), or if you need help ordering the book, please contact Maren. You are invited to bring your lunch to these gatherings, and you will be divided up for part of the gathering into “virtual lunch tables” to share lunch and discuss some reflection questions. These gatherings are open to everyone, even if you cannot come every week.
The Thursday Women’s Bible Study will do a Lenten Study of the book “Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week” by Amy-Jill Levine. Beginning on Thursday, February 18, the group will meet every Thursday from 10-11am over Zoom, ending on Thursday, March 25. You can purchase the book on Amazon (kindle version available), or contact Maren if you would like help acquiring a book or if you would like to be added to the email list for the class.
Each year of Lenten discipline is different, and each of us has different things to learn during this time. Sometimes the time of Lent soothes our ragged and distracted souls. Sometimes it confronts us with parts of our lives we haven’t wanted to examine. Sometimes it turns our eyes outward to the suffering and injustice experienced by those nearest to us, in our community, our nation, or around the world. In other words, sometimes Lent is uplifting and inspiring, and sometimes disturbing and unsettling. Each year we ask anew, where is the Spirit leading us (or driving us) this year? As you think about your Lenten observance consider one of these areas that are an emphasis during Lent:
Fasting
What is something that is a distraction in your life, that cries out for attention, or consumes your time but with little benefit? Could this be set aside for 40 days? What is something you reach for without even thinking, and would giving it up for a time be a healthy reminder to focus on prayer or God’s presence in your life? The focus of fasting is to sharpen our awareness and vision, rather than to make us miserable. The important questions are, how is this fasting transforming you and what is it teaching you?
Alms Giving
This practice encourages us to turn our attention from our own wants and needs, to the needs of others, to carefully pay attention to our community and world. One way to approach alms giving is to consider one thing that you are deeply grateful for (shelter, nourishment, safety, support, clothing, etc.) and consider how you might give so that others can experience the same. Another way is to spend several weeks paying attention to the stories and the people you encounter in the world. What stories of struggle or suffering particularly speak to your heart, and then consider how might you respond, particularly by learning about and supporting the organizations that do remarkable work in our community.
Prayer
Each time you look at the black band on your wrist, consider taking a moment for prayer. It could remind you to look around at that moment and pray for who and what you see. It could be a prayer of penitence (“Forgive me”) or gratitude or praise. Consider joining in our Centering Prayer gathering each Wednesday at noon over Zoom, or our Contemplative Worship Service each Wednesday at 5pm over Zoom.
God’s blessings upon you as you undertake this Lenten journey!
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. We will have two ways for you to worship that day: in-person at 11am in the Sanctuary with the imposition of ashes (administered with individual Q-tips rather than fingers) and communion, and virtually at 7pm over Zoom with at-home communion. For those at home, we will be mailing you a “stand-in” for ashes. These black paper wristbands symbolize the ashes you would have received, reminding you that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. These are adjustable and can be worn by every member of the family and can be worn for the entirety of Lent as a reminder to you of your Lenten self-examination and discipline.
In place of our beloved Lenten Lunches, we will have a weekly Lenten Devotional Gathering on Tuesdays (starting February 23 and ending on March 30, six weeks total) from 12:30-1:15pm over Zoom. We will use the devotional book “Let Me Go There: The Spirit of Lent” by Paula Gooder. You can purchase a paperback book for yourself on Amazon (kindle version also available), or if you need help ordering the book, please contact Maren. You are invited to bring your lunch to these gatherings, and you will be divided up for part of the gathering into “virtual lunch tables” to share lunch and discuss some reflection questions. These gatherings are open to everyone, even if you cannot come every week.
The Thursday Women’s Bible Study will do a Lenten Study of the book “Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week” by Amy-Jill Levine. Beginning on Thursday, February 18, the group will meet every Thursday from 10-11am over Zoom, ending on Thursday, March 25. You can purchase the book on Amazon (kindle version available), or contact Maren if you would like help acquiring a book or if you would like to be added to the email list for the class.
Each year of Lenten discipline is different, and each of us has different things to learn during this time. Sometimes the time of Lent soothes our ragged and distracted souls. Sometimes it confronts us with parts of our lives we haven’t wanted to examine. Sometimes it turns our eyes outward to the suffering and injustice experienced by those nearest to us, in our community, our nation, or around the world. In other words, sometimes Lent is uplifting and inspiring, and sometimes disturbing and unsettling. Each year we ask anew, where is the Spirit leading us (or driving us) this year? As you think about your Lenten observance consider one of these areas that are an emphasis during Lent:
Fasting
What is something that is a distraction in your life, that cries out for attention, or consumes your time but with little benefit? Could this be set aside for 40 days? What is something you reach for without even thinking, and would giving it up for a time be a healthy reminder to focus on prayer or God’s presence in your life? The focus of fasting is to sharpen our awareness and vision, rather than to make us miserable. The important questions are, how is this fasting transforming you and what is it teaching you?
Alms Giving
This practice encourages us to turn our attention from our own wants and needs, to the needs of others, to carefully pay attention to our community and world. One way to approach alms giving is to consider one thing that you are deeply grateful for (shelter, nourishment, safety, support, clothing, etc.) and consider how you might give so that others can experience the same. Another way is to spend several weeks paying attention to the stories and the people you encounter in the world. What stories of struggle or suffering particularly speak to your heart, and then consider how might you respond, particularly by learning about and supporting the organizations that do remarkable work in our community.
Prayer
Each time you look at the black band on your wrist, consider taking a moment for prayer. It could remind you to look around at that moment and pray for who and what you see. It could be a prayer of penitence (“Forgive me”) or gratitude or praise. Consider joining in our Centering Prayer gathering each Wednesday at noon over Zoom, or our Contemplative Worship Service each Wednesday at 5pm over Zoom.
God’s blessings upon you as you undertake this Lenten journey!
Centering Prayer Group & Contemplative Worship (live & on Zoom)
As we head again into the Advent Season preparing for the birth of Christ among us, I want to clarify the difference between contemplation and centering prayer. In the early Christian tradition contemplation was the normal evolution of a genuine spiritual life and open to everyone. It was understood as intimate knowledge based on personal experience of God’s Spirit.
Each Wednesday evening at 5:00 pm we gather for Contemplative Worship that centers on this experiential knowing. We begin with listening to the scripture reading selected for preaching the coming Sunday. We listen again to the same reading to pay closer attention to what the passage is saying to us. Then we offer our own prayer to God sharing what we have heard and how we feel about it. We finally let go of our thoughts and rest in the silence for God’s Spirit to respond.
Over time this early tradition developed into different types of prayer and furthered the notion among many that intimate knowing based on an experience of God’s Spirit was reserved for only a few. In this evolution the openness of the spiritual journey to all got pushed to the side.
Centering prayer is a way of returning to the earlier tradition of a genuine spiritual life for all by intentionally nurturing our intuitive faculties that have been repressed in the modern age. Each Wednesday at noon our Centering Prayer Group meets to study different spiritual masters who guide us in letting go of our thoughts and consenting to the presence and action of God’s Spirit within each of us. We help each other be more intentional about the spiritual journey we feel led to make.
Both Contemplative Worship and Centering Prayer are open to anyone at any time. This is an invitation to sense a nudge from the Holy Spirit and try one of these gathering out. It is a timely preparation of our heart for welcoming the birth of the Christ child among us.
Lloyd
Trail Guide
Each Wednesday evening at 5:00 pm we gather for Contemplative Worship that centers on this experiential knowing. We begin with listening to the scripture reading selected for preaching the coming Sunday. We listen again to the same reading to pay closer attention to what the passage is saying to us. Then we offer our own prayer to God sharing what we have heard and how we feel about it. We finally let go of our thoughts and rest in the silence for God’s Spirit to respond.
Over time this early tradition developed into different types of prayer and furthered the notion among many that intimate knowing based on an experience of God’s Spirit was reserved for only a few. In this evolution the openness of the spiritual journey to all got pushed to the side.
Centering prayer is a way of returning to the earlier tradition of a genuine spiritual life for all by intentionally nurturing our intuitive faculties that have been repressed in the modern age. Each Wednesday at noon our Centering Prayer Group meets to study different spiritual masters who guide us in letting go of our thoughts and consenting to the presence and action of God’s Spirit within each of us. We help each other be more intentional about the spiritual journey we feel led to make.
Both Contemplative Worship and Centering Prayer are open to anyone at any time. This is an invitation to sense a nudge from the Holy Spirit and try one of these gathering out. It is a timely preparation of our heart for welcoming the birth of the Christ child among us.
Lloyd
Trail Guide
Journey through the Bible...
The Adult Education Commission is excited to offer those who are interested to “journey through the bible” in a year with Rev. Eddie Bellis. We will meet once a week to discuss the general themes of the scripture as laid out in the Kerygma: Discover the Bible curriculum. Kerygma Bible Study: Continues …
We have been using this study since September and are really enjoying the study. So we are inviting new members as we continue our journey. Our course times are each Wednesday– starting at 7 pm starting and lasting about 90 minutes.
Discovering the Bible is a comprehensive introduction to the Bible as a whole and we just finished the Old Testament. The course continues in the New Testament and would be a good opportunity to receive new members and fellow pilgrims in the journey. This course seeks to underscore the interest in seeing the interconnectedness of the many part of the Bible; more than learning just the content about each book of the Bible. We will use Zoom as our format and Zoom links will be sent each week. There is nothing to bring except for your Bible, your workbook, your sense of humor, a computer, and yourself. The workbook is $35. Scholarships are available upon request.
Please call the office at 252-637-3270 or email eddie@firstpresnb.org if you would like to join the group and to get your workbook.
We have been using this study since September and are really enjoying the study. So we are inviting new members as we continue our journey. Our course times are each Wednesday– starting at 7 pm starting and lasting about 90 minutes.
Discovering the Bible is a comprehensive introduction to the Bible as a whole and we just finished the Old Testament. The course continues in the New Testament and would be a good opportunity to receive new members and fellow pilgrims in the journey. This course seeks to underscore the interest in seeing the interconnectedness of the many part of the Bible; more than learning just the content about each book of the Bible. We will use Zoom as our format and Zoom links will be sent each week. There is nothing to bring except for your Bible, your workbook, your sense of humor, a computer, and yourself. The workbook is $35. Scholarships are available upon request.
Please call the office at 252-637-3270 or email eddie@firstpresnb.org if you would like to join the group and to get your workbook.
Monday Evening Women's Bible Study |
Thursday Morning Women's Bible Study |
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Leaders: Wendy Moeller & Marice DeBruhl
Begins: September 14th Meets: Monday 7 pm Location: on Zoom Text: Never let it be said that the honorable First Presbyterian women of the Monday Evening Bible Study stood up Dr. Luke and his Gospel, nor The Right Reverend Professor NT Wright, for that matter! We are coming back (virtually) for our second attempt at LUKE FOR EVERYONE starting Monday, September 14th, instead of mid-March as we had originally planned until Covid, that “Great Disturber”, arrived. For access to the book and the accompanying study guide, order on Amazon, and then plan on joining us, pajamas or otherwise, on Zoom Monday evenings from 7:00-8:30 starting September 14th. General questions: contact Wendy Moeller or Marice Debruhl. Please contact: Cathy Wingfield (cathy@firstpresnb.org) to be added to the email list and to get Meeting ID and password or for Zoom specific questions.
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Thursday Morning Women's Bible Study
Leader: Maren Sonstegard-Spray Meets:10-11 am Every Thursday Location: on Zoom Text:The Meaning is in the Waiting: The Spirit of Advent The Thursday Women's Bible Study will start a new book for Advent on Thursday, December 3 and the book study will run for 3-4 weeks (don't worry if you can't make every meeting). Friends, family, neighbors welcome!! The book is "The Meaning is in the Waiting: The Spirit of Advent" by Paula Gooder. Book is available in paperback (and it is available in a Kindle version) and can be ordered from Amazon (if you need assistance ordering the book please let Maren know): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1557256624/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Please contact: Rev. Dr. Maren Sonstegard-Spray (Maren@firstpresnb.org) to join and get on the mailing list for reading assignments and zoom meeting ID and password. |
Montreat Women's Summer Conference
Word Wise: Encountering the Word that draws us in and sends us out
Postponed until 2021! Please contact Maren to work out your arrangements. If you would like a refund or would like to hold your spot for next year...
