Davidson-based Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Lake Norman says it now will meet weekly, beginning July 1. Mary Margaret Porter of Davidson College Presbyterian Church will be ordained June 17. Community in Christ Lutheran Church in Cornelius has named Travis Norton as its new permanent pastor. Meanwhile, summer bible school is scheduled next week at Hopewell Baptist Church and also coming up at other area churches. Read on for those and other stories.
UU FELLOWSHIP TO MEET WEEKLY
UU Fellowship of Lake Norman has reached another milestone in its growth: Beginning July 1, the three-year-old group will meet every Sunday for worship and religious exploration. The group current meets on the first and third Sundays. UU Fellowship describes itself as “an inclusive community embracing individual spiritual growth, living our beliefs through works.”
“This is a huge step made possible by the generous pledges you have made, and further supported by grants we receive from an individual outside donor and through the Chalice Lighters Program,” the Rev. Amy Brooks told members in a recent newsletter. “I am deeply grateful to you, our members and friends who support this Fellowship. I am grateful also to our donors, Unitarian Universalists from other congregations in our district, who wish to show their care by investing in our future.”
Jeff Pender, a co-founder, said in a separate message, “We have come such a long way and look with anticipation to what the future holds. … It is a big step, but one we are ready to take.”
Beginning July 1, Sundays at UU Fellowship of Lake Norman will include religious education at 9:45 a.m., and services at 11 a.m., in The Lodge, on the campus of the Woodlawn School, off Presbyterian Road just north of Davidson. For more information and directions, visit their website at UULakeNorman.wordpress.com”
On Sunday, June 17, UU Fellowship will celebrate Father’s Day with “Pies for the Guys” after the service.
There’s no meeting on June 24, but members will gather for a 2 p.m. pot-luck supper at a member’s home.
At its recent annual meeting, the group welcomes incoming board members Nancy Brower and Chris Johnson.
BIBLE SCHOOL TIME
Hopewell Baptist Church, at the corner of Davidson-Concord and Barnhardt Roads, will host Vacation Bible School (VBS) beginning this Sunday evening, June 10, from 6:30–9 p.m. Dinner is served each evening in the Fellowship Hall at 5:30 p.m.) With the theme, “Amazing Wonders Aviation,” the evening sessions run from Sunday through Thursday, June 14, and are suitable for all ages of children and adults. Please see the flier at right for more information.
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church off Concord Road is also having an evening Vacation Bible School, June 17-20 from 5:30-7:30 pm. It’s for ages 3 (potty trained) through rising 5th grade. The fee is $25 a child and $40 max for a family. A simple supper is included every night for participants. (http://www.saintalbans-davidson.org/mura4sad/sad/)
Cornelius Presbyterian Church this summer offers a summer bible school program, “Sky,” for children in preschool through eighth grade. Students will sing songs and participate in activities that encourage them to trust God and learn more about the Bible. They will experience Bible adventures, and look for evidence of God around them in “God Sightings.”
The program is inspired by a Bible verse: “Everything is possible with God,” (Mark 10:27). Each day will end with a Fly Away Finale, during which family members are invited to join and hear about what students learned that day. Students in sixth through eighth grades will help with an international missions effort to send mosquito nets to the country of Mali in Africa, aiming to reduce the instances of Malaria in children. The program runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. June 10 – 14 at the church, 21209 Catawba Avenue. For more information or to register, call 704-892-5577.
Also, the church will have summer worship hours as follows: Sunday worship: 9 a.m. celebration, 10:30 a.m. traditional, fellowship and prayer time: 9:45 a.m.
Additional church Vacation Bible Schools will occur at mornings at Davidson United Methodist Church June 25-28, Music Camp at DUMC July 9-12, and also VBS at Davidson College Presbyterian Church the week of July 9-12. Contact the individual churches to register.
Mary Margaret Porter
DCPC CELEBRATES AN ORDINATION
Davidson College Presbyterian Church is inviting church members to join in celebrating the ordination of Mary Margaret Porter in the Presbyterian Church USA. She will be ordained to the office of Teaching Elder (formerly Minister of Word and Sacrament) on June 17 at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. Rev. Lib McGregor Simmons will participate, as will Rev. Lori Raible from Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, Rev. Ed Newberry from Memorial Presbyterian Church and Rev. Everdith Landrau from New Friendship Presbyterian Church. First Presbyterian is the church where Rev. Porter was baptized, confirmed and married. Her sons, Hill and Mason, were the fifth generation of her family to be baptized in its historic sanctuary.
With her ordination, the Rev. Porter will become Associate Pastor for Visitation at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. (Read more about the Rev. Porter in Brenda Barger’s May 3, 2012, Around Davidson column.
LAKE FOREST CHURCH EVENTS
Lake Forest Church’s Lead Pastor Mike Moses is on sabbatical this summer. In his absence, one of his mentors, Dr. Leighton Ford, will be a guest teacher on June 17, delivering a sermon titled “Seeing people as God sees them” at all Sunday worship services at the Huntersville campus (8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.). Pastor Moses completed the Arrow Leadership Program under the guidance of Dr. Ford.
Dr. Ford is the brother-in-law of the Rev. Billy Graham and president of Leighton Ford Ministries, which focuses on training young leaders to spread the message of Christ worldwide. In 1985, he was named the Clergyman of the Year by the religious Heritage of America and the Presbyterian Preacher of the Year by the National Presbyterian Center.
Ford is also the author and co-author of several books. His latest book, “The Attentive Life, Discerning God’s Presence in All Things” was published in May 2008.
Meanwhile, Lake Forest Church is inviting members to join a summer outreach initiative: the missio Dei Summer Tour. two full weeks in June and July, Lake Forest is offering opportunities to serve locally with some of their partner ministries including the The Bin, Friendship Trays, Ada Jenkins Center and Charlotte Rescue Mission. The goal of this mission is to bring love to people and places in need of physical and spiritual restoration. For more information, visit lakeforest.org/tour
Lake Forest Church is at 8519 Gilead Road, Huntersville. It also has meetings at Davidson Elementary School, 635 South St., Davidson, on Sundays at 9:30 and 11 a.m. During the summer, they’ll have a single Davidson service, at 10 a.m.
CHANGES AT CIC LUTHERAN
Travis Norton
Community in Christ Lutheran Church, on Norman Island Drive in Cornelius, has installed Rev. Travis Norton as Senior Pastor. Rev. Norton earned his Master of Divinity in 2003 from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and served as Associate Pastor at the church for five years before being called as Senior Pastor this year.
Jennifer Bushinski
The church also has hired Jennifer Bushinski as Director of Inviting Ministries. Hers is a newly created position to better connect members and visitors within the congregation through the creation and management of small groups and ministries.
SATURDAYS AT GETHSEMANE BAPTIST
Gethsemane Baptist Church of Lake Norman this month has begun a new ministry initiative, “The Saturday Church.” It involves ministry through multimedia, spoken word, dance and various types of music and happens Saturdays at 6 p.m. at the church, 565 Jetton St. in Davidson.
“It is a service that will move past the traditional and meet people right where they are,” the church said in a flier. “The format is simple, and a dress code does not exist … so come as you are, enjoy Jesus and experience ‘Church Unusual.’”
Info: www.gbclakenorman.org or call 704-892-1635
A MOVE FOR THE SEYMOURS
Here’s a bit of news about the Rev. Jody Seymour and wife Betsy, of Davidson United Methodist Church: the Rev. Seymour celebrated his 65th birthday on Sunday, June 3. And as he passes that milestone, he and his wife have moved to new digs, off East Rocky River Road in Davidson. Read more in Brenda Barger’s Around Davidson column this week, including news about what happens to Betsy’s fabulous garden.
GUEST PREACHERS AT RAMAH CHURCH
Davidson College Presbyterian Church and other area Presbyterian churches are helping out a sister congregation for a couple of months this spring. At Ramah Presbyterian Church, on Ramah Church Road, Pastor Kurt Johnston is on a 3-month medical leave. So pastors from Mallard Creek, Hopewell, and DCPC as well as the Rev. George Slaton, will be preaching at the 11 a.m. worship service each Sunday morning at Ramah Presbyterian.
And DCPC’s pastor’s are hoping the exchange will go farther: In the latest edition of the church newsletter, the Rev. Lib McGregor Simmons invited DCPC families to worship at Ramah on an upcoming Sunday. “Nothing bespeaks hope and joy in the life of a congregation more than a full sanctuary. This is something that we can do to support our friends at Ramah during a tender time in their life as a family of faith,” she wrote.
Ramah Church is at 14401 Ramah Church Road, Huntersville. Worship services are at 11 a.m. Sundays.
Here is the preaching schedule for remaining Sundays in June: June 10, Andrew Scales; June 17 Ernest Gardner (Mallard Creek); June 24 Robert Alexander.
HAVE NEWS?
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