Davidson College Presbyterian Church associate pastor Julie Hill, who has been working at the church for more than 5 years, told the congregation last week that she is leaving to take a post at a church in Albemarle.

Also in this column:

• Plans for alternative worship service at Davidson College Presbyterian Church during Lent.
• A Feb. 20 “Prayer Shawl” event at Davidson United Methodist Church.
• Two new groups will begin meeting soon at Davidson United Methodist Church, one for those dealing with separation and divorce and one aimed at divorce care for kids.
• News about upcoming guests at the UU Fellowship of Lake Norman.

JULIE HILL LEAVING

Julie Hill, the associate pastor for membership and congregational life at Davidson College Presbyterian Church (DCPC), told the congregation in a letter last week that she will be leaving after Holy Week to take a post at a church in Albemarle.

Rev. Hill said she will become a minister at First Presbyterian Church in Albemarle. She’ll fill in while the church’s pastor is on sabbatical from April to August. The job returns her to a church where she previously had served an internship. And she said it also will give her a chance to gain experience in church administration.

Rev. Hill has been at DCPC since 2004, working part time while she attended Union Theological Seminary-PSCE in Charlotte. In 2008, she was ordained and appointed an associate pastor.

“She has been a fantastic minister at Davidson College Presbyterian since prior to her ordination as a minister,” the Rev. Lib McGregor Simmons, DCPC’s pastor, said Tuesday. “She’s really brought phenomenal growth in our ministry in terms of building our membership program and in ministry to young families.”

Rev. Hill is the second ordained staff member to leave in the past year. Last April, the Rev. Kathy Beach-Verhey left to become co-pastor – with husband Tim Beach-Verhey – of Faison Presbyterian Church in Faison, N.C.

The departures have given DCPC a chance to evaluate staffing. Two search committees will be looking for a non-ordained director of congregational life and a new associate pastor for campus ministry, young adults and young families. The church hopes to fill the congregational life position this spring. It’s not known yet when the new associated pastor might join.

When the new hires arrive, DCPC will have one fewer ordained minister on staff (two associate pastors instead of three).

ALTERNATIVE LENTEN SERVICES

For six Saturdays during Lent – Feb. 20 to March 27 – Davidson College Presbyterian Church will offer an alternative worship service on Saturday nights at 5 p.m. in Lingle Chapel. These services will follow a structure similar to the regular weekly Sunday worship, with differences in the style rather than content, according to the church.

Contemporary music will be blended into the service and old hymns sung in new ways. Words of scripture, liturgy, and song will be projected onto a screen. The service also will incorporate contemporary media sounds and images alongside familiar prayers and creeds.

 During Lent, the Saturday and Sunday worship services will explore the same theme, “Abiding in the Shelter of the Lord.” They will be based upon the same lectionary passages, and both will “remind us of our connection to the world outside our doors and around the world.”

The Saturday services will be “family friendly” and open to children and adults of all agesChild care will be available for children of kindergarten age and younger.

PRAYER SHAWL EVENT

Davidson United Methodist Church invites knitters and crocheters to a special event on Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m. to noon in the church’s Chapel, 304 S. Main St.

The event is hosted by the Prayer Shawl Ministry of DUMC.  Participants will learn the method of Centering Prayer, enabling them “to focus on prayer” while knitting. The event also will include information about what other Prayer Shawl ministries in our area are doing.  Light refreshments will be served. Bring your Prayer Shawl knitting/crochet project with you. Don’t knit? They will teach you how in 10 minutes.

RSVP by Feb. 15 to Marsha Brodsky, .

DIVORCE GROUPS

Two new divorce-related groups are forming at Davidson United Methodist Church:

Separation and Divorce Support Group – If you are experiencing separation or divorce, be encouraged that help and support can be found through this ministry of Davidson United Methodist Church (DUMC). Facilitated by Mark and Gayle Olenik, this eight-week group will begin Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at DUMC’s Congregational Care House, 262 South Street in Davidson. Register and request childcare by calling the church office at .

Divorce Care for Kids – Divorce Care for Kids (DC4K) is a Christian-based program designed to help children between the ages of five and 12 who have and/or are going through the divorce or separation of their parents. A combination of games, crafts, activities, music, and DVD dramas are used to create a fun, healing atmosphere. This 13-week group will begin Thursday, Feb. 18, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in Room G1 of Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 South Main Street in Davidson. Register your child by calling the church office at .

RABBI BRENNER SPEECH

The Jewish Council of Lake Norman is providing free transportation to a Feb. 21 speech in Charlotte by Rabbi Daniel Brenner.

Rabbi Brenner is guest speaker for the Jewish Federation’s 2010 Main Event on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel. His speech “Going Retro? The Next Generation’s Search for Jewish Authenticity” will address the future of Jewish life in America, what the next generation will bring to the table and how the Jewish community can connect and engage them.

A native of Charlotte, Rabbi Brenner is the executive director of Birthright Israel NEXT and was recently named one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek. He was educated at the NC Hebrew Academy, attended Charlotte Latin School, and graduated from Myers Park High School.

Free transportation provided by the Jewish Council of Lake Norman. Reservations due Friday, Feb. 12. Call or e-mail Gail Brooks-Lemkin at or .

UU FELLOWSHIP

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Lake Norman continues is weekly meetings on Sunday, Feb. 14, with UU minister Rev. Melissa Mummert as guest speaker. The meeting is at Ada Jenkins Center, 212 Gamble St., Davidson. Doors open at 10:30, with the service at 11.

Other guest speakers on the schedule in the coming weeks include: March 7, UU minister Rev. Dick Weston-Jones; and March 21, Annette Marquis, director of the UUA’s Thomas Jefferson District.
For more information about the group, visit www.uulakenorman.org

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