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Volume 3, Number 3

September 2019

PFAFFTOWN CHRISTIAN CHURCH RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)

3323 Transou Rd.

PO Box 130

Pfafftown NC 27040

Phone: 336- 924-9925:Fax: 336- 924-2501

E-mail: office@pfafftownchristian.org

www.pfafftownchristian.org

Church Staff

The Rev. Gerald Thomas

Pastor

The Rev. Tim Shoaf

Minister of Music & Programs

Traci Canter, Office Administrator

PCC will be participating in the 2019 CROP Hunger Walk. DATE: October 20, 2019 REGISTRATION: 1:30 p.m. WALK BEGINS: 2:30 p.m. (walk distance is 1.34 miles)

All of the money raised is used to support hunger alleviation programs. Money raised is split between the following three organizations: 75% goes to Church World Services (CWS), 25% goes to Crisis Control Ministry and Sunnyside Ministry to fight against hunger locally and glob-ally. Nearly a half-million dollars has been given to support hunger pro-grams in Forsyth County.

Please see Jackie Romanello to sign up on Sunday mornings or come by and see Traci during church office hours. Upon signing up, you will be given an envelope to collect your do-nations.

Thank you in advance for opening your hearts and participating in this fun event! Please come out and join the fun as we work together as a team to fight hunger while we repre-sent Him and His holy name!

Sundays at 9:45 a.m.

Downstairs Fellowship Hall

NEW BEGINNINGS

STORIES OF STARTING OVER

A new day, new week, new year. A new job,

new school year, new Christian year. A new

way of thinking, new way of acting---a

whole new life. Our lives are filled with op-

portunities to start over, to begin again. As

we read the Bible, we find stories of starting

over. Please read the scripture chapters

listed for each Sunday and join us as we find

ourselves in these stories---together.

September 1: In the Beginning.

Groundhog Day.

Genesis 1 & 2

September 8: Noah. The Day Comes.

The Day Always Comes.

Genesis 9

September 15: The Exodus.

Can We Stand the Freedom?

Exodus 12

September 22: Return to Israel.

Can We Rebuild?

Nehemiah 1

September 29: Pentecost.

Nothing is Ever the Same?

Acts 2

Yearbooks Available

During September

Our 2019-2020 Year-

books will be available

for pick-up on Sunday

mornings late in

September. Your name will be on

your Yearbook. Please take the time

to pick up your book on a Sunday

morning. After September, books

will be mailed to households. ~ GT.

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As Way Leads On To Way Life is about intention. Except when it isn’t.

When baseball season begins in the hopeful birth of

spring, I intentionally grill hot dogs and sit in front of

the television all day and re-awaken my scoring skills.

When invitations arrive for family reunions, I make

plans for my yearly checkup with Dr. Jim Short. And

yes, he opens his office just for me on a Saturday so I

can say, “I’d love to be there, but my doctor needs to

see me,” which gives family something to talk about at

the reunion. (“Did you hear Gerald is with his doctor?

And on a Saturday. It must be serious!” That’s after

they realize I’m not there to say the blessing over the

tater salad. It’s not that no one else can pray. Some of

them like to have it “professionally done.”)

Back in the days before digital recording devices, I

intentionally kept the college football schedule taped to

my forehead so if someone tried to plan my autumn

Saturdays, I could be honest, “I already have a commit-

ment that day.”

Intention can be a good thing. Except when it isn’t.

Then something else becomes a good thing.

A pastor once called and asked if I would come be the

associate in a church. Their need for pastoral care was

overwhelming. Just called out of the blue. I went and

enjoyed a wonderful season of ministry and met good

friends who journey with me to this day. Didn’t plan

for that.

Last year, I was finishing up a chaplain’s internship at

the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. My plan was

to continue as a pastor, toting with me the lessons. My

supervisor, Roz, listened as I lamented wanting to know

more about chaplaincy in the hospital setting. Her eyes

began to dance. She said, “All of those questions will

be answered if you give a year of your life to a chap-

lain’s residency.”

It had not crossed my mind. All the same, here it

was. Opportunity. My excuse to avoid this was found

in my service to Pfafftown Christian Church. The con-

gregation said, “Go do this thing.” I was out of excus-

es. Surprised again.

Now, I am out of time in this residency program.

Entrance began unintentionally. Now I must bundle up

this season and journey on.

Thank you. Thank you to all of the people who

taught me how to be intentional. My father, who taught

me how to make a plan and manage time because with-

out this skill, I would have found myself under water.

Those churches I’ve served that moved to the rhythms

of the Christian year, demanding their pastor, “Make a

plan.”

The dead tree along my driveway that screamed, “If

you don’t cut me down, I’m gonna fall on your truck

one morning.” I am grateful for the reminders to make

a plan.

Thank you. Thank you to all of the people who en-

couraged me, “You can’t plan for everything. But you

can choose to take advantage of some sweet surprises.”

For my mother, who thinks life is a gift and you have

need so very desperately to use the gift.

For Marlene and Darlene, who taught me serendipity:

“there are two things for which we can never prepare---

twins.”

For Marlene, who cast lots with Darlene and ended up

being the one to marry me. She is my best friend, and

we support one another with joyful intent when our vo-

cations surprise us with the opportunity to be something

new. Someone once told me, “Oh, you’re new at that

church. You’re in the honeymoon stage.” I shook my

head. “No sir. I’m not married to the church.” Never

will be married to a church. When I’m ninety, I hope to

be married to Marlene. Still making way together in a

surprising world.

I’m grateful for all my friends who didn’t say,

“Chaplain residency? That’s silly!” but instead walked

through the landscape of a very beautiful, terrible year.

That group of folks includes the parishioners of the

Pfafftown Christian Church. Thank you, Disciples, for

sharing me with the Baptist Hospital. Thank you for

allowing me to grow on up as a person who is also a

pastor.

Thank you to my supervisors and fellow chaplains.

Yours was a costly, steady presence in a hospital

demanding we take whatever the pager announced as

“Next!” Thank you for being a band of sisters and

brothers that I will wittingly hold for a lifetime.

Life is full of intention. Except when it isn’t. Thank

you for making that a very good thing. ~ GT

THE GATHERING is BACK!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019/6:00 P.M.

Menu: Hamburgers, Baked Beans,

Potato Salad, Ice Cream &

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Elders’ Meeting

September 10, 2019

7:00 p.m./ DFH

The Gathering

September 11, 2019 ~ 6:00 p.m./ DFH

Pastor Relations Committee Meeting

September 19, 2019

7:00 p.m./Pastor’s Study

CWF Meeting/Dinner for Meals on Wheels

September 24, 2019

6:30 p.m./ 2630 Reynolda Road, WS

Chicken Pie Work Shop

September 26 - September 28, 2019

Church Board Meeting

September 29, 2019

2:00 p.m./ Sanctuary

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 17:8

The phrase “apple of the eye” refers to the pupil of the eye. The Psalms were originally written

in Hebrew and the Hebrew word for “apple” is “ishon” meaning “little man”. So the phrase

means “the little man of the eye”. This is because when you look someone closely in the eye,

you can see your reflection in their pupil.

The pupil of the eye is valuable; so, when we read about us being the apple of God’s eye, we

see that we are valuable to God, we are loved by Him, cherished by Him, important to Him,

precious to Him. His eye is always on us, watching over us. Not in the sense of waiting for us

to make a mistake or fail Him, but in the sense that He loves us so much that He can’t take His

eyes off us. YOU are precious to God! He has chosen us to be His sons and daughters and

He loves us in the same way he loves His son, Jesus. John 17:23

Not only does being the apple of God’s eye mean we are loved and cherished, it also means we

are protected and cared for by Him. The pupil is the most delicate part of the eye and we will

naturally protect our eyes from harm by blinking. In the same way, God protects and cares for

us. Psalm 17:8 states “Keep me (in Your affectionate care, protect me) as the apple of Your

eye; Hide me in the (protective) shadow of Your wings. As a parent, you never stop caring or

protecting your children and God our Father never stops caring or protecting us. God is our

shelter, our protector, our guard, our strength, our refuge, our safe place….

Let it soak in the depth of His love for us, strive to trust His will on our lives and know that He

gives us the strength to face whatever life throws at us because He is keeping a close watch over

us and is ever present, guarding us, protecting us and that He loves us more than we could ever,

ever imagine.

You Are The Apple of God’s Eye A HUGE THANK YOU for all

your donations of school items for

the students, teachers, and staff at

Old Richmond Elementary School.

Over 730 packages/items filled the

Chancel on Sunday, August 18.

We were especially thrilled to have School Principal

Mr. Brian Brookshire and approximately 20+ teach-

ers and staff join us in worship as we participated in

a dedication and blessing of these items that will

assist in learning, teaching, and promoting growth in

the life of these children during the coming school

year. We ask God's richest blessings on every child,

teacher, and administrator.

Thank you,

Tim Shoaf

Jackie Romanello

Outreach Coordinator Below is a list of the total items you so generously

gave:

88 packs of pencils 4 rulers

114 glue sticks/bottles 48 two-pocket folders

52 packs of notebook paper 7 scissors

14 student backpacks 12 packs of index cards

67 packs of crayons 46 boxes of Kleenex

4 boxes Band-Aids 22 packs of erasers

17 pencil cases 24 student notebooks

32 bottles of sanitizer 10 packs paper clips

18 boxes of Ziploc bags 6 pencil sharpeners

26 pencil pouches 11 packs of ink pens-teachers

8 scotch tapes 26 packs colored pencils

7 tab dividers 18 packs of construction paper

8 packs of highlighters 2- 18 gal. containers

14 packs of binder clips 8 plastic tub containers

18 packs of colored markers

“Each Family Reach A Family”

Relationships are why people come to church, they are

why they remain. Our congregation has a keen con-

cern for “bringing people into the church.” In the last

three years, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity of in-

vesting relationship in and encouraging three families

who have remained in our congregation. I now invite

each of us to make such a commitment of time and

relationship with a household that needs a church, that

we might enlarge the table of fellowship for those who

need the love of this congregation. ~ GT

“Open and Affirming”

In a recent Board Meeting, a member discussed our

need to announce our desire to provide a church home

to any and all in our world. To open one’s life in com-

passion to others is a costly decision. I am excited

about this possibility and look forward to the journey

to affirm our commitment and understand what this

means as we move into a new church year. ~ GT

Our Back-to-School Project

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Notes from Tim

Remembering in Prayer

Rose Tara: Vallie Cline

Brighton Gardens: Edna Williamson

Salemtowne: Sarah Ingram

Church Family: Marlene Thomas, Bud Barker,

Frank & Pat Barber, Tommy

Timmons, Garland Terry, John

Grice, Mary Ferguson, Ed &Connie

Snuffer, Julie Tilley, Jodi Saunders

Others:

Haley Burns: Skip and Jo Stanley’s friend

Doug McClay: Marlene Thomas’ uncle

Heather Stokes : Jill Robertson’s niece

Chuck Burleigh: Skip and Jo Stanley’s friend

John Davis: Ken and Vicki Davis’ friend

Jason Alexander: Jack and Mary Groffs’ friend

Jennifer Durham: Irma & Fred Muetzel’s

granddaughter

Geraldine Edwards: Ann Fletcher’s aunt

Jan Everton: Jo Stanley’s sister

June Fulton: Jill Robertson’s friend

Corinne Hedrick: John Grice

Cayden Kingsbury: Rodney Stilwell’s grandson

Chuck Kolstad: Evelyn Nifong’s son-in-law

Margaret Laudine: Ann Fletcher’s friend

Sue Miles: Jo Stanley’s friend

Daniel and Lewis Shields (infants) Jill Robertson’s

friends

Darlene Stewart: Ann Fletcher’s sister

Joy Stokes: Jill Robertson’s sister

Emory and Ella Thomas: Gerald Thomas’ parents

Judy West: Ann Fletcher’s cousin

Rhonda Hicks: Traci Canter’s friend

Dene Pitts: Traci Canter’s friend

Loved Ones in the Military:

Joshua Hughes, Norfolk, VA.

Chase Lee, Guam; USS Key West;

Major Hope Poster, NG, Texas;

Cpt. John G. Van Hoy IV, Fort Campbell, KY.

While you are doing your grocery shopping, please

remember to pick up cans of food and bring them to

church to contribute to the Crisis Control Food Pantry.

This month, the pantry most needs applesauce. If you

have any questions, please contact Jackie Romanello.

Thank you so much!!

SERVERS FOR September, 2019

If you are unable to serve, please

contact someone to switch with you

or call Lynda Bryant (336) 924-4223

or Jo Stanley (336) 813-2522

ELDERS: Lynda Bryant, Ruth Saalweachter

DEACONS: Betty Barker, Jack Bryant

Robert Flynt, Gene Saalweachter

COMMUNION: Lynda Bryant, Jack Bryant

OPENING AND CLOSING: Jack Bryant

Thank you for your part in ministry at PCC!

ANNA WILSON SCHEDULE

Sept. 8 - Vicki Davis

Sept. 22 - Betty Simpson

Thanks to the many volunteers who

came and worked at our first Chicken

Pie Workshop. We made 119 large

pies and 114 small pies. Below is the September

CWF Schedule:

CWF Meeting / Dinner for

Meals on Wheels

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

6:30 PM (Betty’s Office)

2630 Reynolda Road, Winston- Salem

Please bring a donation for Meals-on-Wheels.

RSVP by calling 336-480-1432 (Betty Kiger’s Cell)

Chicken Pie Workshop

Thursday, Sept. 26- 8:00AM - 12:00PM

Friday, Sept. 27- 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Saturday, Sept. 28- 8:00 AM - Done

We will complete our pre-ordered pies and make pies

for the November Bazaar. Sign-up sheet for workers

will be in the Narthex.

LOOKING FORWARD:

October 12 - 10:00 AM Turketti Workshop

October 15 - 4:00 PM Chess Tarts/CWF Meeting

October 19 - 10:00 AM Twice Baked Potatoes

(need 10 helpers)

Time TBD Sweet Potato Casserole

Time TBD Chili Beans

November 11- 8:00 AM Beef Vegetable Soup

The Fall PCC Yard Sale will be held Friday, Octo-

ber 4th & Saturday, October 5th from 8:00 a.m. -

2:00 p.m. at the Picnic Shelter. Please begin clean-

ing our your closets and drawers. Donations may be

dropped off at Room 108. If anyone needs dona-

tions picked up, please call Kitty Hunt at 336-986-

5106 (H) or 336-775-8965 (C). Please mark your

calendars and tell your friends and neighbors!

CWF News

A Great Day at Camp Discovery VBS

Saturday, August 3, was a wonderful day for spiritual

education, activities and fun for 14 children from our

church and community. Our theme: “Jesus is the Light

of the World” was experienced through a “campfire

setting” of Bible Lessons, and singing This Little Light

of Mine and several other lively songs. Crafts included

stained glass window sun-catchers, a small “campfire”

nightlight craft complete with a flicker-like glow, and

paperweights with a picture of Jesus --the Shepherd

and the lost sheep. A miniature golf activity of Putt-

Putt helped the kids to better understand the meaning of

Psalm 23!

Thanks to all our church VBS volunteers who helped to

make this a spectacular VBS event! -Tim

Please remember to pick up

your Fall Secret Place

Devotional located on the

table in the Narthex.

I have vivid memories singing the verses of the hymn

“Open My Eyes, That I May See” in the early 1960’s at

Fairview United Methodist Church when I was small.

The Scriptures teach us that our faith in Christ employs

all of our God-given senses:

Sight – “Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of

the earth” - (Isaiah 45:22)

Hearing – “Hear, and your soul shall live” (Isaiah 55:3)

Smell – “Thy name is like ointment poured forth” -(Song of Solomon 1:3)

Touch – “If I may but touch His garment, I shall be

well” -(Matthew 9:21)

Taste – “O taste and see that the Lord is good” -(Psalm 34:8)

In order to receive God’s truth properly, then, we must

have our entire being alive and alert to His every

prompting. In general, most Christians do not deliber-

ately and dramatically disobey God. Instead we simply

do not heed Him by being sensitive to His leading in

the small details of our lives. How important that we

learn the lesson taught by this hymn text that we should

have seeing eyes, hearing ears, a verbal communication

of the truth, and a loving heart for sharing God’s love.

All of this is possible as we are illuminated by the Holy

Spirit during times of quiet waiting.

Clara Scott, author and composer of this hymn, taught

music in the Ladies’ Seminary at Lyons, Iowa. Mrs.

Scott was a prolific composer of vocal and instrumental

music, including a book of anthems, The Royal Anthem

Book, published in 1882. These words have since been

widely used to help believers have a greater awareness

of God’s will for their lives and a readiness to obey.

Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth

Thou hast for me; place in my hands the wonderful

key that shall unclasp and set me free.

Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth Thou

sendest clear; and while the wave-notes fall on my

ear, everything false will disappear.

Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm

truth everywhere. Open my heart and let me prepare

love with Thy children thus to share.

Ask God to activate your senses for receiving His truth

and to make you more sensitive to the needs of those who

need to hear “the warm truth” and to experience His love.

Grace to you, Tim

*(portions of this article taken from HYMNS - Ken Osbeck)