Dear Church,
This is our first post of the new year! It’s been a busy transition to the new year! At FPCoG, this new year brings several new things, such as…

*The welcome and blessing of our confirmation class of young people on January 7
*Ordination and Installation of new Elders and Deacons and the first leaders meeting of 2024, also on January 7…
*A new Blanket Drive confirmation service project to benefit the unhoused in Johnston County…
*The start of our Vertical lift project in the next few weeks, thanks to the generosity of the congregation with the provisions of God’s grace…
*The roll-out of a new Church vision statement…
*And the beginning of the first part of my pastoral sabbatical, which will be January 11-February 6.

These new things—and many others not mentioned out loud—bring excitement. But like with any new thing, concern and awkwardness can also be felt as we do something different. To settle my heart and mind, I have been reading Psalm 136 for the last several days and reciting silently and out loud to myself the refrain of this song: “God’s steadfast love endures forever.”

This refrain has been a powerful anchor for me, a reminder that through all the anticipation and awkwardness of doing new things, God’s presence is constant. Christ’s peace is ever-present. The Spirit’s strength is always with us.

I hope we all can turn our hearts and minds to this great good news and deepen our trust in its promise. No matter what this new year brings, we are not forsaken; we are not alone. God’s steadfast love endures for us and for the world, forever.

The Lord Bless and Keep You,
Rev. Ben

Announcements

• In-Person/Livestream Worship: Join us each Sunday at 11:00 am in person or online (via Facebook live) for worship!
  • Online participation via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/firstpresbyterianchurchofgarner
• The 2024 Flower Chart is up! The flower chart is posted in the hallway and ready for sign-ups. The cost of the flowers for the coming year is $45.00.
• 2024 Pledge cards: If you haven’t gotten your pledge in yet don’t fret, it’s not too late. There are extra pledge cards on the table at the back of the sanctuary. Feel free to drop it in the offering plate or drop it by the church office anytime.
• Liftavator update: The Session has approved the pursuit of funding for the installation of a plexiglass-enclosed vertical lift near the church office and choir room. Installation of this “Liftavator” would allow greater access to our building for those with mobility issues. Thanks be to God! Including “seed” money from the existing Elevator Fund and this gift we have collected $44,550.31 to date and $19,850.00 pledged. Combined this puts us at $64,400.31, which puts us 94.7% of the way to our $68,000 goal. Ideally, we would like to reach our goal by the end of 2023. The anonymous donor was hopeful that their gift might encourage others to help meet this timeframe. Information on the liftavator and FAQ sheets can be found in the narthex. Additionally, Karen Lovering and Komivi Ekoule are available to answer any questions. Please pray and consider how you and your family might be able to contribute toward this “lofty” goal.
• Crafting Group: We’ve had a slight change from the date published in the Spire. We will be meeting on January 20th at 10am in the downstairs classroom.
• Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team: The Coordinating Team will meet on the 3rd Sunday of January (the 21st). The CT will meet in person in the Ogburn classroom immediately following the church service.
• The Ida-Joy Bible Study meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 10am at the church in the Ogburn Sunday School classroom. The next meeting will be Tuesday, January 9th. We are currently doing a study of Romans using the Interpretation Bible Studies series. In January we will cover the last chapter, chapter 10. In February we look forward to beginning a new study on the Women of the Bible! Rosemary Carmichael, Ruby Miller-Ousley, Cheryle Prater, and Regina Alexander will be serving as teachers. Even though the group is made up of seniors, we welcome anyone interested in joining us on Tuesdays.
• The Wednesday Night and Thursday Morning Bible Studies are on Christmas break: Stay tuned for announcements for when they will resume in 2024.
• The Adult Sunday School class meets each Sunday morning at 9:30 am for thoughtful discussion and fellowship in the comfort of your home or live & in person. They are using THE PRESENT WORD Bible Study. Please contact Karen Lovering or Mike Koenig for more information. Hope to see you there!
• Walking Group: The Walking Group meets each Tuesday weather permitting. The walking group will meet at the Village at 6pm to walk. We will park at Cadence assisted living on Minglewood Dr. and walk 2 laps around the Village. If you have any questions, contact Martha Long. In the event there is inclement weather, we’ll just gather the following week.