9-20-18

Our prayers continue to go out to the people of Eastern North Carolina as they are still suffering from the effects of historic Hurricane Florence.  Many of you have been asking me how Starmount can help.  Let me first say that I have been in contact with First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington as well as one of their mission partners called the Harrelson Center.  The Harrelson Center is a co-op of many local non-profits that are not only housed together in a common building, but that often work together towards a common purpose.
This organization is receiving donated goods on a daily basis now that a few select roads are clearing.  Many of these goods are being distributed through one of their partner agencies, Catholic Charities, who have volunteers literally canvassing neighborhoods and getting supplies to those who are in need.  I would hope that we also might be able to donate both supplies and financial resources to these organizations, and I will be in discussions with the Mission Committee in the coming days to determine the most effective ways of doing this.
Another update from our Starmount Community is the status of our Fellowship Hall Entryway renovation project.  Many of you were able to see the status of this project on our kick-off Sunday as we joined together for lunch.  I was delighted to see so many of you sign your name to the exposed boards that will soon be covered with new drywall and fresh paint.  If you haven’t had a chance to do that, I believe you still have time this weekend before that drywall comes in.
I also wanted to let you know that the “Jonah” mural that is in that hallway will be “relocated.”  This is a delightful part of our church building, and one that brings joy to adults and children alike.  As a part of this renovation, the hallway will be repainted.  Therefore, pictures of this mural have been taken and plans have been made for it to be repainted downstairs in the Children’s classrooms.
One final announcement is that the Session has called a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, Oct. 7th, following our worship service for the purpose of electing new officers.  In this Sunday’s bulletin as well as in our upcoming newsletter you will be able to find information on the proposed slate.  I would like to express my gratitude to the hard work of our Congregational Nominating Committee who have done a wonderful job.
I hope to see you all on Sunday as we continue our 4-part Sermon Series called “Who We Are.”  During this series we are highlighting Starmount’s four core values that were identified in the recent Mission Study.  This week’s core value will focus on Worship & Music.
In Christ,
Charlie Lee