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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

Volume 2, Number 7

January 2019

The Season of Epiphany

A Note from the Worship Committee

PCC and guests have just experienced another musical blessing from our Chancel Choir and our outstanding Bell Choir. You have once again outdone yourselves with your presentation of “An Evening of Christ-mas Music” which was under the direction of our magnificent Tim Shoaf. Each of us who attended the Cantata left with our hearts filled with Thanksgiving and Peace. We thank all of who participated and your selfless hours of rehearsals. Our Christmas Elves were at it again this year making our Sanctuary even more beautiful than before! We thank each of you! We are so grateful to Evelyn Nifong and her team for their hard work decorating and preparing delicious food for the Reception held after the Cantata. What a wonderful opportunity to reach out and enjoy our neighbors and each other. We thank each of you who attended the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Your presence made it very special. Once again it is time to look ahead and be thankful for each other and our many blessings we have shared at PCC. Your Worship Committee wishes you hope and the blessings of a New Year. We are so grateful for each of you.

Elders’ Meeting Thursday, January 10, 2019/ 7:00 PM

Education Building, Room 104

__________

Church Board Meeting Sunday, January 13, 2019/ 2:00 PM

Education Building, Room 104

___________

Pastor Relations Committee

Meeting Thursday, January 24, 2019/ 7:00 PM

Education Building, Room 104

January 6, is celebrated as Epiphany or

Three Kings’ Day. Epiphany is the climax

of the Advent/Christmas Season and the

Twelve Days of Christmas, which are

counted from the evening of December 25

until the morning of January 6, the Twelfth

Day. Epiphany means “to show,” “to make

known” or “to reveal.” We remember the

coming of the wise men bringing gifts to

visit the Christ child, who by so doing

"reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and

King. The Wise Men or Magi who brought

gifts to the child Jesus were the first

Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King"

and so were the first to "show" or "reveal"

Jesus to a wider world as the Christ. This

act of worship by the Magi corresponded to

Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus

would be "a light for revelation to the

Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was an indication

that Jesus came for all people, and that the

work of God in the world would not be

limited to only a few.

Epiphany is now observed as a time to

focus on mission; of the church’s mission

to reach others by "showing" Jesus as the

Savior of the world. -Tim

mailto:office@pfafftownchristian.orghttp://www.pfafftownchristian.orghttp://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html

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Prayer

Requests

Rose Tara: Vallie Cline

Brighton Gardens: Edna Williamson

Church Family: Garland Terry, Bud Barker, John Grice, Mary Ferguson, Connie & Ed Snuffer,

Edith Sprinkle, Evelyn Nifong, Julie Tilley

Others: Raymond Nifong: Ken and Vicki Davis’ friend

Jason Alexander: Jack and Mary Groffs’ friend

Martha Blevins: Marlene Thomas’ family

Haley Burns: Skip and Jo Stanley

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

Louise Davis Moore

Daniel and Lewis Shields (infants) Jill Robertson’s friends

Angela Joy Neal: Gennie Romanello Sinclair

Darlene Stewart: Ann Fletcher’s sister

Joy Stokes: Jill Robertson’s sister

Emory and Ella Thomas: Gerald Thomas’ parents

Teresa Tyndale: Edith Sprinkle’s friend

Judy West: Ann Fletcher’s cousin

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.

As Way Leads on to Way

“Wiggle Worms” Don’t even bother with the dictionary. “Wiggle worm” is

not there. To find one, you had to be on the third pew of

the Springfield Baptist Church on a Sunday morning. One

would show up about the time of the pastoral prayer. The

prelude to the pastor-led prayer was a moment of silence. A

moment-become-an-hour to a preschooler. So long seemed

this vacuum of time and space, I feared for the twelve

o’clock dismissal.

At the prompting of the pastor, we bowed our heads and

closed our eyes and in that vast continuum of time and

space I attempted to focus upon God. God knows I tried. It

even became a game: “Today, I’ll keep my eyes closed the

entire prayer. Today, I’ll be still.”

Never happened. My need for constant moving caused

my father to chuckle and say, “You’re worse than a wiggle

worm on a hot brick.” Cute, but not a compliment.

My father owes me an apology. Today, wiggle worms are

the rule! The church not only accepts the meditation-

challenged, but works diligently to provide the hot bricks.

Hypnotized by the urge to “Just do it” and defined by

technology, the Christian devotional life has given way to

the need for sight and sound in individual and corporate

worship. Kids today don’t know how good they have it.

Most adults as well. Forced to sit in the silent spaces of a

pastoral prayer, persons might break under the strain of

facing their lives in undeniable honesty. Struggling to focus

for five minutes on God could make us too tired to continue

the service. Pausing in the week to listen for God might

frighten us, as we are not used to the rhythmic pounding of

our hearts. Sitting still on the hot bricks of our existence

could sear our consciences: “Easier to wiggle through the

week. Better to be a worm for Jesus than a slug for Satan!”

An old proverb says “Do not speak unless you can improve

upon the silence.” Unfortunately, our words and deeds no

longer grow out of the stillness, but silence has become an

annoyance to the wiggling of our bodies and the wagging of

our tongues. On second thought, I owe my father the apol-

ogy. I’m sorry if my need to wiggle precluded your need

to be still and know your God. But for what it’s worth, my

memories of you, eyes closed and very still in worship, are

the better part of me. -GT

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MENU: Breakfast Foods: Tenderloin, Bacon, Eggs, Grits, Fried Apples, Biscuits and Strawberry

Jam

The Gathering

January 9, 2019

6:00 p.m.

Upper Fellowship Hall Pastor On Holiday

Our pastor will be on holiday vacation December 31

through January 6. If you have a need, please contact

Tim or your family’s Elder. Your Elder is listed your

PCC Yearbook. Steve Clodfelter will be preaching at

the worship service this Sunday, January 6.

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Notes from Tim

Epiphany and the Carol

We three kings of orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar

Field and fountain, moor and mountain,

following yonder star.

Included in the Christmas season is the Feast of the

Epiphany which we celebrate on Epiphany Sunday, January

6th each year. This holy day celebrates the arrival of the

three men from the East, we refer to as the Wise Men, Magi,

Kings, etc. as they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and

myrrh to the Christ Child.

This carol was composed by the American John Henry

Hopkins, Jr. for the 1857 Christmas pageant at the General

Theological Seminary in New York City where, at that time

Hopkins was the seminary's music director. The carol wasn't

published for public use until six years later in 1863. Both

the words and melody of this carol are stirring as they

describe the arrival of the Magi which marked the first

approach to Jesus by gentiles. While Jesus was born Jewish

and was hailed as the King of the Jews, his message was for

the entire world and the story of the arrival of the Magi in

the Gospel of Matthew is the first mention in the Bible of

gentiles coming to worship Jesus.

In this carol, Hopkins begins by describing the Magi

traveling with their royal gifts in the first verse. While the

guiding star over Bethlehem is described in the chorus

between verses, each of the next three verses describe an

individual gift and its significance. Gold, is offered to

represent Christ's kingship. Frankincense, which is men-

tioned frequently in the Bible as being used in religious

rites, is given to recognize Christ's deity. Finally, there is the

myrrh also used in religious rites but mostly for funeral rites

in times past. Myrrh is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark

where Mark describes Christ, just before His crucifixion,

being offered, and refusing, a cup of wine laced with

myrrh—something that was intended to deaden the pain of

His crucifixion. The image of Christ's future crucifixion is

made even more vivid as the third and fourth lines of the

verse continue with: Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

sealed in the stone-cold tomb. This is followed by the

fifth verse that joyfully proclaims Jesus' glorious

resurrection which will follow His crucifixion. In these

five short verses, Hopkins ties the two holiest days of

the Christian calendar, Christ's birth at Christmas and

His resurrection at Easter, together in one lyrical and

very moving carol.

As we sing this carol on Epiphany Sunday, January 6,

may we, as the Kings from the Orient, be led to follow

that wondrous star to Bethlehem and kneel down before

the Christ Child offering our hearts and our lives to Him

as our gifts, as He fills us with the love and joy that

only He can offer!

Go! Tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

- Tim

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Crisis Control Donations

Thank you for your continued faithfulness to the needs

of our community through the Crisis Control Ministry.

During the month of January, we will continue to

collect toilet paper. Please place your items in the

“Crisis Control Box in the hallway near the Narthex.

Thank you!

ELDERS: Tony Bryant, Beth Faircloth

DEACONS: Betty Barker, Jack Bryant

Jackie Romanello, Paul Shropshire

COMMUNION: Paul Shropshire

OPEN/CLOSE: Tony Bryant

Thank you for your part in ministry at PCC!

SERVERS for January 2019

Contact Jo Stanley or Lynda Bryant

if you cannot serve

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9:45 a.m., Education Building, Room 104

“NOW THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS BEGINS”

Based on the poem by Howard Thurman, our conver-

sations will center on living the life that Emmanuel’s

presence gifts us in this season of Epiphany.

Sunday, January 6

No Connect Group (Pastor on Vacation)

Sunday, January 13

The Gift of Tradition, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sunday, January 20

The Gift of Celebration, John 2:1-11

Sunday, January 27

The Gift of Home, Luke 4:14-21

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and the princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among brothers,

To make music in the heart. - Howard Thurman

A Word of Gratitude...

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord.

Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give

you hope and a future”~ Jeremiah 29:11

What a true blessing it is to be your new Office Admin-

istrator! When I decided to leave state government after

nearly 30 years, I prayed that God would give me a part-

time job, preferably a position in a local church, one that

was close to home and one that would give me time to

visit my two granddaughters in Boone. I claim Psalm

37:4 which states, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He

will give you the desires of your heart.” Our God is an

amazing loving and forgiving God and I am so thankful

to Him and to everyone here at PCC for allowing me this

opportunity to serve Him and you. I have been welcomed

with so much loving and warmth from everyone. I look

forward to working with all of you to make Pfafftown

Christian Church all that it can be and ultimately for His

glory! ~Traci Canter

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ANNUAL BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON

In celebration of our church family birthdays, we will

have our Annual Birthday Luncheon in the Upstairs

Fellowship Hall on Sunday, January 27, following the

Worship Service. This will be an enjoyable event as

you share with others who celebrate birthdays the same

month as you.

Lunch will be provided consisting of a salad bar, baked

potato bar, homemade soup, and of course, birthday

cake for everyone!

We will have a “Remember When” display table and

invite each person attending the luncheon to bring with

you a special toy(s) that was given to you as a child or

an item or photo of remembrance that you would be

willing to share on the display table! (I know most all

of us have a few toys and/or a picture and maybe an

old cherished birthday card from a special birthday that

you could share or a gift you received at Christmas or

another occasion when you were young that has a

special meaning to you). Start brainstorming about

something you could bring and display!

Please mark your calendar for Sunday, January 27 and

plan to join your church family and friends for a really

spectacular time of food and fellowship!

In Appreciation... A Word of Thanks...

Dear Pfafftown Christian Church,

Thank you so much for the gift of a most special

sacred Christmas program. I feel so blessed to

experience this evening again this year with my

mother (Martha M. Lilly) and sister.

As soon as my mother received your newsletter and

saw the date, I had it on my calendar to make plans

to travel to NC! This was her one big Christmas

wish at age “93” to be able to be there in person.

Tim is such a wonderful director and the whole choir,

handbells, and musicians all added up to make the

most beautiful celebration of the “Winter Rose.”

It was such a privilege to hear Jill again as well.

The reception was a treat, not only good food, but

precious fellowship.

Please receive this enclosed love offering and use it

for the church as needed.

Merry Christmas and

Love in Christ,

Mike and Susan Sowers

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Reverend Gerald Thomas,

My husband and I were invited by our friends Ken

and Vicki Davis to the Christmas Celebration at

their church last Sunday, December 16. We didn’t

know what to expect but thought it would be a

pleasant evening. To say that we were STUNNED,

in a good way, is to say the least! The whole experi-

ence was magnificent -- I wanted to stand up and

cheer after each segment.

The music was Majestic, Joyful, and so very

Beautiful. The voice of Jill Gardner was thrilling. I

have no words good enough to express the creativity

and talent and passion of Tim Shoaf for the

masterpiece that he created. I was hoping the whole

program was being recorded because I wanted to

hear it again--and again. Please send our huge thank

you to him and all who made this the fabulous

experience that it was!

What came to mind as we were experiencing the joy

of the evening was a line from the Bible: “Joy is the

infallible sign of the presence of God.”

I could feel God’s presence last Sunday in your

Sanctuary -- and I feel sure I wasn’t the only one.

Thank you all for a wonderful Christmas Gift!

Sincerely,

Rosemary and Ed Azevedo

P.S. The food and fellowship after was terrific,

warm, friendly, and delicious.

Thank You

A BIG “Thank You” to Gerald Fletcher, Cliff Hunt, Dan

Binkley, Brad Fletcher, Alan Fletcher and Tim Shoaf

who helped at our Church Workday on Saturday,

December 8th. They trimmed shrubbery, raked leaves,

replaced light bulbs and performed other tasks to get the

church ready for the Christmas Season. The church

grounds look beautiful thanks to your hard work!

Also, thanks to Harry Nifong for clearing snow off the

steps and sidewalks around the church in preparation for

the Cantata and Evening of Music held on December 16.

Dear Pfafftown Christian Church,

I wanted to take this opportunity during the

Christmas season to express my gratitude to the

congregation of Pfafftown Christian Church for

your kindness and generous donation to myself

and my wife, Susan, during my cancer treatment

last year. As you can well imagine, it was a tough

time, both physically and financially, but through

the power of community, God’s love, and your

prayers, we indeed made it through.

I know your support and love for my parents,

Garland and Sue Terry, helped enormously in

their time of worry.

All of you are very much loved and appreciated

and we will continue to “pay it forward.”

Happiest of holidays, Lee Terry

Address Update! Sue Conrad

230 Miller Pointe Drive

Winston-Salem, NC. 27106

(Please update this address in your

Church Yearbook)