Banner Elk Presbyterian Church

February 2019

“To Know Christ and to Make Christ Known” Equipping Saints since 1893

Banner Elk Presbyterian Church PO Box 158 Banner Elk, NC 28604

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID

BANNER ELK, NC 28604 PERMIT NO. 8

PHONE: (828) 898-5406 FAX: (828) 898-7615 WEB PAGE: www.bannerelkpresbyterian.org EMAIL: office@bannerelkpresbyterian.org

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 am - 2:30 pm

For the Newsletter to be received by the first day of each month, Session has set the deadline for all submissions to be on or before the 15th of each month. We extend a sincere welcome to everyone to join us for worship and any events you see listed in the newsletter.

CHURCH LEADERSHIP & STAFF Moderator: Rev. Feild Russell Clerk of Session: Susan Carter

Class 2018 Sara Brewer - Membership/Outreach Jimmy Ennis - Building Grounds Emily Garrett - Congregational Care Ann Swinkola - Fellowship & Nurture Class 2019 Bill Ferguson - Congregational Care Murry Haber - Personnel Travis Henley - Preschool Nancy Owen - Educational Leadership Class of 2020 Steve Hill - Stewardship & Finance Carol Larson - Missions Debi Tornow - Worship Mae Weed - Communications Clerk of the Works: Larry Zimmer Permanent Funds Ministry: Jim Swinkola Co-Treasurers: Dr. Ronald L. McGowan, Dorothy Pullease Asst Treasurers: Allen Clark, Ron McGowan, Bruce Pendergast, Debi Tornow Church Staff Rev. Feild Russell, Pastor Mobile: 757-846-1105 Email: pastor@bannerelkpresbyterian.org Alisa Ballard, Office Administrator alisa@bannerelkpresbyterian.org Director of Music: Diane Rydell diane_bepc@outlook.com Admin. Assistant: Dedy Traver dedy@bannerelkpresbyterian.org Housekeeping: Margaret Trivette BEPC Preschool: A.C. Marriott, Director Mary Whiteacre, Youth Leader: maryw@bannerelkpresbyterian.org Office Telephone: 828-898-5406

From the Pastor….

2018 Annual Report from the Pastor

2018 was an unusual year in the life of Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. It was a very challenging year for your pastor in many ways.

The loss of three members of staff has created a number of disruptions and stresses on the institution that are still being felt. Parish Associates Leslie Piper and Ed Donnell provided specific ministry that has not been easily replaced. Office Administrator Rob Clemmer had more knowledge of the inner workings of our church than anyone else, leaving a hard-to-fill gap in important ministries he so skillfully resourced.

Because the real estate market improved dramatically in the area, we have watched long-time members and friends move off the mountain due to the sale of their local property. While this will always be the case, the combination of deaths, moves, and staff losses has certainly caused some anxiety and difficulty for us all.

One would expect that this becomes a time when the head of staff must “pick up his game”, so to speak. Yet last year was also a unique time for me. The birth of a first biological grandchild (she’s marvelous!), the marriage of a step-daughter, another daughter starting a new career far from home, and a debilitating stroke suffered by my mother created situations where my attention was all over the map. The month-long absence for study and vacation during October was exceptional, but the timing was not the best. I am still trying to catch up in many areas, which means pastoral leadership at the church has not been as robust as it may have needed to be.

Fortunately staff, elders, and others have stepped up, risen to the occasion, and ensured that we remain a remarkably healthy congregation. Despite all the losses and challenges, we have kept our budget at the same level as 2018, with no decreases in benevolent/mission giving. In addition, due to strong steward-ship and prudent spending, we hope to pay off our remaining Park and Play debt very soon. Alisa Ballard has joined the staff and has been diligently learning our ways and helping to pick up some of the slack. We are blessed to have a net increase in membership, with strong worship attendance numbers. Our benevolent ministry continues to make enormous differences in people’s lives and our hands-on caring ministries remain strong. Mary Whiteacre, with only a few hours per week to give, has helped keep our youth engaged. The Preschool continues to be the premier early childhood education option in the county, with a full enrollment and exceptional staff.

While much is very healthy, some areas need significant attention in 2019: The music program has seen a decrease in participation, mostly due to illness and people moving away. Because this is an essential ingredient of our worship and a draw for many in the community (few if any other congregations in our area focus on traditional sacred music), we must find ways to reinvigorate the program. (continued on next page)

Opportunities To Learn And Grow

Faith Seekers’ Class - 9:30am Room 215

About the Faith Seekers’ Class: Explore various issues, using music, video and conversation. Money: Receives an offering for good causes and needs

Faith Seekers will continue its study of the Yancy book, Vanishing Grace; Bringing Good News to a Deeply Divided World. Why does the church stir up such negative feelings?” Philip Yancey has been asking this all his life as a journalist. His perennial question is more relevant now than ever: in a twenty-year span starting in the mid-nineties, research shows that favorable opinions of Christianity have plummeted drastically—and opinions of Evangelicals have taken even deeper dives.

January Session Review • Examined, then ordained and installed Bob Blalock and Lyndsay Ennis as elders serving on

Session, and installed Connie Addison and Bob Todd (previously ordained) to Session • Voted to change direction from seeking an un-ordained Director of Youth/Children’s Ministry to

pursuit of an ordained Associate Pastor with an emphasis on Children and Youth • Elected Susan Carter as Clerk; Bill Ferguson and Carol Larson as Assistant Clerks; Dorothy

Pullease as Treasurer; Ron McGowan, Bruce Pendergast, Debi Tornow, and Allen Clark as Assistant Treasurers, all for 2019

• Set 2019 communion dates as the first Sunday of each month, Maundy Thursday, and Christmas Eve

• Transferred membership of Jane Boyer to First Presbyterian, Austin, TX, and Teresa Taylor to Arbor Dale Presbyterian of Banner Elk

• Commissioned Bill Ferguson as our representative to the January 26 meeting of Presbytery in Gastonia • Approved January 26-27 as a Quarterly Weekend for the Pastor • Invited Billy Robinson, Associate Executive Presbyter, to preach on Jan. 27 • Scheduled Sunday, February 3, for the Annual Congregational Meeting and Annual Meeting of the Corporation,

immediately following worship • Appointed Bill Ferguson to lead a Task Force which will recommend to Session updates for, and makeup of, the

Columbarium Committee • Celebrated the ability to pay off our final loan early due to the wise budgeting of Session and faithful stewardship of

the congregation • Heard reports on the total enrollment and financial health of the Preschool; plans to send 7 youth to the Montreat

Youth Conference this summer; an effective structure for administering the Rob Clemmer Benevolence Fund; additional encouraging responses to the work of the Permanent Funds Ministry; and the Pastor’s reflections on the health and activity of the congregation over the last year

• Removed the “Interim” status of Administrative Assistant Alisa Ballard - through the Personnel Committee’s review and action - , continuing her employment with BEPC with the previous arrangements intact

Permanent Funds Ministry

From the Back Pew… …and the Permanent Funds Ministry

When Father Time closed the door on 2018, he simultaneously opened the door to 2019, ready for new actions, activities and accomplishments. I hope you feel good about the bucket list items you achieved last year. At the risk of suggesting that anyone has already broken their new year’s resolutions for 2019, Father Time forgives all such lapses, recognizing that bucket lists transcend time and are always good going forward! You have ongoing opportunities to visit those bucket lists!

Last year several of our fellow church members made decisions to include the Permanent Funds Ministry in their estate plans - a great way to go forward! Their documents are signed and sealed, bucket item achieved. What about you? Have you thought about remembering the “good works” of Banner Elk Presbyterian? If you’ve not taken action, Father Time is offering a whole new year to work on that bucket!

Session Review

Women’s Study Group The Women’s Study Group meets each Thursday, Jan. 3-Feb. 28 from 2-3pm in the Fellowship Hall. We are using the Presbyterian Women’s Horizons Bible Study, God’s Promise: I Am With You by Amy Poling Sutherlun. You are welcome to join us as we discuss God’s presence in our lives. For those who are interested, we meet at noon for lunch at Holston Presbytery Camp prior to the study in the fellowship hall at 2:00. Please contact Donna Dicks at 828-898-6667 if you have questions.

(continued from front page) The youth and children’s ministry needs a staff person committed to its care and growth, and Session has determined that other unmet needs warrant the addition of an ordained Associate Pastor for Children and Youth. The initial actions of a multi-step process have begun already. Session will be revisiting how various ministries are done, shifting some responsibility away from office staff and back to committee leadership. The Personnel Committee is evaluating what is essential for staff to accomplish, and where members and elders of the church should be stepping up to take on certain responsibilities. With the substantial addition of Stephen Ministry, we will need to better coordinate and organize all the ways we care for one another through overall church activities and structure: Prayer Team, Comfort Makers Quilters, Meal Train, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Shepherds, Elders of the Month, and other efforts. 2019 will clearly be a time of exciting transition for Banner Elk Presbyterian Church, but with the promise of God’s word found in Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I am doing a new thing…” Let’s get busy! Feild Russell, Pastor

Community Lenten Bible Series

Beginning on Wednesday, March 13, a Lenten study will take place at our church in the King Fellowship Hall. Dr. Michael Vines, professor of religion at Lees-McRae College will be the guest lecturer. Dr. Vines is an excellent and well-respected teacher on campus; he also serves as a popu-lar church school leader at Boone United Methodist, where he is a member. Plans are to have a mid-day lunch and lecture series for five weeks; participants are asked bring their own bag lunch-es. More details will follow in the March newsletter.

ALERT ! WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY In the event that weather conditions prevent us from conducting our Sunday morning service of worship, we will do our best to pass this information on to you. As soon as a decision is made, we will update our web page (www.bannerelkpresbyterian.org), send out an e-mail, change the message on the church answering machine and possibly begin a phone tree. Please know that it is never our desire to cancel a service of worship, but there are times that conditions - such as ice or power loss - warrant that we take this step to help insure the safety of our members. Please note, too, that if power is lost it could compromise our ability to follow through with the above plan. In that event, consider calling Pastor Feild Russell at 757-846-1105 for information. Always use your own judgment as to your safety in coming out!

American Red Cross Blood Drive - February 7th!!

BEPC sponsors the American Red Cross Blood Drives several times a year. The next one will be held Thursday, February 7th from 2::00-6:30pm in the King Fellowship Hall. Sponsoring a blood drive is an important community responsibility and helps many people in this area. Please mark your calendars and, if you are able, help the Red Cross reach their goal! If you want to make an appointment, you can go to www.redcrossblood.org and put in sponsor code: Lees-McRae or call Nurse Carl at 898-8862.

Annual Congregational Meeting The annual congregational meeting will be held Sunday, February 3rd, immediately following worship. The purpose of the meeting is to act on changes to the pastor's terms of call, and to present the church budget and annual report. Copies of the annual report will be made available both as hard copies and on the church web site www.bannerelkpresbyterian.org

Souper Bowl of Caring

Sunday, February 3 is the big game – the Super Bowl. It is also a bigger mission – the Souper Bowl of Caring. The number of people in Avery County who are food insecure is staggering. - as many as 1 out of every 8 and 1 out of 6 children in our county alone. This year we will be collecting funds and canned food for RAM ( Reaching Avery Ministries) which provides emergency food for those in need. They are open five days a week, providing food, diapers, baby formula etc. to those who have the greatest need. They work with Feeding Avery Families so that emergency food can be translated into access to regular food distributions. Please help us in our fight to defeat hunger in our county.

Praying with the Celtic Saints March 8-9, 2019

PWNC Annual Spirituality Retreat Bonclarken Conference Center 500 Pine Drive Flat Rock, NC 28731

Our retreat presenters are Carl McColman and Linda Abel. Carl comes to us from Clarkston, Georgia (near Atlanta), where he conducts full-time lay ministry as a Christian blogger, speaker, and educator. He is an adjunct instructor with the Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS) Center for Lifelong Learning and has led a number of CTS Spirituality programs at the seminary as well as at Montreat. Carl is a Lay Associate of the Trappist monastery in Georgia and is the author of several books, including An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom, Answering the Contemplative Call, and Befriending Silence. Linda is Co-Pastor of Hayesville Presbyterian Church. She has her Certificate in Spiritual Formation from CTS and has served as a facilitator in the program for the past sixteen years. She is a Benedictine Oblate and participates in retreats at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, on a regular basis.

The Retreat begins Friday, March 8, 3:00 p.m., and ends Saturday, March 9, 4:00 p.m. A Saturday only option is also available. Discover the prayer, poetry, folklore, and spirituality of the Celtic Christians of old — and how their down to-earth, lyrical, and hope-filled wisdom still speaks to us today. The earliest Christians of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the other Celtic lands lived close to nature, expressed their faith through poetry and folklore, and found God in all things — in the turning of the seasons, in the play of wild animals, and especially in the gathered community of prayer. Our weekend together will explore ways for us to celebrate Celtic wisdom and weave it into our lives here in the 21st century. We will pray together, enjoy the poetry and stories of the Celtic saints, and seek the still, small voice of God in the natural beauty of Bonclarken. Looking For a Good Lunch Spot?

If you like delicious food, good prices and a way to support a local ministry, you should have lunch at Holston Presbytery Camp’s dining hall. The camp is located just on the other side of Wildcat Lake at the edge of Grandfather Home for Children’s campus on Hickory Nut Gap Road.

Each weekday (Monday-Friday) from 11:00am-1:00 lunch is served, featuring two meat entrees, a choice of several vegetable side dishes, tossed salad and a drink ALL for $7! You may also order a hamburger or fried chicken sandwich with all the fixings, fries and a drink for the same low price, if you prefer. A full salad bar and a drink are available for $6.

This wonderful lunch opportunity is a new program of the camp to help support their ministry and work with children and youth during the summer. It will continue through spring, stopping for June, July and part of August to allow for their camp programs to take place.

Dedy Is Flabbergasted!

When Alice Johnson and Chris Zimmer attended a quilt show in Pigeon Forge, they bought a pattern that reminded them of Dedy Traver’s well-known and much-enjoyed tea parties. They spread the word to “crafty people” who might like to help create a one-of-a-kind tablecloth for Dedy, and the fun began. About a dozen women met to select fabric and help design colorful cups and teapots for the tablecloth. Over a period of several months, each participant prepared one or two squares which she then signed. Chris stitched them all together, forming a uniquely beautiful table covering. Although Dedy knew her friends were up to something, she was overcome with amazement at her first glimpse of the

completed gift. She says she will treasure this gift of love for many years, and she promises to initiate its use by hosting a gala tea party in the spring. “We had such a good time working together to create this gift for Dedy,” one of her friends said. “We’ve all loved attending her events over the years and look forward to celebrating with her when she has her next tea party.”

ROMEOS - Men’s Weekly Lunch Group For many years a group of men have enjoyed eating lunch together on Thursdays. Sometimes the group is referred to as ROMEOS (retired old men eating out), but in fact, some of the group are not retired--and some are not even old! So far, all members of the group are guys, but no one is excluded! Feel welcome to join this light-hearted bunch of church friends as we sample food in all the nearby restaurants. Just call the church office (898-5406) or tell Alisa or Tony if you’d like to receive the weekly phone call reminder and information.

BEPC Preschool

Banner Elk Presbyterian Church, Mother’s Morning Out - How It All Started I am delighted to share with you the history of our preschool program. This past week we got the pleasure of meeting some of the moms that started the program in 1995. “Diane Earwood, Marsha McManus, Jenny Lecka, Margaret Brannon and Carolee Thompson were the 5 mothers that knew of each other and we all had the same desire. To expose their children to other children AND give themselves some much needed breaks. They were all stay at home moms that did not have their children in a daycare situation where they would be getting that exposure. None of them lived in the traditional neighborhoods where it was easy for children to play together. So, there was the need to find a group of friends for our children to play with in a consistent manner and for the moms who needed a few hours of “me” time. Diane suggested asking her church, Banner Elk Presbyterian, if we could use the basement area as a safe meeting room. They agreed to it and Mother’s Morning Out began in 1995. The group started meeting 2 days a week from 9am-12pm. Two moms stayed and the other three had 3 hours off. They had a few more children want to join, so one of the mothers, Carolee Thompson, wanted the job of being there every time. Carolee was hired and rotated the rest of the moms to be there as her helper. Hours changed to 9am-1pm and the children brought their lunch. The volunteer mom would supply a mid-morning snack for all the kids. The program continued to grow so two moms were hired. They increased the days to 3 days a week. It is amazing how many moms and helpers worked there over the years. It was wonderful that it served the community in giving our children an unofficial “pre-school” as we added educational materials to the program, plus they were a group of friends that grew up together through high school. It also served the mothers by both providing part-time jobs or we got that precious time off. All of what it is today came out of a few moms’ need to have other children for our kids to play with, AND so that moms could have a moment to themselves a couple of times per week.” And look at our program today. We currently have 28 children enrolled with five teachers on staff. It truly is a miracle in the making and has become a large part of our community. We continue to grow both as an educational program for our children and as a professional career for our teachers. We are so proud of, and thankful for, the BEPC Preschool Program. Pictured are the “original” teachers’ daughters when they were two years-old attending day care at the church. Anna Canterbury Biddix and Diane’s, Emma Earwood Hoffman are the 2 beautiful girls right up front. That was their last year before starting kindergarten at Banner Elk Elementary. They became best friends in playgroup and still are to this day. They were in each other’s weddings this past summer!”

BEPC Elders Serving Lansing Presbyterian Church You may have noticed that Larry and Mae Weed, although members of this congregation, are often not in attendance on Sunday morning for worship. This is because they are both trained as lay pastors and are currently serving as regular pulpit supply for the Lansing Presbyterian Church in Lansing, NC. The church is a congregation of 42 members located about 50 miles from Banner Elk. Lay pastors are Presbyterian elders who have received extensive training in Bible, reformed theology, Presbyterian polity, congregational care, and preaching among other subjects. Once approved by their Presbytery, they can be commissioned to serve a congregation that cannot afford a full or part-time minister. Larry and Mae alternate weeks preaching at the Lansing church, are permitted to administer the sacraments, and moderate Session meetings. They said, “With each of us preaching every-other week we can still keep in touch with our home congregation in Banner Elk, but it is rare when we can both attend BEPC together.” Larry and Mae said, “Our time at Lansing PC has been a real blessing and a challenge for us. We have seen a small congregation that was discouraged and almost giving up on itself begin the process of revitalization and new growth! We feel that God has called us to the Lansing Church for now and we ask your prayers for us in our work and for the Lansing Congregation. Thank you!” The Presbytery of Western North Carolina offers training for lay pastors on a regular basis. If you would be interested talk to Feild Russell and he can give you the information on this program.

RAM Needs Our Help! About $4,000 per month are set aside at RAM (Reaching Avery Ministry) for folks in our community to help with their electric and kerosene heating bills. Because of unusually cold weather, budgeted funds for January have been depleted and about half of February’s monies have also been used. With such low temperatures last month (and more to come), Janet Millsaps, Director, has asked our church to assist in their mission to keep people warm, especially the elderly and disabled. Many people must rely solely on electric heating which can be very expensive and most kerosene companies will only deliver a

minimum of 100 gallons at one time. Our church immediately sent $800 out of our Missions Committee’s monies to assist with heating needs. If you can help us support RAM as it works to keep our neighbors warm, please make a donation to the church with a notation for the RAM heating emergency. Thank you for your compassion.

RAM (Reaching Avery Ministry)

"Note" of Thanks and Invitation

Many thanks to the choir, bells, and church for your generosity at the Christmas season. Choir, please know you are each appreciated and valued for your participation each week in the worship service as well as throughout the year at special events. It is a continued blessing to lead such a group on a weekly basis.

In addition, if you are interested in being a part of the choir or bells, this is a perfect time to think about joining. In choir, just bring your voice, (reading music is not required) only being able to match pitch. We provide the rest.

Handbells, also, is open to new people, and while it may help if you read music, it is not essential, just a willingness to learn something new in a fun way. If either or both groups interest you, please contact me at my e-mail, diane_bepc@outlook.com or at home (828)898-5343. - Diane Rydell

Diane Earwood, Marsha McManus, and Margaret Barnnon presenting musical instruments to preschoolers January 2019

Comfort Makers

Lost and Found…going, going, gone!

Please remember that there are LOTS of casserole type dishes and two crock pots in the fellowship hall window seat near the elevator. Anything that isn’t claimed by Feb. 8 will be donated to a local thrift shop. Take a look to see if one of these items is yours!

February Dedication - Cathy Richmond & Ed Donnell

Comfort Makers joyously dedicates the February Comforter to Ed Donnell and Cathy Richmond. This couple came to our church with a wealth of experiences from many other ministries. They brought their expertise to us, helping us expand in varied and unique ways. Ed became an associate pastor and assisted Feild in all areas of pastoral care, including taking the pulpit on many occasions. Although he has “retired” from the associate position, he continues in other service areas of the church. He has vast experience in drama, puppetry and the arts and serves on our Worship Arts Ministry Team, bringing his knowledge to Maundy Thursday services, special dramas and the

like. Cathy’s experience in education and child development has played a major role in the success of our Pre-School program, resulting in a school that goes far beyond day care; a program where children learn essential skills in emotional, intellectual and spiritual development. Cathy also launched our prayer shawl ministry where loving hands create and pray over wraps to be given to those in need of comfort. These are only a few of the many areas of service we enjoy because Ed and Cathy are in our midst. The Comfort Makers are thankful that you are part of our family. This comforter will be given to RAM, Habitat for Humanity, or another deserving cause.

Walking with Shadows

Walking with Shadows is a support group that meets to discuss, share resources, and discover new ways of coping with family and friends with mental challenges. The group meets the second Monday

of each month at 7pm in the Margaret Tate Parlor. An important part of our group is to find ways that members can place themselves in a healthy mental state so they can better serve their loved one. Any further questions may be directed to Janet Speer speerj@lmc.edu. Due to a calendar conflict, our next meeting will be the THIRD MONDAY, February 18th.

Stephen Ministries

Cathy Upchurch and Janet Speer Train for Stephen Ministry Leaders Cathy and Janet traveled to Orlando, Florida recently. They were not able to enjoy much sunshine, however, because they were training to become Stephen Ministry Leaders. Stephen Ministries is an independent, not-for-profit Christian educational organization. Its main activity is the training of Stephen Leaders who then train others in their parish to be Stephen Ministers. capable of accompanying those who are facing some crisis in life; illness, death of a loved one, divorce, relocation, financial setback, caretaking and more. It was founded in 1975 in St. Louis, Missouri, by the psychologist Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk. Representing Banner Elk Presbyterian, Cathy and Janet will now be able to introduce and implement the program over the rest of this year, educating the congregation, identify potential Stephen Ministers, and training them for service beginning January 2020. A Stephen Minister attends to a hurting parishioner “after the casseroles and family are gone,” and continues until the care receiver can successfully move forward. To become a Stephen minister takes training, and Cathy and Janet have been certified to do just that.

Banner Elk will be among the 13,000 congregations (181 denominations) who have discovered that Stephen Ministries is an effective way to demonstrate to parishioners and the community that we care deeply enough to serve beyond the first days of crisis. Currently, Feild Russell and Murray Haber have previously been certified as Stephen Ministry leaders. This team (Cathy, Janet, Field and Murray) will work closely with session to launch, educate and identify potential ministers for training. Our church is moving in a direction that should be a profound statement of our courage to seek out the hurting people and ease their pain with Christian love. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, NRSV).

Second Sunday Brunch Let us break bread together! We are back on schedule with our Second Sunday Brunches! No pot? No problem! We'll have plenty to share, but home-cooked (or store-bought) anything are key ingredients to the Second Sunday Brunch, 9:30 a.m. February10th before the 11 a.m. service. Come one, come all, "come together to eat!"

Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce Annual Members Dinner

Honors Susie and Paul O'Connell

The Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce's Annual Members’ Dinner was held at Stonewalls Restaurant January 9, 2019. Susie and Paul O'Connell were honored as the Chamber's "Persons of the Year" for their many invaluable contributions to the local community. Thank you Paul and Susie!

Chamber President Jo-Ann McMurray presents Susie O'Connell with the "Persons of the Year" Award

O’Connells Honored by BE Chamber

February Birthdays

JULIETS Thirteen Juliets enjoyed lunching together last month and will next meet at Reids in the Grandfather Center. Date is Wednesday, February 13 at 12:30pm. Please sign up at the church or call Marge Bailey ( 387-4628).

Church Happenings

Information Needed! Due to recent inclement weather and the failure of information reaching everyone, we have determined a need to update our records to maintain good communication with our members and friends. Please email admin@bannerelkpresbyterian.org or call Alisa at 828-898-5406 and indicate if you wish to remain on any of the following methods of communication: the phone tree, email announce-

ments, newsletter or none of these. Please provide current phone number, email address and mailing address when indicating your choices.

POP (Parents of Preschoolers) Our POP group (Parents of Preschoolers) will be meeting February 3rd, 4:00pm at Mac & Debi Tornow’s home for conversation, food and Bible study. Child care will be provided in the nursery room at BEPC. Please let the Tornows (828-387-4914) know if you are planning to attend. You are asked to feed your children before taking them to the church nursery.

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January 2019 Financials

1/7/19 $14,781.00 1/15/19 5,502.00 1/21/19 ice storm 1/28/19 3,220.00 Total $23,503.00

. Skyline Telephone Directory Recycling

From January 1 through March 31, Skyline Telephone Cooperative will conduct its annual directory recycling program to help eliminate landfill overload and to raise funds for local schools. Please bring your old Skyline

directories to the church office and they will be given to Banner Elk Elementary School, which earns 25 cents per directory to be used to purchase library materials. A collection box will be placed in the reception area for your convenience.

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2 Phyllis Clemmer

2 Bill Ferguson

2 Teresa Latta

3 Sarah Goode

4 Bill Kennedy

5 Maureen Walker

7 Ashley Smith

12 Kaelin Braverman

15 Emily Garrett

17 Corinne Causby

18 Lisa Shook

21 Sam Stapleton

22 Greg Ballard

22 Donna Bender

22 John Miles,II

23 Carolyn West

23 Susan West

25 Rick Garrett

25 Bruce Pendergast

26 John Balmer

26 Amanda Vergara

26 Feild Russell

27 Jason Miller

28 Jerry Shinn

2019 Flower Calendar The new calendar is now available, on the wall outside the nursery, for those wishing to provide flowers for the sanctuary on Sunday mornings. If you wish to honor a deceased loved one, celebrate a birthday or anniversary, or give thanks to God for some other occasion, please let the church office know a week prior to the Sunday that you will be donating flowers, so that we can note in the Sunday bulletin.