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Rachel Clark, (630) 607-9938 RevRachelClark@gmail. com
What a great weekend of renewal and fellowship at New Monmouth Presbyterian Church! The weekend’s activities began with a chili and cornbread dinner (with pies for dessert) at the church pavilion on a beautiful Friday evening. We wrapped up the night with a campfire and singing.
Saturday commenced with a session led by Casey and Rachel Clark on the theme of renewal and being attentive to the work and leading of the Holy Spirit. On Saturday afternoon others from our Rockbridge community, as well as some folks from Roanoke and Northern Virginia, joined the folks at New Monmouth to hear from our special guest speaker, Karen Swallow Prior. She discussed themes from her new book, “The Evangelical Imagination,” and challenged us to reflect on the stories and metaphors that are a part of our “social imaginary.” The presentation was followed by a time of fellowship with milk and cookies in Duff Hall.
Sunday was Music Sunday and included the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. We enjoyed special music from the adult choir, the children’s choir, Teresa Thompson, Laura Hotinger, Dianne Swink, Fred and Alanna Conner, Tim Hodges, Brian Kave, and Calvin Clark. We had a lovely potluck lunch following the service.
Mark your calendar with some upcoming activities: Sunday, Nov. 12, is Stewardship Sunday when we will all be asked to prayerfully consider how God is calling each of us to contribute our time and talents to God’s work through the church. Deb Jarrett is holding a Witness Service Committee meeting after the service. God’s Circle of Fruit youth group will meet Sunday, Nov. 12, following the worship service. We will share a lunch immediately following worship service and then go visiting with some of our members. A big thank you to Jennie Gaines for providing potted begonias that we can deliver and share with these folks. All middle and high school students are welcome to attend. For more information, call Janeen at (540) 460-8147.
Sunday, Nov. 19, we will have a special Thanksgiving service at 5 pm. Our annual Advent wreath making will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. The Clarks will host their open house on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. The choir will present their cantata on Sunday, Dec. 17.
