Life in the NC

Wow, has it been a long time since I've posted anything.  I had grand plans when we came to NC back in 2013 to keep up with this, but ministry easily took over.  I truly feel like this is the first time in a really long time that I've had the opportunity to actually slow down a bit and ponder.

So much has gone on since we came here, there's no way to even scratch the surface.  I've learned so much about people and ministry and myself.  I've done five funerals and two baptisms (one being our grandson Rilo, in FL).  We've had numerous folks share our living space in this big house - sometimes only for a short visit, other times for months on end.  We've made friends both within and outside of the church, and still feel very strongly that we are where we're supposed to be.

Kim went to Campbell University for a semester and then switched to Fayetteville State University and is hoping to complete his degree in geography in the next 12-18 months.  He's doing really well in school is excited for the job opportunities this degree may open up for him.  Emma, our sweet furry girl follows him wherever he goes around the house, but then takes up residence at my feet when Kim leaves for school.

I seem to have filled every crevice of time with ministry activities.  Besides the weekly responsibilities of sermon preparation and the bulletin and insert preparations I go to choir every Wednesday evening - both singing with them and sometimes teaching them a contemporary song with the guitar.  We usually do one contemporary song along with two hymns in our worship on Sundays.  After choir practice is usually bible study at the manse.  We've had anywhere from two to twenty-two depending on the night!  We definitely feel the Lord's presence so much more when we are steeped in His word, and we really enjoy having people regularly in our home.  We share dinner together and then do the study and prayer, and it's always good…I never get tired of it.

Almost right away I hooked up with a pastor's group in a nearby town that meets weekly to discussion the scripture and sermon possibilities using the lectionary texts.  I'm the sole woman, and not quite the youngest - but close.  They're a great bunch of guys though, and they've been so helpful as I've navigated these first years in pastoral ministry.  I also have gotten involved in the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina.  We have a group of five of us from Sardis who make up a "balcony team" who have met, along with four other balcony teams, in a community of practice for the last year and a half.  Together each of our teams have been learning all we can about what makes up our churches - history, context, values, theology, etc. - and we've been moving towards figuring out who we really are, who our respective "neighbors" are, and what it is that God might be calling us to.  It's a two-year commitment by each church to work towards transforming and revitalizing their church and ministry.  It's been a great experience and we've met some great people who love the church and are willing to do the hard work so that their church doesn't ultimately die.  It's hard but good work, and out of this process another opportunity has presented itself to become certified as a Missional Transformation Coach.  I'll be starting that process soon, and I'm excited.  It really fits in with my sociology background and interests.

I've also agreed to be the chair of the New Church Development Committee with the presbytery.  I'm excited to be jumping into that with the knowledge I gained in Pittsburgh and I'm eager to learn more about NCD possibilities in our presbytery.  I have a great group of people to work with, and we have some smaller Hispanic plants along with a larger more traditional church plant near Wilmington that's doing really well.  

Hopefully I have a good mix of local and presbytery ministry happening.  We have some outreach activities we do through the church - supplying four local schools with shoes, sweats, and some school supplies; we try to go every couple months to the Beacon Rescue Mission to provide dinner and some encouragement and prayer for the residents; we hope to partner more with the local House of Hope once it opens its doors; and I really hope we can take a group on a short-term mission trip at some point.  Our men's group has done a couple work trips to help with repairs at the local presbytery camp, and I have a seminary friend's youth group coming this summer to do some work at the House of Hope and Beacon.  I love being able to partner with others in ministry!

We're hosting our first Women Gathering in Faith women's retreat next month, and my friend and mentor Ann Been from Colorado will be in NC and has agreed to speak.  I can't wait to see her, and for my friends here to meet her!  Sammy and I will be leading the worship time.

Kim has finals next week and then the rest of the month off.  He's taking a math class in the June term and then will be off until fall.  Sean and Megan are coming for their first visit in June and Alex, Brittaney, and their little baby Blake will make their way up from Florida as well.  With Sammy, Chris, and Sawyer having lived with us since the first of the year, we're gonna have a full house - and we can't wait!!!  July we're hoping to go to Colorado for a couple of weeks to spend good time with the family and enjoy the dry, hot Colorado summer with its blue skies and peaches and chile peppers!  Those are all the things we miss most - people, peaches, and peppers!

Well, that pretty much brings things up to date.  I hope to be better about writing here - not just to update, but to also share more about what I see God doing…  Kim and I are celebrating as the bible reading plan we started when we arrived here - to read the bible in a year together - will be finished in two days, finally.  It's been a solid foundation for us to come together regularly to read scripture and pray together as often as we could.  (As you can see, it hasn't turned out to be daily.)

We are so thankful for how God continues to grow us and use us and reveal to us even more of who He is and His great love for us.  Just when you think you get a handle on it, He blows your mind again.  God is still so very, very good and we are so very, very grateful.

Until next time...

The Year in Pictures - 2012

     The year is nearing an end...  As we peruse through the many pictures on my computer it's easy to spend hours looking and reminiscing over each one remembering the sounds and smells and feelings that went along with each one.  Many of the pictures we took ourselves, and others were sent via text or email or copied off of Facebook.  They're all of people and places that touched our lives in the last year.  

     We see pictures of seminary friends who were such a big part of what made up our time in Pittsburgh.  Girlfriends attending wedding and baby showers, meeting for coffee at the little Taza Doro coffee shop down the street, texting and emailing prayer requests and pleas for help and encouragement and accountability...  Inviting friends into our home to share a meal, have a glass of wine, watch a movie, relax and have fun together, or just gripe and vent about school or our Committees on Preparation for Ministry who we were so dependent on for our next steps!!  Meeting up with the guys at Silkies for a cold beer, killer waffle fries, and theological debate.  Really fond memories and really amazing people wanting to make a difference and help people come to know Jesus in ways that will transform their lives.

Lesley, Mel, Sally, Tai, Katie & Lindsay

Mike, Jordan, & Dan - my bud's.

     With thanks to technology we were able to watch our grandson Rilo grow and learn.  He was able to talk with us via FaceTime or Skype, see and continue to know about us and our love for him from videos and emails, pictures and letters we would exchange.  We were able to be in FL in March for both his third birthday and the wedding of our nephew Alex to Brittney Sterret.  An awesome time with  almost the whole family (we missed Sean's wife, Megan).

     June 1st was the huge celebration with graduation at its center!  Sal's sister Lee, along with kids Sammy and Charlie drove up from FL.  Sarah and Rilo flew in and surprised Sal, and good friends Karen and Dave Jensen flew in from CO!  Our housemates Jon and Kristen also had their families attend, so we had a full house much of the time - which was interesting with all of our stuff packed up and lining either side of the living room!

Some of my closest friends. We are in the Company of New Pastors together. 

Jon, Kendra, Sally, Will, Mike, Katie, Mike, Mel, & Dan.

East Liberty Presbyterian Church, where we had our commencement exercises.

 Lee, Sammy, Karen (Stewie), and Sarah at graduation.  My prayer team!

Sarah, Kim and I.

My sister Lee and I.

Me, Kim, Rilo, & Sarah.

Graduation picnic on our patio, June 2, 2012.

Our awesome photographer daughter caught this on graduation day. My biggest supporter.  My love.  :)

     So the adventure continued as we put all of our belongings in storage in Pittsburgh, loaded a few things - along with our trusted companion and best friend Charlie, our black lab, and we headed to FL to live with Lee, Charlie, Sarah and Rilo until I found a call.  We just hated that....

Rilo on one of our many kite-flying evenings at the beach.

Rilo and his stick horse "Bullseye" on one of our many walks.

Rilo on our walk on the jetty.

Rilo and one of his favorite books at reading time.

Rilo and Papa snuggling up...a regular morning and/or evening occurrence.

     While we loved being with the VanMeter clan, Sarah, & Rilo, we were hurting financially and not finding any work.  We knew we could go work for Ellen (Sal's sister) in CO on her orchard.  So with help from Sal's folks (and many others) we were able to make our way across the country where we settled in Ellen's orchard house.  Sal picked and packed peaches while Kim was chief cook (lunch provider) and groundskeeper.  Such GOOD work...and FUN, too!

 Sal working in the orchard.

Jamie & Ellen

View from the orchard looking north toward the Bookcliffs.

Josh & Jamie in the packing shed.

Sal & Ellen pickin' peaches!

Lotsa peaches!

     We were also able to make some money picking and sorting grapes at a local vineyard.  The working conditions were awesome!

Kim picking grapes.

Kim in the vineyard.

Lotsa grapes for lotsa wine!  

     As summer turned into fall we were able to take a trip to Durango with Ellen, Jamie, Sean & Megan.  Through a friend of Jamie (Ellen's boyfriend), we were able to get free tickets to the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad!  It was awesome and the colors were still around enough that we were constantly "Ooooooing and Ahhhhing" at the beautiful scenery.  What a treat!

Kim & Sal on the train!

 Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Train

Seanie on the train.

Blue, blue skies of Colorado.

Kim & Sean in Silverton.

Kim & Sal in Silverton.

Colorado gorgeousness on the way back down to Durango....

     We tried to take advantage of this beautiful place while we were here - walking our lab Charlie down by the river trail, going up on the Grand Mesa or out on Kokopelli Trail or near the Colorado National Monument to hike.  

Kim at Tabeguache Trail

Sean & Megan

Sean - had a little Captain in him!

Kim & Megan

Sal & Kim - Tabeguache Trail - Thanksgiving morning, 2012.

     We've tried to take time to really connect with our friends and family here, knowing that it won't last forever...  Helping serve high schoolers at weekly Tuesday Lunches hosted by First Presby, helping serve dinner monthly at the local homeless shelter, Kim jumped back into helping on Sunday mornings with the preschoolers, and Sal joined the praise band a few times as well.  An Advent Bible study for Sal and connecting with some of the men-folk for Kim.  Family dinners semi-regularly.  Good stuff.

Thanksgiving 2012 at Sean & Megan's with Jamie, Ellen, Aly, Megan's grandma Evelyn, 

Megan & Sean.

Game time with Ellen, Aly, & Mark (Megan's dad).

      In October and November Sally finally had multiple churches contacting her to answer questions, do phone and Skype interviews, and send video'd sermons.  As time went on it was obvious that one church in Linden, North Carolina was very interested.
     In this midst of all this our sweet Charlie Bear, our 6-year-old black lab, started going downhill.  After a couple vet visits we found out that her kidneys and liver were failing and the vet was unable to stop the process.  We had to make the horrible decision to put her down...  It's still hard to think on.  She was a big part of our journey the last 3 1/2 years through seminary and beyond.  We miss her a lot..

Sal & Charlie on Lost Lake Trail - Grand Mesa, CO

Charlie taking a dip.

Kim & Charsy on Lost Lake Trail.

Charlie & Sal playing in the park - an older picture from Highland Park - Pittsburgh, PA.

Sweet Charsy.

     After a quick trip for Sally to Nashville for a Company of New Pastors gathering, we were contacted by Sardis Presbyterian Church asking if we would be interested in coming for a visit and Sally would preach at a neutral pulpit.
     We flew out the weekend before Thanksgiving and were given a huge dose of Southern hospitality! We fell in love with the people, were intrigued with the area, and excited about the potential for ministry growth there.  After more hoops, Skype meetings, ordination examining, and congregational voting, we received the word two days before Christmas that Sally is officially the new pastor for Sardis Presbyterian Church, Linden, NC!!!
     We have a four bedroom/three bathroom manse waiting for us, and a lovely congregation ready to jump into doing life together and experiencing the love of Jesus in new and transforming ways.  We are starting our drive East the day after New Year's.  God has been so good to us.  We have a great adventure ahead!

The gift basket we received upon arriving for our visit to Linden, NC.

Sardis Presbyterian Church

The new fellowship hall at Sardis PC

The new kitchen/fellowship hall at Sardis PC.

My future office at Sardis PC!

The chancel area at Sardis PC.

The sanctuary from the front.

The sanctuary from the back.

Outside of the sanctuary at Sardis PC.

Looking at the manse from the church parking lot.

The manse....our new home as of January, 2013.

The manse, looking towards the church.

 Our new home.

     Since the congregation has voted we've received regular emails from folks welcoming us, introducing themselves, and telling us how excited they are that we're coming.  Some have even sent pictures...here's my favorite..

The Chrismon tree in the sanctuary at Sardis Presbyterian, Linden, NC.

     We're going to miss our Colorado family, but we look forward to becoming a part of our new family  at Sardis Pres.. they have no idea what they're in for!

 THE COLORADO CONTINGENCY!

Back row: our niece Aly Wilson, Sally, Kim, Mark Tauber (Megan's dad) Megan Henry (Sean's wife), and our son Sean Henry.

Front:  Sal's older sister Ellen Wilson and her boyfriend Jamie Gormley

Let the adventure continue....