The
Please pray for these BMPC youth and adults attending
AYM Week of Work, July 12-17
Ethan Banks
Lindsey Banks
Matt Begley
Matt Coward
Micah Davis
Maggie Decker
Joy Drummond
Caleb Holladay
Noah Holladay
Ethan Kadau
Adults:
Berry French
Jessi Stitt
Window
The news of
Black Mountain
Presbyterian Church
July 5-25, 2015
In the midst of this heat wave, things are still blossoming
here at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church.
Life is full and abundant following the installation of our new pastor, Mary Katherine
Robinson, and celebration abounds as we move into this exciting new chapter in the life of
our church! One of the goals of the Finance Ministry Team this year is to provide regular
updates to the congregation. The good news is that we have been conservative with our
expenses and income is steady. However, in the summer we typically see a dip in pledge
fulfillment. This update serves as a friendly reminder that during the summer months we
still pay:
• Commitments to our Mission Partners
• Staff Salaries
• Utility Bills
• Curriculum for the Next Year
• Mission and Youth Trips
Even though you may be on vacation or out of town during the summer, you can still pay
your pledge online or sign up for automatic draft through BMPC financial director, Laura
Farish. In addition to keeping current on your pledge, we’d like you to please consider an
extra gift toward the budgeted $35,000 deficit for 2015. At the present time, here is where
we stand financially.
*Contributions
June
Year to Date
Pledges $62,500$375,000
Actual $55,352$380,911
Thank you to all who have made financial offerings to support the many ministries BMPC
offers to our congregation and our community!
Kitty Fouche, Chair, Finance Ministry Team
*Keep in mind these numbers are somewhat skewed due to a few members paying the entirety of their pledge
at the beginning of this year.
828-669-2725 Fax: 828-669-2727
117 Montreat Road, PO Box 39
Black Mountain, NC 28711
A con g r e g at i on of t h e P C ( U S A )
Black Mountain Presbyterian Church
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U.S. POSTAGE
P A I D
BLACK
MOUNTAIN, NC
Non-Profit Org.
Calendar
Many other groups meet here, but only
BMPC events are reflected on this calendar.
Sunday, July 5
Betsy Ray preaching
9:15 a.m. FirstLight
10:15 a.m. Hospitality
11:00 a.m. Worship Service
Sunday, July 12
Please join us at our
Congregational Meeting
in the sanctuary
Sunday, July 12, at 10:30 a.m.
to elect elders and deacons to serve in 2016.
See biographies on page 8 and 9.
Happy
Birthday!
July
9:15 a.m. FirstLight
10:30 a.m. Congregational Meeting
11:00 a.m. Worship Service
6:15 p.m. Bus leaves for Asheville
Youth Mission Trip
12 Jennifer Richey
21 Pat Tubbs
13 Karen Scheidler
Andrew Bowman
Friday, July 17
16 Courtney Stiles
12:00 p.m. The Window deadline
Sunday, July 19
9:15 a.m. FirstLight
10:15 a.m. Hospitality
11:00 a.m. Worship Service
Wednesday, July 22
10:00 a.m. The Window Folding Team
The next deadline for The Window is
Friday, July 17, at noon. This issue will cover
three weeks rather than two. Please submit
your news, appreciations, and events
happening July 26 through August 15 to
[email protected].
Room In The Inn
Black Mountain Presbyterian will be hosting Room in
the Inn in our fellowship hall the week of August 1623. While several other local churches will be helping
as they always do, we will need volunteers for at least
the things listed below. Yvette Ballard will be signing
up volunteers at church beginning Sunday, July 25, but
if you would be willing to sign up earlier than that for
one of these jobs, please let her know – especially if you
could stay overnight or drive the van. You can email
Yvette at [email protected] or call her at 707-1484.
Staying overnight
(2 people each night)
Sunday evening, August 16
Tuesday evening, August 18
Saturday evening, August 22
Pat Tuttle
22 Margo Smith
15 Carol Barkley
23 Jean Holder
Hal Scheidler
Jim Burt
Bradley Rachman
Lisa Donaldson
Taylor Fisher
Driving the van
Sunday evening, August 16
Saturday evening, August 22
Sunday morning, August 23
24 Lamar Williamson
Bringing bagged
lunches
Sunday evening, August 16
Tuesday evening, August 18
Saturday evening, August 22
Sunday evening, August 16
Thursday evening, August 20
17 Miranda Garrison
18 Wade Talbot
Carlos McDaniel
Luis McDaniel
19 Iris Parker
20 Carl Franklin
25 Hank Richey
Katie Craig
Grace Martin
Phil Parker
Mary Jo Adams
Bella Mohr
CareNotes
Display Rack in Narthex
(near the sitting area)
Provided by your
BMPC Deacons.
Take any you
find to be helpful.
Bringing dinner
for 16
We will also be asking people to bring breakfast foods,
but don’t need early sign-ups for that as we will just put
a list of needed foods out beginning July 26.
Thank you for your support of this important
program.
Scottie Cannon
Property Committee
News
The Property Committee has
been working on the exterior
rafter on the south end of the
sanctuary for the past three
to four weeks. The wood had
sections of rot that had to be
restored and then the entire
rafter had to be scraped, sanded,
primed, and then painted.
Thanks to John Evans, Hal
Scheidler, and Wayne Mullis
for their work on this project.
Special thanks to John Evans
for providing the scaffolding.
Thanks to John Smith for his
continued work to restore and
repair the pews in the Sanctuary.
Without John's repairs, it is very
likely that some of us would end
up on the floor about half way
through the worship service!
Repairs should begin soon
on the water damaged wall and
ceiling in the choir robe room.
Sections of the wall and ceiling
will be cut out to allow us to
locate the source of the leak,
then repair the leak. Once this is
finished, new plaster and/or dry
wall will be installed.
Wayne Mullis
Property Committee Chair
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Jordan Kelly with Sole Hope
A little over a year ago I found myself at that
terrifying yet oh-so-exciting crossroads in life
that is college graduation. Not ready to enter
“the real world” just yet and fueled by my
deepest passions of serving
others and exploring new
cultures, I decided to travel.
I spent the summer working
at My Father’s Pizza and Pasta
in Black Mountain and the
next four months backpacking
through Europe with my best
friend from college – a.k.a.
living the dream. Then with
overwhelming financial and
spiritual support from so many
of you, I was able to fulfill
one of my lifetime dreams of
spending time in East Africa!
I traveled to Jinja, Uganda in
January to begin an internship
with a non-profit organization called Sole Hope.
Sole Hope was founded by the Collie family in
Asheville in 2010 and its mission is to eradicate
and prevent jiggers – a parasite that burrows
into the body, normally through the feet, sucks
blood and lays eggs – in Uganda while also
providing education and jobs to local people.
Sole Hope operates with help from youth
groups, book clubs, church families and other
communities throughout the United States
who host “shoe-cutting parties” (BMPC youth
group threw one this past spring!). Party
hosts purchase a party packet from Sole Hope
which includes an instructional DVD and shoe
pattern. Party participants bring old denim
and plastic milk cartons which they cut into
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the shoe pattern. These shoe materials are
subsequently shipped to Sole Hope’s Charlotte,
NC office, combined with thousands of shoe
materials from other shoe-cutting parties and
shipped twice per year to
Jinja. Once they arrive at the
Sole Hope property in Jinja,
they are sorted by size, sewn
together by two talented
Ugandan tailors, completed
by two excellent Ugandan
shoemakers who add the
soles on and are then ready
to be given to people in
need. In addition to making
shoes, Sole Hope operates
an outreach house in Jinja
where its social workers invite
people from various villages
who have serious cases of
jiggers (anywhere from 20
jiggers to 1,500) to come to have their jiggers
removed, receive shoes, heal and participate
in jigger education classes. Each Thursday, the
approximately 20 Sole Hope staff, almost all
Ugandans, and any number of volunteers travel
to a different village, usually within a two-hour
radius of Jinja, where they set up a jiggerremoval clinic at a school whose administration
has invited Sole Hope to come. At these clinics,
anywhere from 50-200 Ugandans, primarily
children, have their feet washed, their jiggers
removed and receive what could very possibly
be their first pair of shoes.
As an intern with Sole Hope I mostly
spent my days sorting shoe patterns, washing
and painting furniture around the property,
leading guest
tours, organizing
merchandise, taking
notes at jiggerremoval clinics and
writing Facebook
and blog posts for
Sole Hope’s official
pages. My biggest
and favorite project
was working with
the Ugandan
teacher at the Sole
Hope outreach
house to develop
and implement the
jigger-education
curriculum. It
was an incredible
opportunity to put some of
what I’d learned during four
years of international studies
and anthropology classes into
practice.
I learned far too much
from my time in Uganda to include in this
article, but I’ll share a couple of what I think
are the most valuable lessons. I realized that
we have something incredible to learn from
all cultures, no matter how developed they
may be. I believe in America we tend to feel as
though progress, technology and achievement
are things that everyone should strive for at all
times. Though these things are important, they
are not everything. To me there is something
beautiful about washing all your clothes by
hand, walking to the market instead of driving,
knowing that the pineapple on your plate was
picked down the road yesterday and relaxing
outside with your family each day like
most Ugandans do. Though the majority
of Ugandans live what many of us would
consider very difficult lives, they are not
to be pitied, but instead they are to be
loved, respected and empowered.
I learned that humans have the
strength and ability to overcome
almost any obstacle. Many of the
Ugandan friends I made have been
through unthinkable tragedies and
circumstances that are foreign to me.
Some were forced to flee to the south
of the country to escape Joseph Kony’s
radical army, some were raped and
impregnated in their early teenage years,
some were orphaned because their
parents could not afford to
care for them and some were
never given the opportunity
to complete elementary
school because their families
needed them to work. Yet
all of these friends now live
their lives asking how they
can better serve others who have been through
similar situations.
I could honestly go on for hours about my
experience in Uganda so if you’re interested in
hearing more, please email me at jekelly@wustl.
edu and/or check out my blog at http://www.
jordanelizabethkelly.blogspot.com/ or find me
at church one Sunday! You can also learn more
about Sole Hope through their website www.
solehope.org. For now I would just like to say
THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart
for your support of both my trip to Uganda and
my development as a loving servant of Christ
throughout my life as a member of BMPC.
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Youth at Massanetta
Fifteen BMPC Middle School Youth were at
Massanetta Middle School Conference June 23-26
Conference Theme
“WEAR LOVE”
Based on the verses from
Colossians 3:12&14
“As God’s chosen ones,
holy and beloved, clothe
yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience. . .
Above all, clothe yourselves
with love, which binds
everything together in
perfect harmony.”
place. It helps further a connection
to God and his children. It teaches
love, compassion, kindness, and
so many other things. It is so lively
and welcoming. I’m overjoyed that
I was able to come.”
“Massanetta was a great
experience for me, I also learned a
lot about God while I was there.”
Connor Mailander
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Chloe Stiles
“Massanetta is the most loving, welcoming, fun place
Rachel Beaver
“I feel so much closer to
God than I did before. I had
so much fun at ‘Netta’.”
“Massanetta truly
Maya Fleagle
Melissa McElwee
Graham Roy
always will. The people and the environment is so
welcoming and kind. The energy is always high,
everyone dancing and singing. Did I mention the
amazing food? I’ll always love ‘Netta’!”
amazing place. You get to
meet so many new people.
It’s a beautiful place with
amazingly beautiful
people. I am so thankful
I have the opportunity to
experience ‘Netta’.”
“Massanetta is a very special
“The fellowship and positive
attitude of Massanetta makes it a
welcoming place for all.”
“Massanetta holds a special place in my heart and
“Massanetta is such an
“This year, Massanetta
“Massanetta is such a welcoming place.
During our week there I have truly become
more connected with God and my friends.
Massanetta has become a place where I know
I can go and be welcomed no matter what
happens. This trip and the memories I shared
there will be treasured in my heart forever.”
Bella Van Note
has made a tremendous
impact on me while I’m
on this crazy faith journey.
The keynotes were so
inspiring. My small group
was amazing. These four
days have affected me
greatly. I have seen God in
his truest form.”
Scott Watson
changed my life, from
making friends and
I felt like it brought us
“
enjoying fellowship,
closer to each other and
to strengthening my
closer to God.”
connection to God.”
Skylar Hollifield
Michael Gun
“Massanetta makes
“Massanetta is the one
me feel like I am part of
place that I feel is truly
something bigger than just
next to God.
my life.”
Jonathan Kadau
Jacob Allen
”
ever. The people are amazing! Words and pictures don’t
do justice for this amazing place. Massanetta gives you
an amazing view of God at work in the world. I feel the
most connected to God at ‘Netta’.”
Lillie Chilton
“Massanetta is an amazing and highly spiritual
celebration of our Presbyterian faith while we have so
much fun and little to no sleep.”
Melzer Morgan
“Faith, exploration, and fun don’t usually go together,
but Massanetta combines them wonderfully. I had such a
good time at ‘Netta’, and sad that this was my last year.”
Josie Davis
Everyone had a great time, thanks to our congregation for supporting our trip to “Netta”.
7
Slate from the 2015 Nominating Committee for Elders and Deacons, Class of 2018
Your nominating committee this year is chaired by John Hopkins. Other members of the committee are:
Mary Jo Adams, Jane Bannerman, Mistie Cogbill, Margaret Fouse, Summer Kirkpatrick, Dave McClintock.
Rev. Berry French serves as “ex-officio” for the group.
ELDERS
Lucas Adams is beginning his sophomore year at
Owen High School. He is an active member of our youth
group here at BMPC, and loved attending the Montreat
youth conference this summer with around 1,000 other
Presbyterian youth. Lucas has an avid passion for the sport of
golf, and plays for his high school's team. He and his family
have been members of this church for four years.
Andy Banzhoff grew up in the First Presbyterian
Church Brandon, Florida. During his high school and college
years he worked at Cedarkirk, a PCUSA Camp and Conference
Center in Lithia, Florida. Andy and Alison met there during
the summer of 1995. After graduating from Wake Forest
University School of Law, Andy and Alison moved to the
Asheville area. They eventually landed in Black Mountain
and joined BMPC in 2000. Their three children Drew, Anna
and Ava are active in children’s and youth ministries and
assist with worship in First Light. Andy previously served as
a Deacon at BMPC and served for four years on the Mission
Committee. He also served on the Long Range Planning
Committee and currently serves on the Child Protection
Committee.
Bill Gilliland is a lifelong Presbyterian having been
raised in The First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, SC. He
has previously served as both a Deacon and Elder in churches
in Greenwood and Staunton, VA. Since moving here three
years ago, he has taught Senior High Sunday School and
served on the personnel committee; and has just agreed
to chair our stewardship committee. Bill owns a business
coaching firm and works with small and medium-sized
businesses. He lives in Montreat with his wife, Lynn.
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Ina Jones Hughs grew up believing that if you live a
good life, say your prayers and go to church, when you die
you get to go to Montreat. So, to make it easier for the Good
Lord to carry out that promise, she moved to Black Mountain
several years ago from Santa Fe, where she worked as writerin-residence at Ghost Ranch, a Presbyterian conference
center in New Mexico. Retired, sort of, from over 40 years as
a byline columnist for Scripps Howard and Knight Ridder, Ina
currently writes freelance for various publications. She has
served as an elder in churches in New Mexico and Tennessee;
her past commitments have centered around teaching adult
Sunday school, committee work as needed, and – for a short
stint until she realized she was way out of her league – a
member of the chancel choir. She’s delighted to be here in
this BMPC family.
Wayne Mullis and wife Deb live in the Gateway
community outside of Old Fort. They are originally from the
Charlotte area where they were members of Providence
Presbyterian Church. Wayne attended graduate school at
the University of SC where he received his Masters Degree
in Social Work. He worked as a social worker for 30 years
serving children and older adults. Since joining BMPC in
2011, Wayne has served on the Property Committee and
now chairs that committee. He also serves on the Session,
cooks for Logos, and served on the Fund Raising Task Force.
He helped develop the Child Protection Policy for BMPC.
Wayne regularly volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and
participated in the mission trip in July 2014 to work with the
Appalachia Service Project. Deb and Wayne have two adult
sons that live in Charlotte.
DEACONS
Carrie and Steve Coward have lived in the greater
Asheville area since 2001. They moved to Black Mountain
in 2011 and joined the church in 2012. Both grew up in the
Northeast. Steve is a naturopathic doctor with a private
practice in Asheville. Carrie owns and runs an executive
search firm that services the higher education sector. The
two have served in various capacities in the Friends (Quaker)
worship communities in the past. Steve currently serves on
the BMPC finance committee. Carrie has served as a board
member with The Learning Community School for seven
years. Both are very involved at Owen High School in various
capacities and Steve is the president of the parent/teacher/
student organization (PTSO).
Ruth Duckworth has been a member of BMPC since
1993. Ruth and her husband, Mike, have been married for
25 years and their children, Kaitlyn and Cody, were both
baptized and raised in this church. Ruth has served on the
Worship and Music Committee, taught first grade Sunday
School and extended session for many years, served on the
Logos team and has created beautiful paraments for our
sanctuary and fellowship hall. Ruth’s passions include hiking
and being a fiber artist and in the past she has taught art and
French. She also really enjoys volunteering at Swannanoa
Valley Christian Ministry through- out the week. When asked
what she loves about BMPC, Ruth proclaimed, “This church
has helped us raise our children. This is my family!”
Annie Hall has served Black Mountain Presbyterian
church as elder, deacon, circle leader, church school teacher
and Logos table parent. She is a mother of four children
and grandmother of six and enjoys hiking, reading, writing
memoirs, teaching, dancing and yoga, and acting.
Shannon Ingersoll was baptized and raised at First
Pres of Greenville, SC and spent summers with her extended
family in Montreat. After marriage to another summer
Montreater and moving as his career required, she remained
active in Presbyterian churches in Michigan, New York, and
Pennsylvania until retiring and moving “home” to Western
North Carolina in 2011. She has volunteered with LOGOS and
hand bell ministries at BMPC and various area services and
food ministries.
Rachael Lee and her family have been a part of this
congregation since 1991. As a "preachers kid", she grew up
coming to Montreat during the summers. She has served
the church previously as a deacon, pre-school Sunday school
teacher, nursery volunteer, endowment committee member,
and helped with youth group activities when her daughters
were younger. Rachael works for Greybeard Realty.
Brad and Martia Rachman joined BMPC in 2013
and they proclaim every chance they get that they have found
their spiritual home and church family here with us. Martia
grew up as a Presbyterian at Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church.
Brad joined BMPC by baptism and profession of faith. They
are raising two young daughters, Vivian and Fiona. They also
founded two prominent Black Mountain businesses, which
happen to be neighbors of BMPC. At Black Mountain Yoga
Martia leads classes, workshops and yoga teacher trainings.
Brad serves as medical director of The Rachman Clinic, helping
patients of all ages reach their highest health potential.
Courtney and Greg Stiles have been members
since 2007 after they relocated here to raise their family
of three children here in the mountains. Greg is a Bridge
Engineer and Courtney is a Vocational Consultant. They enjoy
running, biking and hiking. Their children, Vance, Chloe, and
Parker are active in youth and children's ministries. Vance is
currently our youth elder.
Pat and Rev. Bob Tuttle
Pat served on staff of BMPC as Director of Early Childhood
Ministries from 1987 to 2004 and recently retired from the
faculty of Warren Wilson College. In between visits with
grandchildren, Pat volunteers in public schools, early learning
centers, and with Building Bridges of Asheville. Bob served
at Montreat Conference Center and is a retired PCUSA pastor,
so we will commission him as a Deacon rather than ordaining
and installing him. Bob is just beginning service as a
volunteer chaplain at Mission Hospital and is helping support
a new Presbyterian campus ministry at Western Carolina.
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Youth at Montreat
Montreat Youth Conference 2015 theme: This is Our Story
Eleven BMPC high school youth attend Montreat Youth Conference
June 14-20 for a week of worship, keynote, small group,
conversation, laughter, and good food (thanks to Beth Gunn,
Margo Smith, Mary Standaert).
We invited our rising 9th graders to join us for dinner and worship
on Wednesday night and so we had 20 BMPC youth worshiping
with the 1000 other Presbyterian youth for Wednesday evening
communion service, after our family meal around a table with 27 of
us eating together – including youth advisors and Berry and Ginny.
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THANK YOU BMPC family for
your support of your BMPC
youth with your prayers, your
promises at our Baptisms,
and your regular offerings in
the offering plate and to the
Potato Lunch fund that allow
us to go on summer trips and
weekend retreats!
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