1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

The Communicator
228 W. Edenton St., Raleigh NC 27603-1790
(919) 832-7535 www.esumc.org
Volume XLIV, Number 7 March 29 - April 4, 2015
Available online at www.esumc.org/communicator
Holy Week as a Time to be Normal
We call it Holy Week. But what is holy
about it? Is it holy simply because it is
the week that we recall Jesus’ betrayal,
wrongful conviction, execution, burial
and resurrection? And what does the
week have to do with our holiness?
Frederick Buechner writes that “holy” is
that which God uses for sending his love
to the world. The events of Holy Week,
with all of their sadness, confusion and
final joy, are a primary means by which
God sends (expresses and reveals)
God’s love to the world. A rightful
observance of Holy Week is a means of
making us holy.
We seek to be made holy as we gather
on Palm/Passion Sunday, March 29, at
any of five worship services. We begin
each service with a reminder of a crowd
which welcomed Jesus as he entered
Jerusalem and ended with an angry
crowd calling for his death. On Mundy
Thursday (April 2) we ask to be made
holy as we gather at the communion
table remembering the greed of Judas
who “sold-out” Jesus for pieces of
silver. That service is at 7:30 p.m. in the
sanctuary and includes the stripping
and shrouding of the worship space.
On Good Friday we pray for holiness,
acutely aware of our un-holiness. We
gather, again, in the sanctuary at 7:30
p.m. as our Chancel Choir allows us
to experience the darkness of the day
through sight and sound. Then comes
the glorious Easter morning when we
are invited to welcome the risen Christ
at the dawn of the day. At 6:25 a.m. Will
Hasley and our youth choir will give
leadership in the community sunrise
service at the (old) Capitol Building.
In each of the five Easter services on
our campus we will proclaim not what
we understand, but what we believe,
Jesus’s resurrection. His resurrection
was the ultimate act of holiness for it
was the ultimate act of God’s love for
the world.
When asked, “Why are you so holy?”
Mother Teresa had an answer worth
remembering. She said, “You sound as
if holiness were abnormal. To be holy
is to be normal. To be anything else is
abnormal.”
I trust that Holy Week will make us holy,
and thereby normal.
Ned
Administrative Board Highlights
The Administrative Board met on March 9. Dan Johnson,
Director of Finance and Administration, gave a devotion based
on Psalm 34:8.
Rev. Ned Hill reported for the Staff Parish Relations Committee
that Anna Giuli and Ryan Capp have resigned to accept
positions elsewhere. Appreciation was expressed for their
years of service. Rev. Will McCleane will be joining our staff
later this year. The SPRC has approved a restructuring of the
staff to better fit our needs as we transition to a multi-site
church.
Trustees Committee chair, Jay Watters, reported recent
projects include window replacements and a new coded door
for the Bulla Building. A third serving line in the kitchen was
approved.
Buddy Wheless, Finance Committee chair, reported the
Stewardship Campaign has reached its pledge goal and
should be able to fund the 2015 budget. Contributions as of
the end of February were significantly ahead of last year. The
firm of Koonce Wooten & Haywood was approved to conduct
the financial audit.
Lay Leader, Peter Pace, reported on the importance of leaving
available parking nearest the church for elderly members and
visitors and requested members use the parking deck and
other lots.
Rev. Justin Morgan presented a report on the new Church on
Morgan multi-site community. Construction will take place mid
April through August with a planned launch in early October. A
worship music leader is currently being sought.
Cecil Harrison, Administrative Board Chair, reported that a
team, chaired by Ed Turlington, has been formed to study the
most effective organizational structure of the church. This
study will include a review of the many church committees,
the Administrative Board, and how they all interface, as well as
how best to involve the multi-site communities in the church’s
organizational structure. This study is following up on one of
the recommendations of the 2010 Visioning Report.
Rev. Ned Hill reported that Opening Doors construction to
date is within budget, and Phase I of the Hospitality Space
construction should be complete by the end of April. Church
on Morgan is progressing and the new multi-site in Southeast
Raleigh will follow. We ended the year in a good financial
position. In closing he gave thanks for the ability to continue
God’s vision and for God’s many gifts.
ESUMC is a community of faith: Inviting all to encounter Jesus,
Preparing believers to deepen their dependence on God,
New Opportunities:
As we prepare to launch two new
worship sites, Church on Morgan, A
Table of Edenton Street UMC., and a
yet to be determined site in southeast
Raleigh, the Staff-Parish Relations
Committee has approved a realignment
of staff responsibilities which it believes
will best serve our mission. As of July
1, 2015, Justin Morgan will be named
Campus Pastor for Church on Morgan
and Lisa Yebuah will become the
Campus Pastor for the yet-to-be-named
southeast Raleigh site. Both Lisa and
Justin will remain part of the senior
staff leadership team (Core Team) and
fully engaged in all the ministries of the
wider church. Will Hasley will become
Pastor of Discipleship. He, too, will
remain on the Core Team and will give
leadership to all ministries which relate
to our mission of “making disciples of
Jesus Christ for the transformation of
the world.” Diane Amidon will assume
responsibility for the caring ministries
of our church in her expanded role on
our staff. Will McLeane, our newest
pastor, will join the Core Team and
have primary responsibilities on the
original campus and in The Gathering.
In addition to the realignments in
our pastoral staff, we have taken
this opportunity to also adjust
responsibilities among some of our lay
staff. We are blessed to have a staff
with many skills, varying interests and
diverse capabilities. This has enabled
us to adjust other job descriptions
so as to play off the strengths and
emerging interests of existing staff
members. It is exciting to offer new
opportunities to a number of our staff
members. We are confident that the
best use of their skills and interests will
further the church’s mission to make
disciples of Jesus
#SorryNotSorry
Let’s be honest, there are things which
Jesus said that we wish he hadn’t.
Some of us have ignored the hard
sayings; others of us have hoped for
them to be explained-away. At best,
many of us have simply swallowed
them like bad-tasting medicine.
In our sermon series, SorryNotSorry,
we will affirm the truth of all that Jesus
said. Rather than choosing to believe
only the sayings of Jesus which affirm
our values and image of Christ, we will
seek to embrace all that Jesus said.
Our hope is that we will be shaped
by all of Jesus’ words, the easy ones
and the hard ones, those that are
welcomed and those which are not.
May the hard words which Jesus
spoke, become for us gospel (good
news).
Join us for worship the Sundays after
Easter as we look at the hard sayings of
Jesus for which we are #SorryNotSorry.
eStreet Prayers:
March
Please join with us as we lift up prayers
and petitions to our loving God.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for
you” (1 Thes 5:16-18).
•
Congregational: for each of us
to open up to the introspection,
conviction, and repentance into
which God, through the season of
Lent, calls us.
•
Local: for caregivers throughout
our community, whether paid or
unpaid, who are heartbroken and/
or without hope. May God move
in mighty ways to encourage our
brothers and sisters.
•
Global: for families in Afghanistan
who are facing grief and loss after
a slew of recent avalanches; and
for all who face extreme winter
weather.
the east lawn of the Capitol Building,
hosted in tandem with many other
downtown churches. Bring your
blankets, lawn chairs, and warm clothes
as we celebrate the risen Christ with
community, hot drinks, donuts, and the
worship of our glorious Lord Jesus.
Annual ECP Yard Sale
Fundraiser
Saturday, April 18 7-11 a.m. Sale will
be held in Academy Classrooms.
Donations can be dropped off starting
this Sunday, March 15 in room 124.
Una Voce presents
James Whitbourn’s
Annelies
The story of Anne Frank, the young girl
who hid from the Nazis with her family
for two years in an Amsterdam attic,
has inspired millions since her diary
was first published 66 years ago.
The Triangle area’s newest chamber
choir, Una Voce (One Voice) will
present the North Carolina premier
of Annelies on April 19 at 4 p.m. in
the sanctuary of the historic Edenton
Street United Methodist Church under
the direction of Kevin B. Holland.
Joining the choir are Mary Elizabeth
Southworth – soprano, Rebekah
Binford – violin, Elizabeth Beilman –
Need to reserve childcare for an
event? Contact Robin Ellison at
[email protected] or
(919) 832-7535 ext. 212.
By Our Gifts - March 15
General Budget Received this Week: $79,512.72
Received Year-to-Date: $981,175.10
Easter Sunrise at the
Capitol
Opening Doors Pledge total: Opening Doors received: April 5, 6:25 a.m.
Worship 8:40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
9:30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
10:55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
11:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Church on Morgan . . 92
Edenton Street’s own Exsultate youth
choir will be singing and the Rev. Will
Hasley will be preaching at Raleigh’s
annual Easter Sunrise Service on
$5,114,439
$2,960,909.82
By Our Presence - March 22
Worship Total . . . . 1,286
Caring for those who are hurting, sending ordinary people
into the world equipped to do extraordinary things.
cello, John Noel – piano and Marianne Breneman – clarinet.
Living Memorial Scholarship
Easter Egg Hunt Book Drive
Congratulations to 37 high school and college students
receiving The Living Memorial Scholarship. The total amount
awarded was $38,800.00.
As part of this year’s Easter Egg hunt, we are collecting new
or gently-used/almost as good as new children’s books.
The books will go to children in need at Hunter Elementary
school. So, bring a book for a K-5 student to show them that
some bunny wants them to know the joy of reading!
Media Helpers:
Save the Date!
One way the Media Team “Shares Christ from the Heart of
Raleigh” is by playing our traditional service on the local
Raleigh TV station. We are seeking volunteers to load the
TV DVD copy into the system at the TV station on a monthly
basis. It takes one hour of your day to load the DVD. You
will be fully trained. No prior experience or knowledge
is required. If you are interested please contact Alison
Clinkscales at [email protected].
ww Daughters of the King Banquet: Tuesday, April 28
ww Vacation Bible School: July 20-24, 2015
ww Ninth Annual Children and Youth Music and Arts Camp.
Monday, August 3 - Friday, August 7. For rising 1st through
8th Graders. Visit esumc.org for details.
Clean Out Your Closets!
Our spring clothing drive will be on Saturday, April 11 from 8
a.m.-2 p.m. in the Bulla Youth building. We will be collecting
all types of clothing for the First Baptist Clothing Ministry. If
you would like to volunteer to help for a an hour or two, just
stop in or contact Randy at [email protected].
Downtown Churches Habitat
Build
Working with other downtown churches, we will be building a
Habitat for Humanity house this spring. Building skills are not
required to participate. Our build dates are on the following
Saturdays: April 18 and May 16. Signup on the website.
Sacred Worth
Sacred Worth is a support group for LGBT persons, their
families, and allies where stories are shared in a confidential
setting. The group meets the last Wednesday of each month,
at 7 p.m. in the church parlor. Future meeting dates are 4/29,
5/27, 6/24, 7/29, and 8/26. For more information, please
contact Will Hasley at ext 256 / [email protected] or Sam
Isley at 919/834-6042 / [email protected].
Facilities Coordinator
Allow us to introduce Carlton Pulley. On Monday, March 16,
2015, Carlton joined the Edenton Street United Methodist
Church staff as Facilities Coordinator. He comes to us with
10 years of Church Administration experience where he
was involved in a number of volunteer capacities. Carlton is
well versed in technical/user support, project management,
customer relations, troubleshooting and problem solving.
Carlton lives in Wake Forest with his wife Kendra AND he was
an attendee of Camp Shalom 18 years ago!
Join us in giving Carlton a warm Edenton Street welcome!
Sympathy
ww To Karna Dierks whose uncle, Milton Lohr, died on
March 16.
ww To Meredith Etheridge whose grandmother, Jessie P.
Robie, died on March 20.
Congratulations
ww To Brandon and Ivie Carl on the birth of their daughter,
Anne Louise Carl, on March 9.
ww To Owen and Chambliss Barrow on the birth of their
son, Edward (Ned) Bruce Barrow, on March 18. Ned is
the grandson of Rev. Ned Hill and his wife Rochelle;
Mary Rose and Everett Knight; and Tex Barrow and Alice
Stubbs.
Sunday Servants-April 5
Greeters:
8:40 Sophie Grady, Bill Cross
10:55 Peter and Lisa Pace, Beth Williams,
Dee Ann Edwards, Alton and Allison Smith
Gathering:Lewis
Ushers:
8:40 Howard Cummings, Mike Ellis, Keith Lee, Jody Lockhart, Benjamin Lockhart
10:55 Grayson Hodge, James Brantley, Doug Cowan, Nikki Ellerbe, Carol Griffin, George Hearn, Willis Smith, Perry Dunstan, Finch Monson, Henry Barnette, Everette Knight, Tom West, Martha Hodge
Nursery:
Kate Threewitts, Anthony and Amy Ramazio, Brian and Lori Register, Michelle and Kenneth Ritchie, Timothy and Emily Payne
Wiggler Worship: Cara and Kevin Bugg, Meredith and Dennis Littke, Heather and Colin Leonard
Parking Group:
Stoltz
Sunday, March 29
Wednesday, April 1
4 p.m. Dancing 4 Him (357); Exsultate 9:15 a.m. DWELL Bible Study (163)
Dance Ensemble (318); Exsultate 9:45 a.m. Fitness Class (357)
Ringers Handbell Choir; Women’s 10:30 a.m. Wed. A.M. Bible Study (321)
Bible Study (163)
1 p.m. Intercessory Prayer
4:40 p.m. Celtic Choir (314); Crusader Choir (316A); Cherub Choir (306)
5 p.m. Exsultate Youth Choir (351); Spirit Led Dancers (357)
5:20 p.m. Hallelujah Handchime (351); Joyful Ringers Handbell
5:30 p.m. Sunday Dinner (Kerr)
6:30 p.m. Faith Girlz (164); God’s Guyz (167); Wesley Handbell; Youth Group (Bulla)
Monday, March 30
9:45 a.m. Fitness Class (357)
6 p.m. Alpha (Kerr)
6:30 p.m. New Testament History (163)
7 p.m. Cub Scout Meeting (Bulla Gym)
Una Voce
7 p.m. Boy Scouts (Bulla); Troop 100 Committee
Thursday, April 2
9:45 a.m. Exegeting the Spirit (163); MOPS (Kerr)
6:00 p.m. The Gathering Team Rehearsal
7 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal
7:30 p.m.. Maundy Thursday Worship March 29
TRADITIONAL
7 Deadly Sins: Anger
Rev. Ned Hill
GATHERING
7 Deadly Sins: Anger
Rev. Lisa Yebuah
April 5
TRADITIONAL
Easter
Rev. Ned Hill
GATHERING
Easter
Rev. Lisa Yebuah
Service (Sanctuary)
Friday, April 3
7:30 a.m. Lakins Study Group (166)
4 p.m. Boylan Brass Rehearsal (Kerr)
7:30 p.m. Good Friday Choral Service of Tenebrae (Sanctuary)
Need prayer?
You can submit prayer requests to pray@
esumc.org, or you can fill out the prayer
card in the pews. We are honored to lift
you up before our loving God, and we
keep all requests confidential.
Saturday, April 4
Contacting ESUMC
9 a.m. Decorating for Easter Sunday
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Office: (919) 832-7535; Fax (919) 829-5780
Inclement Weather: Main number, option 2
Emergency on-call: (919) 345-8435
Doorstep Ministry: (919) 832-9530 (Mon. 10-12)
Submit newsletter content to:
[email protected] by Wed 12 p.m.
Tuesday, March 31
9:45 a.m. Zumba (Bulla Gym)
12:15 p.m. Moms in Prayer (Bulla 215)
7 p.m. Young Adult Basketball (Bulla)
Internet: 4:30 p.m. Confirmation Class (Bulla 217)
Sermon Information:
Sermon recordings at estreet
gathering.org/media
9:30 am Contemporary Service
Television (One week delay): 12:00 pm on
Raleigh CTV Channel 22 or 97.6
Radio (Live): 3/22/15 WPTF 3/29/15 off air
Internet: Live video streaming and sermon
recordings www.esumc.org/worshipservices/online-broadcast.php
10:55 am Traditional Service
More Ways to
Worship
8:40am Traditional Worship
9:30am The Gathering Contemporary
Worship (Kerr)
9:45am Sunday School
10:55am Traditional Worship
11 a.m. Church on Morgan Worship
11:11am The Gathering Contemporary
Worship (Kerr)
Sunday
Mornings
Periodicals
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