Seen Around Church – Week of August 13, 2023

SMPC Youth Puts the Cherry on Top of Summer at Waffle Cone Wednesday

Members of SMPC Youth met for the last Waffle Cone Wednesday of the summer last week! We just love that this group can take a break from the heat of summer for fellowship and dessert. Just a few more days left until the fun of fall starts, and we can’t wait.

Shelter Ministry Fills Record-Breaking Number of Bottles for Roof Above

The Shelter Ministry met last Thursday, August 10, and filled a record-breaking 967 prescription bottles with body wash for our neighbors at Roof Above. The group shattered its goal of filling 800 bottles in one morning.

Helping the effort was the generous donation of 80 bottles of body wash made by Shelter Ministry members in honor of ministry leader Carol Morgan’s 80^th birthday. Carol has been leading this ministry since 2014!

A big thank you to the volunteers last week: Marylou and Steve Gebhardt, Bob Tyler, Krista Casey, Terry Gaines, Marianne Empie, Lindalee Macauley, Linda Thompson, Emily Williams, Kay Dano and Carol Morgan.

Please note the ministry needs prescription vials. Donations can be dropped off at the church office or brought to the next workday on Thursday, September 14 at 9:00 a.m. in Mecklenburg Hall.

SMPC Golf Tournament is a Hole-in-One Success

What an amazing day! Our annual church golf tournament on August 10 was a hole-in-one success with 50 enthusiastic golfers! Not only did we have a blast on the greens, but we also came together to support our missions and outreach ministry. Thanks to your generosity and love for our community, we raised an incredible $400 for our Haiti mission project! Thank you to everyone who joined, donated, and made this event unforgettable, especially organizers Ron Morgan and Brett Thompson. Coming in first place was Team Zagora – Michael, Mike, Scott and Todd Zagora. The second-place team was Steve Williams, Evan Williams, Jimmy Galati and Mark Briganti.

SMPC Women and Friends Connect at Montreat Women’s Retreat

SMPC members and friends spent last weekend at the Montreat Women’s Connection in Montreat, NC. The group was able to connect with old and new friends, study, worship, and find space and rest. We are so glad our SMPC women could carve out time for this special weekend and hope to have another group back next year!

Big Group of Volunteers Learn More About Tutoring Elementary School Children

A number of SMPC members and friends joined a virtual meeting on Sunday evening, August 13, to learn more about tutoring Smithfield Elementary School children. The call was led by Shelby Ullman, Kathy Galati, Kathy Graham, Susan Richards and Lindsey Odom. If you missed the call and would like more information about this service opportunity, please contact Lindsey Odom.

Headed to a Mailbox Near You: Fall Edition of ‘South Meck Press’

Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers, the fall edition of South Meck Press is headed to a mailbox near you later this week. SMPC members met Wednesday morning to fold, label and sort a huge stack of newsletters that were hot off the presses!

One More Spot Available in Summer Organ Sidekick Program

There is one more Sunday spot available to be a Summer Organ Sidekick (S.O.S.)! Children ages rising 2nd grade to rising 6th grade are invited to sit next to Director of Music and Organist Zach Bowyer at the organ during Sunday worship to experience the organ and what it’s like to lead congregational song!

SMPC Note: This is the last in our “Faces of Faith” series where we spotlight SMPC members and learn about how their faith and involvement in the church have impacted their lives. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know other members and their stories. Thank you to all of our “Faces of Faith” volunteers! Here’s Laura Flora!

Name: Laura Flora

Family: My husband, Matthew, and our sons, Lucas (3) and twins Brooks and Bennett (18 months)

Years at SMPC: 1

What made you choose SMPC as your church home? We originally got involved in the preschool program for our oldest son, Lucas, and really enjoyed the people running the program. When we first attended the church in the summer of 2022, Mary Katheryne Zagora and Nancy Metzler were so welcoming and accommodating that we felt this was our home. We became members in the fall of 2022 and haven’t looked back.