Seen Around Church: Week of August 18, 2024

SMPC Youth Gather for Last Waffle Cone Wednesday of the Summer 

What’s better than friends and ice cream?! SMPC middle and high schoolers gathered for Waffle Cone Wednesday at Cold Stone Creamery last week!

Photo credit: Lindsey Odom

Joyful Harmony: Our Music Ministry Returns to Rehearsals after Summer Break

Our Chancel Choir and Chancel Ringers were back in rehearsals last Wednesday night! We look forward to having the Chancel Choir lead us in song this Sunday, August 25.

Photo credit: Zach Bowyer

We are the Champions…

By Kathy and Jimmy Galati

On Friday, Aug. 16, our SMPC Men’s Softball team held off a formidable South Park Church team to win the championship game 13-12! It was SMPC’s first championship win in many years. 

A nearly perfect 13-0-2 season came down to the final at bat. The game was a back and forth nailbiter that was well played by both teams.
Our team is so grateful for the fellowship we shared as a team and with our opponents from other local churches. It was truly an exciting year and we all feel blessed to be a part of it. 

If anyone is interested in playing next year, please reach out to Jimmy Galati or Michael Choren.

Photo Credit: The Galatis

Summer Organ Sidekick Welcomes Last of the Season

We welcomed our last Summer Organ Sidekick of the season this past Sunday! What a blessing it’s been to witness children learning about the beauty and FUN of leading worship through music all summer! Thank you to the children who participated and thank you to Director of Music and Organist Zach Bowyer for his leadership and guidance! We can’t wait to see children back at the organ next summer. 

Photo credit: Zach Bowyer

Sizzle, Scramble and Stir: SMPC Serves up Breakfast for Center of Hope Guests 

SMPC volunteers prepped, cooked and served breakfast to guests at Center of Hope on Saturday, August 17. Center of Hope is a temporary shelter for women and children. 

SMPC member and regular Center of Hope Breakfast volunteer Donna Podgorny reported that we had several new faces in the kitchen, and the veterans were happy to “show them the ropes.” Serving breakfast is a team effort and is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, get to know others a little bit better and start your day off doing GOOD for others. Thank you to all of our Center of Hope Breakfast newbies this month and to our regulars for their steadfast guidance and service. Our next Center of Hope Breakfast is Saturday, September 21. If you would like to serve or donate food, please sign up here. To find out more information about this important Missions/Outreach opportunity, see this recent video. 

Photo credit: Donna Podgorny

Volunteers Prep for All Church Serves

Volunteers Julie and Greg Hobby and Associate Pastor of Youth and Missions/Outreach Lindsey Odom were spotted organizing school supply donations on Tuesday, August 20. Thank you to everyone who has already donated! We have a goal of filling 70 backpacks with new school supplies for Smithfield Elementary School students during our All Church Serves on Sunday, August 25 at 9:00 a.m. in Mecklenburg Hall (register here on Realm). We are still in need of a few more supplies (listed below as of Wednesday, August 21). Please drop donated supplies by the church office or bring on Sunday! Thank you!!

• 9 packs of glue sticks
• 20 folders
• 14 packs of markers
• 9 packs of colored pencils
• 27 packs of highlighters
• 15 packs of scissors
• 34 one-subject notebooks

Committee Chairs Gather for Dinner and Quarterly Meeting

What a joy! Our quarterly Committee Chairs meeting took place in person for the first time since COVID on Tuesday, August 21. Our committee chairs have been meeting via Zoom every quarter and were SO happy to meet for dinner and a church business update. We are blessed to have such wonderful church leaders and thank them for serving as chairs (a few aren’t pictured here!).

Photo credits: Matt Brown