Seen Around Church: Week of May 24, 2026

Christmas in May!

Several of our “Chrismon ladies” traveled to Asheboro a couple of weekends ago to replenish our bead inventory for the Chrismon tree! We are so grateful for the year-round love these women pour into the Chrismon ministry!

Photo credit: Leanne Royster

SMPC Ministry Partner Nourish Up Inspires Us to ‘Accept No Excuses’

By Terry Gaines

More than 500 people, including several SMPC members and staff, attended Nourish Up’s annual Luncheon of Hope last week. The focus of this inspirational event was what it means to feed people with radical compassion, and it featured keynote speaker Dawn Staley, the University of South Carolina women’s head basketball coach and author of “Uncommon Favor.”

Coach Staley shared her experience of growing up in poverty and her lifelong desire to invest in the lives of others.

“If you do nothing, you impact no one,”  she said.  “I pray that I’ve inspired faith in those who need it, because I believe that’s what I was meant to do.”

Nourish Up, formerly Loaves & Fishes and Friendship Trays, is an SMPC ministry partner that provides groceries through 41 food pantries, grocery home delivery for those who lack transportation to a pantry, and home delivery through its Meals on Wheels program.  Their motto is We accept no excuses for our neighbors going hungry.  In 2025, the number of people Nourish Up fed could fill Bank of America Stadium twice.

Photo credit: Terry Gaines