Pilmoor Memorial United Methodist Church

Arrived Safely at Raleigh-Durham

2009-04-18T15:49:00.000-04:00

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Sent from my Palm Treo Handheld
Rev. Scott Wilson-Parsons
scottwp@nccumc.org

Boarding in ATL

2009-04-18T14:06:00.000-04:00

Pre boarding has begun for the final leg of our flight home. Arrive RDU 3:01

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Sent from my Palm Treo Handheld
Rev. Scott Wilson-Parsons
scottwp@nccumc.org

Progress home

2009-04-18T12:33:00.000-04:00

Safely arrived in Atlanta. Depart for RDU @ 1:43

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Sent from my Palm Treo Handheld
Rev. Scott Wilson-Parsons
scottwp@nccumc.org

2009-04-18T07:26:00.001-04:00

We are on the road to the airport at 630

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Sent from my Palm Treo Handheld
Rev. Scott Wilson-Parsons
scottwp@nccumc.org

More Reflections on our Trip

2009-04-18T06:25:00.001-04:00

This last night at the mission trip was the most moving of them all. After an evening at The Shed, a brilliant and unusual little restaurant famous for its laid back and unorthodox styles, we had a very emotional and spiritual devotion. Now, our devotions are adult led, but anyone can give any feedback and comment how they like. Once a good number of the adults had given very emotional stories about how God had touched their lives in so many different ways many of the kids began to chime in, ones that hadn't before. One started to see that someone s happy and carefree had really been through a lot, but they have achieved much through Christ. Many of us, about ten, gave ourselves to Christ this night. I was one of them. (Thomas Parsons)
I thought that tonight was going to be a fun and enjoyable night, in which it was but in a totally different way than I expected it to happen. After hearing what some of the adults had said about their past some of the kids chimed in and most likely everyone in the room got very emotional. One of the adults asked the kids, after hearing what Mr. Craig had said about his personal life, that if any of the people in the room wanted to have Jesus Christ in their lives and half of the room had raised their hands and most people were still in tears because hearing the stories that people had brought up, and out of the half of the people that had raised their hands to accept Jesus in their heart and souls, I am happy to say that I was one of the people that did. (Britny Warren)
This has been an awesome experience to work side by side with the youth, including two of my own children. To see the appreciation and gratitude of the families we did work for confirmed that the work of the Lord was done. As the week comes to a close I have seen our precious youth develop a stronger bond with one another and grow in Christ. This was an opportunity for me as well, to grow closer to the adults of my church family. I am already looking forward to the next trip and more opportunities to serve the Lord. (Jessica Nixon)
Tonight was the last night for our mission trip. We had a great time and I loved helping all of the people. To see the great expressions and all the happy faces! This week we built a shed, took out most of the inside of a house, and we took two feet of sheet rock out of a molded house. To hear the devotions and the testimonies, you could tell that the Holy Spirit was moving in the room. The last night's devotions and testimonies had every one in tears. We got invited to or own alter and got saved by the Holy Spirit. Even if you already have it's okay to renew the relationship. At first the Manteo/ Wanchese group and the Currituck group separated from each other, but at the end we all made really close friends. Meeting new friends is a challenge from God, you have to have the fruits of the spirit, that means all of them. –Ginger Shackelford
I'm going to go ahead and tell you this isn't one of those amazing "EYE OPENING" entries like the rest. I'll be the first to say I wasn't about ready to meet new people. I figured I'd just stick with Nick and James. (jimmy) But of course I met tons of people anyway. Nikki, Ginger, Anna, Alyssa, Colton, Ryan, Austin.. MAN! Pretty much everyone. I was really shocked at the maturity of some of the younger kids. (Ginger was great with being REAL mature, she's just the coolest kid). I felt that the work we had been doing was doing a lot, however I wasn't quite feeling the connection to God's work. I mean, it WAS a great experience, but I was surely not getting the whole concept of the entire trip. I had been trying and trying to get with the 'religious' aspect of it. And I sure couldn't do much with it until the last night… Craig was talking about how his father had passed one night.. That really hit me. His main point was "God can take you at any time. We could all not make it to the Airport tomorrow, It's just God's jurisdiction." And I totally clicked with that. I'm one of the worst people who take things for granted. I take Friends, Stuff, and Family for granted. If one of my parents were just suddenly not there… I couldn't handle it. I absolutely love my family even if I may never show it.
Which is relatively off-track. We worked long and hard on Tearing down a shed, rebuilding it, Spraying a man's home for Black Mold, and Moving the furniture from another man's home, and virtually gutting his house of drywall and insulation. It was great work that the hurricane victims truly appreciated, however I just felt that it was what any other human being would do. Who would be as heartless to truly NOT want to help these people.
My biggest feat that really did pretty much make my week, was the fact that old enemies turned to absolutely amazing friends. Alexandra came in truly hating me, however she brought tears to my eyes as she spoke about how people not only made friends throughout the other youth 'congregations', but we also really got to know the ones in our own groups. (yes, she was ACTUALLY talking about me, not some other person :P)
I absolutely plan on coming back, or doing some work along these lines, because it was just an amazing experience. I know you're probably sick of reading about my friends or lack-there-of however I'm sure you'll survive :]
Thanks for reading my mindless babbling, -[Kyle "Charlie" Murphy]

Reflections on the Spring Break Mission Trip

2009-04-16T23:10:00.001-04:00

jMy group went to this persons house and we had to tear down their barn . So from the storm they had a whole bunch of trash all in their barn. We saw rats, mice, cockroaches and dead animal bones. After we finished tearing down the barn we had to build them a metal barn. After we were done they came out and hugged us all. (Sidney Lewis)
My youth group went to a house that had been destroyed by floods and storms. So me and my group went in the house and cleaned it all out. It was pretty disgusting but we all had to do our job. We were really grossed out because there was some stinky things that we would not see usually. We didn't like the things that we were seeing because they were really gross, but we knew we were doing a really good thing. I hope we could do mission trip like this again. (Alyssa Nixon)
As a adult on this mission trip my first day my group went to a house about three blocks from the gulf coast. The whole house had to be gutted because of storm damage and the person living in the house had just recently been forced to moved out and we found out he was recently living in the home with no electricity or running water. The second day we went to help a lady out with yard work and we knocked on the door there was no answer and we started moving the grass and a man drove up in the drive way and the lady was no where to be seen. We asked for Marilyn and her live in boyfriend told us she had just recently died and he hadn't told many people. He started crying and he was living in a fema trailor. We mowed his yard and weed eated and he was handicapped and he didn't have much of a life. The third day we went to a house to start demolition work because of pine trees that fell in his house. Rain water completely destroyed the inside of his house and we had to gut the entire house. I have heard stories of situations like these but to see them is a different thing. I am so glad I went. (Lisa Lewis)
This was my first Mission Trip, and so far it has been REALLY fun! I have met so many people and they are hopefully going to be people that I will keep in touch with and hopefully go on another trip just like this one. I have worked on houses that needed lots of help and haven't gotten it for the past four years. We worked on a man's house that needed to be torn down but we only took out a couple of walls along with some of the ceiling. We also went site seeing and some of the story's that I have heard are really touching and I just couldn't believe what had happened. Learning from this experience is defiantly touching in so many ways and I hope that one day that I can come back down here and do it again. (Britny Warren)
Being with this group of young people and adults working together in mission has been a blessing I will never forget. I thank God that I was given this opportunity to experience the facility of Heritage UMC in D'Iberville, MS and the ministry entrusted to them. May many more mission groups come to extend the Lord's hands to the people in this area whose lives have been forever impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The world around us needs to see the love and compassion of Jesus through His people. I hope and pray that the homes that have been repaired by our hands will be a lifelong testimony to the owners and families of God's love for them. (Caroline Stetson)
Encourage and provoke (LJ Hendrix)

Building the Replacement Shed for the Davis Family

2009-04-16T17:22:00.000-04:00

Nick leads morning devotion

2009-04-16T09:43:00.001-04:00

2009-04-15T20:51:00.007-04:00

The team has begun to replace a shed destroyed by Hurricane Katrina

Thomas sprays fungicide after a recent spring storm damaged a home that had already been repaired after Hurricane Katrina

A second team visits Mr. Lewis

CELEBRATE!

2009-04-14T18:13:00.003-04:00

Alexandra Lorentz and Thomas Parsons celebate after receiving notification that they have both been accepted to the North Carolina School of Science and Math...Congratulations!

Team Members make a stop at the Katrina Memorial

2009-04-14T16:46:00.002-04:00

Crew #1 at the Katrina Memorial

2009-04-14T15:56:00.004-04:00

Crew #1 at the Lewis Home

2009-04-14T15:29:00.001-04:00

arrival @ Heritage UMC

2009-04-13T19:24:00.002-04:00

Ready to ride...

2009-04-13T16:43:00.002-04:00

Nickie & Anna wait for the vans to be ready for the trip to Biloxi

Arrived in New Orleans

2009-04-13T14:51:00.000-04:00

The bulk of the team has arrived in New Orleans at 2:50 local time, safe and sound. Part of the team will be arriving later due to a flight cancellation.

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Sent from my Palm Treo Handheld
Rev. Scott Wilson-Parsons
scottwp@nccumc.org

Wanchese is here now, too

2009-04-13T11:39:00.002-04:00

The Wanchese group has arrived at the gate. One part of our group (that was to have flown on a different airline) has run into a scheduling problem and a cancelled flight. Craig is trying to work something out. We'll let you know how it turns out...

Pilmoor arrives at the gate at RDU

2009-04-13T11:08:00.002-04:00

The Pilmoor crew has arrived safely at the gate at RDU

2009-04-13T08:06:00.001-04:00

Britny sleeps in the van on the long ride to Raleigh

Youth Mission Trip to Biloxi takes off

2009-04-13T00:07:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been months in the making, but the youth mission trip headed by Craig Parker from Bethany UMC in Wanchese, with participants from Bethany, Pilmoor Memorial and Bayview Chapel is on its way. Departure time is at 6:30 am on Monday from Wanchese and 7:00 am from Currituck. The two groups will meet at the Raleigh Durham airport to head off to New Orleans and from there to Biloxi. Please continue to check here for constant updates of our progress and work. And remember to keep all in your prayers during this significant week of mission for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Christmas Caroling and youth Lock-in

2008-11-23T19:46:00.003-05:00

We will be Christmas Caroling on Friday, December 12, 2008. Meet at the church at 5:30 pm where we will rehearse and have a brief orientation. When we return from caroling, our youth have a Christmas Party and Lock-in. The evening will begin with dinner and bowling and conclude back at the church. The lock-in will end after breakfast at about 8:00 am on Saturday. Youth will need to have a completed permission form. You may download this at our new church website: http://www.pilmoorumc.org. Click on the "Ministries" link, then, "Youth," then "Downloads."

Candlelight Christmas Concert

2008-11-23T19:45:00.000-05:00

Pilmoor's Annual Candlelight Christmas Concert will be held on Sunday Evening, December 7, at 7:00 pm (Nursery Provided). Come join us for this annual highlight of the early Holiday Season.

This year's performers include:

Barry Ambrose (Piano)

Ruth Ambrose (Piano)

Jayne Beasley (Organ)

Kyle Dannert (Guitar)

Marion Dannert (Flute)

James Gardner (Piano)

L.J. Hendrix (Flute)

Patrick Morgan, Jr. (Organ)

Thomas Parsons (Saxaphone)

Mary Jane Wilson-Parsons (Flute)

The concert is free. A love offering will be received during the concert and will benefit the Pilmoor Memorial UMC Building Fund.

A reception will follow the concert.

New UMYF Officers elected

2008-11-09T21:15:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Nick Hendrix and Thomas Parsons, who were just elected as our new UMYF Officers for 2008-2009. Nick, a senior at CCHS, was elected president and Thomas, a Sophomore, was elected Senior Representative.

District Leadership Workshops

2008-11-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

The annual Fall Workshops for the Elizabeth City District have been scheduled for Sunday, November 16, 2008 from 3:00 PM--5:30 PM at Edenton United Methodist Church in Edenton. Participants can choose from one of six workshops that have been scheduled. Workshop topics include the following with presenters in parentheses:

1. "Roles & Responsibilities of Staff/Parish Relations Committees (Dr. Carl Frazier, District Superintendent)--Designed especially for Staff/Parish Committee Chairs and Members.

2. "Nuts & Bolts for Church Treasurers & Financial Secretaries" (Christine Dodson, Conference Treasurer)--Designed especially for the offices listed in title, but open to others who have an interest in topic.

3. "Reaching & Engaging Older Adults in Ministry" (Susan McGuire, Coordinator of Older Adult Ministries, Edenton Street United Methodist Church)-- Open to anyone interested in programs to support mature adults in ministry, and presented with an emphasis on programming for small to medium sized congregations.

4. "Passionate Worship for Churches of All Sizes" (Rev. Susie Fitch-Slater, Associate Pastor & Bruce Lee, Choir Director, Edenton United Methodist Church)--Designed especially for church pastors and worship committee chairs, but open to others who have an interest in topic.

5. "Radical Hospitality/Contact Ministry" (Darlynn Sakowski & Mary Lou Halley, Connectional Ministry Staff, Covenant United Methodist Church, Winterville) Presenters will share strategies and programs that have been used at Covenant to row its average worship attendance to the largest in the conference. Designed for ongregations who are faced with stable or declining church membership and/or ttendance.

6. "Faithful Giving & Healthy Congregations" (Dr. Jim Mentzer, Director of Planned Giving, North Carolina Conference) Participants will learn from Dr. Mentzer proven strategies that have guided local congregations in their efforts to implement a program of planned and joyful giving.

We have assembled a strong group of presenters and feel that the topics chosen can assist local churches in their mission to help make disciples for Jesus Christ.

Pilmoor Days BBQ 10/31/2008

2008-10-28T11:59:00.000-04:00

This Friday afternoon, from 3:00 until 6:00,
your church is sponsoring a “Pilmoor Days” barbecue and Bake Sale
at the old J.P. Knapp School in Currituck.
The barbecue is being catered by Cap’n Bob’s of Hertford.
Plates are $7 each and drive-up’s are welcome.
Desserts are available for purchase at the site.
In preparation for this event,
we encourage everyone to contact your friends and neighbors.
Send them an email reminding them of the barbecue
and encouraging them to join us for supper Friday night!
And hey, we still need desserts for the Bake Sale!
And, of course, we want you to join us as well.
Come enjoy some fellowship and join us in the serving line—
or just come and pick up your plates.
Deliveries for larger orders can be arranged by calling Bob Huey at 232-0434
Thanks again and we hope to see you on Friday night from 3 to 6 at J.P. Knapp.

Empty Nesters, October 18

2008-10-14T08:22:00.001-04:00

Our next two events are the trip to Somerset Palace in Cresswell, NC. This event has a registration deadline of October 12. See Patsy Garrett for more information.

Charge Conference

2008-10-14T08:20:00.002-04:00

October 26, 6:30 pm
This year’s Charge Conference has been set for Sunday, October 26 at 6:30 pm. Mark your calendar and plan to join us as we celebrate the continuing ministry of our church.

Please note that this is a change from what was previously announced! We have moved the time up by half an hour and we ARE planning a covered dish dinner.

October Church Council

2008-10-14T08:19:00.001-04:00

Our October Church Council will be next Sunday (October 19) following worship. This is our pre-charge conference meeting. All committee and workgroup heads are asked to have a brief written report of your activities over the last year. Please get these to Scott this week.

Operation Christmas Child

2008-10-14T08:17:00.000-04:00

It’s beginning to look a lot like…you know! It’s time to make Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes again! If you would like info for a group, or personally; the info can be found in the social hall. Please check the bulletin board. Packets can also be found for various groups in the social hall as well. Boxes should be turned in by Nov 12th.

It's Coming

2008-10-14T08:15:00.001-04:00

November 9!

Finance Committee

2008-10-14T08:13:00.003-04:00

The finance committee meets on October 13 at 7:00 pm in preparation for the upcoming Church Council and Charge Conference. The finance committee is responsible for the budget and managing church financial matters.

Video from the trip

2008-07-11T17:54:00.001-04:00

Updated Slide Show

2008-07-10T18:35:00.003-04:00

News Slide Show Coming

2008-07-03T23:02:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone for your comments and posts during the trip. If you have photos from the trip that you'd like included in the final slide show, please email me at scottwp@nccumc.org. I'll add them to the slide show and use them in the video that I'm working on.

Arrived Home safely 5:30 at Pilmoor, 6:00 Mt. Zion

2008-07-02T14:16:00.002-04:00

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Sent from my Palm Treo Handheld
Rev. Scott Wilson-Parsons
scottwp@nccumc.org

deparing Charlotte at 9:30

2008-07-02T09:32:00.002-04:00

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Itinerary for Wednesday, July 2

2008-07-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

8am eat, pack, worship, go. continental breakfast
Worship and closing communion at HLUMC in the sanctuary.
Fast food for lunch on the way home

Reflections from our Group:

2008-07-02T07:50:00.002-04:00

From Scott:

It's hard to believe that we're already at our last evening together. We're blessed to have the Hawthorne Lane youth group here to join us and to see us off in the morning. It's been really amazing. But we're looking forward to getting back home tomorrow. Pray for safe travels…

The following notes were written by our participants on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning before our departure and posted Wednesday, July 02, 2008.

Alex sample, Chris Farr, Tucker Jarvis , Ricky Hill 2^nd, Jacob Crume, and Nathan Hain. We have all had a great time at this retreat. We have helped many people over this course of time. The word of this week is SKADOOSH.

Heather Hill – skaDoosh. These past couple of days has been a great experience serving the Lord. Together I know we have made a difference in many people's lives, not only those who we helped directly, but I bet we inspired the onlookers as well. I have made some great new friends, and I hope we can get together sometime soon. :D.

Ian Pearce – While everybody is off playing sardines we are chillin here blogging it up. So all I have to say is that it has been an awesome couple of days as we passed out bottles of water in downtown charlotte, and served other communities. and to all the rest,

sKaDoOsH to the extreme,

Ian Pearce

Note: skadoosh (n, adj, v, adv) – it means skadoosh. go watch kungfoo panda. XD.

Friends, I believe the conversation that has been occurring regarding the word, "skadoosh," is related to sleep deprivation. I know you are all wondering what this word means, and I must say, I have no idea.

It has been an incredible journey since our departure Saturday afternoon. There has been an infectious spirit of service within the group over the past 24 hours, as we walked the streets of Charlotte last night after our worship at First UMC in uptown (this is what the locals call downtown) and engaged in three different ministry settings today. I was blessed to spend time at the Second Harvest Food Bank, where we learned about the overwhelming needs of the Mecklenburg and surrounding communities. There warehouse space is over 32,000 square feet! We traveled to Samaritan House in the Dilworth Coummunity, where we cleaned bathrooms and visited with the staff of this recuperative home for the homeless after their hospitalization. What a joy to watch a member of our group wash out a toilet bowl and hear her comment on how she'd never done that before. I was also blessed to spend a few hours at Crisis Assistance Ministry, where one student group spent the entire day folding donated clothing for the greater Charlotte community. One of the adult leaders commented on how after spending a day in ministry and reflecting on the needs of the Charlotte community, how our own community must have similar needs. What a great reflective question. Perhaps God is already planting seeds within us, and challenging us to pray about new opportunities of serving in Currituck County.

I cannot begin to express the gratitude I have for serving next to our youth – they are an exciting and passionate group of young people who truly have a hunger for serving the Lord. Thank you for your prayers, and we look forward to our safe return tomorrow afternoon. God bless! Pastor David

Olivia VanSchaack- Well, this has been a great experience. This is actually my first time coming to a youth trip this far away before. I loved this trip because I learned more about God. I've met a lot of new people and it was fun going on this trip with Mt. Zion. They are a great church group. Well I don't really know what it means but I guess I'll say it too. •SkAdoosh

P.S

thanks mr. mike and mrs.dawn for all of the delicious food. It was sooooo… good.

Kara Pearce- In the spirit of honesty, I'll start out by saying that I had mixed feelings about this trip from the start. It took forever for me to make a decision about coming- could I really miss a week of work? where would I fit in the youth group I'd been away from for a year? I knew, in the end, I'd regret missing out and now, at the close of the trip I'm more certain of that. In that same vein of honesty, I'll admit also that I didn't go into every activity with the openness and enthusiasm I thought I should be feeling. When Pastor David shared that we would be engaging in street ministry in downtown Charlotte, I was hesitant. What would we- a bunch of kids from Currituck- be able to accomplish among the sky scrapers and sidewalks? That part of our mission ended up being one of the most meaningful to me. Interacting with people, being able to smile at them and share something made me feel like our prayers to go out and share the love of Christ were being fulfilled. I feel like our time spent here, especially in devotion and during the prayer labyrinth, has helped me in our third rule for the trip- to "stay in love with God." Once again, I've been able to realize how fully God has blessed my life and I am so thankful.

Thomas Parsons- I truly believe that this trip has reshaped my view on God and the Christ. I've seen Christ in each person we have helped during these 4 days. From the grateful smiles of the people who received free water bottles when they could hardly afford a stick of gum, to the great and efficient workers of the second harvest food pantry, to the homeless man who told the story of his life to all of us, and to the inspiring and wonderful stories of Billy Graham , Evangelist to the world. my only regret is that we hadn't spent more time to help those people in need, for there is not an end to the suffering people in this world who need the assistance of the people in the body of Christ. I thank God for allowing me to be exposed to this world that I have been shut off from for so long, and I hope to be able to help the people who need it for the rest of my life. I express my thanks to my dad, Scott, Emma, David, and everyone else who made this all possible, especially God and his son, Jesus Christ.

Kayla Phillips- This trip has been life changing. We all have had so much fun with everything that we have done. We have meet new friends, helped the homeless, visited the Billy Graham Library, and visited the hospital. I have made great new friends that are amazing and enjoy learning about God with me. I have had such a great time that it is kind of hard to pick a favorite between hanging out with the youth group here at the church we are staying at and going to this huge library all about Billy Graham and his life but I think that if I really had to pick my favorite thing that we have done was to give out waters to the homeless. It is a great feeling inside of me when I know that I am helping people that really need it. It was amazing the responses that we got from the people. The best feeling in the world is to tell some " God Bless You" and have them say " He did by sending you to me". Those words put a huge smile on my face. So I want to thank all the youth leaders and everybody that has been praying for us while we were on this trip. God bless all of yall.

Miss Dawn – This has been a truly amazing trip with a truly amazing group of youth. To start out as two groups who became one and then to join with yet another group here in Charlotte has been a blessing to all of the youth. I have grown in my own faith watching the youth and also participating in the activities. On Monday when we walked the labyrinth at the hospital I was so moved. To walk in complete silence with 28 others was inspiring. The reverence in that place with those young people moved me and then to see them journal for 15-20 minutes really showed how spirit-filled they are. Working beside them to help those less fortunate and to see them grow from this experience has blessed my life in so many ways. Tonight when a few of us went out to take plates of food to the homeless, I was again moved to see how truly grateful these people are for just a small bit of help. Thanks to all for allowing me to be a part of such a life changing experience

Megan Sample- This trip has been one of the most fun, enthusiastic, and changed my point of view on a lot of things. We went to a hospital to see the children's center and it was just amazing. We met friends from other church groups. The Billy Graham library was pretty cool, learning all the facts about what he had accomplished, and all the people he motivated. My favorite part was when we handed out water bottles to the homeless people and listening them appreciate the fact we were even out there. Waking-up early in the morning, let me tell you is now day at the beach. Mr Mike and Mr. Dawn were great at cooking all the food, Pastor David a.k.a. P Diddy was of course amazing to. I think every one had a GREAT time and we should totally do it again. Oh and Pastor Mike we met down here is so cool he's funny and a really good basketball player. The more people I met the more common things we seemed to have. I loved this trip and I can't wait to do it again.

Emma Akpan--I, like Kara, had mixed feelings about this trip. Actually, they were mostly negative feelings. After being out of high school for 5 years, I was worried that I would not relate to the youth. As I spent more time with them, I realized I had I lot more in common than I thought. I love being silly, and they really brought it out. I learned a new word that I can take back to Divinity School. And most of all, I saw the Holy Spirit move throughout these youth. I would say that I was impressed by the way they worked together, but I know that it is the Christ in them and we chaperones that brought us all together. I can now say I have gained 26 new friends who all taught me how to grow in ministry.

PS—That's 23 new friends…Scott, Julie and David were already my friends J

Aleya Tillman- Wow!!! This was a great experience, I think, for everyone that came and for the Hawthorne Lane youth group!!!! We each learned something about God that we didn't know already!!! If I could describe it in one word it would be love!! So many things were shared and taught on this amazing trip!!!! This was my first mission trip and will probably be my favorite!!! I met a lot of new friends and got closer to all my old ones. But still the labyrinth at the hospital will always be my favorite part, because it was so peaceful walking it at your own pace and just talking to God like he was your best friend in complete silence!!!! It also brought out a lot that I learned and I later wrote about it in my journal!!!! This youth family has excepted me as I am and I am so grateful to be able to go along with them and learn more about God!! Thank you so much for the great experience P.D., Pastor Mike, Pastor Scott, and for the really good food Mr. Mike and Mrs. Dawn!!!!!

The Ultimate Gift

2008-07-01T20:03:00.002-04:00

The Ultimate Gift was a very inspiring in my opinion!!! It meant a lot to me and many of us cried at the end!!! I really liked it and i think a lot of other people did as well!!! I cant remeber most of them but there was the gift of friendship laughter learning money and a lot more!!!! It was a great choice of a movie for this trip!!!! I am having a really great time!!!!!

HUGS&KISSES

-aleya <3

Tuesday Night Supper

2008-07-01T19:06:00.001-04:00

Itinerary for Tuesday, July 1

2008-07-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

Tuesday July 1 SERVICE
8am Breakfast -
9am All day SERVICE event.
* Home Repair Project for an elderly cancer survivor
** Second Harvest Food Bank Ministry & Samaritan House .
*** Crisis Assistance Ministry
6pm Dinner
7:30pm Reflection on the day/week. Sharing what they experienced for the week. What
they wished for. Who are you and what has changed based on what you’ve done this week?
8:30-11pm Free time
11pm Light’s out

getting ready for a day of service

2008-07-01T08:58:00.002-04:00

Leaving the Billy Graham Library prayer garden

2008-06-30T16:15:00.002-04:00

Slide Show (updated 6-30-08 12:58pm)

2008-06-30T12:58:00.002-04:00

pictures from presbyterian hospital in Charlotte

2008-06-30T12:46:00.001-04:00

Itinerary for June 30

2008-06-30T11:00:00.000-04:00

Monday, June 30 PRAYERS, GIFTS
8am Breakfast
8:30-9:30am Prayer devotion (Julie)
10am Discuss prayer
Visit Presbyterian Hospital – Chaplain to meet us in the chapel, discuss the importance of prayer in church and in a hospital setting. The need for prayer as part of the healing process. Questions and answers to be encouraged. Labyrinth Walk (30 minutes)
12noon Lunch
1:30-4pm Billy Graham Library http://www.billygraham.org/BGLibrary_Index.asp Free time upon return to church after Library tour, to give time for chicken to cook for dinner.
5:30pm Dinner
6:30pm Worship at First UMC
5:30-8:00 enter through fellowship hall, will worship in the sanctuary itself
Purpose – worship at First UMC and then being sent forth to share. Theme is Using spiritual gifts.
8:30pm Movie – “The Ultimate Gift” (scenes from this movie were shot in Charlotte)
11pm Light’s out

What a journey!

2008-06-30T08:10:00.002-04:00

It has been fascinating to witness the effort of young people as they have endured a 7+ hour road trip, participating in an 11pm devotion on the General Rules, meeting new friends at Westford and Hawthorne Lane UMCs. Our youth are incredible people, and are so hungry to serve the Lord.
During our opening devotion at Westford UMC when we arrived Saturday night, we engaged in a brief devotion to set the expectations for our journey. Incorporating John Wesley's General Rules, we set the following as our covenant with one another during our stay in Charlotte:
1. Do no harm
2. Do good
3. Stay in love with God
How exciting to hear the youth say those words, and how awesome to watch them live into them.
Great exchange last night (Sunday) between the youth of Hawthorne Lane and our group - conversations that I pray will continue in our days to come.
Blessings to all who read, and thank you for the prayers as we continue to practice our prayers, presence, gifts, and service in Charlotte.
Pastor David (submitting under Pastor Scott's login!)

Reflections on Day 1

2008-06-29T21:54:00.002-04:00

From: [Alexandra]

Today we went to the rope thingy and we sweated a lot!!

We haven't been able to shower and I am awaiting my turn right now.

Other than that, I think that it is sooo cool that a bunch of churches that don't really know each other and are across the state can just come together and talk and become instant friends. We were so welcome at the church we stayed at last night at Sunday school this morning and at the church were at now we can just have conversations with people we really don't know and they are really nice. It's weird learning about how different their school is and stuff but is awesome seeing their point of view.

♥ AJL ♥

From: [Hayley]

So far, the mission trip to Charlotte has been a lot of fun. The rope challenge was very cool and I would love to do it again. It showed how well our youth groups work together already, even though we don't know each other that well yet. The car ride up here was awesome too; we sang old camp songs the whole way here!! I am even more excited for tomorrow because I want to visit the little kids in the hospital and brighten their day.

Hayley

Scott made it to the Charlotte airport

2008-06-29T17:58:00.002-04:00

Thunderstorms and a potential for a missed connection threatened, But USAir came through!

Itinerary for Sunday, June 29

2008-06-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

Sunday, June 29 PRESENCE
8am Continental Breakfast
Morning Attend Sunday School and Worship at Westford UMC.
At conclusion of worship, return to FLC and change into Ropes Course clothing.
12:30pm Lunch – quick!
1:15pm Depart for UNCC Challenge Course
2-5pm Teambuilding
For information on the Challenge Course (Low Ropes), visit the Website here
5:15pm Depart for Hawthorne Lane UMC
6pm Arrive at HLUMC.
Evening Review of the day and theme of PRESENCE. Our presence in Sunday School and Worship, on the ropes course, being in Charlotte. Celebrate our connection as United Methodists. Rev. Mike Carr to talk about the role HLUMC has in the community. Why our presence matters?
Scott arrives at Charlotte-Douglas Airport at 9:15
11pm Light’s out

Safe Arrival

2008-06-28T23:45:00.002-04:00

I got a message from Pastor David a little while ago saying that the group has arrived safely at their destination and they had a good devotional time together. May God grant a restful night and a blessed day tomorrow.

Taking a dinner break in Elon (pix)

2008-06-28T19:34:00.003-04:00

"Are we there yet?" (pix)

2008-06-28T17:36:00.003-04:00

2008-06-28T16:02:00.000-04:00

Itinerary for Saturday, June 28

The group departed Pilmoor at close to 2:00 pm. Their plan is to travel directly to Concord with pit stops in the Tarboro/Rocky Mount/Nashville area and dinner in the Elon area. Sample and Howington will be coming in with additional youth (Jabria, Aleya, Brittney, Kayla, Megan, Jacob). Nick and LJ from Pilmoor coming with Hendrix.

Upon arrival, we'll hand out journals. Review expectations of behavior and three simple rules: Do no harm, do good and stay in love with God.

Pilmoor & Mt. Zion Youth at departure time! (pix)

2008-06-28T14:06:00.002-04:00

Some of the Pilmoor gang ready to go! (pix)

2008-06-28T13:43:00.001-04:00

"Is it time to go yet?" (pix)

2008-06-28T13:10:00.002-04:00

Itinerary Update

2008-06-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

Friends,
We're all gathering this morning (Wednesday) to finalize the itinerary for our trip. Looking forward to the experiences that await us in Charlotte, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we seek to practice the vows of our baptismal covenant - to support the ministries of the church through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. We covet all prayers from the community as we prepare for our departure on Saturday afternoon.
Blessings!

Forms for Pilmoor's Youth

2008-06-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

Permission Form
Medical Release Form (must be notarized)
Adult Waiver
Child/Parent Agreement Letter
Child Waiver for Challenge Course
Permission to Ride in Van
Menus for the Week

Packing List

2008-06-22T09:45:00.000-04:00

The goal is to pack as lightly as possible. Remember it’s only 4 days. Also remember we will be sleeping on the floor and not showering everyday so don’t worry about what you will look like.
Money, about 20 for any stops we make or to get anything at the Billy Graham library
Pillow
Sleeping bag
Swimsuit
Flash light
Shower shoes
Towel
Wash Cloths
Shampoo (small container!)
Conditioner
Soap
Bible!!!
Notebook/Journal
Pen
Deodorant
Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Baby Wipes
PJs
Clothes for 4 days
-bring casual, but nice, clothes for church on Sunday
-for Tuesday bring clothes that can get dirty or get paint on and shoes that you can work in (i.e. close toed shoes)
-girls, no short shorts. boys, bring a belt because the shorts need to cover your underwear

Please do not bring: make up, curling irons, tons of shoes
Definitely do not bring: Any electronics, this includes but isn’t limited to: cell phones, mp3 players, game boys ect. We're trying to spend all of our time together, and do not want us to be distracted by outsidecalls/texts coming in. There will be a blog that your parents/grandparents can check out , and they can always call Pastor David, Mr. Mike or Ms. Dawn if they need to contact you.

Adult Phone Numbers: Pastor David: 252-202-7729 Julie: 309-533-1984 Mike: Dawn:
Emma: 419-367-9833 Scott:252-619-8146

Itinerary

2008-06-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday, June 28
Travel Day leave church by 1pm. Dinner on the road (bring your own money). Arrive at Westford UMC in Concord, NC by ~9pm. Church # = (704) 782-1423. Pastor Jeff’s cell # 704.701.7548.
Unpack for the night, staying in the family life center where we can use the kitchen to prepare breakfast and lunch.

Sunday, June 29 PRESENCE
8am Breakfast – Continental (Donuts/danishes, milk, OJ, cereal)
Morning Attend Sunday School and Worship at Westford UMC 12:30pm
Lunch quick! Self serve/deli, chips, drinks,
1:15pm Depart for UNCC Challenge Course
2-5pm Teambuilding
5:15pm Depart for Hawthorne Lane UMC
6pm Arrive at HLUMC/Dinner – Pizza
Evening Review of the day and theme of PRESENCE.
11pm Light’s out

Monday, June 30 PRAYERS, GIFTS
8am Breakfast
9am Presbyterian Hospital - Labyrinth Walk & Chapel, prayer room,
12noon Lunch – hamburgers,
1:30-4pm Billy Graham Library http://www.billygraham.org/BGLibrary_Index.asp
4:30pm Center of Hope - serve dinner at the Charlotte Shelter –
Dinner – chicken
8pm Reflection on the afternoon and time at the shelter.
Movie – “The Ultimate Gift” (scenes from this movie were shot in Charlotte)
11pm Light’s out

Tuesday July 1 SERVICE
8am Breakfast
9am All day SERVICE event.
Lunch – packed deli sandwiches, drinks, ind. Chips to go
6pm Dinner
7:30pm Reflection on the day.
8:30-11pm Free time
11pm Light’s out

Wednesday July 2
8am Breakfast – continental breakfast (donuts/danishs, milk, OJ, ceneral)
9am Worship and closing communion at HLUMC in the sanctuary.
11am Depart for Currituck/Grandy

Trip Information

2008-06-20T16:10:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends. Here is some important information for the trip:

On the following link: http://venture.uncc.edu/offcampusdownloads

· # 1 is the map and directions. Please meet the Venture facilitators at the Hospital Auxiliary PARKING LOT (labeled “HTC Parking”)
· # 2 is the clothing requirements. Dress for the weather, however SNEAKERS or OTHER CLOSED TOE SHOES ARE REQUIRED
· # 3 Adult Waiver to be signed by each adult participant
· # 5 is the Parent Letter that briefly describes the Venture activity
· # 7 Child Agreement to Participate – must be signed by EACH child and parent

You will also want to download the following forms:
Adult Waiver
Child/Parent Agreement Letter
Child Waiver for Challenge Course