On Wednesday, June 12, around 20 new friends from La Esperanza gathered at our church for a fun-filled day. The group spent the morning at Mangum Pottery, was served a delicious hotdog lunch by our church volunteers, then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the Nature Park.
La Esperanza is an outreach ministry that serves Latino individuals and families in Madison, Buncombe, and Yancey counties. They came to our church this past Mother's Day to share about their work, and we are very excited about our new partnership with them. Please let Regina know if you are interested in being a part of our church volunteer team at future La Esperanza events.
Pool Party - June 9
Please join us as we celebrate the end of the school year with our students. We have the entire pool reserved for our group and guests. Please let Regina know if your family can make it for the party and if you are bringing fun friends. We will have some frozen treats for a snack!
Community Family Movie
We will have Despicable Me projected on the big screen in the Fellowship Hall and will be serving free popcorn and drinks. Please share widely. Let Regina know if you can help with the event or if you need copies of flyers/handouts to distribute. An event has also been created on Facebook for you to share on social media.
Community Egg Hunt
This year we are once again partnering with the Methodist church in hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for families in the community. The event will be at 2pm on Saturday, March 30th on our lawn, between the two churches. If you are able to volunteer that day to help hide eggs or greet families please let Regina know. Flyers for the event can be found on the Sign-Up Shack for you to grab and share throughout the community and with friends and family.
Middle School Snack Food Donation Drive
Thank you to everyone who donated warm winter items for our most recent “Share the Warmth” donation drive for North Buncombe Middle School. We collected over two extra-large trash bags full of socks, gloves, scarves, hats, sweaters, and blankets.
Now we have been asked to collect more needed items for students at the school. Their snack closet is running low and they are seeking donations of small bags of popcorn, Gold Fish, and other chips as well as fruit snacks etc. (We've been told they do have plenty of Pop-Tarts and do not need more of those). Other quick and easy donations like gum, candy, and even Arizona Iced Teas are also welcome additions. A bin will be outside the elevator on the first floor at the Fellowship Hall for your donations. Thank you so much for your continued love and support for the children in our community.
Faith Foundations Class
For the month of September during the Sunday School time, Pastor Stuart will lead a class for upper elementary and middle school students. It will cover the foundations of faith—God, Jesus, baptism, the Bible, church, the Holy Spirit, and more. It will be a rich time for kids to learn about the building blocks of faith and to ask all of the great questions that they can think of. We hope all of our awesome kids will participate.
Blessing of the Backpacks – Sunday, August 27
As we approach a new school year, we want to help students, teachers, and workers get ready for it. So on the Sunday before Buncombe County schools go back, we’ll have a Blessing of the Backpacks time in worship. All the bags and backpacks will be laid around the floor of the altar table, and in the middle of the service we will say prayers of blessing over them for the new school year.
Students of all ages are encouraged to bring their bags, notebooks, or laptops—elementary, high school, college, or professional. And all teachers are encouraged to bring their work bags as well—briefcases, satchels, whatever you use. We want to fill them all with blessings for a new year!
Pool Day Field Trip! (Wed, Aug 16)
Children, youth, family members, and friends are invited on a fun field trip to the Waynesville Rec Center Indoor Pool. Meet at the church at 10 am or at the park at 11 am. Pack your swimsuit, towel, bag lunch, and a drink. The church is covering the cost to swim but you need to RSVP to Regina by this Sunday, August 13, if you plan to go so she can get a headcount and permission forms. We’ll arrive back at the church by 4:30 pm.
School Supplies Collection
To help teachers and students have all they need for the new school year, we are collecting school supplies through Wednesday, Aug 23. Supplies can be placed in marked boxes in the Fellowship Hall, Connector, and front foyer. Some needed items are: pencils, crayons, glue sticks, plastic folders, loose leaf paper, notebooks, colored pencils, backpacks, wired earbuds/headphones, tissues, and dry erase markers.
New Children's Worship Area
You may notice something different in our sanctuary. In one of the back corners is a new family worship area. This is an intentional space for families with children that may need a little extra wiggle room, so caregivers and children can worship together. The bookshelf contains quiet toys for those who need to fidget, Bible coloring pages and worksheets, crayons with scrap paper, and children's storybooks and Bibles. We want everyone to feel welcome in our house of worship, no matter what kind of needs they may have.
ABCCM Christmas Angel Program
ABCCM has begun taking applications for assistance through the 2022 Christmas Angel program and are in search of volunteers to sponsor families and/or assist at their Christmas Shop. Individuals or groups can adopt a specific family to shop for or can buy general gifts for designated age groups and donate them to ABCCM to be distributed as needed. To see a list of families and toy suggestions, visit their website here. If anyone is interested in volunteering to work a shift in the Christmas shop to bag toys and assist families, let Regina know and she can help coordinate setting that up. Last year this program provided Christmas gifts for 1,189 children in 489 families throughout Buncombe County. With so many impacted by recent inflation, they anticipate even more to be in need of assistance this year.
High School Fun Run Fundraiser
North Buncombe High School is starting a new tradition that will hopefully bring the school and community together for many years to come: introducing the Blackhawk Bolt 5K Fun Run. Come by yourself or with a team to walk, run, or just cheer on our Blackhawk community. The race starts at 10 am, Saturday, Nov 19, on a unique road-and-trail course entirely on the NBHS campus and designed by the NBHS cross country team. (Way to go, Jackson!) Race registration is $20, and all proceeds go the Band, PTSO, and Cross Country Team. Sign up HERE!
Candy Donations & Volunteers Needed
This year our Trunk-or-Treat event will be Halloween evening, on Monday, October 31, from 4-6 pm in our back side parking lot. Please consider supporting this event by donating candy or volunteering to hand out treats. No need to decorate your car or dress up unless you want to. A sign-up sheet for volunteers and a donation bin for candy will be placed in the Fellowship Hall.
School Supplies Needed
School Supplies Needed
The first day of school for students in Buncombe County is Monday, August 29th. We are collecting school supplies for children in our community who need help. Boxes labeled "School Supplies" are in the Fellowship Hall and Vestibule. We will collect them until Sunday, August 21. Thank you for supporting this ministry to help our kids!
Below is a list of needs:
tissue boxes
large glue sticks
8 pack crayons
markers
pencils
pink erasers
antibacterial wipes
How to Talk with Children about Difficult Issues
With mass shootings happening so frequently in our country, and a tragic war going on over-seas, it’s hard to know how to talk with children about such difficult topics. The links below will open online guides that offer guidance on what kids might be thinking and feeling, and what you can do to help them:
Children & Youth: Fall Schedule
On Wednesday, October 6, the children and youth will resume meeting in person for weekly activities.
4:30-5:30 pm Faith Builders for kids
6:00-7:00 pm Youth Group
Thank you to everyone for your patience and flexibility as we have intentionally and carefully created this schedule with Covid procedures in place to prioritize the safety of our young people while still providing them with quality in-person gathering opportunities.
Children's Summer Offering
This summer our children have been collecting an offering for the non-profit organization charity: water. We learned that 785 million people in the world live without access to clean water. (Twice the population of the US, and nearly 1 out of every 10 people worldwide.) Unlike those of us with plumbing, many people, mostly women and young girls, have to walk for hours a day to collect water for their families, and often the water is dirty and riddled with disease-causing bacteria. In order to address this problem, organizations like charity: water raise funds to help dig wells and install filtration systems. This not only increases people's health but also increases the chance for children to go to school and get an education. If you would like to find out more about this organization and their work, click on the image below to watch a short video, or visit charitywater.org. You can join our kids' effort by giving online or by giving money to the church and designating it to this offering. 100% of the funds go to clean water projects.
School Supplies Needed
The first day of school for students in Buncombe County is Monday, August 23rd. We are collecting school supplies for children who need help in our community. Boxes labeled "School Supplies" are in the Fellowship Hall and Vestibule. We will collect supplies until Sunday, August 15. Thank you for supporting this ministry to help our kids!
Here is a list of needs:
ziplock type bags (any size)
tissue boxes
crayons
colored pencils
highlighters
glue sticks
"Go Tell It on the Mountain" - FBCW kids
The sound of children’s voices is extra-special at Christmas. We are so proud of our children in FaithBuilders! Thank you to parents, volunteers, Mrs. Regina, and Mrs. Jane for helping us to to meet on Zoom and in person this year. We pray that God will bless you and your family with gifts of peace, hope, joy, and love this Christmas and in the new year. We hope you enjoy this musical gift from our Children’s Choir:
School Supplies Needed
Even though schools are not on a normal schedule, children still need school supplies. Please bring your donations and place them in the box labeled "School Supplies" in the Fellowship Hall. Below is a list of needed items:
Gallon or quart plastic reclosable bags
Glue sticks
Crayons
Washable markers
Crayon boxes
Tissues
#2 pencils
Highlighters
Colored pencils
Due to recalls, schools are NOT accepting hand sanitizers.