And, We're Done!

I have the great pleasure of reporting to you that we are finished with the parsonage renovation!  The building inspector signed off on the work, and I've been moving back into my kitchen!

Here are a few pictures for you:

The hall bathroom

The laundry room

The beautiful kitchen

I forgot to take a picture of the refinished screen porch, which is also quite lovely!  Soon to come.  

Thank you all again for your generosity toward me, and toward all the pastor's families who will be blessed in the future.  Thanks especially to the Trustees and to the Parsonage Committee, to Brad Wesley Construction, and to all the subs who did such a great job!

I look forward to our society beating this COVID-19 virus so that we can gather, breaking bread and sharing stories, praying and laughing together!

Blessings!
Ed

Generosity From A Distance

Friends,

Grace and peace!  I have missed you all so very much!  Perhaps like many of you, I am a very relational person, and I need our connections just like we all do! I pray that God will show us new ways of being together, and will deepen our relationships with God and one another in ways that we have never imagined during this time of anxiety and physical separation.  

Our church is an organization which relies on the generosity of its friends.  We try our best to be good stewards of that with which God has entrusted us.  We know and affirm that "all good things come from you, O God" when we give of our tithes and offerings.  

We know that this outbreak has, is, and will affect the economy in very significant ways.  For many people, income during this COVID-19 crisis will significantly decline.  Others may be blessed to see no change in our income.  Some have nest-eggs to help weather the storm, but the stress of using what they had planned to use in other ways is real and feels traumatic!  Some may be moved by the Spirit to share possessions, time, or finances in ways they have never considered before.   For some, in order to survive, it seems that we must carefully ration the little that we have and trust that God will see us through.  Still others will need to depend on God working through the generosity of strangers.  We are all sharing in this great unknown; may we do so with faithfulness.  

It is on my heart to remind you of two principles of Christian sharing.  One is that God's direction for God's people in the Bible (and in millennia of Christian tradition) is based on proportionality and faithfulness: we strive to give a portion, a fraction of what God provides.  There is precedent for giving a tenth of income or harvest, but there are examples of many other proportions of giving (all the way up to 100%!).  The second principle is that offerings are always an act of faith. In times of plenty or times of seeming scarcity, sharing is an act of trust that we are participating in God's larger kingdom.  With all acts of trust, we are choosing to take a risks.  Our faith is that God will take care of us. 

It is good to remember that God works through so many faithful people in so many ways.  I believe God is at work in every teacher tasked with handing out drive-through lunches at public schools, every work team that helps hurricane victims, every EMT who rolls into unknown situations during every emergency call, every parent who is doing their best to teach their children at home, every elderly person who is staying home and praying for grandchildren and neighbors.  The church is but one (very important) way that God accomplishes God's purposes in the world.

We should pray, together, for God to show us how and how much we are to share.  We believe the Holy Spirit is who empowers every act of love and generosity, so we ask for the quietness to listen, the wisdom to discern, and the faith to follow where God leads us.  

As we continue to support the church, so that the church can continue to minister to its staff and through its staff to the community, I am aware of several possibilities for financial giving to the church that may be new to you, since we are not gathering in communal worship in the sanctuary for the time being.  Other people may have other ideas, which we welcome.

1) At present, our church office remains open as usual.  We are cleaning all of our public spaces regularly, and our staff is practicing physical distance.  You may choose to bring your gift to the church.  If you ring the doorbell while the office is open, we can come and collect your gift at the door.  Please call before you come so that you can make sure someone will be there.  The church office number is (336) 599-1193.

2) You may choose to mail a check to us. The church address is Long Memorial UMC, PO Box 310, Roxboro, NC 27573.  Many people have long chosen to use this means of regular giving.  

3) The church office can help you set up regular electronic drafts from a bank account.  We have offered this for a number of years, and a number of our members have long taken advantage of this method of church giving.  In order to do this, we need you to fill out and sign a form and return it to us.  You can pick up a form from the church, or we can mail you one. Please call or email the church office if you need assistance.

4) You can use the app on your smart phone called Church+.  It's a free app.  You find and download the app from the app store, then you can use the app as a guest, or you can create an account for recurring transactions.  The app allows you to search for and select Long Memorial in Roxboro as the designation for you gift.  This app allows you to enter a debit or credit card number, and the funds are sent directly to the church's operating account.  

5) The North Carolina Conference UMC has set up a service on its website where you can make donations directly to Long Memorial or any other church in the conference.  This service enables you to include a memo line with your donation if you wish to direct your gift to a specific cause within our church ministries (E.g. "Parsonage" or "Capital Projects."  The link is https://nccumc.org/giving/church/.  Donations made in this way will be collected by the conference, then forwarded on to the church via direct deposit twice a month.

May God bless all of us as we dwell in God's presence and seek God's direction.  We will all need to offer help to others, even if it is in the form of prayer; and we will all need to receive help from others, in ways that perhaps we have never needed help before.  May God be at the center of it all.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Ed
(919) 274-8061

The Home Stretch - Parsonage Improvement Project

We are almost to the finish line!  The work remaining on the parsonage renovation is more or less a punch-list - just a few more items.

✅Appliances installed - just a few more wires to connect on some outlets and the kitchen sink disposal.

✅Lighting is installed and looks great!

✅Front storm door installed; the rear porch door is delivered and will go on after painting.

✅Back porch railings up; painting is happening today

✅All the plumbing finished

✅Grounded outlets were installed upstairs; the entry hall, stairs, and upstairs hall were painted (no more red!); the front guest bedroom was painted.

✅A few more this-n-that details, and the work will be finished!  

It looks like a whole different house.  I can't wait to get back to normalcy, although I will miss the steady stream of early morning friends helping me wake up each day to the sound of paint sprayers, hammers, and saws.!  Here are some pictures of the progress.

Continued thanks to the Parsonage Committee for overseeing the work and answering the many little questions that come up from time to time, and to Brad and Tony Wesley, and to Jamie, Jason, Francisco, Gustavo, and all the folks that have made this such a smooth and beautiful project.  Thanks too to all the generous folks from Long Memorial who have supported this project for the benefit of future pastoral families and me!

I can't wait to have you all over to share the beautiful space - but now, less than 10 at a time and 6 feet between everyone, with plenty of hand sanitizing, tissues, and disinfecting wipes!

Blessings,

Pastor Ed

Month 2: Parsonage Improvement Project

Greetings!  It's been awhile, and I know you are eager to see the great progress that Brad and Tony Wesley have been overseeing. I can't impress upon you enough how thorough and thoughtful the whole team has been along the way.  This work will well serve the pastoral families and guests of Long Memorial long into the future.

✅Second Dumpster almost full!

✅Drywall Installed, taped, mudded, sanded

✅Crown molding and baseboards in place

✅Tile floor and shower in bathroom

✅New front door, new laundry room door, new bathroom door

✅Shelves up in pantry

✅Painted Cabinets have been delivered and installed!'

✅Flooring delivered

Continued thanks to the Parsonage Committee for overseeing the work and answering the many little questions that come up from time to time.

 Some of the next steps will include:

-finishing light fixtures, switches, outlets

-painting the ceiling

-installing countertops

-remaining cabinet hardware

-installing floor and finishing baseboards

-painting walls and doors

-installing sinks, faucets, appliances

-installing new screen railings/walls on back porch

-move back in!

Those that know approximate a little more than a month of work remaining.

Here are some pictures:

Fireplace?  What fireplace?!

Dust finds a way:

Preparing to grout with tile spacers:

The finished shower tiling

Finished bathroom floor

Baseboards:

Pantry shelves.  Notice no more water heater!

View from the future commode
(more lighting coming):

Cabinets arrive!

New laundry room cabinets installed:

New kitchen cabinets waiting for dishes!

The kitchen view from the laundry room:

The kitchen island and a sample of flooring:

The bathroom vanity:

Another view of the kitchen island, looking toward pantry:

Crown molding:

Thanks once again to every church member, and to every donor and laborer who is investing in the future pastoral families of Long Memorial!

Please direct any questions or comments to Pastor Ed, George (Trustee chair), or Tonya Gentry (Parsonage Committee).

Week 3: Parsonage Improvement Project

Greetings!  Sorry I didn't get an update out for Week 2.  The crews continue to do great work on the Parsonage!  It's a little dustier than it was, but new additions are going in every day. 

✅Install New Energy Efficient Windows

✅Install New Kitchen Sink Window

✅Lay Down New Subfloor

✅Prepare brick fireplace wall to cover with drywall

✅Upgrade Master Circuit-Breaker Electrical Panel

✅Install Plumbing for new fixtures in bathroom, kitchen, mud room

✅Install Wiring, switches, receptacles, and housings for new light configurations

✅Install new bathtub

✅Prep ductwork - make adjustments for new cabinets

✅Empty first dumpster load

Continued thanks to the Parsonage Committee for overseeing the work and answering the many little questions that come up from time to time. 

Here are some pictures:

Old windows come out for new ones to go in.  This should help us care for the planet and save some money on heating bills!

Rub a dub dub . . . we have a new tub. . . 

 

The ceiling doesn't look like it used to . . .

Best attempt at dust-proofing.

Laundry with a view - temporarily.

Our attempt at one of those online hidden object games.  Or a new radical multipurpose room.  The carport is now a 1) marina, 2) bathroom, 3) barbecue, 4) dishwasher, 4) kitchen, 5) washroom, 6) lumberyard, 7) clothes rack, 8) entertainment center

The mudroom begins to take shape

The new kitchen sink window

Week 1: Parsonage Improvement Project

Greetings!  At our Council meeting this week, it was reported that at least 25% of the funds for this project have been given already.  We have loans secured for the entire value of the project, but the less we have to borrow, the better!

Wanted to post some pictures of the parsonage improvement project, week 1.  Brad Wesley's crew is doing a great job!  We moved the water heater from inside the pantry to a gas water heater located in a small hut near the outside gas pack a couple weeks ago.  The theme of this week has been demolition.  

✅Receive dumpster and port-a-John

✅Move out of spaces to be remodeled

✅Set up kitchenette in Dining room

✅Remove kitchen appliances and cabinets.

✅Remove vinyl flooring and plywood subfloor

✅Remove washer/dryer and laundry flooring

✅Remove hall bathroom fixtures, tile walls (including breaking tub in half!!)

✅Remove bathroom closets and widen bathroom entryway so that future families and guests will have better accessibility for people who may have mobility limitations

✅Widen kitchen sink window

✅Remove brick hearth and wooden mantle and ceiling fans

Today or Monday - replace front single pane windows with energy efficient windows

Everything’s been moving along swiftly!  I am still living here - I’m not cooking any gourmet meals but the front of the house and all other bed and bathrooms continue to be accessible.