Carrollton Presbyterian Church

Empty Bowls

Last month CPC partnered with the Carroll County Empty Soup Bowl Project to get ready for their upcoming event. 35 Presbyterians got their hands dirty creating a dazzling array of pottery bowls.

Potter Helen Helwig organized the program and our own potters and craftspeople, Randy Ayers, Penny Ayers, Amelia Huxley (and Ioan) rolled clay and helped us create our own masterpieces.

Dianne Cox made a delicious pot of soup for lunch and we ate it till the ladel scraped the bottom of the pot.

If you missed out on bowl making, you can still catch the Empty Bowls event at the Carroll County Ag Center on Feb 26th. Local restaurants will be serving up specialty soups in hand made bowls. Come enjoy live music and hot soup. The fun starts at 11:00.  Tickets are just 10 bucks.  All proceeds go to help finance the Carroll County soup kitchen.

For more information about the Feb event:

http://carrollcountyemptybowls.com/joom/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=4

In the spring of 2011, I participated in a group program called LifeKeys, facilitated by Rebekah Carpenter and Jared Price. About 12 of us met once a week in the Old Manse at Carrollton Presbyterian Church. We formed a tightly knit group based on trust and the mutual desire to investigate ourselves.

I had long hoped for a way to know what God has planned for me and expects of me. (I know I’m not the only who feels that way.) I wanted to know not only what to do, but how and when to do it. Even though I was doing well, I knew I could do better; I was missing something.

At times, I thought maybe I tried too hard, prayed too fervently, yearned too selfishly. Other times, I was sure I didn’t do enough, was too lazy, perhaps undeserving. Whatever else I was doing, I was also growing ever more anxious about what felt like a long period of stagnation. And, I was lonely and didn’t know what to do to solve that dilemma since I was new to Carrollton. I was confused about the role I play in other people’s lives. Also, I lacked confidence in myself, and I felt ineffective and inadequate in regards to my job and career.

So, the offer to enroll in LifeKeys – a course with the tag line, ‘Discover Yourself,’ – seemed a providential opportunity. However, I couldn’t have predicted – or even hoped for – the affirmative influence of the course and its positive and lasting effects.

The friends I made through LifeKeys, the people to whom I now feel bonded, were part of God’s answer to my prayers to find my path, to hear a calling and respond. I met people who affirm my strengths and shore up my weaknesses. I’m rarely lonely any more, and if I am, there’s someone to call.

I was empowered in my career by the realization, through LifeKeys, that the skills and passions I have are gifts from God. He wants me to use them; He made me good at what I do. My career puts me in the role of support rather than management or leadership. I used to think my contributions in the workplace were trivial, but I learned to value what I do. Those in leadership and management roles depend on me to aid them in their success. I did not appreciate that desire to serve in myself before LifeKeys.

Scouts Serve Breakfast

The Scouting program at Carrollton Presbyterian Church is more than just an activity for our youth to learn about the outdoors.

Scouting provides fun, fellowship, and training to our youth as well as youth in our community. It emphasizes honesty, self-reliance, and respect. Through a year-round program, it affects character, citizenship, and personal fitness.

But the success of our Scouting depends on our volunteers, who serve in a variety of leadership roles so that our young people may benefit from our Scouting ministry.

As the Boy Scouts of America celebrates its anniversary, we salute the splendid volunteers who serve as Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, and Venturing Advisors, and in other positions of leadership.

If you’re reading this, you’ve noticed that the CPC website has got a new look.  We’re hoping it will be easy to navigate.  We’ll also be posting lots of great stuff for you to discover and enjoy.

There is so much going on in the church – so many disciples doing good work. If you are involved in a ministry that you feel passionate about – if you are part of a class that just rocks your world – if you’ve found a place where you can inhale OR exhale the love of God, let us know about it. We’d love to get pictures and thoughts to post here on the website.