Christmas

The Christmas Eve Cantata was filled with beautiful music, good fellowship, an offering for Neighbors in Need, and gifts of Pokes filled with fruit and candy -- a mountain tradition.  

Church will be held at 11 am on New Years Day.

Neighbors in Need Benefit Concert

Steve Davidowski's Christmas benefit concert returned  Monday, December  19,  at the Marshall Presbyterian Church.  This mix of jazz, traditional mountain and celtic Christmas music has delighted audiences for the past three years.

The concert benefits Neighbors in Need, a crisis food pantry in Madison County which gives food and financial assistance in crisis situations for Madison County residents.  Neighbors in Need is a 501(c)(3) charity supported by local churches and volunteer workers.  All concert monetary and food donations will go directly to Neighbors in Need.  

 

Marshall's favorite Steve Davidowski is a pianist/saxophonist/flautist/clarinetist. While living in Georgia in the 1970s, Davidowski was the original keyboard player in the southern fusion band The Dixie Dregs, and also performed and recorded with Vassar Clements and many others in Nashville. He is a master of jazz and is also developing a mountain music hybrid he calls Xenobilly.

You can see video clips of last years concert on youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tStujndGhYY
 
Thank you to the musicians who donated their talents and time!  Join the Christmas spirit for an evening of great jazz and the opportunity to help your Madison County neighbors.

Angel Tree

Marshall Presbyterian folks wrapped gifts for 37 children in their "Angel Tree" project.  


The church also put together 14 boxes for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child.   Boxes of gifts will be sent to children overseas.  

Christmas Parade

Marshall Presbyterian Church has placed a float in the Town of Marshall's Christmas Parade for the last 3 years.  This year's float did double duty as it floated through the Christian Parade held by the French Broad Baptist Association on December 3 and the town parade on December 10.  The men of the church walked alongside the float and handed out stuffed animals to children.


The float was a Bible opened to John 1:1 which presents the mystery and wonder of God coming to earth as a man in Jesus Christ.

Greening of the Church

Men of the Church cut down the donated tree and everyone gathered to "Green" the Church on December 3.

Church goes Crackers

Usually a church wants to fill up its pews with people . . . but Marshall Presbyterian is hoping to fill up a couple of pews with crackers for Neighbors in Need. 

Every month the Church collects a specific item forNeighbors in Need.

The current economic crisis has created significant funding challenges to the Neighbors in Need program, especially in regards to helping families cope with rising fuel oil and utility bills.   As such, Neighbors in Need will hold a food drive at both the Marshall and Mars Hill Ingles stores this Friday and Saturday,  November 18 and 19 to help fill the pantry shelves.  Jazz musician Steve Davidowski will also present a concert at Marshall Presbyterian Church in December to further help fund the program.  The general public is invited, and, if you've ever been to one of Steve's performances, you know that it's a  fun-filled Christmas concert definitely not to be missed. 

Marshall Safe Treat

Marshall Presbyterian Church joined the fun as the Town of Marshall welcomed trick or treaters for a "Safe Treat."

Black Mountain Home for Children

The folks at Marshall Presbyterian Church are committed to the ministry of the Black Mountain Home for Children, formerly called the Presbyterian Home for Children.   


Every fall the children are welcomed for a weekend at Glory Ridge where we share meals and are blessed by their special music at Marshall Presbyterian Church on Sunday.   This fall they spent their Saturday helping a family with a severely handicapped child fix up their home. 


Marshall Presbyterian folks send birthday cards to the children with gift certificates to Walmart and put together a "home-grown, homemade" basket to be auctioned at the Home's Fall Festival.  


A special offering for the Home is taken up the Sundays before and after Thanksgiving .

Ordained and Installed

Reverend Melissa Upchurch was ordained and installed at the Marshall Presbyterian Church on September 25, 2011.  


Officiating at the service were Elder Patricia Clark, Moderator-Elect of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina, the Rev. George Gunn of Fletcher Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Margaret Lauterer of Montreat, the Rev. Eugene Linton of Dorland Memorial Presbyterian Church and Walnut Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Bobbi White the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina,  elder Helen Hall, Dulatown Presbyterian Church, and elder Hank Shaner of Marshall Presbyterian Church.  


Also attending were the Reverend Dick Hobson of Black Mountain and the  Reverend Tom Cook of Pisgah Forest, who have both served Marshall Presbyterian Church as interim ministers.  

It was a beautiful day for Marshall Presbyterian Church!

Welcome to Reverend Melissa Upchurch

Marshall Presbyterian Church folks are excited to welcome Reverend Melissa Upchurch as their newly installed pastor. 

Although she has most recently moved from Dallas, Texas, Reverend Upchurch grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas so she feels at home in the mountains.

Pastor Upchurch has a BA in journalism from the University of Arkansas and her Master of Divinity from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.  Of her past career as a journalist, Melissa says, "I have discovered much to my delight that the skills I employed in communications work have transferred nicely to ministerial work.  I believe I have found the point where my joy in work intersects with a need in the world . . . ."

It was Melissa's concern for the needs of the world which impressed members of the committee selecting Melissa to serve in Marshall, "We were intrigued with Melissa's expressions of very concrete ways that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can make a difference in society, the daily lives of people, and in God's creation, our environment and animals." 

The Presbyterian Church, PCUSA, has had a long history in Madison County.  Between 1893 and 1994 sixteen schools and one hospital were maintained by the mission boards of the Presbyterian Church. Marshall Presbyterian Church members strive to continue that history and do as Christ commanded, "Feed my sheep." 

Pastor Melissa has plans for  new adult bible studies, confirmation classes for high school youth, and increased fellowship opportunities for all ages.  Marshall Presbyterian Church is located at 165 South Main Street in Marshall.  The worship service is at 11:00 a.m., Adult Sunday School at 10a.m. People from all backgrounds are welcome.  For more information on Marshall Presbyterian Church, please visit marshallpres.org or call 828-649-3662.