THE POPLAR LEAF
What a Wonderful Calling!
G od is going to do great things at Poplar Ridge Friends Meeting and I am excited to be a part of His plan! Receiving the call to serve this church is something I
could not have imagined just a few short months ago. I was proudly serving Archdale Friends Meeting where I had been for five wonderful years. In mid-May God placed an unmistakable call on my heart to pursue the Senior Pastor position at Poplar Ridge Friends. After much prayer, lengthy discussion, discernment, interviews and approvals… we agreed that God was indeed leading me to serve here. What a wonderful calling!
We will become acquainted over the next months and years, but let me share a little about myself. I was born and raised in the Trinity area and I have never lived more than 15 miles from Sophia. I graduated from Southern Guilford High School in 1998 and went on to study Pastoral Ministries at John Wesley College (now Laurel University) before transferring to High Point University, eventually graduating in 2003. I would go on to earn a Master of Divinity from the seminary at Wake Forest University Divinity School in 2008.
My spiritual formation began at Springfield Friends Meeting under the ministry of my grandfather, Max Rees. He was a fixture there, serving 36 years of faithful ministry. My time spent in Sunday school and youth ministry planted the seeds of salvation in my heart and laid a foundation for my call to ministry. When I was seventeen years old, I called on Christ to be my Savior. Before that moment, I had known about God and I believed in Him. But I wasn’t in relationship with Him until I repented and received Him in my heart.
With conversion came an immediate, unmistakable and unshakable call to ministry. I began my ministry training in the Intern Program through the North Carolina Yearly Meeting. From there, I served as youth pastor at Oak Hill Friends and as the director of the Afterschool/Summer Camp program at Springfield Friends Meeting. My first pastoral role was at Thomasville Friends, where I enjoyed three years of ministry before moving to Archdale.
continued...
POPLAR RIDGE FRIENDS MEETING September 2013
“...if we listen closely and faithfully obey, He will show us how we can best be used for His glory and in service to His kingdom.”
My family is a constant source of joy and encouragement. My wife and I met on a blind date in 2005 and were married a year and a half later. Emily is my very best friend and a wonderful helpmate in ministry. We have three beautiful children, Lucy (5), Maggie (4), and Ollie (10 months). As I pray in anticipation of my ministry, I envision a place full of God’s power. We will exalt Him in worship, adore Him in daily prayer, and serve Him in bold and ambitious ministry. God is doing something great at Poplar Ridge, and if we listen closely and faithfully obey, He will show us how we can best be used for His glory and in service to His kingdom.
T hank you for affirming my call in ministry and welcoming me into your church family. God is alive, He is at work, and we are going to enjoy Him together!
In Christ,
Pastor Dave Mercadante
SEPT 8 — NOV 10 Excluding 2 Sundays: September 22nd October 6th
6:00-7:00 pm (sanctuary)
“CHRISTIAN” A Church-wide
DVD study by Andy Stanley
Our church family is invited to stay for lunch immediately following worship on Sunday, September 8th to welcome our new Senior Pastor, Dave Mercadante and his family.
Hamburgers & hot dogs (along with some delicious desserts!) will be provided by the Share & Care Class & Senior Friends. Please join us and let’s give the Mercadante family a warm and friendly “Poplar Ridge” welcome!!!
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” — Isaiah 46:4NIV
“Christian” oftentimes is all about what a person believes; ‘disciple’ is all about what a person
actually does.” —Andy Stanley
UPWARD BASKETBALL and CHEERLEADING!!!
(for boys & girls 4 years old thru 8th grade)
Early Registration Cost per child : $65 After October 31, the cost is $75
DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: NOVEMBER 14, 2013
Our guest speaker this year is Brian Cook! The cost is $75,
but sign up before Sept 10th and it’s only $60.
(If you want to stay Sunday night, it’s an extra $10.)
The Senior Friends will resume meeting
on Thursday, September 26th at 6:15 pm in the Fellowship Hall.
Join us! New faces are always welcome!
High School LIFE Group “REACH” Road Trip!
We spent 4 days serving others! Here are pictures of some of the things we did...
• Mowing at a children’s orphanage in Concord
• Volunteering at a thrift store
George, a daily volunteer at the thrift store
• Stopping to assist someone with car trouble
Quaker Lake
YOUTH RETREAT October 4-6, 2013
(Friday-Sunday)
Deadline to sign up: Sept 29th
(No cost to you!)
All the details coming soon... Speaker: Josh Smith | Prayer | Worship led by Janna Harris & Tim Vestal | Snacks | Prizes | Games | Info about SYATP
(4th-6th grade)
starts back on
SUNDAYS 5:30-7:00 pm
beginning September 8th
in the Alpha Boys Class!
SEPTEMBER MEETINGS / EVENTS:
Sept 8 Jr Youth Meeting
Sept 15 “See You at the Pole” Rally (FEC)
Sept 22 Fall Revival (no meeting)
Sept 29 Jr Youth Meeting
WELCOME BACK!
We meet on SUNDAYS 5:30-7:00 pm
beginning SEPTEMBER 8th in the Fellowship Hall
Parents are always welcome to stay
for our meetings!
We would love your support!
HAPPY
SEPTEMBER
BIRTHDAY! 1 Charles Gardiner 4 Jerry Neal, Sr. 5 Angela Ligon
Scott Whitaker 6 Frances Coltrane 7 Ada Rich
Tim Teague 8 Kendra Smith 9 Vicki Nelson 11 Tara Burge
Max Memmelaar 12 Vestal Hill
Hilda Mosley 15 Tristan Summers 16 Chris Jacobs 17 Nancy Lanier 18 Nathan Farlow
Cindy Grubb 19 Brittany Linthicum
Kimberly Linthicum Caroline Smith
20 Kenneth Monroe 22 Kendrick Hicks
Dink Hill Paula Linthicum
25 Phebe Donley Autumn Sykes
26 Cody Gurley Nadine Jones
27 Linda Neal 30 Cathy Vecellio
Oops! Did we miss your
birthday?
Call or email Paula in the
church office & let us know!!
INSIDE NEXT MONTH’S NEWSLETTER...
PR “Family Day” @ Quaker Lake October 6
Quaker Men BBQ & Cruise-in October 12
Missions Fair @ Quaker Lake October 12
Quaker Lake Pumpkin Festival October 19
Quakerfest Carnival October 31
Put this on your calendar & spread the word!
QUAKER MEN BAR-B-QUE & CRUISE-IN
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Serving BBQ 11:00 am—5:00 pm Adults: $7 | Children under 12: $4 (eat in or take out)
Cruise-in 12 noon—4:00 pm
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
NCYM Annual Sessions
continue…
7:00 pm Prayer LIFE
Group
2 Labor Day
NCYM Annual Sessions end
CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED
3 7:00 pm—M & C
7:00 pm
Finance Com.
4
6:00-8 pm Praise Team Planning Mtg.
7:00 pm
Prayer Meeting
5 6 7 8:30-10:30 am
Ladies Coffeehouse
BEGINS
8 12noon Welcome Lunch for Mercadantes 5:00-6pm—Choir 5:00pm—Youth 5:30pm-Jr Youth 5:30pm-Children 6-7pm-Christian 7pm—Prayer LIFE Group
9
7pm—H & G
7-8:30pm H.S. LIFE Group
7pm
Cub/Boy Scouts
10 7:00 pm
MONTHLY MEETING
NCYM 21 Days of Fasting & Prayer
(10th-30th) “Worship Nite”
6:30 @ Trinity FM
11
6:30 pm Praise Team
Practice
7:00 pm Prayer Meeting
12 13 14 8:30-10:30 am
Ladies Coffeehouse
UPWARD Registration
begins (Bush Hill Festival)
15 8am—QM B’fast
5:30-7pm Jr Youth & Youth
SYATP Rally
5:30pm-Children 6-7pm-Christian 7pm—Prayer LIFE Group
16
7-8:30pm H.S. LIFE Group
*no Scout meetings*
17
6:30 pm Relief of the
Needy
*NCYM Worship Night*
6:30pm @ Back Creek FM
18
6:30 pm Praise Team
Practice
7:00 pm Prayer Meeting
19 20 21
8:30-10:30 am Ladies
Coffeehouse
22 10:45 am & 6pm FALL REVIVAL
Speaker: Craig Beard
12noon—CE
23
7:00 pm FALL REVIVAL
7pm Cub/Boy Scouts
(mtg off campus)
24
7:00 pm FALL REVIVAL
*NCYM Worship Night*
6:30pm @ Nahunta FM
25 “See You At the Pole” b4 school
7:00 pm
FALL REVIVAL
26
6:15 pm Senior Friends
27
NCYM Young Adult
Beach Retreat @ Cherry Grove
(27th-29th)
28
8:30-10:30 am Ladies
Coffeehouse
29 10:45am-Kidstuf
5:00pm—Youth 5:30pm-Jr Youth 5:30pm-Children
6-7pm-Christian
7pm—Prayer LIFE Group
30
7-8:30pm H.S. LIFE Group
7pm
Cub/Boy Scouts
Contact Us.
Church Office: 336.861.5026
Mon—Thurs: 8am-4:30pm
Friday: 8am-2:30pm
Email: [email protected]
Visit us on the web at
prfriends.org
9:30 am — SUNDAY SCHOOL
10:45 am — WORSHIP
Senior Pastor:
David Mercadante
Associate Pastor:
Brian Donley
Youth & Family Pastor:
Tim Vestal
Administrative Assistant:
Paula Allen
Poplar Ridge Friends Meeting
3673 Hoover Hill Road
Trinity, North Carolina 27370
Connecting a new generation to their lifelong purpose in Christ