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.

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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: poplarridge@prfriends.org

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