Welcome
to Montpelier Presbyterian Church

Join us for worship Sundays 11:00

Prayer
Sometimes God, you call me out of my routine of morning busyness - even my routine of prayer - to just sit, to wait - to breathe. And for these moments I am thankful, for in them I find you - and me.

About Us

Mission Statement: Montpelier Presbyterian Church is a loving family of God who welcomes everyone to join us as we worship our Lord Jesus Christ and celebrate his grace given to us all. We are learning together how to live out our faith by working to meet the needs of our community and our world.

We are a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA). We believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and God’s only begotten Son who died on the cross to save us by HIs grace and was raised from the dead to prove to us God’s power over sin and death. We believe the Bible to be the sacred Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. We believe in the Trinity of God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God in three persons. To find more about our beliefs please go to pcusa.org.

What you can expect on Sunday morning: You will be greeted at the front door and receive a warm welcome and a service bulletin. Coffee hour is before church at 10:30 in the church library right off the sanctuary.

Our worship service is traditional with

prayers,
both traditional and modern hymns,
scripture readings
a children’s sermon complete with coloring and puzzle pages
a sermon based on that day’s readings with an emphasis on living out our faith in our every day lives.

We do not take up an offering although there are plates available on our communion table in the front of the sanctuary..

Dress is casual and there’s even a rocking chair in the back of the sanctuary if one is needed.

You’ll find information on our Bible study and children’s Sunday School under Faith Development.

What our members say: “A great group of sweet folks who care and reach out whenever there’s a need…” Will M.

“I’ve been a member for 53 years. It’s home to me. Pastor Pat always finds ways to keep us engrossed in the Bible to strengthen our faith.” Debbie N.

“I’ve been a member for less than a year, but one of the things I like about it is the sense of intimacy.” Leigh-Ann M.

Our Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Patricia Ramsden is known to us all as Pastor Pat. She is in her fourth year as our part-time pastor and lives in Scotia Village in Laurinburg. She has been ordained for over 36 years and has always served small churches rediscovering who God was calling them to be. Among all her other duties at the church she also teaches our adult Bible study on Sunday mornings. She is single and loves her garden and HGTV as well as storytelling and acting. Before entering the ministry she was an Associate Professor of English and Drama and an academic dean in the University of Kentucky Community College system. She is the author of two books: The Power Of Their Voices and For Such A One As I.

Faith Development

Sunday Morning Bible Studies 9:30 You do not need to be a member of the church or attend worship to attend any of our classes. We welcome everyone to come and discover more about the faith The adult class meets in the church library and is a lively discussion mixed with a traditional Bible study, questions and answers. The teen/pre-teen class meets in the church meeting room across from the library for discussion and activities. The children's class meets in their room across from the kitchen by fellowship hall.

Women's Circle meets the second Wednesday at 2:00. We are studying Rachel Held Evan's book In Search of Sunday. It too is a lively discussion.

Sweet Talk meets the first Thursday of the month at 2:00 at the local ice cream parlor Kountry Cream. The entire community participates in this safe, non-judgmental conversation around life, love and faith.

Messy Un-Church is just that. It meets the second Sunday of the month at 2:00 and is designed for families of all types and sizes. We build a project to take home which can be anything from castles to barns to bracelets. Then we listen to a story and have snacks.

Just For Fun!

Men's Breakfast: Usually meets the first Saturday of the month at 8:00 in the church fellowship hall for a full breakfast and good conversation. While there is no charge a blessing basket is available to help cover the cost of food. Men from all over the community are invited to attend.

Golf MeetUp: Meets the second and fourth Monday's of the month depending on the weather at the Deercroft Pro Shop in Deercroft. The cost is $20 for nine holes and you do not need to be a member of the church or the golf course to attend. We normally tee off at 5:30 until daylight savings time when we move to 4:30. After the game we join together for the 19th hole for fellowship and fun.

Community Ministries

Blessing Pantry: Our blessing pantry box is located near the rear of the church building. It is open 24/7 and there are no forms to fill out, no questions asked. It operates on the principle of take what you need; leave what you can and is based on Jesus' teaching in MT 25.

Scholarship Fund: Founded in 2007, the estate of Johnsie Patterson McFadden from Wagram, NC set up a scholarship fund through Montpelier Presbyterian Church to be given to any Scotland County High School Graduate to further their education with preference given to those associated with the congregation. This year we gave 11 scholarships to deserving students. Contact the church for more information on this program and how to apply.

Partnership With Wagram Public Schools We reach out to students in need through an annual collection of gloves, scarves, hats, and socks as well as providing backpacks stuffed with needed school supplies. We serve as classroom readers as well. We show our support for teachers and staff throughout the year in a variety of ways.

Special Offerings Throughout the year we collect special denominational offerings such as the One Great Hour of Sharing, the Pentecost Offering and the Joy Gift Offering.

Spring Hill Cemetery Memorial Fund. “Blessed are thy who mourn for they shall be comforted. “. Mt 5:4 Our church, in partnership with the Spring Hill Baptist Church, owns and maintains the local cemetery. The Memorial Fund goes to support the upkeep. For more information on making a donation or buying a plot, please contact the church office.

Donations to the church may be mailed to P.O. Box 407 Wagram, NC 28396. If you’d like the donation to go to a particular cause, please note that on the memo line of your check.

News & Events

Monthly Events

Nov. 2 11:00 Remembrance of Saints who have passed from this life to the next

Nov. 6 1:00 Sweet Talk at Kountry Cream

Nov. 8 8:00am Community free appreciation breakfast for all veterans and friends

Nov. 10 6:00pm 19th Hole

Nov. 12 2:00 Women's Circle of Friends

Nov. 16 2:00 Messy Unchurch making Christmas gifts

Nov. 17 10:00 Church clean uo day

Nov. 24 10:00 decorate for advent & Christmas

Nov. 27 Thanksgiving

Nov. 30 1st Sunday of Advent

Dec. 6 6:00 Community Carol Sing

Montpelier Messenger

Montpelier Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 407, Wagram, NC 28396 910-369-2259

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Patricia Ramsden 269-362-1332

Editor: Barbara Holloway 910-318-3757

(email) hollowaybarbara064@gmail.com

No. 11 Vol. 55 Nov. 2025

Pastor’s Pen: It’s Nov.! And time for us to think of our many blessings, and one of my blessings is you! As a congregation you have set out to bring the Good News of God’s love to this community in a variety of ways over this past year.

You have reached out by beginning new programs like the golf meet up to get to know our neighbors and let them get to know us. We have started the Messy Unchurch to reach new families and restarted the Easter Egg Hunt and grew our Christmas pageant from 3 to 12 all to show new families that we are a family friendly church. We have restarted the Men’s breakfast and invited the community to join us. And that’s just a few of the things we are trying and it’s working. People in the community are talking about our church and how active we are in showing God’s love.

But it doesn’t stop there. We are sharing God’s love with the broader community through our Blessing Box of food which helps feed the hungry here in Wagram. It is based on take what you need and leave what you can and people are doing both. Then there is our outreach to Wagram Elementary School with everything from school supplies to shoes for kids in need and thank you gifts for teachers and staff. And again that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We have also helped those outside of our immediate community with mission trips to Puerto Rico and western North Carolina and with special offerings.

In all of this we have grown in faith and been blessed ourselves - so its no wonder I wanted to take the time just to say thanks and to give thanksgiving to God for each of you! See you in church!

Always remember how much God loves you, Pastor Pat

Thank you to all those who helped with our Fall Harvest Festival and Bazaar. All the funds from the sale are going to special building projects.

Annual meeting Nov. 16 following worship Pastor Pat wrote about just a few things our church has done this year in her Pastor’s Notes. Want to hear more about our year and what we’ve done? Then come to the Annual Meeting and read our Annual Report! We will also be electing new session members. Our nominees from the nominating committee are John Lewis and LeighAnn McKay.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on Nov. 1! It’s the end of Daylight Saving Time.

Nov. 2 we will be remembering those who have passed this past year and whom we have loved. Please give Pastor Pat in writing the names of those you wish to have remembered. We will be lighting candles for each of them as we pray for those who remember and grieve their loss.

We will be taking up a special collection of coats, scarves, hats, and gloves for the students at Wagram Elementary School this month. It gets cold at the bus stop and many of our students don’t have what they need to stay warm! Gently used item are welcome as your own children or grandchildren have outgrown them as well as new ones. We live in one of the poorest counties in the state and in this month of blessings it is our blessing to share with children in need. We plan on delivering them to the school Thanksgiving week so Sunday Nov. 23 will be the last Sunday for the collection.

Sweet Talk will meet at the Kountry Cream ice cream parlor here in Wagram Nov. 6 at 1:00. Come join us for conversation about life, love, and faith. Ice cream is on your own.

We are hosting a special Veterans Appreciation Breakfast for our entire community Saturday Nov. 8 at 8:00. Everyone is invited to come and show our appreciation for those who have served us in this special way. You do not need to be a vet to come and say thank you. Our special speakers will be Jerry Henderson and David Salazar. There will also be special music.

If you would like to help by providing a breakfast casserole or fruit, please see Roger Ammons, Pastor Pat, or Betsy Brown.

The Golf Meet up is over for the season but not the 19th Hole! We will get together for a good time at Jeff and LeighAnn McKay’s house Monday Nov. 10 at 6:00. Everyone’s invited. If you’ve not been there before it’s best to ask them for directions!

The Women’s Circle of Friends will meet Wednesday Nov. 12 at 2:00. This is not limited to Presbyterian Women so if you know a woman who may be interested in talking more about living out our faith and life in general, please invite them. We still have copies of our book Searching For Sunday.

Session will meet Thursday Nov. 13 at 10:00.

The Messy Unchurch is moving to Betsy Brown’s house Nov. 16 at 2:00. Her address is 30021 Deercroft Drive. This month we will be making Advent Wreaths and Christmas gifts! You don’t want to miss this free event complete with a story and snacks. We’d love to have you come and bring your grandchildren or invite a family that’s never been.

Nov. 17 at 10:00 will be the church clean up day for the holidays! Many hands make light work! We will concentrate on the sanctuary, the library, and fellowship hall.

Nov. 23 is the celebration of Christ the King and we will be remembering this annual day of commitment to our Lord with Holy communion. Christ the King Sunday is meant to celebrate that Christ is the king of Heaven and Earth, both in the past, the present, and the future. This is important for Christians to remember because many people before the coming of Jesus believed that he would be an earthly king like other kings they knew instead of our heavenly king reigning forever over us as Lord of Lords. It is also important as a day to renew our commitment to serve him and only him as our king of kings

Christmas decorating! We will be decorating the church for Christmas on Monday Nov. 24 at 10:00! Yes. It’s true. It’s already Christmas time! The first Sunday of Advent is Nov. 30 - Thanksgiving weekend!

We will begin Advent Nov. 30 with a special worship service explaining and decorating our Chrismon tree in the sanctuary. This service will involve everyone and is a particularly good Sunday to bring your Thanksgiving guests and family gatherings. (Not that every Sunday isn’t a good time to do this!)

Don’t forget to share our posts on Facebook! They make a difference as we reach out with God’s love! Our Facebook page is Montpelier presbyterian church. You can like us there!

We want to thank Campbell Soup for the three cases of individual soups that they donated to our food blessing box. We could use the following items for the Blessing Box: saltine crackers and peanut butter and small jellies; canned tuna, chicken, and other canned meats; cereal; dry milk; and other items someone who is homeless could make.

Thanksgiving will be Nov. 27. Most Americans are familiar with the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, when the original purpose of Thanksgiving was to give thanks for a successful harvest, commemorating the 1621 harvest feast between the English Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, who had helped them cultivate the land. But few realize that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, native peoples sought to insure a good harvest with dances and rituals such as the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokees.

The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578, in Newfoundland. However, for British New England, some historians believe that the Popham Colony in Maine conducted a Thanksgiving service in 1607. In the same year, Jamestown colonists gave thanks for their safe arrival, and another service was held in 1610 when a supply ship arrived after a harsh winter.

On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed that November 26, would be a national Thanksgiving Day, to be observed every year on the fourth Thursday of November.

A Thanksgiving Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come before you today with a heart full of gratitude. Thank you for your countless blessings and your unwavering love. Thank you for the gift of life, for the air I breathe, and for the strength you give me each day. Your grace and mercy sustain me, and I am deeply grateful for your presence in my life.

Thank you for my family, friends, and the community you have surrounded me with. Thank you for providing for my needs and for guiding me with your wisdom. Even in times of trial, I thank you for the lessons and the growth that come from trusting in you. Lord, may I never take your blessings for granted. Help me to remain mindful of your goodness and to share your love and kindness with others. I praise your name and give thanks for all that you are and all that you do.In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

There are now Send A Blessing cards in our pews. All you need to do is fill one out and put it in the offering plate for someone who needs a reminder that they are cared about. We will send them a note that says just that.

Thank you from the students and staff at Wagram Elementary school. Because of you, many of the students in need of appropriate shoes, socks and bottoms will have them as the weather grows cooler. This is one way we show the love of God to those in need.

Thanks from the Scotland County Humane Society for our donations of things for the animals there. God called us to be good stewards of all the earth and all the animals upon it. At this time the shelter cannot accept any more cats or dogs because the need is so great and they are full of animals already awaiting adoption after being abandoned. They are also remodeling their facility.

Advent begins this year on Nov. 30. The Advent message refers to the central themes of the Advent season: hope, peace, joy, and love in anticipation of the coming of Jesus Christ. It is a message of waiting and preparing for Christ's arrival, but also a message of repentance and salvation that was proclaimed even before his birth, offering a "yes" to the world in the promise of his arrival and the ability for those who believe to become children of God.

Pastor Pat Ramsden will be off on Sunday Nov. 30 for continuing education.

Sunday Dec. 7 at 6:00 we will host a community carol sing including solos and storytelling as well as the telling of the Christmas story from the Cotton Patch Gospel. There will be a reception following. Invite your friends and neighbors to join us for this special event!

As of the end of Sept. our current net budget position was $8,482.81. We are grateful for your generous giving that has kept us in the black this year. We will have several large end of the year payments yet to make such as our benevolence giving and our insurance payments.

Sermons

A Different Look Rev. Patricia Ramsden

You know the story of Zacchaeus. You’ve heard it all your lives. Some of you learned the song I just taught the children when you were a child yourself. So today I want to look at the characters behind the scene of the story - the crowd from the town - those ordinary men and women - because I think they have something important to teach us too.

They knew Zacchaeus and they despised him. He was, in my imagination, a short balding man with a stomach paunch who was - in a word - slimy. And he was a tax collector, the worse of the worse. He had allied himself with the Romans and ingratiated himself to them so that they made him not just a run of the mill tax collector - but the chief tax collector who wrung the last penny from the poor and the hard working middle class, who threatened to take their homes and all their property if they didn’t pay up. And he demanded that they pay, not just what they owed, but two, three, possibly even four times what they owed, and he kept the difference. That’s how he got to be so rich. But it didn’t win him any friends. Everyone despised him, hated him, and avoided him like the plague.

So that day, when he wanted most to see this Jesus, they were determined that he wouldn’t, couldn’t. The crowd formed a barrier in front of him and wouldn’t let him through. I can see him jumping up and down behind the crowd, trying to see over their heads until finally he dropped every shred of dignity, hiked up his robes, and climbed a tree.

I can sympathize with the crowd almost as much as I can sympathize with Zacchaeus. Who did he think he was? One more time he was trying to push himself forward, to be in the front, when Jesus was coming to town. They all wanted to be there, up in front, just in case Jesus did something amazing. In case, there was a miracle.

Afterall, they had heard about this man from Galilee, that he was different from the other teachers of the time - that he talked about love and acceptance and a God of grace - and that he was a miracle worker. They said he healed the blind and caused the lame to walk and if he did something like that in their town, they wanted to see it.

They wanted it so badly. But when the miracle happened they almost missed it.

The miracle happened when Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus in the tree hanging on to a branch for dear life, hanging on to his last hope to hear that love had not passed him by - that he too could be included as one of the chosen by God - a true son of Abraham - a true son of God’s.

And the miracle was that Jesus stopped and didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to offer him an invitation. Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house for a talk and a meal.

Jesus chose him for this special honor and recognition over all the upright, uptight, religious folk in town. He chose him over the mayor and the rabbi, the pharisees and the sadducees. And the townspeople couldn’t get over it. It was a scandal. And they grumbled and whispered and stared and complained.

But let’s put ourselves for a moment in the place of that crowd so we can try to understand their reaction.

It was as if Jesus had stopped and invited himself into the home of someone the town thought of as a welfare queen, ripping off taxpayers with food stamps. They saw her at the grocery store buying cake and thought the worse of her. Cake! Why they couldn’t afford store bought cake. And she smoked! How could she afford cigarettes if she was on welfare?

It was as if Jesus had stopped to be with a politician from Washington DC out for his own power. He was just ;like every other politician. He didn’t care about the people. He only cared about being reelected and making sure his salary was secure and that he had a lifetime of guaranteed health benefits while the rest of us pay the taxes to support him.

Or it was as if Jesus had singled out a corporate executive making billions while her workers made $12.50 an hour. Or an insurance executive denying a claim for medical treatment. Or a pharmaceutical executive charging hundreds - even thousands - for a life saving drug that only cost pennies to make.

Why and how - could Jesus single them out for special treatment? These tax collectors and sinners. Why not one of us? they muttered. We’re the ones living good lives, trying to do the best that we can. We’re not like one of those sinners.. We deserve Jesus’ attention. We’ve earned his approval. People like Zacchaeus - they shouldn’t even be allowed in worship. They don’t deserve salvation. They need to straighten up and fly right first. They need to repent.

But that’s exactly what Zacchaeus did. He confessed and he repented. He changed his ways and gave back every penny that he had stolen and gave half of what he owned to the poor.

It was a miracle. And the crowd missed seeing it.

So Jesus told them - and us - a hard truth. As long as you think you are better than someone else - as long as you judge someone as not worthy of God’s love and forgiveness - as long as you see yourself as living the perfect life that is earning you a place in heaven - you aren’t going to listen to me. The perfect don’t need a savior. The one who knows they need to change - do - and they are willing to grasp at any straw to hear a word of hope and love. They are willing to take the chance and believe in me and change, the way Zacchaeus has changed today.

The miracle the people witnessed that day is the same miracle we witness as well. The miracle is that God’s grace and love didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to change. It came to Zacchaeus before he changed. God’s love was there all the time. Zacchaeus just needed to receive it and it was when Zacchaeus finally recognized and accepted God’s love, that he was able to change - that he was able to rebuild his life.

And that’strue for all of us as well. When we know we need God - when we admit we’re not so perfect after all - we can let God in to even the dark corners of our lives and we can change. We can become his followers not just in words but in action as well. We can hear and believe the good news of his love - a love that is meant even for us - and we can accept others - even the Zacchaeus’s of the world - into the kindom of God too. We can stop pointing fingers and saying anyone but them. Instead, we can see the miracle of a Zacchaeus and celebrate it instead of missing the miracle that is right before our eyes.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but so the world would be saved through Him. John 3: 16-17

See You In Worship as we celebrate God's love together
Sundays 11:00

San Pedro

Never forget how much God loves you!

Welcome to Montpelier Presbyterian Church