Fourteen thousand steps. That is my goal each day. Three thousand steps walking my dog Izzy in the morning. Another five thousand during my afternoon walk. And then, there are the steps in between. It all adds up. This is all part of a new health and weight loss program I am participating in through the PCUSA Board of Pensions and Teledoc. There are food logs to help me better understand what I am eating each day. There is also software that allows me to connect my scale and

Please join WEBC & SPC for an afternoon of music on April 26 at 4 pm. Thom Robertson and Marty Barstow will provide us with inspiring music. A reception will follow the program.

Easter morning, we greet the new days with shouts of Alleluia! The stone has been rolled away and the tomb is empty. Jesus Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! Love wins! During our Lenten journey we followed the worship series “Lookin’ for love in all the wrong places”. We have explored the gift of Jesus through the themes of the resister, helper, thirst quencher, shepherd, liberator, and the unexpected. Holy Week has given us the opportunity to reflect on the story of Jes

The scholarship committee for this year will include Curtis McKenzie, Cheryl Super and Alison Super. This scholarship is intended for graduating seniors from any public school in Suffolk who demonstrate financial need, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community involvement. Scholarship recipients will be announced in next month’s newsletter. The application deadline is March 20 at 5 pm. https://suffolkfoundation.org/scholarships/

What does the Lord require of you? This is a question we struggle with each day as we strive to be more faithful believers. In Micah 6:8 the prophet proclaims, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” This year the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering uses this question to ask how God is calling us to live, help others, and have a fuller relationship with God

Are you looking for new mission opportunities helping the less fortunate in your community? During the first week of March, our congregation will be partnering with West End Baptist church and other congregations around the Suffolk area hosting the Night Stay shelter. The shelter will be located in the basement fellowship area in our building and participants will be using the restrooms on the main floor. Staircases leading up to the top floor will be blocked during shelter o

The other day I had the most wonderful surprise. While watering the plants in my office I came across new life in one of my planters. The pot contained several varieties of plant cuttings, from an umbrella plant to a mix of different types of croton. At one point a black raven plant resided there as well but had suddenly withered up a few months before. But now four lush purplish green starts had taken its place. It's amazing to see how resilient plants can be. Sometimes a l

We are soon approaching the end of 2025. A new year is just around the corner. Ann Frank once wrote, “What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” As we step into 2026, our hearts are filled with hope. New Years’ eve often encourages us to make resolutions. What will this new year bring for us? More importantly, what changes might we make to live our best lives and do the most good? Our church calendar starts t

For those of us who gather in Advent expectation, we know that the only perfect gift ever given was the one we received in Jesus Christ. Finding that perfect gift is hard, often laborious work. If you’re like me, you seriously worry that your loved one won’t like the gift, or they might find the gift to be unsatisfactory — so much worry leading up to Christmas. Yet, our congregation knows that our collective gifts through the Christmas Joy Offering celebrate the coming of Jes

This month we are worshiping a little differently. As we prepare for a Season of Thanksgiving, it seems only right to focus on the theme of Stewardship. Each year we take time during the month of November to dedicate our gifts and talents to our church and to God. As people of strong faith, we understand that all that we have comes from God and it is our responsibility and honor to share our blessing with others. Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get

Join us for worship on Sunday, October 19th for the first in a four part stewardship series, "The Changemakers".

Dear Church family and friends, We live in an era of uncertainty. The uncertainty of floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, climate change, political polarization and more. The uncertainty of aggression through war, gun violence, human trafficking and international conflict. The uncertainty of employment, inflation, illness — the list goes on. However, when I think about it, I guess humanity always has in one form or another. Long ago, the Psalmist wrote: “Even though I

They say that time flies when you are having fun. It’s shocking to realize that this month is the one year anniversary of our big move to the corner of Washington and St. James. This has been a busy year. Renovations were made to the administrative wing and multi-purpose area, joint ministries were developed between our congregation and West End Baptist, and cherished traditions were continued. It was hard work, but looking at all that we have accomplished, it is clear that

Last night I found myself transfixed by an image online. Earlier that evening I thought it would be fun to do some research on my family tree. It started by reading a few obituaries and connecting the dots to see how everyone was connected. As I was perusing through my father’s side of the family, I came across a picture of his father, Garl Vance Sterling. He was standing with his parents and siblings; a little younger than I am today. My grandfather died in 1959 when my fath

In a few weeks our calendar will shift from the Season of Easter to Ordinary time. Come Pentecost Sunday, we will have spent 50 days celebrating the good news of our resurrected Lord. With this transition comes a fresh focus on the church and its mission. Where will the Spirit guide us in the coming year? Chinese Christian leader Watchman Nee suggested that “The cross grants us position, the Holy Spirit gives us experience”. In fact, the gift of Pentecost allows us to p

Karl Barth once said that, “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” In our Christian tradition we are taught that joy is a deep, lasting inner happiness and contentment that arises from a relationship with God and a choice to trust God’s promises to us. Mother Teresa defines joy as a prayer, strength, and love. “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” Joy is active, not passive. It inspires us to do our best and to appreciate every moment of our lives. During

In Isaiah 58, the prophet exclaims, “Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in” (Isaiah 58:12). As the people of Israel returned from the cloud of exile and struggled to rebuild their lives, Isaiah questioned their efforts: [Are you not called] “to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the n

Suffolk Presbyterian Church will purchase a large centerpiece to represent our church in the sanctuary on Easter morning. If you would...

Suffolk Presbyterian Church and West End Baptist Church are holding a Spaghetti and Pasta Sauce Drive . Both congregations will collect...

The Lenten season is almost here. March 5th marks the beginning of our 2025 Lenten journey. The path to Easter begins on Ash Wednesday with the Imposition of ashes. The ash marks on the forehead or hand represent our repentance for sin. They are a reminder of our own humanity, and the importance of God in our lives. Author N.T. Wright explains the importance of our journey to Easter: “Lent is a time for discipline, for confession, for honesty, not because God is mean or faul