HomeStar in hiatus

HomeStar Fellowship is currently in hiatus, as our diverse membership has diversified itself in a variety of directions.

If there is any change, we'll post a notice here.

Thanks to all former members and participants for your interest and support.

HomeStar meeting June 13

For Sunday, June 13, Jan High will be hosting us at her home at 5:00 p.m.

Our main topic will be making some budget and calendar decisions for the next year. We haven't had a business meeting in a while! Our budget typically runs July-June, so it's an appropriate time to think about the next fiscal year.

Please note that McCrimmon Parkway, which we've used in the past to reach Jan's home, has been closed due to construction on the Triangle Expressway, so there's a bit of a detour involved. If you're coming north on 55, just before you reach McCrimmon Parkway, turn left onto Carpenter Fire Station Road, and stay on it through one traffic light to a four-way stop. Turn right at the four-way stop onto Yates Store Road. Continue on that to a left onto Weycroft - about 1 mile. After turning, make an immediate right onto Del Webb and another immediate right into the side drive. Jan's home is 4318 Del Webb.

If you're coming south on 55, after you pass the end of 540, you'll pass McCrimmon Parkway, then come to Carpenter Fire Station Road, where you'll turn right.

Meetings for April 25, May 16, May 30

Here's an update for upcoming meetings of HomeStar Fellowship:

Sunday, April 25, some of us will be meeting at 3:30 p.m. with Joel Baucom for his ordination council. Then we'll all gather at Dan Youngblood's place for worship at 5:00 p.m. Cindy Bolden, a member at Westwood Baptist Church and one of Campbell University Divinity School's brightest students, will be leading us in worship. I'll remember to bring the basket so we can receive an offering ... since we've met more irregularly, it's easy to forget, so some of us may want to catch up. Jan and I would like to suggest a mission project, too.

A reminder that Dan lives in the Carriage House apartments at 116 St. Mary's St. in Raleigh, just north of Hillsborough St.

Our next worship time will be May 16, when we'll join with Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Chapel Hill for Joel's ordination (assuming the council approves!). It will be held at 6:00 p.m.; perhaps some of us can ride together to celebrate this special occasion.

On May 30, we'll meet at 5:00 p.m. at the Cartledges' for a Memorial Day cookout and time of fellowship. More to come!

Meetings for March 7 and 21

On March 7, we'll meet at Janice Haywood's home at 5:00 p.m. The address is 335 Danforth Drive in Cary. Remember that we need to park on the street in front of her townhome.
Since no one else has volunteered to lead the program, I'll see what kind of good discussion we can get going, or else lead another Lenten meditation.

On March 21, we'll meet at Mark and Karen Burden's home, also at 5:00 p.m. Our very own Joel Baucom will be leading us in worship that night. The Burdens live at 1624 Lakestone Village Lane, in Fuquay-Varina.

Come if you can, and bring a friend!

February 7, 21 meetings

HomeStar Fellowship will meet at the Cartledge home on Feb. 7 at 5:00 p.m. Caroline Allen will be leading worship as we recognize the Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching. Afterward, the Cartledges will provide a pot of chili and grilled cheese sandwiches, and welcome anyone who'd like to stick around and watch the Super Bowl. Other snacks welcome! The address is 3912 Inkberry Court, Apex.

The February 21 meeting will be held at 5:00 p.m. in the activity room of Carriage House apartments at 116 St. Mary's St. in Raleigh, hosted by Dan Youngblood. Feb. 21 is the first Sunday of Lent, so that will be the focus of worship.

Welcome to all!

November 8 meeting

HomeStar's Nov. 8 meeting has a location change, and will now be held at the Cartledges' home, beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Our discussion will center around some ideas sparked by Brian McLaren’s book Everything Must Change.

Think in advance about several questions:

1. If you could summarize the essence of most sermons you heard while growing up, what would it be?

2. Have you noticed that the typical evangelical approach to understanding the atonement sounds as if Jesus came to save us from God? Does that bother you?

3. Is it possible that we’ve missed what Jesus was talking about when he proclaimed the present and future kingdom of God?

Bring your thinking caps and perhaps your singing voices, and we’ll look forward to a good time of fellowship and learning. If it stays cool, maybe we can throw in some hot Russian tea.

The address is 3912 Inkberry Court, which you can easily Google if you don’t know the way. Feel free to email (cartledge@campbell.edu) or call (919-362-1799 or 919-418-6828) if you need specific directions.

Peace!

Next meeting November 8

We had an enjoyable time of fellowship and discussion at the Cartledges' on Oct. 4, thinking about different ways we had seen "the church in the world" in action during the previous week.

Our next meeting will be held November 8, at Janice Haywood's home. I'll send an email around with more details as the time draws nigh, and suggest a topic for discussion.

In the meantime, I hope you'll look for ways you can not only watch for, but be the presence of Christ in your world.

Tony Cartledge

Looking ahead

In the light of HomeStar's up and down attendance during the past several months, and Jan Cartledge's recent decision to resign as pastor, we publicized and held a dialogue Sept. 13 to talk about what HomeStar's future might look like.

Eight people attended, and with facilitating help from our friend Ray Beale, we talked about what has changed -- or not -- in our thoughts about HomeStar, what drew us to be part of it, and whether we still felt that appeal. There seemed to be a desire to see HomeStar continue as a nexus of fellowship and mission connection in some fashion, though not necessarily weekly.

Ray suggested that we think of the Old Testament concept of the tabernacle, a portable sanctuary that the Pentateuch says Israel carried with them from place to place. We decided that we would experiment for a while with monthly meetings that could be hosted in a home by one of the members, or held in other places.

Tony Cartledge agreed to act as volunteer facilitator/coordinator for a year. Where it will go we're not sure, but there seemed to be a real sense that a HomeStar funeral would be premature.

What's up next: we'll have a fellowship meal at Mark and Karen Burden's home on Sept. 27, where we'll eat hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner, then celebrate Jan's five-year ministry to us as pastor.

The following week, Oct. 4, the Cartledges will host us at their home. More details to come on that meeting.

In the meantime, we hope you'll stay in touch with each other through this, the HomeStar blog, or through our Facebook page.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

After a summer sabbatical, we will gather back at the Ministry Incubator on Sunday, August 16 at 5:00 p.m. Look forward to seeing each of you and hearing about your summer adventures!

Sunday, May 31, 2009

We will gather back at the Ministry Incubator. Our time will include continuing discussion from our reading of The Shack, focusing on chapters 9-11 (pages 128-169).

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Due to Memorial Day weekend and many of our members being out of town, we will not meet this Sunday, May 24. We will gather back at the Ministry Incubator on Sunday, May 31 with continuing discussion from our reading of The Shack. Our focus will be on chapters 9-11 (pages 128-169).



Picture credit - http://blog.al.com/stantis/Stantis-Memorial%20Day%202007-COLOR.jpg

Sunday, May 17, 2009

This Sunday we will continue our discussion of The Shack, focusing on chapters 7 and 8 (pages 104 - 127). Look forward to seeing you Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at the Ministry Incubator.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

We will gather at the Ministry Incubator this Sunday at 5:00 p.m. and begin a study of The Shack by William P. Young. You are asked to read Chapters 1-5 in preparation for our discussion and worship time.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

We will meet for our HomeStar gathering this Sunday at 5:00 p.m. back at the Ministry Incubator.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

This Sunday we will gather for our annual Easter sunset service at 5:00 p.m. at Meredith College. As usual, we have rented the island area by the amphitheater. Please remember to bring your own lawn chair or blanket.

Afterwards, we will head over to Crazy Fire (Buck Jones Road in Cary) for dinner and fellowship.

Directions for those who may need them: Meredith College is located at 3800 Hillsborough St. Take the main entrance and continue straight through the roundabout. Turn right at the next street. The music building will be on your left. Park in the spaces to the right and walk down the hill to the island.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

This Sunday we will gather at the Ministry Incubator at 5:00 p.m. Our worship time will focus on the story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt as we share the Passover Seder meal. Please plan to arrive early so we can begin the service on time.

For those who are interested, a new cantata titled "Come Touch the Robe" will be presented this Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. at Meymandi Auditorium. A combined choir of 125 singers from local churches and a full orchestra will perform this cantata written and composed by Pepper Choplin, minister of music at Greystone Baptist in Raleigh. Our Passover meal will end in time for you to attend this special event.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

We will gather for a 5th Sunday meal and fellowship time at 5:00 p.m. at the home of Jon McClain. Members should check their e-mail for directions to Jon's home. Our dinner theme is Italian, so bring your favorite dish to share with the group. Come join us for some good food and fellowship!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

We will gather at the Ministry Incubator this Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Our worship time for the 4th Sunday in Lent will center around the scripture passages Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-21.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

We will gather at the Ministry Incubator this Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Our worship for the Third Sunday in Lent will center around Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19 and John 2:13-22.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

We will observe the second Sunday of Lent as we gather at the Ministry Incubator at 5:00 p.m. Our worship time will center around Genesis 9:8-17, a reminder to us that God is a covenanting God and we are covenant people.