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Discussion Forum : News and Current Events : Mills River Presbyterian Church gets closer to finishing huge jigsaw

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Giggles
Member



Joined: 2009/12/12
Posts: 592


 Mills River Presbyterian Church gets closer to finishing huge jigsaw

MILLS RIVER — This jigsaw puzzle is huge!


And so is the enthusiasm of the congregation of Mills River Presbyterian Church and other community members taking part in an around-the-clock marathon to construct a colorful work of art that, when completed, will measure 14.5 feet long by 5 feet tall.

The church and community members began working 24/7 on Friday night to complete the 24,000-piece puzzle by sometime today, hopefully earning them a place in the puzzle's Hall of Fame for being the first organization to finish the project in North Carolina — and the first church to complete the project anywhere in the world.
“We're tackling this as a fun way to beat the winter blahs,” said Larry Sunday, who, with his wife, Deta, donated the $300 to buy the puzzle, titled “Life: The Great Challenge.” “We're working in teams around the clock for four days, and everyone in the community is invited to come and join us.”

On Saturday afternoon, with mountains of home-baked cookies and snacks piled on countertops and rock ‘n' roll music blasting through the speakers in the church fellowship hall, some 35 people of all ages were gathered at four long tables, carefully scrutinizing the thousands of tiny pieces and painstakingly putting together dozens of small portions at a time.

As puzzlers' eyes grew weary and they left to pursue other Saturday activities, others came in the door to take their places with a fresh view of the shapes that will ultimately form a massive mural filled with animals, sailboats, undersea creatures, hot air balloons and the solar system.

Church pastor Randall Boggs said the puzzle adventure is just the latest in a series of activities the church has invited the community to take part in, such as chocolate bingo nights, pet blessings and an upcoming talent show. The puzzling weekend also fits in with the church's theme for 2010: “Putting the Pieces Together at Mills River Presbyterian Church.”

“We're interested in how people can find their places here, how they can fit their lives into the community, and how our church can fit into the community in a constructive way,” Boggs said.

Church member Kathy Ziprik said about 25 percent of the 100 or more people who had come through the doors by Saturday afternoon were not church members.

“And that's part of our hope, that people will come out and just have some fun,” Ziprik said. “There have been so many stresses and challenges for people, with the economy, and being snowed in for the past several weeks. This is a fun, relaxing thing to do, and a way to socialize and meet new people.”

Lois Sneed, sporting one of the purple and red “When I am old, I shall wear purple…” sweatshirts, admitted that her puzzling skills ran more along the line of “the wooden kind with six pieces.” But she had a big smile on her face as she continued searching for connections within the hundreds of blue shapes that will comprise the sea.

“It's tedious work,” Maxine Jarman said cheerfully as she searched for a mate to a piece with an unusual color. “I can't put the pieces together, but I can sort them,” she said. “I've found this color, now I need to find a match.”
Deta Sunday and other church members plan to keep the food coming day and night — breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks — as the weekend continues, and Larry Sunday will continue playing DJ, offering up tunes ranging from Susan Boyle's new album to the soundtrack from “Saturday Night Fever.”

“You don't want the music too slow late at night,” he said with a grin.

[url=http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100111/NEWS01/301110019]Source[/url]


_________________
Paul

 2010/1/12 14:22Profile
Silo
Member



Joined: 2009/11/11
Posts: 73


 Re: Mills River Presbyterian Church gets closer to finishing huge jigsaw

I don't get it.

 2010/1/12 14:23Profile









 Re:

I am ashamed to say.... this is about 8 miles from my house. I drive by this church almost every day.

Putting a puzzle together? Really? This is what we are called to do?

What a waste of time. The church is not about trying to fit into the community... it's about confronting the community about it's sin.

Funny tho... I live right down the road and this is the first I've heard of this. You can see the impact this church is having on the community... lol.

NO ONE CARES THAT YOU A BUILDING A PUZZLE! HOW ABOUT FEEDING THE BUM WHO LIVES BEHIND THE 'FOOD LION' LESS THAN A MILE AWAY??? OR GO UP THE ROAD TO ANCHOR BAPTIST AND VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME IN THEIR FOOD WAREHOUSE FEEDING THE POOR AND PRINTING BIBLES???

Building a puzzle... give me a break.

Krispy

 2010/1/12 14:54
wayneman
Member



Joined: 2009/1/24
Posts: 453
Michigan

 Re: Mills River Presbyterian Church gets closer to finishing huge jigsaw

Well, if this doesn't flush the devil out of Mills RIver, I can't imagine what will!

I like how the reporter covers this non-event with all the appurtenances of journalism, like when Time Magazine used to give annual Super Bowl coverage to the Jesus Seminar, as if it was something really important. The reporter must be in the editor's doghouse to get an assignment like this.

I suppose you posted this to remind us of the state of the church in America?


_________________
Wayne Kraus

 2010/1/12 15:02Profile









 Re:

I guess I should just be glad that [b]this[/b] is a top news story around here... lol.

Krispy

 2010/1/12 15:12
Giggles
Member



Joined: 2009/12/12
Posts: 592


 Re:

Quote:
I suppose you posted this to remind us of the state of the church in America?



I posted this for the silent burden bearers of our nation, those who truly do pray and desire to see revival, to breathe upon their fire and inspire them to continue.


_________________
Paul

 2010/1/13 18:19Profile
BenBrockway
Member



Joined: 2006/5/31
Posts: 427


 Re:

Hmmm.... I wonder if I could get my church to start doing 'pet blessings' for our community....

That oughta bring thousands into a truly wonderful and beautiful relationship with our Savior...

NOT!

HOW REDICULOUS!!

 2010/1/13 18:58Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Mills River Presbyterian Church gets closer to finishing huge jigsaw

Well.....I would guess this beats going to a 'Christian' rock concert...

On the other hand, I do sometimes feel a tad bit guilty for enjoying putting the jig saw puzzle together that I get off of the ATT home page - it takes me too long - I should be doing something else more productive. Ditto to playing Sudoku.

SIGH.

ginnyrose


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2010/1/13 21:52Profile
Giggles
Member



Joined: 2009/12/12
Posts: 592


 Re: Mills River Presbyterian Church gets closer to finishing huge jigsaw

For those curious as to how this story finished:

Mills River church puzzles through 24,000 pieces

The congregation of Mills River Presbyterian Church has become the first group in North Carolina and the first church in the country to complete the world's largest commercially made jigsaw puzzle.

More than 100 church and community members have spent the past two weeks putting together the 24,000-piece puzzle entitled, “Life: The Great Challenge,” which measures 14.5 feet long by 5 feet tall. When the final pieces were joined together Friday afternoon, cheers and applause filled the fellowship hall of the church, where the giant mural will eventually be framed and hung for the church and the community to enjoy.

“It's been a lot of work, but this has gone beyond my wildest dreams,” said church member Larry Sunday, who, with his wife, Deta, contributed the $300 to buy the puzzle. “We've been able to bond as a church and as a community, and we've made new friends.”

The puzzling began the evening of Jan. 8 and was originally planned as an around-the-clock marathon that would last only four days, offering a fun respite from the winter blahs to church and community members. The 24/7 plan was soon ditched, however, and puzzlers continued putting the pieces together at a more leisurely pace.

The fourth and final section was completed at 6:03 p.m. Thursday, and participants gathered Friday afternoon for a celebration of both the puzzle's completion and the connections it introduced between the church and its neighbors.

Corporal Ken McCraw, a deputy with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department who spent some time working on the puzzle, snapped a tight shot with his cell-phone camera, focusing on a tiny basket attached to a hot-air balloon.

“We hunted for that basket for days,” he exclaimed, admitting that he got hooked on the puzzling adventure during the two weeks.

“I got invited, so I stopped by,” he said. “I had planned on just staying a few minutes, and hours later I was still here.”

Larry Sunday said that when the puzzle has been framed and mounted, the church will welcome school groups and community members to view the fruits of its labor.

“It's going to be the only one in the state of North Carolina, and I can foresee people wanting to see it,” he said.

[url=http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100124/NEWS01/301230026]Source[/url]


_________________
Paul

 2010/1/25 11:31Profile









 Re: Mills River Presbyterian Church gets closer to finishing huge jigsaw



wayneman commented

Quote:
Well, if this doesn't flush the devil out of Mills RIver, I can't imagine what will!

;-)


Very droll.

 2010/1/30 6:33





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