A variety of groups meet for friendship, service and learning within the Highland community. Some of these include:

This fall we are starting new women’s fellowship groups which we hope will help us as Highland women experience this healing power of connection. Wind Down with Women – small group gatherings will commit to meeting together monthly during this school year at times and places of their choice. We also will begin a book group for Highland women. The initial book will be The Oak Island Book Club by our own Cameron Kent; the book is available locally at Bookmarks and The Book Ferret. We hope that after this initial conversation, the group will select the next book and continue to meet! Contact Debbie Layman with questions.

Drinks for Four, Informal Gatherings for Men of Highland – Highland men are invited to join us for a new small group gathering, “Drinks for Four.” This is an informal opportunity to gather occasionally with a small group of men at Highland. Participants can choose when to gather, where, and how often. Coffee in the morning? Tea at lunch? An adult beverage at the end of the day? Any and all of these are possible—but getting together is the point!
Contact Gidget Payne to sign up. If you have questions, please contact John Loftis.

Seasonal Walks with Highland Friends – Watch for walk dates in Highlights.

Meet and Eat Groups – Few things develop connections better than sharing a meal. Would you like to get to know some of your fellow Highlanders better? Meet more folks from across the spectrum of Highland’s membership? The Fellowship and Communication Committee is delighted to introduce a new fellowship opportunity for adults! Meet and Eat will work similarly to our much-loved Dinner for Eight program but with even more flexibility. Participants will be assigned to groups of seven, eight or nine, and those groups will meet together four times across the span of six months. Gather in someone’s home for a meal? Go to a restaurant for lunch after church? Grab a table at Wiseman or Incendiary? Take a picnic to the park? Whatever works for your group is great! You can sign up as an individual or pair up with a friend/partner. We hope you’ll join in for these meaningful connections!

Coffee Conversation / Tea Talk on Tuesdays, Drop-In at Camel City Coffee Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. for Conversation. On Tuesdays, Randy, Debbie, Courtney, or Heather will be hanging out at Camel City Coffee from 10:00–11:00 a.m. for conversation with whomever shows up. We hope this will be a fun and varied group and invite all to consider stopping by. Maybe you are newly retired and wondering what to do with all your time? Or you have not gotten out much and need an excuse? Or have a question about the recent sermon? Or just want to spend time with your favorite Presbyterian pastors? Or want an easy way to introduce a friend to Highland? Whatever might draw you in, we hope you will stop by to support a local business, check-in with your pastors, and maybe meet some new-to-you Highlanders!

Lamentations and Laughter, A Fellowship for Men Maturing Gracefully – Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m., in the Activity Building, Room 5. Lamentations and Laughter is a time for shared conversation among men. Not therapy or counseling, rather this is a time for focusing on the positive in our lives, even when it involves challenging and difficult experiences. God is at work in it all. Prompts are used like: What has been a life changing experience in your recent past or lifetime? Have you had a mentor who changed the course of your life? In listening, there is justice. The idea behind Lamentations and Laughter is to encourage paying attention to one another and to our experiences, then and to share, be heard, and to listen. God is at work in it all. Contact John Woodmansee to join or with questions.

Dolorosa Gatherings, Fourth Sundays, 4:00–5:00 p.m., Highland Chapel: The word, dolorosa, in Latin means “sorrowful way,” often used to describe the route through the Old City of Jerusalem that Jesus traveled. We all walk the “dolorosa” throughout times in our lives, whether from loss of loved ones, difficult transitions, health challenges, or as we continue to come to terms with all we lost during the Covid pandemic. Jesus shows the way to hope, healing and wholeness through this journey.
If you would benefit from a time of sharing your experiences of grief and your hopes for healing and wholeness with Highland friends on similar paths, we invite you to gather in the Chapel on the fourth Sunday of the month at 4:00–5:00 p.m. Contact Heather Ferguson for more information.

Highland Ukuleles, Fun for All Ages – Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m., Room 126
Life is definitely more enjoyable with a ukulele! Come and join us for some fun, regardless of your age or skill level. If you don’t have a ukulele, let Heather Ferguson know and we can arrange for you to borrow one. We’re all learning and having a great time together. We meet on Wednesdays in Room 126 (1st floor), 5:30–6:30 p.m. For any questions or further details, please contact Heather Ferguson.

All Church Retreat, usually during the fall; Womens’s Retreat, usually in April; Men’s Retreat, usually in March – all in beautiful Monreat, NC

• Set in the mountains of western North Carolina, Montreat fills your spirit and renews your soul. Fall and Spring are wonderful times to enjoy beauty of our mountains and the friendship with our Highland family.

Dash Game, is a fun summer evening with Highland family and friends, enjoying a Winston Salem’s minor league baseball game.

The Highland Picnic is an all-church potluck held every year in the late summer in the main shelter of Bolton Park (1590 Bolton Street) following worship.
 
Acoustic Café – A time of joy, usually in mid-February, when we celebrate God’s gift of music through the leadership of musicians from our congregation. Beginning at 4:00 p.m. we enjoy live music from singers and songwriters from our church family. Something salty, something sweet, and a stellar coffee and tea bar enhance the afternoon. Friends are always welcome for this delightful afternoon of music and fun!

Watch for future dates in Highlights. Bring a friend!

Please read the current issue of Highlights for fellowship opportunities for people in all ages and stages of life; we hope you will join us at an event soon!