July 2022

• Next Week at FPC (July 29, 2022)

  Posted Jul 29, 2022

  This Sunday we honor the long ministry of one of Spartanburg’s most faithful church and community leaders, Dr. Benjamin D. Snoddy. This will be a community celebration with people from multiple faith communities and other important leaders in our community in attendance. It will be a time for Spartanburg to be together in ways that do not happen that often. First Presbyterian is honored to be able to host this event, and we hope that much of the First Presbyterian Church family will join in this celebration not only of this great servant of God, but of our unity with those across this city and county. The service will be livestreamed, but your presence in the room will make a difference to you and to others.
  

• Next Week at FPC (July 22, 2022)

  Posted Jul 22, 2022

  Get ready for some cool fellowship this Sunday as we enjoy and Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Party in the Social Hall after the two 10:30am service on Sunday. There will be treats from days gone by to enjoy with nostalgia with your church family. This would be a great Sunday to invite a friend to come along with you to church and meet some new friends over ice cream!
  

  See below for info about Kirkin’ banners (deadline to order is today), opportunities to get involved in service and fellowship, our new church tartan bowties, and a special community celebration hosted at our church for one of our community’s most faithful leaders!
  

• Next Week at FPC (July 15, 2022)

  Posted Jul 15, 2022

  Serving as an officer is an impactful and rewarding way to serve God in all sorts of ministries of the church, and we need your help by TODAY to find those people who God may be calling to this important work. See below for the link to nominate someone.
  

  Next week, we host one of our summer CAST camps. If you don’t know what CAST is, it is a vital year-round ministry to children living in local motels started by Dr. Gloria Close. Please pray for the young people and adults who will be part of the camp next week. Want to learn more about CAST? Interested in getting involved? Visit https://fpcspartanburg.org/serve/local-missions/cast-camp!
  

• Next Week at FPC (July 8, 2022)

  Posted Jul 08, 2022

  First, I want to say thank you for the spirit of love and welcome that filled the air two Sunday’s ago on June 26 when I was officially installed as your senior pastor. What a joy it was to gather in worship and fellowship with so many of you on that special day as we marked the formal beginning of our ministry together here at First Presbyterian. Thank you.
  
  Second, I am pleased to share that we have also welcomed two other new members to the staff team here at FPC in recent weeks. To begin, Ian Ritchings has officially joined us as our new Administrative Assistant to Missions, Young Adults, and Communications. Ian is already off and running and doing a wonderful job bringing lots of creativity and energy to his role. And we are also thrilled to welcome Jim Pitts as our new Campus Safety and Services Manager. Jim is already known to many of us having been employed through a third-party outfit to serve as a security officer on Sunday mornings and at weekday events here at the church for the past several years. Now full-time on the church staff, Jim will continue to lead safety services for worship and other events as well as serve as an added support for the many different functions handled daily by our facilities team. Be sure to welcome both Ian and Jim when you see them around!
  
  Blessings to you all. See you at church. Invite a friend.
  

• Next Week at FPC (July 1, 2022)

  Posted Jul 01, 2022

  This weekend we celebrate Independence Day on Monday, July 4th. Because of the holiday weekend, we will once again have one worship service at 10:30am in the sanctuary. July 4th is a time to stop and reflect on the freedoms of this country, but also to acknowledge the immense work we have left to live into the belief of “liberty and justice for all.” This work is true in the Church and in the greater world. Our hope lies in communion with God our creator, faith in the resurrected Christ, and the discerned guidance of the Holy Spirit. I pray that everyone has a safe holiday whether traveling, boating, or hanging out!
  

• Next Week at FPC (June 24, 2022)

  Posted Jun 24, 2022

  The week ahead is a special one. First, this Sunday we will have one worship service at 10:30am – in the Sanctuary. As part of this service, I will be installed as your new Senior Pastor. I continue to be humbled and grateful to have been called to serve this wonderful congregation and am so excited to formally mark the start of our journey together! We are also looking forward to a wonderful week of Vacation Bible School, which will kick off this coming Monday. Please be praying for all of our VBS’ers and the amazing adult volunteers who will help to lead them. Finally, we have had several reminders around the church this past week that COVID continues to spread in our community and region. Please continue to be safe and follow CDC recommendations if you do not feel well or have come into contact with someone who is COVID positive.
  

• Next Week at FPC (June 17, 2022)

  Posted Jun 17, 2022

  Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers and father-figures out there, and may the peace of our Heavenly Father be with those for whose Father’s Day will be lonely or painful. This Sunday is also Juneteenth, and as we celebrate the emancipation of slaves in our country, let us remember the racial inequity that still exists to this day. May the God, the Father of us all, grant all people peace and justice in our time!
  

• Next Week at FPC (June 10, 2022)

  Posted Jun 10, 2022

  This Sunday we begin our Summer Worship Schedule, so be sure to check the times below carefully so that you won’t be late or early for the service you plan to attend. This Sunday we also welcome our new (soon to be ordained) Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministry, John Daniel DeBevoise with a reception in the Social Hall after our two 10:30am services. John Daniel will be assisting with the liturgy in the Sanctuary, so come to Sunday School and Worship, and welcome him!
  
  Since our two streamed services happen simultaneously, please note that, as in past years, we will stream different services on different platforms. Both services will continue to be streamed on the church website at FPCSpartanburg.org/worship. The Sanctuary service will also be streamed on Facebook, while MorningSong will be streamed on YouTube.
  

• Next Week at FPC (June 3, 2022)

  Posted Jun 03, 2022

  This Sunday is Pentecost, the Sunday when we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. It is customary to wear red on Pentecost, remembering the tongues of fire that rested on each of the Apostles on that first Pentecost after the resurrection. We will celebrate on Sunday with one combined worship service in the Sanctuary at 11:00am, Jazz music will remind us of God’s Spirit still moving through the church!
  
  Let me also invite you to follow the Spirit’s nudge to bring food for TOTAL Ministries this Sunday!
  

• Next Week at FPC (May 27, 2022)

  Posted May 27, 2022

  It has been a heavy week for our nation. When tragedy strikes, I feel particularly drawn to gathering together with my faith community. It gives me strength and reminds me that God is the ultimate source of all comfort and peace. Please join us for worship in the coming weeks so we can grieve together and lift one another up during this trying time.
  The church schedule is a little confusing right now, so I want to make sure we clarify:
  This Sunday, we will worship as one at 11am in the Sanctuary, and there will be no Sunday school. During this service, we will recognize and honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces and have now passed on.
  The following week, June 5, there will be Sunday school (two adult classes and regular youth and children’s classes), and we will also have only one service at 11am for Pentecost, which will feature special jazz music. Afterward, I hope you’ll join us for birthday cake as we celebrate the birth of the Church.
  The summer schedule will officially begin on Sunday, June 12.

• FPC Spartanburg Call Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministries

  Posted May 26, 2022

  On Sunday, May 22, the congregation of First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg unanimously voted to accept the recommendation of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee and called John Daniel DeBevoise as our New Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministries.

• Next Week at FPC (May 20, 2022)

  Posted May 20, 2022

  This weekend is an exciting one in the life of our church. There will be a congregational meeting at the conclusion of the 11am worship service which will include a report from our Associate Pastor Nominating Committee about the individual they believe God is calling to be our next Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministry. You won’t want to miss it! And we will also be recognizing and giving thanks to God for our graduating high school seniors as part of Baccalaureate Recognition during that service. And that’s not all… there are plenty of other opportunities for learning, mission*, and worship that are happening throughout the weekend. First Presbyterian is a church on the move – hope you will come be a part of all that God is up to in this place! Enjoy your newsletter. See you Sunday. Invite a friend.
  
  *Make sure to check out the call for help as part of the Ecumenical Blood Drive below!

• Announcing Our New Director of Children's Ministry

  Posted May 18, 2022

  Find our more about our new Director of Children's Ministry Kara Clark below. She will join the our FPC staff on August 7.

• Next Week at FPC (May 13, 2022)

  Posted May 13, 2022

  We have a busy week ahead! This Sunday is Church on the Lawn with a Chamber Singers Concert in the evening (see details below). Next Saturday, the Rev. Alan Dyer will be welcomed into Foothills Presbytery at a special joint meeting of the five South Carolina Presbyteries, which will take place at Presbyterian College and Thornwell in Clinton. Craig will also be commissioned as a Commissioner to General Assembly the Summer (in absentia, because of Jack’s graduation). That is also the 250^th anniversary of our mother church, Nazareth Presbyterian. And then next Sunday, in addition to being Baccalaureate Sunday, there is a Congregational Meeting, a Blood Drive, and a Shelter Worship Service. What a week! Excitement abounds here at FPC!

• Next Week at FPC (May 6, 2022)

  Posted May 06, 2022

  This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and we celebrate and give thanks for all those who have been mother figures in our lives. The next two Sundays after that are also special in their own ways. May 15 will be an outdoor celebration as we enjoy fellowship, light breakfast foods, and worship on the front lawn, with a Chamber Singers concert that night as well. More information is below. Then on May 22, we will have a congregational meeting and be invited to call our next Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministry. Much excitement is ahead!

• Next Week at FPC (April 29, 2022)

  Posted Apr 29, 2022

  This Sunday we take two more steps toward our pre-pandemic normalcy as the 8:45am traditional service returns to the Chapel, and we return to celebrating communion by intinction. There’s lots of excitement around the church these days about new faces coming (or coming back) to church, and new activities cranking up. Find your ways to join in that excitement below!

• Next Week at FPC (April 22, 2022)

  Posted Apr 22, 2022

  This Sunday is Confirmation Sunday. 17 of our 9^th graders will reaffirm their faith and be welcomed into full membership in the church during the 11:00am Sanctuary Service. Two of them will also be baptized. This has been a long journey of exploration for them, and they have delved deeply into important questions of faith and discipleship. We should be proud of each and every student that took this journey together, wherever the outcome of that journey was. So let us celebrate with them on Sunday!

• Holy Week at FPC (April 14,2022)

  Posted Apr 14, 2022

  Dear FPC Family,

  Today is Maundy Thursday, and we invite you to join us for each of the services through the remainder of Holy Week, as we remember the sacrifice of our Lord for us leading us to the cross, and eventually to the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. Sunday is a full day or worship learning and fellowship starting at 6:30 am. Be sure to visit the cross on the front lawn and add flowers from your yard or from the flowers provided.
  
  Peace be with you,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

• Holy Week at FPC (April 8, 2022)

  Posted Apr 08, 2022

  Dear Friends,

  
  Holy Week, that “week of all weeks” in the Christian year, is almost upon us. As Music Director I can’t help but leading with a reminder about Sunday night’s 6:00 PM Chamber Singers Concert, but it is a time full of services and events that offer richness and depth:

  • Palm Sunday worship services. Children will have the opportunity to be part of a Palm Procession at the MorningSong and 11:00 AM sanctuary services.

  • The aforementioned Chamber Singers Concert at 6:00 PM Sunday, featuring Bach’s Cantata 12 with soloists and Chamber Orchestra.

  • Maundy Thursday Service at 7:30 PM on April 14. The Lord’s Supper will be celebrated with homily by Alan Dyer and music from the Chancel Choir and guest oboist Sydney Stevens.

  • Good Friday Service at 12:15 on April 15. The service is built around the Seven Last Words of Christ. There will be a brief message on each word by a church staff member followed by a musical response. Karen Hill, clarinet, joins FPC musicians for this service.

  • Easter! Four glorious services to celebrate the resurrection, and a special schedule during the Sunday School hour. Keep reading to get all the details.

  Let me close by saying what a privilege it is to be able to join with all our pastors and musicians for our Holy Week offerings. I believe this will be a week to remember at FPC!
  

  Faithfully,
  

  Holt Andrews

• Next Week at FPC (April 1, 2022)

  Posted Apr 01, 2022

  Dear Friends,
  It has only been a little over a week, but what a welcome the Dyer Family has felt to First Presbyterian and Spartanburg! Cards, food (lots of food!), visits, and even a concert! Truly incredible! We are so grateful to be a part of this community of faith and to begin serving with and alongside you all as we seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ for one another and for the community in which we live. My first and only real agenda item off the start line is to meet and get to know as many of you as possible. To that end, be sure to sign up for one of the upcoming “Connect Over Coffee” events happening over the coming weeks. These will be very casual opportunities for us to visit together over coffee in relatively small groups and for me to hear more about each of your hopes and dreams for FPC. Also, as you look through this week’s Weekly Update you will see that there is much excitement and momentum building across all our many ministries. It is truly a wonderful season in the life of FPC and a great time for all of us to jump back into the good things happening here. Blessings to you all. See you Sunday. Invite a friend.
  
  Peace
  Alan

• Next Week at FPC (March 25, 2022)

  Posted Mar 25, 2022

  Dear First Pres. Family,
  
  On Sunday, we will welcome the Reverend Alan Folsom Dyer as our New Senior Pastor. Alan will preach at the 8:45am MorningSong service in Fogartie Hall and the 11:00am Traditional Service in the Sanctuary (no 8:45 Traditional Service, so that everyone will have an opportunity to hear Rev. Dyer). In between the services, there will be a reception in the FLC Gym, welcoming Alan, Erin, Sam, and Jack. Mark your calendars for this historic date in the life of FPC Spartanburg. There will be no Sunday School this Sunday, March 27 but nursery is available during the reception and worship services.
  
  Blessings and Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

• Next Week at FPC (March 18, 2022)

  Posted Mar 18, 2022

  Next Week at FPC (March 18, 2022)

• Next Week at FPC (March 11, 2022)

  Posted Mar 04, 2022

  Dear First Pres. Family,
  
  This weekend our Confirmation Class will spend an extended time together as they learn about what is distinctive about our Presbyterian branch of Christianity and put into words what it is exactly that they believe at this important time in their lives. Please be in prayer for them as they draw near to the end of this Confirmation process.
  
  Also, this Sunday is Girl Scout Sunday, and the 11am Sanctuary service will be full of area Girl Scouts as we celebrate the positive impacts of scouting on girls and women.
  
  Blessings and Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

• Next Week at FPC (March 4, 2022)

  Posted Mar 04, 2022

  Dear Friends in Christ,
  
  This Sunday we will say goodbye to Lewis and Bunny Galloway, as Lewis concludes just over a year of faithful and fruitful service to our congregation as Interim Pastor. We give thanks for the ministry he has had with us, and his leadership though challenging times in the life of the church, and we will miss Lewis’ warmth and humor. So don’t miss your opportunity to say thank you and offer your best wishes for his next attempt at retirement on Sunday.
  
  Blessings and Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship & Communications

• Next Week at FPC (February 25,2022)

  Posted Feb 25, 2022

  Dear Family in Christ,
  
  In many ways, it feels like we are standing on a threshold. In the liturgical, calendar we are just a couple of weeks away from the season of Lent. In the life of our church, we are getting ready to say goodbye to Lewis and Bunny Galloway, as Lewis will soon be concluding his interim ministry with us. We give thanks for all that he has done during this year with us. At the same time, we are also looking forward to soon welcoming the Rev. Alan Dyer and his family to our congregation. But through it all, the ministry of Christ through First Presbyterian Church continues and thrives. Don’t forget about our month-long Witness Season Project, and find your place in the fellowship and ministry of this amazing family of faith!
  
  Blessings and Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship & Communications

• Next Week at FPC (February 18, 2022)

  Posted Feb 18, 2022

  Dear Family in Christ,
  
  In many ways, it feels like we are standing on a threshold. In the liturgical, calendar we are just a couple of weeks away from the season of Lent. In the life of our church, we are getting ready to say goodbye to Lewis and Bunny Galloway, as Lewis will soon be concluding his interim ministry with us. We give thanks for all that he has done during this year with us. At the same time, we are also looking forward to soon welcoming the Rev. Alan Dyer and his family to our congregation. But through it all, the ministry of Christ through First Presbyterian Church continues and thrives. Don’t forget about our month-long Witness Season Project, and find your place in the fellowship and ministry of this amazing family of faith!
  
  Blessings and Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship & Communications

• Next Week at FPC (February 11, 2022)

  Posted Feb 17, 2022

  Dear First Friends,
  
  What a joy it is to come back to church after recovering from my knee surgery and to be amongst you again. Thank you to all who sent cards, emails, food and so many other gifts to brighten my days. All is well with me now and I am grateful for you and especially for my good nurse husband, Eddie. Just now, I find myself anxious for the arrival of spring and warmer days again. I hope for the diminishment of the ravages of the virus. I look forward to our annual preparation for celebrating Easter by walking through Lent. I give thanks for the coming of a new pastor, Alan, and am sad about the departure of our delightful interim, Lewis. I am feeling like these calmer winter days of hibernation are God’s way of getting us ready for a whirlwind of activity and change that March will bring to our church and our world.
  
  Spring is coming and with it – new life bursting out everywhere! But right now, take a look below at what is happening this week around the church house….
  
  Blessings on you all,
  Pastor Joanne

• Next Week at FPC (February 4, 2022)

  Posted Feb 04, 2022

  Dear Friends in Christ,
  
  Of course the big news this week is that the congregation has voted to call the Rev. Alan F. Dyer as our new Senior Pastor and Head of Staff. See more information below.
  
  This Sunday is a communion Sunday, as well as being Boy Scout Sunday. Our Troop 2 Boy Scouts will be part of our 11:00am Sanctuary worship service, and they will also be helping with the TOTAL Ministries food drive. Read below to see what you can bring to donate this Sunday.
  
  Blessings and Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

• Next Week at FPC (January 28, 2021)

  Posted Jan 28, 2022

  This Sunday is the big day! Our Annual Congregational Meeting is this Sunday at 10am in the Sanctuary. We are all waiting with eager anticipation to hear who the Pastor Nominating Committee is recommending to be our next Senior Pastor! We will also be electing an Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to allow the Youth and Campus Ministry Search to consider both ordained and non-ordained candidates. And we’ve even got some exciting news to share in our annual report as well. It’s going to be a great celebration of what God has in in store for our church!
  
  Then in the evening at 6pm come back to Fogartie Hall for a Shelter Worship service led by our youth, Scott Neely, and members of the MorningSong and Shelter music teams. What a day of worship and celebration we have before us this Sunday!

• Next Week at FPC (January 21, 2021)

  Posted Jan 21, 2022

  Dear Friends in Christ,
  Tomorrow our Confirmands head out for an overnight retreat where they will be exploring baptism, the Lord’s supper, worship, and Jesus. Please be in prayer for this group as the travel and explore faith together.
  
  And be sure to mark your calendar and make plans to attend our important congregational meeting next Sunday, January 30 at 10:00am in the Sanctuary. Among other things, we will be hearing a report and recommendation from our Pastor Nominating Committee, and forming an Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to search for an Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministry. See below for more specific information and make sure you are there for this important day in the life of our congregation!
  
  Blessings and Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

• Next Week at FPC (January 14, 2022)

  Posted Jan 14, 2022

  Dear Friends,
  
  The Session has called an Annual Meeting of the congregation for Sunday, January 30 at 10:00am in the Sanctuary to act on the report and recommendation of the Pastoral Nominating Committee to call a Senior Pastor, to elect an Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to call an Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministry, to elect at-large members of the Congregational Nominating Committee, and to receive reports on the life and ministry of the church from the Clerk, the Session, the Diaconate and the Finance Committee.
  
  I hope you will join us for the congregational meeting where the Pastoral Nominating Committee will present its long anticipated report and recommendation to call our new Senior Pastor. This will mark a new beginning in ministry for our congregation.
  
  Also, we are monitoring the possibility of inclement weather this weekend. See the “Winter Weather ?” article below.
  
  Blessings,
  Lewis

• Next Week at FPC (January 7, 2022)

  Posted Jan 07, 2022

  Dear Friends in Christ,
  
  Happy New Year! This Sunday we will ordain and install deacons and elders who will serve and lead our congregation over the next three years. Join us in celebrating their calling and faithful response in the 11am Sanctuary Worship Service. Then in the evening our Confirmands will begin their journey of exploring faith with a Covenant Service for confirmands, parents, and leaders. Please pray for our officers and our confirmands as they take these important next steps in their faith journeys!
  
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

• Next Week at FPC (December 31, 2021)

  Posted Dec 31, 2021

  As the year comes to an end, we give thanks for the blessings of the past year and the ways in which Christ has sustained us and encouraged us through the joys and challenges of life. I pray that the promise of abundant life with Christ both here and in the world to come will strengthen those among us who have suffered illness and even the death of loved ones in the past year. As we look forward to a new year, I hope you will join us this Epiphany Sunday when we celebrate the visit of the Wise Men to Jesus and share in the Lord’s Supper together. We will have one service in the Sanctuary at 11am with a nursery provided. As these visitors from the east were guided by a star, so may the light of Christ guide our path in the coming year.

• Christmas at FPC (December 23, 2021)

  Posted Dec 23, 2021

  Our season of watching and waiting is almost over, and tomorrow we will celebrate Jesus’ birth at our Christmas Eve services. Join your church family for this holy and exciting day! See below for information about tomorrow’s services and other end-of-year announcements.

• Advent at FPC (December 17, 2021)

  Posted Dec 17, 2021

  The season of Advent continues. On our final Sunday of Advent, we will have a full day of music, with the MorningSong Lessons and Carols Service, brass in the Sanctuary services, and then the Moravian Candlelight service in the evening. Come be a part of these Advent services as we prepare for the coming of our Messiah.

• Advent at FPC (December 9, 2021)

  Posted Dec 10, 2021

  This Sunday at both sanctuary services we celebrate in words and music the reach of the Christmas story…across generations, countries, and cultures. Beloved and familiar words from the Old and New Testaments will take on new life as they are read in several languages, followed by music that reflects the different countries and cultures these languages represent. If you’re counting, you’ll find Christmas music from eleven different countries, and you’ll hear the premiere of a piece for choir and orchestra by Dr. John Moody that was commissioned by our church. Our Chancel Choir has worked diligently towards this day since September, and they will be joined by a 25-piece orchestra.

• Advent at FPC (December 3, 2021)

  Posted Dec 03, 2021

  The season of Advent marches on. On this second Sunday of Advent, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Communion and light the candle of Peace in all three worship services. At noon, we will have the Family Advent Workshop, and at 5:00pm the Youth will have a progressive dinner tacky gift exchange and ugly Christmas sweater contest. So it is a day full of activities for all ages!
  
  Don’t forget that our final Wednesdays at First for 2021 will be this Wednesday, as we join for food and fellowship around tables before our annual White Gifts Service. Check out the lists on the linked page to find out more about this beloved service and to see what gifts you can bring.

• Happy Thanksgiving from FPC! (11/23/21)

  Posted Nov 23, 2021

  Dear Friends in Christ,
  Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you can join us tonight either in person or online at the Community Thanksgiving Service, hosted this year by the Temple.
  
  Please note that the church campus will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving and join us this Sunday as we begin the season of Advent.
  
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications
  
  Spartanburg Community Thanksgiving Service – Tuesday, November 23 at 7pm (Temple B’nai Israel)
  Each year, The Spartanburg County Foundation partners with area clergy to host the Spartanburg Community Thanksgiving Service, an annual ecumenical service that provides an opportunity for clergy members from various faith groups, as well as members of the community, to worship together and give thanks. A committee of local clergy selects a nonprofit organization each year to receive the offering. This year, Brothers Restoring Urban Hope will be the recipient of the offering. As a sponsor of this event, The Spartanburg County Foundation matches the plated offering from the night of the service dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000. Fully vaccinated community members wearing masks are invited to join in person at Temple B’nai Israel located at 146 Heywood Avenue, Spartanburg, SC 29302. You may also view the service virtually at facebook.com/ourtemple29302.

• Next Week at FPC (November 19, 2021)

  Posted Nov 19, 2021

  Even though Thanksgiving is not a liturgical holiday, the idea of gratitude is at the very heart of Christianity. We follow God’s ways not to earn God’s favor, but out of thanksgiving for God’s unending grace toward us. However, you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, please take some time to give thanks to the God “from whom all blessings flow” with the reading of Psalm 100, the singing of the Doxology, a prayer, or whatever will remind you and those around you of God’s generosity. Please note that the church will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving, but join us the Sunday after Thanksgiving as we enter into Advent.

• Next Week at FPC (November 12, 2021)

  Posted Nov 12, 2021

  Today, members of our congregation are busy getting ready for our annual Winter Warmth distribution of new winter coats to children throughout Spartanburg County. Please pray for the children and families who will come to our church to receive new coats, and for the people from our congregation who will help those children find just the right coat for them. Thank you to those who are serving as part of this ministry and to those who have given gloves, scares, or money for coats. For more information about this long tradition within our church, and to give a coat, please visit https://fpcspartanburg.org/serve/local-missions/winter-warmth .

• Next Week at FPC (November 5, 2021)

  Posted Nov 05, 2021

  We look forward to honoring those we have lost this past year by acknowledging them All Saints Sunday at all three services. We hope you’ll join us as we remember their lives and share Holy Communion together, taking part in that heavenly feast with all of our loved ones who have gone before us.
  
  There are also many meaningful ways to connect with missions in the upcoming weeks! We will be collecting items for TOTAL ministries this Sunday, and we are still looking for more volunteers for our annual Winter Warmth event on November 13^th. You can find more information on both of these opportunities below.
  
  November is usually a time where we reflect on gratitude and giving. This weekend, may we offer gratitude for our saints and reflect on how we can give generously to those in need!
  

• Next Week at FPC (October 29, 2021)

  Posted Oct 29, 2021

  This Sunday is Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans, a Sunday when we celebrate not only the Presbyterian Church’s Scottish roots, but also how God calls all families and nations together into the one body of Christ. Everyone is invited to wear plaid (whether it is an official tartan or not) or something that celebrates your own family’s cultural heritage.
  
  With the bagpipes and drums and the procession of family tartans, this is always a very popular and well-attended service, especially at the 11:00am hour. So please be aware that while we may not have our usual physical distancing measures in place in the Sanctuary, we continue to encourage everyone to follow current CDC guidelines about mask use and distancing. The 8:45am service will be identical to the 11:00am service and generally has more room for everyone to spread out. Note that there will be no separate MorningSong service, so that we can join together in this special time of worship. Both worship services will also be streamed at the usual locations (see below).
  
  After each of the services there will be lemonade and cookies either in the Perrin Room (after 8:45am) or on the front lawn (after 11:00am).

• Next Week at FPC (October 22, 2021)

  Posted Oct 22, 2021

  Each Sunday morning and every WAF Wednesday night, I am seeing more and more folks I haven’t seen in quite a while as you continue to make your way back to church! It makes my heart soar to see you again! We have been separated because of a virus, but we are still family and friends in Christ that enjoy being together for worship and fellowship, study, and service.
  
  We will celebrate our unity as the family of Christ at the Kirkin’ of the Tartans on Sunday, October 31st. Come delight in our Presbyterian Scottish family roots as we wear plaid, parade our tartan banners and enjoy the rhythms of the drums and bagpipes. Everyone is a little bit Scottish on that day.
  
  But this week there is plenty to do around the church house----check out all the opportunities below to grow in Christ together!
  

• Next Week at FPC (October 15, 2021)

  Posted Oct 15, 2021

  A lot is happening this Sunday! It is Stewardship Commitment Sunday, when we as a congregation and as households make our commitments to the church for the coming year. This is not only important to our planning as a church for the ministry we will be able to fund, but it is also an important spiritual practice, as you consider the place giving to the church has among the many competing interests in your budget.
  
  This Sunday, we are also thrilled to welcome our children’s choirs, ages 5K- Grade 5, back into our 11:00am Sanctuary worship service. This will be their first time singing in worship live since February 2020!
  
  We are also excited to welcome Nadege Gay from Haiti Outreach Ministries. Nadege will be speaking during the Sunday School hour in Fogartie Hall. All are invited to attend to hear more about what is happening in Haiti right now, and the good work HOM is doing.
  
  Add to that Officer Training, a Young Adult event, and Youth Group in the afternoon and evening, and we have a full day of exciting and important activities for all ages! Thanks be to God!

• Next Week at FPC (October 8, 2021)

  Posted Oct 08, 2021

  This Sunday, you have the opportunity to give of yourself through the community blood drive. Please roll up your sleeve, if you are able, and donate blood. Sign up to reserve your time, but walk-ups are also welcome. More information on the blood drive and also next week’s vaccination clinic (preregistration required) can be found below.
  
  Speaking of giving, we continue to move through our annual stewardship season, with Stewardship Commitment Sunday coming in just over a week. Please prayerfully consider what you can pledge to your church’s ongoing ministry in 2022.

• Next Week at FPC (October 1, 2021)

  Posted Oct 01, 2021

  This Sunday is World Communion Sunday, a day when we celebrate our unity in Christ across all those geographical, ethnic, political, ideological, theological, and all other barriers that would seek to divide Christ’s church. At the Lord’s Table we find “communion” not only with God in Christ, but also with all those who share in that sacrament across the globe and even through time. We celebrate that there is so much more that unites us than that separates us, and we remember that we are all sinners called to the table only through God’s abundant grace.
  
  As part of our World Communion Sunday celebration, we will also be collecting food for TOTAL ministries. So see the list of items linked below and bring something to help a person in need in our community!

• Next Week at FPC (September 24, 2021)

  Posted Sep 24, 2021

  It’s fall, y’all! And I for one am glad it is---the church is busy again as we like it to be, the weather this week is cooler, and football games charge us up every weekend. We are headed toward that crisp, colorful leaf-changing season and it’s something to anticipate with joy.
  
  I am glad to be back among you after my knee replacement surgery. I am slow right now, but I have learned that slow and steady wins this race. Thank you to everyone who prayed, sent a card, visited, brought food, or sent me (and my wonderful nurse husband Eddie) an encouraging text, call, or email. We needed your support and God’s healing touch. We got both!
  
  This Sunday, our youth will lead us in worship at all three services and are excited to share their talents and perspectives as we all worship God together. Don’t miss it!
  
  Scroll down and take a look at what else is happening around the church house---something might just catch your interest!

• Next Week at FPC (September 17, 2021)

  Posted Sep 17, 2021

  What an amazing week it has been! I always love this time of year when everything gets started again after the summer, even amid all the craziness of getting ready for it! And it is especially meaningful this year, even amid even more craziness than usual! Between Sunday School, Bible Studies throughout the week, WAF, children’s programs, youth programs, music programs, service opportunities, and so much more, there is truly something for everyone. If you can’t find your place to plug into the life of First Pres., visit Ministry Finder or just reach out to one of the pastors, and we will be glad to help you find a place where you can belong, grow, and serve!

• Next Week at FPC (September 10, 2021)

  Posted Sep 10, 2021

  It is an exciting week ahead here at FPC! Sunday, we shift to our Fall Worship Schedule. Be sure to note the times (and locations!) of the Sunday services below. Children’s Worship also begins during the 11am service for children 4K-1^st grade.
  
  During the 9:45am Sunday School hour, all adult classes will resume. Check out the Sunday School line-up and some modified locations in the links below. In particular, note that for now, the Emmaus Sunday School Class will meet in Fogartie Hall, and the new Abide Sunday School Class designed for young adults and parents of young children will meet in the Social Hall. Both of those moves are to ensure that there is enough room for everyone. During the Sunday School hour, the 4^th graders and their parents, as well as the 5th graders, will meet in the Chapel, as the 4^th graders receive the Bibles their families have carefully prepared for them.
  
  During the week, a host of new Bible studies get started, and on Wednesday WAF returns with the pre-pandemic schedule, with children’s choirs, First Steps in Music, dinner (with indoor and outdoor options), and a wide range of programs for everyone after dinner. Prepayment is requested so that we don’t have to have a payment line. The link for that can be found at fpcspartanburg.org/waf.
  
  In all of this, we are taking the necessary steps to keep everyone as safe as is reasonably possible, as we try to maintain the programming and community that nourishes our faith amid this resurgence of COVID. And we ask that you all do the same so that everyone feels safe and welcome here at FPC!

• Weekly Update for September 3, 2021

  Posted Sep 03, 2021

  This weekend, in many ways, is the quiet before the storm here at the church. We hope that you all enjoy in safety the break that this long weekend offers! This Sunday we will have one service in the Sanctuary at 10:30am and no Sunday School. But be ready! The fall schedule begins on September 12, with WAF, Children’s Choirs, JustFaith, and so much more right on its heels!

• Weekly Update for August 27, 2021

  Posted Aug 27, 2021

  This Sunday is Rally Day, and what a full Rally Day it is! During the Sunday School hour, we will launch our children’s and youth Sunday School programs for the new year. (Adult Sunday School will relaunch after Labor Day on September 12.) During all three worship services, we will commission our teachers and leaders for the coming year. After our 10:30am worship services, we will have a Rally Day bash in the FLC parking lot, with food trucks, inflatables, water games, and more!
  
  The youth had a great launch event last Sunday, and they are back this Sunday with pizza and a parent meeting. And finally, on Sunday evening will be a Shelter worship service. See below for more information on all of these events. What an amazingly full and joyful day!
  

• Weekly Update for August 20, 2021

  Posted Aug 20, 2021

  Like the amazing swimmers we saw in the Olympics last month, here we stand, perched on the edge of the pool, ready to jump in and go full speed ahead. Here at FPC, fall programming is just around the corner, with Rally Day on August 29, the return to the fall worship schedule on September 12, and WAF resuming just after that on September 15. Get ready to dive in with us!
  
  Speaking of races, look for FPC friends, old and new, downtown at the Crit this evening!

• Weekly Update for August 13, 2021

  Posted Aug 13, 2021

  It is back-to-school time for many within our congregation and community right now. Public school teachers have already gone back, I’ve been seeing all sorts of pictures of college move-ins on social media, and public school students return to school in just a few days. As a congregation, let us pray for and support our educators, school staff, and students as they begin this new school year.
  
  One way you can do that is through the Blessing of the Backpacks this Sunday morning at 10am on the front lawn. Let me highlight that this is an event for everyone, as we all gather to show our support and pray for our students, teachers, and school staff. I hope to see you there!

• Weekly Update for August 6, 2021

  Posted Aug 06, 2021

  This Sunday we celebrate the ministry of Robert and Holly Bannan and give thanks to God for the work they have done with us and for us over the past two years. I hope you all will join us for the reception for them this Sunday in the gym, after the 10:30am worship services, and give them our best wishes as they begin the next phase of their ministries in Conway.
  
  Of course the work of the church continues! Thank you to all of you who have stepped up to make sure things happen this fall! And let us all be in prayer for our two new search committees as they hire interim staff and search for who God is calling to be our next long-term leaders in children’s, youth, and campus ministries. All of those people who are helping during this transition are true saints in my book and deserve thanks and support from all of us!

• Weekly Update for July 30, 2021

  Posted Jul 30, 2021

  This Sunday we will celebrate the Sacrament of Communion in all three worship services. In Communion (also known as the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving”), we remember not only Jesus’s last supper with his closest disciples, but also the feeding of the 5000, all the meals Jesus shared with others, and all the stories Jesus shared about food as part of his earthly ministry. We also remember how the risen Jesus broke bread with those travelers to Emmaus and shared a breakfast on the lakeshore with several of his disciples. We also look forward to what the Bible often imagines as a great banquet with God in heaven. It is “communion” with Jesus and with those who share in the meal (everywhere, in the past, present and future). It is a meal hosted by our Lord. It is a remembrance of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness and grace. All in a nibble of gluten-free bread and a sip of grape juice!

  Remembering such passages as Jesus’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we do not only share in this feast of faith together. Following the example of the early church, who shared their Agape feasts with the poor, we also collect food to share with those in need.

  Then after worship we will feast in a different way through the Dog Days of Summer event in the gym.
  
  So join us as we feast and share together in community this Sunday!

• Weekly Update for July 23, 2021

  Posted Jul 23, 2021

  This week was our second week of C.A.S.T. Camp. Thank you to all those who helped to Care, Accept, Share, and Teach those young people this week!
  
  This Sunday our Sr. High youth head out for a week at the Montreat Youth Conference. Please pray for their safety, good fellowship with friends old and new, and meaningful spiritual growth during this very special event!

• Weekly Update for July 16, 2021

  Posted Jul 16, 2021

  As you see below, we have a full Sunday coming up, including our third Shelter Worship Service! What is Shelter? Rafe and Holly explain in this video. Take note of ALL that is going on this Sunday and join in!
  
  Next week is our second week of the annual C.A.S.T. Camp series. What is C.A.S.T.? Find out more on the church website, and reach out if you can be involved in the mornings! And please pray for the young people and volunteers involved in this important ministry!
  
  In addition to C.A.S.T., there are activities for every age throughout the week. Even over the summer, there really is something for everyone!

• Weekly Update for July 9, 2021

  Posted Jul 09, 2021

  This Sunday is the 15^th Sunday in what is called Ordinary Time in the church calendar. The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green, and you will see green paraments, stoles, or projections in each of our services this Sunday. I have heard Ordinary Time described sometimes as “green growing time,” a time when we grow in faith amid the more ordinary routines of daily living between the major Christian holidays. As we move through this summer of Ordinary Time, let us not lose our connection to God or to the church. Join with us in worship, Bible study, service, and fellowship as often as you are able this summer, to keep your faith and this church’s ministry strong and effective in changing our lives and the lives of others.
  

• Weekly Update for July 2, 2021

  Posted Jul 02, 2021

  Fireworks, patriotic cookouts, family reunions, a three-day weekend, road trips, day trips, or no trip at all; the Fourth of July has it all – including a Sunday to give thanks to God for our freedom and our beautiful country. We will have one worship service at 10:30am in the Sanctuary on July 4. I hope you will find time in your holiday to worship God and celebrate God’s blessings to us! Have a glorious Fourth of July!
  

• UPDATE: ShelbyNext App

  Posted Jul 01, 2021

  We are excited to share this great news with you... the ShelbyNext Mobile App is now operating properly!!

• Update from the PNC

  Posted Jul 01, 2021

  In the couple of months since our last update, the PNC has been hard at work seeking referrals for potential pastors from seminary presidents, a wide variety of pastors across larger churches in the denomination, and dozens of others with connections to possible candidates and familiarity with our congregation. Our committee members have listened to and watched hundreds of sermons and worship services online, and that work continues at full speed. We are working to create a relatively short list of viable candidates with whom we might engage in conversation more seriously. Thankfully at the same time, most churches are moving into various stages of reopening for in-person worship, so we will be traveling over the next several months to visit pastors and churches “live.” This process of discernment is a two-way street, as the PNC works to discern which persons to whom God may lead us to choose as the best leader for our congregation, and potential candidates work to determine if the Holy Spirit may be moving them toward openness to a new call in a new location. This process is slow and deliberate, and must necessarily be undertaken in the highest confidentiality.

• Weekly Update for June 25, 2021

  Posted Jun 25, 2021

  This week we welcomed CAST Camp back to our campus, and it has been an amazing week with those young people! See Gloria Close’s recap in the “Other News” section below, and please continue to pray for families living in local motels. Thanks be to God for this important ministry and those that make it happen. There will be two more weeks of CAST Camp scattered through the summer months.
  
  Last Sunday was our second Shelter worship service. It was a really special time of worship, but I know a lot of you were in the midst of Father’s Day celebrations and summer travels. Be sure to check out the video recording at fpcspartanburg.org/worship . While you are there, you will also notice videos of a number of funerals we have had recently (and that’s not all of them). Please continue to be in prayer for all those who have lost loved ones.

• Weekly Update for June 18, 2021

  Posted Jun 18, 2021

  We had a wonderful week of our family Vacation Bible School this week! It was great to see families exploring faith together. This Sunday morning, MorningSong participants will get a chance to hear a little taste of VBS from our kids. This Sunday evening, we will have our second Shelter worship service. Please note the updated time for the service below. And, of course, Sunday is Father’s Day, and we give thanks to the fathers and father figures in our lives even as we come together in praise of our heavenly Father.
  
  Finally, next week is the first week of our C.A.S.T. Camp. Please pray for the children, youth, and adults who will be part of this important mission, as we seek to Care, Accept, Share, and Teach children and youth living in nearby motels.

• Weekly Update for June 11, 2021

  Posted Jun 11, 2021

  This Sunday evening our Family Vacation Bible School begins. This is a new format and time slot conceived during the worst of this pandemic, and I think it will be an exciting time for children and their families to experience together. Please pray for the leaders and the families participating in this year’s VBS, that they may have an experience that enriches their faith together.
  
  See below for other things happening this Sunday and beyond, including a new Adult Sunday School series led by Lewis Galloway and Lewis Johnson, a new Sunday morning time of connection and devotion led by Ansley, and our second Shelter worship service happening in just over a week.

• Weekly Update for June 4, 2021

  Posted Jun 04, 2021

  Summer is here and with it comes our usual summer schedule! The 8:30am service moves to the Chapel, Sunday School follows at 9:30am, and the Sanctuary service and MorningSong run concurrently at 10:30am. At 11:30am this Sunday, congregate with us in the FLC Parking Lot for our first Summer Sizzle of the season – eat dessert first! Yummy ice cream treats are free to all and with the variety available you may even find your childhood favorite. Visit with old friends, make some new acquaintances, watch the children play, and I promise it will all make you smile and laugh!
  
  We welcomed back the Chancel Choir to our Sanctuary Service this past Sunday. It was actually very emotional to see and hear them in the loft. This is the Summer Choir, so if you are interested in some choral singing with minimal practice time required, this may be just the thing for you!
  
  Sunday also affords you the opportunity to bring donations to Fill the Truck for Hand in Hand. We will celebrate Communion in all three services. And in the Social Hall at 9:30am you can hear the results of the Holy Cow Congregational Survey that is helping our Pastor Nominating Committee on the needs and desires of the church for its next Pastor. All in all, it’s a really big Sunday to be at FPC! More details below. I hope to see you!!!!

• Weekly Update for May 28, 2021

  Posted May 28, 2021

  This long weekend, we remember and celebrate those who gave their lives in the military. Safe travels to those who are traveling this weekend, and wherever you find yourself, lift your thanks to God for those who have given so much of themselves for you!
  
  This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate the incomprehensible mystery of one God who exists in three Persons. We will have only two services this Sunday at 8:45am and 11am, both in the Sanctuary.

• Weekly Update for May 21, 2021

  Posted May 21, 2021

  This Sunday is Pentecost, a day when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. Lots of exciting things are happening throughout the day on Sunday in celebration of this special day in the church calendar. Come and celebrate with us on Sunday in the morning, afternoon, and evening, to enjoy lively worship, good food, great fellowship, and wonderful music!

• Weekly Update for May 14, 2021

  Posted May 14, 2021

  This Sunday we will recognize and celebrate with our Class of 2021 graduating seniors during the 11:00am Sanctuary Worship Service. Let us all join in prayer for these seniors as they begin the next stage of their lives.
  
  Be sure to also roll up your sleeve and give blood at church this Sunday. More information on that is below.
  
  New FPC COVID Guidelines
  In light of the revised CDC guidelines regarding COVID, First Presbyterian Church is also revising its health guidelines and policies. The purpose of our polices is to promote and protect the health and well-being of everyone. As Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” For those who have been fully vaccinated, masks are optional for indoor activities, including worship at the church. For those who are not yet fully vaccinated, please continue to wear masks and practice social distancing for all indoor activities, including worship. This will help us protect the unvaccinated among us. Masks are not required for outdoor activities. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  
  Blood Drive – May 16 (Make an Appointment)
  Give blood at First Pres Sunday, May 16 from 8am-1pm in the Family Life Center Parking Lot. Covid Antibody Testing will be offered to those that have had or suspect they have had Covid-19 as well as those who have received a Covid-19 vaccine. A $20 charitable donation will be made to First Pres for every blood donor! Masks are required, per Blood Connection policy. Contact Beth Cecil to make an appointment.
  

• Weekly Update for May 7, 2021

  Posted May 07, 2021

  Happy Mother’s Day to all those who have been mother figures for others (whether related by blood or not), and our prayers are with those for whom Mother’s Day is painful or hard. Please take some time to give thanks to God for all those who have nurtured, supported, guided, and loved you into the person you are today.

• Weekly Update for April 30, 2021

  Posted Apr 30, 2021

  This Sunday is Confirmation Sunday, when 25 of our 9^th graders will make their public professions of faith and become full members of this congregation during our 11am Sanctuary service. Because of our distancing requirements, our confirmands and their families will take up the entire front half of the floor level of the Sanctuary! We will have video overflow ready in the Chapel and in Fogartie Hall, but we might suggest that if you do not have a connection to one of the confirmands, you may consider attending one of the two 8:45am services on Sunday in the Sanctuary or Fogartie Hall. This is a joyous milestone for these youth. So please remember them in prayer and thanksgiving.

• Weekly Update for April 23, 2021

  Posted Apr 23, 2021

  This Sunday, we resume the 8:45am Traditional service (in the Sanctuary) and also in-person Sunday School for all ages!
  
  Please note that not all Sunday School classes are meeting, some classes are combined, and some classes are meeting in different rooms. So please check the full list of Sunday School classes below very carefully! Children’s Church will also resume during the 11:00am Sanctuary service, and nursery will be available during Sunday School and the 11:00am service.
  
  It will be so wonderful to see and hear signs of life and activity throughout the building on Sunday!

• Weekly Update for April 16, 2021

  Posted Apr 16, 2021

  Dear Siblings in Christ, It was great to be able to welcome people back for in-person worship services both in the Sanctuary and Fogartie Hall! Th...

• Report from The Pastor Nominating Committee

  Posted Apr 14, 2021

  The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC), elected by the congregation in late January to recommend the person to serve as our next Senior Pastor, has been meeting weekly. We have discussed the report from the Holy Cow! congregational survey conducted last year. This report has served us well in identifying congregational priorities for the next Pastor. We have completed the Mission Information Form (MIF), an essential step in opening the search within the denominational process for matching potential pastoral candidates. The MIF includes a position description for the Senior Pastor and a narrative of our church and community.

• Weekly Update for April 9, 2021

  Posted Apr 09, 2021

  Dear Friends:
  Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! What a joy it was to join together in person and virtually on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Some gathered in the courtyard for our Sunrise Service in spite of the morning chill; others gathered in the parking lot for Morning Song and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper; others gathered on the front lawn for Traditional Worship with communion, choir, and brass; and still others joined us virtually. I am grateful to the many volunteers and staff who worked together, often behind the scenes, to make these services possible. This Sunday, April 11^th, we will begin morning worship with the opportunity to gather in person in Fogartie Hall at 8:45 and in the Sanctuary at 11:00. Please remember to wear your mask at all times in the building. Overflow spaces will be provided once we reach the capacity for health protocols in Fogartie and in the Sanctuary. I am grateful for the opportunity to worship together! Blessings this Easter season.
  -Lewis

• Weekly Update for April 1, 2021

  Posted Apr 01, 2021

  It is Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus gave his disciples a new “mandate” (maundatum in Latin) to love others as Jesus has loved us. Throughout the day today there are communion services every 15 minutes in the Chapel, followed by an online service at 7:30 this evening. Then tomorrow, we will recognize Good Friday with an online service at noon.
  
  This Easter Sunday, all three services (7am, 8:45am, and 11am) will be outdoors so that we can accommodate everyone. It will be cool for the early services. So, come prepared for the cool, but come ready to worship our resurrected Lord! We will celebrate communion at the 7:30pm Maundy Thursday online service tonight, and also at 8:45am and 11am on Easter. So, if you join us online, please have whatever communion elements you have on hand ready so that you can share in the sacrament with us.
  
  This will indeed be a Holy Week and Easter we will always remember. Make a memory with us today, Friday, and Sunday, as we celebrate the gift of new life granted to us through our sharing in the cross and resurrection of Jesus!

• Weekly Update for March 26, 2021

  Posted Mar 26, 2021

  This weekend, we enter into Holy Week as we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. And so we invite you to join us for a mix of in-person and online services throughout the week leading us toward our outdoor Easter services. MorningSong is planned to be outdoors, and we invite you to join us in-person! Due to a shortage of palm fronds, we invite you to bring greenery from your home and join in the procession with Bucket the donkey! Please wear your masks and bring chairs, if you are able, and place the back legs of your chairs on one of the lines in the parking lot. The 11:00am service will continue to be an online service for one final week before we get to celebrate Easter in-person together! What a joyous celebration that will be!

• Weekly Update for March 19, 2021

  Posted Mar 19, 2021

  This Sunday, we resume in-person worship services with outdoor MorningSong at 8:45am. The 11:00am service will still be held via livestream. We will return to in-person, indoor Sanctuary and MorningSong services on April 11. Our outdoor MorningSong services also will be livestreamed on the church website and Facebook (but not YouTube, due to limitations of our portable streaming setup). The 11am service will continue to be streamed on all three platforms.
  
  On Wednesday, we had our first Wednesdays at First for 2021. We had a great turn-out, and despite a little bit of rain just before the program time, it was a joyous time of good food, fellowship, music, learning, and fun! Join us next week! Be sure to make your dinner reservations by noon on Monday. Make them now, so you don’t forget!

• Weekly Update for March 12, 2021

  Posted Mar 12, 2021

  It is exciting to begin to see people back at the church! Wednesdays at First resumes this Wednesday. So be sure to reserve your meals by Monday, and join us for the best weekly tailgate party in town, followed by programs for children, youth, and adults! See below for more information and sign-up links.

  Keep reading for more information about upcoming in-person worship opportunities, and other in-person activities that are resuming in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, there is still plenty happening on Zoom and livestream.

• Weekly Update for March 5, 2021

  Posted Mar 05, 2021

  Hopefully, you have all read the exciting news in previous emails this week about the new Reply All ministry that is launching and about the plan to return to in-person activities over the next few weeks. I also hope that you have been receiving and watching our daily Lenten Devotional Videos Series. These have been such a great way to see and hear from members of our church family, and to learn what God is doing in their lives. Be sure to sign up to get those in your email inbox each morning, and watch these each of these short videos every Monday through Saturday!
  
  It is an exciting time to be part of the First Pres community, with so many good things happening and on the horizon! I cannot wait to see you all at WAF and at worship in the near future!

• First Presbyterian Church Reopening Update!

  Posted Mar 04, 2021

  Dear Friends, We are excited about the progress in reopening more in-person worship and other activities at First Presbyterian Church! This past...

• Check out First Presbyterian's Newest Ministry: "Reply All"

  Posted Mar 03, 2021

  It is a great joy to introduce you to a new ministry at First Pres called “Reply All”. As the new Interim Pastor, I find myself looking for ways to connect with the congregation in these “Covid Days.” I suspect that many of you have also missed all the normal ways we connect, spend time together and reach out to one another.

  “Reply All” gives us a new opportunity to strengthen the bonds that unite us in the church. Please click on the link below for this exciting one-minute video that will introduce you to “Reply All”. In the days ahead you will be contacted by a “Reply All” Ambassador! I hope you will welcome that call and become more deeply engaged in our community of faith.

• Weekly Update for February 26, 2021

  Posted Feb 26, 2021

  Witness Season Sunday in finally here! Many of you have already given generously to support the work of Ministry of Hope Lesotho with abandoned and impoverished children in southern Africa, but we have still not reached our $25,000 fundraising goal. Join us via livestream for a special presentation by Sally Harwood, President of the US Board of Directors for Ministry of Hope Lesotho, at 10am on Sunday, and please give generously to this important ministry!

• Weekly Update for February 19, 2021

  Posted Feb 19, 2021

  This Sunday, Dr. Lewis F. Galloway, our new Interim Pastor, will be preaching in both worship services. We welcome Lewis into the First Presbyterian family and pray for him and his wife Bunny as they transition into a new city and church.
  
  On Wednesday, we began the season of Lent with a continuous stream of church members and friends visiting the Chapel throughout the day for prayer and the imposition of ashes, followed by an online Ash Wednesday worship service. Somewhere around 160 of you visited with us through the day. I cannot put into words how moving it was to see all of you and spend time in one-on-one conversation and prayer with you! And I know the rest of the pastoral staff feels exactly the same way. We all needed that! Thank you for spending that very special time with us!
  
  With the beginning of Lent also came the beginning of the Lenten Devotional Video Series. Watch the videos in the Devotional Readings channel of the church website, and be sure to sign up to get these by email so you won’t miss a single one! (Sign Up)
  

• Weekly Update for February 12, 2021

  Posted Feb 12, 2021

  This will be Dr. Lewis Johnson’s last Sunday as our Temporary Interim Pastor. We give thanks to God for bringing Lewis to be part of our church family so that when the time came, we had a capable and experienced pastor who already knew us, and who could give the Interim Pastor Nominating Committee the time they needed to find an Interim Pastor. And we thank Lewis for his leadership and preaching during a difficult and unusual time in our world and church. And we especially give thanks that we do not actually have to say good-bye to Lewis and Janet, as they will continue to be active in the life of our church, just as they were before!
  
  For more information about our new Interim Pastor, Dr. Lewis Galloway, click here.

• Weekly Update for February 5, 2021

  Posted Feb 05, 2021

  Hopefully this morning you all received the news about our new Interim Pastor, Lewis Galloway. You may read the announcement from the Interim Pastor Nominating Committee along with a few words from Lewis Galloway himself here. Lewis Galloway’s first Sunday with us will be February 21. Many thanks both to the IPNC and to Lewis Johnson for their great work during this time of transition!

  Please continue to be in prayer for our Pastor Nominating Committee as they begin their work to find our next Pastor!

• FPC Welcomes Our New Interim Pastor

  Posted Feb 05, 2021

  We have exciting news to share from the Interim Pastor Nominating Committee (“IPNC”). The Rev. Dr. Lewis F. Galloway will be joining First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg as the Interim Pastor commencing February 15^th, with his first Sunday in the pulpit being February 21^st.

• Weekly Update for January 29, 2021

  Posted Jan 29, 2021

  This Sunday we will ordain and install new church officers during the 11:00am Sanctuary worship service. We give thanks to everyone who has answered God’s call to serve, and we pray for these officers and all those in our congregation who are continuing to serve with creativity, dedication, and love.
  
  Both our MorningSong and Sanctuary worship services continue to be online-only this week. We all long to be back together in person and hope that we can safely join together for worship soon. In the meantime, please join us online, and rest and pray in God’s presence in the Chapel and Columbarium during the week.

• Weekly Update for January 22, 2021

  Posted Jan 22, 2021

  This Sunday we continue services via livestream only, and we also have a Congregational Meeting. You can join the Congregational Meeting via Zoom or livestream. However, to have voice or vote, you will need join on Zoom. You will want to use either Zoom or the livestream, and not both, as there is much more of a delay in our high-definition livestream.
  
  I was thankful to see the Chapel in use this week, and the Pastoral Care team has been in prayer for the requests that were submitted. Much more is cranking back up on Zoom for now in the weeks ahead. Read below for more information about everything I have mentioned.

• Weekly Update for January 15, 2021

  Posted Jan 15, 2021

  This Sunday, we will continue to worship by livestream only. This isn’t anyone’s first choice, but while the virus numbers are so high and the vaccination numbers are so low, it seems to be the only prudent course of action.
  
  Last Sunday, we kicked off our Confirmation process with a chilly but meaningful candlelight covenant service in the Columbarium. Please pray for these ninth graders, the covenant family leaders, and pastors as we all explore our faith together.

• Weekly Update for January 8, 2021

  Posted Jan 08, 2021

  Though it was overshadowed by the events in Washington this year, Wednesday, January 6 was, in fact, Epiphany, that day when we celebrate not only the revelation of the Messiah to the Magi, but also the light of Christ that radiates into the world. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it!” May the Light of the World shine on you, in you, and through you, to give light to those around you!

• Weekly Update for January 1, 2021

  Posted Jan 01, 2021

  Happy New Year! As we say goodbye to 2020 and look forward in hopeful anticipation for what 2021 might bring, let me thank you for your faithfulness and encouragement during these trying months. It has been amazing to see the creativity and care shown by our members during this time to make sure that ministry continues and thrives here at FPC. Thank you, and many blessings as we begin this new year together!

• Weekly Update for December 23, 2020

  Posted Dec 23, 2020

  Due to the prospect of rain on Christmas Eve, all outdoor Christmas Eve services have been moved indoors.

  See below for times and locations. No preregistration is needed for services and all services will also be livestreamed. Please remember to follow physical distancing and mask guidelines when you are on campus for services.

  
  CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP SERVICES

  Thursday, December 24
  11:00am Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (Sanctuary)
  Join us in the Sanctuary for a morning setting of our traditional candlelight service featuring a string quartet.
  
  4:00pm Christmas Eve Family Service (Family Life Center Gym)
  Join us at 4:00pm for our Family Christmas Eve service in the Family Life Center Gym. Instead of dressing as your favorite angel or animal, this year we ask you to make an ornament with your favorite Bible story from this year’s Family Advent celebration. There will be time throughout the service for your family to bring the ornament forward to fill our tree. Use your creativity and share your favorite story!
  
  7:30pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (Sanctuary)
  Our traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service has been moved back into the Sanctuary because of the expectation of rain. The custodial team will be hard at work cleaning between the 11:00am and 7:30pm services, and the HVAC system and portable ionizers will help clean the air. Overflow seating will be available in the Chapel and Fogartie Hall.
  
  11:00pm Christmas Eve Messiah Service (Online)
  This online-only worship service will feature recordings from the 2019 Messiah Worship Service, set within the context of a new worship service for Christmas Eve night. Stay up late to welcome Christmas or set aside some time on Christmas Day for special time of worship.
  
  THIS SUNDAY
  Sunday, December 27
  11:00am Online Worship Service
  4:00pm Foothills Presbytery Worship Service

• Weekly Update for December 18, 2020

  Posted Dec 18, 2020

  CHRISTMAS WEEK WORSHIP SERVICES

  Sunday, December 20
  8:45am MorningSong Lessons and Carols (Fogartie Hall)
  11:00am Sanctuary Service
  5:00pm Rebroadcast of 2019 Moravian Love Feast (Online)
  
  

  Monday, December 21
  6:00pm Service of Comfort and Light (Sanctuary)
  
  Thursday, December 24
  11:00am Christmas Eve Service (Sanctuary)
  4:00pm Christmas Eve Family Service (Front Lawn)

  (Rain location: Gym)
  7:30pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (Front Lawn)

  (Rain location: Sanctuary)
  11:00pm Christmas Eve Messiah Service (Online)
  
  Sunday, December 27
  11:00am Sanctuary Service
  4:00pm Foothills Presbytery Worship Service
  

• Weekly Update for December 11, 2020

  Posted Dec 11, 2020

  Last Sunday was a very special day of worship, and we enjoyed seeing so many of you in MorningSong, the Sanctuary, and the new Shelter service that evening! Thank you for continuing to be diligent wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing when on the church campus, and staying home if you are ill. As the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths soar around our country, state, and community, and as more and more of our own members get the virus, it is important that we remain diligent in keeping everyone safe and healthy.

  This week we have another wonderful Sunday of music and worship! In the Sanctuary, it will be our annual music Sunday, with the proclamation of the word coming through the alternation of scripture and music. This year’s service will feature a harp, our quartet, and music from our favorite “garage band,” the Chamber Singers. Speaking of which, you will get to hear the Chamber Singers in-person in their temporary home, and even sing along Sunday afternoon. See below for more information.

• Weekly Update for December 4, 2020

  Posted Dec 04, 2020

  This Sunday, our Advent Season of Giving continues as we bring gifts to benefit the children of Cleveland Academy of Leadership. See below for a link for gift ideas or to make an online donation. This Sunday is also a Communion Sunday. So be sure to gather your elements if you are joining us remotely, and if you will be with us in person, note the instructions below to make sure you can fully participate. Finally, join us in-person or online for Shelter on Sunday evening! See below for more information about this special worship service!

  There’s lots more going on! Be sure to read below for Angel Tree, church basketball, Sunday nursery, and more!

• Weekly Update for November 24, 2020

  Posted Nov 24, 2020

  Happy Thanksgiving! Since the church will be closed on Thursday and Friday, we are sending our weekly update a few days early. Don’t forget about the Community Thanksgiving Service this evening. Things will be a little different because of COVID-19, but this time of community unity is more important than ever this year, and Angels Charge is such an important ministry!

  After you have had your fill of turkey (or however you celebrate Thanksgiving this year), don’t forget that the season of Advent begins this Sunday. The hope and expectation that is the hallmark of Advent may be just what we need as we wrap up this strange year! Look for an email later in the week with resources on how you can enrich your faith daily this Advent. Part of our celebration of Advent will also be an expansion of our annual White Gifts service to each of our Sunday morning services this Advent. See below to learn how you can join in this season of giving.

• Weekly Update for November 20, 2020

  Posted Nov 20, 2020

  As we approach Thanksgiving in this topsy-turvy year, it is more important than ever for all of us to consider all those people and things for which we can be thankful, and out of that gratitude, to give to others in need. Last Saturday, we got to do that by distributing nearly 800 new coats to children from around Spartanburg County as part of our annual Winter Warmth Project. You can be a part of that ongoing project by donating $35 to buy a new coat for a child in need. See fpcspartanburg.org/winter-warmth for more information.

  The TOTAL Ministries Food Drive this Sunday is another way you can give out of your gratitude. See below for more information. This Thanksgiving let’s give others something for which they can give thanks!

• Weekly Update for November 13, 2020

  Posted Nov 13, 2020

  This is a big weekend at the church! Today, final preparations are being made for our annual Winter Warmth coat distribution. Things will look a bit different this year, but this mission is no less important or meaningful to those children who will receive those brand new coats on Saturday! We still need some people to help distribute coats. So please click the link below if you can give of your time to help keep kids warm this winter!

  Speaking of giving, this Sunday is Stewardship Sunday. In gratitude for all God’s blessings, we invite each of you to prayerfully consider what you can pledge to the church for 2021. If you worship with us in person on Sunday, you may turn in your pledge card at that time. If you cannot be at church in person on Sunday, you may mail in your pledge card or pledge online through the Member Login section of the website or under My Profile in the ShelbyNext app.

  Holy cow! This Sunday is also the deadline for the FPC Assessment Survey as well as for nominations for the Pastor Nominating Committee. Look for more information below and be sure to complete all of your homework before Monday!

• Weekly Update for November 6, 2020

  Posted Nov 06, 2020

  It was great seeing people in person for worship in both Fogartie Hall and the Sanctuary on Sunday! Join us again this Sunday. No reservations are necessary!

  For the most part, everyone is doing great about wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing. Thank you! One of the bigger challenges has been at the end of the Sanctuary worship services. In the Sanctuary, please wait for an usher to dismiss your row, and please do not bunch up in the aisles so that people can get by. We would love for you to visit and catch up with friends outside so that the aisles stay clear for those wishing to exit the Sanctuary.

• Weekly Update for October 30, 2020

  Posted Oct 30, 2020

  Hopefully, you all received the word that you no longer need to make reservations for worship. We appreciate your patience as, with each step of bringing people back together on campus, we have begun cautiously with registrations to make sure we have the capacity for everyone, and then after just a few times, when we see that things are running smoothly and safely, we have removed the need for pre-registration. Thank you for bearing with us through that!

  And so, we invite you to MorningSong in Fogartie Hall at 8:45am and to the Sanctuary service at 11am. Please remain diligent in wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing so that people will feel safe (and be safe) when they come to worship. Of course, many of you are still not comfortable gathering with groups of people, and we remain committed to providing the best possible streaming experience for you as well!

• Weekly Update for October 23, 2020

  Posted Oct 23, 2020

  At 8:45am, we will have our first Kirkin’ service for the day in the Sanctuary. There is still room in the Sanctuary for this service! So even if you didn’t register, “Hie thee to th’ kirk” for this very special service! We’ll try to make room for everyone (while maintaining physical distancing) in the Sanctuary. We also have video overflow in the Chapel and Fogartie Hall, if needed. Though there will not be a precession there will still be tartans, a bagpiper, and drummer who will join our vocal quartet in the familiar music that makes this service special!

  Then at 11am, when it is a little warmer, we will have an outdoor Kirkin’ service in the Family Life Center parking lot. This service will also feature tartans, a bagpiper, a drummer, as well as brass ensemble to lead us all in singing during this unique service. No registration is needed, and we should have plenty of room for all! We do request that all who are able bring their own chairs, but we will still have a rack of chairs available for those who need them. At this point, the weather is a little iffy for Sunday, but we will let everyone know by Saturday if there is any change of plans for that service.

  Also note that starting next week, Tuesdays at First and Wednesdays at First are merging back into a single event on Wednesdays, and everyone is invited! Registration is still requested so that we can be sure to have enough food, but the deadline is now later: Mondays at noon. Join us for what is (in my humble opinion) the best weekly tailgate party and programming for all ages in town!

• Weekly Update for October 16, 2020

  Posted Oct 16, 2020

  This Sunday is Youth Sunday! We are excited to have our Jr. and Sr. Highs leading both of our worship services this Sunday. Make a point to come, or tune in, to both of these special services!

  We have also expanded our physically-distanced seating in the Sanctuary, converting what was overflow seating in the balcony into regularly available seating. Now, if we have walk-ups without registrations, they can join the service by video in the Chapel until they can (hopefully) be seated in a vacant spot in the Sanctuary.

  Since we resumed in-person services once in July and then more regularly in August, we have always made space for walk-ups and never turned anyone away! So please continue to make your reservations for the Sanctuary service so that we can continue to have space to do that, and don’t hesitate to call the church if you have any trouble with the online registration form! Our MorningSong service in the FLC parking lot does not require registration, and we can safely sing together outdoors with masks! So, come!

• Weekly Update for October 9, 2020

  Posted Oct 09, 2020

  It was wonderful to have a congregation in the Sanctuary last Sunday! Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we worship together in yet another new way during this pandemic. Registration for next Sunday, October 18 (Youth Sunday!) is now open at https://fpcspartanburg.org/events/rsvp-for-sanctuary-worship.
  
  Remember that outdoor MorningSong no longer requires registration, but we do ask that you bring your own chairs, if you are able. We will have a rack of chairs available on-site, though, just in case. The weather is not looking good for this Sunday with the remnants of Hurricane Delta blowing through. If the MorningSong service has to be cancelled, notification will be sent out by email, text, social media, and the church website no later than 6pm on Saturday. If that happens, the service will happen livestream only.
  
  Be sure you make your dinner reservations for Tuesdays at First (TAF) and Wednesdays at First (WAF) by Sunday! See below for more information on that.

• Weekly Update for October 2, 2020

  Posted Oct 02, 2020

  We are looking forward to our first in-person communion services since this pandemic began and our return to in-person worship services in the Sanctuary! We appreciate everyone’s understanding of the limitations of the space right now, and the need to limit our numbers in the Sanctuary in order to keep everyone there safe. We also appreciate your understanding of the adaptations we are having to make to be able to have these services inside. Don’t forget about the Hymn Sing before the service!
  
  Were you not able to get into the Sanctuary service this week? Don’t like limited numbers? Want to sing in worship? Then MorningSong is the service for you right now! We have eliminated the need to register for MorningSong and are asking everyone to bring their own chairs. We will have a rack of chairs available for those that need one, but no chairs will be set up ahead of time. And because it is outside and everyone is in masks and properly spaced apart, we can all sing together! So come worship together in what is currently the most “normal” of our worship services in the FLC parking lot at 8:45am on Sunday!

• Weekly Update for September 25, 2020

  Posted Sep 25, 2020

  We are looking forward to all the new programming beginning in just over a week, including Wednesdays at First, a new Tuesdays at First, and in-person Sanctuary worship services, all kicking off the first week of October. Please be mindful that pre-registration is needed for most activities, including worship, but so far we have not run out of available space for any of our activities. Especially note below that the registration for Vespers this Sunday evening closes at noon today. So make sure you sign up and join us!

• Weekly Update for September 18, 2020

  Posted Sep 18, 2020

  This Sunday, MorningSong resumes in the Family Life Center parking lot. We will also resume the weekly MorningSong livestream on the church website and Facebook. Due to technical limitations of our outdoor equipment, we will not be livestreaming MorningSong to YouTube at this time, but the Sanctuary service will continue to stream on the church website, Facebook, and YouTube.
  
  The Fall Edition of First News is in the mail and online. In it you will find information about the pastoral transition and search process, a letter from our Temporary Interim Pastor (starting Oct. 1) Lewis Johnson, and lots of new things happening at the church, including the return to in-person worship in the Sanctuary, and the return of our mid-week programming (now split between Tuesday and Wednesday). So read it carefully and sign up for stuff on time! In order to control numbers, arrange for the increased amount of setup and allow contact tracing (if needed) most events, including worship, now require pre-registration, for the time being.

• Weekly Update for September 11, 2020

  Posted Sep 11, 2020

  Today is, of course, a solemn day of remembrance in our country, as we mourn the tragic events of September 11, 2001. And as we mourn those lost on that day, let us also mourn the hatred and tribalism that led to those events, and let us all repent of that hatred and tribalism that we too often harbor today. And let us also celebrate the unity we found that day across all kinds of differences, and strive to find that unity once more.
  
  Today I also got the pleasure of attending the dedication of the Mathematics Lab at Cleveland Elementary, the product of our Witness Season contributions earlier this year. This congregation blew past our Witness Season goals, just days before this pandemic set in in earnest. And it was so encouraging to see that math lab come to fruition, and to see so many FPC members there at the dedication. Good and important work is happening through our church, my friends!
  
  Finally, this Sunday we bid farewell to Pastor Tom, as we celebrate his ministry with us and pray for his ministry in New York. I hope that you will all join in the streamed service on Sunday. It is going to be a very special service indeed. And Zoom congregation meeting afterward. We have upgraded our Zoom account to make sure we have room for all of you. So please sign in via Zoom for this important meeting. Information on a full Sunday of activities is below.

• Weekly Update for September 4, 2020

  Posted Sep 04, 2020

  This Sunday, September 6, we will have only one livestreamed service at 11am and no online Sunday School. We hope everyone will have a safe and enjoyable long weekend!
  
  The following Sunday, September 13, will be Pastor Tom’s last Sunday with us. We will again have only one livestreamed service at 11am that day with a congregational meeting via Zoom (Zoom link) immediately after it for the purposes of electing church officers and formally requesting that Foothills Presbytery dissolve the pastoral relationship between Dr. Tom Evans and First Presbyterian Church. See below for information about activities that afternoon to celebrate Tom’s ministry with us and to say goodbye to the pastor who has led us so faithfully through these past eight years.

• Weekly Update for August 28, 2020

  Posted Aug 28, 2020

  This Sunday we celebrate our 2020 Confirmation class during our 8:45am MorningSong service. The confirmands have all made their professions of faith and been examined by the Session, and we are proud of the work they have done, even amid unusual circumstances this year. So, we are glad to finally be able to welcome these young people into full membership. Physical distancing requirements mean that things will look a little different this year, but we are thankful to be able to celebrate this milestone with them, in-person and with their families with them.
  
  And you can join in online! If the technology all cooperates, we expect to livestream this service for the whole congregation (and more!) on Sunday. Tune in at the usual place on the church website: www.fpcspartanburg.org/live.

• Weekly Update for August 21, 2020

  Posted Aug 21, 2020

  Last Sunday was so very special as we had our first outdoor MorningSong service in the Family Life Center parking lot in the morning followed by the Blessing of the Backpacks/MacBooks that afternoon. It was so very good to see people gathered at the church, and I am looking forward to our second outdoor MorningSong this Sunday and the Vespers service Sunday evening. Make sure you sign up for that Vespers service by noon today, if you want to come.
  

  Please note that we are not livestreaming these initial outdoor MorningSong services as we figure out this setup and how to make it best for those who are there. In the event of a weather cancellation of the outdoor service, we will do our “pandemic-usual” MorningSong livestream-only service from Fogartie Hall. One way or another, we will livestream the outdoor Confirmation service on the morning of August 20, even if it is just me holding a cell phone! But I think we can do better than that!
  

  This week, we are excited to welcome our Weekday School children back to our church campus, under very careful COVID-19 precautions. We are taking every effort to make this a safe and wonderful year for these children. Please continue to be in prayer for that staff and those children, as well as all of those who are going to school and making school happen in new ways all around our community, country, and world.
  

• Weekly Update for August 14, 2020

  Posted Aug 14, 2020

  This weekend we pray for teachers, administrators, school staff, students, and their families as they return to school amid strange circumstances, navigating all sorts of new procedures. We pray for peace for all of them amid the uncertainty, and for safety, understanding, and grace as we all figure it out together.
  
  Please also be in prayer for your leadership here at the church, and for all of us as we take more steps back into in-person activities at the church. We pray especially for our Weekday School staff as they prepare to safely welcome our youngest members and friends back for another wonderful year together amid these strange times.
  
  May God grant all of us, wisdom, understanding, patience, flexibility, safety from harm, and grace in abundance to share with all!

• Weekly Update for August 7, 2020

  Posted Aug 07, 2020

  This week’s email contains a number of signs that we are slowly, cautiously returning to normal. In-person worship will begin next Sunday, August 16 with MorningSong on the front lawn. Pre-registration is required and below you will find the links to sign up for either (but not both!) of the first two services. I can’t wait to see your (masked) faces next Sunday, and hopefully my eyes will show what’s hidden behind my mask – that I will be grinning from ear to ear!
  
  Another sign that things are slowly returning to normal is the return of the “Looking Ahead” section of this weekly update. For several months, conditions have been so unpredictable that we could not plan more than a couple of weeks in advance. Now we are beginning to get some longer-term dates on the books that you should mark on your calendars too. So be sure to read all the way to the bottom!

• Weekly Update for July 31, 2020

  Posted Jul 31, 2020

  By now all of you know the sad news that Pastor Tom Evans is leaving in mid-September to accept the call as pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City. Though we are sad to see him go, we all wish him well as he follows God’s call to serve in a new place of ministry.
  
  I hope you will join me in praying for Tom and Wendy as they make this move and give thanks for their time among us. We appreciate Tom’s steady and creative leadership, thoughtful preaching, excellent teaching, thorough administration, kind pastoral care and his friendship. We will have some unique opportunities to say good-bye to our pastor and friend as the departure date nears.
  
  Plans are being made through the Personnel Committee of the Session for leadership during this transitional time. These plans will be announced as soon as they are finalized. Please continue to pray for our church as we seek the right leadership for the coming years of ministry!
  
  Also this week, the Session concurred with the decision of the Weekday School board to open in August with strict measures in place to keep the children and staff safe.
  
  Further, plans are in the works to provide some in-person outdoor worship experiences with limited numbers according to the CDC/DHEC guidelines. The process of reopening is slow, and we must continue to be very patient and cautious, but one day we will be back together! I long for that day as do many of you and what a day that will be!
  
  In the meantime, check out below what’s happening this week at FPC! Join in!!!

• Weekly Update for July 24, 2020

  Posted Jul 24, 2020

  This Sunday, the Rev. Robert Bannan will be continuing our series on Mark in both worship services, exploring Mark 2:13-17. If you have not done so already, I encourage you to join in this study of Mark by reading the entire Gospel in one (or two) sitting(s). It is just 16 short chapters, and doing so really helps you get a feel for the whole of Jesus’ life and ministry.
  
  So much of what we are doing as a church right now has to be online, and there are links for this and links for that, and it is easy to lose the link for that you need. On the church homepage, there is a panel for weekly Zoom meetings that lists all the major church Zoom meetings. So stop by there if you can’t find your link. If it is a committee meeting or other small closed group, please reach out to your group leader. We don’t want anyone to be unable to participate just because they cannot find an email with a link!

• Weekly Update for July 17, 2020

  Posted Jul 17, 2020

  Our prayers continue to go with all those affected by this dreadful pandemic and with those seeking to help them. We especially pray for those in our government and in our school districts and schools making difficult decisions and complex plans right now. And though it has largely faded from the headlines, we continue to pray and work for greater racial equity in our city, and for the children who are growing up in poverty. May God grant us the wisdom and compassion to do all that we can to protect and promote the welfare of the most vulnerable members of God’s great family who struggle in hope for things we so often take for granted!

• Weekly Update for July 10, 2020

  Posted Jul 10, 2020

  This Sunday at 8:45am we will celebrate our high school graduates with a very special service. Be sure to tune in online for this one-of-a-kind service featuring the MorningSong Band (unplugged!) in a little bit different setting than usual! Congratulations to all of our 2020 high school, college, and graduate school graduates! We know this has been a hard year to graduate, with so many things shut down because of this dreadful virus, and we look forward to celebrating and honoring our high school graduates this Sunday!
  

  Then at 11am, Leslie will explore “Unexpected Joy” through the well-known 100^th Psalm in our Sanctuary Worship Service.

• Weekly Update for July 3, 2020

  Posted Jul 03, 2020

  Happy Independence Day weekend! Please note that this Sunday we will have ONE SERVICE ONLY (11:00 AM) and NO SUNDAY SCHOOL.
  
  The 11:00 AM worship service will include not only traditional patriotic hymns like “America the Beautiful” but will also highlight the significant contributions the African American musical tradition has made to our national life. Sacred music by Duke Ellington, as well as a healthy dose of spirituals, will be featured. AND, we are delighted to welcome FPC’s own Lilla Keith to the service as soprano soloist.

• Weekly Update for June 26, 2020

  Posted Jun 26, 2020

  Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God repeatedly and unmistakably calls us to care for those in our society who are most vulnerable, and over the decades, our congregation has long been on the front lines of that work. Today, I am proud of the efforts so many of our members are making at this time to show solidarity and support for our black neighbors, and who are working for positive change. And I am proud for the part each of you are playing to control the spread of this pandemic, even as our state has become one of the hotspots of this outbreak. Please stay diligent and patient in doing your part to help all of our most vulnerable siblings in Christ!

• Weekly Update for June 19, 2020

  Posted Jun 19, 2020

  Happy Father’s Day weekend to all of you fathers out there! We give thanks to those who have been father-figures in our lives. We give thanks for the ways, despite whatever flaws they may have had, they point us to the love of our Heavenly Father. We pray for those for whom the image of God as Father is painful or difficult, and we pray that the rich tapestry of images for God in the Bible draws them close to God in other ways. We pray for those who are separated from their fathers by distance, broken relationships, and/or death. (Let me personally express my thanks to those who have extended notes of kindness and condolences on the death of my own father last month!) We pray for fathers who are separated from their children, by distance, broken relationships, and/or death. We pray God’s comfort and peace on all people this weekend as we continue through these difficult times of pandemic and unrest, and as we seek to put an end to the injustice and inequity of racism.
  
  This evening, the bi-annual General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) begins. Our own Leslie Lang will be a commissioner in this first virtual GA. More information, including streaming links, visit https://ga-pcusa.org/. Please be in prayer for our denominational leaders and commissioners as they do the work of the national church over the next week.

• Weekly Update for June 12, 2020

  Posted Jun 12, 2020

  Our congregation is far from being racially diverse, but for years we have sought to be engaged in the ministries of racial reconciliation, community building, and justice. Join in those efforts! Take on the 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge! Join in the “Just Mercy” movie discussion! Get involved in the Faith Initiative to End Child Poverty, Speaking Down Barriers, Transparent Men, or another local effort involved in ending systemic racism! Get to know people whose skin color and life experience may be different from your own!

  At last week’s Interfaith Service of Grief and Action (watch), the Rev. Dr. Sheila Hodge from Silver Hill United Methodist Church asked all of us, “Why do we have to die to move you, and haven’t enough us died already?” How will we respond?

• Weekly Update for June 5, 2020

  Posted Jun 05, 2020

  In these days of uncertainty and unrest, as we are troubled by the twin threats of a pandemic and broad systems of evil, I am greatly encouraged by our congregation’s continued commitment and witness to the ways of Jesus that call us to care for the least of these. I am also encouraged by how the faith communities of Spartanburg have found unity in calling for unity, self-examination, justice, and peace. If you did not see them, both Tuesday’s press conference and Tuesdays with Tom are well worth your time as you reflect on the issues before us.
  
  This evening the Congregation B’nai Israel and the Spartanburg Interfaith Alliance invite us all to a special Sabbath service livestreamed at 5:30pm. Faith leaders from around our community will join in an interfaith service of grief and action to grieve the murder and racialized violence of the past week, the past many weeks, and the past 400 years; and from that grief to call our community to action to end racial violence and oppression. You can join that service online on the synagogue’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OurTemple29302) or on YouTube (https://youtu.be/m86YLflAbTo). I hope that our community and our congregation will join together in this important service of worship together!

• Weekly Update for May 29, 2020

  Posted May 29, 2020

  This Sunday is Pentecost, and we will celebrate the birth of the Christian Church and the power of the Holy Spirit with ONE ONLINE service at 11am. This service will be a time to open ourselves to God’s creative new future. We invite you to wear red – even if you are still in your pajamas! And please send Caroline Goodman pictures of you and your family wearing red at cgoodman@fpcspartanburg.org so that we can share with others how you are celebrating this holy day.
  
  In the “spirit” of trying something new, I encourage you to give the Facebook Live version of our livestream a try. You will find the same video that you see and hear on the website and YouTube, but with the added benefit of being able to see the names of those who are watching with you. You can even pass the peace right there in a Facebook comment. Several people have recently commented to me about how much they appreciate the sense of community that creates during the service. Facebook also allows you to Cast or AirPlay video to a bigger screen, or you can stick with what you are doing for the TV and just open the video in Facebook on your phone or tablet (with the volume all the way down) at the same time.

• Weekly Update for May 22, 2020

  Posted May 22, 2020

  This long weekend, we remember and celebrate those who gave their lives in the military. We will have only one service this Sunday at 11am, and we will welcome the vocalists from the MorningSong Band into the Sanctuary for a beautiful a cappella piece that I’m sure you will love! I hope that you will continue to be vigilant in your efforts to keep each other safe during this pandemic, even as we enter into this holiday weekend.
  

• Weekly Update for May 15, 2020

  Posted May 15, 2020

  As our society begins to reopen, please be assured your staff and Session are hard at work making plans to reintroduce in -person ministry when it becomes safe to begin that gradual process. At this time, we will continue our current practices of online ministry and worship.
  
  At the May meeting of Session, the Health Committee will advise on the factors to be considered. We will be taking a cautious approach, wanting to ensure to the best of our ability, that we protect the most vulnerable in our community. We are also consulting Presbytery, sister congregations, and guidelines from the CDC and local government agencies as to the timing and nature of returning together. The safety of our congregation is of the utmost importance to us, and we hope you understand that in-person worship will be included in the last phase of our reopening process.
  
  If you have any questions or concerns please contact me. I pray God’s presence and the peace of Christ be with you and all you love in this time.

• Weekly Update for May 8, 2020

  Posted May 08, 2020

  This weekend we give thanks to those who have been the mother figures in our lives, even as many of us have to remain physically distant from them. We pray for all those who are living in isolation right now, and we give thanks for all of those who are seeking to help in these trying times. Let us all do our parts as we continue to avoid unnecessary outings, wear our masks whenever we go out, maintain proper distances, clean common surfaces, and, of course, wash hands. I know we are all growing weary of all of this, but this is how we care for those most vulnerable right now. Thanks be to God for those who have cared for us throughout our lives, and may we learn from their good examples!

• Weekly Update for May 1, 2020

  Posted May 01, 2020

  The generosity and concern of the First Pres. Family is truly amazing! Over the past few weeks, our congregation has generously given to provide a hotel room and food for our SPIHN week as well as fund 8 weeks of food bags from the Hub City Farmers Market to 12 families in need. Because of all who gave, we have exceeded what we need to help in these ministry areas, raising over $2,200 for SPIHN and $5,500 for Hub City Farm Bags. Thank you for looking out for our neighbors in need during this time!

• Weekly Update for April 24, 2020

  Posted Apr 24, 2020

  This week, Joanne Hull will be preaching in both worship services, exploring 1 Peter 2:2-10. Join us for either (or both!) services and don’t miss Sunday School and Godly Play for the younger kids between services.
  
  And check out the revised listing of community Zoom times for everyone. Each online gathering has its own purpose and content, but all will also allow for plenty of time to connect with other members of our church family.
  
  Don’t forget about the Hardship Survey that the Deacons are doing as part of Tom Evans’s continuing research from his sabbatical. More information on that is below.

• Weekly Update for April 17, 2020

  Posted Apr 17, 2020

  It was a glorious Easter, even though we had to celebrate it apart! It lifted all of our spirits to see how many of you joined us for Easter worship and how so many of you celebrated the resurrection in your own special ways as well! If you missed any of the services (including Robert and Hattie Bannan’s sweet sunrise devotion on Easter), it is well worth going to the worship archives and watching them! Click the + to expand the April 2020 services, to access services more than 7 days ago.
  
  Wednesday is the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day. As a church, we have committed to be an Earth Care Congregation, and though we cannot have the celebration we had originally planned for Wednesday, we will be thinking about God’s creation in worship and in Tom’s Wednesday Bible Study. So take some time during this week of being stuck at home to look out your window or step out your back door and enjoy the beauty of spring bursting forth around us!

• Weekly Update for Good Friday (April 10, 2020)

  Posted Apr 10, 2020

  It is Good Friday, the most solemn day of the year, when we remember how Jesus died on the cross for us. But Easter is coming! Holy Week is very different for all of us this year, but perhaps it will help us to experience the mystery and the wonder of this time in whole new ways. Please note that, even though we are all worshipping from our homes, we will all worship together in one service on Easter Sunday at 11am. There will be no services at 8:45am, but roll out of bed early as Robert Bannan leads is in a brief Sunrise Service at 6:45am.

• Weekly Update for Holy Week - April 3, 2020

  Posted Apr 03, 2020

  Dear Siblings in Christ,
  
  This Sunday in Palm Sunday, beginning Holy Week, the most sacred time in the church year, And even though our Holy Week will look very different this year as we maintain our physical distance, we hope that you will make a point to still join together for worship via our livestreamed services throughout the week. Holy Week services will still happen online, and we have some special ways for you to participate in Holy Week from home. Read below for details about all of our Holy Week services as well as other ways we can be in community, learning, prayer, and service during these strange times for our world.
  
  Peace,
  Craig Foster
  Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

• Did you have trouble with the worship livestream on Sunday?

  Posted Apr 02, 2020

  The AV Team of the church makes every effort to make sure that the worship livestreams deliver a worship experience that invites you into the service from wherever you are. That said, internet service providers are being taxed in unprecedented ways right now with the immense amount of streaming video we are now using with Zoom calls and livestreamed services for churches everywhere (not to mention tons of Netfilx, Hulu, etc.). So even when things go out from the church perfectly, there can be difficulties on the receive end, and we know that those are just as frustrating. Here are a few things you can do on your end to prevent and address problems you may have accessing the livestreams.

• Zoom Tips, Security & Privacy

  Posted Apr 02, 2020

  As the Zoom videoconferencing platform has grown by about 30x during this pandemic, it has naturally come under more intense scrutiny. The church is monitoring reports and updates about Zoom's security and privacy, but at this time we still believe that it is the easiest and best on-road to online community that we can currently offer our congregation. Read more for tips on how to best start using Zoom to connect to online events at the church and a blog post from Zoom about the recent security and privacy concerns.

• Weekly Update for March 27, 2020

  Posted Mar 27, 2020

  I have loved seeing so many of you on various Zoom gatherings over the past week. I’ve especially been thankful to see some of our more senior members who have been restricted to retirement homes without visitors but have been courageous enough to try meeting with people in a new way. It has been great to see your faces and hear your voices.
  
  There is a Daily Community Time at 2pm every weekday on Zoom. Give it a try! Just click the link and follow the directions on pretty much any computer, tablet or smartphone that has a webcam, microphone (often built into the webcam), and speakers.

• Weekly Update for March 20, 2020

  Posted Mar 20, 2020

  Grace and peace to all of you! As we begin to settle into this new normal of social distancing for as long as we have to keep it up, we at the church are changing how we do things, but we are not slowing down our ministry! I hope you have all received Tom Evan’s updates about worship and activities at the church. See below for all the ways your church is still active during this time and all the ways that you can join in.
  
  Please note that all in-person gatherings and activities at the church, including worship, have been suspended until circumstances change. But the worship leadership will still lead you in worship from home every Sunday, and we invite you to be adventurous and open to engaging in worship, fellowship, learning, giving, and serving in new ways during this time. And don’t just be passive watchers! Join fully in worship by singing, praying, saying responses, etc. and join in the conversations in Zoom events. As with most things, you get out what you put in! Have you ever wanted to lift your hands in praise or prayer, shout “AMEN” in the middle of a sermon, dance, or sing inappropriately loud, but you were worried what the other “Frozen Chosen” in worship would think? Well, now’s your chance to let it all go in worship to God!
  

• Join us for Worship – and Community – Online

  Posted Mar 18, 2020

  For the safety of all our members and to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we are moving entirely to online worship services until circumstances change. Additionally, we are also working on a number of other ways to connect with each other during this time of social distancing...

• UPDATE: Our Church Response to COVID-19

  Posted Mar 13, 2020

  We appreciate your patience and understanding as we respond to the ever-evolving situation regarding the COVID-19 virus. In consultation with the Health Committee and other Presbyterian congregations, as well as looking to government agencies for their recommendations, your FPC church staff has decided to discontinue all church events, activities, meetings, and gatherings through the end of March, with TWO exceptions:

• Weekly Update for March 13, 2020

  Posted Mar 13, 2020

  Grace and peace to all of you! I know there is a lot of concern globally about the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, you all received yesterday’s email about the steps our church is taking. You can find it on the church website here.
  
  We are moving though the season of Lent, exploring together the intersections of worship and life through sermons and daily devotions. Whether you are with us in person on Sunday or via the livestream, I hope that you join us for worship on Sunday as Joanne delves into the story of the Samaritan woman in MorningSong and Tom explores the Proclamation of the Word in the Chapel and Sanctuary.

• Our Church Response to COVID-19

  Posted Mar 12, 2020

  We are closely following the CDC's recommendations and will lean on them to decide if we need to discontinue group events. Currently, we plan to conduct our ministry as usual while taking some prudent precautions. A few of those are listed below.

• Weekly Update for March 6, 2020

  Posted Mar 06, 2020

  Thank you all for your generosity as part of Witness Season. Together, we have been able to raise $42,078! With another $25,000 of matching funds coming in from an anonymous outside donor, that makes the total $67,078 toward establishing and staffing a mathematics lab at Cleveland Academy of Leadership! Thank you!
  
  As we continue our efforts to end child poverty in Spartanburg, please take note of the Lunch n’ Learn on Tuesday (registration deadline TODAY) and the 2^nd Annual Poverty Summit in April.

• Weekly Update for February 28, 2020

  Posted Feb 28, 2020

  It has been an amazing week at FPC. Last Saturday we got to celebrate the wedding of Joanne Hull and Eddie Donald. If you missed it (or just want to see it again) you can find it here. We also celebrated Witness Season and have exceeded our goal! You can read more about that below or watch any of the Witness Season programs on the church website. People gave more than their money on Sunday, too, through our Ecumenical Blood Drive. Then on Wednesday we entered into the season of Lent through our Ash Wednesday Service. Thank you to so many people who gave of themselves in so many ways to make all of this possible!

• Weekly Update for February 21, 2020

  Posted Feb 21, 2020

  This Sunday is Witness Season Sunday, and we welcome Bill Barnet to our church during the Sunday School hour to share with us a little more about the community we are trying to enrich through our work with Cleveland Academy of Leadership. He will be speaking at 10am on Sunday in Fogartie Hall, and all adult Sunday School classes are invited! Can’t come? Look for the livestream at https://fpcspartanburg.org/give/witness-season/witness-season-programs.
  
  Hopefully you all already know that we are trying to raise $25,000 towards creating a mathematics lab at Cleveland, and the good news is that an anonymous donor from outside the church has promised to match what the church contributes. So your giving can go a very long way to help end the cycles of poverty through education in our city’s Northside. So far we have raised $6,500 toward our $25,000 goal. So please give generously! More information, including videos explaining more about the need and hopes for this math lab can be found at www.fpcspartanburg.org/witness-season. You may also give online there. We also need volunteers at Cleveland. If you are interested, please contact Mary Elizabeth Evans (meevans@spart7.org).
  
  But even before we get to Witness Season Sunday, our own Rev. Joanne Hull is getting married to Eddie Donald at 4pm in the Sanctuary on Saturday (TOMORROW)! And you are all invited! Tartans and kilts are welcomed, but not required. Though there will not be a nursery, children who can sit through the 45-minute service are invited, and there will be a children’s sermon and activity bags especially for them. A reception will follow in Fogartie Hall. Come be a part of the celebration!

• Weekly Update for February 14, 2020

  Posted Feb 14, 2020

  Our Witness Season project to help build a Mathematics Lab at Cleveland Academy of Leadership is well underway. School principal Marquice Clark and our own Jennifer Parker have done a great job helping us to understand the challenges that the children of Cleveland face, as well as the real hope to be able to change their lives and their futures. If you missed either of those programs, they can be found here. Mark your calendars for the next two Witness Season presentation on Wednesday and next Sunday morning (see info below), and please give generously to this important cause!
  
  And a huge thank you to all of you who donated over 300 food items for TOTAL Ministries as part of FPC’s Boy Scout Troop 2 Scouting for Food project last Sunday!

• Weekly Update for February 7, 2020

  Posted Feb 07, 2020

  We hope you all weathered yesterday’s storms without injury or damage. We know some of you may still be without power. The locker rooms in the Family Life Center will be available for hot showers until 4:30pm on Friday and from 8:30-11:30am on Saturday. Please note that the basketball court is NOT open, due to damage to the roof in yesterday’s storms. Please be careful if you venture out, as there are still downed trees and power lines as well as non-functioning traffic signals in many places.

• Weekly Update for January 31, 2020

  Posted Jan 31, 2020

  Dear Blessed Family of First Presbyterian,
  

  As you enjoy your weekend, be sure to count the blessings that God bestows upon you each and every day.
  

  Every day that God grants us breath is a profound moment to be a part of the most magnificent universe there is!
  

  The gift of today comes with a joyous task: to share the light of God’s love with another. So, whether it is a friend from long ago, a stranger on the street, or your loved ones at home, take this day to bless someone with the Love of God. This Sunday in worship, we will learn all about God’s blessings in the beatitudes.
  

  Read Matthew 5:1-12 as your prayer this evening and read through the list below of all the ways God is working through us all!
  

  Your friend in Christ,
  

  Tom

• Weekly Update for January 24, 2020

  Posted Jan 24, 2020

  This Sunday is another wonderful celebration of God’s calling as we will ordain and install remaining elders and deacons in MorningSong, and commission our Dominican Republic Mission Team in the Sanctuary. The DR Mission Team departs next Saturday, February 1.
  
  Then Sunday evening, even more members of our congregation respond to God’s call as we welcome guests from Spartanburg Interfaith Hospitality Network onto our campus for a week.
  
  And then on Wednesday, we get to celebrate the ministry of Jane Mullins as she moves to the next stage of God’s call for her life.
  
  Thanks be to God for all of these people who are answering God’s call to serve in Spartanburg, the DR, and elsewhere! Please be in prayer for them as they seek to show God’s love and care to all.

• Weekly Update for January 17, 2020

  Posted Jan 17, 2020

  This is a long weekend for many as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are lots of events planned in our community this weekend and Monday. Whether you join in one of the events listed below or find some other way to serve and to break down the barriers of racism and other prejudice, please find your way to make this world a better place this long weekend! Please note that, with the exception of the Poverty Simulation, the church will be closed on Monday.
  
  This weekend we also commission Susan Oldham for service as a Commissioned Ruling Elder. Please join us at the 11am Sanctuary service for this celebration. There will be a reception in the Perrin Room following the service.
  
  We also still need a few people to help with SPIHN starting January 26. See the “Service Opportunities” section below for details.

• Weekly Update for January 10, 2020

  Posted Jan 10, 2020

  This Sunday we will ordain and install deacons and elders who will serve and lead our congregation over the next three years. Join us in celebrating their calling and faithful response in the 11am Sanctuary Worship Service.
  
  As you begin the year, we invite you to find new ways to serve our Lord and our neighbors. Prayerfully consider the opportunities found in Ministry Finder and the others listed under “Service Opportunities” below, for it is often in service to others that we experience God’s presence most clearly!
  
  We also invite you to continue the pattern of Bible reading that many of you began during Advent (or start a new discipline now!) as you read through the New Testament and Psalms, the Old Testament, or both during 2020. See www.fpcspartanburg.org/Bible for more information.
  

• Weekly Update for January 3, 2020

  Posted Jan 03, 2020

  Dear Friends,
  

  Most of your Christmas decorations are probably coming down or have already been packed away. You are watching football bowl games. The after-Christmas shopping is over. The kids may have started to drive you crazy. You might still be traveling. Is Christmas still alive in you? Or has the spirit of Christmas evaporated as the last few days have passed? How do we keep the joy, hope, love, and peace of Christmas flowing? Come worship with us this Sunday as we continue to celebrate Christmas on Epiphany and discover how you can keep the spirit of Christmas alive in your life.
  

  There are still a few of us here this week, keeping Christmas alive at FPC, so here’s what is happening around the church house:
  

• Weekly Update for December 27, 2019

  Posted Dec 27, 2019

  Merry Christmas! It was great to see so many of you on Christmas Eve, whether it was amid children dressed as shepherds, angels, and wisemen, or bathed in candlelight. We hope you are having a wonderful and safe Christmas.
  
  This Sunday, we will have only one worship service, at 11:00am in the Sanctuary with Dr. Lewis Johnson preaching. There will be no Sunday School this Sunday.
  
  The church will close at 5pm on December 31 and will be closed all day on January 1. We will open back up on January 2 for you to start on your New Year’s resolutions in the church gym!

• Weekly Update for December 20, 2019

  Posted Dec 20, 2019

  The season of Advent is drawing to a close and Christmas is almost upon us! Note that Christmas Eve services are at 4pm, 6pm, and 11pm on Tuesday. We hope to see everyone at the Christmas Eve services, but if you are not able to be there in person, they will be livestreamed at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live. If you are traveling for the holiday, we wish you safe travels. Blessings to those amid the joys and challenges of gathering with loved ones, and blessings also to those who are missing loved ones this season.

• Weekly Update for December 13, 2019

  Posted Dec 13, 2019

  This Sunday we enter the third week of Advent, and on Sunday we will celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent with the Moravian Love Feast in the Chapel. If you have not been to this special service, you are in for a real treat and a very meaningful way to enter into this Advent season. See below for service times and much more happening in the life of the church!

• Weekly Update for December 6, 2019

  Posted Dec 06, 2019

  The season of Advent is in full swing! Join us for Handel’s Messiah this Sunday, and stick around for the Family Advent Celebration! After that, be sure to pick up something for the White Gifts Service on Wednesday and read below for many more ways to enrich your faith and discipleship this Advent!
  

• Weekly Update for November 27, 2019

  Posted Nov 27, 2019

  Happy Thanksgiving! We pray for safe travels and happy times for those who are visiting with loved ones. Don’t forget that even when you travel you ca...

• Weekly Update for November 22, 2019

  Posted Nov 22, 2019

  Gratitude is one of the central doctrines of our Christian faith, especially within the Reformed Tradition. We live our lives in the way of Jesus, not...

• Weekly Update for November 15, 2019

  Posted Nov 15, 2019

  This Sunday we will worship together as one body of Christ at 11:00am in the Sanctuary as we ordain Robert Bannan to the Ministry of Word and Sacramen...

• Weekly Update for November 8, 2019

  Posted Nov 08, 2019

  This is Veterans Day weekend, and we give thanks to those who have faithfully served our country in the military. This weekend we will also dedicate o...

• Weekly Update for November 1, 2019

  Posted Nov 01, 2019

  Last Sunday was truly amazing! The Kirkin’ services were as stirring as ever, and the Concert of Hope was a powerful and eye-opening experience that r...

• Weekly Update for October 25, 2019

  Posted Oct 25, 2019

  This Sunday we celebrate Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans and Stewardship Sunday, have the Concert of Hope, and welcome SPIHN guests to our church.All services ...

• Weekly Update for October 18, 2019

  Posted Oct 18, 2019

  Fall is finally upon us! Lots of things are just around the corner at the church, so be sure to read below to see important deadlines and your opportu...

• Weekly Update for October 11, 2019

  Posted Oct 11, 2019

  There are some important deadlines coming up in the next week (and even today!). So don’t miss out on your chances to be involved in these ministries ...

• Weekly Update for October 4, 2019

  Posted Oct 04, 2019

  This Sunday is all about broadening our connections as a faith community. First of all, it is World Communion Sunday, a time when we not only remember...

• Weekly Update for September 27, 2019

  Posted Sep 27, 2019

  The church year is off to a fabulous start! Our congregation is building the body of Christ through ministry, mission, and programs. Please look caref...

• Weekly Update for September 20, 2019

  Posted Sep 20, 2019

  Today we send off our Cuba Mission Team and our Church Retreat participants. We pray for safe travels and a sense of God’s abiding presence for those ...

• Weekly Update for September 13, 2019

  Posted Sep 13, 2019

  We had a great Rally Day and first Wednesdays at First over the past week, and everything is off to a great start for the year. If you didn’t find you...

• Weekly Update for September 6, 2019

  Posted Sep 06, 2019

  This Sunday we return to our regular Sunday schedule, with the MorningSong and Chapel services at 8:45am, Sunday School at 9:45am, and the Sanctuary s...

• Weekly Update for August 30, 2019

  Posted Aug 30, 2019

  This Sunday we will have only one combined worship service at 10:30am in the Sanctuary. There will be no Sunday School or youth group on Sunday. We ho...

• Weekly Update for August 23, 2019

  Posted Aug 23, 2019

  This Sunday we celebrate the end of summer and the return to school with one last Summer Sizzle, and this one will be the biggest of them all! The wea...

• Weekly Update for August 16, 2019

  Posted Aug 16, 2019

  TODAY is the deadline to sign up for the Church Retreat in beautiful Montreat, NC on September 20-22. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy time togeth...

• Weekly Update for August 9, 2019

  Posted Aug 09, 2019

  This week saw off our SPIHN families off on Sunday morning and also concluded our final CAST week for the summer. Thank you to all the people whose ef...

• Weekly Update for August 2, 2019

  Posted Aug 02, 2019

  This Sunday we welcome Dr. Tom Evans back from his sabbatical, and eagerly await hearing what he has learned and discovered during his time away. Tom ...

• Weekly Update for July 26, 2019

  Posted Jul 26, 2019

  As July winds down, we are finally blessed with some lovely days and comfortable nights that beckon us outside to enjoy God’s beautiful world. I’ve ha...

• Weekly Update for July 19, 2019

  Posted Jul 23, 2019

  July is always the month when it is most noticeable that so many of you are vacationing.  Tom is continuing his Sabbatical travels out west, and ...

• Weekly Update for July 12, 2019

  Posted Jul 12, 2019

  Following up on the visit of Pastor Luc last Sunday, we have a number of opportunities to hear about missions, both local and international, this week...

• Weekly Update for July 3, 2019

  Posted Jul 03, 2019

  Happy Fourth of July! We hope you have an enjoyable and safe celebration of our nation’s independence. Please note that all church facilities, includi...

• Weekly Update for June 28, 2019

  Posted Jun 28, 2019

  Our first youth mission team has been doing good and important work in Aiken, SC this week. Check out this article in the Aiken Stand...

• Weekly Update for June 21, 2019

  Posted Jun 21, 2019

  This Sunday is our second Summer Sizzle, and it will be a chance for you to enjoy coffee and fellowship in the Social Hall as you peruse the table...

• Weekly Update for June 14, 2019

  Posted Jun 14, 2019

  We had an amazing week of Vacation Bible School this week, as the children explored how God “is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or ima...

• Weekly Update for June 7, 2019

  Posted Jun 07, 2019

  This Sunday is Pentecost! We have two special services planned that incorporate the Summer Choir and the MorningSong Music Team as well as people from...

• Weekly Update for May 31, 2019

  Posted May 31, 2019

  This Sunday we begin a new sermon series exploring how we can use the Bible to draw near to God. The two tracks of our Summer Sunday School Series...

• Weekly Update for May 24, 2019

  Posted May 24, 2019

  This Sunday we begin our Summer Worship Schedule. See times below. This weekend the Chamber Singers will be in Charleston. On Saturday a...

• Weekly Update for May 17, 2019

  Posted May 17, 2019

  This Sunday is very full as we celebrate our high school graduates, Christi Brown’s last Sunday on staff, and take part in an ecumenical blood dri...

• Weekly Update for May 10, 2019

  Posted May 10, 2019

  Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and mother-figures out there, and our prayers are with those for whom Mother’s Day can be a source of pain ...

• Weekly Update for May 3, 2019

  Posted May 03, 2019

  Last Sunday was a joyous time of celebration as we installed the Rev. Leslie Lang as our new Associate Pastor for Young Adults and Missions. This...

• Weekly Update for April 26, 2019

  Posted Apr 26, 2019

  Holy Week and Easter were truly amazing this year. Thank you to all the many hands, voices, and hearts that, through your talents and your very ...

• Weekly Update for Holy Week (April 17, 2019)

  Posted Apr 17, 2019

  It is Holy Week and our weekly email is going out a couple of days early as a gentle reminder of the services coming up on Maundy Thursday, Good ...

• Weekly Update for Holy Week (April 12, 2019)

  Posted Apr 12, 2019

  This Sunday is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. See the full Holy Week schedule below, and make time this week for personal devotion an...

• Weekly Update for April 5, 2019

  Posted Apr 05, 2019

  Our Faith Summit of Child Poverty is next Wednesday and Thursday, April 10-11! Please make sure you sign up for the portions of the event you plan...

• Weekly Update for March 28, 2019

  Posted Mar 28, 2019

  Spring Break has begun for many area families. Safe travels to those who are traveling, and don’t forget that you can worship with us wherever yo...

• Weekly Update for March 22, 2019

  Posted Mar 22, 2019

  This Sunday is Confirmation Sunday, and we will welcome this year’s Confirmation Class into full membership in the church during our 11am Wors...

• Welcome the Rev. Leslie Lang

  Posted Mar 18, 2019

  First Presbyterian Church is pleased to welcome the Rev. Leslie Ann Lang as our new Associate Pastor for Young Adults and Missions. Leslie will begin ...

• Weekly Update for March 15, 2019

  Posted Mar 15, 2019

  This is a very special Sunday as we as a congregation vote on whether to extend a call to be our Associate Pastor for Young Adults and Missions, o...

• Weekly Update for March 8, 2019

  Posted Mar 08, 2019

  The season of Lent has begun. In addition to our usual array of Lent and Holy Week worship services, we are making available several Lenten ...

• Weekly Update for March 1, 2019

  Posted Mar 01, 2019

  This Sunday we welcome Dr. Tom Evans back from sabbatical as we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. Tom will be preaching in MorningSong and the ...

• Weekly Update for February 22, 2019

  Posted Feb 22, 2019

  This Sunday is Witness Season Sunday, Rick Turner will be with us in worship and in a combined adult Sunday School class in Fogartie Hall this ...

• Weekly Update for February 15, 2019

  Posted Feb 15, 2019

  This Sunday there is a Men’s Breakfast and a Blood Drive. Both of these are important opportunities you won’t want to miss. See below for more ...

• Weekly Update for February 8, 2019

  Posted Feb 08, 2019

  Our Dominican Republic Mission Team has had a great week of service and will be returning home tomorrow. Please pray for safe travel...

• Weekly Update for February 1, 2019

  Posted Feb 01, 2019

  This weekend over 70 members and friends of FPC will be traveling for spiritual growth and service. Today, about 40 women will head up to Kanuga ...

• Weekly Update for January 25, 2019

  Posted Jan 25, 2019

  This is a special Sunday for two groups within our church. During the Sunday School hour our Third Grade Sunday School class will be presented to...

• Weekly Update for January 18, 2019

  Posted Jan 18, 2019

  This weekend kicks off the Unity Week Celebration in Spartanburg, as we celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A...

• Weekly Update for January 11, 2019

  Posted Jan 11, 2019

  Sunday Night Youth Fellowship resumes this Sunday with a new format, separate times for Mid and Sr. Highs, and a new location (the Youth Rooms). ...

• Weekly Update for January 4, 2019

  Posted Jan 04, 2019

  Happy New Year and 11th Day of Christmas! This Sunday is Epiphany when we celebrate the coming of the wise men and the revelation of Christ ...

• Weekly Update for December 28, 2018

  Posted Dec 28, 2018

  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Christmas isn’t over yet in the church, and we get to celebrate all the way until Epiphany on January 6. ...

• Weekly Update for the Week of Christmas (December 21, 2018)

  Posted Dec 21, 2018

  It’s almost Christmas, and there’s much happening at the church. See below for information about service times on Sunday and Monday. Also please pay a...

• Weekly Update for the Third Week of Advent (December 14, 2018)

  Posted Dec 14, 2018

  We have a very full Sunday ahead of us after last week’s cancellation of services because of winter weather. And it is a Sunday full of spe...

• Weekly Update for the Second Week of Advent (December 7, 2018)

  Posted Dec 07, 2018

  Come see the beautiful new pulpit, font, and table in the Sanctuary! There is still a little bit of detail left to do on the baptismal font, but I t...

• Weekly Update for the First Week of Advent (November 30, 2018)

  Posted Nov 30, 2018

  The Advent Season of waiting and watching for the coming of the Messiah begins this Sunday, and there are lots of things happening this Sunday to help...

• Weekly Update for November 21, 2018

  Posted Nov 21, 2018

  Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that you have a joyful and safe celebration of all of God’s blessings in your life!Please note that the church will be clo...

• Weekly Update for November 16, 2018

  Posted Nov 16, 2018

  Gratitude to God is central to our lives of Christian Discipleship. We follow in God’s ways, not to earn our salvation. That has already been given to...

• Weekly Update for November 9, 2018

  Posted Nov 09, 2018

  This Sunday is Youth Sunday, and youth will be leading each of our three Sunday morning worship services. This is always an exciting and encouraging c...

• Weekly Update for November 2, 2018

  Posted Nov 02, 2018

  This Sunday we are remembering those beloved members of our First Pres family who have gone on to the Church Triumphant. In the Chapel and Sanctuary, ...

• Weekly Update for October 26, 2018

  Posted Oct 26, 2018

  This Sunday is Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans. This annual service features a procession of tartans and bagpipes and drums and celebrates not only the Scottis...

• Weekly Update for October 19, 2018

  Posted Oct 19, 2018

  Mark your calendars for Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans in just over a week on Sunday, October 28! And don’t miss out on church basketball sign-ups. Registrati...

• Weekly Update for October 12, 2018

  Posted Oct 12, 2018

  There are lots of opportunities just around the corner for missions, fellowship, growth in faith, and worship just around the corner. Read on and fins...

• Weekly Update for October 5, 2018

  Posted Oct 05, 2018

  This Sunday is a very special Sunday around the world, as we celebrate our unity in Christ at the table. We will also begin a special time of fellowsh...