Next Week at FPC (June 24, 2022)

Dear Friends,

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.

Enjoy your eNews and hope to see you soon!

Peace,
Alan Dyer
Senior Pastor

UPCOMING SUNDAY LINE-UPS:

Sunday, June 26
10:30am ONE Worship Service (Sanctuary)
10:30am Installation of Rev. Alan F. Dyer (Sanctuary)
12:00pm Summer Sizzle: Lemonade on the Lawn

Sunday, July 3
10:30am ONE Worship Service (Sanctuary)

Stream our services live on FPCSpartanburg.org/worship, YouTube, or Facebook.

THIS SUNDAY
All Members of First Presbyterian Church - as well as family and friends - are invited to attend the Installation of The Reverend Alan Folsom Dyer as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg. This special service will include guests from across Foothills Presbytery as well as a message from The Reverend Doctor Tara W. Bulger, Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Huntsville.

After the service, please make your way to the Courtyard between the Chapel and Sanctuary, to congratulation Rev. Alan Dyer and to meet the guests of the Commission. This will also be a time for us to not only celebrate Alan's Installation but also to kick off our Vacation Bible School. Shaved Ice and other refreshments will be served.

NEXT WEEK
Fill the Pantry (And the Trucks) for Hand In Hand – June 26-30
Hand In Hand is a ministry supported by this church that helps provide food, clothing, and basic necessities to families of students in need in Spartanburg County. Due to greater than expected demand, they have recently donated all their supplies. Hand In Hand plans to continue to provide weekly deliveries throughout the summer to these families, and they need our help to restock their pantry!
Vacation Bible School will be collecting supplies ALL week (June 27-30) in the Family Life Center lobby, so please bring your items and watch the supply grow! If you are unable to bring them during VBS, you will also have an opportunity to Fill the Trucks on the morning of Sunday, June 26th from 10am-12pm in the top FLC parking lot.
To see the full list of suggested donations, click here. Please reach out to Pastor Leslie if you have questions!

Youth Summer Bible Study
Summer Bible Studies will meet this week from 12 – 2 pm (Middle School on Monday, High School on Tuesday); drop off and pick up from the FLC. We’ll walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch then come back to the church for Bible Study and rec time. Bring your lunch money and a friend!

A Day at Carowinds
All Youth (rising 6^th grade – high school class of ’22) are invited to join us for a day at Carowinds and Carolina Water Park next Wednesday, June 29, 8am – 6pm. Cost is $70 per person which includes entrance to both parks as well as transportation. Students will need to bring additional spending money that day for lunch, snacks and drinks in the park. Use this link to register! For more information contact Carrie Coleman, Youth Leader at ccoleman@fpcspartanburg.org.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
There are several opportunities for service available in our Ministry Finder, opportunities like these:

OTHER NEWS
Remain Cautious of COVID-19
COVID-19 continues to spread locally. If you think that you may have been exposed, have any symptoms, or have a positive COVID test, the Centers for Disease Control dashboard will let you know exactly what to do. CDC recommendations can be found at www.cdc.gov/Covid. You are also welcome to contact FPC Parish Nurse, Beth Cecil, for a confidential consultation (bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org).

Addressing Gun Violence at the General Assembly

What can we do about Gun Violence and Gun Safety as a people of faith? In a nation where guns are now the major cause of death for young people, it follows that gun violence deterrence would top the agenda of the Addressing Violence in the U.S. Committee at this summer’s 225^th General Assembly of PC (USA), to be held June 18^th -July 9th. At least four of the committee’s overtures and reports build on past PC(USA) advocacy work, including campaigns to solidify policies and create education and advocacy resources.

Celebrate College & Grad School Graduates!
We would like to be able to celebrate together as a church the hard work of all our college and graduate school graduates. Please email the names of those in your household who are graduating, as well as the college or university from which they are graduating, to fpc@fpcspartanburg.org by July 1 so that they may be included in the August edition of First News.

Order Your Kirkin’ Tartan – Yes, It is Time! ORDER HERE
First Presbyterian Church will hold its annual Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans Worship Service on Sunday, October 30, 2022. At our Kirkin’ service, we remember ancient times, as well as past and present kith and kin, while asking God’s help and blessings in the future through special music and a procession of bagpipes and tartans. The tartan fabrics are ordered from Scotland, so we need your order and payment by Friday, July 22. The cost of a banner is $135. ORDER HERE
*Some clans have multiple patterns available. If you want a particular pattern, please indicate on the form. Otherwise, we will order the most common pattern for that clan.* ORDER HERE
At the conclusion of the service on October 30, the tartan banners will be given to the sponsor for storage or display until the next Kirkin’. Only the staffs and banner stands will remain at the church.
Questions? Contact Martha Bean at mtbean@icloud.com.

Our New Director of Children’s Ministry
On Sunday, August 7, Kara Clark will begin her ministry with us as our new Director of Children’s Ministry. Kara most recently served as a middle school teacher at McCracken Middle School and for ten years has worked at Montreat during summer camps, most recently as Director of Children’s Camps. We believe that Kara’s extensive experience shepherding children, ability to build strong relationships with families, and high energy with thoughtful purpose make her uniquely qualified to lead our church in this most important work.
Find out more about Kara by clicking here.

Family Life Center SUMMER Gym Hours
The new Summer Hours for the Gym are: Mondays through Thursdays (8am-8pm) and Fridays (8am-2pm). If you have never used the gym facilities, stop by and check it out!

First Pres “Store”
FPC Tartan Ties and Scarves: Ties and scarves in the FPC tartan pattern are once again available for sale. The ties are $25, and the scarves are $35. You can order here or by contacting Lynise Clarke.
Church Ornaments: First Presbyterian Church 175^th anniversary postcard ornaments are available for $10. The porcelain ornaments feature a picture of the Sanctuary with the anniversary date 1843-2018. Place your order here.

LOOKING AHEAD
June 26 – Installation of Rev. Alan F. Dyer (ONE Service at 10:30am, Sanctuary)
June 26 – Summer Sizzle: Lemonade on the Lawn
June 27-30 – VBS
July 3 – ONE Service at 10:30am, Sanctuary
July 24 – Summer Sizzle: Old Fashioned Ice Cream Party
August 14 – Summer Sizzle: Blessing of the Backpacks/Popsicle Party
August 28 – Ministry Fair (ONE Service at 10:30am, Sanctuary)

More activities and events can be found in First News.