Next Week at FPC (May 13, 2022)

Dear FPC Family,

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. I 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!

Blessings and Peace,
Craig Foster
Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

SUNDAY – May 15
8:45am Worship in the Chapel
Our Traditional 8:45am Worship service, led by Rev. Alan Dyer, will meet in the Chapel.
10:00am Fellowship with Food and (Church) Family
Enjoy a time of fellowship between the Chapel and the Sanctuary. Light breakfast foods will be available.
* No Sunday School; Welcome Class will meet in the Purnell Room at 10am.
11:00 Church on the Lawn
After fellowship, we will celebrate the Lord's Day with Church on the Lawn! This casual service, led by Rev. Alan Dyer, will feature the Chancel Choir and musicians from the MorningSong Band. This will be a delight for all. Chairs will be provided and set up prior to the service. Comfortable dress is encouraged. Invite your friends and neighbors! (Rain Location: Sanctuary)
No Children's Worship; Nursery Provided. There will be a special class for 2K in Room 104 after The Word for Children.
Stream this service live on FPCSpartanburg.org/worship, YouTube, or Facebook.
6:00pm Chamber Singers' Concert
Join us in the Sanctuary for the Chamber Singers' Spring Concert. The group will be joined by strings and percussion as they present a musical meditation on time and eternity. This eclectic program will feature music from the renaissance, spirituals, contemporary cinematic, and even an avant-garde composition. You won’t want to miss it!

Welcome Class –Sundays through May 22
10am in the Purnell Room
This four-week series is a wonderful way to get acquainted with the Presbyterian church, the opportunities available at First Presbyterian, and to meet the church staff. Classes will be held during the Sunday School hour (10:00-10:45am) in the Purnell Room. There is no pressure to join. We welcome non-members, members, and anyone seeking a church family to join us for a fun time of fellowship and learning together! Questions? Contact Rev. Joanne Hull.

NEXT WEEK
FINAL WEEK: Connect over Coffee – Meet Alan Dyer
Alan is looking forward to the opportunity to get to know each member of his new church family and would like to connect with you – over coffee! All gatherings will be held in The Perrin Room.
Choose a Day/Time that suits you!:
Connect over Coffee (Tuesday, May 17, 8:00am OR Wednesday, May 18, 10:00am)
Connect over Afternoon Beverages of Lemonade, Tea, or Coffee (Monday, May 16, 5:00pm)
For All “Connect with Alan” days/times, please RSVP HERE.

Community Homeless Memorial Service, Tuesday, May 17, 5:00pm
Spartanburg wishes to honor and recognize those in our community who have lost their lives while living on the streets. More than likely, this memorial is the only time that these individuals’ deaths will be publicly acknowledged. The outdoor memorial service is open to all who wish to attend on Tuesday, May 17, 5:00-7:00pm on the South Walker Street cul-de-sac (across from the Family Dollar downtown). There will be a brief memorial service followed by a community meal. All are welcome to attend! If you have questions, feel free to contact Leslie Lang (llang@fpcspartanburg.org).

Fellowship on Two Wheels
Wednesdays at 5:30pm & Fridays at 12:15pm during May
Leaving from the FLC Parking Lot
May is National Bike Month and a wonderful time of year to get that bike out of the garage, pump up the tires, and enjoy a ride with friends old and new. Each Wednesday evening and Friday at lunchtime in May (weather permitting), Pastor Craig will lead a short bike ride at a conversational pace down to the Rail Trail and the Park Hills neighborhood. (Duncan Park is currently unsafe for riding because of road construction.) All ages and levels of fitness are welcome. No one will be left behind! This will be a great opportunity to learn how to safely ride on the road, on multi-use trails, and in a group, all while enjoying exercise and good fellowship outdoors. Helmets are required. No registration is necessary, but we will leave promptly at the appointed time. Parents with young children can meet us at the Henry St. trail head of the Rail Trail, for a trail-only ride. On Fridays, the locker rooms will be available before and after the ride, if you wish to change and freshen up before heading on to whatever is next. Join us!

JOY Fellowship Ladies’ Tea - Thursday, May 19, 4:00 pm
Join the ladies of the church for tea and scones in the Perrin Room and courtyard. Hats and white gloves optional.
RSVP by MONDAY, May 16, by calling (864) 208-2132 or emailing Joanie Shackleton.

250^th Anniversary at Nazareth Presbyterian Church (Our Mother Church), Saturday, May 21
Next weekend, Nazareth Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in Spartanburg County, will celebrate the 250^th Anniversary of their Charter (members begin meeting in homes in 1765). Their present building, located at 680 Nazareth Church Road, was constructed in 1832. Nazareth is called “the mother of churches” as nine congregations, including First Presbyterian, have been formed from the congregation. Nazareth has extended an invitation to our members to join them this Saturday, May 21, for their anniversary celebration. Registration begins at 9:30am with a “History of Nazareth Presbyterian” at 10am in the Sanctuary. Additional events will take place throughout the day. More information can be found at http://www.nazarethpresbyterian.org/250th-anniversary-celebration.

Baccalaureate Sunday – Sunday, May 22
Join us as we support our high school seniors as they begin a new chapter in their lives. We will have a special portion of the 11:00am Sanctuary worship service to recognize them. We look forward to a morning of celebrating these seniors!

Congregational Meeting – Sunday, May 22
The Session has called a Congregational Meeting, including a meeting of the members of the Corporation (First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg, SC), for Sunday, May 22, 2022, at the conclusion of the 11:00am worship in the Sanctuary for the following purposes:
a. To elect the Class of 2024 elders and the chair of the Diaconate to the Board of Trustees of the Corporation: Harold Ballenger, Louie Blanton, Blair Clementson, John Faris III, Patti Foy, Callie Hammett, John Harrill Jr, Josh Jones, Cesily King, Andy Lancaster, Cathy Martinez, Paul McKee Jr, Brand Stille, Wesley Stoddard, Charlotte Verreault, and Cheryl Lang.
b. To act on a request from the APNC to call our next Associate Pastor of Youth and Campus Ministries, pending successful completion of the ordination process and transfer of membership to the Foothills Presbytery.

Blood Drive – Sunday, May 22
Our next Ecumenical Blood Drive is scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd. Early registration with Beth Cecil will lock in a time that minimizes your wait. Pre-registering also provides information to the Blood Connection to allow for more staffing on the buses. First Pres will receive $20.00 for each completed donation which will not only benefit 3 lives per donation but provide resources to fund special projects for our campus. Two examples are the electric door assist in the Tower Room and the “Bench of Life” that is located in front of the Family Life Center. For more information or to pre-register contact Beth Cecil.

Shelter: A Contemporary Worship Experience – Sunday, May 22, 6pm in Fogartie Hall
Shelter is a special time of worship where connection to God can be found through meditative scripture and reflective songs. The Shelter worship team will guide the congregation through an evening of music, word, and spirit. Rev. Alan Dyer will deliver the message. We encourage you to join us at 6pm in a transformed Fogartie Hall.

Remembering Their Service and Sacrifice – Respond by May 23
On Sunday, May 29, the church will honor your loved ones who have served in the United States Armed Forces and have now passed on. We will print the information in the worship bulletin. Please contact Joanie Shackleton (jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org/208-2132) prior to May 23 with the name of the person, their rank, branch of service, and dates of service.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
VBS Volunteers
There’s room on Adventure Island for lots of helpers. Be a part of our fun and pass along the faith by helping for a day or all week in hands-on-ways or behind the scenes!
Here is the volunteer link: Volunteer HERE!
Contact VBS Co-director, Suzy Cole, with your questions or to find your perfect spot to help: suzyboulwarecole@gmail.com. Thanks for being church family to our little ones!

Photographers Needed
We are very thankful to Budge Bean and Landon Hammett for offering their photography skills to our church. However, they cannot be at every event - but perhaps you can help! We are building a list of photographers that we can contact when there is a need. We will reach out to those photographers when we need pictures taken; everyone on the list would be welcome to say yes or no to any event. So… you are not committing to anything! Our hope is to have a big enough pool of photographers that no one will be overtaxed. Please reach out to Craig Foster (cfoster@fpcspartanburg.org) if you are interested.

Mobile Meals Volunteers Needed
Mobile Meals has resumed daily deliveries and needs more volunteers! You can sign-up to participate in a regular route or offer to be a substitute driver when it suits your schedule. If you'd like more information, please contact Vivian Tanner at Mobile Meals (vivian@mobile-meals.org)

Crafters Needed!
Do you knit, crochet, or cross stitch? Would you like to share your gifts and talents with your church family in a meaningful way? The Life Events Committee needs your help! Please contact Scottie Lummus (scottie.stan@gmail.com) or Meg Evatt (m_evatt@hotmail.com) for more details.

Ministry Finder
Find all sorts of ways to get involved in serving God and serving others on the church website through Ministry Finder!

OTHER NEWS
Peace and Justice Task Force Spotlight:
The purpose of the Peace and Justice Task Force is to educate, and respond to, the issues of peace and justice that affect our community in the spirit of Matthew 25:40. The next meeting is Tuesday, May 17, 12:30-1:30pm via Zoom; please contact Dawn Bingham or Jessalyn Story for more information. And join us in celebrating with our brothers and sisters in Christ at Juneteenth to be held the weekend of June 17-19. This unique educational event will celebrate the African-American experience since the end of slavery in 1865. Expect a weekend full of food, fellowship, and the opportunity to learn via inspirational performances. Stay tuned for more information! https://www.cityofspartanburg.org/juneteenth.

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.

First Pres “Store”
First Pres Cookbooks: Apparently, word got out that copies of the First Pres cookbook are available! Click here to get your copy!
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
May 15 – Church on the Lawn
May 15 – Chamber Singers Concert
May 21 – 250^th Anniversary at Nazareth Presbyterian Church (Our Mother Church)
May 21 – Presbytery Meeting (Clinton, SC)
May 22 – Baccalaureate Sunday
May 22 – Congregational Meeting
May 22 – Blood Drive
May 22 – Shelter Service
May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend (ONE service at 11:00am in the Sanctuary; No Sunday School)
June 5 – Pentecost (ONE Service at 11:00am in the Sanctuary; Sunday School at 9:45/10:00am)
June 12 – Summer Worship Schedule Begins
June 27-30 – VBS

More activities and events can be found in First News.

Unsubscribing
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