Weekly Update for April 1, 2021

Dear Siblings in Christ,

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!

Craig Foster
Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

Maundy Thursday – April 1
Maundy Thursday Observance with Communion in the Chapel – 8:00am-6:30pm
Today, we invite you to drop in the Chapel until 6:30pm for an in-person Maundy Thursday Observance with Communion. There will be a series of brief 10-minute service that will start on every quarter of an hour. Ministers will be in the Chapel throughout the day to serve communion to you and your family. This is a wheelchair-accessible event.

Online Worship Service – 7:30pm (Join in)
Join your church family online for this special Maundy Thursday Worship service with scripture readings, broadcast from the Sanctuary.

Good Friday Online Worship Service – 12:00 noon (Join in)
Tune in to watch this service, broadcast from the Chapel, focusing on the Seven Last Words of Christ.

THIS SUNDAY – EASTER
Sunrise Service – 7:00am
Bring your chairs (if you are able) and join us on the lawn between the Chapel and the Sanctuary at 7:00am for this special service.

MorningSong Worship – 8:45am
Bring your chairs (if you are able) to the Family Life Center Parking Lot to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with your church family. This service will also be livestreamed for those who choose to worship online with us. The Sacrament of Communion will be observed.

Traditional Worship – 11:00am
Bring your chairs (if you are able) and join your church family on the Front Lawn. This service will also be livestreamed for those who choose to worship online with us. The Sacrament of Communion will be observed.

Cross of Flowers
The Cross of Flowers is an annual First Presbyterian Easter event. Members and guests are invited to place flowers in the rough-hewn cross, which is erected by the Sanctuary Guild on the Lawn of the church, as they come to worship on Easter. This cross, full of spring flowers, represents the new life we receive through Christ's resurrection.

We stream our Sanctuary and MorningSong services live each Sunday. Stream on:

• FPCSpartanburg.org/WORSHIP for bulletins, Bible readings, sermon info, and more.
• YouTube*on your smart TV, streaming device, or almost any other device.
• Facebook to join with a community of people worshipping together online.

*Due to limitations of our outdoor streaming setup, Easter 8:45am and 11:00am services will be streamed on the website and Facebook only, and not YouTube.

However you join us, please:

• Check in through the ShelbyNext app or sign the online guestbook to let us know you worshipped with us.
• Consider giving online or through the ShelbyNext app as a regular act of worship.

Trouble with the livestreams? Check out this information on the church website.

NEXT WEEK
All Church Facilities will be Closed Monday, April 5
All Church facilities will be closed Monday, April 5. Thank you for worshipping with us throughout Holy Week and Easter!

BBC with Kirk Neely – April 6 (Email for link)
10:30am via Zoom
For Jon Meacham, as for believers worldwide, the events of Good Friday and Easter reveal essential truths about Christianity. A former vestryman of Trinity Church Wall Street and St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, Meacham delves into that intersection of faith and history in this meditation on the seven phrases Jesus spoke from the cross.

All are invited to attend. You do not have to be a member of FPC to participate. To receive the Zoom link, please contact receptionist@fpcspartanburg.org.

Wednesdays at First – April 7
Pre-Order Dinner by Monday at noon
Join us for WAF this Wednesday! Drive through the porte-cochere at the Family Life Center beginning at 5pm to pick up a delicious meal and tailgate in the parking lot. Families, we invite you to fellowship outdoors this week beginning at 6pm. Adults, Join Dr. Lewis Galloway in Fogartie Hall for a series on Galatians entitled “What Does it Mean to be Free?” in Fogartie Hall. For a full list of activities, the monthly menu, and to register/pre-pay for dinner, visit www.fpcspartanburg.org/waf.

ECHOES (Join in)
Thursday, April 8 (7:00pm)
Join Parish Nurse Beth Cecil, Thursday, April 8 at 7:00 pm for the ECHOES Caregivers Group over Zoom. Her topic is “Care and Placement Options.” All are welcome for this educational opportunity. Newcomers especially! Come and see how this group can help you in caring for your loved one close to home or from a distance. Let’s encourage each other on the journey!

TOTAL Ministries Food Drive (List of Needed Items)
Sunday, April 11 (8:30am-12noon)
The need to support food banks grows as more people seek food to feed their families during the pandemic. There will be an opportunity to donate goods on Sunday, April 11 from 8:30am-12:30pm (our first Sunday back indoors!). Please bring your non-perishable food and paper products to drop in the bins that will be both placed near the Tower Room and Family Life Center. You can contact Pastor Leslie at llang@fpcspartanburg.org if you have any questions!

Walking in the Family Life Center
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, we will open the walking track for members 50 years and older. There is no registration required, but we will limit the number of people walking to four at a time. Masks are required at all times in the building.

Weekly Zoom Times
See the full list online at: https://fpcspartanburg.org/events/weekly-zoom

• Prayer Gathering with Joanne – Tuesdays at Noon (Join in)
• Book Study with Nan and Tom McDaniel – Tuesdays/Thursdays at Noon (Join in)
• Men’s Bible Study – Wednesdays at Noon (Join in)

New to Zoom? Having Trouble? Need a Password?
The current password for most church events is “5834531” (which just happens to be the church phone number as well). Please visit www.fpcspartanburg.org/zoom for tips on how to get the most out of your Zoom gatherings.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Winter Warmth Committee Seeks a Few Good Leaders
If you are passionate about helping children in our community, we ask that you consider serving on the Winter Warmth Committee. This year, Pat MacBeth will chair Winter Warmth, and she needs help in successfully planning and implementing this important mission of our church. If you are interested in serving in a leadership capacity with Winter Warmth, please email Pat or Leslie Lang.

Cards for Hospital Workers
As many of you know, healthcare workers are emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted during this pandemic. The volunteer manager at SRHS has requested notes and cards to remind them that they are loved and appreciated. There will be a drop-off box for cards left outside the Tower Room doors at the church beginning March 4. You can bring cards at any time that is convenient for you. When WAF resumes, we will also plan to have hands-on opportunities to make/write cards onsite (Watch for more information). There are over 11,000 employees, and a note of encouragement could really brighten their day! This is a great project for all ages, so get the entire family involved!

Other Opportunities in Ministry Finder

• Spartanburg Opportunity Center
• Hope Center
• Hand in Hand
• TOTAL Ministries
• SPIHN
• Mobile Meals

OTHER NEWS

FOCUS: A Family Experience - June 13-16 (Register Your Family)

Are you ready to deepen your faith as a family this summer? This year, FPC is excited to announce a “family camp” style VBS! Based on Orange’s VBS, we bring you “FOCUS: FPC Family Experience” for Summer 2021. Join us June 13-16 from 5:30-7:30pm to dive deeper in your faith. We will have dinner on the lawn, opening break-out sessions (children, youth, and adult), family-bible/activity time, then have a closing time together. This experience is open to children and youth of all ages. Mark your calendar and join us for this awesome week together!

These Days Daily Devotional Now Available (Secure Your Copy)

The April-June edition of 'These Days' daily devotional is now available. Please note we have a limited amount. Click on this link to fill out a form and we will mail you a copy.

LOOKING AHEAD

April 1 – Maundy Thursday Communion Services (every 15 minutes from 8am-6:30pm)

April 1 – Maundy Thursday Online Service (7:30pm)

April 2 – Good Friday Online Worship Service (noon)

April 4 – Easter Sunday (In-Person Outdoor Sunrise, MorningSong, and Traditional Services)

April 11 – Indoor Worship Returns

April 11 – TOTAL Ministries Food Drive

May 2 – Confirmation Sunday

May 16 – Baccalaureate Sunday

May 23 – Pentecost

June 13-16 – FOCUS FPC Family Experience

August 13-15, 2021 – Women’s Connection at Montreat

More activities and events can be found in First News.