Weekly Update for August 27, 2021

Dear Friends,

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!

Craig Foster
Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

THIS SUNDAY – AUGUST 29
8:30am Traditional Worship (Chapel)
9:30am Sunday School for All Ages/RALLY DAY!
9:30am Parent Sunday Morning Fellowship (Perrin Room)
9:45am Summer Choir (Choir Room)
10:30am Traditional Worship (Sanctuary)
10:30am MorningSong (Fogartie Hall)
11:30am Back to School Bash (FLC Parking Lot)
5:00pm Youth Pizza Pop Up and Parent Meeting
6:00pm Shelter (FLC Parking Lot)

While on the Summer Worship Schedule, the 10:30am Sanctuary Worship Service will be streamed on the church website and Facebook, and the 10:30am MorningSong Worship Service will be streamed on the church website and 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.

9:30am Adult Sunday School

• · “Welcome to the One Great Story” (Social Hall)
• · “Mountaintop Moments” (Parlor)

9:30am RALLY DAY for Children and Youth!
Click the links below to view the Sunday School locations.

• Children
• Youth

9:30am Parent Sunday Morning Fellowship
If you are dropping your child off for Sunday School on Rally Day, please come join parents for a time of fellowship in the Perrin Room during the Sunday School hour! Coffee and snacks will be provided. We hope to see you there!

9:45am Summer Choir (Choir Room)
Anyone high school age or older who has been fully vaccinated is welcome to be a part of Summer Choir. Come to the Choir Room at 9:45am!

11:30am Back to School Bash (FLC Parking Lot)
Join us in the FLC Parking Lot after the 10:30am Worship Services to enjoy food trucks, inflatables, water games, and many more fun family activities. Food will be available for purchase from The Farmer’s Table, Old School Barbeque, FuddTruck, and Snowie Snowcones. Please bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and swimsuits for the children! There will be seating indoors if needed. Stop by the Children’s Choir table and sign up your singers!

5:00pm Youth Pizza Pop-Up/Parent Meeting (FLC Parking Lot/FLC Room 202)
All youth are invited to a Pizza Pop-Up in the FLC Parking lot and recreation in the gym from 5:00-5:45pm. The Youth Parent Meeting will be held at the same time in the Game Room (FLC Room 202). Afterward, please plan to attend Shelter together!

6:00pm Shelter (Fogartie Hall)
Shelter is a special time of worship where connection to God can be found through meditative scripture and reflective songs. Rafe Andrews and members of the MorningSong band will lead us in a special time of worship and Rev. Ansley Page will deliver the message. We encourage you to join us at 6pm on Sunday in transformed Fogartie Hall as we raise Hallelujahs and look to our Everlasting Light for Shelter.

NEXT WEEK
Children’s Choir and First Steps Resume in September! (Registration NOW OPEN)
Children’s Choir resumes September 15 for ages 4K-5^th grade at 5pm. Register at fpcspartanburg.org/childrenschoir. Additionally, First Steps for parents and children birth through age 3 will begin mid-September. Class size is limited! Register at fpcspartanburg.org/firststeps. For more information, please contact Marcia Andrews at mandrews@fpcspartanburg.org.

Worship as One – September 5 at 10:30am (Sanctuary)
On Sunday, September 5, we will have worship together as a Church Family at 10:30am in the Sanctuary. All other services and classes will not meet.

TOTAL Ministries Food Drive – September 5 (Before or After Worship)
There will be an opportunity to donate goods before or after Worship in the Sanctuary. Please bring your non-perishable food and paper products to drop in the bins in the Tower Room and the Narthex. Contact Pastor Leslie if you have any questions!

Weekday Bible Studies and Other Groups

• Wednesday Men’s Bible Study: Wednesdays at noon, in person and on Zoom (Join in)
• Bootcamp – Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. (Email Colleen)
• 6:30am Men’s Bible Study: Fridays in the Small Private Dining Room
• 7:00am Men’s Bible Study: Fridays in the Arthur Center

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
The Dr. Leland G. Close Faith Build Habitat Home will raise walls on Tues, Sept 7th!
Habitat would love some First Presbyterian Church volunteers to come out to help frame on September 7 (since this is the Faith Build Home and in honor of Lee Close). They can use 5 morning (8:15am-12pm) and 5 afternoon volunteers (12:14-4pm). Zero experience necessary! Please register online using these links: Morning Shift or Afternoon Shift. Contact Leslie Lang if you need assistance signing up.

Ushers Needed for September
We are seeking additional ushers willing to help pass out bulletins and assist seating during the 8:45am Chapel Service. Our immediate need is for September, but there are openings for other months as well. Please contact Joanie in the church office and let her know when you are available to help (jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org; 864-208-2132).

RUN (or walk) FOR CLEVELAND! (Register Here)

The Cleveland Academy of Leadership and The Franklin School (both mission partners of First Pres) will host their annual 5K Race and Fun Run Saturday, September 25, 2021. The certified race will begin and end at The Cleveland Academy of Leadership and travel down the Butterfly Trail and through VCOM Campus. All proceeds from the race will benefit The Cleveland Opportunity Foundation, a 501c3 that provides access to academic and extra-curricular opportunities that empower the students towards overall success at Cleveland Academy. Please join our students, teachers, parents, and community partners as we run together towards a bright future for all students. Both race participants and volunteers are needed (ex: set-up, check-in, handing out water, tear-down)! For more information, contact Leslie Lang.

Support Earthquake Relief in Haiti through HOM (Donate Online)
Our mission partner organization, Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM) is now accepting financial contributions for earthquake relief in Haiti. They are working to provide food and medical supplies, and they are exploring the possibility of rebuilding homes and drilling a well to provide clean drinking water to the community. All this is possible through the relationship our Terre Noire church has with the church community located in Cavaillon, near the earthquake's epicenter. We will be working through that relationship to aid. Financial contributions will help us to meet needs in the earthquake ravaged area as transportation and safety considerations allow. Make an online donation, or checks may be mailed to HOM, P.O. Box 71042, Durham, NC 27722. Thank you for your continued support and prayers for Haiti.

Dominican Republic Mission Trip - February 5-12, 2022
Cost: $1,500
We need you! Please join First Presbyterian Spartanburg on an international mission to the Dominican Republic. FPC has made a commitment to visiting and sharing our resources with our sisters and brothers in the Caribbean that need our help. Partnering with Solid Rock International, FPC Spartanburg sends a yearly team of doctors, dentists, nurses, and others to provide medical and dental services as well as build construction projects and sponsor children in the Solid Rock schools. Visit fpcspartanburg.org/DRmission for more information and to register.

Other Opportunities in Ministry Finder

• Habitat for Humanity Spartanburg
• Cleveland Academy of Leadership
• Hand in Hand
• TOTAL Ministries
• SPIHN

OTHER NEWS
Church Facilities Closed – Monday, September 6
All church offices and facilities will be closed Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day. We hope you have a fun and safe holiday!

JUSTFAITH: Faith and Racial Equity
First Presbyterian Church is offering another JustFaith class in the fall! The group will meet at the church on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm starting on September 16th through November 11th. If you are interested in engaging with how faith and racism intersect, this is a wonderful opportunity! Please contact Leslie Lang if you are interested or would like more details.

Welcome Class Sessions This Fall
We will be holding two Welcome Class sessions this fall. Classes will be held during the Sunday School hour (10:00-10:45am) in Room 2200. These sessions are a wonderful way to get acquainted with the Presbyterian church, the opportunities available at First Presbyterian, and to meet the staff. 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.

• Session 1: September 19, September 26, October 3, and October 10 (joining date)
• Session 2: October 24, October 31, November 7, and November 14 (joining date)

Please contact Molly Colbath, Welcome Class Committee, for more details.

Congregational COVID-19 update
With the Delta variant, Covid-19 is once again on the rise. As a congregation, we are continuing to follow CDC guidelines to protect the vulnerable population among us and to promote health and safety for everyone. We encourage everyone age three and above to wear a mask at all indoor church activities. Masks are available at all church entrances.

LOOKING AHEAD
September 5 – One Worship Service (No Sunday School)
September 6 – Labor Day (Church facilities closed)
September 12 – Return to Fall Worship Schedule
September 15 – WAF Resumes/Children’s Choir Resumes
September 25 – Young Adult Event: Northside 5k
September 26 – Youth Sunday
October 3 – World Communion Sunday
October 10 – Blood Drive
October 17 – Stewardship Commitment Sunday
October 31 – Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans

More activities and events can be found in First News.

Unsubscribing
If you wish to be removed from the mailing list for this weekly email, please simply email Caroline Goodman (cgoodman@fpcspartanburg.org) to make that request. The link below will unsubscribe you from ALL group emails from the church, including many occasional emails you might want to receive!