Weekly Update for December 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!

THIS SUNDAY
11:00am Sanctuary* Worship Service

(* Services with asterisks will be livestreamed at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live. Bulletins, scripture readings, manuscripts, and video archives can also be found on that page.)

YEAR END GIVING
Contribution Deadlines: For credit as 2019 contributions, donations must be received in the church financial office by 5:00pm on Tuesday, December 31, 2019 or postmarked by December 31, 2019. Any contributions received or postmarked on or after January 1, 2020 will be considered as 2020 contributions.

Year-End Stock Contributions: By giving appreciated stock to the church for your pledge, you can receive a tax advantage. Please notify Lynise Clarke in the church financial office at the time you notify your broker with the name of your broker and the particular stock that is involved, the year (or years) in which to apply your gift, and/or whether any special funds are involved. Please allow 2-3 weeks for completion of stock transactions. For information, contact Lynise Clarke ( lclarke@fpcspartanburg.org / 208-2130).

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Find all sorts of ways that you can serve in the Ministry Finder section of the website (under the “Serve” menu). There you can search for service opportunities that match your interests and schedule, and with one tap make contact with someone who can tell you more and/or help you to get involved.

SPIHN – January 26-February 2, 2020
Our next opportunity to host Spartanburg Interfaith Opportunity Network children and their families is coming up at the end of January. For more information or to sign up to volunteer to prepare a meal, visit with families for an evening, provide snacks, or help set up or clean up, please visit www.fpcspartanburg.org/spihn.

Nap Boule! Hot Sauce (Benefiting Haiti Outreach Ministries)
We are partnering with a sister church to raise money for Haitian Missions. The Vienna Presbyterian Church (Vienna, VA) began this project by purchasing peppers grown in Haiti, and using their own recipe, bottled hot sauce for sale. There are four different flavors, and the bottles are $7 each. Please see Caroline Goodman at the church if you would like to purchase a bottle (or a case!)

OTHER NEWS
Memorial Arrangements in the Sanctuary for February
There are Sundays available in February 2020 for flower memorial arrangements in the Sanctuary. For further information, contact LeAnne Thurmond ( leanne.thurmond@gmail.com / 864-621-0213).

Recommendations Needed for the Congregational Nominating Committee
The Congregational Nominating Committee is seeking a slate of nine members from the congregation to replace members who will rotate off the CNC on December 31, 2019. Members will serve for one year and will be charged with the nomination of Church officers. Please email your nomination(s) to Michael Pack ( mpack@dsdlegal.com).

MLK Day of Service and Poverty Simulation – Monday, January 20
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has become an occasion to offer ourselves in service to humanity and our community. The United Way of the Piedmont has collected a variety of ways that you can serve in the community. See the list and sign up at https://uwpiedmont.galaxydigital.com/aem/general/event/?doc_id=5701.

The United Way will also be hosting a poverty simulation at our church. This event is open to the community. So spread the word! If you have participated in a poverty simulation like this, you know how powerful and eye-opening is can be, and we encourage you to invite your friends. If you have never been part of a poverty simulation, you won’t regret it! For more information or to sign up: https://uwpiedmont.galaxydigital.com/aem/general/need/?doc_id=5701&need_id=477057

They also need volunteers to help run the event. To volunteer, please contact Hannah Jarrett ( hannah.jarrett@uwpiedmont.org) at the United Way or the Piedmont.

Presbyterians for Earth Care
This past Fall our church began the process of obtaining the PC(USA) designation as an Earth Care Congregation. The goal of the program is to inspire churches to care for God’s earth in a holistic way, through integrating earth care into all aspects of church life. We have already been doing many of these things, but we can do so much more! In 2020 we will begin pursuing new ways that our church can integrate environmental practices and thinking into our congregational life including worship, education, facilities and outreach. If you know of a way in which you or someone else at FPC has been positively impacting the environment through a particular program or action please let us know by contacting Laura Henthorn ( laurab449@gmail.com). Together we can fulfill our mission as “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1).

LOOKING AHEAD
( Full Calendar)
December 29 – One Worship Service (No Sunday School)
January 1 – Church Closed for New Year’s Day
January 8 – WAF Resumes
January 20 – MLK Day of Service & Poverty Simulation
January 20 – Church Closed for MLK Day
February 1-8 – Dominican Republic Mission Trip

Find out more in First News: www.fpcspartanburg.org/firstnews