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Weekly Update for February 12, 2021

Dear Siblings in Christ,

This will be Dr. Lewis Johnson’s last Sunday as our Temporary Interim Pastor. We give thanks to God for bringing Lewis to be part of our church family so that when the time came, we had a capable and experienced pastor who already knew us, and who could give the Interim Pastor Nominating Committee the time they needed to find an Interim Pastor. And we thank Lewis for his leadership and preaching during a difficult and unusual time in our world and church. And we especially give thanks that we do not actually have to say good-bye to Lewis and Janet, as they will continue to be active in the life of our church, just as they were before!

For more information about our new Interim Pastor, Dr. Lewis Galloway, click here.

Craig Foster
Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

THIS SUNDAY
8:45am MorningSong (Online Only)
10:00am Combined Adult Sunday School (Join on Zoom)
10:00am Children’s Sunday School Rotation (Contact Holly Bannan)
11:00am Sanctuary Service (Online Only)

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

FPCSpartanburg.org/LIVE 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.

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.

10:00 a.m. Combined Adult Sunday School (Join on Zoom)
This Sunday, Pastor Craig will lead our combined Adult Sunday School Class.

10:00 a.m. Children’s Sunday School Rotation
Join Mrs. Holly on Zoom for Sunday School on your special day! We’re dividing into small groups so you can join your friends for Sunday School on those Sundays. Contact Mrs. Holly for more information and the Zoom link.

NEXT WEEK
Tickled Pink Drive Through Galentine Party – Monday, February 15 (12:30-2:30pm)
Calling all women at FPC! Be a part of a Tickled Pink Galentine Drive-Thru Party on Monday, February 15 any time between 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Wear pink and bring a “Welcome to Spartanburg” note to our new Interim Pastor. Please include your name and a Sparkle City favorite (a recommendation of restaurant, shop, hike, hair salon, shopping deal, FPC Holy spot, etc.). These will be collected in a basket through your window. Happy car hops, Susan Oldham and Ansley Page will give you an inspirational sercy as you drive under the porte-cochere – something to cheer you and something for you to share with a friend or neighbor. Let the love of Christ go round and round!

Imposition of Ashes and Prayer – Wednesday, February 17
8:00am-6:30pm in the Chapel
The Chapel will be open from 8:00am to 6:30pm on Ash Wednesday, and a pastor will be present during those hours for you to receive the imposition of ashes and for prayer.

Ash Wednesday Service – February 17 at 7:00pm (Online)
Join us via livestream from 7:00-7:45pm to mark the beginning of the Lenten season with worship.

Mom Moment with Ansley Page (Join in)
Wednesdays at 12:00 noon
Moms of teens and tweens, let’s get together for a Mom Moment – a 30-minute break to check in with yourself and others, listen to a 2-minute word of Scripture and encouragement, and share sightings of God’s grace and love. We will meet Wednesdays from 12:00-12:30pm, February 10-March24 via Zoom (for now). Bring your lunch if that works and join in for a respite and a faith connection. Email Ansley Page for more information or if you are interested in an evening group.

Blood Drive – Sunday, February 21
8am-1pm in the FLC Parking Lot(More Information)
Donating blood is considered an “essential civic duty” during a pandemic, because blood donations are vital to all communities. The Blood Connection is scheduled to be at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, February 21 from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. There will be free Covid-19 antibody testing, and a $20 donation will be made to First Pres for every blood donor. Please contact Beth Cecil to schedule a time to donate (864-641-8772 or bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org).

Witness Season Update (Give Online)
This year our Witness Season contributions will go to Ministry of Hope Lesotho so that the orphanage can repair and renovate their 3-bedroom house and its grounds to better serve the needs of the many children it houses daily. In the first week, we have raised $7,198.80 of the $25,000 goal!

We are also collecting much-needed supplies to send to the ministry. You may drop off one or more of the items from the list below from 9am-1pm Monday through Friday or on Sunday mornings under the porte-cochere at the Family Life Center. The following items may be placed in the marked bins: school supplies, art supplies, vitamins and first-aid supplies, books, linens (crib and twin-sizes), or wash cloths and bath towels.

Please prayerfully consider how God is calling you to share in this ministry that shows His love to children. Financial donations may be sent in the mail (attention Lynise Clarke and noted as Witness Season donations) or by using this link to give online.

Workout with Colleen Darrall via Zoom! (Email Colleen)
Zoom Group Classes are free and open to all ages every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (7:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.). Each class lasts 30-45 minutes and can be done in your living room utilizing dumbbells and bodyweight exercises. If you are unable to attend during these times, reach out to Colleen Darrall to inquire about private Zoom workouts.

Chapel Open for Prayer
9am-1pm Weekdays
As a church family, we are called to pray for our community, our state, our nation, and our world. Our beautiful Chapel will be open from 9:00am - 1:00pm on weekdays for you to come and sit and pray in the stillness of God. You can also place any personal prayer needs in the Chapel prayer box and our pastoral care staff will pray over your requests.

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

Zoom Group Workouts – Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. (Email Colleen)
Prayer Gathering with Joanne – Tuesdays at Noon (Join in)
Book Study with Nan and Tom McDaniel – Tuesdays/Thursdays at Noon (Join in)
Mom Moment with Ansley Page – Wednesdays at Noon (Join in)
Men’s Bible Study – Wednesdays at Noon (Join in)
Middle School Fellowship – Wednesdays at 5:30pm (Contact Carrie Coleman for the link)
High School Fellowship – Wednesdays at 6:30pm (Contact Carrie Coleman for the link)
WAF/CRC Hangout with Holly – Wednesdays at 6:20pm (Contact Holly Bannan for the link)
Preschool Lunch Bunch – Thursdays at 12:30pm (Contact Holly Bannan for the link)
5^th Grade Hangout with Holly – Thursdays at 4:00pm (Contact Holly Bannan for the link)
Children’s Rotation Sunday School – Sundays at 10:00am (Contact Holly Bannan for the link)
Adult Sunday School – Sundays at 10:00am (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.

LENT 2021 AT FPC
What is connecting you to God right now?
This is an important question for all of us to consider during these trying times when our usual routines are shattered. This Lent, our church is producing a series of daily video devotionals that explore this very question. Each weekday and Saturday a new video will be released featuring progressive readings through the Gospel of Mark, read by a member of our FPC community. On Wednesdays, that reading will be followed by organ music played by Marcia Andrews. On the remaining days, a member of our congregation or staff will share what is connecting them to God right now. On Sundays, all are invited to connect to God though our regular Sunday worship services.

Would you like to be part of this project? Please contact Craig Foster (cfoster@fpcspartanburg.org) to receive your assigned reading from Mark and to make arrangements for recording your answer to this important question!

Lenten Study Series: Handel’s Messiah
Beginning February 24 via Zoom
Join Holt Andrews on Wednesday evenings during Lent for a theological/musical look at Parts II and III of this classic work. Our resource book will be “Hallelujah: The bible and Handel’s Messiah.” Contact Holt Andrews to sign up, receive the Zoom link and secure a copy of the resource book. While the resource book is very helpful, it is not essential, and anyone may join for any of the six sessions.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
21 Days of Kindness
Following the City’s annual Unity Week, community partners have come together to issue a community-wide Kindness Challenge that kicked off February 8. Inspired by Dr. King’s notion of a “beloved community” and in understanding the power of kindness to foster the understanding and dialog essential for genuine systemic change, the City along with its partners Mary Black Foundation, Spartanburg County Foundation, and United Way of the Piedmont are issuing a “21 Days of Kindness” challenge to all Spartanburg residents beginning on February 8^th. For more information, visit the cityofspartanburg.org/kindness.

Racial Healing Circles
Racial healing circles are conversations that honor and value each person’s humanity, build mutually respectful relationships across racial and ethnic lines, and better reflect our common humanity. They were designed by Dr. Gail Christopher, as part of the national Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation framework, to help communities like Spartanburg heal and transform. To register as a participant and to learn more, visit spartanburgtruth.org.

Other Opportunities in Ministry Finder

OTHER NEWS
JustFaith Ministries Presentation – Thursday, February 25 from 7pm-8pm (Register Here)
Do you feel called to explore the expansiveness of love, a love that draws us into compassion and justice? Join us to hear from Jack Jezreel, author and founder of JustFaith Ministries, and Leila Oakley, Outreach and Engagement Manager, who will speak about the transformative power of JustFaith programs, available in virtual and in-person formats. JustFaith Ministries connects and prepares people of faith for the life-changing, world-changing work of the Gospel by offering small-group programs that deepen faith, invite learning, and inspire action around contemporary social issues.

Reply All Ministry
Looking for a simple and meaningful way to stay connected with your church family even though we are apart? Reply All is a brand-new small group ministry that will help us keep in touch, learn about what is going on at the church, and build community among members. Look for a formal announcement in March. Please email Cathy Bagwell for more information about this exciting new ministry.

Covid-19 Vaccination Information
If you are 65 years of age and older and interested in getting the Covid-19 vaccination, contact Spartanburg Regional Vaccine Registration Customer Service at 864-577-4091, or email information to SpartanburgRegional.com/Vaccine. If you register online, each registrant must have their own individual email address. Contact Beth Cecil (208-2136 or bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org ) if you need assistance.

Stephen Ministry Available for You
Are you feeling exhausted from all the disruptions to life brought on by the pandemic? Are you or someone you know struggling with challenges like isolation/loneliness, anxiety over health, grief due to many different kinds of losses, tension from juggling multiple things in life, uncertainty about the future, or other unexpected life challenges? If so, you don’t have to face it alone. Our Stephen Ministers are ready to listen, care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support. A Stephen Minister will meet with you privately (by phone, video chat, or safely in person). It is free and confidential. For more information, call Dana Halliday at (864) 237-0330.

Giving to First Presbyterian Church – Dropbox available outside of the Tower Room
Thank you for your faithful giving to First Presbyterian Church. For your convenience, we have placed a securely locked drop box outside of the Tower Room. We also receive and check mail daily at the church. Your contributions are safely getting to our financial office. Please continue to drop contributions off at the church in the outdoor drop box or mail to Attn: Lynise Clarke 393 E. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302.

FPC Church Office Information
Church staff will be working in office Monday through Friday from 9am-1pm. The Church Office phone will be answered during this time. Outside of these days/hours, please leave a voicemail and we will contact you as soon as possible (most of your staff can access their voicemails from home). As always, please feel free to contact us via email. Please use our Staff Directory to obtain all staff phone numbers and email addresses. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you need to contact a minister for a Pastoral Concern, please call 864-208-2142, day or night. The minister on-call will answer your call as soon as possible.

LOOKING AHEAD
February 14 – Online Worship Services (fpcspartanburg.org/live)
February 15 – Tickled Pink Galentine Drive Thru
February 17 – Ash Wednesday
February 21 – Blood Drive (More information)
February 28 – Witness Season Sunday (Give Online)
March 28 – Palm Sunday
April 1 – Maundy Thursday
April 2 – Good Friday
April 4 – Easter Sunday
May 23 – Pentecost
August 13-15, 2021 – Women’s Connection at Montreat

More activities and events can be found in First News.