Weekly Update for February 14, 2020

Our Witness Season project to help build a Mathematics Lab at Cleveland Academy of Leadership is well underway. School principal Marquice Clark and our own Jennifer Parker have done a great job helping us to understand the challenges that the children of Cleveland face, as well as the real hope to be able to change their lives and their futures. If you missed either of those programs, they can be found here. Mark your calendars for the next two Witness Season presentation on Wednesday and next Sunday morning (see info below), and please give generously to this important cause!

And a huge thank you to all of you who donated over 300 food items for TOTAL Ministries as part of FPC’s Boy Scout Troop 2 Scouting for Food project last Sunday!

THIS SUNDAY
7:30am Men’s Breakfast
8:45am MorningSong* and Chapel Worship Services
9:45am Sunday School for All Ages
11:00am Sanctuary* Worship Service
noon Youth Lock-Out

(* 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.)

Men’s Breakfast
7:30am in the Social Hall
FPC Men: Bring your fathers, sons, and friends to the Men’s Breakfast at 7:30am on Sunday, February 16 in the Social Hall. A delicious breakfast will be prepared at no cost; donations accepted. Our speakers will be Jimmy Edwards and some special guests to tell us more about the Transparent Men ministry in our community.

Youth Lock-Out
noon-5pm
Register Online
All Youth are invited to join us on Sunday, February 16 for an afternoon of food, fun and fellowship in downtown Spartanburg! The youth will meet in the lobby of the Family Life Center right after the 11:00 worship service and walk to Morgan Square for lunch. Then they will head to UnderPin Lanes and Lounge for bowling and recreation. Afterward they will return to the Family Life Center for rec time in the gym or games in the Game Room. Pick up will be at 5:00 pm. Cost is $30 per person; participants will need to bring at least $15 with them for lunch and anything else they may want to purchase.

NEXT WEEK
“The Other Boys of Summer” Documentary – February 17 & 18
This program is documentary about racism, segregation and civil rights in America, told through the lives of the Negro League baseball players. A 40-minute film will be followed by a moderated group discussion centered around how racism has evolved and where we go from here.

2pm Mon. 2/17 in the Barrett Room at the Library
6pm Mon. 2/17 at the CC Woodson Community Center
6pm Tue. 2/18 at the SCC Evans Building auditorium

Young Adults Serve Together: Neighborhood Meal Ministry
Tuesday, February 18 – 5:00-6:30pm (Arthur Center)
If you are age 22-35(ish), and would like to volunteer with the Young Adults to serve the Neighborhood Meal on Tuesday, February 18, please email Leslie Lang at llang@fpcspartanburg.org

WAF Dinner – Wednesday, February 19
5:00-6:15pm in Fogartie Hall
This week we will enjoy breakfast for dinner with a fruit and yogurt bar, hot breakfast items and Jane’s famous cinnamon rolls! No reservations are necessary, and most forms of payment are accepted at the door. Meal costs are: $8 for adults and youth (12 and older), $7 for seniors (55 and over), and $5 for children, with a limit of $25 per family.

Healing and Wholeness Service – Wednesday, February 19
5:15-5:45pm in the Chapel
This service offers an opportunity to pray for healing, reflect on God's blessings, and receive communion.

WAF Program: Witness Season 2020 – Wednesday, February 19
Speakers: John Verreault & Mary Elizabeth Evans
6:30pm in the Purnell Room
After hearing from Marquice Clark and Jennifer Parker about some of the challenges the students of Cleveland Academy face, this week we get to hear what we as a congregation are trying to do to help them. Please consider a Witness Season gift to the Cleveland Academy Math Lab. Envelopes are in the pews or you may go online to the FPC website to donate. Volunteers are also needed at Cleveland. Reach out to Mary Elizabeth Evans or John Verreault for more information.

Stop the Bleed Training – Wednesday, February 19
6:30pm in Room 2208, upstairs in the main building
This hands-on training will help you know what to do to stop bleeding in an emergency situation. No registration is necessary. Contact Beth Cecil (bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org) for more information.

Other After-Dinner WAF Programming
Weekly Sermon Bible Study (Perrin Room)
Christian Recreation for Children (Gym and Activity Room)
Youth Wednesday Night Fellowship (Middle School Room)
Sit ‘n Stitch (FLC Lobby)
Wednesday Walkers (Walking Track)

You Are Invited to Joanne’s Wedding! – NEXT Saturday, February 22
4pm in the Sanctuary
Reception to follow in Fogartie Hall
The Rev. Joanne Ruth Hull and Warren Edgar Donald invite the whole First Presbyterian family to be part of their wedding next Saturday. Tartans and kilts are welcomed, but not required. Though there will not be a nursery, children who can sit through the 45-minute service are invited, and there will be a children’s sermon and activity bags especially for them. Come be a part of the celebration!

Blood Drive – NEXT Sunday, February 23
It's that time again! Time to sign up to donate blood. For every donor who gives blood, FPC will receive $20. We are about halfway to reaching our goal to put a bench in front of the Family Life Center. Help us reach our goal and help others in the process! The Blood Drive will take place on Sunday, February 23, 8:00am-1:00pm in the Gym and the FLC parking lot. For an appointment, contact Beth Cecil (bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org // 864-208-2136).

Witness Season Sunday School – NEXT Sunday, February 23
10am in Fogartie Hall
Our featured guest as we wrap up this Witness Season project will be Bill Barnet, former mayor of Spartanburg and the leader of the Northside Development Group. Come hear the impact our Witness Season project can have, not only on the children of the Cleveland Academy of Leadership, but also in the community that that school serves. All adult Sunday School classes are invited to attend!

Lent Workshop – NEXT Sunday, February 23
Calling all families with Children age 3 through 5th grade:
Mark your calendar for a Lent Workshop on Sunday, February 23rd. We will gather during the Sunday School hour and make Godly Play “Faces of Easter” boxes together. This is something for the entire family to do together, to help prepare ourselves for Easter. If your family would like to participate, RSVP to Holly Bannan at hbannan@fpcspartanburg.org by February 10.

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.

Take a Habitat Home Tour! – Tuesday, February 25
2:45pm starting in the Family Life Center parking lot
The Local Missions Committee invites you on a special bus tour to see several Habitat for Humanity homes around Spartanburg. The tour will take place on February 25th at 3pm. Lee Close will be driving and educating us on Habitat's partnership with First Presbyterian Church. Please email Caroline Goodman at cgoodman@fpcspartanburg.orgif you plan to attend.

Lunch ‘n Learn: Generational Literacy – Tuesday, March 10
Noon in the Large Private Dining Room
Meal Cost: $7
Register by March 6 (Click Here to Register)
Come learn more about Generational Literacy, a focus area of the Faith Initiative to End Child Poverty. Join us in the Large Private Dining Room (LPDR) in the Family Life Center at Noon on Tuesday, March 10 for a panel discussion with Bill Brasington, Adult Learning Center; Gloria Close, Citizen Scholars Institute; Todd Stephens, Spartanburg County Public Libraries; and Anne Waters, Hub City Writers Project. Lunch prepared by Pano Stathakis will be served for only $7.

Rise Against Hunger – Sunday, March 15
Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable, mobilizing the necessary resources to end hunger by 2030. They bring all their supplies to the church and we will spend 2 hours packaging food for the starving and malnourished around the globe. We need 120 volunteers for this mission opportunity, and we package 25,000 meals in 2 hours! How amazing is that? Join our youth on March 15 at 2pm in the Gym! All ages welcome. Mark your calendars and register today!

Service Opportunities for Children, Families, and Everyone Else Too!
There are several opportunities for you and your children to get involved in preparing our church for the season of Lent and Easter. Please sign up online or contact Alexa Pack (alexapack@gmail.com) or Mary Lorick Thompson (marylorick.thompson@salem.edu) for more information, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0449aaa623a3fa7-lentand

OTHER NEWS
Clark Building Elevator is out of service
The elevator in the Clark Building is temporarily out of service. While it is being repaired, if you need an elevator, you may use the one in the Main Building, near the church library, to access the second floor, and then walk down the call to the Clark Building.

Spartanburg Interfaith Alliance Lenten Worship and Luncheon Series
Experience the tradition of the Lenten Season! The Spartanburg Interfaith Alliance will host six worship and lunch sessions beginning at noon where attendees have the chance to fellowship and learn more about the Lenten tradition.

Wed. 2/26 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church (161 N. Dean St.) – No lunch due to observance of Ash Wednesday (REGISTER)
Wed. 3/4 at First Presbyterian Church Spartanburg
Wed. 3/11 at The Episcopal Church of the Advent (141 Advent St.)
Wed. 3/18 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (121 Quail Dr.)
Wed. 3/25 at Glenn Springs Calvary Episcopal Church (3685 Glenn Springs Rd.)
Wed. 4/1 hosted by The Palmetto Moravian Fellowship at Central United Methodist Church (233 N. Church St.)

World Day of Prayer – Friday, March 6
The World Day of Prayer is March 6. The Prayer Committee has placed prayer cards in the Tower Room and lobby of the Family Life Center. We hope you will find them useful as you think about the needs of our world and that you will join Christians around the globe on that day in offering our both our praise and our concerns to God in prayer.

Women’s Connection at Montreat – August 14-16
Featuring Jen Hatmaker, Frances Taylor Gench, and Alice Ridgill
Comprehensive cost: $200 (if registered through FPC)
(includes conference registration, a double-occupancy room, and five meals)
Our church has arranged for housing, meals, and deeply discounted registration for the first 20 women to register for this conference. Registration should be made through the church to receive these benefits! This is always a phenomenal conference, and it will be led by three extraordinary ladies this year. Jen Hatmaker is a nationally-known author of two New York Times best sellers and host of the wildly popular For the Love podcast. Frances Taylor Gench spoke at our church several years ago and is an engaging speaker and a leading New Testament scholar. Alice Ridgill is a phenomenal preacher with strong SC connections. New for this year will be a back-home group program so that our group can discuss and grow together. So don’t miss this opportunity! Lodging and meals will be at the William Black Lodge, conveniently located right behind Assembly Inn, at the heart of Montreat. Reserved rooms are all double occupancy with twin beds (though other options may be available at an increased cost). So invite a good friend to be your roommate for the weekend! (Note: This is half the cost of the full registration, housing, and meals! In return for heavily subsidizing this event, the Adult Education and Discipleship Committee asks that you be willing to share your experience with others and participate in the growth of our Women’s Ministry programming.)
More information is on the Montreat website, but be sure to register through Shannon Hutcheson (shutcheson@fpcspartanburg.org)at the church.

LOOKING AHEAD
February 23 – Witness Season Sunday
February 23 – Lent Workshop
February 26 – Ash Wednesday Service (6:30pm/Sanctuary)
March 6 – World Day of Praywr
April 5 – Palm Sunday
April 9 – Maundy Thursday
April 10 – Good Friday
April 12 – Easter Sunday
June 15-18 – Vacation Bible School
August 14-16 – Women’s Connection at Montreat

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