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Weekly Update for Holy Week - April 3, 2020

Dear Siblings in Christ,

This Sunday in Palm Sunday, beginning Holy Week, the most sacred time in the church year, And even though our Holy Week will look very different this year as we maintain our physical distance, we hope that you will make a point to still join together for worship via our livestreamed services throughout the week. Holy Week services will still happen online, and we have some special ways for you to participate in Holy Week from home. Read below for details about all of our Holy Week services as well as other ways we can be in community, learning, prayer, and service during these strange times for our world.

Peace,
Craig Foster
Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

THIS SUNDAY
In preparation for this Sunday, we encourage you to place greenery on your front door, mailbox, or another visible place in recognition of Palm Sunday. We may not be able to gather for a palm procession, but perhaps we can line the streets of our neighborhoods with branches to welcome the triumphal entry of our Savior!

8:45am MorningSong ONLINE
10:00am Adult Sunday School (Zoom)
11:00am Sanctuary Worship Service ONLINE
4:00pm Sunday Youth Group (Zoom)
7:00pm UKirk College Ministry (Zoom)
8:30pm Young Adult Check-In (Zoom)

All services will be livestreamed at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live. Bulletins, scripture readings, manuscripts, and video archives can also be found on that page. Our worship livestreams also appear on Facebook and YouTube. Please sign the online guestbook when you join us for worship online and consider making your regular contributions online. Have you been having trouble with the livestreams? Check out this information on the church website.

Adult Sunday School – Sundays
10am on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/396224968)
Join us for an interactive time of studying the Bible. This week Dr .Gloria Close from the Emmaus Class Dr. Gloria Close will be leading our combined Adult Sunday School Class on Zoom at 10am on Palm Sunday this Sunday, and I hope that you will all give it a try! Gloria will be bringing together three beautiful passages form the Hebrew Scriptures: Psalm 46:10, Psalm 143, and Esther 4:4-17.

Godly Play with Holly – Sundays on YouTube
Holly Bannan will be recording the Godly Play lesson for children each week and posting it to the church YouTube page. A link to this video is also being sent out to parents each week.

Young Adult Check-In
Grab your favorite beverage and join the young adults on Zoom for a check-in! Feel free to drop-in anytime between 8:30-9:30pm on Sunday evening, April 5 to catch up with one another and to share joys and frustrations. Contact Leslie for the Zoom call information.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES
All services will be livestreamed at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live, Facebook and YouTube.

Palm Sunday, April 5
8:45am MorningSong and 11:00am Traditional
Please place greenery on your front door, mailbox, or another visible place in recognition of Palm Sunday.

Reflection Time with Organ Music
During Holy Week, we will post several videos to YouTube that will begin with a brief prayer and scripture, led by Dr. Thomas E. Evans followed by a time of reflection with thoughtful organ music by Marcia Andrews.
Monday at Noon: Isaiah 42:1-9 & Wondrous Love by Louis White
Tuesday at Noon: John 12:20-36 & O Man, Bewail Thy Grievous Fall by JS Bach
Wednesday at Noon: John 13:21-32 & Were You There by Leo Sowerby

Maundy Thursday, April 9
7:30pm
A service of readings in darkness with communion, remembering Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples before his crucifixion. For this service we invite you to prepare your own elements ahead of time. This might include crackers, a slice of bread, or any type of bread you might have on hand, grape juice or wine. We also invite you to darken your room and lighting a candle. When the very last candle is extinguished in the Sanctuary, we also invite you to extinguish your candle.

Good Friday, April 10
12:15pm
Rev. Leslie A. Lang will lead this service of scripture, readings, hymns, and special music.

Reflection Time with Organ Music
Saturday at Noon: Matthew 27:57-66 & My Faith Looks Up to Thee by Mark Jones

Easter Sunday, April 12
6:45am Sunrise Service
Rev. J. Robert Bannan, Jr. will lead a brief service that will include a devotion, time of prayer, and song. (website and Facebook only, no YouTube)

9:45am Butterfly Release
Tune in to watch the Butterfly Release with Holly Bannan.

10:00am Sunday School (https://zoom.us/j/396224968).
Rev. Ansley B. Page will teach a combined Adult Class via Zoom.

11:00am Worship
This year, even though we cannot be under the same roof, we are asking every member of the congregation to worship together in one big online service, with brass. We will not sing our traditional Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah this Easter, but look forward to singing it with us in person when we are able to return to worship in the Sanctuary!

All Day - Cross of Flowers
Each Easter, a rough-hewn cross is erected on the front lawn of the church. Throughout the day on Easter, members and guests are invited to bring flowers to place on the cross (using proper physical distancing).
This cross, full of spring flowers, represents the new life we receive through Christ’s resurrection.

OTHER EVENTS NEXT WEEK
Many of you have forwarded to us news articles concerning security and privacy issues with the Zoom videoconferencing platform. We are paying close attention to what is happening, but still believe that Zoom is addressing these concerns and is still the easiest and best on-road for community, shared prayer, and learning during this time of physical distancing.

Daily Community Time – Monday through Friday
2pm on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/226075719)
From 2-3pm each weekday, members of the church staff will be hosting a Zoom video gathering for anyone that wants to drop in and chat. This will be an informal time of conversation and connection for all of us. The first few this week have been great! So give it a try! Simply click on the link above and follow the directions to get connected. Having trouble? You can call in at 646-876-9923 and use meeting ID: 226 075 719. Be sure to read the Zoom tips on the church website.

Hangouts with Holly – Mondays and Thursdays
Starting at 1pm on Zoom
All children are invited to join Holly Bannan online for a time of fellowship and learning together.

1:00pm 3K, 4K, and 5K
1:30pm 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd Grade
2:00pm 4^th and 5^th Grace

Information has been sent to parents about how to connect. Please contact Holly Bannan (hbannan@fpcspartanburg.org) if you have any questions.

Calling All Parents of Children and Youth! – Mondays
4pm on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/503386533)
These days without school and daycare can be trying for parents of children and youth, as you try to juggle e-learning, work, and the added messes and dishes that come with extra time at home with nowhere else to go. Join Robert and Holly Bannan online every Monday to enjoy community time with other parents and find support and inspiration for the week ahead.

Weekly Prayer Gathering with Joanne – Tuesdays
Noon on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/913483351)
Join Pastor Joanne on Zoom to share your prayer concerns and join together with your church family in prayer.

Youth Group on Zoom
All youth are invited to join Robert, Carrie, and your friends on Zoom throughout the week. More information and links have been sent to youth families. Please contact Robert or Carrie if you have any questions
Tuesdays at 4pm – 9^th and 10^th Graders
Wednesdays at 4pm – Middle Schoolers
Thursdays at 4pm – 11^th and 12^th Graders
Sundays at 4pm – ALL Youth (MS & HS)
Monday – Friday at 2pm– Youth are invited to the Daily Community Time for the whole congregation

Weekly Devotional Video from Tom – Wednesdays
Follow the church on YouTube to get a weekly video devotional from Dr. Tom Evans each Wednesday. We will also share these on Social Media and provide links to them in the weekly email. The first and second devotions are already up.

Weekly Bible Study with Tom – Wednesdays
6pm on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/333935537)
Dr. Tom Evans is leading a “Study of the Book of Mark” via Zoom.

But wait, there’s more!
Other smaller groups and activities are meeting online as well (including a big Zoom meeting with the combined Session and Diaconate last Tuesday). Watch your email and social media for notice of smaller group activities. If you are a committee chair or group leader and are interested in how your group can meet through Zoom or other means, please contact Craig Foster.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
We are getting all sorts of requests for help during these unprecedented times, and we have collected quite a list of things you can do even while maintaining physical distancing! 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.

NEW Opportunities in Ministry Finder

OTHER NEWS
Share Your Encouraging Stories with Us!
The word “Gospel” literally just means “good news.” Amid all the troubling news of this time, we want your help to share the good news of this time as well! So share the good news that is happening with us! Now, we don’t need the latest cat meme or whatever funny email forward you just got, but when you facetime your grandmother in the nursing home, deliver for Mobile Meals, white a card to someone, engage in any of the opportunities above or in Ministry Finder, or experience any good by your hand or by the hands of others, please send us a picture and give as a few sentences that we can share on social media to encourage us all and remind us all that the church is still at work, even as we are dispersed. Pictures and stories can be sent to Caroline Goodman (cgoodman@fpcspartanburg.org).

There is No Need to Struggle Alone!
Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galations 6:2)
We all go through difficult times. When you have someone to care, listen, to share God’s love with you, it can help you get through the confusion, stress, or loneliness you may be experiencing. God does not intend for you to struggle alone!

Stephen Ministry is available for anyone facing overwhelming need for care; hospitalization, grieving, suffering, loneliness or discouragement, divorce or separation, unemployment, accidents, etc. If you or someone you know is struggling, let us know!

Consider allowing a Stephen Minister to walk with you on your journey to wholeness! For more information, contact Dana Halliday at danahalliday1@charter.net; 864 237-0330 or Beth Cecil bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org

Now Playing on YouTube (and Other Social Media)
If you are one of our subscribers on YouTube, you know that the church has put up a lot of content recently, including Devotions with Tom, Godly Play with Holly, and Preschool Music with Debbie This has become an important venue for us to communicate with you during these times of physical distancing. So click the subscribe button and get notified when worship goes live or when the church has posted new content.

In fact, all of our social media channels have been active (and we’ve just added new ones for Children’s Ministry this week). Check them all out and subscribe/follow/like us to get all the latest info.