Weekly Update for January 3, 2020

Dear Friends,
Most of your Christmas decorations are probably coming down or have already been packed away. You are watching football bowl games. The after-Christmas shopping is over. The kids may have started to drive you crazy. You might still be traveling. Is Christmas still alive in you? Or has the spirit of Christmas evaporated as the last few days have passed? How do we keep the joy, hope, love, and peace of Christmas flowing? Come worship with us this Sunday as we continue to celebrate Christmas on Epiphany and discover how you can keep the spirit of Christmas alive in your life.

There are still a few of us here this week, keeping Christmas alive at FPC, so here’s what is happening around the church house:

THIS SUNDAY
8:45am MorningSong* and Sanctuary Worship Services
9:45am Sunday School for All Ages
10:30am Monthly Fellowship in The Perrin Room
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.)

Large Group Small Group (1^st-5^th grade)
Room C201 - Red Door Room
This Sunday is our Large Group Small Group Sunday for 1^st-5^thgrade children. Please join us in Room C201 (the red room door on the second floor of the Clark Building) at 9:45am! We will be meeting in this room on the first Sunday of each month instead of the Social Hall from now on.

NEXT WEEK
WAF Dinner – Wednesday, January 8
5:00-6:15pm in Fogartie Hall
This week we will enjoy salad bar, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli with lemon butter, bread, and dessert at Wednesdays at First. 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.

WAF Program: Brain Hacking – Rescuing our Teens and Ourselves From Social Media Addiction
6:30pm in the Sanctuary
Join us for a two-part health series on social media addiction with Jimmy Deal, Director of SC Occupational Information Center. All adults, especially adults with tweens/teens, should attend.

WAF Program: Weekly Sermon Bible Study
6:30-7:15pm in The Perrin Room
Led by Tom Evans
This is a time of prayer and fellowship before we dive into the text (based on the sermon 10 days from the study date). Together, we explore the passage and wrestle over what it means for our lives today.

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

ECHOES Meeting – January 9
ECHOES (Elder Caregivers Helping Others and Encouraging Self) will meet on Thursday, January 9 at 12:00pm in the Senior High Room (2nd Floor of the FLC). Join Ansley Page, Beth Cecil, and Kay McClure for a time of devotion, sharing, learning, and prayer. This group meets once a month to share the issues facing caregivers as they care for their loved ones. Bring your lunch if you like, drinks will be provided. All are welcome!

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 – It’s Not Just for Christmas!
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
Security Changes Beginning January 5
The safety of members and guests at First Presbyterian Church is of the utmost importance. Due to budget and staffing changes, our church facilities will be protected by a professional security agency Saturday through Thursday. Beginning January 5, we welcome Moses Jenkins and Kyle Allison of AP Professional Security, LLC, a SLED-licensed company dedicated to providing professional, high-quality security services. Stephan Bolliger remains on staff in a new position as Concierge. Stephan will be on site Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and other times as needed to greet and assist members and guests. We look forward to working with the staff of AP Professional Security, LLC in keeping our church safe and secure for everyone who enters to worship.

Young Adults Bowling at Underpin Lanes – Tuesday, January 14
All young adults, age 22-35ish, are invited to go bowling at Underpin Lanes January 14 from 5:30-7:30pm. Invite a friend, and let Leslie Lang (llang@fpcspartanburg.org) know if you plan to attend!

JOY Fellowship Exhibit Tour – Thursday, January 16
Join the JOY (Just Older Youth) Fellowship group as they visit The Johnson Collection to view its current exhibit Virtues & Vices January 16 at 11am. Enjoy lunch in downtown Spartanburg following the gallery tour. RSVP to Joanie Shackleton (jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-208-2132).

Memorial Arrangements in the Sanctuary for February and April
There are Sundays available in February and April 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 rotated 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)
January 6 – Youth Day Trip (Snow Tubing in Hawksnest, NC)
January 7 – BBC with Kirk H. Neely
January 8 – WAF Resumes
January 12 – Officer Ordination and Installation
January 14 – Young Adult Bowling at Underpin Lanes
January 16 – JOY Fellowship Exhibit Tour (The Johnson Collection)
January 18 – MLK Walk as One (Wofford College)
January 20 – MLK Day of Service & Poverty Simulation
January 20 – Church Closed for MLK Day
January 21 – Tickled Pink Resumes
January 26 – SPIHN Guests Arrive
January 29 – Celebration of Ministry for Jane Mullins
February 1-8 – Dominican Republic Mission Trip

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

Christmas Blessings,

Joanne Hull
Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Deacons
First Presbyterian Church
393 East Main Street
Spartanburg, SC 29302
(864)583-4531
jhull@fpcspartanburg.org
www.fpcspartanburg.org

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