Weekly Update for January 31, 2020

Dear Blessed Family of First Presbyterian,

As you enjoy your weekend, be sure to count the blessings that God bestows upon you each and every day.

Every day that God grants us breath is a profound moment to be a part of the most magnificent universe there is!

The gift of today comes with a joyous task: to share the light of God’s love with another. So, whether it is a friend from long ago, a stranger on the street, or your loved ones at home, take this day to bless someone with the Love of God. This Sunday in worship, we will learn all about God’s blessings in the beatitudes.

Read Matthew 5:1-12 as your prayer this evening and read through the list below of all the ways God is working through us all!

Your friend in Christ,
Tom

THIS SUNDAY
8:45am MorningSong* and Chapel Worship Services
9:45am Sunday School for All Ages
10:30am Monthly Fellowship
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.)

Monthly Fellowship
10:30am in The Perrin Room
On Sunday morning, we will have our monthly fellowship time. Meet in The Perrin Room at 10:30am for doughnuts, coffee, and fellowship with your church family. Parents, please pick up your children from Sunday School by 10:30 so that everyone, including teachers, can enjoy the fellowship time together.

Souper Bowl of Caring
Following all Services
We have the opportunity to participate in a different kind of “Super Bowl” by supporting a local ministry through the Souper Bowl of Caring. To help serve our community, our youth will be collecting monetary donations in large soup pots following all three services this Sunday that will help support Total Ministries.

Congregational Meeting
11am Sanctuary Worship Service
The Session has called a Congregational Meeting and a meeting of the members of the Corporation (First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg, SC) for Sunday, February 2, 2020 during the 11:00am worship in the Sanctuary to elect at-large members to the 2020 Congregational Nominating Committee as well as the Class of 2022 elders and the chair of the Diaconate to the Board of Trustees of the Corporation.

NEXT WEEK
WAF Dinner – Wednesday, February 5
5:00-6:15pm in Fogartie Hall
This week we will enjoy all things Greek at Wednesdays at First: Greek salad bar, Greek chicken, Greek green beans with tomato mint sauce, roasted Greek potatoes, bread, and dessert. 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: Witness Season Kick Off – The Cleveland Academy of Leadership
Speaker: Marquice Clark, Principal of Cleveland Academy
6:30pm in the Sanctuary
February is Witness Season, a long-standing FPC tradition. This year, The Cleveland Academy of Leadership will be the beneficiary of this special offering. The goal is to raise $25,000 for the school to develop a Mathematics Lab. We are pleased to announce that an anonymous donor will match all donations given to this project!

Join us February 5^th for our WAF program to kick off Witness Season. Marquice Clark, principal of Cleveland, will tell us about the school that is helping many young children on the Northside.

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)

Scouting for Food – Sunday, February 9
On Scout Sunday, February 9, Troop 2 boy scouts and cub scouts will participate in the Boy Scouts of America national Scouting for Food drive. Please bring non-perishable food donations to the Tower room or the lobby of the Family Life Center before or after worship services. Scouts will collect and deliver to TOTAL Ministries. Specific needs are pasta, mac and cheese, breakfast items, and spaghetti sauce.

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.

Young Adults Serve Together: Neighborhood Meal Ministry
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^th, please email Leslie Lang at llang@fpcspartanburg.org

Rise Against Hunger – 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^th at 2pm in the Gym! All ages welcome. Mark your calendars and register today!

Nap Boule! Hot Sauce
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
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.

Shower of Love and Wisdom for Joanne Hull – February 13
Ladies of FPC, of all ages, are cordially invited to a shower of love and wisdom for our own Joanne Hull, on Thursday, February 13, 2020 from 10:30 am to noon. Please join us for refreshments in the Parlor and The Perrin Room. You are asked to offer Joanne words of love and wisdom as she and Eddie begin their life together.

There are baskets of tartan-trimmed cards located around the Tower Room and church offices. Please use the cards to write down words of wisdom or Scripture or stories. Recipes are welcome as well. We look forward to seeing you. ~Jennifer Biber and Winnie Walsh

Men’s Breakfast – February 16
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. Please help us get a head count and RSVP to Shannon Hutcheson (shutcheson@fpcspartanburg.org// 864-208-2144) by Wednesday, February 12.

“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

Blood Drive – 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).

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 12noon 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
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.)

LOOKING AHEAD
February 1-8 – Dominican Republic Mission Trip
February 23 – Witness Season Sunday
February 26 – Ash Wednesday Service (6:30pm/Sanctuary)
April 5 – Palm Sunday
April 9 – Maundy Thursday
April 10 – Good Friday
April 12 – Easter Sunday
June 15-18 – Vacation Bible School

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

Dr. Thomas E. Evans
Senior Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
393 East Main Street
Spartanburg, SC 29302
(864)583-4531
tevans@fpcspartanburg.org
www.fpcspartanburg.org