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Weekly Update for June 12, 2020

Dear Siblings in Christ,

Our congregation is far from being racially diverse, but for years we have sought to be engaged in the ministries of racial reconciliation, community building, and justice. Join in those efforts! Take on the 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge! Join in the “Just Mercy” movie discussion! Get involved in the Faith Initiative to End Child Poverty, Speaking Down Barriers, Transparent Men, or another local effort involved in ending systemic racism! Get to know people whose skin color and life experience may be different from your own!

At last week’s Interfaith Service of Grief and Action (watch), the Rev. Dr. Sheila Hodge from Silver Hill United Methodist Church asked all of us, “Why do we have to die to move you, and haven’t enough us died already?” How will we respond?

Blessings and Peace,
Craig Foster
Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Communications

THIS SUNDAY
8:45am MorningSong ONLINE
10:00am Adult Sunday School (Zoom)
10:00am Children’s Sunday School
11:00am Sanctuary Worship Service ONLINE
4:00pm Middle School Youth Group (Zoom)

All services will be livestreamed at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live and on our Facebook page. We encourage you to join us on Facebook, comment during the live worship service, and help build community. Bulletins, scripture readings, manuscripts, and video archives can also be found our website. Our worship livestreams also appear on YouTube. However you join us, please sign the online guestbook and consider making your regular contributions online. Have you been having trouble with the livestreams? Check out this information on the church website.

10:00am Sunday School (Join in)
This Sunday in the combined Adult Class via Zoom, Dr. Tom McDaniel will lead us in an exploration of early Christianity entitled “After the Cross.” All are welcome!

Children’s Sunday School with Holly – Sundays on YouTube
Holly Bannan will be recording the Sunday School lesson and time of worship 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.

NEXT WEEK
Weekly Community Zoom Times for Everyone!

Adult Sunday School – Sundays at 10am (Join in)
Prayer Gathering with Joanne – Tuesdays at Noon (Join in)
Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark with Tom – Wednesdays at 6pm (Join in)
College Students with Robert and Carrie – Wednesdays at 8pm (Join in)

What It Means to Be Human – Beginning THIS Monday/Thursday
On June 15, Pastor Tom will begin a four-to-six week, socially distanced, in-person study entitled: What It Means to Be Human. This rather esoteric study will be based on selected works from Søren Kierkegaard, using the book The Essential Kierkegaard, edited by Howard and Edna Hong. The meetings will take place under the Porte-cochère of the Family Life Center.

After reading this, if you are still interested in participating, please note:

Days and times being considered are: Mondays at 5:15pm OR Thursdays at 12:00noon. Please RSVP to Monteigne Campbell (mcampbell@fpcspartanburg.org). The Monday class is full; please RSVP if you are interested in the Thursday at noon study time.
We ask that you purchase this book on your own; it is available on Amazon as a Kindle or Paperback version. Please use one of these ISBN numbers to order: ISBN-13: 978-0691019406; ISBN-10: 0691019401.
Dress casual; it will be warm.
Bring a lawn chair and a bottle of water.
We will have fans.
Face masks / coverings are encouraged, but not mandated.

Summer Hangouts with Holly – New Schedule!
Starting at 1pm on Zoom (Email Holly for specific times and a link)
All children are invited to join Holly Bannan online for a time of fellowship and learning together.
1:00pm Rising 3K, 4K, 5K, and 1^st Graders
1:30pm Rising 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th Graders

Youth Group and College Students on Zoom
All youth and college students are invited to join Robert, Carrie, and your friends on Zoom throughout the week. More information, new schedule, and links have been sent to youth families. Please contact Robert or Carrie if you have any questions
Sundays at 4pm – Middle Schoolers
Wednesdays at 4pm – Middle Schoolers

Wednesdays at 8pm – College Students (Join in)
Thursdays at 4pm – High Schoolers

WORKING TO END RACISM
21 Day Racial Equity Challenge
The Local Missions Committee has voted and agreed to commit to a racial equity challenge, and we invite you to join us. As a predominantly white congregation, we invite you to join in this 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge to learn more about issues of race, discrimination, and injustice, and to hear voices different from our own. By making this commitment, we agree each day to engage one of these resources that will expand my understanding about racial issues, to reflect, to share, and to pray. For more resources, a tracking chart, and learning opportunities, visit Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr.’s website.

As part of the Sunday School option on June 28th at 10am, there will be a time of discussion and conversation about what you’ve been learning through the Racial Equity Challenge.

“Just Mercy” Movie Discussion
In addition to the resources listed, Just Mercy is being offered for free by many streaming services during the month of June. We offer the suggestion to watch this movie, which explores systemic racism and injustice, at some point in June and to join us for a group conversation via Zoom. There will be two options for these discussions (more details coming soon):

Tuesday, June 30^th: 5:30-6:30pm

Wednesday, July 1^st: 12-1pm

If you have questions or would just like to have more conversation, please feel free to reach out to Leslie Lang at llang@fpcspartanburg.org.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
TOTAL Ministries Financial Assistance
TOTAL Ministries needs donations to help with their financial assistance program. They are doing financial assistance over the phone three days per week. Traci Kennedy, Executive Director of TOTAL Ministries, reports that 80% of the people they are serving are new or haven't needed assistance in a few years. Visit www.totalministries.org to donate.

Donate to Support Those in Crisis Locally
If you would like to help local families deal with the effects of COVID-19, consider giving to the United for All Fund. This fund is managed by United Way of the Piedmont to directly assist local community members affected in times of disaster or crisis. United Way has convened community partners in Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties to ensure families get the help they need. Funds will directly support families who have been financially affected by the pandemic with expenses like food, shelter, utility assistance, and healthcare.

Mobile Meals Volunteers Needed
Mobile Meals is still delivering meals to those who are home-bound in our community and is in need of healthy, non-at risk volunteers to help with routes. They have seen over 150 new volunteers over the past few months, but many are returning to work. If you would like to help in this way, please call Mobile Meals at 864-573-7684 and ask for Vivian or Paula.

Recent Opportunities in Ministry Finder

OTHER NEWS
Thank you from the Health Committee
Forty-four members rolled up their sleeves last week to donate blood at our blood drive. We even had to turn a few members and non-members away! Safety protocols were strictly followed, and the well-being of every volunteer was of paramount concern. Each donor received the option of Covid antibody testing and First Presbyterian Church Health Committee will also be the recipient of a monetary reward. The monies raised will go toward funding a bench to go outside the Family Life Center. Many thanks to the following donors that so generously gave of their time to make this blood drive a success:

Rafe Andrews, Lynn Bailey, Vic Bailey, Holly Bannan, David Berry, Joe Biber, Dawn Bingham, Marc Bingham, Katherine Burns, Betsy Burrell, Beth Cecil, Kent Cecil, Greg Colbath, Kyle Corbin, Jenny Dunn, Joe Dunn, Allison Ellis, Tom Evans, Craig Foster, Michael Fowler, Anne-Marie Glover, Lou Ann Harrill, Charley Kay, Cesily King, Tom King, Leslie Lang, Cathy Martinez, Suzan Mason, Betsy Maynard, Clifford McLellan, MC Mitchell, Don Owen, Cherie Pressley, Betty Price, Elizabeth Rabb, Joy Shackelford, Priscilla Sheppard, Septima Smith, Meghann Swofford, Meghan Teague, Ralph Tesseneer, Patricia Webster, Linda West, Crystal Workman.

Kirkin' Tartan Orders Due Friday, July 24
First Presbyterian Church will hold its annual Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans Worship Service on Sunday, October 25. At our Kirkin’ service, we remember ancient times, as well as past and present kith and kin, while asking God’s help and blessings in the future through special music and a procession of bagpipes and tartans.

If you would like to purchase a Tartan, the cost of a banner is $135. The tartan fabrics are ordered from Scotland; we need your payment no later than Friday, July 24. Some clans have multiple patterns available. If you want a particular pattern, please indicate on the order form. Otherwise, we will order the most common pattern for that clan. You will receive an acknowledgment of your order and payment. After the 11:00am service on October 25, the tartan banners will be given to you for storage or display until the next Kirkin’. Only the staffs and banner stands will remain at the church.

To purchase a tartan, please complete the ONLINE FORM OR send your name, address, phone, email, Clan Tartan Name and Pattern, along with $135 to the church office, Attention: Lynise Clarke. Checks payable to "First Presbyterian Church".

If you have any questions or wish to confirm which tartans have already been purchased, contact Lynise Clarke.

Church Closure Update
As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19, your officers have decided that we will not meet for in-person worship during the month of June. However, we will begin approving small gatherings of 10 or fewer people to be held under proper distancing and safe conditions (generally outdoor) as requests are made and the need is reasonable. Your staff is coming up with great ideas for these gatherings, and we will be sharing with you as the plans are finalized. We look forward to the day when we can once again meet for worship!