Weekly Update for June 28, 2019

Our first youth mission team has been doing good and important work in Aiken, SC this week. Check out this article in the Aiken Standard for local news coverage of their efforts. Back home, CAST was in full swing this week, showing God’s love to children living in nearby motels. What an amazing week of missions for FPC!

Even as we pray for our first youth mission team’s safe return from Aiken, we know that our youth mission work continues tomorrow as 20 of your youth and adults, heads to Wind River, Wyoming. They will be partnering with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Native American tribes for a week of children’s programming and home repair. Please join me in praying for safe travels and love in abundance to share with the people they meet!

We look forward to hearing from both of our Youth Mission Teams on Sunday, August 18, as they share their stories with the congregation.

THIS SUNDAY
8:30am Chapel Worship Service
9:30am Sunday School for All Ages
9:45am Young Adult Coffee Fellowship (SPDR)
9:45am Summer Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)
10:30am Sanctuary* & MorningSong* Worship Services

(* 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.)

Young Adult Coffee Fellowship
Young adults, ages 22-35(ish), are invited to meet in the Small Private Dining Room of the Family Life Center, 9:45-10:15am, in June for coffee and fellowship (and sometimes snacks). This will be an informal time for fellowship, sharing of joys and concerns, and building connections. Even if you’re only around for a week or two in June, we’d love to have you! (PS – Childcare is provided in the Clark Building during this time). If you have questions, please contact the Rev. Leslie Lang ( llang@fpcspartanburg.org).

Summer Sunday School – 9:30am
Experiencing God (Room 2201)
Led by Tom Evans and Local Missions Partners
This Summer Series will explore the ways that we experience God through the lens of Tom Evans’ sabbatical work and through the work of several of our mission partners.

June 30:Tom Evans: Experiencing the Holy
July 7: Pastor Luc Aristhene, Haiti Outreach Ministries
July 14: Karl Rogozenski, Spartanburg Opportunity Center
July 21 & 28: Local Mission Partners
August 4 & 11: Tom Evans: Experiencing the Holy
August 18: Experiencing God through Youth Mission
August 25: Tom Evans: Experiencing the Holy

Going to the Good Book (Room 2200)
Led by Ansley Page, Jason Loscuito, John Lefebvre
This summer open your Bible!

Kicking it Old Testament
July 7: Song of Songs: Hot! Hot! Hot!
July 14, 21 & 28: Minor Prophets

James: Faithful Living
August 4: James 1 Faith and Wisdom
August 11: James 2 & 3 Faith without Works /Words Matter
August 18: Joint Class with Youth Mission Report
August 25: James 4 & 5 Patience and Faith

Children’s Sunday School
Birth-age 2 – Clark Building, room 105
Completed 3K-5K – Clark Building, room 110
Completed 1^st-4^th Grade – Clark Building, room 201 (red door)
Rising 6th graders will join the youth classes for Sunday School.

Youth Sunday School
We will have two youth Sunday School classes this summer led by Robert, our youth interns and other volunteer teachers. Rising 6th graders are invited to join the Middle School Sunday School class. Rising 9th graders are invited to join the High Schoolers as well. In June, both groups will explore the Book of James in a series called “You Have Issues.” In July, they will look at “Friendships and Peer Pressure” through the Book of Proverbs. Finally, in August, they will do a series called “Busting Myths” and, guided by the book of Ephesians, tear down myths about being a Christian. Come as often as you are able!

NEXT WEEK
All Recovery Addiction Support Group – Wednesdays
6-7pm in the Arthur Center
All Recovery is a F.A.V.O.R. (Faces and Voices of Recovery) support group. The group focus is to have a conversation with each other and learn more about recovery from addiction. This group is for anyone who has suffered from addiction to a substance and/or who has been affected by the symptoms and/or disease of addiction. This includes family and friends. The group meets every Wednesday evening 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the William L. Arthur Center. For more information contact Lauren Gilmore (864-357-4376) or Beth Cecil (864-208-2136).

Church Facilities Closed Thursday and Friday, July 4-5
All church facilities, including the gym, will be closed next Thursday and Friday in observance of Independence Day.

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.

Stephen Ministry needs YOU !!
Classes start August 5
If you are looking for a way to serve First Presbyterian that allows you a flexible schedule and once-a-week interaction with someone who is desperately in need of some Christian caring, this is the place for you! The new class starts Monday, August 5 at 5:30. Interested? Call, email or text Dana Halliday ( danahalliday1@charter.net / 864 237-0330) More information can be found in Ministry Finder .

Child Poverty Initiative
The Faith Summit on Child Poverty held in April was only the beginning of a long-term initiative in Spartanburg to end child poverty. If you would like to be involved moving forward and were not able to attend the summit or to put your name on the follow-up list, please contact Caroline Goodman ( cgoodman@fpcspartanburg.org ) and ask to be added. Four focus groups are in the process of forming now, so you can choose your preference: Childcare, Generational Literacy, Living Way, and Neighborhood Isolation.

Weekday School Teachers Needed!
The Weekday School at FPC is still looking to hire a few more teachers and substitute teachers for the 2019-2020 school year. If you are interested in being a teacher or substitute at our wonderful Weekday School, or know someone who would be great, please contact Kris Graham at ( kgraham@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-706-0460).

OTHER NEWS
Undies Sundae Sunday – July 14
11:30am in the Social Hall
Bring a new pack of underwear (in children's, men's or women's sizes) to donate, and cool off with sundaes in the Social Hall.

Summer Hangouts with Holly
Come and spend some time with our new Children’s Director, Holly Bannan. Be ready to play games in the gym/outside, share a special snack, and talk about your Summer “God Sightings!” We will meet from 1:00-3:00pm on the following dates:

July 18: For rising kindergarten, 1^st and 2^nd grade
July 25: For rising 3^rd and 4^th grade
August 1: For rising 5^th grade

Please drop your kids off and pick them back up in the gym.

Young Adult Ice Cream Social – Sunday, July 21
3-5pm at Happy Hollow Park in Converse Heights
Bring a topping to share! For questions, contact Leslie Lang ( llang@fpcspartanburg.org).

Please bring your access cards with you to the church
For the safety of our members, staff, guests, and facilities, an access card is required to enter the building at times other than Sunday morning. Please be sure to bring your FPC access card with you each time you come to the church. If you do not have a card or have lost yours, please see Didi Terry in the church office. Access cards can now be made on the spot while you wait, and cost just $10.

LOOKING AHEAD
June 29-July 5 – Youth Wyoming Mission Trip
July 4-5 – Church Facilities Closed
July 8-11 – CAST Camp
July 14 – Summer Sizzle: Undies and Sundaes
July 18 – Hangouts with Holly (rising K-2^nd)
July 21-27 – Montreat Youth Conference
July 25 – Hangouts with Holly (rising 3^rd & 4^th)
July 28-August 4 – SPIHN
August 1 – Hangouts with Holly (rising 5^th)
August 5-8 – CAST Camp
August 11 – Summer Sizzle: Dog Days of Summer
August 25 – Last Day of Summer Worship Schedule
August 25 – Summer Sizzle: Wet & Wild Back to School Bash
September 1 – One Worship Service (No Sunday School)
September 8 – Rally Day
September 20-22 – Church Retreat at Montreat
September 20-25 – Cuba Mission Trip
November 3 – Ecumenical Blood Drive

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