Weekly Update for March 28, 2019

Spring Break has begun for many area families. Safe travels to those who are traveling, and don’t forget that you can worship with us wherever you are at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live !

Our Faith Summit of Child Poverty is coming up quickly on April 10-11. For more information and to register, visit www.fpcspartanburg.org/povertysummit .

Habitat Volunteers Especially Needed THIS SATURDAY, March 30
We are still shorthanded for our work on our Habitat House on Saturday. We need a big crew (at least 10) to help hang drywall in our Habitat house at 123 Salem St., near Duncan Park. There are morning (8:30-12:00) and afternoon (12:30-4:00) shifts, and you can come for either or both shifts. To sign up, see the schedule, or check out pictures of our progress, visit www.fpcspartanburg.org/habitat .

THIS SUNDAY
8:45am MorningSong* in Fogartie Hall &
Chapel Worship Service
9:45am Sunday School for All Ages
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.)

A Reflection and Prayer for the Fourth Week in Lent
from our congregation’s Prayer Committee
This year the Prayer Committee invites you to join us in a lectionary reading and prayer each week during Lent as we prepare our hearts and souls for Easter and reflect on our baptismal commitment.

Reading: The lectionary reading for the Fourth Sunday in Lent is Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son. Please read Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 and reflect on our baptismal promise to guide and nurture our children with love and prayer.

Prayer: Loving and forgiving God, we thank you for parents who taught us to know and follow you. We pray for your guidance as we nurture, support, encourage, and strengthen our children in the faith. As we prepare for the Faith Summit on Child Poverty during this Lenten season, help us to find ways to provide spiritual, as well as physical, care to all the children in our community. In the name of your beloved son who welcomed the children to come to him, Amen.

NEXT WEEK
Wednesdays at First – Wednesday, April 3
5pm in Fogartie Hall
Menu: Salad Bar, Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Baby Lima Beans, Bread, Dessert
Join your church family for Wednesdays at First! No reservations are necessary, but if you wish to pre-pay online, you may do so at: fpcspartanburg.org/waf.

WAF – Reflections on My Sabbatical – Wednesday, April 3
6:30pm in the Sanctuary
Dr. Tom Evans will share thoughts and stories from his sabbatical. Did you miss one of the last two weeks? Can’t make it next Wednesday? Check it out online .

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Find these and more 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.

Help needed at SPIHN – Week of April 21-28!
SPIHN's mission is to help temporarily homeless children and their families become self-sufficient by bringing together community resources to provide essential needs and life skills in a compassionate environment. Our next SPIHN week is April 21-28. These families need assistance by providing meals, supplies, and positive interaction. For more information or to volunteer, please click the links below.

• SPIHN Meal Provider
• SPIHN Evening Host
• SPIHN Overnight Host

Cuba Mission Trip – September 20-25, 2019
Applications required by April 15!
Travel with First Presbyterian Church to Cuba September 20-25, 2019! We will meet various groups through our sister church, Villa Clara Reformed Presbyterian Church, attend worship services and spend some time sightseeing. Exceptional food, music and fellowship are guaranteed. The cost is $1500 per person. Due to VISA lead times, applications must be submitted by April 15, 2019 with a deposit of $750 to Katie Resumovic ( kresumovic@fpcspartanburg.org ) in the church office. You can pick up an application in the church office or download a form on our website at www.fpcspartanburg.org/cuba . Questions or concerns, please contact Kam or Emily Neely or Pat Tatham.

OTHER NEWS
SPIHN Informational Meeting – Monday, April 8
5:30-7pm in the Arthur Center
SPIHN is holding a casual information meeting for any potential volunteer and current volunteers. The Director of SPIHN, Beth Rutherford, will update us with what volunteers should expect, a little more info on our families, the direction SPIHN is taking and a time for Q&A. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP at http://bit.ly/2NKxUr0. If you have any questions, please email Crystal Workman at workman06@charter.net.

Faith Summit on Child Poverty – April 10-11
Recently the Racial Equity Index has exposed deep ills within our town on the topic of poverty. To create sustainable change in Spartanburg will require us to open our hearts to people all across our community. In partnership with the Spartanburg County Foundation. we are hosting a Faith Summit on Child Poverty to discuss these issues. Please join us for worship and an interactive kick-off workshop on Wednesday evening, April 10 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm and then a day of speakers, relationship-building, and table discussions on Thursday, April 11 from 8:30am to 3:30 pm. Questions? Contact Joy Jones ( jjones@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-583-4531). For more information or to register, please go to www.fpcspartanburg.org/povertysummit .

Palm Cross Workshop - Wednesday, April 10
3pm-5pm in the Large Private Dining Room
Join your church family, young and old to make crosses out of palm fronds for each person who will worship with us on Palm Sunday. Bring your clippers or scissors - and stay for dinner and the Faith Summit on Child Poverty. If you would like to help, please contact Mary Lorick Thompson ( marylorick.thompson@salem.edu / 336-813-2678).

Palm Sunday Brunch – Sunday, April 14
9:45am in the Social Hall
On Sunday, April 14, after the 8:45 am Worship Services, come to the Gym and enjoy brunch with your church family! Bring your favorite breakfast food to share – coffee cake, fruit, breakfast casserole, muffins, biscuits. After a delicious brunch, head out to Montgomery Commons for the Palm Procession. There will be no Sunday School on Palm Sunday.

Vacation Bible School
Mark your calendar now for June 9-13 so that you can be part of this year’s Vacation Bible School. We’ll kick off the week for the children during a special Children’s Worship session (for all ages rising 4K to rising 6 ^th grade) on Sunday, June 9, and continue the fun with our first Summer Sizzle after the service. Want to volunteer? Contact Molly Jones at mollyjones01@gmail.com or text her at 843-412-1022. We hope you’ll join us as we deepen our faith in God and have fun while we do it!

Other Lenten Devotional Resources
Here are some great devotional resources available online (some with print options and email delivery):

· Presbyterians for Earth Care is an independent organization serving members and congregations within the Presbyterian Church (USA). They have pulled together some great writers to produce a weekly devotional resource with Bible readings, reflections, and prayers for the season of Lent.

• d365.org is a year-round daily online devotion that is a collaboration of the youth ministries offices of the Presbyterian Church (USA), The Episcopal Church, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Though designed with students in mind, they speak to people of all ages. Mobile apps are also available for Apple and Android .
• Upper Room is a publishing branch of the United Methodist Church, and the daily devotions they produce come from different writers around the world each day, and the devotional is published in 33 languages and 100 countries around the world. Each day’s devotion can be read online for free, and inexpensive subscriptions add email or print delivery.
• Our Daily Bread is another very popular year-round daily devotional published in 58 languages and 150 countries. The online edition is free and includes a well-produced audio version. Print editions , email delivery , and mobile apps are also available, and .devotions are also posted toFacebook and Instagram.

Chestnut Street Parking Safety Concern
Please make a point to remove ALL parked cars from the Chestnut Street parking spaces before 11:45am each weekday. Parked cars in the pick-up line create a dangerous situation both for children and motorists.

Church Directory – There's an App for That!
The ShelbyNext Membership App is available for both Apple and Android devices. Through this app you can search an always up-to-date membership directory, see the church calendar, modify your own information, contribute to the church's mission, view your contribution history, and print contribution statements. After you download and launch the app, enter "firstpres" for the domain and your username and password. To login, you must have a valid email address in our church database. For detailed information: www.fpcspartanburg.org/discover/member-login .

LOOKING AHEAD
April 8 – SPIHN Informational Meeting
April 10-11 – Faith Summit on Childhood Poverty
April 14 – Palm Sunday
April 18 – Maundy Thursday
April 19 – Good Friday
April 21 – Easter Sunday
April 21-28 – SPIHN
April 22 – Church Facilities Closed
April 28 – Installation of the Rev. Leslie Lang (One Service at 11am)
May 19 – Baccalaureate Sunday
May 19 – Blood Drive
May 26 – Begin Summer Worship Schedule
May 27 – Church Facilities Closed
June 9 – Pentecost
June 9-13 – Vacation Bible School
June 24-27 – CAST Camp
June 29-July 5 – Youth Wyoming Mission Trip
July 4 – Church Facilities Closed
July 8-11 – CAST Camp
July 12-27 – Montreat Youth Conference
July 28-August 4 – SPIHN
August 5-8 – CAST Camp
September 20-22 – Church Retreat at Montreat
September 20-25 – Cuba Mission Trip

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