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Weekly Update for March 8, 2019

The season of Lent has begun. In addition to our usual array of Lent and Holy Week worship services, we are making available several Lenten devotionals. Attached to each weekly email, you will find devotional material produced by the editor of the Presbyterian Outlook Jill Duffield. Hard copies are also available each week at the church.

Below you will also find a scripture, reflection and a prayer for next week from our Prayer Committee. Then in the “Other News” section below, you will find several other recommended devotional resources. Finally, Library Committee has put together a great collection of Lent resources on the cart in the church library. Stop by there and check out something that will enrich your Lenten devotional practices.

May these resources, together with regular participation in worship, service, fellowship, and study, deepen your faith this Lent!

Spring Forward Saturday Night!
Don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead Saturday night before going to bed so that you won’t miss church this Sunday!

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.)

Girl Scout Sunday
Tuesday, March 12, marks the 107th birthday of the Girl Scouts. It commemorates the day in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization’s first 18 girl members in Savannah, Georgia. During Sunday's 11:00am Sanctuary worship service, we will recognize our Girl Scouts, past and present.

A Reflection and Prayer for the First Week in Lent
from our congregation’s Prayer Committee
The word Lent comes to us from old English and means springtime. It is “a season when faith and the virtues of the Christian life grow and flower within our hearts and souls. The purpose of the season of Lent is to help us prepare for Easter when we will renew our baptismal commitment. In the first centuries after Jesus, those who wanted to become Christians spent months (even years sometimes) preparing for their baptisms. Baptisms often took place at sunrise on Easter morning, and Christians who were already baptized would also pray and fast in preparation for renewing their baptismal promises on Easter Sunday. The 40 days of Lent are a time to go ‘back to the basics’ of who we are as followers of Jesus.”

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 renew our baptismal commitment.

Reading: The lectionary reading for the First Sunday in Lent is Luke’s account of Jesus’s temptations in the wilderness. Please read Luke 4:1-13 and consider our baptismal vow to renounce evil.

Prayer: Righteous and gracious heavenly Father, we have promised in our baptismal vows to renounce evil. Yet we know our weaknesses and acknowledge that we need your help to keep our vow. Grant us discernment that we may recognize, rebuke, and reject every suggestion, no matter how enticing, that would lead us away from you. We ask this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who teaches us by his example. Amen.

NEXT WEEK
Focus Group for Economic Mobility – Tuesday, March 12
11am – 12pm in the Large Private Dining Room
RSVP to Travis Wharton: twharton@spcf.org
The Spartanburg County Foundation is participating in an initiative, the Network for Southern Economic Mobility (NSEM), focused on changing the odds of economic mobility for youth between the ages of 14-24 in the City of Spartanburg. Economic mobility is the ability for an individual or family to change their economic status utilizing the resources available in their communities. Our data has found that youth born in poverty in Spartanburg are likely to stay in poverty. Our goal is to determine why this is and how we can help create a more equitable community for all. In order to help build an effective strategy, we must hear the voices of the community. Participate in this focus group on Tuesday, March 12 about Spartanburg’s talent development system – the community assets all residents access on the path from education to the workplace.

Joy Fellowship Outing – Wednesday, March 13
Meet at 10:45am in the FLC parking lot
Join the JOY Fellowship at the Spartanburg Public Library for A Presentation on the Art Work of James Walker “The Battle of Gettysburg”, to be followed by “Music Sandwiched In” with music by Laurel and the Ladds. The presentation begins at 11am, but we will meet at the church at 10:45 to go there together on a church bus. All attending need to bring money to purchase lunch at the library.

Wednesdays at First – Wednesday, March 13
5pm in Fogartie Hall
Menu: Salad Bar, Taco Night (Beef/Chicken), 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, March 13
6:30pm in the Sanctuary.
Dr. Tom Evans will share thoughts and stories from his sabbatical (continued on March 27).

Congregational Meeting – Next Sunday, March 17
The Session has called a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, March 17, immediately following the 11:00 worship service to hear and act upon a recommendation from the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to call an Associate Pastor for Young Adults and Missions and to approve the terms of call.

Sanctuary Rededication – Next Sunday, March 17
On Sunday, March 17, we will rededicate our Sanctuary at a very special worship service at 4:00pm. Dr. Tom Evans will deliver the message, with festive music featuring the Chancel Choir, Chamber Singers, Children’s Choirs, brass octet, and percussion. A time of fellowship will follow the service.

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 Build the First Presbyterian Habitat House – HAPPENING NOW!
Work is progressing well on our Habitat House. This home is being built at the corner of Salem and Maxton Streets in the Maxwell Hills/Duncan Park neighborhood. For a schedule of work and information about how to volunteer, visit www.fpcspartanburg.org/habitat .

OTHER NEWS
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.

Witness Season Update
This year, our Witness Season project was Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA). Our goal this year was to raise $25,000 to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ who have been affected by the flooding in North and South Carolina. So far, we have collected $22,875. You may still give to help us reach our goal. For more info or to give online: www.fpcspartanburg.org/events/witness-season-2019

Youth Century Club
Th Century Club is an above and beyond “investment” into our youth program. We ask members to invest $100 annually to the program - $1.92 a week. The money that is raised is placed in a designated account for community needs, mission trips, scholarships, and service opportunities. To date, FPC members have contributed $14,360! Give online through the church website: https://www.shelbygiving.com/g3/ .

Grief Support Group – Monday, March 18
5:30pm in Room 2213
A new Grief Support Group with Anna Rickell, MSW, LISW-CP, CGP and Beth Cecil, RN will begin Monday, March 18 at 5:30pm in Room 2213. To register, contact Joanie Shackleton ( jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-208-2132).

Children's Choirs Concert – Wednesday, March 20
6:30pm in the Social Hall
Our Children’s Choirs will present a spring concert on Wednesday, March 20, at 6:30pm in the Social Hall. Th e program will include lots of music the children have worked on over this school year. Please join us for this special evening and support our young singers, and feel free to invite extended family and friends! We will follow it up with an Ice Cream Sundae Party for all!

FPC Thornwell Luncheon – Tuesday, March 26
Join us on Tuesday, March 26^th at noon for lunch in Fogartie Hall’s large private dining room. Thornwell’s president and three staff members will share a variety of programs offered. They will highlight ways Thornwell provides services to Spartanburg County families and children. The 12-1 PM luncheon is sponsored by FPC members, but you must make reservations by Friday, March 22. To register: https://www.fpcspartanburg.org/events/thornwell-luncheon .

CPR Class – Thursday March 28
12:45am in the Arthur Center
Three reservations are left for the upcoming American Red Cross Heart Saver CPR class. If you are interested in taking this class, please contact Beth Cecil ( bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-208-2136) to register. Enrollment is limited. The cost is $25.

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.

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!

Search for Director of Children's Ministries
The DCM search team need your help to find our next Director of Children’s Ministries! The very best candidates are often already linked in some way to the congregation they will serve. So please talk to a few people you know, or email them, and let them know FPC is looking for a full-time Director of Children’s Ministries. Or give one of our search team members the name and contact information and we will follow up! People can find the full job description at www.fpcspartanburg.org/dcm. Resumes and cover letters may be sent to Sara Bailey at sara.bailey@ministryarchitects.com . DCM Search Team: Tim Camp, Celia Cogdell, Craig Foster, Anne-Marie Glover, Callie Hammett, Arthur Jones, Cesily King, Emily Neely (chair).

LOOKING AHEAD
March 17 – Sanctuary Re-Dedication
March 24 – Confirmation Sunday
March 26 – Thornwell Luncheon at FPC
April 10-11 – Faith Summit on Childhood Poverty
April 14 – Palm Sunday
April 18 – Maundy Thursday
April 19 – Good Friday
April 21 – Easter Sunday
June 9 – Pentecost
June 9-13 – Vacation Bible School

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