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Weekly Update for May 15, 2020

Dear Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church,

As our society begins to reopen, please be assured your staff and Session are hard at work making plans to reintroduce in -person ministry when it becomes safe to begin that gradual process. At this time, we will continue our current practices of online ministry and worship.

At the May meeting of Session, the Health Committee will advise on the factors to be considered. We will be taking a cautious approach, wanting to ensure to the best of our ability, that we protect the most vulnerable in our community. We are also consulting Presbytery, sister congregations, and guidelines from the CDC and local government agencies as to the timing and nature of returning together. The safety of our congregation is of the utmost importance to us, and we hope you understand that in-person worship will be included in the last phase of our reopening process.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me. I pray God’s presence and the peace of Christ be with you and all you love in this time.

Peace,
Tom

Children’s Ministry Virtual Variety Show – Submissions due TODAY
Does your child play an instrument and can't have a Spring recital? Maybe a dance routine? Horseback riding? We want our children to share their hobbies and talents. Parents, record your child performing and send it back to Mrs. Holly by today, May 15. She's going to create a video with all the videos sent in! For more information, please contact Holly at hbannan@fpcspartanburg.org.

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)
5:00pm High School Youth Group (Zoom)

All services will be livestreamed at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live. Bulletins, scripture readings, manuscripts, and video archives can also be found on that page. Our worship livestreams also appear on Facebook and YouTube. Please sign the online guestbook when you join us for worship online and consider making your regular contributions online. Have you been having trouble with the livestreams? Check out this information on the church website.

Young Adult Trivia – Sunday, May 17 at 8:30pm
Landon Hammett has agreed to host a trivia night for the young adults on May 17^th at 8:30pm via Zoom. You will need two devices: a screen to view the questions, and another device like a phone or tablet to submit your answers. There will be PRIZES!

If you are interested in joining, please email Leslie Lang (llang@fpcspartanburg.org) to register and get additional details.

10:00am Sunday School (Join in)
This Sunday in the combined Adult Class via Zoom, the Rev. Ansley Page will lead us as we wrap up the closing chapter of the Gospel of John.

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)
Calling All Parents of Children and Youth! – Mondays at 4pm (Join in)
Prayer Gathering with Joanne – Tuesdays at Noon (Join in)
Share and Prayer with Ansley – Wednesdays at 10am (Join in)
Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark with Tom – Wednesdays at 6pm (Join in)

Share and Prayer Philippians with Ansley – Wednesdays in May
10am each Wednesday in May on Zoom (Join in)
Join Ansley for a faith connection and a Bible Study on Paul's letter about joy in difficult circumstances. There will be time to chat and share prayer concerns, too.
Meeting ID: 828 0903 6239
Password: 5834531

Hangouts with Holly – Monday & Thursday
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 3K, 4K, and 5K
1:30pm 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd Grade
2:00pm 4^th and 5^th Grade

Youth Group on Zoom – New Schedule!
All youth 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
Sundays at 5pm – High Schoolers
Wednesdays at 4pm – Middle Schoolers
Thursdays at 4pm – High Schoolers

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
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.

Recent Opportunities in Ministry Finder

OTHER NEWS
Blood Connection and COVID-19 Antibody Testing
Donating blood is considered an “essential civic duty” during a pandemic, because blood donations are vital to all communities. The Blood Connection is scheduled to be at First Presbyterian Church Thursday, June 4th from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please contact Beth Cecil to schedule a time to donate (864-641-8772 or bcecil@fpcspartanburg.org). The Blood Connection will be following strict safety protocols for your protection during this blood drive. The Blood Connection is also now offering COVID-19 Antibody Testing at no cost to the donor. For more information, visit thebloodconnection.org/antibody-testing.

Stay up to date on First Presbyterian Church’s response to COVID-19 and learn how to protect yourself and those around you. Visit www.fpcspartanburg.org/covid-19.

Zoom Security and Privacy
We are closely monitoring the news reports about Zoom, but still believe that it is the right tool for the job. But we are using more of Zoom’s built-in privacy and security features. All newly-created events will now have a password. This password will be embedded in the link in this weekly email and in any other email invitation you get from the church. So still all you have to do is click the link to connect. However, any links shared publicly on the church website will not include the embedded password, and you will be prompted to enter a password of you click a link on the church website. For now, the password for all events is 583 4531 (the church phone number without area code or dashes). See www.fpcspartanburg.org/zoom for more information and tips on using Zoom.

Unsubscribing
If you wish to be removed from the mailing list for this weekly email, please simply email Caroline Goodman (cgoodman@fpcspartanburg.org) to make that request. The link below will unsubscribe you from ALL group emails from the church, including many occasional emails you might want to receive!