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Weekly Update for November 15, 2019

This Sunday we will worship together as one body of Christ at 11:00am in the Sanctuary as we ordain Robert Bannan to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament, There will be no services at 8:45am either in the Chapel or Fogartie Hall, but Sunday School will meet as usual. Representatives of Foothills Presbytery will be part of this special service, and the Rev. De’Shun Kilgore will be our guest preacher for the occasion. There will be a reception for Robert in the Perrin Room and surrounding areas after eh service.

Before that, though, our Winter Warmth project is busy getting ready to distribute hundreds of new coats to needy children in Spartanburg County. Please pray for this long-standing ministry of our church and for each family touched by it, that through the warmth provided by these coats, they may feel the warmth of God’s love and our love too!

THIS SUNDAY
9:45am Sunday School for All Ages
11:00am Ordination of James Robert Bannan, Jr. * (Sanctuary)
12:00pm Reception (Perrin Room and surrounding areas)

(* This service will be livestreamed at www.fpcspartanburg.org/live. Bulletins, scripture readings, manuscripts, and video archives can also be found on that page.)

Reforesting Faith in Christian Perspectives Class
Sundays, Nov. 3, 10, and Dec. 1
9:45am in Room C212
Join the Christian Perspectives Sunday School Class as Peter Neidenbach leads them in exploring “Reforesting Faith: What trees teach us about the nature of God and His love for us” by Dr. Matthew Sleeth.

The Bible in Handel’s Messiah
Sundays, Nov. 17 – Dec. 8
10am in Room C210
Hosted by the Faith Driven Sunday School Class
Handel’s Messiah is one of the most-known and beloved musical compositions of all time, but what many do not realize is that the words of Messiah come directly from the Bible. Over the next four weeks, Craig Foster will help us to explore the biblical texts that are brought to life in Part 1 of Messiah, which deals with the prophecy and birth of the Messiah. This is an interesting way to approach and to experience scripture, and will hopefully deepen your appreciation of the Bible and of Handel’s Messiah when the Chancel Choir sings it in worship on December 8 (the final Sunday of our study).

NEXT WEEK
WAF Dinner – Wednesday, November 20
5:00-6:15pm in Fogartie Hall
This week we will enjoy a chili and baked potato bar together at Wednesdays at First. No reservations are necessary and most forms of payment are accepted at the door. Meal costs are: $8 for adults and youth (12 and older), $7 for seniors (55 and over), and $5 for children with a limit of $25 per family.

WAF Program: Enriching Advent
6:30pm in the Purnell Room
Led by Craig Foster
Advent is an important time in the church year when we learn to wait and watch for the coming of Christ. But too often it simply gets absorbed into the business of the holidays. Come explore how we can cultivate peace amid the craziness and find the God for whom we have been searching and waiting.

WAF Program: Weekly Sermon Bible Study
6:30-7:15pm in the Parlor
Led by Tom Evans
This is a time of prayer and fellowship before we dive into the text (based on the sermon 10 days from the study date). Together, we explore the passage and wrestle over what it means for our lives today.

Other After-Dinner WAF Programming
Christian Recreation for Children (Gym and Activity Room)
Youth Wednesday Night Fellowship (Middle School Room)
Sit ‘n Stitch (FLC Lobby)
Wednesday Walkers (Walking Track)

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.

Here are a few of the newest opportunities available within Ministry Finder:

FINANCIAL UPDATE (as of November 11, 2019)
2019 Operating Budget: $3,023,835
Needed to date: $2,616,780
Received to date: $2,132,799
Deficit: <$483,981>

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2020 Proposed Budget: $3,131,592
Pledges Received: $1,419,486 (45%)

OTHER NEWS
Search for Director of Hospitality
The Director of Hospitality Search Committee needs your help to find our next “Jane Mullins”. So many of you have contacts throughout the community and we value your input and want to hear from you. Please talk to people or email them, and let them know FPC is looking for a full-time Director of Hospitality. People can find the job description at www.fpcspartanburg.org/hospitality. Resumes and cover letters may be sent to Monteigne Campbell at mcampbell@fpcspartanburg.org. Questions? Contact one of the Committee Members: Jane Breeden (chair), Grier Bomar, John Faris, Joanne Hull, Andy Lancaster, Kay McClure, Richard Strasburger, and Sally White.

Community Thanksgiving Service – Tuesday, November 26
6:30-8pm at Central United Methodist Church (233 N Church Street)
The Spartanburg Community Thanksgiving Service is an annual ecumenical service that provides an opportunity for members of the community to worship together and give thanks. A committee of local clergy selects a nonprofit organization each year to receive the offering, which the Spartanburg County Foundation will match up to $5,000. This year’s offering will go to P.S. I Love You Ministries, a faith-based organization whose mission is to support the foster family.

JOY Fellowship Christmas Luncheon – Tuesday, December 3
11:30am in Fogartie Hall
We welcome back Dr. Kirk Neely as our featured storyteller. Please RSVP to Joanie Shackleton (jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org) by Wednesday, November 27.

New Gym Hours
Monday-Thursday: 7am-9pm
Friday: 7am-5pm
Saturday: 8am-Noon
Sunday: 2pm-6pm

Sunday Security Changes
All entrances to the Clark Building now require key card access on Sundays. The Family Life Center doors will be locked at 10:30am. In the Main Building, all doors will require key cards except for the Tower Room and Narthex's Main Street facing door. The Narthex side doors will lock at 11:15am. On Wednesday evenings, the monitored front doors of the Family Life Center are unlocked, but for other unmonitored doors around campus, including the Tower Room, Clark Building, and Chestnut Street doors, you will need your key card. This is for the protection of all of us, but especially for the protection of the children. Key cards can now be made on-site for a cost of $10.To sum up: All entrance doors are accessible with a member key card. To obtain a key card, see Didi Terry in the church office during the week.

LOOKING AHEAD
(Full Calendar)
November 15 – Winter Warmth Setup
November 16 – Winter Warmth Distribution
November 17 – Ordination of J. Robert Bannan, Jr. (One Worship Service at 11am)
November 26 – Community Thanksgiving Service (Central Methodist)
December 1 – First Sunday of Advent
December 1 – 8:45 Traditional Service Moves to the Sanctuary for Advent
December 3 – Joint Meeting of the Session and the Diaconate
December 8 – Handel’s Messiah in Both Sanctuary Services
December 8 – Family Advent Celebration
December 11 – White Gifts Service
December 15 – Moravian Love Feast
December 18 – Service of Comfort and Light
December 22 – MorningSong Lessons & Carols
December 24 – Angel Tree Distribution
December 24 – Christmas Eve Services (4pm, 6pm, 11pm)
December 29 – One Worship Service (No Sunday School)
February 1-8 – Dominican Republic Mission Trip

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