Weekly Update for November 16, 2018

Gratitude to God is central to our lives of Christian Discipleship. We follow in God’s ways, not to earn our salvation. That has already been given to us We follow in God’s ways because we love God and are thankful for God’s many blessings.

So let us truly be thankful to God this week, and let our gratitude be expressed in faithfulness, generosity, and love. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

SUNDAY
Worship
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.)

Thornwell Home Offering
Last week, the children received the traditional turkey cards for donation to Thornwell Home. You may turn in those cards to your child’s Sunday School class or place them in the Offering Plate this Sunday. This is an annual children’s offering for the work and mission of Thornwell, a community of believers that seeks to reach hurting children and families.

No Youth Fellowship this Sunday
There will be no youth programming on Sunday November 18 due to Thanksgiving week.

NEXT WEEK
Community Thanksgiving Service – Tuesday, November 20
6:00-8:30pm at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church
Join with the interfaith community of Spartanburg to give thanks, and support a local cause! All proceeds from the evening's offering will benefit SWITCH, an organization that fights human trafficking and sexual exploitation. SWITCH will use the funds to support its intervention program in the Spartanburg County Detention Center, providing trauma-informed care to women who are incarcerated and have a history of sexual exploitation. The Spartanburg County Foundation will match the offering up to $5,000

No WAF this Wednesday.
There will be no Wednesdays at First this coming Wednesday, November 21. WAF will resume on November 28 with some Thanksgiving stories from Kirk Neely, Christmas decorating, and Tom Evans’s weekly Bible study.

Church Closed Thursday and Friday, November 22-23
All church facilities, including the gym, will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the day after. For pastoral emergencies, please call 864-208-2142.

Read Through the Bible in 2018
Fri, Nov 16 – Ezekiel 32, 33 / 2 Peter 1
Sat, Nov 17 – Ezekiel 34, 35 / 2 Peter 2
Sun, Nov 18 – Ezekiel 36, 37 / Psalms 126-128
Mon, Nov 19 – Ezekiel 38, 39 / 2 Peter 3
Tues, Nov 20 – Ezekiel 40, 41 / 1 John 1
Wed, Nov 21 – Ezekiel 42, 43 / 1 John 2
Thurs, Nov 22 – Ezekiel 44, 45 / Psalms 129-131
Fri, Nov 23 – Ezekiel 46, 47 / 1 John 3
Sat, Nov 24 – Ezekiel 48 / 1 John 4

OTHER NEWS.
Angel Tree
Each Christmas, FPC sponsors children who have a parent in prison. Look for the Angel Trees after Thanksgiving and pick-up a tag for a child. Each child will receive one gift not over $25.00. Wrapped gifts with the angel tag attached should be taken to the Perrin Room by Sunday, December 16. If you are interested in delivering gifts on Christmas Eve beginning at 9:00 a.m., contact Brandt Goodwin (brandtgoodwin@gmail.com / 864-542-4764).

Be a Santa to a Senior!
The Shepherd’s Center is partnering with “Be a Santa to a Senior” to provide Christmas gifts to seniors living in a Medicaid-supported facility who may not have Christmas. The Shepherd’s Center has a Christmas tree on the second floor of the main building, near the elevator. Choose a senior from the tree, purchase one or more of the gifts listed and bring the gift back to the box provided near the tree. Help spread the love this holiday season! Gifts are due back by December 3. So don’t delay!

4th Tuesday Soup Kitchen - November 27
We are happy to serve a Thanksgiving meal this month, and we welcome donations and volunteers. The following donations are needed for the meal: turkey, ham, stuffing, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, rolls, pies, and sweet tea. To volunteer or donate, contact Will DeLaney, Beth Perry or Tina Hamilton (4thtuesdaysoupkitchen@gmail.com).

Prayer Coffees – Thursday, November 29
11am in the Parlor
Prayer Coffees are held monthly in the church Parlor and are open to all members. Each coffee will be hosted by a member of the Prayer Committee. Participants may pray silently or aloud—however the Holy Spirit leads them. These will be held at 11am on the 4^th Thursday of the month. Time will be limited to 45 minutes. Our final Prayer Coffee for 2018 will be on November 29. Please mark your calendars and join us as often as possible.

Haiti Mission Trip – March 23-30, 2019
Applications due by November 29, 2018
Travel with Converse students and faculty members, Jason Locuito and Patti Foy to Haiti, March 23-30, 2019. The team will be doing projects related to education as well as general mission work (painting, etc). We will plan to take full advantage of the skills of the people who ultimately decide to travel. Three of the Converse participants will be implementing music instruction on the trip--anyone who wants to go who has musical skills is welcome to participate in that activity. The trip is $1,500 and applications can be found in the church office or on our website at https://www.fpcspartanburg.org/serve/a-world-in-need/haiti.

Family Advent Celebration – Sunday, December 2
Noon in the Social Hall
Come and join in the 2018 Family Advent Celebration! This year’s celebration will be held right after the 11 o’clock service on Sunday, December 2.  We’ll have activities— crafts, telling the Christmas story, and singing—for children of all ages, as well as an opportunity to make Christmas wreaths.  Light snacks/lunch will be served.

Chamber Singers Christmas Concert – Sunday, December 2
5pm in the Sanctuary
The Chamber Singers Christmas concert, I Am Changed, will be held in the Sanctuary on Sunday, December 2 at 5:00pm. Admission is free, and there will be an offering collected for Mobile Meals. Chamber Singers CD's will also be on sale, with all proceeds going to Mobile Meals.

JOY Fellowship Christmas Luncheon – Tuesday, December 4
11:30am in Fogartie Hall
Please RSVP to Joanie Shackleton (jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org) by Wednesday, November 28.

FPC Women’s Retreat “The With-Us God”– February 1-3, 2019
Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, NC
Led by the Rev. Elizabeth Michael Ross
Early Bird Deadline: December 16  Final Deadline: January 2
As women, we long for fruitful and meaningful relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors but can easily feel depleted by the demands and to dos. At our weekend-long women’s retreat, February 1-3, the Rev. Elizabeth Michael Ross will lead us in a time of digging more deeply into the relationships in our lives. Come be a part of this wonderful weekend away! For more information: https://www.fpcspartanburg.org/events/womens-retreat-2019

Weekday School Subs Needed
The Weekday School is currently searching for loving, enthusiastic substitute teachers. We are in need of some dependable women who love children and would be willing to periodically be called upon to assist in a preschool classroom. Each classroom has two teachers, so as a substitute you would be assisting one of the regular classroom teachers. While prior professional experience with children would be wonderful, it is not a requirement. The hours are 8:30 -12:15 and we pay subs $40 per day. There is a VERY brief orientation session and background check. If you are interested, please contact Moira Scheel, Weekday School Director, (mscheel@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-208-2148).

Golf Cart Drivers Needed
Our Sunday morning Hospitality cart needs a few new drivers! If you would like a fun task at the church that enables you to meet lots of church folk, then this is the one for you. Our rotational schedule means you would drive once every 6 to 8 weeks. Contact Bryan Pack at (bryanpack@gmail.com / 864-541-1486) or Marsh Rogers (mrogersjr@tworog.com / 704-438-1298) if you are interested.

Winter Warmth Mission
Our annual Winter Warmth Project was held on Saturday, November 10. Over 500 coats were distributed to children from all seven Spartanburg County School Districts. Now. we need your help. A gift of $35 will provide a new, warm winter coat for a child in need. Donation forms can be found in the Tower Room or you may give online. If you would like to "give" a coat, Gift Cards are available in the church office.

SPIHN Donations Needed
Our church is looking to replace some well-loved items before our next Spartanburg Interfaith Hospitality Network rotation. Please put any donations in the SPIHN crate in the All in Missions room (across from the church library). We are so appreciative of any and all donations!! If you have any questions, please email Crystal Workman workman06@charter.net.

Items Needed:
2-4 pack and play(playpen) sheets in neutral colors
pillows
hand towels
twin sheet sets

Grief and Grace Booklet Available
Grief and Grace: A Faith Journal is now available to you as a resource for your grief journey. The journal is a compilation of stories from church members of their own experiences with grief and healing. Copies are available in displays near the Sanctuary. This booklet is sponsored by the Women’s Ministry Committee in celebration of All Saints’ Day and the 175th Anniversary of First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg.

APNC Needs YOUR Input
The APNC would like your help to find an Associate Pastor of Young Adults and Mission. Through your own connections, many of you know potential candidates. Please give one of our Committee members the name and contact information and we will follow up. APNC: Mac White, Chair, Cathy Bagwell, Andrew Darr, Kellie Foster, Laura Stille, Alan Workman, Hannah Zimmerman. You may send information to APNC Chair Mac White or contact any committee member via the ShelbyNext Portal (https://www.fpcspartanburg.org/discover/member-login).

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
November 20 – Spartanburg Community Thanksgiving Service
November 25 – Angels Available on Angel Tree
November 29 – Prayer Coffee
December 2 – Advent Begins
December 2 – Chamber Singers Concert
December 4 – JOY Fellowship Christmas Luncheon
December 5 – White Gifts Service
December 9 – Chancel Choir Music Services
December 16 – MorningSong Lessons and Carols Service
December 16 – Moravian Love Feasts
February 1-3 – Women’s Retreat at Kanuga

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