First News
December 9, 2019
Congregational Meeting
There will be a congregational meeting on December 15th @ 11:00 am in the Sanctuary to elect a Pastor Nominating Committee and hear a report from the Special Nominating Committee.
Continue reading for more details on these events and more
Dear People of First Presbyterian Church Greer,

I give thanks to God for the generosity I find reflected in the financial pledges most of you have made to the church to sustain its ministry in the coming year. I also give thanks for the diligence of the Session’s Finance Committee who has crafted a proposed church budget for 2020 with a spending level that is $8,000  less  than the level budgeted for 2019. Your leaders are being very faithful stewards of the resources you entrust to them to manage.

Even with your generosity, the reality to date is that the church has a significant gap of about $70,000 to fill in order to meet the same gift level as 2019 and thus to fund this proposed frugal budget.

If you have not yet made a pledge to the church for 2020 I urge you to do so. If you have made a pledge and are led to amend that pledge to help meet this gap I would rejoice! You may do so by sending a note of your amendment to Lynn Bennett, our Financial Secretary, here at the church.

After the departure of a pastor while the next pastor is still unknown, it is often a time when members of a church sometime rest a bit from giving. Combined with this tendency, there has been a change in the tax law that no longer gives great incentive to increasing charitable giving if such giving in a two person household is under $26,000 annually. With these conditions as headwinds against us, my prayer is you as members of First Presbyterian Church — Greer will rise to the challenge and enable this congregation to thrive in its ministry and mission in this time of transition.

Thank you for your faithfulness.

Grace and peace,

Pete Peery
Interim Pastor
Join us on Sunday December 15th for our annual Children's Nativity and Congregational Breakfast at 10:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. The children of FPCG will lead us through the Christmas story and we will have a covered dish breakfast in between worship services.

Please bring 2 breakfast dishes to share.
December 13th Senior high Lock in! Meet at the church @ 5:30 to help assist with Fabulous Friday. Then we will do a service project, eat a midnight meal at Waffle House, watch a movie, play games, and then spend the night at FPCG! Pick up will be at 8 am on Saturday the 14th. Please bring a gift for a white elephant gift exchange! (No more than $10).

December 15th Mid high event from 5:00-7:00pm. Meet at the church for a movie night, devotion, and cookie decorating! Please bring a gift for a white elephant gift exchange! (No more than $10).
December 18th
6:30 pm
Join the Choir as they travel to visit members of FPCG and sing Christmas Carols along the way.

December 22nd
Adults, Youth & Children are all invited to gather in the fellowship hall at 10:00 to walk over to Victoria Arms for Christmas Caroling.
Adult Day Trip Coming in January

An adult day trip is planned for Wednesday, January 8 to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The group will meet at the church at 8:30 am and return by 5 pm. We will tour the house, the Downton Abbey exhibit, have lunch and shop at Antler Hill Village. The cost $45.00 per person, which covers transportation in mini vans and entrance into Biltmore. If you would like to attend, please contact Ken Dill or Whitney by Thursday, December 19. 
Advent Study
You are invited to join us on Wednesdays as we use Amy-Jill Levine’s Light of the World to look at the Christmas narrative through the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, the journey to Bethlehem and the visit from the Magi. The study will take place on Wednesdays at 10 am and 6 pm in the Agape Room. The class will meet on December 11 and 18.
Your purchase and gift of Cafe Justo is not only the gift of delicious coffee, but also the gift of hope and support of coffee farming families. Cafe Justo is a co-operative of coffee farmers who produce fair trade, organic, family grown coffee. We will have 1 lb. bags for $10 and ½ lb. bags for $5 available for purchase throughout December.
Greer Relief, one of our local mission partners, offers thanks to everyone who donated gifts, toys and clothing for the Christmas Morning Shoppe. Thank you for your generosity in sharing Christmas cheer with our neighbors. 
The Women's Circle is collecting socks for homeless veterans. They will be distributed in the upstate by Upstate Warriors Solution. Please look for a box in the hallway of the church for donations.
If you have not been able to turn in your 2020 pledge card you may place it in the offering plate or contact Lynn Bennett in the church office. Thank you for your faithful and generous giving.

Please pick up your 2020 contribution envelopes that are located in the Gathering Area Hallway.
All 2019 contributions must be in the Church Office by 1:00 on Tuesday December 31st, or postmarked on or before December 31st. All contributions received postmarked after that time will be posted to 2020, regardless of the date on the check. Electronic contributions must be dated to be received by the Church no later than December 31st. 
Volunteers Needed
The Evangelism Committee is looking for individuals to help out on Sunday Mornings. If you are interested in representing our congregation by greeting visitors and answering their questions as well as collecting the ritual of friendship forms after worship please reach out to Maggie Wentzky . A schedule will be made for all of 2020 and it will be sent out by January.
The church-wide Christmas card mailbox is located in the hallway outside the Gathering Area. Please feel free to place Christmas cards to church members in the alphabetized boxes. Please be sure to check the box for cards to you and your family.
Click on the picture above to see FPCG's recent photos from youth events, worship & more.
Joys & Concerns of FPC Family

Dick Baldwin
Bob Brown
Barbara Greene
Gwen Johnson
Linda McDaniel
Cindy Moore
Keith Smith
Jim Stringer
Sammy Taylor

Christian Sympathy is extended to Scott Crandall and his family on the passing of his father.
Calendar of Events

December 9
6:30 Youth Basketball Game
7:30 Women's Basketball Game

December 10
1:00 Prayer Shawl Ministry
3:00 Circle
6:30 Basketball Practice

December 11
10:00 Advent Bible Study
6:00 Advent Bible Study
6:00 Basketball Practice
6:15 Choir Rehearsal
7:15 Handbell Rehearsal
8:15 Praise Team Rehearsal

December 12
6:00 Basketball Practice

December 13
6:00 Fabulous Friday
5:30 Sr. High Lock-in

December 14
9:00 K4/K5 co-ed basketball game @ El Bethel Baptist Church
10:00 1st & 2nd grade boys basketball game @ Abner Creek Baptist Church
10:00 3rd-5th grade girls basketball game @ Fairview Baptist Church
11:00 3rd-5th grade boys basketball game @ Memorial Methodist
11:00 3rd-5th grade boys basketball game @ Abner Creek Baptist Church
2:00 6th-8th grade girls basketball game @ Memorial Methodist
2:00 6th-8th grade boys basketball game @ Fairview Baptist Church
7:00 Upstate Men's Choir Concert

December 15
8:55 Worship in Sanctuary
10:00 Children's Nativity Play
11:00 Congregational Meeting
11:00 Worship in Sanctuary
3:00 Basketball Practice
5:00 Mid-High Event
6:30 Service of Healing & Wholeness

December 16
6:30 Youth Basketball Game
8:30 Women's Basketball Game

December 17
1:00 Prayer Shawl Ministry
6:00 Basketball Practice

December 18
10:00 Advent Bible Study
6:00 Advent Bible Study
6:00 Basketball Practice
6:15 Chancel Choir
7:15 Handbells
8:15 Praise Team

December 19
6:00 Basketball Practice

December 20

December 21
10:00 K4/K5 Co-Ed Basketball Game @ Pehlam First Baptist
10:00 1st & 2nd Grade Boys Basketball Game @ Abner Creek Baptist Church
10:00 3rd-5th Grade Girls Basketball Game @ Fairview Baptist Church 11:00 3rd-5th Grade Boys Basketball Game @ Apalache Baptist Church
1:00 6th-8th Grade Girls Basketball Game @ Fairview Baptist Church
2:00 6th-8th Grade Boys Basketball Game@ Apalache Baptist Church

December 22
8:55 Worship in Sanctuary
10:00 Sunday School/Caroling @ Victoria Arms
11:00 Worship in Sanctuary
12:00 Rehearsal for Christmas Eve Nativity
3:00 Basketball Practice
864-877-3612    www.fpcgreer.org