June 9, 2023

On Monday, June 19, a Juneteenth Celebration for the entire community will take place at the historic Mattoon Presbyterian Church located at 415 Hampton Avenue.

The theme of this year’s Juneteenth Celebration is: “When I Liberate Myself, I Help Liberate Others…” These words are taken from the Civil Rights champion, Freedom fighter and Womanist warrior Fannie Lou Hamer.

This family friendly event welcomes all to attend. Performances will include the rhythms of the African Drum Circle of Poe Mill Achievement Center (PMAC), gospel messaging and music from the Sounds of Destiny Choir of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, freedom songs provided by TJ Edwards and Jazzy Trinity Band, verse from Upstate Spoken Word artists, and the sounds of Negro Spirituals, Minister Michael Frayer.

A bouncy house, face painting, a storyteller along with arts and crafts for children will also be available throughout the event. Food trucks will be available.

The day's celebration will culminate with Courageous Conversationz©, a two-hour facilitated dialogue and discussion about race and racism coordinated by the Speaking Down Barriers Team, whose mission is, “Equity for All.” Last year’s powerful dialogue and discussion began with a question: When did you become race conscious? This year’s discussion will go deeper and explore two critical questions, “What is your liberation project?” What is your liberation work?"

“We’re excited to acknowledge and embrace the history of the ancestors together with the beloved community through our Juneteenth Celebration,” said Rev. Dr. Lerone Wilder of Mattoon Presbyterian Church. “The vision and values of the ancestors align with those of Mattoon of educating, empowering, engaging and equipping the beloved community in meaningful conversationz to end systemic racism in Greenville.”

Registration & Schedule

Review of 2022 Session Minutes

Dear friends,

We completed our first Reading of Session Minutes at Pickens Church on June 5^th. Thanks to the Clerks who participated in that gathering. We have three more gatherings scheduled for you to join other clerks in the review of the 2022 Session Minutes. You may choose whichever option is better for you.

June 15 - 6:00 pm at Central Church (Anderson)
June 20 - noon at Westminster (Greenville)
June 27 - noon at First Church (Spartanburg)

If you are unable to attend one of these gatherings, you may drop off your 2022 Session Minutes at the Presbytery Office, 2242 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville. Or you may contact Robin Morris at the Presbytery Office to make other arrangements. (Email is [email protected] or telephone: 864.288.5774.)

Please complete two forms that you will bring with your minutes to the review.

(Click on the title of each form below to open the document.)

1. Clerk’s Session Minutes Review Form - Please use this form to provide information and to know what attachments to include with your minutes. Please list page numbers for each item and/or mark with tabs. This form will guide you through each item that will be reviewed in your minutes.

2. Financial Review & Audit Form - As stated in the Book of Order ( G.3.0113 ), each church is required to submit proof that a financial review or formal audit of the church's records has been conducted annually. Written results are to be sent to the church by the firm or individual who conducts the review. The session of each church is to document the results in their annual minutes. *Please make sure this form is included with your minutes as well.

Thank you for your continued service to the church and for your faithful work as a Clerk. We look forward to seeing you at one of the regional gatherings where we can learn from each other as we complete the annual review of Session minutes.

Grace and Peace,

Representation & Review Committee Chair Fred Hyslop

Foothills Peer Ministry

Christian Educators Gathering

Date TBD

Youth Leaders Roundtable

No meeting in July.

We hope to see you at the Enneagram Retreat

August 23-25

Music Ministry Leaders

Wednesday, June 14

at 9 am

by ZOOM

CRE Cohort

Tuesday, August 8

12:30 pm

at the Presbytery office

Bring your lunch.

Validated Ministry

Pastor Gathering

Wednesday, August 16

11:30 am

at Westminster, Greenville

Resources we have found challenging & inspirational:

In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma, by Bernard LaFayette

Elder Refresh

29 participants gathered for our recent Elder Refresh workshop at Inman church. The workshop, led by Rev. Dr. Tom Malone, for newly ordained Elders and those who have previously served, focused on the four areas on which our Book of Order requires each new officer to be examined:

1) Personal Faith

2) Reformed Doctrines and Beliefs

3) Presbyterian Polity

4) Duties of the Office of Elder or Deacon

Did you miss it?

We are planning another so SAVE THE DATE:

November 18

More details coming!

Mental Health First Aid Dates

Thursday, August 31

Thursday, September 7*

(*for those who work with youth)

Thursday, February 29

Click HERE for Full Flyer

The National Black Presbyterian Caucus of the Presbyterian Church USA will hold its 47th Biennial Conference, June 15 through June 17, 2023, at the North Charleston Marriott, Goer Drive. The National President of the Caucus is our own Rev. Dr. Charles C. Heyward, Sr.

Catherine Byrd, Interim Stated Clerk, and Alan G. Rousseau, Moderator, will welcome the National Black Presbyterian Biennial Conference to the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery, Thursday, June 15, at the Opening Session of the NBPC Business Meeting in the Compass Ballroom of the Marriott. We ask that all CAP executive officers, committee chairs, pastors, and our presbytery membership join in welcoming conference participants to town. Conference details are available on the Caucus’s website.

There is no cost to attend the Closing Worship, with Reverend Dr. Diane Givens Moffett, President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, scheduled for Saturday, June 17, 2023, at 11:15 a.m. in the Compass Ballroom.

Camp Fellowship

JUNE VOLUNTEER BLITZ! CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

We need your help to make sure we’re ready for the opening of summer camp! Will you join us for a volunteer experience during the first 15 days of June to help us accomplish some much needed work?

We have projects large and small and for all skill levels! You can come out on your own, or gather a group from your school, church or community group! Invest a few hours, a day or more in this ministry through your gift of service!

Volunteers of all ages and experience levels are welcomed each week day and on weekends as scheduling allows. Email [email protected] to schedule and learn about project needs!

FERNCLIFF MISSION TRIP

SEPTEMBER 9-16 2023

NEW Full Flyer with QR Code

Does Your Church have a Cemetery?

Save the Date:

July 25^th at 5:30 pm

at John Knox

for a Gathering to discuss the Perpetual Care of Church Cemeteries

Many of our congregations are the caretakers of cemeteries. These properties, hallowed ground that shelter the dead until the Resurrection, may be as small as a few gravesites or as large as 40+ acres. The responsibilities facing church Sessions and cemetery trustees are significant, as we have an obligation to provide for these properties’ perpetual care.

The Presbyterian Foundation is receiving increasing numbers of inquiries from congregations and presbyteries about the financial implications of cemetery maintenance and upkeep. Church leaders are seeking strategies to operate with proper care and provide for the funding of (especially older) graveyards and columbaria.

Paul Grier, a Foundation Vice-President and elder and trustee at Greenville’s Westminster Church, will be leading an informative workshop on the “hows and musts and must-nots” of cemetery operation. Time for group discussion of individual challenges and opportunities is included in the agenda.

Location will be in the Greenville area and will be announced at a later date.

Contact information

Kim Smith Ph.D.

[email protected]

704-953-3290

Bethesda Presbyterian Church

to offer Computer/Media Literacy training.

If you don't have a Facebook page or an email account, or if you want to learn how to use Canva to produce flyers and such, there's an app for that: Me. Bring a charged laptop or tablet, or your mobile phone. (First Saturday of every month at 11)

Bethesda Presbyterian Church, USA, will offer basic computer and media literacy training workshops on the first Saturday of every month, beginning in April. This workshop is for people wanting basic knowledge about such popular programs as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and working with Google docs.

In addition, it will also cover more complicated programs and topics. They will include such as how to: use Audacity (a free audio editing program); produce podcasts; produce flyers, logos and infographic resumes with Canva; write for the web; design websites; produce social media videos and slideshows with express.adobe; write a press release and maximize positive news coverage for your church or non-profit; visualize data; and set up and use Zoom for remote meetings. READ MORE

College Scholarships

Let youth and young adults in your churches know that the PC(USA) supports their formation and education through 2023–2024 scholarships. PC(USA) undergraduate and seminary students are eligible for $4000–$8000 from the Presbyterian Mission Agency through the Office of Financial Aid for Service.

Applications are open from now till May 15, 2023, for full-time students enrolling for the 2023–2024 academic year. For more information see our full-page advertisement in Presbyterians Today.

To apply in English, Spanish or Korean, follow the QR codes pictured or click links below.

Summer Camp Registration is LIVE!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Since 1948, Camp Fellowship has provided unique summer programs for children & youth of all ages. We strongly believe camp is for everybody and work diligently to create exceptional programs that engage campers and guests in faith formation, community building, personal growth and development, and fun!

...that the first 25 campers who register from Foothills Presbytery churches will automatically get a $50 Campership

...that this is the 75th Summer on the lake!

Check out the 75th Anniversary Celebration Activities below and on the Camp Fellowship Website

Summer Camp Registration

SC 5 Lay School Fall Semester

The dates for the Fall term for the

SC5 Lay School

have been changed to

October 27 -28, 2023

at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC.

We will update the site with Registration materials as soon as they are available.

Grants offered through the Presbyterian Mission Agency:

Grants and Scholarships

As part of our mission, we have several grant and scholarship programs that assist people, organizations and congregations. View these opportunities and more HERE!

The Worship and Music conference is an intergenerational conference for children, youth, & adults, who serve as pastors, directors, instrumentalists, ringers, worship leaders, choir members, or anyone who loves to sing, play, learn, worship, and fellowship.

Information & Registration

2024 Churchwide Gathering for Presbyterian Women

August 8 - 11, 2024

St. Louis, Missouri

led by Beth Mueller

author of A Common Sense

Guide to the Enneagram for Youth Ministry,

August 22 -25, 2023

Join colleagues from Foothills and Trinity Presbyteries at Camp Fellowship on August 23-25, 2023 for a few days of learning, rest, and renewal.

Beth Mueller, author of A Common Sense Guide to the Enneagram for Youth Ministry, will lead us through a deep dive into the Enneagram and how you can use

the wisdom of the Enneagram to enhance your ministry with

accessible information and practical applications!

For those familiar with the Enneagram, the insights and wisdom offered have obvious benefits for personal growth and relational sanity. But how do you effectively use this tool in ministry? Do you have to know everyone’s number?

Do you have to be a master yourself for the Enneagram to be useful?

It is recommended that you read “A Common Sense Guide to the Enneagram for Youth Ministry” before coming. The book is available on Amazon.com.

The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS) is excited to share that it will be offering two new master's degrees beginning fall 2023.

The master of arts in Reformed theology, a collaboration between UDTS and Theology Matters, is a fully-accredited 36-credit degree, funded in part by the Lilly Endowment. It will focus on a Reformed understanding of the Scriptures, study of classic texts and practices valued by the Reformed tradition, and congregational ministry. Instructors will include members of UDTS faculty and pastor-scholars whose knowledge has been tested in the academy and significant pastoral ministry.

The master of arts in ministry will prepare graduates to be pastoral leaders in local, regional, and missional contexts, especially those pursuing non-traditional pathways to ordained, lay ministry, and Christian formation positions. The fully-accredited, 30-credit degree will provide a flexible, 100 percent online asynchronous curriculum that is ecumenically welcoming, biblically and theologically informed, practical in expression, and focused on serving the Church in its many contexts. The program will also offer optional residential opportunities.

Download the Border-to-Border Registration Form and pay by check

Click HERE for Full Fyler

Florence Presbyterian Community Part-time Chaplain

Click here to see additional

Available Jobs

postings on our

website.

COVENANT CONNECTIONS

Subscribe to Covenant Connections

“What Happens Now”

Jun 1, 2023

The following sermon was preached by Foothills Presbytery Youth Council Co-Moderators, Sophie deMaine and Eva Grow, on May 20th, 2023 at the Foothills Presbytery meeting at Camp Fellowship in Greenwood, SC. The sermon was based on Isaiah 43:1-3, 18-19, and Acts 2:1-21.

Sophie: Good morning! My name is Sophie deMaine. I am a senior at Riverside High School and I am headed to the University of South Carolina.I have served as Co-Moderator of PYC this past year, as well as serving as an Elder of the Session at John Knox Presbyterian. I am heavily involved in my home youth group, as well as the childrens ministry and the Fellowship Committee.

Eva: My name is Eva Grow and I am a senior at Greenville High School, headed to the University of St Andrews in Scotland this fall. I have served alongside Sophie as Co-Moderator of PYC. I currently serve as a Deacon on the Diaconate of Fourth Presbyterian Church. I serve on the Young Adult Committee as well as the AV Committee. I take an active role in the youth group at Fourth and enjoy being a part of the Presbyterian Women. As we begin, I invite you all to close your eyes and picture times when you have felt burnt out. Perhaps there is something in your life that once brought you joy, but no longer does. Maybe it’s a cause that you are passionate about, but it has begun to feel like a burden.

What was your passion that began to feel like a chore?

How did it make you feel?

Do you feel overwhelmed?

Do you feel like a lost sheep?

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE