October 9, 2023

The next Foothills Presbytery Meeting is

November 14, 2023

10:00 am - 2:30 pm

at First Church, Anderson

The theme for our gathering is Abundance and Gratitude. The Worship Committee is partnering with the Stewardship Task Force and Committee on Shared Ministry to weave the topic of Abundance and Gratitude throughout the day.

Worship will include celebrating the Saints of the Church who have joined the Church Triumphant during the last year.
Before lunch, there will be an opportunity to discuss how God’s abundance emerges in our lives and communities. We will hear a report from the Stewardship Task Force celebrating churches who have generously supported the work of the presbytery and highlighting their work.
In keeping with our theme, we invite you to bring donations of grains (oatmeal, grits, cereals) to the November Presbytery Meeting as a sign of God's abundance and provision to those who need it most. The donations will go to Hope Missions of the Upstate.

Honoring All Saints

Foothills Presbytery has a tradition of recognizing and celebrating the lives of Ruling Elders and Ministers (and their spouses), who have entered the Church Triumphant in the last year. We rely on you, our church leaders, to let us know the names of your saints who have faithfully served your congregation and God's beloved community.

Please send the names of those Elders and Ministers (and their spouses) who have died since November 2022 through the present. We will honor and recognize them during worship at our November Stated Meeting of Presbytery.

Please send names to Warren Templeton, [email protected] by Thursday, November 2.

Thank you!

Important reminders from Foothills Presbytery, the General Assembly of the PCUSA, and the PCUSA Board Pensions about decisions that affect you and your congregation.

BoP Insurance options for our Retirees will change in 2024. Information is available HERE online.

If you have specific questions about whether your health care providers are covered in the new plan, you can contact the Humana Customer Care team at 855-273-0021 (TTY: 711) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, to learn more.

Health Care benefits for Pastors will change in 2025.

The Presbytery does not know what the new plan will be, but we do anticipate that all Pastors will continue to receive their full health care and benefits package. The changes will most likely be the benefits plan for spouses and families.

Foothills Peer Ministry

Music Ministry Leaders

Gathering

Wednesday, October 11

by ZOOM

Christian Educators Gathering

Next gathering is

Monday, October 16

Join the Educators at First Spartanburg for a conversation with the Rev. Dr. Becky Davis on Social Media Policies and best practices.

CRE Cohort

Next meeting is

Tuesday, October 24

at 12:30

at the Presbytery office

Youth Leaders Roundtable

Next Gathering is at the

November 2

at First, Greer

Resources we have found challenging

& inspirational:

The Official U.S. Civil Rights Trail: What Happened Here Changed the World by Lee Sentell

Presbyterian Women’s Church-wide Gathering

August 8-11, 2024 in St Louis, MO

Are you making plans to attend?

Want to know what happens at such a gathering?

Watch the Video Below:

We are excited to share with you our virtual Fall 2023 Program Schedule (open to all who wish to attend without cost). We will send a separate email in December with our Winter/Spring 2024 schedule.

Bible Study (Every Other Week)

In this year’s bi-weekly Bible Study, we are working our way through Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. Participants can choose either:

Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:30 p.m. (on Sept. 26, Oct. 10, 24, Nov. 7, 21, and Dec. 5, 19) or
Wednesday mornings, 8:30-9:45 am (Sept. 27, Oct. 11, 25, Nov. 8, 22, and Dec. 6, 20).

You can also request to be on the invitation list for both Zoom groups. There is no expectation to attend every session—just join us when it suits your schedule.

Bedrock Gatherings (Monthly)

Picking up from our Bedrock Gathering discussions last year on Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a bellwether for modern Christians (Fall, 2022) and how Christians dealt with past moments when the Gospel was at risk (Spring, 2023), our Bedrock series this year focuses on the significant challenges facing the Church today and explores the question “What would a new confession of faith look like for our time?”

We will meet monthly by Zoom
The first Thursday evening of each month, from 7:00-8:30 pm: Oct. 5, Nov. 2, and Dec. 7.

Each session stands on its own, so there is no requirement to attend all four meetings this fall.

For more information, please email [email protected]

InChristSupportingMinistries.org

Full Flyer

Thornwell’s LushAcres Farm Fall Festival and Corn Maze

October 7 - 28

Every Saturday 10 to 5 pm

$10 per person gate fee

Children 2 years old and under are FREE Only at LushAcres Farm

1875 W Maple St. Extension Clinton, SC 29325

As you are traveling up I-26 on Saturdays in October, take some time out to visit the Thornwell Farm (Lush Acres Farm) in Clinton! Experience fun for the whole family, plus every ticket purchased, you are directly helping children and families supported by Thornwell’s Continuum of Care. For more information on the Fall Festival go here

When Faith Hurts: Empowering the Faith Community to Recognize and Respond to Child Abuse & Sexual Assault

A conference for members of faith communities and community partners

October 10-12, 2023

The Julie Valentine Center is pleased to invite you to attend When Faith Hurts. We are excited to bring Victor Vieth, the Chief Program Officer for the Zero Abuse Project, to Greenville to conduct the training.

This training will prepare attendees to recognize and respond to cases of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. We will discuss the prevalence of child abuse, the impact of abuse on spirituality, the interest offenders have in churches and faith-based camps and schools, and will offer suggestions for working to assist a child in coping with maltreatment. The training will also discuss ideal child protection policies for a faith based institution, including handling a situation in which a convicted sex offender seeks to join a congregation.

Visit our Website

Stressed? Anxious? Tired?

Let’s face it, life in general is hard! Life in ministry is no exception, especially over the last 3 years. What are we to do?

Your Presbytery has an answer. You are invited to a day-long retreat where you will learn about maintaining health and wholeness as well as how to grow in resilience in the midst of compassion fatigue and burnout.

This workshop is open to all leaders in the church- clergy, ministry staff, deacons, elders, and lay leaders.

Cost: $5 per person, and lunch will be provided.

Thursday, October 19

9:00 - 3:00 pm

at Fourth Presbyterian Church

Presented by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program

Regarding Ruling Elders: A Monthly Series for Serving Faithfully

Studying Scripture and the Issues of Christian Faith and Life

Baptism is a life-defining event that emphasizes a commitment from God to God’s family and from us to God’s creation. It is not a checkbox occurrence, but a lifetime process that is complete only in death. Therefore, it is important for the leadership of the church to keep the commitment of baptism always present as it gets involved in Christ’s mission by “studying Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life.”

Most baptismal services in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) include liturgies that echo the Book of Common Worship and ask the congregation two questions:

“Do you, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture this person by word and deed, with love and prayer? Will you encourage her/him/them to know and follow Christ and to be faithful members of his church?” READ MORE

Please mark your calendars for February 29 - March 4, 2024, and look for more details by email and on our website.

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.

Contact: Kim Smith Ph.D., [email protected], 704-953-3290

Blessing of the Animals Full Flyer

Beth Templeton and Amy Jump-Long have just released a book, Scripture Scents, about essential oils in the Bible:

The most famous use of essential oils in the Bible are the gifts to the Christ Child—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Entering the world of essential oils with their aromas opens up the world of the Bible in new and wondrous ways. The stories told here and the information offered about using essential oils will open up new opportunities for living.

Essential oils are from nature—from plants, trees, flowers, herbs, and grasses. They are God’s creation, surrounding us with beauty and bringing amazement. Is it any wonder that people in Biblical times used these gifts for healing, cleansing, anointing, building, and therapeutic caring?

Available at Renurturetherapy.com or at Amazon.

Amy is a ruling elder at Piedmont Presbyterian and Beth is an honorably retired minister of Foothills Presbytery.