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Does Your Church have a Cemetery?
Join us
July 25th 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.
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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.
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Music Ministry Leaders
LUNCH
Wednesday, July 19
at Corelife Eatery on Woodruff Road
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Young-ish Pastors Gathering
12 noon, July 20
at
Warehouse at Midtown in Greenville
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CRE Cohort
Tuesday, August 8
12:30 pm
at the Presbytery office
Bring your lunch.
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Christian Educators Gathering
No meeting in July. Next gathering is August 14~
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Validated Ministry
Pastor Gathering
Wednesday, August 16
11:30 am
at Westminster, Greenville
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Resources we have found challenging & inspirational:
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Stewardship Task Force
The Stewardship Task Force was established in the summer of 2022 and charged with recommending a path forward for Foothills’ stewardship activities over the next 3-5 years. The group, comprised of ruling and teaching elders from churches across the area, have listened to reports from the Presbyterian Foundation, explored “best practices” in conversation with other presbyteries, read Sailboat Church, and talked endlessly about generosity. After a year of work, the task force now is turning its focus to recommendations on ways to educate our members about stewardship and, more broadly, the work of Foothills Presbytery.
Early in its time together, a member of the task force crafted a prayer that each member adopted as part of their daily devotional time. We invite you to pray alongside us as we continue this important work.
Gracious God, thank You that You have entrusted Foothills Presbytery to manage and steward your financial resources. Please help each one of us to be diligent and focused in our daily prayer as we ask for your guidance of this stewardship task force. We seek to discern how to engage and invite congregations to give out of the abundance and joy of being God’s people. (Continue with your own personal prayer.)
We pray this all in Jesus’ name, Amen
Task Force Members:
David Beacham (RE, 1st Spartanburg), Dennis Latham (RE, Easley), Stuart Mauney (RE, 1st Greer), Stan Painter (RE, Fourth), Terri Price (TE, honorably retired), Stan Reid (TE, at large), Sandy Tolly (RE, 1st Anderson), Russ Williams (RE, Westminster-Greenville) and Debbie Foster (ex officio)
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Are you ready for a day of rest and renewal before the end of the summer?
Join us for Sabbath by the Pool at the home of Synod Executive Valerie Young on July 31st. It is a drop-in event, between 11-4, in Jacksonville, FL. Lunch, snacks and drinks will be provided.
We are considering reserving a hotel block close to Valerie's home to allow women from throughout the Synod to attend. Travel grants may also be available.
Registration information coming soon!
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2023 dates
Note: Additional dates and locations (including the West Coast) will be added soon.
July 18-19
Wellshire Presbyterian Church, Denver, CO (IN PERSON)
July 25-26
Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church, San Diego, CA (IN PERSON)
August 24-25
Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC (IN PERSON)
October 24-25
Chicago, IL (IN PERSON)
Registration opens Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
November 1-2
Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA (IN PERSON)
Registration opens Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
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The Thinking Retirement: Identity, Vocation, and Economics (THRIVE) seminar is designed to educate, engage, and inspire plan members and their spouses and partners for their journey toward wholeness in retirement living.
The THRIVE seminar is designed for Benefits Plan members who are 10 or fewer years away from retirement, and their spouses or surviving spouses. This includes part-time employees who are enrolled in any benefit from the Benefits Plan.
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FERNCLIFF MISSION TRIP
SEPTEMBER 9-16 2023
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REGISTER TODAY!
NEW Full Flyer with QR Code
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A Day Workshop for Church Leaders
Presented by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program
Sponsored by Foothills Presbytery
In this workshop, we explore some of the ways the challenges and stresses of
our work can affect us, including compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and burnout with a focus on enhancing our ability to respond in healthy ways to stress. We’ll share strategies that can help in preventing or reducing these effects, including relaxation and resilience-building tools, mindfulness and sharing our story with trusted others. We’ll also spend time with compassion satisfaction and the ways our work and other aspects of our lives can bring joy and growth.
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Elder Refresh II
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!
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We are excited to announce that the Association of Smaller Congregation's Annual Conference will return to Epworth by the Sea in 2024!
The theme for this next gathering is "The Gift of Small," which we will explore together with our speakers and workshop leaders.
Please mark your calendars for February 29 - March 4, 2024, and look for more details by email and on our website.
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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
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Fourth Presbyterian Church and North Anderson Community Church Presbyterian Church are Certified as PC(USA) Earth Care Congregations!
These two Foothills Presbyterian Churches are certified as an Earth Care Congregation by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Presbyterian Hunger Program through February 2024. The Earth Care Congregation certification is designed to recognize churches that make the commitment to take seriously God’s charge to “till and keep” the garden.
This status speaks to the serious commitment these church have made to care for God’s earth. To become an Earth Care Congregation, this congregation affirmed an Earth Care Pledge to integrate environmental practices and thinking into their worship, education, facilities, and outreach.
Started in 2010 by the PC(USA), the goal of this program is to inspire churches to care for God’s earth in a holistic way, through integrating earth care into all aspects of their church life. The Earth Care Congregation certification honors churches that make that commitment and encourages others to follow their example.
These two churches are part of the 9 churches certified in South Carolina and two of the 305 churches in our denomination that chose to dedicate themselves to intentional care of God’s earth this year. This congregation’s activities and commitment brings hope to their community and indeed to the world. We believe that these churches will inspire others to respond intentionally to God’s call to care for the earth,” says Jessica Maudlin, Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care Concerns for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
For more information about Fourth Presbyterian Church’s earth care program contact [email protected] and their Earth Care Team and/or North Anderson Community Church Presbyterian’s at 864-940-6060 or [email protected] .
For more information on the Earth Care Congregations program visit www.pcusa.org/earthcarecongregations.
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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!
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...that the first 25 campers who register from Foothills Presbytery churches will automatically get a $50 Campership
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...that this is the 75th Summer on the lake!
Check out the 75th Anniversary Celebration Activities below and on the Camp Fellowship Website
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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.
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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!
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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.
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Click here to see additional
Available Jobs
on our website.
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Sign Language in Worship – Who’s it for?
Jun 15, 2023
by Shawn Thomas, Director of Music and Communications at Seneca Presbyterian Church
Have you ever been to a worship service that included sign language? How was it used? Was the entire service interpreted? Were there deaf attendees in the congregation? Was sign language used to interpret both spoken word and sung music? Or, are you unfamiliar with sign language being a part of worship and the idea is completely new to you? Good news! No matter how you answered those questions, this article is for you.
Okay, so this article is for you, but what about the title, “…Who’s it for?” Who is sign language in worship for? What’s the purpose of including sign language in worship? Well, as with all aspects of worship, the number one answer is that it’s for God. It’s part of worship, therefore it’s for God. Worship means to ascribe worth and we are encouraged to do just that throughout scripture, including in Matthew 22:37-38, “Therefore, as we sing praises to God, we are ascribing worth to Him. While the believer’s entire life should be characterized by worship.” We sing for God. We pray for God. We hear and speak the word for God. We bow for God. We stand for God. We play instruments for God. Everything we do in worship, we do it all in the name of Jesus for God (Colossians 3:17). Sign language is another way we can do something in worship for God. It’s another opportunity to present ourselves as an offering through our talents, and in this case, using our bodies in movement.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events | |
2023
June
27 Session Minutes Reading at First (Spartanburg)
July
3-4 FP Office Closed in observance of Independence Day!
6 Committee on Ministry meeting
13 Investment Committee meeting - Zoom
15 Camp Fellowship 75th Anniversary Event
19 Music Ministry Leaders Lunch
Foothills Presbytery Calendar
2023 Foothills Presbytery Stated Meetings
November 14, 2023
10:00 am - 2:30 pm Foothills Presbytery Stated Meeting #124
Location TBA
2024 Foothills Presbytery Stated Meetings
February 20, 2024
May 18, 2024
August 3, 2024 (Virtual)
November 12, 2024
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