Reflection
The Apostle Paul writes to the people of the church,
appealing that all should be in agreement:
Judge not, and you will not be judged;
condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Admonishing that there should be no divisions:
Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who abuse you.
Advising that all should be united
in the same mind and the same purpose:
As you wish that people would do to you,
do so to them.
Litany
Called to be of one mind
We have a wide array of ideas.
Called to be united
We are more comfortable with our own kind.
Called to be in agreement
Still, we cherish our right to dissent.
Creating God, remind us again
That our diversity of body, mind and spirit
is a pale reflection of your expansive spirit.
Enable us to embrace our diversity,
Not to divide but rather to draw us closer to you and to one another.
Amen.
~ written by Katherine Hawker. Posted on LiturgiesOutside.net
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Presbytery Office update:
We are opening our resource room and facilities for meetings.
The chairs of each committee are determining how they’d like to proceed. Most of our committees have become efficient at Zoom meetings and will continue to offer a hybrid option. If all continues to go well, we plan for our November Stated Meeting to be in-person
(w/a live-stream component). The office has been operational for some time, but we will continue to be watchful.
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Do you wonder what faith formation
will look like as we emerge from the pandemic?
Are you starting to plan for Fall 2021 and beyond?
Designing Hybrid Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Tuesday, June 22, 2021 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: Rev. Kathy Pittenger
Building Community and Relationships in the Post-Pandemic World
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: Jane Angha
Formation for Christian Living in a New World
Tuesday, August 24, 2021 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: John Roberto
Planning for 2022 and Beyond: A Faith Formation Planning Clinic
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: Catherine (Catzel) LaVecchia
(Videos from each presentation will also be available after the presentation to share with your leaders and teams in the church.)
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"When it comes to race, most White Americans are obsessed with two things: defending our own inherent goodness and maintaining our own comfort levels. Too often, this means white people assume that to be racist, one has to be openly hateful and willfully discriminatory—you know, a bad person. And we know we're good, Christian people, right?
“But you don't have to be wearing a white hood or shouting racial epithets to be complicit in America's racist history and its ongoing systemic inequality. In Good White Racist? Kerry Connelly exposes the ways white people participate in, benefit from, and unknowingly perpetuate racism—despite their best "good person" intentions. Good White Racist? unpacks the systems that maintain the status quo, keep white people comfortable and complicit, and perpetuate racism in the United States and elsewhere. Combining scholarly research with her trademark New Jersey snark, Connelly shows us that even though it may not be our fault or choice to participate in a racist system, we all do, and it's our responsibility to do something about it." --Provided by publisher.
Katina Sharp ends her review of the book for Presbyterian Outlook with the following comments: “I do not recommend this book as comfortable living room reading but as a part of your personal wellness plan. . . . Thank you, Coach Connelly, for insisting that I put away my complacency. I hobble away grateful.”
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Representation & Review Committee members hard at work reading all of the church session minutes you brought to the Presbytery office.
THANK YOU for your participation!
We have received session minutes from 38 churches! Our goal is 100%!
If you have not submitted your minutes yet, please drop them off at the Presbytery Office as soon as you can. If it is not convenient to come to the Presbytery Office, please contact Robin Morris at 864-288-5774 to make arrangements to meet somewhere else.
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Prepare Now for Hurricane Season!
June 1st marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released the 2021 outlook, which predicts another active season. It’s important to remember that it only takes one storm to devastate a community. Now is the time to prepare your home and your family. Remember, hurricanes are not just a coastal problem, so it’s important to know the risks where you live: rain, wind and flooding could happen far from the coast.
Hurricanes are among the most powerful and destructive phenomena in nature. The primary hazards from tropical cyclones (which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents. Hurricane season started on June 1 in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. It ends on November 30. Make sure you and your family are prepared by planning ahead. Click HERE to read full article
- Make a Plan
- Gather Emergency Supplies
- Know the Difference between a Watch and a Warning
- Get your Home and Car Ready
- Get Family and Pets Ready
- Be Ready to Evacuate or Stay at Home
- COVID-19 Public Education campaign
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Young-ish Clergy (under 40)
Lunch Gathering
12:00 pm
Thursday, June 17
@ Willie Taco
217 Laurens Road, Greenville
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Educator's Gathering
11:00 am
Monday, June 21
by ZOOM
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Youth Roundtable
Tuesday, July 6
12:00 - 1:30 pm
by ZOOM
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MUSIC MINISTRY LEADER’S
9:00 am
Wednesday, August 11
by ZOOM
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"Outside the Walls"
APCE SOAP 2021 Regional Event
November 4 - 6, 2021
at Epworth By The Sea
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Join other church educators in the APCE SOAP Region (SC, GA, FL, and Puerto Rica) for "Outside the Walls," our 2021 Regional Event, scheduled for November 4 - 6, 2021, at Epworth By The Sea, St. Simon's Island, Georgia.
We are excited to welcome Reverend Aisha Brooks-Lytle as our keynote speaker. Eric Nanz will lead us in worship.
Our time together will be filled with worship, plenary sessions, break-out discussions, informal conversation, and plenty of time to enjoy each other and the beauty of St. Simons Island.
The cost for registration is $150. Click on link to registration below for information regarding accommodations and meals.
We do not want costs to prevent anyone from participating in this event. Limited scholarship assistance is available. Please contact jan@kairosatlanta.org if you would like to request scholarship assistance.
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Changes are coming to Triennium!
A new venue and new way of being in small groups are designed to enhance the beloved event, which takes on a Matthew 25 focus.
Event details, registration information and more coming in summer and fall of 2021. Registration is expected to begin in January or February 2022.
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PC(USA) ruling elders and deacons have responsibilities as leaders in Christ’s church. Whether you serve as a moderator or as a participant, your call will involve meetings conducted by parliamentary procedure – usually Robert’s Rules of Order. Most Presbyterians have learned about parliamentary procedure through observation during meetings. During this Year of Leader Formation webinar, you can expect to learn more about the theological connections between parliamentary procedure and our Book of Order and gain skills to help you participate more confidently and effectively. You will have an opportunity during the registration process to name questions you would like to see addressed.
This event is provided for free for participants and is funded through your per capita dollars. It does not come without cost, however. Knowing the diversity of language within the PC(USA), this webinar will be provided in several languages with interpretation based on requests made through the registration process. As a result, there is a registration deadline of July 6, 2021, in order to be able to have time to arrange for those services. This event will be recorded and will be available in English following the event.
Register for the webinar by July 6, 2021 HERE
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Robert's Church Blessing Box |
Blessing Boxes are anonymous donation sites stocked with non- perishable food items, basic toiletries, baby supplies, and anything else that might be considered a blessing to someone who finds themselves in need. It is a 24-hour accessible location for community members to donate or receive goods. The concept is easy, give what you can and take what you need. Whether you are taking or giving, the blessing box, is not locked – it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Our goal is to maintain Roberts’ “Blessing Box”, serve our community, and be a blessing to someone in need. As the hands and feet of Jesus and with the power of the Holy Spirit, we strive to create a world that better reflects the love and justice of God’s realm. Read More
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First Anderson Blessing Box |
We had some extra funds from a budget overage from our session and the funds were gifted to us. We purchased the materials and had one of our members construct the blessing box from plans we obtained online. The box was installed by a member of our mission committee and her husband who are civil engineers. We have developed some promotional materials including a handout to provide to each family who will fill the box outlining the types of supplies we are looking for.
Each member family who signs up will receive a reminder phone call prior to their week. We plan to have the box filled by one family from the congregation weekly. We anticipate this to be an inter-generational event with families, parents, children, and grandchildren shopping together and filling the box together. We are encouraging families to shop at the neighborhood Whitner street grocery store in order to support a local neighborhood market and allow our mission giving to go even further. We are very excited about this new venture and as of right now, we have family signed up to fill the box weekly through the month of October.
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STEWARDS OF CHILDREN® training is available for your Church, School, or Community Organization.
A PERFECT SOLUTION to meet your Child Abuse Prevention Training requirements, earn CEUs and make a difference in the lives of children and youth in your community!
As a part of our on-going commitment to engage our community in experiences that make connections for better living, stronger communities and personal growth and development, we are pleased to offer this important training for your staff, volunteers, parents, and community members.
Fellowship Camp and Conference Center has invested in facilitator training to enable us to offer this course on a regular and on-going basis to our staff, volunteers, and communities we serve.
Public and Private Trainings will be offered on-site at Camp Fellowship and can also be arranged for your community organization or church location.
For more information, or to schedule a training event through Fellowship Camp and Conference Center or to see a schedule of our training dates, please visit www.campfellowship.org/d2l
or email
Kevin Cartee, Executive Director
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The National Black Presbyterian Caucus Board of Directors
are excited to announce that registration is now open for the
2021 Biennial Virtual Convention
to be held virtually from Charleston, South Carolina,
June 24 –June 26, 2021.
The theme of the 46th Biennial Virtual Convention is
“The Black Family, Congregation and Community in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.: Navigating Identity, Equity and Economics.”
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The addressees are being persecuted by their neighbors in ways that threaten their tight-knit fellowship. The author is incarcerated in a dark Roman prison, surrounded by suffering and death. And yet the Letter to the Philippians is laced through with joy, and one of its most famous verses exhorts the reader to “rejoice in the Lord always!” Its pages offer both profound early Christian theology and timeless practical encouragement. This friendly letter from the apostle Paul to a Christian community he clearly holds dear is worth reading!
Join the Rev. Dr. Allen Hilton for four Wednesday evening sessions on Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. The four sessions will occur on July 14, July 21, July 28, and August 4 at 8pm EDT. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion after attending all four sessions.
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Presbyterian Women continues to work on commitments to be an inclusive, caring community and an antiracist organization. This PW advisory group will provide focused attention on short- and long-term strategies that impact structural racism, including education/training, culture, policy, procedure, participation, and leader recruitment. These efforts will help PW evaluate and renew structures and practices that impede participation and a sense of belonging for racially diverse women.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the PW DEI Advisory Group, download the job description and application here. Applications are due by July 31, 2021.
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August 8, 2021
Whether or not there's a UKirk ministry near you, we hope you'll join us in celebrating the ways the Spirit is at work in the lives of college students and young adults!
By Campus Ministers
Rev. British Hyrams and Jasmine Evans
Including:
- A full worship service's worth of liturgy centered on 1 Kings 19:4-8 and the ways God follows us through the various seasons of life.
- A campus-ministry-related sermon illustration.
- A commissioning litany for campus-connected folks from new students to campus ministers, faculty, staff, and beyond.
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Women’s Connection 2021
Word Wise:
“Words are my first love, because they matter. Words actually change lives, move people, sustain us. They take us to another world when we need to go and bring us home when we need to come back. Whatever you need, words can deliver: laughter, solidarity, encouragement, thrill, courage, silliness, spirit. I have been a reader and writer my entire life, and every single day I marvel that I get to make a living with words. I hope to use them for beauty and Jesus and life. I hope to make them count.” – Jen Hatmaker
As people of faith who seek to be Jesus’ disciples, we are shaped by words and seek to understand them, hear them, and do them. The words of scripture will play a prominent role in this Women’s Connection as participants will engage in a dialogue with scripture.
August 13–15, 2021
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We are excited to share our 2021 Summer Camp schedule!
The Committee on Shared Ministry is pleased to offer campership assistance to the first 30 campers to register who are members of Foothills Presbytery Churches.
During the online registration processes, you will be asked to identify as a member of Foothills and list your congregation. Applying the code FOOTHILLS25 will request the $25 campership be approved for your account. (Please contact info@campfellowship.org for questions or assistance.)
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Are you involved in the Christian Education leadership in your congregation?
Would you benefit from additional support and training in Christian Education leadership?
The Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) is providing a process to assist both volunteers and staff involved in Christian Education to become better equipped for their ministry. “The ‘newly revised’ CEA (Christian Education Associate) option is open to anyone in the PC(USA) regardless of educational background. There are no employment or volunteer hour requirements, but you do have to be actively participating in the educational ministry of your church. Most of the study can be accomplished through self-study with easily accessed resources such as books and on-line articles and videos.”
This link provides more detailed information.
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Available Jobs
postings on our
website.
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A blog post from “A Church for Starving Artists”
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events |
June
21 Christian Educators meeting - Zoom, and FP staff meeting
24 Committee on Preparation for Ministry meeting
Nov 9, 2021
9:00 am - 2:00 pm Foothills Presbytery Stated Meeting # 118
February 15, 2022
May 14, 2022
November 01, 2022
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
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