Second Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2021
Virtual Worship Service
Created for Foothills Presbytery Worshipping Communities
Thank you to the Antiracism Ministry Team, Committee on Shared Ministry, Music Ministry Peer Group, the Worship Committee, and Presbytery staff.
A special thank you to the congregation of Mattoon Presbyterian for their hospitality and use of
their sanctuary for filming the service.
The service is now available for congregations. For questions or if you did not receive the materials via email, please contact Rev. Pressley Cox at pcox@foothillspresbytery.org or 864-288-5774.
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Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary has offered Vacation Bible School reviews for more than 15 years. While the themes, decor, and availability of digital materials have changed over time, the underlying theology of VBS curriculums remain consistent with the theology of their publishing company. This is why we have started including information about the publishers with our yearly VBS reviews. We believe it is vitally important to make sure the curriculum you choose aligns with your community's theology and/or to be aware of how you might need to adjust and adapt for your context.
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Foothills Presbytery is offering two different 5-week Cohorts.
- Each cohort of 8-10 participants will meet for 5 weeks during April-May to explore how to lead in a post-quarantine ministry setting. Cohorts will determine the best day and time for meetings.
- The experience will also include 1:1 coaching with Ministry Architects.
- Each participant will come away with an individualized plan based on their ministry setting. The plans may include virtual, in-person, or hybrid worship as well as educational components.
The total cost of this Continuing Education Cohort is $430 per person. Recognizing the financial burdens that some churches are facing at this time, Foothills Presbytery is pleased to offer investment option pricing for those interested.
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Our next
Pastors Forum
to check-in and support each other
(via Zoom) is
Monday, May 3, at 2 pm
We will center our time in prayer, check-in with each other, share ideas and connect resources.
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New Covid Resource:
Covid 19
So how does the vaccine inform our next steps?
(and other "Why can't we throw open the doors of the sanctuary" questions)
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For Elders and Deacons
April 14, 7:00-8:30 pm (EDT)
Discovering Our Gifts. God has gifted each of us with a variety of skills, interests, and talents. As those called to leadership in the church, particularly to the ministries of ruling elder and deacon, many of those gifts are called upon in a variety of ways
Take time to explore and discover your own talents, how they can be used to form effective teams, and ways that we work together in community as God’s children.
During this webinar, you can expect to search within yourself while also being introduced to some tools to use in your own congregation. Read more about the Webinar Series
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South Carolina Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team
we will have a 30-minute educational webinar offered twice. Join us at 12 or 4 pm.
Monday, April 26
at
12 pm or 4 pm
These webinars will also explain how your congregation can use the Disaster Preparedness Plan in your context.
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Course for Commissioned Ruling Elders
Union Presbyterian Seminary
is offering a new elective course for CRE's and Ruling Elders.
Pathways Online Course Elective: Polity & Administration II
Led by: Carson Rhyne, Adjunct Instructor of Practical Theology, Polity and Administration
Dates: Tuesdays, April 27 - May 25, 2021, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Course Description: Using the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order, this course is for current and future leaders in congregations (Commissioned Ruling Elders and Ruling Elders). It will concentrate on the practical application of the polity. The course will focus on Spirituality disciplines as a leader, Session meetings, committee meetings, Robert's Rules of Order, and a look at personnel matters and financial management. Presbyterian Polity and Administration (Polity and Administration I) is a recommended prerequisite.
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The next
Youth Roundtable
is
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Tuesday, April 13
by Zoom
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The next gathering of Foothills
MUSIC MINISTRY LEADER’S
is
9:00 am
Wednesday, April 14
by Zoom
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The next Zoom
Educator's Gathering
is
11:00 am
Thursday, April 15
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The next
Zoom gathering of the
Western Region pastors and CREs is
May 3 at 9:00 am
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We are excited to share our 2021 Summer Camp schedule AND limited Camperships are also available!
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.)
We have additional, limited scholarships for summer camp at Camp Fellowship available through Foothills Presbytery.
The deadline is April 19, 2021.
Applicants will be notified of Scholarships awarded by May 1.
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Available Jobs
postings on our
website.
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An important update on the
2021 Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women
Presbyterian Women’s 2021 Churchwide Gathering has been cancelled. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the uncertainty of vaccination distribution, the current state of the virus (including new variants that are more contagious), the Administration Committee, on behalf of the Board of Directors of Presbyterian Women in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Inc., regrettably, has canceled the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women, which was to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, in August 2021.
Because of the scheduling patterns for events held by Presbyterian Women in the Synods and Presbyterian Women in the Presbyteries, the next Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women will be held in 2024 at a location and during dates that are yet to be determined.
Although we cannot meet in person in August 2021, the 2021 Gathering Planning Team is at work, preparing an online national program and worship service. Details about this service will be publicized as soon as possible. Sign up to receive emails from Presbyterian Women that include updates on these plans. Scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your email under “News & Updates.”
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ONLINE WORKSHOP:
HOW TO BE A HYBRID CHURCH
JUNE 15 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
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Registration Deadlines
This year, early registration is open through March 31st. On-time registration begins on April 1st and lasts up until the conference begins. There is no late registration period.
COVID-19 Safety Precautions
PAM is committed to offering a safe, in-person option as well as an online option for participating in the conference. Visit our special Covid Protocols webpage to learn more about our commitment to your health and safety as we look forward to worshipping together this summer.
Visit the PAM Website to Learn More!
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A Conversation About Easter and Passover with YDS Professor Joel Baden and Berkeley Divinity School Dean Andrew McGowan
The spring holidays of Passover and Easter have been intertwined since the earliest periods of Christianity. Each represents the defining event of Judaism and Christianity, respectively: the Exodus from Egypt and the resurrection of Jesus.
YDS Professor Joel Baden and Berkeley Divinity School Dean the Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan have created a 4-week Yale Bible Study on the biblical origins of the two holidays. We encourage you to take advantage of this free study in the weeks approaching Passover and Easter, and then join them for a webinar on Tuesday, April 13 at 12:00 pm where they will discuss how Easter originated from Passover and how these observances have changed over the centuries. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask the experts your questions about the relationship between these ancient holidays. The webinar is offered free of charge and questions can be submitted in advance to Megan Lukens.
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Leading the Church into the Post COVID World
Tuesday, April 27, 2021, Eastern time
3:00 - 4:30 pm
via ZOOM
Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger
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Presenter: Tod Bolsinger (MDiv, PhD), Associate Professor of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience.
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May 17-21, 2021
At the 2021 Festival of Homiletics, you’ll hear respected and thoughtful speakers present on the theme: Preaching for the Future Church.
But to get the most out of the Festival of Homiletics, purchase the recordings for full access to on-demand content you can view anytime:
- All sessions in audio and video formats
- Live workshops
- Bonus sermons and lectures from top speakers
- Private social networking with other pastors and leaders
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Faith formation can't happen if children and youth are spending just one hour a week at church - or much less these days, so what are the barriers families encounter when trying to establish faith practices at home?
The Rev. Traci Smith, author of Faithful Families, joins us on May 5 at 12:00pm to present the fundamentals of developing faithful family practices and outline the role that ministry leaders play in encouraging and supporting families. Discover how to help parents feel confident and well equipped as they nurture their children's faith development, at every age. We'll also spend time in an "Idea Lab" learning and sharing in small groups and we'll wrap up the webinar with Q&A.
Now is the perfect time for families to develop real habits and practices of faith at home. Following the webinar, participants will receive links to several short videos and outlines of spiritual practices that you can share with your congregation.
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YDS Summer Study - Online in 2021
The Center for Continuing Education at Yale Divinity School is pleased to announce that the Summer Study program will be online this year! Taught by renowned YDS faculty, Summer Study offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in courses essential to practical church ministry and personal enrichment. Courses will meet Monday - Friday via Zoom, at either 9:00-11:30am or 1:30-4:00pm. Don’t miss Professor Almeda Wright’s course on “Developing a Faithful Generation” in the afternoon sessions!
Optional activities include daily worship; a keynote address - Five Decades of YDS, by David Kelsey, Luther A. Weigle Professor Emeritus of Theology, on Tuesday, June 8; and Andover Newton at Yale Founding Dean Sarah Drummond will offer a workshop, Leading Change - Three Schools of Thought, on Wednesday, June 9.
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Who are our teachers?
The Psalmist says, “God from my youth, you have taught me…” Psalm 71:17. But it could have also said, “God from the youth, you have taught me” and stated something almost as true. With a foundation in faith built in the early years, our youth can teach us something about leading movements for change in their own communities and in the world.
Who are these young teachers
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Langley Hoyt, former Young Adult Volunteer (YAV), whose year as a YAV at the Office of Public Witness (OPW) reinforced the importance of her faith. She continues to discern how she wants “to live and be in the world,” particularly in the light of the PC(USA)’s Matthew 25 invitation to “build congregational vitality, dismantle structural racism and eradicate systemic poverty.” She is pursuing ordained ministry in the PC(USA).
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A NEW EARTH:
THINKING THEOLOGICALLY ABOUT
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Sunday, June 13-Sunday, June 27, 2021
What does it mean to care for creation?
Are Christians called to respond to climate change?
Is it possible to live sustainably for the benefit of future generations?
Theologically curious high school students are invited to apply before January 1, 2021 for the 2021 Lux Summer Theological Institute. Safety permitting, the program will be held in-person at Presbyterian-related Monmouth College (Monmouth, IL).
Funded by the Lilly Endowment, the Lux Institute is an opportunity for students to engage with a topic of global importance and participate in a living-learning community through study, worship, service, recreation, and vocational exploration.
Scholarships are available to cover all program expenses for the two-week program, with the exception of travel.
A free shuttle to/from Chicago airports is provided.
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For those who have already taken our Mediation Skills Training Institute (MSTI), we are pleased to offer a new one-day event: the MSTI Refresher Course!
Sessions are available on Tuesday, May 11 and Saturday, June 12. The fee is $99, and the event runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Central Time. The full five-day version of MSTI is also available on May 3-7, June 21-25, August 2-6, October 11-15, and November 15-19, 2021. The session in August will include the option for in-person attendance in the Chicago area. Registration for all events being offered by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is open now at www.LMPeaceCenter.org/ticketspice/.
Questions? Please consult the attached MSTI Brochure, call 630-627-0507, or send an email to Admin@LMPeaceCenter.org.
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By: Mary Kathleen Duncan
Isaiah 40:21-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Mark 1:29-39
29As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
When the movie “Remember the Titans” came out in the fall of 2000, I was in the 9th grade. For some of you, this will prove how young I am, a mere grasshopper. For many of the youth I work with, this will make me seem old. For some reason, I remember, in great detail, many of the movies that came out that year. Probably because as a 9th grader I had this newfound freedom of doing things on my own, without my parents, and with my friends. But it is “Remember the Titans” that sticks with me the most. Many of you are probably familiar with this movie, but for those who aren’t, it tells the story of Coach Herman Boone and the T.C. Williams High School football team of Alexandria, VA during the fall of 1971. It was the first year that the school and team were integrated, and they also had their first black head football coach. The team had to work through a lot of racial tension and tough training sessions to become a united and well-oiled team over the course of summer training and throughout the season that ended in a state championship. Because of my deep affinity for this movie, I can’t hear the passage from Isaiah that Davis read for us this morning without thinking of a particular scene in “Remember the Titans”. Do you know the scene to which I am referring? It’s the scene when the character known as Rev., who is the starting quarterback, quotes that passage to his teammates. And then later, a teammate quotes it back to him, well, actually sings it back to him, as the teams strives to further unite and hone their skills?
“Even youths will faint and be weary…but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles…like eagles, y’all!” Read More
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Flowering crosses point to a new day
By Donna Frischknecht Jackson | Presbyterians Today
Last Easter, I drove by the church I once served and slowed down. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The wooden cross my father had made was standing on the weathered stairs bursting with colorful flowers. They had never placed the cross outside before, but now there it was, and it made me smile. In my time there as pastor, I had wanted the chicken wire-wrapped cross so that I could introduce the congregation to the tradition known as the “flowering of the cross.” Read More
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events |
April
12 Personnel Committee meeting
13 Youth Leaders Roundtable and Council meeting
14 Music Ministry Leaders meeting and
15 Children's Educator Gathering
22 Committee on Preparation for Ministry meeting
May 15, 2021
Nov 9, 2021
9:00 am - 2:00 pm Foothills Presbytery Stated Meeting # 118
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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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