Happy Independence Day to you and your family. God Bless America! |
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Faithful Innovations Learning Communities
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FUTURE CHURCH Initiative: Faithful Innovations Learning Communities (FILC) was initially presented to Presbytery in February 2020. It was an outcome of conversations between the Transition Think Tank, Luther Seminary, the Coordinating Council, and Presbytery staff. What is a FILC? Faithful Innovations Learning Communities help congregation members and leaders develop deeper connections with God, each other, and their neighbors.
- Ideas, inspiration and tools for ministry.
- Interactive workshops and ongoing coaching.
- Pray, learn and journey together with other Foothills congregations.
Participating congregations will be discerning their unique answer to this question: "When you consider the gifts you have been given and the needs of our world, what future do you imagine God is bringing forth in our midst?"
What is a Learning Community?
A learning community is a group of congregations who commit to one another in a learning experience. Through prayer, skill-building, action, and reflection they address their most pressing questions about the future.
How will my congregation benefit?
· Learn to discern and participate in God's leading.
· Deepen your congregation's spirituality.
· Build connections with other congregations.
· Engage and inspire your membership.
· Affirm that God has a vital role for your congregation to play.
The faithful innovations process works using three distinct practices:
Listen, Act, and Share.
· Dwelling in the Word/ Listening with the heart
· Sharing our actions with each other
· Reflecting on what we have heard and what we have done, and considering how to incorporate our learning into the fabric of our congregation, presbytery community.
Want to learn more about how your congregation can participate?
Contact the Presbytery ([email protected]) or Hudson Neely, Susan Oldham, Anthony Dawson, Pressley Cox, or Debbie Foster
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“Church leaders who hold second chair positions are under tremendous pressure. They are expected to do their jobs and provide leadership but to defer to the top leader too. It’s a demanding balancing act. How can they lead effectively while serving under someone else’s leadership?
“Leading from the Second Chair offers an invaluable resource to leaders who serve in second- (and third- and fourth-) chair roles, enabling them to become more productive, proactive, and fulfilled.
“Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson share their own and others' experiences of failure and success in this vital role. They offer support and practical advice for reshaping the way second-chair leaders can serve well and improve the overall performance of their church or organization.” —Publisher description.
Originally published in 2005 by Jossey-Bass, the book has been recently republished by Fortress Press with minor updates to the text and a more eye-catching cover..
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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!
Our goal is 100%!
If you have not submitted your minutes yet, it isn't too late!
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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Get away to Montreat and stay at the William Black Lodge.
William Black Lodge, a gracious, comfortable lodge in Montreat, NC is open and available to everyone. We feature discounts for PCUSA members and even deeper discounts for persons in ministry serving PCUSA congregations. Our guest rooms are equipped with king, queen, or twin beds, individual AC/Heat, and full linen service. Several room clusters also feature living rooms with microwave/mini-fridge and coffee service. We are an ideal place for weekend groups, family get-aways, or individual retreats.
William Black Lodge is operated on behalf of the Synod of Mid-Atlantic with the mission to serve as an affordable retreat for persons-in-ministry and members of PCUSA congregations and ministries. We also welcome everyone coming to enjoy all that Montreat and the surrounding region has to offer. Book your stay on-line at williamblacklodge.org or contact the Lodge staff at 828-669-6314.
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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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Looking Ahead:
Two CONNECT Zoom calls to check in with each other, pray, catch up, meet our peers in Foothills, and offer support to one another.
Monday, September 13
2:00 pm
(via Zoom)
Monday, September 20
2:00 pm
(via Zoom)
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Youth Roundtable
Tuesday, July 6
12:00 - 1:30 pm
by ZOOM
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Western Region Gathering
9:00 am
Monday, July 12
by ZOOM
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Educator's Gathering
12:30 am
Monday, July 19
by ZOOM
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MUSIC MINISTRY LEADER’S
9:00 am
Wednesday, August 11
by ZOOM
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Lay School of Theology
at Presbyterian College
Sponsored by the Five Presbyteries of South Carolina
The fall session of the
S.C. Lay School of Theology
will be
October 14-16, 2021
in-person, at Presbyterian College.
Registration materials will be available in the coming weeks.
FOR WHOM: Lay persons who wish to
1. Participate in an in-depth study of the Bible, Theology, or Church History.
2. Be trained as a Commissioned Teaching Elder.
3. Better prepare themselves to teach the Bible or Church School.
4. Serve as Directors of Christian Education.
5. Be certified by the Association of Presbyterian Administrators.
PLEASE NOTE: These courses are not for ministers, candidates for the ministry, or
those considering changing denominations to the PC (U.S.A.).
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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 [email protected] 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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TOPIC
Parliamentary Procedure for Leaders - A Year of Leader Formation Webinar
DESCRIPTION
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.
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 at www.pcusa.org/leader-formation following the event.
TIME
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Theme: Shades of Oppression, Resistance, & Liberation
The week and theme are crafted to bring attention and action to the plight of those suffering from differing forms of oppressive situations. Events will be both virtual and potentially in person.
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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 [email protected] 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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Mediation Skills Training
The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is returning to an in-person format for the Mediation Skills Training Institute (MSTI) on August 2-6, 2021 in Chicago. This will be a hybrid event, so for those who prefer not to travel, we will also continue to offer remote attendance via Zoom. The Mediation Skills Training Institute is designed for clergy and other church leaders who want to learn how to deal more effectively with interpersonal, congregational, or other forms of group conflict. For more information about this 5-day event, our new 90-minute webinar series (entitled SHALOM), our mediation services, and more, please call 630-627-0507 or visit www.LMPeaceCenter.org. Online registration is available now via TicketSpice. You may also wish to consult the following documents: MSTI brochure, LMPC Calendar, SHALOM webinars.
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Available Jobs
postings on our
website.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church – Mauldin, SC
In January 2021, our church began a partnership with Root & Rebound South Carolina, an organization advocating for the rights of people who have been harmed and marginalized by mass incarceration, that seeks to increase access to justice and opportunity for people with criminal records, and create second chances for people across South Carolina.
GCPC committed $6,000.00 along with our sweat equity to refurbish new office space for Root & Rebound at the Triune Mercy Center in Greenville, South Carolina. GCPC members volunteered their time installing new ceiling tiles, repairing windowsills, and painting walls.
Our congregation is honored to partner in the missional ministry of Root & Rebound as we seek to be God’s voice of hope in the world and make Christ’s example of love real for all our neighbors.
-Lisa Johnson, Clerk of Session, and Linda Elmore, Missions Committee Chair
*this post originally appeared in the June 2021 issue of Presbyterian Outlook
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events |
July 1
6 Youth Roundtable and Representation & Review
12 Western Region Gathering & FP Staff meeting
13 CRE Supervisory Team meeting
15 Financial Forum
19 Educators Gathering
22 Committee on Preparation meeting
27 SC5 Webinar
29 Finance and Stewardship meeting
Nov 9, 2021
10:00 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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