Worship Service links are being sent in a separate email to Pastors and Clerks.
Please let us know if your church does not receive them!
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End of the Year Reminder
Due to the pandemic, more families than ever in our area are in need of the basics especially food. Many of them have never had to seek help, but high unemployment and an unsteady economy have created unprecedented challenges in many homes in the communities throughout our Presbytery. However, there is a way to help relieve some of the need. Actually, the churches of Foothills Presbytery can have a huge impact on hunger relief and it costs only a few cents a day. Cents-Ability (formerly 2 Cents a Meal) collects and distributes funds to food missions throughout the upstate and has been doing so for more than a decade. Participants collect a few cents in appreciation for each meal; these are added to those of other Foothills congregations and can help feed our hungry neighbors.
As the year comes to a close, please consider becoming part of this important mission effort by sending a Cents-Ability offering to Foothills Presbytery. You can make a huge difference and it’s so simple, all you have to do is put your 2 cents in! Thank you for supporting Cents-Ability during this time of crisis and always!
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New interactive Advent study series using award
winning documentary resources!
This four week Advent study explores the sacred stories of Advent and Christmas through the biblical narratives of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary in dialogue with short excerpts from film: particularly, the documentaries by the Story Ministry division of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, produced alongside the affected communities. Using brief clips as conversation starters and interweaving them with the biblical narrative and Advent themes, a dialogue is created between the Bible’s sacred stories, our own human experience, and these also-holy stories from the films. Each week also includes a brief filmed interview connecting the day’s topic with the unfolding impact of COVID-19. The films share stories that are drawn from the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that killed 230,000, gun violence, refugee resettlement, immigration detention and environmental racism.
Click HERE to view the videos that accompany the study.
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ONLINE WORKSHOP:
SOCIAL MEDIA DEEP DIVE FOR CHURCHES
JANUARY 21, 2021 @ 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Online Workshop: Social Media Deep Dive for Churches
Dates: Thursdays, Jan. 21, 28, Feb. 4, & 11 , 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. EST (Note: This online workshop is a four-part series).
Led by: Christen Kinard, Founder, Digital Congregations
Workshop Description: This 4-part workshop is designed for anyone who communicates—or wants to communicate—on behalf of a church via social media. It will demystify social media platforms and teach you how to use them most effectively in connecting with your congregation.
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The next
Youth Roundtable
is
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Tuesday, January 5
by Zoom
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The next gathering of Foothills
MUSIC MINISTRY LEADER’S
is
9:00 am
Wednesday, January 13
by Zoom
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The award-winning documentary CHAPLAINS will have an encore presentation on The WORLD Channel, Monday, December 14 at 7pm and 12am (9pm PST). Winner of both the Gabriel and the Wilbur Award for best documentary, the film takes the viewer into the extraordinary world of chaplains - men and women of different faith traditions working in the most dramatic settings. The film follows military chaplains in Afghanistan, chaplains in maximum security prisons, police and health care chaplains and those working in corporate settings.
Considering chaplaincy for your own path? Visit journeyfilms.com and learn more.
Give the Gift of PROPHETIC VOICES
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Your photos tell your story
And who knows? They just might be part of the next Presbyterian Planning Calendar
The Presbyterian Planning Calendar for 2021-22 will feature photos on the cover and throughout the monthly calendar pages showing the best of what our churches are doing in mission and ministry. Your photos are invited! (Contributed photo)
LOUISVILLE — By way of photo submission, Presbyterians are invited to tell the world the ways their church, mid council or organization is carrying out the Matthew 25 invitation.
The Presbyterian Planning Calendar, a beloved publication of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is once again seeking photo submissions from congregations, mid councils, camps, conference centers and education centers for use in its 2021-2022 edition.
The deadline to submit photos for the upcoming Presbyterian Planning Calendar is Feb. 16, 2021.
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The South Carolina Inn at Montreat is pleased to share that we continue to provide a safe place for respite during these winter months. In a year that has seen other lodges in Montreat close, we have maintained a steady income and by God’s grace have been able to serve folks during the Summer and Fall. In fact, waiting lists are common for the remainder of the year. Individuals and families are enjoying the beauty of the NC mountains!
We invite you to come and visit us and stay in an apartment, in the suite, or in the house where you can easily physically distance while taking in the views of God’s wonderful creation. We continue to be your “Home in the Mountains.”
The Inn has a new website which should be up and running very soon. It is www.scinnatmontreat.org. You can also call us at 828-669-7460 to make reservations or for questions. Emily, Gene, and Jenny look forward to welcoming you!!
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Christmas Joy Offering 2020- God is With Us
The Christmas Joy Offering season is November 29 – December 20. Half of this offering makes it possible for students to learn and grow in faith at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. The other half of the offering provides assistance for current and retired church workers and their families with critical financial needs. Promotional materials such as bulletin covers, bulletin inserts, offering envelopes, and coin boxes are available. The leader’s guide is also helpful in planning your Christmas Joy Offering season. To order materials, go HERE or call 800-533-4371.
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We are all learning how to be the church of Jesus Christ in new and creative ways, using technology for worship, education, mission, and even pastoral care. These times are challenging but they also give us the opportunity to find ways to love and serve Christ together, even when we are apart.
The Synod of South Atlantic, through our connections and relationships, engages in mission and ministry committed to:
Ensure full integration of diversity in all of its life and work.
Equip and empower transformational leadership.
Provide for mutual enrichment among the leadership of our 16 presbyteries.
Use innovative technology to accomplish its purpose, model effective communication strategies, and share best practices.
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It’s 2021–22 application season for the
Young Adult Volunteer program
Apply by Jan. 1, 2021, for early placement at sites within the U.S. and around the world.
LOUISVILLE — The 2021–22 Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) application season opened Oct. 1. Access the online application here.
For nearly 30 years, the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been instrumental in helping 19- to 30-year-olds experience a year of service at sites within the U.S. and around the world.
The YAV program is for all Christian young adults, not exclusively Presbyterians, in the belief that people are called and equipped by God for service in many forms. Since the early 1990s, more than 1,700 young adults have participated in a year of service at 45 different sites in 19 countries.
Although the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a travel ban in place through June 30, 2021, staff are stepping out on faith and making plans for an “in-person” YAV year of service in 2021–22 (August to August), exploring possibilities for a virtual orientation and partial virtual year.
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NEXT Church
BREAKING, BLESSING, BUILDING
A Call For The Common Good
A FREE Live-Streamed Gathering for ALL Church Leaders
March 5-7, 2021
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Interested in having a Zoom Video Conference Meeting,
but you don't have an account? The Presbytery can help!
If you have a request, please have your Pastor or Clerk of Session contact LeAnne White (via email) and include the following information:
- Name of person making request
- Church
- Phone
- Date for Zoom Meeting
- Time (begin and end) no more than 2 hours
- Approx number of those attending
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Gratitude for Presbyterian Women
"Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all . . . ." —Galatians 6:10
Presbyterian Women is grateful! We live in deep gratitude because:
We have an amazing mission statement—the PW Purpose—that guides our lives in faith, as a community and as individuals. The PW Purpose brings us together to celebrate and work, finding guidance in the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ amazing witness.
The world knows (and relies on) our care and concern. PW’s advocacy, mission work and grants have had short- and long-term impacts on the lives of women, children and marginalized people throughout the world. Together, we have given more than $60 million through our grant programs to transform lives.
Our care and concern change us, strengthening our faith in God and drawing us into relationships with all of God’s world.
We are the church. Presbyterian Women support the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the mission of the church worldwide.
Our foremothers in faith continue to inspire and guide us.
Thank you for sharing your gifts with Presbyterian Women.
Together, in Christ’s service, we transform the world.
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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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Christmas with the Carolina Bronze
Join us for our Christmas Concerts
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Tuition is $69 for each MasterClass
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PYC On The Road
by Joan Jones, PYC Clerk
In March of 2020, our Presbyterian Youth Council (PYC) planned, and was so excited for the upcoming Senior High Retreat at Montreat based on the theme “Joy.” One week before the retreat, the closings and shutdowns began due to Covid-19. Although disappointed, we worked hard to keep moving forward.
Jump ahead to August, when we were able to have our planning retreat outside at the presbytery office, everyone brought their own chair, socially distanced and were masked for the day. When it was clear we would be unable to hold Bonclarken this fall, we began praying and dreaming about how we could do youth ministry in a new way. Read More
Reflections from PYC youth
Mary Katherine Nelson (senior), John Knox Presbyterian
When I got the news that Bonclarken wasn’t happening this year, I can’t say that I was surprised. There may have been a glimmer of hope somewhere inside me, holding onto the possibility that maybe Bonclarken would be the ONE thing that wouldn’t get taken away. But in the end, it was obvious that it wasn’t going to happen.
Naturally, I was devastated. Senior year is bittersweet for everyone, pandemic or not. It’s a year full of “lasts” and savoring every minute of familiarity. As the pandemic spread, so did the number of cancelled events. Every day I woke up to a new email or text message delivering the crushing news. It was devastating. I felt like everything I had worked so hard to put together was getting pulled right out from under me. It wasn’t easy to bounce back from. I found myself spending most of my time alone, sulking about everything I had lost. But after a month-long pity party, I decided to look for the light. Read More
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events |
December
17 Examinations Committee meeting and the Committee on Preparation for Ministry meeting
18 - 31 Office closed for the holidays
January
7 Committee on Ministry meeting
10 PYC (Presbytery Youth Council) meeting
February 16, 2021
May 15, 2021
Nov 9, 2021
9:00 am - 2:00 pm Foothills Presbytery Stated Meeting # 118
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