The 117th
FOOTHILLS PRESBYTERY STATED MEETING
is
Saturday, May 15, 2021
at 10:00 am
This will be a Zoom meeting.
New Elder Orientation
is May 6 at 5:00 pm
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Our next
Pastors Forum
to check-in and support each other
(via Zoom) is
Monday, May 3, at 2 pm
TOPIC: The Post Quarantine Church
(Discussion around the book of the same name, by Thom S. Rainer)
We will center our time in prayer, check-in with each other, share ideas and connect resources.
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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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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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"The Biblical movements of Jesus and the Spirit are explored and interwoven with contemporary reflections from the view of a child. Moving beyond long ago and far away events, Breathe guides children to wonder about and watch for the presence and work of the Spirit here and now, in practices of prayer and mindfulness, and through acts of justice, generosity, and the sweet taste of kindness. In the end, the young narrator arrives as a satisfactory solution to the puzzle: the Spirit that was in Jesus is in us too. We are his body now, his way of being in the world. Whenever we choose the way of love, Jesus is there."--Provided by publisher.
Laura Alary is the author of several other best-selling books for children, including Make Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter, A Child’s Guide to Advent and Christmas, and Is That Story True?
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Mother’s Day Offering on May 9
Please make plans to collect the Mother’s Day Offering at your church on Sunday, May 9. For over 60 years, this offering has been an important act of support for this unique ministry of SC Presbyterians to older adults. The proceeds are used solely to support residents at Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina who have outlived their life savings through no fault of their own and now depend on the kindness of others.
Since many congregations are still worshipping in a hybrid format, digital materials are available on our website. There you will find links to download the 2021 Mother’s Day Offering Video, Ambassadors Guide, Minute for Mission, sample Newsletter Article, and more. If you are worshipping in person, please utilize the printed cards and offering envelopes sent to your church for the Mother’s Day Offering and encourage your congregation to give generously. If you have questions or need support, please contact Jenn Paden Stanley at (803) 772-5885 or Jenn.Stanley@PresComm.org
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New Covid Resource:
Facts and Questions about COVID-19 and Church Buildings/Use
(PCUSA Legal Services)
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Western Region Pastors and CREs
Monday, May 3
at 9:00 am
by ZOOM
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Youth Roundtable
Tuesday, May 4
12:00 - 1:30 pm
by ZOOM
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MUSIC MINISTRY LEADER’S
9:00 am
Wednesday, May 12
by ZOOM
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Associate Pastor Gathering
12 pm
Wednesday, May 12
by ZOOM
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Educator's Gathering
11:00 am
Thursday, May 20
at Easley
Bring Your Own Lunch
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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 has been EXTENDED to April 26, 2021.
Applicants will be notified of Scholarships awarded by May 1.
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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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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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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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Join us Thursday, April 29th at 6:30 pm for our Monthly JVC Webtalk.
This month, we are continuing our conversation in the Hispanic community with Brenda Mancilla of the Julie Valentine Center. We will be discussing boundaries and consent in the Hispanic community. We look forward to talking with you next week, and as always, all are welcome to the conversation!
We now are offering 1 hour of CEU credit for participating in our monthly Webtalks! As with all of our programs, it is free to any community member! If you would like CEU credit; please register and log on to Pathwright here: Pathwright JVC Webtalks
For more educational resources please visit us on our website here.
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Instructor : Rev. Dr. Mark Slaughter
The Future of the Digital Church MasterClass embraces an important premise—online church is here to stay, so ministry leaders need to invest in it. We have an amazing opportunity to expand the reach and impact of our church and the Gospel by creating a strong and compelling online presence.
There is no doubt that COVID-19 will leave a lasting impact on the world; however, there is also an opportunity for the Church to harness the energy created from our online presence to establish online congregations.
The two-part course is just $69 or free for MasterClass Season Pass Holders...
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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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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 LeAnne White
When I describe what peace means to me, two descriptions come immediately to mind. The first is riding with my family in our boat at the lake, and how beautiful the views are around us – the colors of the sky, the clear water, and the endless mountains. The second would be sitting on the beach, feet in the sand, late afternoon, with the sound of the waves and good music in the background.
Yet this is such a different description of peace than what Paul or John describe when they talk about Biblical peace.
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18
In my morning devotion, Lysa TerKeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries, explains Paul’s very different description of peace. She said “Paul didn’t write what became the book of Romans while on a peaceful vacation with peaceful people and peaceful circumstances. He wrote this instruction in the midst of people opposing him and situations filled with hardship…one of the reasons he wrote this letter to the Romans is that peace would not have been easy for them. It would have felt as unnatural to them as it does for us in the midst of constant hardships, never-ending opposition and relational differences…The Greeks thought of peace as the absence of hostility. But Paul taught that peace is the atmosphere we can bring into hostility. This peace is a wholeness we have because of our relationship with God.”
The peace we bring. That I should bring – that I am called to bring – because I have it inside of me. God fills us up and provides us with peace that is always there if we look for it. And we are called to share it and let it grow. Read More
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events
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April
6 Committee on Ministry meeting
8 PYC Commissioning & First meeting
12 Music Ministry Leaders meeting -Zoom and Associate Pastors meeting -Zoom
May 15, 2021
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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