A Prayer for Hope amid Despair
Of God, here we are again. Hopeless. Overwhelmed. Angry. The world is so broken. People are so cruel. The vulnerable are once again dying, ignored, oppressed.
We want to have hope, but it feels so futile. What good is our hope if nothing seems to change?
God, give us a new heart to love what You love. Give us a new spirit to be faithful as You are faithful. Give us fresh eyes to see how You see.
We want to be people who are not mired in inaction in the face of despair, but who work to realize Your vision for the world. Who participates in unleashing Your kingdom of peace and gentleness and justice and love.
May we be a people marked by bright hope in the midst of the darkest of hours. May we be Easter people. Amen.
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STATED CLERK
OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Church leaders remember victims from Presbyterian Church and supermarket violence
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Gather with the
Five Presbyteries of SC
Saturday, May 21, 2021
Convocation & Worship: 10:00 AM
Presbyterian College & Thornwell
Clinton, SC
Guest Preacher
The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II,
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly PCUSA
Sermon: God is Doing a New Thing
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UKRAINE
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is grateful for the outpouring of prayers and calls from congregations and individuals asking how they can help. As the violence continues, the number of people being displaced internally and fleeing to neighboring countries increases by the day. And in the midst of the chaos, there are sibling churches and ecumenical partners who are already providing assistance with basic items for survival. The first priority as PDA is to provide funding to these partners on the ground. While the scale of this crisis is new, receiving refugees from Ukraine and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe is not which means we have trusted, established partners with the knowledge and expertise to carry out this important work.
They are hearing that the reformed churches in Ukraine and the region are also feeling called to join in the humanitarian response. PDA, therefore, anticipates that our response will include both financial and technical assistance as the network of faith communities providing humanitarian assistance grows in the months ahead.
As we pray for an end to this violence, we ask the U.S. Government and our European allies to make a commitment to the Ukrainian people for a peaceful solution. We don’t know how long it will take, but we know that they will need help with the rebuilding of their country so that those who are fleeing now may one day return home safely.
Funds are being used for emergency humanitarian aid such as food items, shelter, medicines, diapers, hygiene items, etc.
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Session Minutes Review
Dear Pastors and Clerks,
It is time to drop off your 2021 Session Minutes for review by the Representation and Review Committee. The minutes, along with the forms listed below, should be dropped off at the Foothills Presbytery Office (2242 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville, SC 29681) between now and June 16th. Please drop off Monday through Thursday between 9:30 and 4:00.
The completed 2021 minutes will include:
· The 2021 Session Minutes
· The 2021 Congregation Meeting Minutes
*The Representation and Review Committee revised the Clerk’s Annual Review Form
for this year.
If dropping off at the Presbytery Office is not convenient for you, please contact Robin Morris at [email protected] to arrange a different way to submit the minutes.
Blessings,
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Susan Tompkins
Chair, Representation & Review
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Robin Morris
Associate Stated Clerk, Foothills Presbytery
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SC5 Presbyteries Retreat
(For Ministers, Educators, & Church Leaders)
October 24–26, 2022
Montreat, NC
Theme: Leadership Development Is Great And All That, And What I Really Need Is Some Time Rest, Refresh, & Renew!
How are you feeling these days? Really feeling? Energized, excited and engaged in ministry? Or are you dragging your feet into the pulpit? Contemplating the communion table might be a nice nap location? Or are you mentally designing an escape hatch in your office for that next visit with the pastor? Where is your spark for ministry? Is it possible to lead from a place of wholeness? Is there room for creativity, imagination, and play? How can you experience the fullness of life and living and leading? as Children of God?
See more details HERE, including leadership, registration, accommodations, and daily schedule.
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Hampton-Pinckney PorchFest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 2021 for the purpose of hosting family-friendly events unifying people around music while illustrating the value of historic preservation and historic urban neighborhoods throughout our community. Funds raised from events help commemorate the rich history of our community.
Join us for a casual evening of music with Jamie Wright as we tune-up for Hampton-Pinckney PorchFest and raise funds to commemorate historical sites in our community.
**Mattoon Church will be the first church to receive
a historical sign with funds raised!
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($25 each until June 5th. $30 each the week of the event.
Please note this is a rain or shine event. All tickets are non-refundable.)
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Music Ministry Leaders
The Music Ministry Leaders decided not to meet in June or July. Therefore our next meeting will be August 10th.
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Western Region Gathering
8:00 am
Tuesday, May 24
We will meet at Panera in Anderson!
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Antiracism Ministry Team, Foothills Presbytery
Resources we have found challenging and inspirational:
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Summer Camp Registration is underway! We encourage you to explore our summer camp options for children and youth (grades k-12) and register soon as some sessions are starting to fill! REGISTER TODAY!
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We need a volunteer crew to help us on the morning of MAY 14, 2022 as we do our SPRING SPRUCE UP! Let us know you plan to attend by RSVPing HERE!
- MEET THE SUMMER STAFF!
- We have an incredible team coming together this summer!
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Staff bios will go up here soon; and also on Facebook and Instagram!
- June 12th - OPEN HOUSE DAY - Join your friends and family at the lake for an afternoon of fun, faith and Fellowship! It all begins at 4 pm and will conclude with a cookout dinner and vespers (evening worship service).
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Visit campfellowship.org for more details and to register for this event.
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We are pleased to partner with Westminster Presbyterian Church to once again host our Summer Worship on the Water Series. You can learn more on our website and RSVP for several picnic lunches on the WOW event date. The first worship service for 2022 will be on May 29, 2022 with a picnic lunch to follow. RSVP for lunch HERE!
Next year we will be celebrating our 75th anniversary of Summer Camp Ministry at Camp Fellowship! We need your help as we begin to prepare for a Season of Celebration! Do you have photos or memories, maybe even an old t-shirt or craft projects tucked away that you’d be willing to let us borrow? Can you share some of the history and your own stories of how Camp Fellowship has impacted your ministry? Will you serve on our 75th Celebration Planning Team? Please call or email Kevin Cartee for more information.
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PIANO FREE TO GOOD HOME!
A family is moving soon and would like to donate their piano! It is in excellent condition.
Dimensions: t 6”l x 41”h x 24”d. Excellent condition.
Please contact Judy Goosen if you need more information or have questions, [email protected].
Thank you!
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AT PENTECOST, WE CELEBRATE THAT GOD OFFERS MORE THAN WE CAN PLAN.
The words of the prophet Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, to give you a future with hope” reminded the Israelites that God’s gestures, thoughts and plans for them are peaceful, abundant and hopeful.
Our gifts to the Pentecost Offering connect with God’s hope and future, supporting ministries with children, youth and young adults by building a life of faith. Together we are building futures of hope, and lives of vibrant faith. READ MORE
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Each month for the remainder of 2022, we will send items from the PW Churchwide’s Justice and Peace Calendar. Feel free to share the information with friends and family, your congregation, and even post it in your newsletter.
Want the J&P calendar for the entire year?
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Choir Chairs - Free!
We have 34-35 choir chairs that need a new home. They are wooden with green fabric on the cushioned parts. They have under the seat storage, and they are in great shape!
Please contact Mandy Keathley for more information:
Mandy Keathley
Director of Music, Central Presbyterian Church
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Registration has officially opened for Stewardship Kaleidoscope, an annual conference offering outstanding plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences and unparalleled networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and generosity. Scheduled from Sept. 26-28, the in-person program of this year’s hybrid conference will be held in Savannah, Georgia.
Drawing leaders from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and other ecumenical partners, Stewardship Kaleidoscope is designed to ignite generosity in faith-based communities, give practical tools for cultivating generosity in congregations, expand the leadership capacity of those who lead stewardship initiatives, and cultivate adaptive approaches for funding Christ’s mission.
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Spring 2022 Volume 3, Issue 3
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Summer Study at Yale Divinity School runs June 6 - June 10 in an online format. Spaces are going quickly, so please register today. See the list of course offerings below. Full course descriptions are available online at the Summer Study website.
YDS Summer Study features distinguished faculty and is open to anyone interested in theological education, regardless of background, profession, and age. There are no prior educational requirements. Classes are small in size, run Monday-Friday, and engage with various topics designed to enlighten and enrich. Summer Study includes daily worship and a keynote address.
Participants receive a YDS Certificate of Completion at the end of the course week. Courses can count towards continuing education requirements for some clergy.
Courses are $400 with discounts for multiple course registration and for current YDS students. To register or get more information, go to summerstudy.yale.edu or call (203) 432-4473 or email [email protected].
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Synod of the South Atlantic
African American Clergy
and Educators Virtual Retreats
After much prayer and discernment for the need to remain connected, we will host a few more gatherings for African American Clergy and Educators. If you would like to receive information regarding these events, please submit your direct contact information at
PLEASE PLACE THESE PARTICIPATION DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR
the link for connection will be sent closer to the date of the event
April 29th
(following the Stated Synod Meeting)
July 15th
October 28th
In the past, we have hosted an African American Clergy and Educators Retreat at Epworth by the Sea on Saint Simons Island (GA) around the second week of September. The plan for an in-person retreat of this nature in 2022 is up for discussion. If you are interested in providing dialogue for this discussion, contact Rev. Cecelia D. Armstrong via email at [email protected].
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"Good Stewards of God's Grace"
Webinar Recording
Ruling elders, deacons, and ministers from across the country recently gathered on Zoom for the first Leader Formation webinar of 2022. The recording of "Good Stewards of God's Grace," presentation slides, and additional webinar resources are now available on the Leader Formation website.
Engage in an opportunity to provide feedback about this webinar and offer ideas for future events by completing the survey here.
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Considering a call to seminary?
Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA (next-door to Atlanta) is a PC(USA) seminary with a diverse and inclusive community that offers a robust education and full scholarship programs for all masters-level degree students. A seminary education can lead to careers to congregational ministry, chaplaincy, non-profit leadership, education, and so much more. All of our students share one essential characteristic: God has called each one to faithful discipleship and leadership in Christ’s Church.
If you’re interested in more information or a discernment conversation, please contact Sarah Kate Bumgarner at [email protected].
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2023 ANNUAL EVENT
January 25–28, 2023
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC)
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Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
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2022 Montreat Youth Conferences
June 5–August 6, 2022
A Montreat Youth Conference affirms youth in their calling to be and to shape the church of Jesus Christ.
Our desire is to help youth come to know and believe that they are the beloved of God and to be a place where authenticity, community, connection, and God’s truth thrive. We seek to be an inclusive space where each voice can be heard and where each heart can be molded; where change is invited, challenge is expected, and where all are embraced.
We have spent the last year, and more, in a season of disconnect through our challenges and circumstances. God calls us to be connected in all aspects of life. Through the stories of Mary and Martha, Jacob and Esau, Jeremiah, and many others, we are reminded that we are all inter-connected in God’s intentional actions. Join us as we explore the many ways that we can reconnect to live out God’s call.
Youth leave Montreat knowing that:
Their faith matters.
They are loved as they are.
They are part of a community of faith.
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Mediation Skills Training Institute
or Church Leaders
Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders
- June 13-17, 2022 (in person)
- August 1-5, 2022 (in person)
- November 14-18, 2022 (in person)
- The June session will be held in Fort Mill, South Carolina; the August session will be held in the Chicago area; and the November session will be held in the Phoenix area. Please check our website for updates.
Everyone Has to Deal with Conflict
Conflict is normal and inevitable – whether in the home, school, community, church or workplace. Leaders in all walks of life often have a responsibility to help others work through their conflicts.
The Mediation Skills Training Institute presented by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (LMPC) is designed to equip church leaders with the skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. The five-day institute also includes a component on congregational mediation and consultation, placed within the context of family systems theory.
Although focused primarily on the church setting, the skills learned are directly transferable to other settings. Thus, managers in business, attorneys, experienced mediators, and others in leadership will be enriched by the training as well.
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Available Jobs
postings on our
website.
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Looking Forward and Not Behind
May 5, 2022
By: Sarah Cornell
Do you ever intentionally take pictures of people you do not know because the setting is just perfect? Weird or not, I have done it. There are just those opportunities that you have to capture. As you can see in the pictures here, you do not see anyone’s faces and I will not disclose where or when they were taken.
But I started thinking about what these people were looking at. They were all taking time to stop and reflect and they cast their gaze on something, whether it is a sunrise, a waterfall, a lake or a horizon. Then I thought about the direction they were looking in. These people were all looking ahead. None of them looked behind or saw that I was taking a picture of them, thank goodness. That might have been embarrassing.
Looking forward and not behind….reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures.
Isaiah 43:18-19- Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland.
Reminders of our past are all around us. Read More
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events |
2022
May
16 New Elder Stated Meeting Training
19 Examinations Committee meeting
23 Antiracism Team meeting
24 Western Region Gathering
26 Committee on Preparation for Ministry meeting
May 21, 2022
November 01, 2022
10:00 am - 2:00 pm Foothills Presbytery Stated Meeting # 121
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