Some ways our congregations
and communities
are supporting Ukraine:
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Foothills Presbytery’s
Mission and Outreach Committee
Mission Trip Team Leaders Needed
Foothills Presbytery’s Mission and Outreach Committee is looking for people interested in possibly leading teams from presbytery congregations on mission trips. There are two different opportunities:
1- Assemble Gift of the Heart kits (clean-up buckets, hygiene kits, School kits). This mission opportunity is near Little Rock, AR at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center. The team leader(s) would need to organize and oversee the mission trip. This is an opportunity for different age groups to work together. There are opportunities for side trips in the area.
2- Tornado Recovery - This mission trip opportunity is located near Madisonville, KY in response to the tornadoes that ravaged the area in December 0f 2021. The team leader(s) should know about construction and be able to organize and oversee the mission trip.
If you are interested, or for more information, please contact Peggy Swann at [email protected] or 864.287.4014
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Session Minutes Review
Dear Pastors and Clerks,
The Representation and Review Committee decided to follow the same process used during the last two years of the pandemic to review the 2021 Session Minutes. Rather than asking Clerks to gather in one room to review the minutes, we are asking you to drop off the completed 2021 minutes at the Presbytery Office.
The completed 2021 minutes will include:
*The Representation and Review Committee revised the Clerk’s Annual Review Form
for this year.
Please plan to drop off the completed 2021 Session Minutes between April 4 and June 16, Monday through Thursday between 9:30 and 4:00. The Foothills Presbytery address is 2242 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville, SC 29681.
If dropping off the minutes at the Presbytery Office is not convenient, we also offer the following options.
- You may copy all the materials and mail them to the office at Foothills Presbytery, 2242 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville, SC 29681.
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You may scan the materials and email them to Robin Morris at [email protected].
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You may contact us to arrange for a different time/location to drop off the 2021 Session Minutes. To arrange a time, please email Robin Morris at [email protected] or Susan Tompkins at [email protected]. You may also call Robin at 864.288.5774 to arrange a different drop-off time/location.
Once the Session minutes have been reviewed, we will notify you that your minutes are ready to be picked up. We look forward to working with you to complete the review of your 2021 Session 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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Mister Rogers Day 2022
March 20
PC(USA) ministries prepare for 2nd annual celebration of Presbyterian minister and TV icon
by Rich Copley | Presbyterian News Service
LEXINGTON, Kentucky — The inaugural Mister Rogers Day was a beautiful day in the neighborhoods of many Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations.
On March 20, 2021, Presbyterians across the United States paid tribute to the ordained Presbyterian minister and iconic children’s television host through acts such as distributing care packages, hiding rocks painted with uplifting messages in local parks, and hosting neighborhood gatherings — observing COVID safety protocols, of course — with many participants donning Rogers’ trademark cardigan sweater. Read More
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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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Youth Roundtable
12 noon
Tuesday, April 5
126 Augusta Street, Greenville
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Educator's
12 noon
Next meeting is
Monday, April 11
at Easley
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Music Ministry Leader's
No April meeting.
Next meeting is Wednesday, May 11 by ZOOM.
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Western Region Gathering
8:00 am
Monday, May 24
We will meet at Panera in Anderson!
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Building the Right Program for your Congregation
Join us for our third online Day of Learning on March 29 to learn how to build a planned giving program right-sized for your church needs and how to engage your congregation in giving.
10:00 a.m. PDT/1:00 p.m. EDT
Ellie Johns-Kelley, Ministry Relations Officer, and Karl Mattison, Vice President for Planned Giving Resources will present Good, Better, Best: Right-sized Planned Giving Programs.
Discover various models of planned giving programs and get tools that range from a very basic practice to starting the conversation to a full plan that demonstrates to donors that your session is prepared to receive and steward their legacy.
1:00 p.m. PDT/4:00 p.m. EDT
Olanda Carr, Senior Ministry Relations Officer will be in conversation with Rev. Dr. Brandi Casto-Waters of Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia on Having the Talk and Making the Ask.
Their presentation will cover practical tools for an active congregation to use for conversations about planned giving, as well as encouraging congregants to make legacy giving a part of their lifetime stewardship.
All programs will be online through the Zoom platform; you will receive a link to join a few days before the program.
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Antiracism Ministry Team, Foothills Presbytery
Resources we have found challenging and inspirational:
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We are excited to announce that our
Since 1948, Camp Fellowship has provided unique summer programs for children & youth of all ages. We strongly believe camp is for everybody and work diligently to create exceptional programs that engage campers and guests in faith formation, community building, personal growth and development, and fun! Join us this summer for our 74th summer on the lake!
Foothills Presbytery has limited
need-based scholarships available.*
Also, Fellowship is offering a discount of $25
for the first 30 registrants from Foothills churches (CODE IS: Foothills25)
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March 25 @ 3:00 pm - March 26 @ 9:30 pm
All is on go for the March 25-26 session of Lay School. Registration materials can be found HERE. For those who did not attend the Oct. 2021 session, note particularly that the school is now a two-day event, ending with worship Saturday night.
We hope that you will register for this session.
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Welcome back! We are so excited to have you back at our communities for this year’s Ambassadors Meetings, which provide an overview of our ministry, explain the importance of charitable care, and introduce you to the Mother’s Day Offering materials your church will receive.
WHO ATTENDS?
Pastors and ambassadors are encouraged to attend. Church members who wish to become an ambassador to support PCSC’s ministry – particularly through the Mother’s Day Offering – are welcome to join us, too!
WHAT IS THE MOTHER’S DAY OFFERING?
The Mother’s Day Offering has been collected in South Carolina Presbyterian Churches for more than 60 years and is used solely to provide charitable care for residents who had outlived their resources. This vital ministry would not be possible without the support of churches and donors.
WHEN ARE THE MEETINGS?
This year we have 5 in-person dates, plus a virtual option. If you are unable to attend your Presbytery’s meeting, you are welcome to register for another meeting.
VIRTUAL MEETING!
Wednesday, March 30 • 7 pm
Join us via Zoom using your computer, smart phone or tablet.
Foothills Presbytery
Thursday, March 31 • 10:30 am
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Presby Youth Day will be hosted on Saturday, April 2, 2022! Join us on campus at the Cornelson Center for a time of worship and liturgy followed by a campus tour. PC is also hosting "Pack the Pondo" that afternoon with food trucks, a women's lacrosse match at 1:00, and a men's baseball game at 3:00. Following the campus tour, we encourage groups to purchase lunch at the food trucks and check out the sporting events at their leisure. Registration for Youth Day is free. Costs for lunch will vary.
To register, or if you have any questions, email Perrin Tribble at: [email protected]
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Please plan to join the Upstate CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, March 20th (Greenville Technical College at 2:30 PM and virtual options available.) The event helps to fight hunger locally and around the world through the programs of Loaves & Fishes of Greenville and Church World Service.
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Year-Long and Summer Internships
Find life in ministry that crosses linguistic, cultural, and political borders.
Frontera de Cristo is happy to assist interested individuals in creating year-long and summer internships, as well as shorter-term volunteer opportunities. Through these experiences, people join together from both sides of the border to serve in bi-national ministry. You can join our bi-national team of young adult interns for a summer or year-long ministry experience. Share the gifts you bring to the table and discover new ones as you serve alongside our mission co-workers and partner ministries here in DouglaPrieta.
Interns range in age from late high school and undergraduate students seeking a summer of service, to young adults in between phases of life, to seminary students pursuing a life-long career in ministry work. What all interns have in common is a desire to embody God’s love and justice to the people of Agua Prieta and the migrants who pass through our border community. Interns live in a shared Frontera de Cristo apartment in Agua Prieta and utilize bicycles as their main form of transportation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Then, when you are ready, please complete the full intern application form and submit it to [email protected].
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January/February 2022 Horizons magazine is available online!
Laugh and Sing for God Is With Us
About This Issue
Laughing? Singing? Two years into a global pandemic, the encouragement to laugh and sing might seem, well, laughable. Even before Covid-19, it wasn’t easy to remain joyous when injustice, natural disaster and our mortal nature mean we’ll never have enough days with those we love in the world we love.
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Birthday Offering: While Birthday Offering projects and donation amounts have changed, Presbyterian Women’s commitment to improving the lives of women and children has not. Support the Birthday Offering so PW can continue funding mission projects for the next 100 years. Give as you have been blessed, generously and as led by the Holy Spirit.
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Empowering Young People Toward Beloved Community
April 6th; 12 - 1:30 pm Eastern
This presentation will build upon the ethnographic and theological research in Rev. Dr. Williams' book, Church in Color to highlight practical steps congregations and other organizations can take to resist racism and embrace Beloved Community in the work of youth and young adult ministry.
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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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Eastminster Presbyterian
2240 Woodruff Road,
invites you to participate in a
Poverty Simulation with them
on Sunday, March 27, 3:00-5:00
The Poverty Simulation opens people’s eyes to the human cost of poverty. The power of this unique learning resource is that it creates, like nothing else, insight into the state of chronic crisis that consumes so many working poor families. Participants experience one month of poverty comprised of four fifteen-minute weeks. Afterwards, in the debriefing, they share insights of extraordinary vividness and intensity.
Participants are placed into families made up of one to five members. They receive an envelope that describes their demographics, their income/resources, and their bills. They interact with “vendors” (trained volunteers) who sit at tables around the perimeter of the room. During the course of the simulation, they may deal with a mortgage/rental company, school, pawnbroker, banker, employer, and others. To get from “home” to one of the vendors requires a transportation ticket. This is just the first of many challenges the participants experience within the two-hour time period.
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At the Festival of Homiletics, May 16–20, 2022, you’ll hear respected and thoughtful speakers present on the theme After the Storm: Preaching and Trauma.
The advantages of registering now:
- Enjoy early-bird pricing! Prices go up on February 15, 2022.
- In-person attendance will be limited—act now to ensure your space.
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
- Bonus sermons and lectures from top speakers
- Private social networking with other pastors and leaders
of Homiletics, May 16–20, 2022.
We’re excited about the superb thinkers and teachers who will present on this year’s theme, “After the Storm: Preaching and Trauma”
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FREE EVENTS
Join Dr. Jennifer Ayres on the Richmond campus, March 22 - 24, 2022, as she leads our 2022 Spring Howie Center Events.
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MAY 2 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
This is an online course is co-sponsored by the Center for Social Justice & Reconciliation (CSJR) and the Leadership Institute of Union Presbyterian Seminary.
Online Course Title: Awakening the Church to Social Justice
Course Dates: Mondays, May 2 – June 13, 2022, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET (No class meeting on May 30)
Course Description: This six-week, online course is designed to provide exposure to some foundational issues of Social Justice, with a view toward encouraging activism in local churches and communities. While historical and theoretical issues of injustice will be the doorway to engaging a more activist life, the focus of the course will ultimately be on possible avenues of practical application for social justice within the context of ministry.
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To view a FULL list of upcoming opportunities, visit:
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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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For more information Contact:
Rev. Brandon Ouellette, Institute Director
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Good Stewards of God's Grace
A PC(USA) Leader Formation Webinar
March 30, 2022; 7:00-8:30 pm (eastern)
Registration Deadline: March 23, 2022
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received” (1 Pet. 4:10). As spiritual leaders in the congregation, deacons and ruling elders have vital gifts to offer in the leadership of worship. This webinar will help to equip ruling elders and deacons for particular roles and responsibilities as worship leaders in a variety of settings, including: the Service for the Lord’s Day; services of ordination, installation, and commissioning; the extended service of communion; and other ministries of compassion and care with those who are sick, homebound, or hospitalized.
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 March 23, 2022, in order to be able to have time to arrange for those services. This event will be recorded and will be available in English following the event. Registration is not required for access to the recording.
Register for the webinar by March 23, 2022, HERE
Regarding Ruling Elders
To stay connected to resources for ruling elders and the Regarding Ruling Elders monthly series of articles, subscribe to updates here.
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Mediation Skills Training Institute
or Church Leaders
Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders
- May 9-13, 2022 (online)
- 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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Forever Changing, Always Chosen
Mar 10, 2022
A few weeks ago, the Presbytery Youth Council met in the Foothills Presbytery Office with Joan Jones and the Rev. Jacob Kennedy from Fort Hill Presbyterian Church. They met to discuss the upcoming “Mini-Montreat” retreat, and what the theme “Forever Changing, Always Chosen” meant to each person. As the discussion went on, many of us students had many thoughts. However, one thing kept coming up. PLANTS! We kept thinking about how God is at work in the midst of the change, and that is no more clearly seen than through plants. Suddenly, it all came together. We needed to have a large pot, and people would plant the seeds. Then throughout the weekend, growth began to take place. Read More
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events |
2022
March
24 Committee on Preparation for Ministry meeting
25 & 26 SC Lay School
28 Foothills Presbytery Staff meeting and Antiracism Committee meeting
April
1-3 PYC Middle School Retreat at Asbury Hills
5 Youth Leaders Roundtable and Personnel Committee meeting
7 Finance Committee meeting and Committee on Ministry meeting
9 General Assembly Commissioners training
10 PYC meeting
11 Educators Gathering by ZOOM
14 Committee on Shared Ministry meeting by ZOOM
19 Coordinating Council meeting
21 Examinations Committee meeting
25-26 Foothills Presbytery staff Retreat - Office will be closed
28 Committee on Preparation for Ministry meeting
May 20 - 21, 2022
November 01, 2022
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