April 9, 2020
Foothills Newsletter
  • The Presbytery office has canceled all in-person meetings through the end of April. 
  • Our staff is still working and can be reached via e-mail or phone.
  • We do have options for meeting via Zoom Conference. Each Committee Chair and Vice-Chair will determine if that is a viable option for their committee but this is an option for church leaders as well.
  • If you need to arrange a zoom meeting, please contact LeAnne White [email protected]
A letter from Debbie

As our staff finishes up the touches on this week’s eNews, I am aware that we are in the fourth week of living with a pandemic on the loose. I am also mindful that we are in Holy Week, and today is Maundy Thursday. Tonight, Jesus will wash his disciples’ feet; filthy-dirty, hard-worn, nasty feet. It is a gift of grace. When he finishes, cleans up, and returns to talk with them, he says, “You also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Love one another, and care for one another.

We are all getting restless; we are living in the darkness of Holy Week, the darkness of COVID, and are ready to celebrate Jesus to be the one on the loose, come Easter. We are also people of God, seeking meaning in the darkness, meaning in the middle of the nasty, filthy, dirty virus called COVID.

Tonight, take a pause and participate in the grace of Christ. As we virtually gather as a body of Christ and receive God’s grace, God will give us the nourishment we need to better love one another and care for one another in the days leading to Easter and the days to come.

Grace and peace,
Rev. Deborah G. Foster
Presbytery Leader & Stated Clerk
RESOURCES Concerning Covid-ID Coronavirus
Click here for links to:

  • Health and Wellness
  • Information from the PCUSA
  • Worship Links & How-To's
  • Giving Online
  • Serving Those in Need
A message from
Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II Stated Clerk of the PC(USA)
&
Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett President, Executive Director

We invite you to join us for an Easter celebration and message of hope.   Leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) share with you a special Easter worship video, created to help us come together in community on this holiest of days.     READ MORE

What do you do when you can’t pass the offering plate? 
Generosity in Uncertain Times
Zoom Meeting
Thursday April 16, 12:00 - 1:30

Registration required: ( [email protected] )

Topics to be discussed:
  • Engaging conversation about generosity in time of crises.
  • Messaging: Where & how to message without offertory.
  • Giving Tools during a time of socially distance.
  • Best Practices during this time (picking up mail, counting funds, payroll, etc.).
  • Communication practices (Appreciation, and ministry connections).
Presbyterian Foundation: Offers one month fee reduction for online gifts
Presbyterians are giving generously to their congregations and favorite ministries, and we at the Presbyterian Foundation want to increase that impact. In this challenging time of pandemic, gifts to ministries through the Presbyterian Foundation have  increased  in the first quarter of this year as compared to last year. READ MORE

If you have questions about your online giving account, feel free to be in touch with us at  [email protected] .
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance  Building Resilience  webinar for Faith Leaders:
This one- hour program is designed to increase participants’ understanding of their own signs of stress and to teach in-the-moment tools to engage the relaxation response in body and mind.
This webinar is designed for faith leaders in this season of COVID-19 and will engage participants in responding to questions and prompts to help create a personalized self- care and resilience-building plan, with attention to the particular issues facing faith leaders and awareness of the importance of the spiritual life which guides us all. Those attending will build on their experience while practicing new tools that have been shown to be effective in sustaining our capacity to serve in the midst of challenging circumstances. This webinar has been pre-recorded and is available to view at your convenience. Live webinars can also be requested.

Visit   www.bit.ly/PDAESCwebinar   for more information.
Available to Foothills Churches: Video Conference Meetings with ZOOM
Foothills Presbytery has secured a second ZOOM account. This enables us to  offer access to Zoom technology  (to those churches who have a need) for session & committee meetings, and in some cases Bible studies & fellowship events. ( Zoom Etiquette Tips )
 
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
MUSIC MINISTRY LEADER’S
MEETING 
10:00 am
Wednesday, April 15*

*We will meet by Zoom  again this month.    Meeting ID & password were sent to the group.
Presbyterian Outlook- COVID-19 news & resources
We invite you to use our weekly lectionary reflections,  " Looking into the lectionary " for worship, Bible study or devotions. Please check  our website  or follow us on social media for the most up-to-date materials. You can find all of the  Outlook's  COVID-19 stories  with this link  and you can find all of our new  worship resources here .

How can we support you? Are there other resources that would be helpful?  Let us know.  And if these free materials are helpful to you, please consider  making a donation  to help us keep providing theologically sound content for the church.

  • Worship Resources
  • Lenten Devotional Video
  • News & Ministry Aids
Foothills Presbytery Spring Stated Meeting
The Foothills Coordinating Council met on Tuesday, April 7 by Zoom. Since the South Carolina Presbyterian Convocation scheduled for May 15-16 at Presbyterian College and Thornwell Home for Children was canceled, they came up with an alternate plan for the Foothills Presbytery Spring Stated Meeting.

An email with more information will go out to pastors,
certified educators, and clerks later today.
Covenant Connections BLOG
It Still Takes a Village: Thoughts from a Solo Pastor on Virtual Worship

by Rev. Audrey Reese- Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westminster South Carolina

Empowering Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) Conference
Camp Fellowship provides Housing for the Imani Milele Choir

The Imani Milele Choir s ,  tour dates over the next eight weeks were all canceled. Camp Fellowship committed to shelter, feed, and nurture the group  until such time as the immediate crisis ends and the choir is able to travel again.  (See the WYFF news story here)

One Great Hour of Sharing
February 26 - April 12
One Great Hour of Sharing- This offering goes to support Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People. If you need materials go to www.pcusa.org/oghs 
Free Church Banners - Donations to a good home
One of out churches has Worship Banners they are willing to donate!
Measurements from banner to banner run similar – not exact – but are approx. 35” W x 88” L. Some have a loop end with velcro for hanging. Others can be hung from a bar-type staff.

All banners are in great shape and designs vary. Please email LeAnne White if you are interested.
Spartanburg Interfaith Alliance
Join us to network with fellow clergy, lay leaders, and faith communities, and learn how we can work collectively to improve the lives of Spartanburg County residents!

Presbyterian Women:
Introducing the 2020–2021 PW/ Horizons  Bible Study
Into the Light:
Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament
P. Lynn Miller, author and artist Suggestions
for Leaders by Dee Koza 

SC5 Presbyteries Minister/Educator Retreat
October 26-28, 2020

"'A Word in Its Season': Effective Speech in the Bible and Our Fractured Political Moment"

Speaker: Sam Adams

Worship & Music Conference
A Great Cloud of Witnesses
June 28–July 4, 2020
This conference offers a full week of worship and music for professionals, musicians, clergy, laypersons, choirs, youth groups, and families.
The Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM) works in cooperation with the Montreat Conference Center to offer two identical Worship and Music conferences each summer.

Put Your Two Cents In
We want to invite you to "Put Your Two Cents In"   and to put it where it can make a difference in the effort to relieve hunger and poverty. What began in 1976 as 'two cents a meal', is now known as 'Cents Ability', asking people to contribute a few coins at each meal as an expression of thanksgiving for what we have received. Read More: 2 Cents a Meal
Foothills Presbytery RESOURCE CENTER
Click HERE for New Items in the Foothills Presbytery Resource Center

Click HERE for Lent & Easter Resources for Children's Educators

We are happy to support you through online resource requests. Please email us or call us if you need assistance. If you would like to check out a resource, we will be happy to leave it for you outside our office door or we can mail it to you.  
Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events
April
9 Transition Think Tank (Zoom)
16 Music Leaders Meeting (ZOOM) & Generosity in Uncertain Times Webinar
23 CPM meeting (ZOOM)
25 GA Commissioner Training (TBD)


Quicklinks
Resource Center of Foothills Presbytery
thornwell