RESOURCES During Covid
Click
HERE
for a list of important resources, update weekly!
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224TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECAP
From lamentation to action — the 2020 General Assembly called the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to do the hard work of justice, working to respond to what some referred to as the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice.
Due to the nature of this year’s social distancing, these inserts have been specially formatted to be distributed via email. Please feel free to email these to your congregation. You are, of course, welcome to print and distribute them to those who prefer a hard copy. However, we do ask that you don’t post them publicly on your website or social media.
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Please make sure your church received this important survey link!!
Your Presbytery leadership knows that the last five months have presented challenges and opportunities we never expected. We are asking that a representative of your church complete this brief survey by
July 15.
It will help us track themes across our presbytery and share how you are caring for your members and your community.
To get a better understanding of where we are now, and how that informs the months and years ahead, we will make this information available at our
We are grateful for your time and thoughtful suggestions.
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Financial Forum meeting
The Presbytery has been doing their best to keep with how our churches are managing worship, stewardship, financial needs, reopening in-person plans, etc. Earlier this week, a survey (see above) was sent to all of our pastors and clerks to get a even more specific, measurable information.
Our hope is to gather that information and share it in a Financial Forum Seminar/Zoom sponsored by Presbytery and the Presbyterian Foundation .
This meeting will be conducted online.
You will receive meeting information after you register:
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Collaborative Build with
Habitat for Humanity and
Congregations of Foothills Presbytery
UPDATE!
Congregations participating in Foothills Presbytery Habitat collaborative build:
With the number of COVID-19 cases in SC, and in the Greenville area in particular, being so high
Habitat for Humanity/Greenville has postponed the build dates for the Foothills Presbytery
building project at 102 Jim Logan Street.
The tentative new date for beginning is middle to late August but will be amended again if there is not a steady decrease in the number of new cases and the percentage of positive cases.
A revised schedule of dates and the work to be done will be sent soon but I wanted to get this information to you. Also included will be a copy of Habitat's safety protocols that will be in place for you to share with volunteers so they can make an informed decision about volunteering. When work does begin, the schedule will be for fall hours: 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
An update about the financial needs of the project will also be sent as we learn what will be needed to bring the project to completion.
Safety is the priority and your patience and continuing support of this ministry is greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you have any questions.
grace and peace,
Peggy Swann
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Support for Church Leaders:
Town-hall Check-in for Pastors
We had our first two Zoom check-ins for pastors in May & June. It was a helpful way to hear the celebrations, opportunities and challenges brought forth during COVID 19 restrictions.
We will hold our next Town-hall check-in on
July 14 at 2:00 pm
.
We will center our time in prayer, check-in with each other, share ideas, and connect resources. If you are interested,
email LeAnne White
to sign up, and we will make sure to send you the Zoom link.
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Presbytery Youth Council
2019-2020 was quite a year for PYC! We had an amazing group of youth and adults who began our year together last May as we were installed at the Presbytery meeting. We worked, planned and bonded as a group and hosted a incredible retreat at Bonclarken for 120 Middle School Youth and Adults in October. Planning began immediately for the Senior High Youth retreat at Montreat to be held in March. Until the weekend before, we were on schedule, with small group materials ready, t-shirts printed, keynotes and music, energizers and recreation and name tags printed and then Covid-19 became our reality. While we were all incredibly disappointed, we knew that canceling the retreat was the right thing to do!
It was a tough was to end a fantastic year. Special thanks to this amazing group of leaders. We are so thankful for the many ways they stepped up to lead and encourage others while sharing their faith! These photos are from our last Zoom meeting at a 2019-2020 PYC!
READ MORE
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Mission! Alert!
Attention!
Due to the pandemic, unemployment is high and as a result families in our communities are going hungry.
The churches of Foothills Presbytery can make a difference 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. If your church has actively participated, please consider sending in your contributions today so they can be disbursed while the need is so great. Participants collect a few cents in appreciation for each meal; these are added to those of other Foothills congregations and can make a significant difference. If your church has not participated in the past, this is the perfect time to begin. If you know of a food assistance program in your area that should be added to our list of recipients, contact them and urge them to apply.
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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Interested in having a Zoom
Video Conference Meeting,
but you don't have an account? The Presbytery can help!
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.
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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PW Disaster Preparedness Training
In September 2014 a collaboration between Presbyterian Women (PW) and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) began to engage PW in the ministry of disaster preparedness.
There are now over 150 PW-DP trainers, however
there are no PW-DP trainers in South Carolina
.
We would like to change that by offering a ZOOM PW-DP training!
July 27, 28 and August 3 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
EDT
are the dates and time for the training.
PW-DP trainers work with congregations and presbyteries to assist them in becoming prepared for disasters. PDA provides resources for the PW Disaster Preparation Trainers and features this collaboration in PDA and PW media. At the conclusion of the PW Trainer Training, PDA will present each PW who successfully completes the training with a certificate and a co-branded scarf.
For more information about the PW Disaster Preparation Trainer Training, please contact Beth Snyder at
[email protected]
or call 502-569-5806 or 502-377-0667 and leave your name and number. Please share the news of this PW ministry of disaster preparedness opportunity that supports the mission of the church worldwide and builds an inclusive, caring community of women strengthening the PCUSA and witnessing to the promise of God’s kingdom.
The deadline for applications is
Friday, July 17
.
Workbooks will be emailed and mailed USPS to participants
.
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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
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PW Gives Day is July 31
, just 28 days away! On PW Gives Day, Presbyterian women across the globe come together to celebrate our 230-year mission of bringing God’s light to the world through our PW ministry. Let us encourage “one another toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24). We bring love and good deeds to the world through our care of Presbyterian Women and our shared ministry.
Join others on July 31 or even today and give!
- Give online at www.presbyterianwomen.org/give (select PWGDAY20);
- by phone (call 844/PW-PCUSA, ext. 5322); or
- check (Presbyterian Women, Inc., PO Box 643652, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3652. Please indicate “annual fund” and PWGDAY20 in the memo line of the check.
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On Wednesday, June 3, Midway Pastor, John McCallum and Choir Director, Roz Rozakos (second from left) delivered a check to Rev. Todd Davis and the Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Seneca. The gift was an expression of love and support for the church in the wake of significant damage from the tornado that hit the community on April 23.
The Saint Mark Gospel Choir has sung at Midway special services on two occasions in the last few years. For many years Roz has known some of the choir members as they were formerly at Midway.
A little over a year ago Midway was on the receiving end of support as the church incurred vandalism of the sanctuary and church sign. That support from individuals and churches helped with repairs and the installation of a security system.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ.”
~Ephesians 6:2
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Protecting Your Church:
Considerations in the Wake of Civil Unrest
Please let us know if you need any additional resources.
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Children’s Educators Gathering
July 16, 2020 11:00 AM
We will meet by Zoom.
Zoom meeting ID will be sent to Christian Educators from Ginna. Please contact LeAnne White at the Foothills Presbytery office with any questions.
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Stewardship Technology:
On-Demand Interview
Transitioning to a Virtual Event During a Crisis
Invitations to approximately 2,000 attendees were ready to be mailed when Jana made the call to transition her live event to a virtual event. Listen to Jana's experience in an On-Demand interview.
DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW
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Montreat
Online Summer
Programs
Though we cannot gather together in person for our regular summer events, we hope that you will join us virtually! Take a look at our online program offerings this summer.
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PCSC Welcomes Jenn Paden Stanley, Director of Foundation Services and Church Relations
Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina is excited to announce that Jennifer Paden Stanley has joined its ministry as the next Director of Foundation Services and Church Relations.
Jenn comes to PCSC from Presbyterian College, where she served in the Office of Advancement as Major Gifts Officer.
Jenn will be out visiting churches and presbyteries as soon as the coronavirus pandemic will allow. In the meantime, please reach out to her with any questions or needs you might have. She can be reached at (803) 772-5885 and at
[email protected]
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Join us!
Youth Ministry Leader's ROUNDTABLE
Tuesday , August 4*
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Details TBA
*We will not meet in July.
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Two new Resources from Foothills former youth/young adult Bobby Williamson:
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The Forgotten Books of the Bible Video Series: Ecclesiastes Part 1
This is Part 1 of a lecture on Ecclesiastes based on my book The Forgotten Books of the Bible: Recovering the Five Scrolls for Today (Fortress, 2018).
Feel free to use this video
with your class or study group or for your own personal study.
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Also Dr. Amy Robertson and I have begun a 10-week summer series on the forgotten books of the Bible on our podcast, BibleWorm. Amy is a Jewish educator in Atlanta (and fellow Emory PhD). We talk about biblical texts as scholars and as people of faith. You can find us at
https://www.biblewormpodcast.com/
or wherever you listen to podcasts.
I hope you find these resources useful! As always, I'm happy to visit your class or group (via Zoom for now!). Just get in touch with me at
[email protected]
.
All the best,
Bobby
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Dear Friends of the South Carolina Inn,
We write this letter to you from the front porch of the Inn. Today a gentle rain is providing nourishment to the North Carolina mountains. Tomorrow the sunshine should return to enjoy another beautiful day to walk around Lake Susan. The wonder of God’s creation seems to be made manifest clearly here in Montreat.
We’ve wonderful news: the South Carolina Inn is open once again to welcome you to Montreat!!
Currently, the Inn is making adjustments to abide by county statutes now in place and to provide a safe and comfortable place to stay.
Read More
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Virtual 2020
STEPS
The August 29 event theme is
For a Time Such as This
(Esther 4:14)-
There will be two workshop sessions with three options each. STEPS will conclude with worship. There will be no registration fee, but participants must pre-register to receive the links to join the workshops. Worship will include a video of how you are being the church in these unprecedented times - please send pictures of your drive up stewardship campaigns, graduation celebrations, and food pantries, etc and/or screen shots of your zoom worship and education opportunities to
[email protected]
by August 10.
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Remote Faith Formation for the Long Haul
The PC(USA) Office of Faith Formation has compiled this list of resources that could be helpful for you during the current COVID-19 situation and that may be helpful in developing sustainable remote faith formation for your community. In this list you will find resources to deal with the current crisis, studies for Christian education, blogs and ideas.
This is your toolbox
. The list will be updated periodically over the coming weeks.
Also provided is a Faith Practices Toolkit Sampler for intentional intergenerational Sabbath rhythms. A toolkit for faith practices will be released in summer 2020. The completed toolkit will provide scriptural and theological grounding for each practice, as well as ways to engage all ages.
HERE
is a sampling from that toolkit to provide ideas of engaging in practices during these times.
Check out
these resources
for all ages groups provided by the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators.
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Building Resilience
webinar for Faith Leaders:
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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.
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Stewardship Kaleidoscope
Stewardship Kaleidoscope is moving online!
Make me know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. - Psalm 25: 4-5
These are extraordinary times and while we can’t “do church” the way we are used to, the needs of our communities and our call to be stewards of God’s kingdom has not been put on hold.
This year Kaleidoscope will offer learning over three weeks in the fall to help you respond to the needs of your community, adapt to change, and think about how to engage as a church in new ways. We hope you can join us on three consecutive Tuesdays:
September 22, September 29, and October 6 at 11:30am eastern/8:30am pacific.
On
September 22nd
hear from
Eric Barreto of Princeton Theological Seminary
on the Acts of the Apostles in the 21st century - imagination, vision, and creativity in responding to our call;
September 29th
we will learn with consultant
Bonnie Ives Marden
about the ways in which faith shapes our financial health, and get practical tools for church financial management;
October 6th
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow
will provide perspectives on engaging congregations across generations, cultures, and ethnicity to imagine building the church for forward thinking funding and functioning.
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Please join us for one of the many events that we have planned from July through December of this year, including traditional events that we haven't presented for a while, as well as brand new webinars on timely topics. A sampling of a few imminent events is listed below (some events will be repeated in future months):
Meditation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders
(August 3-7, 2020): This intensive 5-day event helps clergy and other church leaders deal more effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict.
Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches
(July 18): Sessions include "Finding Renewal in Conflict" and "How to be Effective when People are Angry," among others. Groups are especially encouraged to register for this event!
Healthy Congregations (July 21): Participants will learn how to keep anxiety within their congregations from becoming infectious, put limits on invasive behavior, manage reactivity, focus on strengths, and more! This workshop is also especially well suited for groups who are members of the same congregation.
Breaking Free: Finding Resilience in an Era of Collective Trauma
(July 16 and July 30):
Grounded in Family Systems Theory, and offered in the context of COVID-19 and the aftermath of George Floyd's tragic death,
Breaking Free
will help participants identify the impact of trauma on themselves and others, discuss strategies to break free from trauma, and find resilience.
Further details and registration information for these events and others will be made available on
BrownPaperTickets
(some events still pending). We also encourage you to visit
https://lmpeacecenter.org/
from time to time for the latest updates, call the
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center
at
630-627-0507
, or email us at
[email protected]
.
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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
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Covenant Connections BLOG
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by Richard & Susan Caldwell
It was 8:15 a.m. the morning after Easter Sunday when the phone rang. It was John, our pastor. He asked, “Are you O.K.?” Funny question we thought! Why wouldn’t we be? You see, we knew there had been wind, rain and lightning during the night but had not experienced or even heard that at 3:30 a.m. an EF3 tornado hit and devastated the Seneca area – John and Elizabeth’s property included.
A day later we were ushered into a new level of awareness. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) was unable to send a response team to the area because of COVID-19. Susan and I were asked to fill the gap to see what was needed since we already lived here and had escaped any personal damage. We talked with Debbie Foster from Presbytery and Rick Turner, who normally would have represented PDA. That kicked off some steps that led to a PDA grant to Presbytery for tornado relief assistance. Through them we also received from Church World Service a pallet of flood (cleaning) buckets and hygiene kits.
Read More
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events
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July
16
Examinations meeting
23
Committee on Preparation for Ministry meeting (Zoom)
August
4
Youth Ministry Roundtable
6
Committee on Ministry meeting
14
Called Stated Presbytery Meeting (Zoom)
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