Cloud of Witnesses
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, Who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.
(Hebrews 12: 1- 3, NRSV)
We will thank and celebrate the Great Cloud of Witnesses who have meant so much to our faith communities during our upcoming Presbytery meeting. Many were a testimony to God’s faithfulness and led with perseverance through countless changes in church and culture.
As you think about your own Cloud of Witnesses, I suspect, you will observe that they were not all perfect—we’re all sinners and saints, after all—but that they persevered, relying on the grace of God, through the ups and downs of a life of faith. It is fuel for our weary souls.
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Hebrews 12: 1-3, The Message)
Please continue to listen to each other with compassionate curiosity, and rest your conversation in the grace of Christ. These times are unpredictable, but they also hold immense potential for our lives and values to be transformed by God’s wisdom, generosity, and grace.
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Presbytery Leader & Stated Clerk
Foothills Presbytery
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118th Stated Meeting of Foothills Presbytery
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
10:00 am
at First Presbyterian, Spartanburg
We will center our time in Worship, which will include remembrance of Ruling Elders and Teaching Elders who have died since November 2020.
Ministers and Clerks have received the docket with the agenda as well as additional information about the meeting and registration.
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The Dougla-Prieta Story
Please enjoy this video by Steve Jeter, and learn who we are, what we do,
and what a difference your support makes:
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MUSIC MINISTRY LEADER’S
9:00 am
Wednesday, November 10
by ZOOM
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Educator's Gathering
11:00 am
Monday, November 15
We will meet at Easley Pres
on the porch!
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Youth Roundtable
12 noon
Tuesday, November 16
In-Person at the
Foothills Presbytery office
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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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Applications for summer staff open Friday, November 19. For more information visit:
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New Online Leader Training Helps Churches Begin or
Expand Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministries St. Louis is now training caring ministry leaders through a live, interactive online training experience called the Bridge Leader’s Training Course (BLTC). This event fully trains Stephen Leaders—the pastors, church staff, and lay leaders who begin and lead Stephen Ministry in their congregation.
The BLTC draws on newly redesigned and updated Stephen Ministry resources to equip participants with the skills and know-how to lead all aspects of their congregation’s Stephen Ministry. This includes training a team of congregation members as lay caregivers (called Stephen Ministers), matching them with hurting people in the congregation and community, and offering ongoing guidance and support to Stephen Ministers as they provide one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people experiencing a wide range of life difficulties. READ MORE
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A Conversation with Pastors, for Pastors
Join us on Wednesday, November 10 at 12:00pm Eastern via Zoom for a conversation with pastors, for pastors about the pressing issues of ministry today.
The Center for Continuing Education was launched in October 2019 to enable Yale Divinity School to “reach beyond the walls” and provide educational opportunities and resources for clergy, laity and community organizations to expand and enrich ministry and lay learning - all at little to no cost. The Center is home to some existing cornerstone programs (the YDS Summer Study, the Yale Youth Ministry Institute, and the Yale Bible Study program) and is charged with creating new opportunities for theological education and enrichment in three primary categories: Faith and Contemporary Issues, Church and Nonprofit Administration, and Leadership Development. If you haven’t already, we invite you to explore our websites at: https://divinity.yale.edu/continuing-education.
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Fall 2021 Continuing Education
Regardless of personal politics or worldview, there is little biblical, theological, and moral wiggle room for the faithful to step away from the harsh realities of the world. Church leaders have the privilege and sacred responsibility to equip disciples to make faithful and moral decisions based on their faith. Come explore how to construct a framework for integrating justice into the teaching ministry of congregations and contexts for ministry
Led by: Dr. Rebecca Davis, Associate Professor of Christian Ed
Thursdays, November 4 and 11
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. EDT
Dates: Tuesdays, November 16 – December 7, 2021, 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. EST (Note: This online workshop is a four-part series).
Led by: Christen Kinard, Founder, Digital Congregations
Workshop Description: This 4-part course is designed for churches that want to learn how to use social media for ministry, not just marketing. It will teach you how to enhance and improve your current efforts, to stand out in the social space, and to develop and implement an effective social media strategy. In addition to the four 75-minute sessions, workshop participants will receive the recordings and slides from each class in case they are unable to attend. Each week, office hours are offered for one-on-one conversation.
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Let us set our sights on being together February 9-12, 2022, for the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) Annual Event, “Circle of Faith: 50 years + one and beyond,” where God will meet us as we are and nurture us into what God dreams and hopes for us! To learn more about the event click here: https://apcenet.org/2022-annual-event/
Registration is now open
for the 2022 Annual Event!
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Living Waters for the World and Presbyterian Women share the belief that all of God’s children should have clean water to drink. We thank you for your prayers and support these many years.
We are excited to tell you about an opportunity for those who want to keep clean water flowing all year long, by becoming a Living Waters for the World Cupbearer. We invite you to click here or on the image above to hear from Jan Wilford on why she is a Cupbearer and why she thinks it's important.
You can become a Cupbearer, like Jan, with a monthly recurring gift to Living Waters for the World. Just $5 per month is enough to support clean water for an entire family! Will you join us so that all God's children can have clean water?
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Event details, registration information and more coming in summer and fall of 2021. Registration is expected to begin in January or February 2022.
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Join the
Rise Against Hunger Event at
Nazareth Presbyterian Church
November 7, 2021
3:00 - 5:00 pm
We hope to have at least 100 volunteers and raise about $2000 for this event!!! Register or donate at the link below:
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Mediation Skills Training
Registration is now open for Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders, to be held on October 11-15 and November 15-19, 2021. The two identical sessions will be held remotely via Zoom. This workshop is designed to help church leaders deal more effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. For details consult this MSTI Brochure. For a complete list of training events being offered by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center — including our one-day Conflict Transformation Skills and Healthy Congregations — please consult this LMPC 2021 Program Calendar. For online registration go to our website at www.lmpeacecenter.org/all-events. Plan now to take advantage of these outstanding opportunities for spiritual and professional growth!
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Available Jobs
postings on our
website.
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Faith and Monkey Bars
By Elliott Grow
Today I would like to invite you on a journey…
a journey back in time to when you were quite young and playing on a playground, perhaps with many children your age, or perhaps in a park with only your parents or siblings.
Now, I would like for you to focus on one apparatus on the playground in particular… the monkey bars.
If you look down at your hands now, can you see where the bars made blisters as you learned to swing from bar to bar?
Do you remember holding onto one bar with both hands and quickly trying to grasp the next bar and awkwardly getting both hands around that one?
Feel your arms now. Are you able to remember that your strength wavered at first but increased as you practiced swinging on those monkey bars?
Imagine holding onto one bar as you swing to the next with one arm and then swinging forward to the next bar with the other. Grasping with one hand, you swing out with the other.
When considering the Hebrews 11 text, I have returned to this image of swinging on the monkey bars again and again. Read More
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Mark your Calendars for these Upcoming Events |
November
4 COM - Committee on Ministry meeting
8 Foothills Presbytery Staff meeting
9 118th Stated Meeting of Foothills Presbytery
10:00 am at First Presbyterian, Spartanburg
10 Music Leaders gathering by Zoom & Associate Pastors gathering by Zoom
11 Committee on Shared Ministry (CSM) meeting by Zoom, Examinations meeting - in person
15 Christian Educators meeting by Zoom
16 Youth Leaders Roudtable in person & Antiracism meeting
17 Womens Preaching Cohort
18 Committee on Preparation for Ministry(CPM) meeting
21 PYC at Easley Pres
February 15, 2022
May 14, 2022
November 01, 2022
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