‘O God of All Creation’ can be freely used in worship services and in support of relief efforts

by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — Presbyterian pastor and hymn writer the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written a new hymn, “O God of All Creation,” after Hurricane Fiona brought devastation to Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean before turning toward the Maritime provinces in Canada.

“This new hymn was written after severe storms caused massive flooding and damage in Pakistan, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and other places,” Gillette wrote. “It is written in a general way so that it can be used in the future after other hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones, which are unfortunately becoming more severe due to climate change.”

The new hymn is set to Samuel Sebastian Wesley’s “AURELIA,” the tune for “The Church’s One Foundation.” Winfrey Gillette grants permission for churches to use the lyrics in worship and in support of relief efforts.



O God of All Creation

O God of all creation, as ocean waters warm,

we grieve the devastation that comes with violent storms.

We pray for people struggling — who need your help and grace

on every flooded island and in each flooded place.

We pray for all your children, so dearly loved by you,

who know such great destruction as winds and rains crash through.

We pray for all those hurting, who grieve for what is gone —

for neighbors, friends and siblings who struggle to go on.

We pray, O Lord, for churches that help to build anew.

We pray for rescue workers and all the good they do.

We pray for those with vision who serve as they restore —

who make homes more efficient and stronger than before.

O Christ who calmed the waters and stilled the stormy seas,

You teach us: “Love your neighbors!”  and “Humbly care for these!”

Now lead us by your Spirit to gladly lend a hand —

on every struggling island and in each hurting land.

Honoring All Saints

Foothills Presbytery has a tradition of recognizing and celebrating the lives of Ruling Elders and Ministers (and their spouses), who have entered the Church Triumphant in the last year. We rely on you, our church leaders, to let us know the names of your saints who have faithfully served your congregation and God's beloved community.

Please send the names of those Elders and Ministers (and their spouses) who have died since November 2021 through the present. We will honor and recognize them during worship at our November Stated Meeting of Presbytery.

Please send names to Warren Templeton, [email protected] no later than October 19.

Thank you!

Registration for both retreats due Monday, October 3, 2022!

After Monday, registration goes up to $200 pp.

Resources we have found challenging and inspirational:

• Light For The World To See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope by Kwame Alexander
• The Undefeated (Caldecott Medal Book) by Kwame Alexander

If you missed the screening of At the River: Struggle and Grace in the Segregated South but still want to see the movie, we have another opportunity in Foothills:

Fort Hill Presbyterian will host a screening of 

At the River: Struggle and Grace in the Segregated South on

Monday, February 6th, 2023 at 6:00 PM in the Sanctuary.

Youth Leaders Roundtable

Thursday, Oct 6

at 12 noon

at the Clemson PSA Building on the Fort Hill Church campus

Music Ministry Leaders 

The Music Ministry Leader's

next meeting is

October 12, 9 am

by ZOOM.

CRE Peer Group Gathering

November 15, 12:30 pm

Foothills Presbytery

Please bring your lunch. Dessert will be provided.

All current CREs and any Elders interested in the CRE program are invited.  Any questions, please contact Jeff Motes or Elizabeth Jones.

Montreat will be providing refunds.

What are the top things to do before you retire? Ask Fidelity!

Join Fidelity Workplace Financial Consultant Dan McCarthy for a 30-minute, interactive, virtual presentation on important things to consider — before you retire — that may impact or influence your financial decisions.

Top Things To Do Before You Retire, a free webinar from Fidelity Investments (Retirement Savings Plan recordkeeper), is designed to help you get your financial house in order, create a retirement income plan, understand Social Security, and prepare for the unexpected. From creating your financial blueprint to preparing your estate and legacy plans, Top Things To Do Before You Retire will offer ideas and resources to take the next step on your financial wellness journey.

Following the presentation, Dan will be available to answer your general questions. You can also schedule a complimentary, one-on-one consultation with Dan to discuss your unique circumstances.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Noon ET

Register here for the webinar.

·       Select Attend a learning event.

·       On the next page, enter The Board of Pensions of the PC(USA) as the employer, choose Virtual as the event type.   

·       The screen will refresh and you will see two events listed for October. Click the green Register button for the October 11 Ask Fidelity event and provide the requested information on the next page. Be sure to click the blue Schedule Event button to complete your registration.  

We would love to have any high school youth who are interested in coming as prospective students, but everyone is welcome to attend.

Winter Camp is back!!

Registration opens October 1st

Any questions can be sent to [email protected]

Register: Talking with Teens about Sex, Tech, and Faith with Dr. Kate Ott

October 6-8, 2022 | Bloomington, MN

​

A Hybrid Event: Attend In-Person or Virtually

Up to 9 CEUs Available

REGISTER NOW!

Practicing Inclusion

 A PC(USA) Leader Formation Webinar

October 13, 2022; 7 - 8:30 pm (eastern)

Registration Deadline: October 5, 2022

Register HERE

Diversity. Participation. Inclusion. These are not just socially of-the-moment words, but foundational values related to our openness to the work of the Holy Spirit within the PC(USA). Creating spaces where we can listen to all who are seeking God’s will together can help us discern where God is calling and leading us in mission and ministry, but how do we create and foster those spaces? What are some things that can get in the way? In this webinar, we will talk about the impact of implicit bias, why it’s important to consider and reduce implicit bias as Christians in the PC(USA), and some tools you can use to create spaces that invite and welcome full participation of a diverse group of people in the discernment processes and governance of the church.

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 October 5, 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. 

Register for the webinar by October 5, 2022, here.

When Faith Hurts: 

Empowering the Faith Community to Recognize and Respond to Child Abuse & Sexual Assault

A conference for members of faith communities

and community partners

October 12-14, 2022, Furman University

The Julie Valentine Center is pleased to invite you to attend When Faith Hurts. We are excited to bring Victor Vieth, the Chief Program Officer for the Zero Abuse Project, to Greenville to conduct the training.

This training will prepare attendees to recognize and respond to cases of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. We will discuss the prevalence of child abuse, the impact of abuse on spirituality, the interest offenders have in churches and faith-based camps and schools, and will offer suggestions for working to assist a child in coping with maltreatment. The training will also discuss ideal child protection policies for a faith based institution, including handling a situation in which a convicted sex offender seeks to join a congregation.

Please RSVP no later than October 3, by registering online at https://www.julievalentinecenter.org/when-faith-hurts.html

For more information, please feel to contact Carrie Nettles, [email protected] or call 864.331.0560 ext. 230.  Scholarships available upon request.

Seeking PW Churchwide’s Future Leaders

You know the one. She embodies every point of the PW Purpose and responds to the moving of the Spirit in her life. She cares about Presbyterian women and Presbyterian Women (the organization). You see her at work and prayer—perhaps you know her from your congregation, perhaps at presbytery or synod—and know that she has so much to offer Presbyterian Women. If only.

Are you called to transform her life and the life of Presbyterian Women? If so, PW Churchwide is seeking leaders, and your nomination can move an “if only” to abundant blessing on a potential leader and your shared PW ministry.

Candidates should have a passion for PW’s ministry and the time and energy to participate in shaping and promoting PW’s ministry. 

Some leadership positions have additional requirements. Visit www.presbyterianwomen.org for more information and to Download a Nomination Form.  

Nominations are due December 15, 2022.

Plug In & Recharge at PW SOSA

Epworth Triennial Gathering

October 21-23, 2022

PW Foothills will give scholarships to everyone from Foothills who attends, payable after the Gathering

The Manna Retreat

A weekend for young adults

January 27–29, 2023

Hosted by Montreat Conference Center

According to The Defining Decade by psychologist Meg Jay, “eighty percent of life’s most defining moments take place by age thirty-five.” Translation: being a young adult is hard. In an effort to support both young adults navigating the messiness of this time in their lives, as well as to support young adult ministries at the local church, we have created The Manna Retreat. The Manna Retreat is three days, 100 young adults, one old hotel, and ten small groups dedicated to creating deeper faith and deeper relationships. If your faith could use a spark plug, if your spirit could use a deep laugh, if your heart could use some new friendships, or if your body could use a place to belong, then this is for you.

Click here for more information.

Registration Opening November 1st

The Friends of the Greenville County Library is looking for space to rent for housing/sorting donated books and holding public booksales to support the Library.  Optimally seeking around 4,000+ square feet, ideally climate-controlled. For more information, please contact Lee Turza, 864 270-8636; [email protected].  

Seneca Presbyterian Church Transitional Pastor

Piedmont Presbyterian Church - Stated Supply Pastor, Part-time

Click here to see additional 

Available Jobs

postings on our

website.

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Anger (Mis)Management

Sep 22, 2022

by Rev. Jackie Putnam and Eva Grow

Scriptures: Psalm 33 and John 2:13-16

On Sunday, August 14th at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Rev. Jackie Putnam and high school senior Eva Grow partnered to lead worship. Eva, who currently serves as Co-Moderator of the Foothills Presbytery Youth Council, is discerning a call to ministry. As part of her discernment, she asked to shadow Pastor Jackie for a week. Together they prepared a worship service centered around the theme of anger and the story of Jesus flipping the tables in the temple recorded in John 2:13-16. The service was inspired by this year’s Montreat Youth Conference at which students were challenged to ask the question, “What makes you angry?”

Jackie: “What makes you angry? Can you remember the first time you felt genuine anger?”

Eva: “Well the first time I can remember feeling angry was of course over fashion. I was 5 years old and my lifelong best friend and neighbor showed up to our side door one day wearing not only MY dress, but MY FAVORITE dress. She swore that it was hers, and would not take it off no matter how much I elaborated on the fact that it was MINE. This dress was a brown maxi number with a tropical pattern perfect for any summer day. This particular day though just happened to be her dad’s birthday and we were assigned cake decorating duty “as a team.” I could not get over the fact that she was lying to my face about MY dress. I was having such a difficult time with her deceit that I decorated that cake as quickly as possible so I could go back to my house and never have to see her again. Luckily, she did give it back the next day, and we have remained friends since the dress incident of 2010.” 

Jackie: “I have a very vivid memory of feeling anger in the third grade. There was a little boy in my class who we’ll call Ben. I am convinced that Ben spent his days trying to come up with new ways to bother me.   Read More

Stewardship of Creation Connections September-October, 2022 Newsletter