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Past Ten Weeks
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FPC Weekly eNews - May 31, 2024
Posted May 31, 2024FPC is rolling into summer with lots of exciting things happening! Next week is Vacation Bible School with some 160 children registered. Please be in prayer for the kids and the volunteers throughout next week!
We also have a bunch of book studies beginning next week. There is a great variety of topics and times. Find one that fits your interest and schedule, and sign up for great summer reads with your church family! Several of the studies are even available with a Zoom option if you can’t be there in person. Find out more at fpcspartanburg.org/studies.
This Sunday we also begin Summer Sunday School. The adults will all be together in Fogartie Hall at 10:00am to begin a month-long study of “The Rise and Fall of the Monarchy” with Lewis Galloway and Craig Foster. Then in July and August, we will explore our unique Presbyterian theological heritage together. Come whenever you are able! Elementary children will once again have Sunday School in the Large Private Dining Room, while Preschool and Youth will meet in their normal spaces.
Whatever your summer holds, let us help you find ways to deepen your faith and discipleship!
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FPC Weekly eNews - May 24, 2024
Posted May 24, 2024We want to wish everyone a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend. It is hard to believe that we are already nearing the midpoint of the year! As we turn the page into the summer months ahead, I hope you will continue to stay connected to your church family. Opportunities abound for worship, learning, service, and fellowship. Please remember that we will have only one worship service at 11:00am in the Sanctuary and no Sunday school this week.
Hope to see you Sunday. Invite a friend. All are welcome.
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FPC Weekly eNews - May 17, 2024
Posted May 17, 2024This past Sunday the congregation unanimously approved the call of Rev. Rachel N. Klompmaker (KLOMP-mocker) to serve as our next Associate Pastor for Congregational Care. Rachel is coming to us from Second Presbyterian in Indianapolis, Indiana – a former congregation of our very own Lewis Galloway. Rachel will officially begin her ministry with us on Monday, July 15. You can read more about Rachel and watch a video about her from the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC) by clicking here. We extend our deep gratitude to the entire APNC for prayerfully and steadfastly leading this search over the past 8+ months – well done!
Be sure to join us in person or online for worship this Sunday, May 19 as we celebrate Pentecost and recognize our graduating high school seniors. Pentecost is the day on the Christian calendar each year when we recount the story of Acts 2 and celebrate the birth of the church. Remember to wear red, which symbolizes the work of the Holy Spirit.
It is particularly appropriate this year that we also highlight the accomplishments of our graduating high school seniors on the same day as they prepare to begin a new season in their lives. We are eager to see how the Spirit uses them to share the love of Jesus Christ as they are sent out to places near and far.
Finally, we will receive new members yet again this Sunday. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the church – or simply learning more about what it means to become a member – please contact our Visitor and New Member Coordinator, Cathy Bagwell ([email protected]). Our congregation has already grown by sixty-nine new members this calendar year alone*, and one of the key reasons for that is the warmth and welcome people feel when they visit FPC. Every time you greet a new face, help someone navigate the hallways, or simply give a friendly “Hello” you are adding to the spirit of Christian hospitality in this place. Thank you!
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FPC Weekly eNews - May 10, 2024
Posted May 10, 2024Our congregational retreat in Montreat this past Friday to Sunday was a huge success! Nearly 120 of us gathered for rest, renewal, worship, and a good dose of laughter. Our theme was “At The Well.” Using the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman as our guiding text, we explored where our own wells sometimes run dry and what it looks like to be filled again with God’s living water. What a joy it was to be a part of this fun experience. A big thank you to Craig Foster for spearheading so many details, and to Kara Clark, Matt Kelly, Colleen Darrall, Leslie Lang, Grace deMaine, and the many dedicated volunteers who helped to make this year’s retreat happen – we hope this is the first of many more to come!
Looking ahead, this Mother’s Day will be a momentous one in the life of First Presbyterian. First and foremost, we will honor and give thanks to God for all those mothers and mother-figures in our lives. I am always mindful that for some this day is one of great celebration and for others it stirs a mix of emotions – sadness at the memory of a loved one no longer living, grief over a relationship that was never fully realized, and on and on. No matter what Mother’s Day does or does not represent for you, I pray that you may feel the love and grace of Jesus Christ surrounding and upholding you.
The other reason this Sunday is a significant one is because the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee will present a report to the congregation regarding their nominee to serve as our next Associate Pastor for Congregational Care. The APNC is so excited to share with you all about the person they believe God is calling to this important role in the life of our congregation! Please make a special effort to attend this congregational meeting, which will start at the beginning of the 11:00am worship service. If you attend an early service and/or Sunday school, please join us for the meeting and then feel free to slip out afterward.
Pentecost and Baccalaureate Sunday is also right around the corner on May 19. Details on that and so much more can be found below. Blessings to you all. Hope to see you Sunday. Invite a friend. All are welcome.
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FPC Weekly eNews - May 3, 2024
Posted May 03, 2024The much-anticipated Congregational Retreat Weekend is now upon us. About 120 FPCers will soon gather together in beautiful Montreat, NC, for a weekend of study, connection, and fun. Please pray for all those participating and those helping to lead – rain or shine, we know it will be a great time! And if you are in Spartanburg instead of the mountains this weekend, please know that it will be “business as usual” on Sunday. We will have all three regular worship services at the church at 8:30, 9:00, and 11:00am.
Looking ahead, I hope you will mark your calendars for the Congregational Meeting that will take place at the very beginning of the 11:00am worship service on Sunday, May 12. The purpose of that meeting is to receive a report from our Associate Pastor Nominating Committee regarding their nominee to serve as our next Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Diaconate. The committee is incredibly excited about the individual they believe God is calling to this role and cannot wait to share their recommendation with all of you. We will start that meeting right at the beginning of the 11:00am service so that those who attend Early or Contemporary Worship and Sunday School may participate. We will begin Traditional Worship after the meeting has adjourned..
Lastly, I hope you will consider giving the gift of life by donating blood as part of this Sunday’s Blood Drive. The Blood Connection Bus will be parked in front of the Family Life Center throughout the morning. Registration has been slow thus far so we hope you will step up to make this drive a success! You can find more information and register online by clicking here.
Whether in the mountains or in the Burg, we hope to see you Sunday. Invite a friend. All are welcome.
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FPC Weekly eNews - April 26, 2024
Posted Apr 26, 2024Dear friends,
If we live an average lifespan we will see over 27,000 days come and go. Most of them pass by without our taking any special notice, but if we pause and reflect we realize that every moment offers the possibility of the extraordinary.
The Chamber Singers’ unique upcoming concert seeks to remind us of the potential present in every day. We start at dawn, then head outdoors for some time with nature. There is a chance for a little romance. Sorrow and loss are present, but so is hope. We enjoy a warm summer’s evening before drifting off to sleep. The concert concludes with a setting of the celebrated e. e. cummings poem I thank You God for this most amazing day.
Please join the Chamber Singers, along with guest soloists and instrumentalists on Thursday, May 2 at 7:00pm in the Sanctuary, and perhaps bring someone you’d enjoy spending a day with.