April 25, 2024

#126 Stated Meeting of Foothills Presbytery

Saturday, May 18, 10:00 am

Hosted by

Limestone Presbyterian Church & Bethesda Presbyterian Church

at 109 South Limestone Street, Gaffney

The theme for Worship is Mental Health Awareness.

After Worship and completion of our mission and ministry business, we will gather to enjoy Low Country Boil for lunch.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions.

Did you know that:

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, and only half of them receive treatment.
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience a serious mental illness each year, and only two-thirds receive treatment.
1 in 6 U.S. youth experience a mental health condition each year, and only half of them receive treatment.
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years.
122 million people live in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

You are invited to dress casually for our Saturday gathering

and Low County Boil lunch.

Full details & flyer

Hello Friends in the Foothills,

As all of you have heard, the Board of Pensions has approved a new benefits plan effective January 1, 2025. This represents a significant change for churches and pastors because the existing Benefits Plan has been in place for over 35 years. Here is a link to learn more: https://seasonofrebuilding.pensions.org/

I will be in the Greenville area on Thursday, May 2nd and will have time to share about the new plan and answer questions.

I am inviting you—as a minister enrolled in the current Pastor’s Participation plan—to come to this event to learn more. I also invite you to forward this invitation to additional representatives from your church to also attend.

3:00 PM, Thursday, May 2nd

Westminster Presbyterian Church

2310 Augusta St, Greenville, SC 29605

To register please click on this link and fill out the information: https://forms.office.com/r/TAbyA52v5M

If you cannot attend this meeting I plan to have more events in the summer. And never hesitate to call me directly.

Elizabeth Little, Church Consultant (NC & SC), 5141 Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC 28210

Office: 215-587-7242 Cell: 252-723-8653 elittle@pensions.org

Crabtree, J. Russell. Transition Apparitions: Why Much of What We Know About Pastoral Transitions Is Wrong. (253 Crabtree)

"This latest book from Holy Cow! Consulting studies the data from over 900 churches and makes some startling discoveries regarding what happens to churches during a pastoral transition.

“Russ Crabtree provides answers to questions like: What happens to the morale of a typical church as it moves through a pastoral tradition? Why do conflict levels in a typical church tend to intensify during a pastoral transition rather than improve? Why does the trajectory of a church through a pastoral transition not track what we might expect with a grief reaction? What are the typical losses in attendance and giving during a pastoral transition and what are their impacts upon the congregation? Do interim pastors typically help congregations become more flexible as they prepare to welcome a new pastor or not?

“The book proposes an entirely new way of thinking about pastoral transitions and suggests a fundamentally different approach for training interim pastors."

Annual Reading of Session Minutes

Recently, we held three regional gatherings to review 2023 Session minutes. During these meetings, we completed the review of minutes for more than 20 of our churches. If you didn’t get a chance to come to one of these gatherings, you may plan to bring your minutes to the May 18^th Presbytery Meeting at Limestone Church in Gaffney.

If more convenient, you may:

Drop off your minutes at the Presbytery Office, 2242 Woodruff Road, or
Mail them to us at PO Box 1118, Simpsonville, SC 29681-1118, or
Email them to Robin Morris, our Associate Stated Clerk, at rmorris@foothillspresbytery.org.

Please complete two forms that you will bring with your minutes to the review.

(Click on the title of each form below to open the document.)

1. Clerk’s Session Minutes Review Form

2. Financial Review & Audit Form

Thank you for your continued service to the church and for your faithful work as a Clerk. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Grace and Peace,

Representation & Review Committee

Foothills Peer Ministry

Christian Educators Gathering

Join us for Sabbath Day at Camp Greenwood May 20 - see below!

Youth Leaders Roundtable

Join us for Sabbath Day at Camp Greenwood May 20 - see below!

Music Ministry

Leaders

is Wednesday, May 8,

9 am - Zoom

Mother's Day Offering 2024

On Sunday, May 12, Presbyterian congregations throughout the State of South Carolina will collect the 70^th annual Mother’s Day Offering for the benefit of Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina (PCSC). Since the first Mother’s Day Offering in 1954, the generosity of South Carolina Presbyterians has enabled PCSC to provide care for residents who, through no fault of their own, have outlived their life’s savings. This commitment, made 70 years ago, required tremendous faith, courage and vision. Over the last decade, your generosity has allowed PCSC to provide an average of $1.2 million in charitable care each year. Your gift, whether large or small, is vital for the success of this ministry. By honoring our fathers and mothers in this way, you help ensure that those with need can continue to call Presbyterian Communities “home.” Thank you for your generosity.

To give online, please go to giving.prescommunities.org

HOW TO PRESERVE PW HISTORY

MAY 3, 2024 from 3 pm – 4 pm ET - ZOOM

“Presbyterian Women historians preserve the record and write the story of how its participants and organizations serve God, the church, and the world”—PW Historian Brochure, 2018.

Take your place in PW history! Join PW national leadership and David Staniunas, archivist for the Presbyterian Historical Society and PC(USA) assistant stated clerk, to discuss preserving PW history and what that looks like in the current PW and PC(USA)

context. David will provide information on what, how, and where to preserve your PW group’s materials. There will be time for ideas, hearing current practices, questions, and concerns.

All are welcome!

The congregations of Foothills Presbytery are blessed to have creative people among them.

Are you one of those creative people?

Are you musical?

Do you do woodworking?

Are you a weaver?

Do you dance?

Do you find yourself on a stage? Or backstage?

Are you a writer…of fiction, non-fiction, poetry?

Would you like to connect with a peer group in the presbytery?

Below is a link to a Google form that will gather names and email addresses of self-identified creatives in Foothills Presbytery. From this compilation we will send out a list of those persons who select the same type of creativity. For example, we’ll send a list names, email addresses, and affiliations of the textile/fiber artists to everyone who selected textile/fiber arts as a description of their creative art. It will be up to the members of the group to decide if they want to connect or gather in some additional way. But you’ll know that each other is out there!

We hope that eventually these groups might gather and create together – perhaps a “Foothills Creates Day” at Camp Fellowship. But for now we are just connecting people. This list will not be distributed beyond the presbytery and will not be used for soliciting artistic donations to any cause. It is simply a way of further weaving us together as a presbytery.

Please give the form link to everyone in your congregation who would be interested in participating in a creativity-based group. We welcome student creators as well. If you have questions, contact Lynn Miller at limestone.presby.pastor@gmail.com.

FOOTHILLS CREATES INTEREST FORM

Please join us for

"Hymn Sing"

May 5th at 3:00 pm

at the Covenant Presbyterian Church

880 W.O Ezell Boulevard, Spartanburg

There will be representatives from various churches in the area, including choirs, contributing singers & musicians, and the singing by those in attendance of traditional hymn favorites. Refreshments will be served. Please come and join us as we praise God in song and music.

Questions: Please contact Marion Freeman at mlfreeman@charter.net or 864 546 0309

Summer Study at Yale Divinity School

June 3-7, 2024 -- online

summerstudy.yale.edu

At YDS Summer Study, distinguished faculty teach laypersons and clergy. The program is open to anyone interested in theological questions, regardless of background, profession, and age; there are no prior educational requirements.

Classes are small in size (19 people or fewer), run Monday-Friday, and include various topics designed to enlighten and enrich.

Participants receive a YDS Certificate of Completion at the end of the course week. Courses can count towards continuing education requirements for some clergy.

Saturday, August 24

STEPS 2024 – One Vine, Many Branches: Are Your Branches Connected to the True Vine? A variety of workshops will be offered to strengthen your faith community as well as your own spiritual life. Look for more details coming soon!

Support the Pentecost Offering

Pentecost Sunday is May 19. Join us in receiving and celebrating the Pentecost Offering, which supports children at risk, ministries with children and youth, including the Youth Triennium, and the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program. Let’s join together to ensure that our younger siblings in Christ begin life with a solid foundation of faith. Online

resources include minutes for mission, worship resources, children’s curriculum with activities, a PowerPoint presentation and social media/newsletter images. There is also a short video titled “I Am Coming to You” for use as a minute for mission in worship and other gatherings. Posters, minutes for mission, bulletin inserts and offering envelopes are available

Between 2 Pulpits Podcast: Check out the Between 2 Pulpits podcast.

* New for this program year, this podcast helps leaders learn about the impact of the Special Offerings and the Presbyterian Giving Catalog. Additionally, we connect you with free resources, and you’ll hear from great guests about the work being done in this world to make a difference. We recently added five new episodes during the season of Lent, and new episodes featuring recipients of the Pentecost Offering will be coming soon. You

can listen to Between 2 Pulpits here or wherever you usually find your podcasts.

Mission Toolkits World Mission, in collaboration with other ministry areas, created mission toolkits* that provide resources for PC(USA) congregations interested in furthering God’s mission in their communities and abroad. Church leadership and Christian educators will find resources to better understand, connect with and advocate for God’s people.

Led by:

Presbyterian

Disaster

Assistance

This training is ideal for people

who work on or with the

church building including

ushers, greeters, church staff,

elders, deacons, custodians,

and committee members.

Cost is $10

for lunch.

https://foothillspresbytery.org/church-safety-and-security-training

Young Adult Volunteers

Applications are now open for the Presbyterian Mission Agency's Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program. The program is an ecumenical, faith-based year of service for young people (ages 19–30) in sites across the United States and around the world. YAVs accompany local agencies working to address root causes of poverty and reconciliation. For additional information and to apply, click here.

Summer 2024 Registration is OPEN!

The first 25 campers who register from Foothills Presbytery churches will automatically get a $50 Campership!

When registering, use Campership Code: Foothills24

Please join the

First Presbyterian (Spartanburg) Chambers Singers

Thursday, May 2, at 7:00 pm

in the

Church sanctuary

as they present their spring concert,

A Day in the Life.

The program will take you on a journey through the joys, sorrows, and wonder of the every day, beginning at dawn and concluding at bedtime. There will be time in the outdoors, a little romance, sorrow but also hope, the warmth of a summer evening and more. All the music is from living composers, with soloists from the group and a guest string quintet to help accompany several of the pieces.

The Chamber Singers comprise both church members and interested musicians from the community. For many years they sang at the Biltmore House’s Candlelight Christmas, and in addition to concerts in the Spartanburg area they have also performed at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC and at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. There is no charge for the event.

Reminders from

your Stated Clerk

Changes in Foothills Presbytery's Terms of Call for Pastors
Changes to the Book of Order (PCUSA)
Changes in the PCUSA Board Pensions Health Care Plan for Retirees and Pastors

The Southeast Region National Black Presbyterian Caucus will hold its biennial conference on July 19-20, 2024, at the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport Hotel.

The theme is: “One Body, Many Parts: Connecting for the Greater Cause” 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27.

We have planned an intergenerational program that we hope will be spiritual, joyful, and educational, one that we hope will enhance the spiritual growth of each attendee.

Additional information and forms HERE.

For 75 years, One Great Hour of Sharing has provided Presbyterians a way to share God's love with our neighbors in need around the world.

Millions of people lack access to sustainable food sources, clean water, sanitation, education, and opportunity.

The three programs supported by One Great Hour of Sharing - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People - all work in different ways to serve individuals and communities in need. From initial disaster response to ongoing community development, their work fits together to provide people with safety, sustenance, and hope.

GIVE NOW

JUMP TO RESOURCES

On the Road to GA226 - Issue 8 - March 2024

MID COUNCIL MINISTRIES

‘Along the Road’ podcasts: recent and upcoming episodes

Five new “Along the Road” podcast episodes have been made available since November, three from the “Encounter” series for mid council and church leaders and two “Nourish” episodes for deacons and ruling elders.

Listen to all Along the Road episodes directly from the Mid Council Ministries section of pcusa.org or from popular streaming services.

Click here for more information

The 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium will take place on July 28-31, 2025 in Louisville, KY, at the Kentucky International Convention Center and surrounding hotels – all located very close to the Presbyterian Center in downtown Louisville.

More info coming in 2024!

Opportunity for High School Youth

JULY 22-27, 2024

PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE, CLINTON, S.C.

Join us for an enriching five-day gathering at Presbyterian College, Clinton, S.C., where rising high school juniors and seniors will come together to explore their callings and gifts for leadership in the church.

Co-hosted by the Miller Summer Youth Institute at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the Office of Spiritual Life at Presbyterian College, this unique event offers students the chance to learn from experienced faculty and staff from both institutions, to delve into vocational discernment activities, and to engage in guided theological reflection. This gathering promises to be a transformative experience for those seeking to explore their callings and who want to learn more about what the path to leadership in the church might look like!

Students can expect to engage in group discernment activities, enjoy downtime on the Presbyterian College campus and in the City of Greenville, and participate in worship. Room and board will be provided on the PC campus.