Wow… just wow! What an amazing 75th Church Birthday Weekend this past Saturday and Sunday. We began with over fifty SSPCers coming together for a Day of Service on Saturday morning. It was a beautiful day of deepening relationships with one another and being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ for our community. Participants spread out to serve both here on the church campus as well as at several of our mission partner sites across Glynn County.* A big thank you to the members of the Community Mission Ministry Team and Rev. Annie Franklin Arvin for organizing this impactful morning.
On Sunday, we came back together for prayer, song, fellowship, cupcakes, and even some bagpipes! We also handed out special hand crosses that were custom made using an original pew from our sanctuary prior to renovation. Be sure to drop by the church to pick one up for yourself and/or your family if you have not already done so. This is just the start of what we hope will be a full year of celebrating this important milestone in the life and faith of St. Simons Presbyterian.
To that end, I want to say a special thank you to all the members of the 75th Anniversary Planning Committee who have and continue to work hard planning for the year ahead: Jeff Bennett, Kevin Lokey, Barbara Dieterman, Dennie McCrary, Greer Anderson, Gwen Mayberry, Jack and Susan Hartman, Lynda Kennedy, Mary and Jim Gash, Mary Margaret Shiver, Richard Hathaway, Nat and Jamie Scott, Rhonda Hambright, Alan Dyer, Annie Franklin Arvin, Kate Buckley, Amy Bishop, and Ada Owens.
Finally, I want everyone to be aware of three things as we look ahead to October:
-
First, we have three exciting Sunday School Classes starting this Sunday, October 3. You can find info about all of them below. Each of these classes provide an excellent opportunity for going deeper in your faith while also fostering new relationships with others in the church.
-
Second, we are continuing to monitor the COVID situation locally. While we are greatly encouraged by the reduction in hospitalizations and spread rates here in Glynn County, the session feels that continuing to exercise caution for another 2-3 weeks is the wisest course of action. That said, if things keep trending downward, we are hopeful that in the relatively near future we could potentially loosen some of our COVID guidelines currently in place.
-
Finally, please know that stewardship season is right around the corner. Beginning in early November, we will be inviting the members and friends of St. Simons Presbyterian – i.e., you – to consider how you can support the ongoing mission and ministry of our church in the year to come through giving of time, talent, and resources. Stay tuned!
World Communion is this Sunday. See you at church. Invite a friend.
Peace,
|
|
Rev. Alan Dyer
Pastor
*Our local mission partner sites for this Day of Service were: Habitat for Humanity, Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, Hand in Hand, International Seafarers,
|
|
75th Birthday Video
Stories From The Early Days
|
|
Sunday Worship
September 26, 2021
|
|
Why wear choir robes? Pretty much the same reason that a sports team has uniforms. Being in a choir IS a team effort – we make entrances and cut-offs and are on the same page together. A uniform can mean that the focus is not just on one person and what they are wearing, but the group as a whole. They also promote team spirit and as you can tell from last week, we have that in droves! This Sunday we will dedicate our robes to the Glory of God and in honor of the Jim Bishop Family. Jim has generously given us the funds to purchase choir robes once again, having done this in the 1990’s. The gold color brings out the brass in the cross and adds another contrasting color to the sanctuary. The stoles have a Trinity Cross embroidered on the front. Each end of the cross has three points symbolizing the Trinity. The robes are a little lighter weight than the previous ones making them more comfortable in our warmer climate. And don’t worry – we have plenty of extra robes to fit others that wish to join the choir family. We thank God for this generous gift from the Jim Bishop Family.
This Sunday is World Communion Sunday – the first one in our new space. Suzanne Morrison will decorate with colorful cloths and breads of the world for this special service. “World Communion Sunday is a celebration observed by several Christian denominations, taking place on the first Sunday of every October, that promotes Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. The tradition originated in the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in 1933, was adopted throughout the US Presbyterian Church in 1936, and subsequently spread to other denominations. In 1940, the Federal Council of Churches (now the National Council of Churches), led by Jesse Moren Bader, endorsed World Communion Sunday and began to promote it to Christian churches worldwide.”
The choir will sing a piece that some of us learned at Montreat this past summer. Come Before the Table is written by Karen Marrolli and has a drum part and a repetitive rhythmic chant under a soaring soprano melody. Hymns are 526 Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ and 306 Blest Be the Tie That Binds. Just about all of our selections for this day are traditional world music.
Amy Bishop was finally able to enjoy her birthday gift of 1 ½ years ago. Here is a message from her:
Feeling very blessed and grateful! A year and a half ago on March 12th, my 70th birthday, the SSPC Chancel Choir and other friends surprised me with a party and a “once in a lifetime” gift... a trip to Atlanta to see the amazing Tony winning musical Hamilton. COVID hit that Sunday (church was canceled) and finally this past week I was able to travel with a group of “theatre lovers” to see this spectacular production. What a performance from start to finish: lights, sound, music, costumes, and of course superb voices. To say that this musical was flawless is for sure an understatement. Anna Henry accompanied me, and the entire two days was filled with lots of laughter and getting to know new friends. On the way home we traveled to Juliette, GA and had lunch at the Whistle Stop Cafe, known for its Fried Green Tomatoes and the movie by the same name. I am overwhelmed with so much appreciation, love and gratefulness to those that made this trip possible. Indeed, my heart is overflowing with blessings. Amy
Finally, a big thank you to committee members, to Amy, to Suzanne and the Chancel Ringers, to the Chancel Choir, and to the instrumentalists John Simmons, Fred Leif, Judy Foster, Anne Marie Stirewalt, and Ed Jackson for the inspiring and uplifting outpouring of pure joy this past Sunday. Stay tuned for more as our 75th birthyear continues!
Love & Gratitude,
Rhonda
|
|
Sunday, October 3
8:30 am Early Worship - Sanctuary
9:30 am Sunday School - Various Locations
10:30 am Traditional Worship - Sanctuary
5:00 pm Youth Gathering - Youth Suite
6:30 pm Youth Afterglow - Music Attic
Monday, October 4
10:00 am Chancel Ensemble - Sanctuary
Tuesday, October 5
7:00 am Youth Breakfast Devotion - Chick-fil-A
9:30 am Staff Meeting - Upper Room
10:00 am PW Planning Meeting - Britt Room
Wednesday, October 6
10:00 am Men's Bible Study - Upper Room
1:30 pm Hands and Heart Quilting Ministry - Music Attic
4:00 pm KidZ Crew - Veranda
6:00 pm Chancel Ringers - Sanctuary
7:00 pm Chancel Choir - Sanctuary
Thursday, October 7
10:00 am Ladies Bible Study - Upper Room
Friday, October 8
No Activities Planned for This Day
|
|
A weekly thank you for all the people and ministries of St. Simons Presbyterian Church. Lovingly created by
Rev. Kate Buckley.
|
|
|
Sunday School
October 3 - November 21
|
|
Baseball as a Road to God
Seeing Beyond the Game
by John Sexton
9:15am / Library
Take me out to the ball game! Take me out to the crowd! Whether you love belting the verses of this song or looking forward to the World Series in late October or just love being a sports fan in general, John Sexton’s Baseball as a Road to God may be just the ticket for you.
For more than a decade, Sexton used baseball to illustrate the elements of a spiritual life in a wildly popular course as president of New York University. His book beautifully weaves the magic of baseball – its community of fans, its sacred places, its legends, its breathtaking moments of drama, its blessings and curses, its faith and doubt, its saints and sinners, its miracles – with the spiritual dimensions of life.
In the course of nine innings, fans experience a range of emotions from expectation and elation to frustration and despair. Sexton elegantly demonstrates that baseball is more than a game or even a national pastime… baseball can be a road to a deeper and more meaningful life.
|
|
Always A Guest
Speaking of Faith Far from Home
By Barbara Brown Taylor
9:15am / John Law Room
BBT’s collection of 30 sermons as a guest preacher … from graduation ceremonies to Sunday pulpits …will show you why she is one of the most beloved and renowned preachers of our time. On themes from anxiety to beauty, resurrection to doubt, wisdom and telling the truth, Taylor proclaims the gospel as she meets us in our messy humanity.
Full of observations on the Spirit and the state of the world along with her gentle wit, BBT will inspire you as she explores faith in all its beauty and complexity. As the reader, you will be a BBT guest at this gospel feast!
|
|
The Letter of Paul to the Philippians for Everyone Bible Study
By NT Wright
9:15am / Upper Room
We have lived through a year and a half of pandemic uncertainty. What an example of how things don't always go the way we intend. It's easy to feel discouraged because what we hope for is badly thwarted, or because people make life difficult. Paul, writing to the Philippians from prison, certainly knew what it was like to have plans interrupted. But he maintains robust confidence in God's overruling power, even when everything seems to be going wrong. In Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, we will learn from Paul the art of seeing God's purposes working out through problems and difficulties and will deepen our own confidence in God's power.
|
|
[912-638-2220] [ada@sspres.org] [sspres.org] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
