SSPC Happenings - June 3, 2021

June 3, 2021

Bi-Weekly Summer Newsletter

Summer is officially underway at St. Simons Presbyterian!

As you will see below, this week’s newsletter includes information about many of the wonderful upcoming happenings in June/July. Before we look ahead though, I first want to take a moment to briefly look back. Specifically, I want to look back to our Pentecost Sunday worship services two Sundays ago on May 23. This was a special morning in the life of our church not only as we mark the traditional “birthday” of the Christian church on Pentecost but also as we dedicated our new spaces, said thank you to the many people who helped make our renovation possible, and ordained and installed fourteen new officers to lead our congregation into the future.

It was a full (okay, a bit long) Sunday morning – but boy did it feel good! So if you missed Pentecost this year or just want to go back and enjoy it again, I encourage you to watch the livestream recording available on the Web site. The sanctuary was beautiful, the music joy-filled, the prayers heart felt, the sense of gratitude to God palpable, and the Spirit very much alive! Thank you again to all who made that day possible. You can find below the names that were printed in our bulletin that day of all our new officers as well as those who led the way on seeing our renovation through from beginning to end.

Lastly, I just want to note that it has been such a joy looking out and seeing so many actual faces on Sunday mornings! To date, we have had a very positive response to our transition into indoor worship with masks optional for fully vaccinated individuals. As an added safety measure we will also be adding a new feature to our sanctuary and social hall HVAC systems in coming week or so called Grignard Pure. This is a product approved by the EPA and recommended to us by Dr. Tom Hodge. It has been shown to be highly effective at eliminating COVID in spaces where social distancing is difficult (e.g., sanctuary). Along with other measures we have implemented in this time we feel this will simply be one more layer that will help keep everyone who gathers on our campus safe.

See you at church. Invite a friend. Casual is fine.

Peace,

Rev. Alan Dyer

Pastor

Welcome & Thank You

Summer Events

Sunday Worship

May 30, 2021

Musical Notes

The first few weeks of June are when I usually take stock of what the year has meant for the worship and music ministry, get ready for Montreat Conference for Worship and Music, and planning for the next year. There is a certain amount of cleanout and cleanup involved (the same thing happens at my house in my music studio) - sorting through music and filing it for use the next time, repairing or replacing copies, reorganizing rooms, instruments, robes, etc. This year, we are moving into newly renovated spaces and finding our way through that process.

New choir robes have been ordered and are in process now! We are all very excited – more on this project later.

This Sunday, the choir will sing “Communion Prayer” by Alan Pote. The hymn is 515 I Come With Joy. The snowbirds have flown north for the summer and choir members are coming back out of COVID. Our new members are Lisa McNeal and Linda Jackson. Please give them a warm welcome. We were so happy to welcome Barbara Meadows, long time director of music at St. Simons United Methodist Church and conductor of the Messiah, to the choir loft last Sunday. “God So Loved the World” by John Stainer is one of her most favorite anthems. She enjoyed the service very much.

On June 13, the choir will sing a favorite – The Majesty and Glory of Your Name by Tom Fettke and Linda Lee Johnson.

Sing Loud – It’s a big world! - LaMotte

Planning will begin very soon for our 75th Anniversary in September of this year. Contact me if you have an interest in this project.

Love & Gratitude,

Rhonda

The Weeks Ahead

Sunday, June 6

8:30 am Indoor Worship - Sanctuary

9:30 am Sunday school with Joanna Adams - Social Hall

10:30 am Indoor/Livestream Worship - Sanctuary

4:00 pm KGIB Youth Service & Dinner - Meet on Veranda

Monday, June 7

9:30 am Staff Meeting - Upper Room

6:30 pm Al-Anon Meeting - John Law

Tuesday, June 8

9:00 am Vacation Bible School - Social Hall

5:00pm Session Meeting - Britt Room

Wednesday, June 9

9:00 am Vacation Bible School - Social Hall

10:00 am Men’s Bible Study - Zoom

6:00pm Chancel Choir - Sanctuary

Thursday, June 10

9:00 am Vacation Bible School - Social Hall

10:00 am Grief Group - Upper Room

1:00 pm Hospice Grief Group - John Law

Friday, June 11

No Activities Planned for this Day

Sunday, June 13