Weekly eNews
March 31, 2023
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Friends, once again our hearts are left shattered in the face of senseless violence. As I am sure you are aware, earlier this week an armed intruder killed three young students and three faculty at the Covenant School, which is housed within Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Our souls ache as we grieve for the innocent children and families and community impacted by this evil act. We can scant imagine the depth of pain and suffering all those affected must be experiencing at this moment.
As news of this horrific event broke on Monday I happened to be at my desk working on crafting liturgy for our Good Friday Tenebrae service happening next Friday, April 7. The service of Tenebrae, meaning "darkness" or "shadows," has been practiced by the church since medieval times. The order of worship traces each step of the passion story from Jesus’s arrest to his death upon the cross. After each reading, we will extinguish a candle on the communion table until the only candle left lit is the Christ candle.
However, following the second to last reading, which tells of Jesus’s final words before dying, the Christ candle itself will be removed from the Sanctuary leaving us in near total darkness. I don’t know about you, but that is where I felt like I was sitting yet again on Monday afternoon. Where is the light? Where is hope? Where is Christ? Those are questions that lack easy answers when faced again and again with the raw cruelty of our broken and hurting world.
But what the cross of Good Friday reveals to us all is that God does not shy away from our places of suffering but rather meets us in it. It makes me think about how our service will end next week. Prior to departing the darkened sanctuary in silence, the solitary Christ candle will be returned to its spot upon the Table. “Through the return of the small but persistent flame of the Christ candle at the conclusion of the service,” the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship says, “we anticipate the joy of ultimate victory.”
That is the truth we are called to hold onto in times such as these: that God and God alone is capable of working light from darkness, hope from despair, love from hate. May we each seek in our own ways to be bearers of that light and of that truth. And may we continue to hold all of those affected by these terrible events in our prayers. Below you will find a prayer written by my friend Rev. Dr. Ben Kane, who formerly lived and served a church in Nashville, that I have been praying this week and hope may be helpful to you as well.
Blessings to you all. Hope to see you this Holy Week. Invite a friend.
With anticipation for the joy of Christ’s ultimate victory,
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Rev. Alan Dyer
Senior Pastor
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Good Friday
Friday, April 7
12:00pm Mid-Day Prayer Service (Chapel)
7:00pm Tenebrae Worship Service (Sanctuary)
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Easter
Sunday, April 9
6:30am Sunrise Worship (Columbarium)
Fellowship, following the service, will be held in The Perrin Room.
8:45am Traditional (Sanctuary) and MorningSong (Fogartie Hall) Worship
10:00am Fellowship with Hot Cross Buns (Front Lawn)
11:00am Traditional Worship (Sanctuary)
All Day Cross of Flowers (Front Lawn)
The Cross of Flowers is an annual First Presbyterian Easter event. Members and guests are invited to place flowers in the rough-hewn cross on the Front Lawn of the church, as they come to worship on Easter. This cross, full of spring flowers, represents the new life we receive through Christ's resurrection.
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The Great Presbyterian Picture Push | |
The Great Presbyterian Picture Push
Continues This Week
We are updating church member photos in our Online Pictorial Directory – “Shelby”. Our goal is to get a recent picture of every member in Shelby by mid-April. On Sunday mornings, we will have photo stations set up in the FLC Lobby and in the Perrin Room for us to take pictures of you and/or your family. No need to dress up – come as you are! Additional photo times can be found by clicking here.
Already have a great family photo? Feel free to submit your photo online HERE.
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TOTAL Ministries Food Drive
This Sunday, April 2
On Sunday, drop off non-perishable donations for TOTAL Ministries this Sunday in the marked bins in the Tower Room, Narthex, or the Family Life Center Lobby.
For a list of items needed, click the button below
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Palm Sunday Volunteers Needed
This Sunday, April 2
We need volunteers to help hand out palm crosses and waving palms before each of the worship services on Palm Sunday.
Help will be needed for all of the following services: MorningSong and the Chapel Service at 8:45am, Joint Montgomery Commons Celebration with St. Paul's Catholic Church and The Episcopal Church of the Advent at 10:30am, and Traditional Sanctuary Worship at 11:00am.
Come to the entrances of the worship areas 20 minutes before the service time. Families and youth are welcome! If you are able to help, contact LeAnne Thurmond Holcombe (864-621-0213 or leanne.thurmond@gmail.com).
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Bill's Book Club
Tuesday, April 4
Come join us for a lively discussion this Tuesday at the William L. Arthur Center for our April Bill's Book Club meeting! We have a morning session at 10:30am and an evening session at 7:00pm. Questions? Contact Cathy Rush at crush@fpcspartanburg.org.
This month's book is I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys, A gut-wrenching, startling, historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation.
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We're honored to congratulate First Presbyterian's own Melissa France for receiving the 2023 Mary L. Thomas Award for Civic Leadership & Community Change for her work with Hand in Hand Ministries!
Click the button below to watch Spartanburg County Foundation's video on Melissa.
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Congratulations to our very own Wade Crow for being recognized as the Boy Scouts of America, Palmetto Council 2023 Distinguished Citizen.
Click the button below to read more or to RSVP for the dinner on April 11 where he will be honored.
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Flower Cross Volunteers Needed
Easter Sunday (April 9)
We need volunteers to help decorate the traditional flower cross between the Chapel and Sanctuary, hand out flowers, assist those who bring flowers, and tidy up the area.
If you are able to help, contact LeAnne Thurmond Holcombe (864-621-0213 or leanne.thurmond@gmail.com).
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Hand in Hand Ministries
Accepting Food Donations
Our Hand in Hand community ministry is always accepting non-perishable food donations to help support Spartanburg families in need! They also accept monetary donations through the church giving site.
To learn more about the mission of Hand in Hand and see how you can help those who need it most, visit their website at handinhandspartanburg.org.
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Sunday Greeters Needed!
Looking for an easy way to get involved in the church? Come share your smile and help greet on Sunday mornings! We need three greeters each Sunday- one to welcome those coming to Sunday school from 9:30-9:55 and two to welcome Sanctuary worshippers from 10:30 to 11:00. All you have to do is stand outside your assigned door and welcome people as they arrive! (You are welcome to bring your kids to help as well!) We just ask that you bring your warm smile and friendly face.
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There are many more opportunities for service available in our Ministry Finder. | |
Welcome Class
Sunday, April 16
On Sunday, April 16, we will have a special Welcome Class, 12:00-2:00pm in the Large Private Dining Room. Lunch will be included. If you are interested in joining or learning more about First Presbyterian Church, please RSVP to Joanie Shackleton (jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-208-2132); this will help us with planning.
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JOY Fellowship Trip
Thursday, April 20
The JOY Fellowship will travel to Chimney Rock Village and Burnt Shirt Winery for lunch and wine tasting on Thursday, April 20. We hope you will join us! Contact Joanie Shackleton (jshackleton@fpcspartanburg.org / 864-208-2132) to reserve your spot on the bus.
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Blood Drive
Sunday, June 25
Please mark your calendar for the next blood drive that is scheduled for Sunday, June 25, 2023. If you donated during the February 12 blood drive, you will be eligible to donate again on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. By using code 9BBW, First Presbyterian Church will be credited with your donation.
To donate during the June 25, 2023, blood drive, please refrain from donating after Friday, April 28, 2023.
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Montreat Women's Connection
August 11-13
The Keynoter for the 2023 Montreat Women’s Connection Conference is Kate Bowler. Kate is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and an associate professor of American religious history at Duke University. Other conference leadership includes the Rev. Kathryn Johnston as preacher and Dr. Margaret Aymer as Bible Scholar.
First Presbyterian Church has reserved spaces for 28 women to go to the conference. We have also reserved the entirety of the charming, historic, (and air conditioned!) Glen Rock Inn for our group, right in the heart of Montreat, with ample gathering space for participants to enjoy together. Meals will be in Assembly Inn.
For more information about the conference, visit fpcspartanburg.org/events/montreat-womens-connection. Click the button below to register!
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Stickers Available
We have stickers available around the church! It's a square design with a blue background, featuring our church name and cross symbol.
Get yours from the tables outside of Fogartie Hall or the Perrin Room.
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FPC Spartanburg Sermoncast
Available on All Podcast Platforms
Missed last week's worship service? Want to revisit your favorite sermons while on the road, at work, or anywhere at all? Now you can! Plus: Listen to Rev. John Daniel's new Confirmation Podcast series!
All of it is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you find your podcasts.
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| Sunday | Monday-Thursday | Friday | Saturday | | Closed | 7am-8pm | 7am-2pm | 8am-12pm | | |
Please note: You must bring your church card to have access to the fitness center.
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April 9 Easter
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April 10 CHURCH FACILITIES CLOSED
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April 22 Choral Festival Concert
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April 23 Congregational Meeting / Meeting of the Corporation / Confirmation Sunday
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April 30 FPC Homecoming
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June 5-8 VBS
More activities and events can be found in First News.
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