August - First Presbyterian Church

A UGUST 2016
Inside This Issue
1 From the Pastor
2 From the Associate
3 Picnic on Park
3 Child Development Update
4 Church Administration Matters
5 The Tabernacle Experience
6 Music Ministry
7 Birthdays
8-9 Calendar
10 Prayer Concerns
11 News
12-13 Children’s Ministry
14 Helping Florence Flourish
15 Youth Ministry
Exciting Times in Our
Children’s Ministries
You will remember from last month’s
newsletter, I shared a little about our
upcoming new Child Development Center.
We are very excited about this new
ministry outreach, the encouraging
response from within the church and the
community, and the opportunity it provides
for us to share and teach the love of Jesus
on a daily basis with these children. Our
programs, curriculum and activities will all
be Christ centered. The staff has been
hired, enrollment of children is currently at
53, as of this writing, and lots of new
supplies and equipment are being
purchased thanks to some very generous
benefactors. There are still some needs
(see our Christmas tree in the Welcome
Center) which we hope many of you will be
led to help us with. Our director, Beth
Hepler, has worked hard to make this Child
Development Center one we will all be
proud of. Our opening day will be Monday,
August 8th, and there will be an “Open
House” for the church and community on
August 22nd.
Also in August, our Children’s Director,
Alexis Morris and her “Children in Worship”
team have some big plans. Here is a piece
of correspondence Alexis recently sent to
me:
Children in Worship is an opportunity for
young children in 3K- 1st grade to
discover about worshipping our Lord in a
structured environment. This ministry
team uses a plan designed by Dick
Gibson which allows the children to hear,
see, and "touch" the stories of God's
people as recorded in the Bible. The
vision of Children in Worship is to prepare
young hearts for worship in the sanctuary.
Each worship time moves through a
liturgy or order to get ready to hear and
experience God's Word. Songs are sung,
an offering is collected, prayers are
prayed and the story is seen and heard
with the aid of figurines. The children have
the opportunity to work with and respond
to the story through art, blocks and
imaginative play.
On August 25th at 7:00 pm, Dick Gibson
himself, will be coming to First
Presbyterian to lead a session for parents
and share the vision for children to be a
part of the corporate worship community.
On August 26th, he will lead training
sessions for anyone who is interested in
being a part of this valuable ministry. For
parents who cannot attend on the 25th,
there will be a second opportunity on
Saturday the 27th. More information will
be forthcoming.
It is wonderful to be part of a Church where
the Holy Spirit is touching so many lives.
Thanks for your support of our Church
which makes our Children’s ministries and
ALL of our ministries possible. God is using
you in ways you don’t even know!
God Bless,
2 FROM THE ASSOCIATE
A Thought or Two Challenging You Toward Discipleship
from the associate pastor
Encouraged
As I pause to think about the life of our congregation
this summer and the opportunities to build God’s
kingdom, I am astonished at all that is going on.
I am always encouraged as I see our prayer warriors
coming to church weekly to ask God to do his work.
God seems to be listening!! Thank you, prayer
warriors, for banding together and asking God to
work in individual lives, as well as, asking God to
energize his people for ministry in our community.
I heard about the Fun in the Son trip from Brock and
was encouraged to hear how God is working in our
young people.
I was encouraged again when Alana Tyler and many
of our youth helped bring a special week to our East
Florence Mission friends. About 30 children from East
Florence had the time of their lives.
I have been encouraged to see the women gathering
for their 1 Peter Bible study on Wednesdays. About
25 women of all ages have joined that study.
I was encouraged the other morning as I saw groups
of men gathered to hold one another accountable in
their spiritual lives over a breakfast at the Venus!
I was encouraged by the way so many of you
stepped up to help make Vacation Bible School a
great success. Emily Jordan partnered with Alexis
Morris to recruit an army of volunteers. Well done
good and faithful servants. Over 100 children were
blessed by the week!
I was encouraged as I noted on Sunday that the
Tabernacle Experience team once again helped over
2000 people see how the Tabernacle points to Jesus
in Indiana.
Convene Conference that will happen in September
19 and 20. Early bird registration is now open and I
would encourage you to attend if you have a heart for
Helping Florence Flourish. This conference brings
together leaders from gospel city movements to learn
from one another and from leaders of evidencebased work in cities from around the nation. It will be
a highly interactive meeting where learning will take
place through the knowledge shared by our speakers,
deeper understanding built during discussions and
model building, and application to each of our local
contexts.
City Convene is co-hosted by Helping Florence
Flourish and Good Cities ministry led by Glenn Barth.
Topics and speakers include:
 Racial Reconciliation — Neddie Winters, Mission
Mississippi
 Church and Public School Partnerships — Jeff
Martin, BeUndivided Portland, Oregon
 Citywide Prayer Initiatives — Pastor David Beidel
from Staten Island and Saturate
 Building an Effective Backbone Organization —
Stephanie Butler of the Church of Great Lansing
 Jobs — The best social program — Byron
McMillan of Jobs for Life in Raleigh
 Cross-Sector Partnerships that Change Cities —
Dr. Greg Thompson of New City Commons in
Charlottesville, VA
 Servant Leadership in the Marketplace that
Transforms — Luke Dooley, Q Commons
All speakers are engaged in the work of the Gospel
movement in their city and many have a national and/
or international scope and reach. We are expecting
leadership teams to come from 20-25 cities in the SE
U.S.
As I write this, I anticipate a wonderful day of worship
with the New Life Assembly of God church and
hearing Pastor Andrew Ross bring us the message!!
Please consider being a part of this conference as we
vision a way forward to minister in our community
more and more effectively. Registration links can be
found on the Helping Florence Flourish website and
Facebook page.
There is so much for which to be thankful to the Lord.
Be challenged to discipleship!
I am looking forward to the fall and what God will
continue to do. I have been very involved in the City
 3
Wednesday,
August 31
Dinner - MusicInflatables for the kids
As we kick off our first
Wednesday Night
Child Development Center News
Opening Monday, August 8, 2016
The time has come! On August 8th, we will open our
doors to our new Child Development Center here at
First Presbyterian Church! Many prayers have laid
the foundation for this new ministry and it is with
great anticipation that we move forward. Nineteen
staff members are hired and will begin orientation
training next week. We have enrolled nearly sixty
children and have another twenty three on our
waiting list for future openings. Thank you for your
continued support through prayer and donations. It is
truly amazing what our God will produce when we
simply trust in Him!
We hope to incorporate some church member
volunteers in our child development program.
Approved church member volunteers will be allowed
to rock babies, read books and help with various inclassroom activities. Please watch for more
information in the September newsletter.
We are participating in the Harris Teeter, “Together in
Education” program. All VIC card members may
participate by registering at the checkout counter.
Please ask the cashier to link your VIC card to
our school code which is 3893. A percentage of
your purchase dollars for the HT brand purchases will
be contributed to our school program. Each VIC card
customer may sign up for up to five schools to
receive their donation equally.
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for
our Community Open House “Sneak-a-Peak” which
will be held on Monday, August 22nd from 6:00 to
8:00 PM. This will be a wonderful time for you to
meet our Child Development Staff, visit classrooms
and be with all of our wonderful families!
Thank you again for opening your doors to this
ministry! To God be the glory!
Beth
4
CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR
Church Administration Matters
THANK YOU MCLEOD PRICE
McLeod is a member of Boy Scout Troop 477. As a
requirement for his Eagle Scout award, McLeod
recently coordinated and completed re-striping the
parking spaces in the church parking lots around the
church campus. This much needed project will
enhance the overall appearance of our campus. It
will also greatly improve safety for our covenant
partners and guests who attend worship service and
other events. McLeod is the grandson of Julian
Price, a long time covenant partner of First
Presbyterian Church.
NEW BEGINNINGS UPDATE
New Beginning is the 2 year debt retirement
campaign established to pay-off the remaining debt
on the Sanctuary Renovation and construction of the
Children/Education Building which was completed in
2014. The amount needed to retire the remaining
debt was $1,750,000. During the pledge emphasis
of the campaign, 158 of our covenant partners
pledged $1,000,664.00 toward that goal. The
campaign officially began January 1, 2015 and is
scheduled to run until December 31, 2016. Giving to
the New Beginning fund has been good. To date, we
have received gifts totaling $771,389. I am happy to
tell you that because of the generosity of our
covenant partners, we have been able to make two
very important decisions regarding the debt
retirement. First, in 2015, the Enabling Unit
approved a plan to increase the amount of the
monthly loan payment to reduce the loan principal.
Additionally, we have made several lump sum
payments on the loan principal. By paying more
than the minimum required monthly payment, and by
making these additional principal payments the
church will realize a significant savings in the
amount of interest paid over the life of the loan. We
are approaching the end of the New Beginnings
Campaign emphasis. The quarterly contribution
statements that you received in July include the
status of your pledge. Please take a few moments to
review that pledge. As you do, I want you to know
that our new Child Development Center will be
opening this month. Many of you will recall that part
of the vision for use of the new facilities was to
enhance the children’s ministry of the church and to
be able to offer some form of childcare as an
outreach to the community. Thank you for your
continued generosity in supporting the mission and
ministry of First Presbyterian Church.
OFFERING ENVELOPES
A growing number of our covenant partners are
taking advantage of on-line giving. If you no longer
wish to receive the envelopes by mail, please
contact Gwen DuRant by phone or e-mail
[email protected] to have your name
removed from the envelope service mailing list.
Please note, we will continue to provide envelopes
to those who wish to receive them.
Sunday school and regular worship times
start back on Sunday, August 21!
Royall Elementary Supplies Drive
Some children can’t afford school supplies and a
backpack. As part of our partnership with Royall
Elementary, we are collecting school supplies for each
grade. Please pick up a list of requested school supplies
in the Welcome Center and return your donations by
August 1 to the box in front of Alexis’ office. Thank you!
5
Crossroads Church was especially blessed and inspired by the impact of the Tabernacle on its members and community alike. Taking the Tabernacle
down was a bittersweet task, as it also meant saying
goodbye to new friends in Christ. Our volunteers were
blessed, however, that Ark Encounter - which also
opened during this mission - was on their travel route
home and open until midnight that night! Volunteers
toured the life-size replica of Noah's Ark until they
were threatened with having to clean up after the animals - a highly recommended experience! (The Ark,
not the cleanup!) The Creation Museum was also the
travel route home, so volunteers visited there after a
few hours of sleep and later enjoyed a meal along the
Rocky Broad River in the Blue Ridge Mountains. God's presence was felt and seen in a lot of
places this trip. With two autumn missions postponed
until 2017, the team is working on another closer to
As always, the LORD showed up, sending clouds and home this year, and perhaps a third...?
breezes to cool the heaviest work days, holding back
rains while outside work was underway, and protect- As always, the mission's limiting factor is voluning volunteers and the Tabernacle itself from the
teers. When the LORD told His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." (Matthew
wrath of two thunderstorms. After one storm,
9:27, Luke 10:2) he described our Tabernacle minisas volunteers set up the Ark of the Covenant in the
try perfectly! And so, we ask the Lord of the harvest
Holy of Holies, the LORD painted a great rainbow
"to send out workers into His harvest field." Missions
high above the Tabernacle!
entail leading host volunteers through setup of the
Tabernacle, teaching them to minister in the Tabernacle, and leading them through take down of the
Tabernacle - and the Spirit is always there. Our volunteers work with
host churches 1 - 3 days per
mission and participants can
range in age from teens to
seniors and be male or female. Come out and work
with the team where the Old
Testament meets the
New! (Please contact Chris
Handley, Joe Carter, Joe
Koenig, Mike Porter or Donnie Wheeler if interested in
volunteering with The TabThe LORD painted a great rainbow high above the Tabernacle
ernacle
as volunteers set up the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in Schererville, Indiana.
The Bronze Altar fire consumes grain offerings
Experience
as visitors ceremonially wash their hands at the
(East
Bronze Laver at Crossroads Community Church.
Volunteers enjoyed a barbeque (complete with lefto- Coast)!)
vers!) at the church after setup and had time to visit
A life-size
the Shrine of Christ's Passion in neighboring St John,
sculpture of
Indiana, after turning operation of the Tabernacle over
Nicodemus
to Crossroads' volunteers. The Shrine featured lifeand Joseph
of Arimathea,
size stations of the cross in beautiful relief, as well
carryas a new life-size sculpture of Moses receiving the
ing Jesus'
Ten Commandments atop an amazing recreation of
lifeless
Volunteers toured the fullMount Sinai, which volunteers visited on its opening
body to a
scale replica of Noah's Ark
day.
stone tomb,
The Tabernacle Experience (East Coast) was
on mission in
Schererville, Indiana,
July 9 - 17, 2016. It was
visited by over 2,000
people from as far away as Colorado, from many
Christian denominations and from hundreds of congregations - and it was visited by many without congregations, who were a very special blessing. First
Presbyterian's mission team partnered
with Crossroads Community Church and could not
have had finer hosts - Crossroads really put its love
into it! The mission was funded by a handful of small
Christian businesses in Schererville, and generously
covered by The Times newspaper, both online and in
print.
in Williamstown, Kentucky
6
Get Involved in the Music Ministry
This Fall
Tuesdays
1:30 PM
4:00 PM
Ladies' Ensemble
Girls’ Ensemble (Grades 6-12)
Choir Room
Choir Room
Chancel Handbells
Children’s Choir (Grades 1-6)
Preschool Choir (3K-5K)
Praise Team Rehearsal
Chancel Choir Rehearsal
Handbell Room
Children’s Choir Room
Children’s Choir Room
Sanctuary
Choir Room
Wednesdays
5:00 PM
6:30 PM
6:30 PM
6:30 PM
7:30 PM
Pedal for PADD is Changing!
New Date: Saturday, April 24th, 2017,
New Location: First Presbyterian Church
New Ride: “Downtown Roll”
New Focus: A festival promoting cycling safety and awareness... for the whole community!
Same Purpose: To raise funding for the Presbyterian Agency of
Developmentally Disabled
Interested in sharing your ideas for this festival? Please contact
Janet Brand 843-665-6980 or Liz Moore 843-679-0063
  BIRTHDAYS 7
01 Kendall Brand
09 Chris Canfield
16 Joey Hall
23 Cindy Johnson
01 Ella Naylor
09 Minnemie Murphy
17 Henry Johnson
24 Martha Dusenbury
03 Kathy Grace
09 Catherine Ervin
17 Jay Reece
24 Porter Stewart
03 Wallace Vaught, Jr.
09 Lincoln Emert
17 Frank Lee, Jr.
24 Brett Green
03 Rhett Spencer, Jr.
10 Caulder Christian
17 Brian Wallace
24 Ellen Grace Marechal
03 Caden Bulliner
11 Mary Everette
Matthews
18 Evans Holland
24 Sarah Ella Hardee
03 Michael Frost
11 Amy Williams
18 Stuart Snow, Sr.
25 Lane Gilpin
04 Jane Ames
11 Chris Johnson
19 Carson Munn
25 Patti Hubbs
04 Casey Coker
12 Marshall Campbell
20 Pam Hoogenboom
25 Ronnie Welch
04 Bob O’Harra
12 Scott Ham
20 Dan Hicks
26 Sallyann Frost
05 Joe Koenig
12 Carol Crom
20 Betsy Johnson
26 Phyllis Williams
05 Stephanie Hutchinson 12 Donna Green
20 Philip Moore
26 Andi Rae Straus
05 Rob Hall
13 Andrew Halus
20 Charissa Canfield
27 Dakota Hawkins
05 Amelia Page
13 Pieter Murphy
20 Jeff Singletary
28 Betsy Harris
06 Jake McKay
13 Sherrill Fussell
21 Charlie Ervin
28 Tom Kellam
07 Tabatha Davis
14 Jim Moore
21 Mary Lou Arnold
28 Carolyn Caudle
08 Sandra Anderson
14 Ellen Fails
21 Mary Jane Holland
28 Ryon Watkins
08 Rufus Bratton, Jr.
14 Taylor Knudsen
21 Wit Poston
29 Rod Jernigan
08 Peggy Swearingen
15 Mary Louise McIntyre 21 Gregg Jones
29 Virginia Spencer
08 Brittany Reames
15 Tamara Hoefer
21 Jon Draeger
30 Lyllian Scott
09 Jennie O’Bryan
15 John Shurman
22 Kent Caudle
30 Tillman Johnson
09 Donna Crockett
16 Janet Brand
22 Catherine Canfield
30 Bill Refvem
23 Charlie Grace, IV
31 O’Neill Edwards
09 Mary Caroline Vaught
Did we miss your birthday? Please contact Teresa Stewart at 662-2583 or [email protected] so we can correct our records.
JULY 17 AT 10:00 AM
THOMAS CRANFORD HOFLER
BORN MARCH 17, 2016
SON OF JACK & LAURA ANNE HOFLER
JULY 24 AT 10:00 AM
CALEB RYAN MEYER
BORN JUNE 10, 2016
SON OF RYAN MEYER AND BECKY FLOYD
8 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Monday, August 1, 2016
10:00 AM Women’s Bible Study/Prayer Group
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
6:00 AM Men’s Bible Study: LR Chapel
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast: Bazen’s Restaurant
9:30 AM Women’s Prayer Group
1:30 PM Ladies’ Ensemble: Choir Rm
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
9:00 AM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
5:30 PM Youth 412
6:00 PM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:30 PM Praise Team Rehearsal
7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice
Thursday, August 4, 2016
7:15 AM Men’s Breakfast: Pres. Community
Friday, August 5, 2016
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
COMMUNION SUNDAY
10:00 AM Combined Worship Service
1:00 PM MOVE (Youth)
4:30 PM Volleyball: CLC
Monday, August 8, 2016
Child Development Center Opens
10:00 AM Women’s Bible Study/Prayer Group
6:00 PM Senior Night (Youth)
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
6:00 AM Men’s Bible Study: LR Chapel
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast: Bazen’s Restaurant
8:30 AM Sr/Jr Breakfast: Bazen’s Restaurant
9:30 AM Women’s Prayer Group
1:30 PM Ladies’ Ensemble: Choir Rm
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
9:00 AM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:00 PM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:00 PM 412 Youth
6:30 PM Praise Team Rehearsal
7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice
Thursday, August 11, 2016
7:15 AM Men’s Breakfast: Pres. Community
8:00 AM P3BC Youth
Friday, August 12, 2016
Saturday, August 13, 2016
6:00 AM Parking Lot Mission: Hope Health Parking Lot
9:00 AM Youth End of Summer Trip
CALENDAR OF EVENTS 9
Sunday, August 14, 2016
10:00 AM Combined Worship Service
4:30 PM Volleyball: CLC
5:00 PM MOVE Youth
Monday, August 15, 2016
10:00 AM Women’s Bible Study/Prayer Group
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
6:00 AM Men’s Bible Study: LR Chapel
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast: Bazen’s Restaurant
9:30 AM Women’s Prayer Group
1:30 PM Ladies’ Ensemble: Choir Rm
6:30 PM Board of Deacons: LR
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
9:00 AM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:00 PM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:30 PM Praise Team Rehearsal
7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice
Thursday, August 18, 2016
7:15 AM Men’s Breakfast: Pres. Community
Friday, August 19, 2016 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Saturday, August 20, 2016
The Heart of the
Home:
PADD (Presbyterian
Agency for the Developmentally Disabled)
has a new residence,
The Rutledge House
which will house four
individuals with intellectual disability, In
order to outfit the new
kitchen, and they are
holding a Kitchen
Fundraising Initiative
called The Heart of
the Home. All donations are tax deductible and
checks may be made out to PADD.
Giving Levels are:
Partner $1000
Builder $500
Care Giver $250
Supporter $ 100
Friend Other
Sunday, August 21, 2016 Promotion Sunday
8:30 AM Contemporary Worship Service
9:45 AM Sunday School
9:45 AM 1-6 grds meet in FH
10:30 AM Preschool Parents Meeting in FH
11:00 AM Traditional Worship Service
4:30 PM Volleyball: CLC
5:00 PM MOVE Youth: Bowling Tournament: All Star Lns
Monday, August 22, 2016
10:00 AM Women’s Bible Study/Prayer Group
6:00 PM Child Development Center Open House
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
6:00 AM Men’s Bible Study: LR Chapel
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast: Bazen’s Restaurant
9:30 AM Women’s Prayer Group
1:30 PM Ladies’ Ensemble: Choir Rm
7:00 PM Session: LR
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
9:00 AM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:00 PM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:00 PM 412 Youth
6:30 PM Praise Team Rehearsal
7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice
Thursday, August 25, 2016
7:15 AM Men’s Breakfast: Pres. Community
7:00 PM Children in Worship Dick Gibson
Friday, August 26, 2016
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
8:30 AM Contemporary Worship Service
9:45 AM Sunday School
11:00 AM Traditional Worship Service
4:30 PM Volleyball: CLC
5:00 PM MOVE Youth
Monday, August 29, 2016
10:00 AM Women’s Bible Study/Prayer Group
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
6:00 AM Men’s Bible Study: LR Chapel
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast: Bazen’s Restaurant
9:30 AM Women’s Prayer Group
1:30 PM Ladies’ Ensemble: Choir Rm
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
9:00 AM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
6:00 PM Women’s Summer Bible Study: LR
5:30 PM Wednesday Night Kick Off: Picnic on Park
6:00 PM 412 Youth
6:30 PM Praise Team Rehearsal
7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice
10
PRAYER CONCERNS
Hospitals
McLeod
Extended Care
ELMCROFT
Betty Greer
Heritage Home
Malcolm Rogers
PRESBYTERIAN
COMMUNITY
Shirley Cruickshank
George Cruickshank
Hannah Barringer
Julian Price
Bob van Witzenburg
LAUREL GARDENS
Joy Tedder
George Richardson
Homebound
Cora Long
Linda Foxworth
Brooks Barringer
Remember In Prayer This Month
ELDERS
Hal Fuller
Steve Grady
DEACONS
Rita McInville
Frances Rogers
MISSIONARIES
Dr. Cody Watson
Dr. Roger Gulick
WOMEN IN MINISTRY
Jane Moss
Patti Hubbs
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS
Renee McRae
JoAnn Patton
Sick & Recovering
Delores Galloway
Rosanne Saunders
Gwen Misurella
Bryan Spearman
Brandon Fuller
Genie Lee
Glenn Odom
Jayne Boswell
Deloris Galloway
Stephanie Spivey
Megan Matthews
Carol Commander
Lillian Kunz
Dave Lawson
Herbert Ames
Special Requests
Pam Hoogenboom
HOUSEHOLDS
Mrs. Roseanne Saunders
Mr. & Mrs. Chris & Cille Scott, Pearce & Anne Evans
Mr. & Mrs. Munford & Lyllian Scott
Mrs. & Mrs. John & Ashley Scott, Ford
Ms. Gray Scott
Mr. Luke Scott, Kathryn & Liam
Mr. & Mrs. Stacey & Lia Severance, Abby, Josie, Noelle, Eden
Dr. & Mrs. Yong & Sue Shin, Hanna
Mr. & Mrs. John & Jane Shurman, Anna & Richard
Do you have a relative or friend whom you would like to honor? Sign up to place
memorial flowers in the sanctuary! Please contact Genia Tyson
([email protected] OR 665-0295) or Melba Whitesides (669-8209). Please
leave your name, phone #, and the date you wish to reserve.
STAFF
Brock Page
Taiter Garrett
Honorariums
Memorials
Sympathy
John G. Hofler, IV
Larry Brice
Susan Dusenbury
Annette Hamer
Mary Miles Swink
Family of Larry Brice
NEWS
Parking Lot Ministry
Saturday, August 13th
First Presbyterian will be serving the Parking Lot
Ministry Breakfast the 2nd Saturday of each
month. If you would like to help, please contact
Donnie Wheeler at [email protected].
Scouting Ministry Update
Monday night scout meetings start back for the
new school year on August 22 in the CLC with
a parents meeting and court of honor to present
badges earned over the summer.
Do You Want to Help the W. Virginia
Flood Victims?
If you would like to assist the West Virginia
flood victims, ECO has partnered with World
Renew Disaster Response Services. donations can be made to the church office marked
West Virginia Flood.
11
The Presbyterian
Community Report
Last month, I was advised by my lawyer not to
submit an article. The reason: I had profiled my
favorite resident with the truth about her
personality and other facts of her life. The editor
had requested such information. Ineeda Mann
tried to sue me; however she gave up when 7
public defenders refused to take her case.
Therefore I believe that what I submitted speaks
well for the statement “Truth is truth.”
We have had some hot weather and a lot of rain,
but neither has affected our fishing club contest at
our pond every Friday at 9 am. Chris Hobson is
our chaperone and he creates a lot of
enthusiasm. He has a fishing contest going on
between men and women. The women are
leading by a score of 55 to 6. One reason the
men are so far behind is because, even at our
age, we try to help the little old women “get
across the street.” Every one of them, except
Clara Maxwell, are scared to take the fish off the
hook and rebait for the next one. So our good
hearted men spend their time unhooking and
baiting up. We don’t have time to fish.
We have had a problem with our vending
machines. Too many slugs are in our coin holder.
Our homeland security department has found the
culprit. Of course, it is Ineeda Mann. They staked
her out and found she was taking nickels and
placing them on the railroad tracks. After the train
had run over them they were squished into the
size of a quarter. But the real evidence that
convicted her were the 25 tootsie roll wrappers
that housekeeping found in her room. She has
had to repay every cent and is restricted from use
of the vending machine for one month.
-Tom Kellam, Foreign Correspondent
12
CHILDREN
Kids @ 1st 8:30 Service
11:00 Service
July 31
Watkins
Aug 7
Prince
Aug 14
McElveen
TWO SERVICES RESUME
The parent volunteer schedule will be
updated to include the new 3K children.
The 3K can begin coming in August.
Parents are encouraged to come with
your new 3K the first time.
8:30
11:00
Aug 21
Coker
Singletary
Aug 28
Hall
Thompson
Sept 4
Selleck
Whitehead
All Parents of Children who are rising
3K through 1st grade are invited to an
evening with Dick Gibson.
Dick is the pioneer in the model for young
children in worship which seeks to prepare
young hearts for worship in the sanctuary.
He will be here for an introductory lesson
on Thursday, August 25th at 7:00pm.
Following the lesson, we will enjoy
desserts and have the opportunity to ask
questions and explore the children’s
worship space.
On Friday, the 26th, Dick will spend time
training anyone who is interested in being a
part of the leadership team of this valuable
ministry.
A few years ago, the Children’s Ministry team
implemented national background checks for all
individuals 18 years and older who regularly
volunteer with children. This includes Sunday school
teachers, Wednesday night leadership, VBS &
Mission Camp leaders, and children in worship
teachers.
It is time to renew the checks. If you volunteer at all
with children, please take a few minutes to fill out the
online form. Go to the First Presbyterian webpage,
select Discipleship, then Children and look for the
link “Volunteer Background Check”.
All information remains confidential. Thank you in
advance for your desire to protect our children and
our congregation.
CHILDREN
MSG FROM
GOD
VBS
All 1st– 6th grade children and parents are
encouraged to attend this special celebration
in the Fellowship Hall on
August 21st at 9:45 am
Children will sit together and meet their new
teachers. Then travel to their new
classrooms. With the arrival of the Child
Development Center, the 1st Grade class
has moved upstairs. For this year, we will
combine the 3rd and 4th grade classes.
There will be a brief parents meeting once
the children leave.
Preschoolers, 2K-5K, will go directly to their
rooms on this day. The 2K room is at the In
The Beginning pod. The 3K– 5K rooms are
found in the Covenant Kids pod.
There will be a brief meeting for preschool
parents at 10:30 in the Fellowship Hall.
Wednesday Nights 2015
August 31
Picnic on Park with food,
inflatables, music and friends.
September 7
First Wednesday Night
6:15 6th grade parents meeting
with Mike and Butch in the 6th
grade room.
6:00 Elementary Program begins
6:30 Preschool Program begins.
13
1 4 HFF
Helping Florence Flourish
Helping Florence Flourish (HFF) continues to work toward our goal of seeking a visible
demonstration of the unity of the body of Christ to bless Florence.
City Convene: September 19-20: City Convene will help faith leaders from across the nation identify chronic problems in their cities and teach strategies and best-practices to work with people of faith and goodwill to
build processes that create good cities. Glenn Barth is the author of The Good City: Transformed Lives
Transforming Communities (Good Place Publishing, 2010). He has been working since the 1970s as a visionary and innovator among faith-based leaders mobilizing people to serve cities.
Learn more about Helping Florence Flourish by visiting the website at http://helpingflorenceflourish.org/
IJM Ghana Trip – a note from Barry Jenkins
I will travel to Ghana, Africa from Aug. 13-18 with representatives from IJM (International Justice Mission). The
purpose of this trip is to meet with the IJM field office and aftercare providers who work to rescue and free
children from child slave around Lake Volta. If you google “IJM Ghana”, several sites will show you the work
they are doing. Here is a brief description from one IJM web site announcing their expansion into Ghana:
 Children enslaved on Lake Volta work 14-hour days with very little food, clothing or rest. They are regularly
beaten and made to do back-breaking labor, including hauling hundreds of pounds of fish and swimming
the depths of the lake to untangle nets.
 Child slavery on Ghana’s Lake Volta is brutal: IJM investigators met children as young as 4 forced to work
in brutal conditions. They saw children with “distended stomachs, scars from beatings and physical abuse,
skin diseases, hair falling out, and open sores and wounds.” Slave owners work them tirelessly without
food and make even the smallest children dive deep to untangle nets, often leading to drowning.
When Rev. Joe Farrell, a friend and ECO pastor with IJM, spoke with us
in January, the Evangelism Unit said “We need to do something to help
this ministry!” I am pleased to take part in this trip see firsthand the evil
of child slavery and see how FPC in partnership with IJM might be able
to have a small part in finding justice for these children. I would
appreciate your prayers for me and this team as we come face to face
with this evil of child slavery. I look forward to sharing this experience
with you from the pulpit on August 21st .
YOUTH
15
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
700 PARK AVENUE, FLORENCE, SC 29501
PHONE: 843-662-2583/FAX: 843-662-1726
CHURCH STAFF
Senior Pastor ---------------------------- Dr. Barry L. Jenkins
Associate Pastor------------------------ Rev. Chris Handley
Director of Music/Organist- Mrs. Ann Rodgers Chandler
Praise Team Leader ------------------------- Mr. Glenn Ham
Director of Youth Ministry-------------------Mr. Brock Page
Youth Ministry Assistant -- Ms. Christina “Taiter” Garrett
Director of Children’s Ministry --------- Mrs. Alexis Morris
Child Dev. Center Director --------------- Mrs. Beth Hepler
The Tabernacle Experience --------------- Mr. Joe Koenig
Church Administrator ------------------------ Mr. Don Hebert
Administrative Assistant ----------- Mrs. Stephanie Jones
Church Secretary ----------------------- Ms. Teresa Stewart
Financial Secretary --------------------- Mrs. Gwen DuRant
Head Custodian------------------------------- Mr. Ron Echols
Asst. Custodian ------------------------------- Mr. Sidney Ruff
Housekeeping --------------------------- Ms. Wanda LaSane
www.florencefirst.org
Facebook.com/FirstPresbyterianChurchFlorence
Summer Combined
Worship Schedule
Through August 14
10:00 AM | No Sunday School