| Mattoon Presbyterian Church Celebrates 130th Anniversary |
130 years of service and leadership are what the commemoration focuses on as Mattoon Presbyterian Church celebrates its 130th Anniversary. It will be a three day celebration during the last weekend of September, the 26th through the 28th. On Friday evening at Mattoon, there will be a 7 pm program that focuses on cherishing the past with a memorial to past members. Saturday evening at First Presbyterian Church, downtown Greenville, beginning at 6:30 pm will focus on challenging the present as ministries are shared during a banquet and a performance presented by the Mattoon Drama Ministry. Sunday afternoon at 4 pm at Mattoon, a worship service will be held culminating in our vision as we look to conquering the future as we continue with God's purpose for Mattoon. Everyone is invited to join with us in the celebration.
Friday and Sunday programs are free to attend. Saturday night banquet tickets are available for $30 per person. Contact Anna Smith at 269-5626 for more information.
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| Resources & More Resources |
Scheduling Meetings
Trying to get a number of people together for a meeting can be very time consuming and can involve some tricky moments trying to satisfy everyone's constraints. You might want to explore Meet-O-Matic, a meeting planning application you can try without any registration. Go to Meet-O-Matic to try for yourself.
Advent Studies
The Thoughtful Christian has a new advent study entitled "Advent Through the Eyes of those Who Waited." It follows the Revised Common Lectionary for Year B. The four session study costs $18 if your church does not have a subscription to The Thoughtful Christian. You can find the link to this service at the bottom of this newsletter.
Stewardship Ideas
If you are looking for a stewardship theme, try the PCUSA website for lots of ideas and resources for your campaign. Click here for ideas.
National Church Library Biennial Conference
This association will host their conference Nov. 6-8 in Bloomington, MN. and will offer 40 different workshop tracks for the beginner and experienced church librarian. There will be two keynote speakers. For more information, click here. |
| Educational Opportunities for Lay People |
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FALL LAY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY The Fall Lay School of Theology will be held at White Oak Conference Center November 7-9. The Lay School of Theology is a joint venture of the five S.C. presbyteries and is offered twice yearly. Students are lay persons who desire in-depth study of Bible, church history, or theology. Faculty members are ministers and Presbyterian educators, active and retired. Several courses, both core courses and electives, are offered at each session. The cost is $107 (double room), $125 (single room), and $55 for commuters. To find out more, click here.
COMMISSIONED LAY PASTORS CONFERENCE
A new fall conference is being offered at Montreat Conference Center for Commissioned Lay Pastors.The dates are October 22-24, and the plenary speakers are Jack Haberer, Editor of The Presbyterian Outlook, and Marcia Myers, Director of Vocations, PCUSA. Join CLPs from across the country to share, encourage, and to find renewed energy for their calls to ministry. More information is available here. |
| Ways You Can Help |
Eliminate Hunger Day
Governor Mark Sanford has proclaimed September 28 to be "Eliminate Hunger Day." Hunger is now a crisis that cannot be ignored. There has never been such a critical need in S.C. Please consider asking your congregation to make a special hunger offering on this day.
National Donor Sabbath
November 16 is National Donor Sabbath. Donate Life South Carolina is the organization whose mission is to promote organ and tissue donation for transplantation and provide patient assistance for South Carolina transplant recipients. This emphasis is designed to encourage South Carolinians to talk to their loved ones about organ donation. To find out more, contact Donate Life at 1-877-277-4866. You may also email agonick@donatelifesc.org.
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| School News |
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Lees-McRae College reports Sister Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking" and "Death of Innocents" was their Convocation speaker on August 27. This opened a discussion of the Christian response to the death penalty that will continue in a variety of ways in and out of class throughout the semester. While she is a strong opponent of the death penalty, her presentation was balanced and challenging. These kinds of discussions are a part of the school's commitment to challenge students to think about what they believe, why they believe it, and the implications for them as members of society.
Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, is accepting applications now for the Summer Collegium 2009. This is a Lilly Endowment project in support of small congregations. Twenty-five clergy and their spouses/partners from all Christian denominations will be invited to spend nine days, focusing on Body, Mind, and Soul: Celebrating, Strengthening and Sustaining Clergy Wholeness in Small Congregations. The Summer Collegium takes place June 24-July 1, 2009, and applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2008 to be considered. All expenses for the event, including travel, meals, lodging, books, pulpit supply and child care at home are paid for by the grant. For more information and an application packet, visit the website www.vts.edu/education/collegium or call Marilyn Johns at 703-461-1760.
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| Outdoor Ministries
2008 Summer by the Numbers |
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(Bible study by the creek)
Camp Buc and Camp Fellowship had a great summer under the leadership of the new Outdoor Ministries Director, Kevin Cartee.
Kevin shares, "Although we would have loved to have more campers this summer, all of the other pieces were in place...this is a hopeful sign for the future! We hope to see solid growth over the next few years in our mission and ministry support of Trinity and Foothills presbyteries."
 ( Counselor with campers)
A wonderful summer staff, amazing campers and campers' families, and truly inspiring encounters with God, creation, and other brothers and sisters in Christ added up to one great summer!
Consider the ministry impact of Camp Buc and Camp Fellowship this summer by some not so frequently reported numbers:
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Over 500 people visited the camps this summer, including campers, day use and guest groups.
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30+ summer and full-time staff provided all of the ministry and ministry support for summer camps.
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There were 5 chaplains of the week (all from Foothills Presbytery) who served at both camps.
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Over 60,000 meals were served in our dining halls by our summer cooks and their support staff.
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Campers and staff swam a combined total of over 30,000 hours.
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There were 90+ hours of Bible study for campers and staff led by staff and chaplains.
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And over 180 worship gatherings.
All adding up to one wonderful summer!
Thank you to everyone who participated in, prayed for, and supported through financial gifts our summer ministry at Buc and Fellowship.
If you would like to find out more about the Outdoor Ministries Partnership and opportunities at Camp Fellowship and Camp Buc, please contact Kevin Cartee.
Were you or your child a camper at Camp Buc or Camp Fellowship this summer? We invite you to take a survey to tell us about your experience. Click here to go to the survey! |
| Local Church News |
| St. Giles Presbyterian Church in Greenville is excited to announce the hiring of a new Youth Director, Jacqueline Martin! Jacqueline brings an excitement that energizes and challenges youth and the congregation. Youth programming each month focuses on fellowship, service, learning and worship and meets every Sunday from 6:00 to 7:30.
St. Giles Church also announces a new Sunday School class - Bible 101. The class is offered at 9:15 a.m. and is exploring the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Emphasis will be placed on getting to know the Bible through the testimony present in the books of the Bible. This is a discussion class structured to introduce the Bible for all to understand and explore. |
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