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Reception of New Members
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 Pictured
is the Rev. John Hartman, new chaplain at Greenville Hospital.
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Good Things Happening in Foothills
Churches
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 From
the Eastminster Presbyterian Church Vision Statement: "......We
envision faithful stewardship of resources where all people are called
into faithful stewardship....." On Sunday morning after a sermon
preached by the Rev. David Taylor focusing on our responsibilities as
God's people living in God's creation, Eastminster Church held an "Ecco
Fair." The message was to encourage protection and conservation of
all that has been entrusted to us. Many displays were set up around the
room suggesting ways that we can all live more simply and more in tune
with nature and the environment - energy-saving light bulbs, fair trade
coffee, eliminating junk mail - ways to save money and energy. A great
crowd was present and the event was a wonderful awareness of being
faithful to God. To make social and environmental justice part of your
church's Palm Sunday celebration, consider purchasing environmentally
friendly palms that are grown and harvested in a way to protect and
minimize the impact on the natural forest. Click below to find a company
in Charlotte that is selling these palm products.
In December Fountain
Inn Presbyterian Church had their annual Christgiving Market. This
tradition began around 1998 and has continued throughout every Advent
Season. Organizations are invited to participate in the Christgiving
Market by setting up display tables and sending representatives to talk
with members of the congregation about their work. Donations made are
noted on a Christmas card which can then be given as a Christmas gift.
This alternative kind of gift giving is a joyous and meaningful way to
celebrate the birth of Christ. This year contributions totaling $34,648
were received for Frontera DeCristo, Meals on Wheels, Medical Missions,
Golden Strip Emergency, Ellis Mayfield Foundation, Habitat for Humanity,
Heifer International, Thornwell, UCAN, Ghana Partnership and United
Ministries. Thanks be to God.
Please let us know of
events in your church that you would like to share with the presbytery.
Please send an email with pictures if you have them. We want to let
everybody know about the "good happenings in Foothills
Presbytery."
Eco-Palms for
Palm Sunday
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Presbyterian Women Spring Gathering
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 The
Spring Gathering of Foothills Presbyterian Women will be held at
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville on March 8. Registration
will begin at 9:00 with worship and workshops beginning at 9:45. Lunch
will be provided at 12:45. The theme is "Casting our Nets - How
can we fill our Boats?" The speaker is Kate Giguere, member of
Fourth Church and a student at Columbia Seminary. Workshops will be held
for Moderators, Treasurers, Historians, and Bible Study leaders. The
offering will be dedicated to Thornwell. Send names and checks ($10 per
person) to Heather Taylor, 48 Red Quail Lane, Greer, SC 29651.
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Bits of News
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 Congratulations
to the following students in Foothills Presbytery who were honored at
Presbyterian College on February 2nd as nominees for the Outstanding
Church Youth Leader Award:Patrick Basinger, First Church Greer; Caleigh
Clifford, First Church Anderson; Mary Beth Dykes, Central Church; Olivia
Looney, Fountain Inn Church; Emily Ross, Eastminster Church; Elizabeth
Nickles, First Church Greenville; and Ryan Kroske, John Knox Church
(students not pictured in this order). These nominees will receive an
annual scholarship of $500 if they attend PC. Mary Beth Dykes was the
recipient of the 2007-2008 Outstanding Church Youth Leader award that
gives a $2,500 annual scholarship.
The annual conference for
the Association for Smaller Congregations will be held May 5-7,
2008, at Epworth by the Sea, St. Simons Island, GA. The theme is "Together,
We Can Do It." To see the conference brochure, click below.
Help!!! Eastminster
Presbyterian Church is looking for a church van to borrow for their
Senior High youth mission trip July 6-12. Travel will be to Lithia,
Florida, to the Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center. Work will be done
at Beth-El, a Presbyterian mission to farm workers and their families. If
you would be willing to lend them your church van, please call Neely
Stansell- Simpson at 864-284-0190. Thank you.
McCarter Presbyterian
Church has eleven blue and white choir robes that they would like to give
to a church in need of choir robes. If you are interested, call Darrell
Fetzer at 271-0860.
Monday Off Golf Outing -
Mark your calendar for the Spring Fling Golf Outing. The date is April 7
and the place is Southern Oaks Golf Club. Cost is $23.75 if there are 24
players and $30 if less than 24. Sign up at the presbytery office.
DID YOU KNOW? This year,
March 23, is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our
lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this
early (95 years old or above!). None of us have ever, or will ever, see
it a day earlier!!!! The next time it will be a day earlier will be March
22, 2285. (The dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that
Hebrew people used to identify Passover.)
Association of
Smaller Congregations
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March Calendar for Foothills Presbytery
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Meetings and events
scheduled for March are as follows:
March 1 - 9:00 am - PACE class
March 2 - 2:00 pm - PYC
March 3-4 - Leader of Leaders event, First Church, Hartsville
March 3 - 6:00 pm - Ghana Committee
March 6 - 6:00 pm - Committee on Ministry
March 7-9 - Senior High Retreat at Montreat
March 8 - 9:00 am - PW Spring Gathering at Westminster Greenville
March 10 - 10:00 am - Older Adult Team
March 10 - 2:00 pm - PACE class
March 11 - 12:00 noon - Ministry of Vocations
March 11 - 6:00 pm - Cultural Context Team
March 13 - 12:00 noon - Hunger Team
March 13 - 4:30 pm - New Church Development
March 13 - 5:30 pm - Education Team
March 17 - 12:00 noon - Inspiration & Support Team
March 17 - 6:00 pm - Racial Ethnic Cabinet
March 18 - 6:00pm - Ministry of Congregational Development
March 20 - 12:30 pm - Thursdays with Mary
March 24 - 12:00 noon - Ministry of Governing Body Unity
March 25 - 12:00 noon - Community Team
March 25 - 6:00 pm - Council
March 27 - Statewide Staff Retreat in Columbia
March 27 - 12:00 noon - Committee on Preparation
March 27 - 12:00 noon - Examinations Commission
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Highlights of Presbytery Meeting
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Foothills Presbytery met
on February 19 at Central Presbyterian Church in Anderson with an opening
worship service led by Dr. Dennis Tedder, pastor of First Church, Anderson.
Communion was served and memorials were made to elders and ministers who
were deceased in the year 2007.
Business of the day
included reception of two ministers who previously had been examined and
approved. Christie Gravely (pictured above) is serving as Associate
Pastor of Easley Presbyterian Church and John Hartman (pictured to the
left) is serving as Chaplain in the Greenville hospital system. Inquirer
Mike Linkins was examined and approved for Candidacy, and an alternate
exam process was approved for candidate Sara Varnado.
Several overtures were presented with discussion on each of them. The
overture concerning ordination standards presented by the Walhalla Church
was replaced with a resolution submitted by the Rev. Dr. Merwyn Johnson.
This was done in light of the ruling of the General Assembly Permanent
Judicial Commission which would make the Walhalla overture
unconstitutional. The resolution by Dr. Johnson was approved. The second
overture submitted by the Unity Team which would delay the vote on the
new Form of Government for two years was approved to be submitted to the
2008 General Assembly. The third overture "Where Christ Is, There is
the Church," a recommended change to the new Form of Government, was
also approved. Approval was also given to the Unity Team allowing them to
appoint overture advocates to attend the Assembly.
Other business was the
recognition of new Outdoor Ministries Director, Kevin Cartee, and the
approval of a new five-year term for Executive Presbyter, George Wilkes.
Kevin spoke about the wonderful opportunities at Camps Buc and
Fellowship. Sabra Smith, recently retired Administrative Assistant, was
recognized for her good service over the past eleven years.
A special order of the
day was a report from the Campus Ministry Team. College students from the
Clemson PSA, Furman WF, and Spartanburg PSA spoke about what campus
ministry means to them as they continue their education away from home at
college. Their reports were very affirming of the good work being done by
campus ministers, Bill Gause, Wayne Cole, and Dottie Metropol.
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