| Middle School Retreat Registration Deadline
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The official registration deadline for the upcoming Middle
School Retreat is Monday, October 2. Money, registration forms
and release forms are due in presbytery office. Any
registrations received after this date will go on a waiting
list.
This year's retreat, "Peace by Piece," focuses on living in
a world where it is hard sometimes to figure out where we "fit
in." We are all looking for the place where we feel we are a
part of all that is happening around us and belonging gives us
a feeling of peace. Looking at Jesus Christ and His peace
assures us that God is always with us.
The keynoter of this retreat is a special person in the
presbytery and someone all of the young people should get to
know. George Wilkes is our Executive Presbyter and father of a
middle school daughter. He is a graduate of Presbyterian
College and says this is one of his favorite times of the year
- "fall football season." Along with George will be Scott
Brown, Director of Senior High Youth Ministry at First
Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC. Scott will be the music
leader. This should be an extra special retreat with
meaningful worship, good music and fun- filled activities. Get
your registrations in to Sabra by Monday to make sure your
youth group gets a place.
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| Sacred Music at Presbyterian College |
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Everyone is welcome to attend the Symposium on Sacred Music
at Presbyterian College on Thursday, October 26, and Friday
morning, October 27. The Symposium will feature two nationally
known figures from the world of sacred music who will lead in
two days of discussions, working sessions and resource
gathering entitled: "Unlocking Music Ministry Potential."
Guest leadership for these two exciting days are nationally
known sacred choral and instrumental composer K. Lee Scott and
nationally known handbell composer/clinician Mary Kay Parrish.
They will unlock the potential for all in attendance to be
more effective church musicians. Thursday's event will
conclude with a Festival of American Hymnody at Westminster
Presbyterian Church in Clinton.
If you are interested in attending this Symposium, contact
the Presbytery office to have a schedule of events and a
registration form mailed to you.
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| 2007 Presbyterian Youth Triennium |
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It may seem much too early to be thinking about the
Presbyterian Youth Triennium - after all, it is being held
July 17-22, 2007. This is such a big event, however, and one
that calls for early preparation so we are getting the word
out. If you think you are interested in attending this
gathering for Senior High youth at Purdue University in West
Lafayette, Indiana, it is time to make your plans. The
registration cost is $399 per person with an estimated
additional cost of $300 for airline ticket and ground
transportation. Foothills Presbytery will subsidize this cost
making the total out-of-pocket cost for each youth
approximately $500 The quota for Foothills Presbytery is 20
youth and 3 adults. To be fair, registrations will be open to
one youth per church until Dec. 1, 2006. If the quota is not
met at that time, churches may then register more than one
youth. If you have a youth interested in attending, please
contact Donna Templeton at 864-585-7657 or email
dcedonna@aol.com. A deposit of $125 is required to secure
registrations.
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| Bits of News |
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 SHOWING OF "AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH" - Not too late to
make plans for attending the showing of this movie about
critical environmental issues. Join others at Eastminster
Church at 6:30 this Sunday evening (Oct. 1) to educate
yourself about this serious problem.
CHOIR ROBES
AVAILABLE - The Grace Covenant Church in Mauldin has 20
white choir robes with stoles that they would like to give to
a church that can use them. If you are interested in having
these choir robes, please call the church at
864-288-3951.
MINISTER/EDUCATOR RETREAT- There
still might be a spot open for you to attend the annual
retreat for ministers and educators at White Oak Conference
Center October 23-25. If you are interested but feel that you
have missed the deadline, call the presbytery office for more
information. Joan Gray, Moderator of the 217th General
Assembly, will be the retreat leader. This will be a time for
those who are usually in the leading and teaching position to
receive what God wants to give though prayer, meditation.
worship and fellowship.
SENIOR HIGH HOOPLAH - If
your Senior Highs have never heard David LaMotte in concert,
you really should make every effort to get them to the Senior
High Hooplah this Sunday (Oct. 1) at First Church Greer. All
those who have already heard him in concert will definitely
want to be coming back. This youth event will begin at 3:00,
and no prior registration was necessary. Get your Senior Highs
together and join in this wonderful concert and meaningful
worship experience. There is no charge.
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A New Way for a New Day: Beyond the Maze and into the
Labyrinth |
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Earlier this week, it was my privilege to participate in a
unique gathering in Louisville, Kentucky. Over 200 synod and
presbytery executives, elected members of the General Assembly
Council and some General Assembly staff persons met together
for two days to discuss the life and future of the
Presbyterian Church (USA). The meeting was unique because it
was the first time such a meeting has been held. And, some
might say that it was unique because “the folks in Louisville”
were listening to, and interested in what folks from the
“grass roots” might have to say. But it was especially unique,
and important, because I think everyone now realizes that
things in our church have to change.
It is very clear
that the membership decline that we have been experiencing
cannot continue. It is also very clear that there are many in
our church who feel alienated from the larger church because
of positions taken by the General Assembly. It is clear that
our church is aging and that, in many cases, young adults are
not participating in or joining Presbyterian churches. It is
clear that General Assembly, synods and presbyteries are
facing declining revenue and are cutting staff and programs.
It is also clear that we Presbyterians do some things quite
well, but we do a poor job of communicating those things to
our own constituency and culture. It is clear that we have
less trust in each other and especially in our
leadership.
All of these concerns, and others,
contribute to what our preacher, Paul Hooker, described as “an
ecclesiology of anxiety.” The Presbyterian church is anxious
about many things, about issues surrounding sexuality, about
money, about membership decline and about mission. But, Paul
reminded us, there was a time when, in the face of great
anxiety, God told Jeremiah to buy a field for the future
(Jeremiah 32). Now, it is our time to face the future, to see
how things must change, but to see that God is in the future
that is before us, no matter what.
I am hopeful that
the conversations which were held in Louisville will help
spark the kind of change that the church desperately needs. I
hope that it will not just be another meeting in Louisville of
church bureaucrats (like me). I hope that all of us will begin
to focus on what should be our primary focus, the good news of
God’s love which has been given to us in Jesus Christ, and how
that love can be shared with a broken and hurting world. As a
new presbytery executive, who had been on the job for three
weeks or less put it, perhaps it is time for us “to stop
asking God to bless our work and start doing the work God has
blessed.” Amen.
Grace and Peace,
George Wilkes
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