Life at Unity. September 24, 2018

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1 Life at Unity September 24, 2018 Since 1788 United in Christ s love, we glorify God through worship, nurture, and service to all people. Celebrating 230 Years of Mission and Ministry PLANNING FOR LIFE AND BEYOND: INFORMATION FOR EVERY STAGE OF LIFE PROFESSIONAL SEMINARS Free professional seminars, appropriate for all ages and stages of life. Experts in various fields will provide valuable financial, medical and estate information to attendees without cost or obligation. Refreshments will be provided. Location: Fellowship Hall. LIFE: PLANNING FOR NOW & THE FUTURE Tuesday, October 23, 7:00 8:30pm Introduction, Rev. Mark Diehl Perspectives on Aging, Deb Pittman, Catawba Area Agency on Aging Personal Insurance Protection, Tracy Little, State Farm Insurance Financial Planning, David Macaulay, CFP, CHFC, Macaulay & Associates Questions and Discussions PLANNING FOR BEYOND Tuesday, October 30, 7:00 8:30pm Introduction, Rev. Jeannie Bickett Medical & Health Concerns, Dr. Ken Nunnery Funeral & Burial Services, Laura Roberts, Wolfe Funeral Home Estate & Legal Concerns, Barry Mack, Esq., Mack & Mack Attorneys Questions and Discussions Child care available with reservation Reservations made here: id=di0qychwrc/bc6i1nqpqaa==&site=92749&returnurl=events% 2fwz_people.aspx&ChurchID=5704&EventID=164824&sn=92749 IN THIS ISSUE: Hurricane Victims Page 3 Go MAD... Page 3 From The Pastor... Page 4 Lunch Bunch Page And Much More PRAYER CONCERNS Beth Anderson Greyson Gload Betty Kimbrell Millie Williams Bob Tuthill* Charlee Rae Gribble* Dot Hollis* Margaret Morgan* Libby Kern* Dee Rutter* Bob Lane* Billy Barron* Our Mission Coworkers Cindy Corell - Haiti Dori Hjalmarson - Honduras *Long Term Prayer Concern CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY is extended to Joyce Gammon and her family in the death of her husband, Joe, Gammon, who passed away September 19.

2 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION STAFF Kathryn McGregor Director of Christian Education (children and adults) CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Rev. Lindsay White Assoc. Pastor for Youth Ministries (youth grades 6-12) Melissa Dye Children in Worship Coordinator Linda Bunge Director of Unity Preschool Lauren Lochel Nursery Coordinator #FLAT JESUS AT UNITY... Sunday Night Live was postponed a week. New dates for the fall are Sept Oct 21. Opportunities for Children from 5-6 pm include: Ready to Worship (2nd graders & a parent), Learning to Use My Bible (3rd graders), Growing Christians (4th & 5th graders) Opportunities for Adults from 5-6 pm include: Mission Study Conversations a repeat of the Sunday school conversations in August and September for those who weren t able to attend Planning for Life & Beyond These guided workshops will provide an opportunity to learn about and work through the various documents that will express your wishes regarding difficult medical and end-of-life decisions. Each session will include tools and time for decision making. Register now at A nursery is available for pre-registered participants. Dinner will be served each night at 6:00 pm. More information is available on the church website. Please be sure to register for the meal each week by Wednesday at noon. YEAR OF THE BIBLE READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPT. 23 Sunday: Isaiah Psalm 107 Monday: Isaiah Hebrews 7 Tuesday: Isaiah Hebrews 8 Wednesday: Isaiah Hebrews 9 Thursday: Isaiah Psalms Friday: Isaiah Hebrews 10 Saturday: Isaiah Hebrews 11 YEAR OF THE BIBLE: TRIVIA TRIVIA QUESTIONS SEPT. 24 But first, the answers to last week s questions: Philemon s runaway slave who had become one of Paul s helpers was named Onesimus. (Philem 10) According to Hebrew, as a high priest, Jesus has been made like believers in that he both suffered and was tested.(heb 2:18) While you re reading this week, think about these questions: Who prays for deliverance from Sennacherib because this seemingly invincible Assyrian king has mocked the living God? What Persian king does God, in a prophecy of Isaiah call my shepherd? 2?

3 Go MAD Day October 27 - Registration open September 16 October 7 Mark your calendars now to join us for an Intergenerational Mission Blitz for ALL AGES (ages 4 and up) Nursery will be provided at the church for children younger than 4 years old This is a genuine picture of flood waters covering Interstate 40 in North Carolina. This still shot came from footage filmed by the North Carolina Division of Aviation HOW TO HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS The Outreach Team invites you to help the Hurricane Florence victims. We will be putting together a variety of events where you can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. Donate Money: The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance of PCUSA has set up a direct giving account so that you can make a donation now. Disaster Relief-Hurricane and Typhoon Relief (DR000194) You can also write a check to Unity Presbyterian Church and note that it is for Hurricane Florence Relief. Donate items: We will also be organizing a way to donate supplies to areas in need. We have made several contacts with churches in flood areas that need our help. Donate time: We will be exploring a mission trip when PDA gets things set up in areas with need. We will participate in Recovery after Relief and help families that will need us. Please let us know if you would like to be involved or if you have contacts or ideas you would like to share with the Outreach Team. Please pray for the people who have affected by Hurricane Florence. Projects will include: Church Workday& Habitat Lunch-making Cookie Baking & Church Cleanup Family Promise Habitat Restore Habitat Work Day 2 sites Humane Society of York County Hymn Sing at Wellmore Levine Children s Hospital Second Harvest SAVE THE DATE All women are invited to Ladies Night Out on Thursday, October 25, at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $5.00 each and include soup, salad, and dessert. Kristy Spears will speak on her experience as a passenger on the plane that landed on the Hudson River. Watch for more information next month. Jean Knox with questions at jsknox@comporium.com SHARING GODS BOUNTY Non-perishable items will be collected beginning September 30 through October 26, for the Fort Mill Care Center. Everyone is encouraged to put the food items on the display center, which will be located off the Narthex going toward the Sunday school wing. There will also be a collection box in the Narthex. The food will be distributed to local families for Thanksgiving. Suggestions are canned vegetables, rice, fruit, canned milk, pasta sauce, canned meats, dried beans, cereal, sugar, grits and soups, etc. Final collection and distribution will be on Saturday October 27, during Go Mad Day. Thank you for sharing!! LAST SUNDAY S ATTENDANCE 8:45 am :00 am Livestream

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6 CONGREGATIONAL MEETING UPDATE At a Congregational Meeting held at worship services on September 23, the congregation approved changes in terms of call for Pastor Jeannie Bickett. Having served 24 years at Unity, she has chosen not to move into full time retirement this year but to serve part time in order to provide continuity to the congregation during the interim period. Jeannie will move to a part time schedule as of October 1, and the reduction in salary is commensurate with her reduced time at Unity. Jeannie s part-time schedule will include fewer hours during the first half of each month. For the first two weeks of each month, Jeannie will not be available for meetings, classes or Sunday worship, and will not keep office hours at the church. She will work from home approximately ten hours per week. The second half of each month Jeannie will work thirty hours per week with reduced office hours and participate in worship services, meetings, classes, Stephen Ministry leadership and normal pastoral duties. Jeannie, Mark and Lindsay will continue to work together to provide compassionate pastoral care for Unity s members and their families. SAVE THE DATE December 3, 2018 is the Tony Dehler Circle Christmas Auction. We would like to recruit some items for auction. If you have a beach or mountain or lake house that you would be willing to donate for a weekend or if you have other items like Panther tickets or boat rides, please Dannie Vaughn at vaughndl@comporium.net or call We would love to advertise some great items ahead of time. FROM THE PASTOR Friends, At Unity changes continue to unfold requiring a shift of expectations among the congregation and nimble adaptation among the staff. Such a shift and adaptation challenge us as a community and we need the Spirit s encouragement and guidance and power to live into these new realities and the opportunities they bring. Here is an example: On October 1 Pastor Jeannie Bickett moves into part time ministry when she will shift her work to take place the last 15 days of each month. So no pastoral emergencies will occur the first 15 days of each month, right? Wrong! As life moves forward, crises will arise regardless of the time. The pastors and staff want to provide care needed in such situations, and we will do exactly that. So what can you expect pastorally in the days ahead? Pastor Lindsay and I are available to address any concern that you may have. The last two weeks of each month, Pastor Jeannie will be available as well. Sally Herlong has joined the staff to provide administrative support in pastoral areas and may occasionally make direct calls on folks. Deacons and Elders share responsibilities for the welfare of this congregation. The Stephen Ministry team provides longer term support for our members. Pastoral Care teams continue to make calls and provide connections of concern and prayer. What can you do and what role can you play during this time? Here are some specifics to be part of the caring team at Unity: Communicate with pastors and staff and the church office about situations that need attention. I find it helpful if the person reporting a situation writes it down and/or sends me a reminder of it by . A brief comment after worship or between meetings can get lost before being recorded in our office notes 10 minutes later for follow up. We would rather hear 20 reports about a situation than not know about it at all. If you need help, ask directly! Say, Would you come visit me? Or, I would like to talk with you; when can we meet? As good as some caregivers are, they cannot read the minds of others or know the deeper needs that go unexpressed. Understand and support the staff who carry additional responsibilities in this interim time. Needs of members may require pastors and program staff to devote more time than normal to concerns beyond a job description. If you serve as a team member, consider stepping up and taking initiative on responsibilities typically shouldered by the staff. Pray for the staff. In addition to their vocational responsibilities, they also shoulder personal and family concerns that impact their lives and are unknown to most. Words of encouragement are golden in such times as these and invigorate the staff to employ their best efforts in challenging times. Words of criticism dishearten and debilitate, and sap energy when it is needed most. Learn the gift of being an encourager! Thanks for being part of the body of Christ and playing a role to care for others at Unity! Grace and peace, Mark 4

7 MATCHING GIFTS Many companies offer matching gift programs to encourage employees to contribute to charitable organizations. Some provide matching funds to support employee volunteer hours. Please check with your company to see if it offers a matching gift program. This simple step may increase the impact of your contribution at no cost to you. Your personal gift and any matched contribution will be applied according to your designation. If your company s charitable contribution matching program is for Community Support, all donations will be designated for the support of our local outreach programs. Unity s Employer Identification Number (EIN) (i.e. Federal Tax Identification Number), is for your employer s information. LUNCH BUNCH TRIP DEADLINE APPROACHING ABBEVILLE OPERA HOUSE "ALMOST MAINE" DATE: November 10th TIMES: Depart Unity 11:30am; Return 9:00pm COST: $62 per person INCLUDES: SHOW TRANSPORTATION Modern 56 passenger bus (rest stop in route) LUNCH Yoder s Dutch Oven Buffet following the play DEADLINE: October 15th STEPHEN MINISTRY The new Stephen Ministry class started September 12, with nine participants and four leaders. We are incredibly excited for the dedication and hard work our people are putting in to Stephen Ministry. The new Stephen Ministers will be commissioned March 3, NURSERY CHANGES After serving faithfully in our Infant Nursery for 8 years, Ms. Kisha is resigning from this position at the end of September. Please help us show our appreciation to Ms. Kisha when you see her between now and then. Families interested in donating toward a monetary gift for Ms. Kisha may write a check to Unity and indicate it is for Kisha s Gift of Appreciation by September 26. The play takes place on a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter in the mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised and hearts broken, but the knees and hearts mend - almost - in this delightful mid-winter night's dream. The historic Opera House opened in 1908 in the heyday of Vaudeville, and is listed in the National Registration of Historic Places. It is an attraction in itself. Contact Bill Vierstra at with any questions you may have. See you on 11/10/18. Unity will be hiring a Nursery Caregiver to begin October 7. This is a part-time, hourly position, averaging 4 hours a week. All Nursery Caregivers work on Sunday mornings from 8:30-12:30, or until all children have been picked up, on any holidays that fall on Sundays when nursery is offered (ie: Easter, 4th of July etc.) and for any Christmas Eve services when nursery is offered. Nursery Caregivers may also be asked to work at other times, as needed, for Sunday Night Live (SNL), Vacation Bible School (VBS), and other special services. The Nursery Caregiver must be 21 years of age or older and not a member of Unity. A complete job description can be found on the church website at: Interested applicants should contact Kathryn McGregor at or KMcGregor@UnityFortMil.org. 5

8 Unity Presbyterian Church 303 Tom Hall Street PO Box 1267 Fort Mill, SC JOIN US SUNDAY 8:45 a.m. Worship service 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship service FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE Newsletter Info Deadline: Wednesday by 5:00 pm Return Service Requested UnityFortMill.org STAY IN TOUCH You already know about our newsletter, but did you know there are other ways to engage with Unity Presbyterian? Mark E. Diehl WEBSITE: You can find all of the information about our church here, upcoming events, registration forms, and more. FACEBOOK: Unity Presbyterian Church has a Facebook page! Like us for inspirational quotes, Bible verses, event pictures, and interesting articles. GOOGLE+: Did you know the more reviews we have on Google, the faster our website is pulled up when someone is searching? Review us by googling Unity Fort Mill, just click the review button on the right hand side! YELP: Help new people find us by rating us on the Yelp app! Share your stories there too. Church Office Emergency Pastoral Line Senior Interim Pastor Mark E. Diehl If you have any news, suggestions, or announcements, please contact commspecialist@unityfortmill.org Senior Associate Pastor Jeannie Bickett Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry Lindsay White