Unity News October 24, 2017 United in Christ s love, we glorify God through worship, nurture, and service to all people. Photograph taken during last evening s Session meeting. Pictured are (left to right) Dannie Vaughn, Dan Holloway, Mark Diehl, and Bob Mobley. SESSION SELECTS INTERIM SENIOR PASTOR PRAYER CONCERNS Cissy George Charlee Rae Gribble* Dot Hollis* Bob Hudspeth Jeannie Jones* Bob Lane* Margaret Morgan* Trudie Robertson* Dee Rutter* Millie Williams* Bill Templeton* *Long Term Prayer Concern Session is pleased to announce that in their meeting Monday night, October 23, they met with and approved an Interim Pastor for Unity! The Reverend Mark Evan Diehl is currently serving as Interim Pastor of Pawley s Island Presbyterian Church. Mark s ministry experience has included serving churches from 3,500 members to 12 members, and the past five years his focus has been to assist congregations during transitions between called pastors. Mark s first Sunday with Unity will be December 3, 2017. Stay tuned for more details in early November. CONGREGATION ELECTS NEW ELDERS & DEACONS On Sunday, October 22, following both worship services, new elders and deacons were unanimously chosen beginning in January of 2018. The Nominating Committee had worked to identify those they believe God was calling to leadership in our church. Nominations from the floor were also in order. Many thanks to the Nominating Committee for their faithful work in bringing this year s slate. Below are listed the new Elders and Deacons. Elders Deacons 1 Year Term Jessie Little Michelle Kuhn Tracy Young Brian Rayl Bob Schaefer Joe Bonds Elaine Evans Deacons for Wyndie Havnaer Ben Knight Congregational Care Dannie Vaughn Burt Welch Theresa Higgins Kathryn Glenn Lauren Mobley Terri Turner Anne Cardozo James Bunge Deacons for Outreach Jean Knox Bob and Joyce Sullivan CONGRATULATIONS to Hunter & Erin Pratt in the birth of their son, Davis William Pratt, on October 17, 2017. ANGEL TREE BAKE SALE Mark your calendars for our Annual Angel Tree Bake Sale on Sunday, November 5. The Middle School Youth will be selling homemade baked goods for a donation toward the Angel Tree during Sunday School and after the 11:00 worship service in the Ministries Hallway and in the Conversation Area. All the money raised will be used by the Middle School Youth to purchase Christmas gifts for children in need.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION STAFF Kathryn McGregor Director of Christian Education (children and adults) KMcGregor@UnityFortMill.org Rev. Lindsay White Assoc. Pastor for Youth Ministries (youth grades 6-12) LWhite@UnityFortMill.org Melissa Dye Children in Worship Coordinator CIW@UnityFortMill.org Linda Bunge Director of Unity Preschool PreschoolAtUnity@gmail.com CHRISTIAN EDUCATION ADULTS SUNDAY SCHOOL As a Child Room M206 Revelation Faith Connections Room M102 Dare to Dream Fellowship Fellowship Hall the Protestant Reformation Holy Grounds Fellowship Hall Parlor Defying Gravity Koinonia Room M210 Matthew 22:34-46 Unity Room U212 Matthew 22:34-46 Lauren Lochel Nursery Coordinator Nursery@UnityFortMill.org WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO... YOUTH OCTOBER 21 NOVEMBER 12 October 29 November 5 November 12 Regular Youth Group 5:00: MSYG, Youth Wing Parking Lot 6:00: Youth Dinner, Fellowship Hall 6:45: HSYG, Youth Wing Angel Tree Bake Sale During Sunday School NO Youth Group in the evening Middle School: Worship 4 Youth at Bethelwoods 3:30-7:30 pm $10 per person, sign up on our website High School Dinner out (details to come) YOUTH CHOIR All youth in grades 6-12 are invited to sing in Youth Choir! We will rehearse in the choir room for 30 minutes following the 11:00 worship service on November 5th, 12th, and 19th. The Youth Choir will sing in worship on the first Sunday of Advent, December 3rd. If you are interested, please sign up by emailing Margaret Monroe, Director of Music, at mmonroe@unityfortmill.org. 2
BECOME A PART OF CARING FOR OUR CONGREGATION A Care Team is comprised of 6-10 volunteers who respond to the practical needs of a congregation member experiencing illness. The Care Team's activities for their Care Partner may include transportation to the doctor or grocery store, errands, meals, social outings, or giving a caregiver a few hours of respite. The Care Partner defines the way(s) the Care Team can assist; all are aware the team will not be able to meet all needs of the Care Partner. The Care Team's activities are coordinated; a Team member's time commitment is 2-3 hours every five to six weeks. The Care Team model provides a wonderful, caring, organized structure of support that is enjoyable for all! If you would be interested in being part of this amazing and meaningful Ministry by assisting to coordinate our Teams, being on a team, or having a Care Team to assist you, please contact Susan Mobley (803-547-2344 or 704-575-7344.) 40TH ANNUAL YORK COUNTY CROP WALK When: November 5, 2 pm begins registration and the walk starts at 3 pm Where: Dinkins Hall Lawn at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC How: 1 Walk on behalf of the hungry. 2 Sponsor a walker through a donation. 3 Buy a t-shirt (limited quantity) in the Narthex before/after either service for $5. 4 Donate canned goods to be collected at the walk and distributed to local families in need. Who: EVERYONE is invited to participate. This is a family event and a great way for children to be a part of making a difference in our community and the world! LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE Unity s library has been moved to Room U212. We invite everyone to the library s open house Sunday, October 29th, before and after both services in our new location. Check out really amazing books and learn about how Unity sorts its collection it might not be how you think! Sneak peek: we use color-coded categories so you can find like books together. Find out more October 29th and check out a book! SAVE A LIFE: DONATE BLOOD Mark your calendar for our next American Red Cross blood drive November 28, 2017 (2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) in the Fellowship Hall. Appointments can be made on the Red Cross Online Scheduling System. For more information on online scheduling, contact Wahida Taylor at 704.280.9406. Thank you. Why: Local hunger and poverty fighting programs will receive one-fourth of the funds raised. The Fort Mill Care Center, Project Hope, and the Bulb will be supported by funds raised. The remaining money is used by Church World Service to alleviate hunger and poverty throughout the world. See the CROP Walk table in the Narthex or contact Strat Lake for more information. 3
DIRECTIONS TO DAN S CELEBRATION DINNER Did you pay and reserve your seat for Dan's Dinner on November 4th at 6:00 pm but don't know how to get to the Adventure Center at Anne Springs Close Greenway? Here are directions to the Adventure Center from the Anne Springs Close Greenway website: FROM BALLENTYNE/LANCASTER... From Hwy 521 take Hwy 160 West 5 miles toward Fort Mill. Turn right on Springfield Parkway and travel approximately 2 miles. You will see a sign for the Anne Springs Close Greenway on the left across from the Springfield development. Turn in and proceed to the red Field Trial Barn; the Adventure Center is on the right. FROM I-77... Take I-77 exit 88 / Gold Hill Road heading East toward Fort Mill. Road changes to Springfield Parkway. Travel 3.3 miles from I-77. You will see a sign for the Anne Springs Close Greenway on the right across from the Springfield development. Turn in and proceed to red Field Trial Barn; the Adventure Center is on the right. PACK 108 TIGERS AT WORK ON CAMPUS KNOWING MORE ABOUT FAMILY PROMISE GUIDELINES FOR ADMISSION This past Saturday, 13 Tiger Scouts from three different dens planted more than 75 spring bulbs, 30 Pansy plants, and spread 12 bales of pine needles by the Fellowship Hall driveway. In doing so, these young Scouts achieved four requirements towards their Tiger Rank. Well done! As if the stress of losing your job, your home, and stability for your family wasn t enough, and let s not forget the uncertainty that inevitably comes from those losses, there is a laundry list of things these families must do in order to receive help, and in the best of circumstances they would be overwhelming. NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN Help us honor a deserving woman of Unity. Nominations are being accepted for the Presbyterian Women Honorary Life Membership Award. Forms are in the church office, narthex, or online. Deadline is December 8th. Return forms to the church office. Please contact Ruth Boetsch at grboetsch@ comporium.net for more information. LAST SUNDAY S ATTENDANCE 8:45 am... 157 11:00 am... 270 Sunday School... 179 4 One of the very first steps they are required to prove before receiving help from Family Promise is to meet the Federal Government s definition of homelessness. This is a lengthy criterion, albeit not very complicated, so we won t list it here. It s not hard to find if anyone s interested: just Google Federal definition of homelessness. If those requirements can t be met they are directed elsewhere and are unable to continue the screening process with Family Promise. Once they pass that hurdle, families must complete a criminal background check, a satisfactory substance abuse screen, and have no history of untreated chronic mental health issues. They must also be ready to achieve stable, long-term housing. In addition, they must be working towards employment, stabilizing their income and improving their money management skills. They also become involved in training opportunities to improve job and life skills, as well as participate in counseling, either informal or professional, to address social and emotional problems. This is a huge effort and commitment on the part of these families. They don t take it lightly, as evident by the success rate for guests in the program. Currently for 2017, Family Promise and its volunteers have helped 17 families (55 individuals). The average length of stay is about 54 days, and all of these families have completed the program successfully and have left to start their lives anew. Family Promise strives to empower these families to see beyond their current circumstances and to begin embracing a future of hope. The entire goal of Family Promise is to prepare those who walk through their doors to leave as effective members of the community.
FROM THE FINANCIAL OFFICE September 30th marked the end of the 1st quarter of our 2017-2018 fiscal year. Giving and expenses for the 3-month period, July September 2017, follow: Amount % of Annual Expense Budget* July - September Income $ 344,434 22.58% July - December Expenses $ 319,527 20.95% * (2017 2018 expense budget $1,525,161) Sanctuary Debt Balance.... $ 1,837,802 Endowment Fund Balance.. $ 63,708 DESSERT WITH DAN The Endowment Board will host an interactive discussion around the topics of vision and Unity s future with Dan and other staff. The congregation is invited to also share their thoughts. This event on Monday, November 13 (beginning at 6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall) is free and open to all. UNITY Endowment PROGRAM WILL YOU BE A PART OF THE MATCHING GIFT CHALLENGE? Unity has been offered a gift that will match all contributions of cash and securities to the Endowment Fund up to a total of $20,000 through December 31, 2017. The fund currently holds just over $63,000 in cash. When the fund reaches $110,000, the Endowment Board may begin considering distribution requests up to amounts equaling 4% - 6% of the fund balance. Meeting this challenge will get us very close to allowing us to provide this additional support to Unity s ministries. A brief description of the Endowment Program can be found with your 3rd quarter contribution statement that was mailed the first week of October. Additional information about the Program and how it will benefit Unity can be found: In the printed materials available in the Narthex. The Endowment page on Unity s website found under the Stewardship tab. A special Endowment Program evening, Dessert with Dan on Monday, November 13th, at 6:30pm. Rev. Holloway will share his insights on the importance of the Endowment for the health of our future church. Any amount contributed to the Endowment by December 31st will be doubled, up to a total of $20,000. We appreciate your interest in preserving our future church. 5
Unity Presbyterian Church 303 Tom Hall Street PO Box 1267 Fort Mill, SC 29716-1267 www.unityfortmill.org 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 CommSpecialist@ UnityFortMill.org FROM THE PASTOR Dr. R. Dan Holloway Church Office 803.547.5543 Friends... A special thank you to the Diaconate for their expression of appreciation during my last Diaconate meeting. All of the Deacons during my tenure at Unity have been and continue to be wonderful servants not only to the congregation but to the community as well. It has been a joy to be among you. God bless you. In Christ s service... Dan Dan Holloway 803.367.3093 Jeannie Bickett 704.309.4027 Lindsay White 412.215.8810