Thursday Treasure Thought with Dolly & Terry

A Q&A with Dolly & Terry

How long have you been members of Second Presbyterian?
Terry:  My wife Dolly and I have been members since July of 2011. I have participated in Second Presbyterian as a Deacon, on the Property Committee, worked twice in the Tea Room and have been a Greeter multiple times.

Dolly has served on two Nominating Committees and as a Deacon. Her first love is the Seconds Please Tea Room where she is a longtime committee member and kitchen worker.

Tell us a little about yourselves.
Dolly: I am now retired but was a paralegal for 29 years. I keep busy with book club, exercise classes and several clubs, including being the chaplain for the DAR chapter. After all my son is a minister!
Terry is a long-time realtor with Carolina One Real Estate and coaches distance runners, part-time. He’s been a runner for 54 years and that, along with writing and hunting, occupies his free ‘fun’ time.

Terry, so Dolly’s son is a minister … tell us something we might be surprised to know about you.
Terry: I founded the Charleston Running Club, co-founded The Cooper River Bridge Run, wrote a book on training calledBuild a Better Runner and was on the team that broke the American record for the 24 hour relay, that still stands after 44 years.

Wow! That’s impressive. Obviously running is a big part of your life. What would you say is your treasure?
Terry: The things that are most important to me are in order, my belief in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, my wife Dolly, and my ethics. What do I treasure? I treasure my wife and opening my eyes every morning. Second Presbyterian helps me attach my belief to the written word, through my fellow members and our ministry.
Giving is important first to help those who need help and second to keep the doors open so that others may find their way to the Lord through those who know him.

And you, Dolly, what do you value? What is important to you?
Dolly: To those who say that the Church is no longer relevant, I would answer that it is important to gather in prayer and worship with others. We all gain support and inspiration from the strong faith of fellow members such as Marion Mitchell and Robbie Staubes. I treasure my family and that includes our church family, the beloved faces that I look forward to seeing at Second Presbyterian, both the familiar ones and the new ones like Dawn and Rob McCready. My minister son says that that is what Church is all about – gathering together with people of faith for comfort – for fellowship – for worship – for ministry. That is why it is important to support our Church financially – to return to it a token of what it gives us.

Join your Second Family as we commit our treasure in service to the Lord by pledging your 2020 gift this Stewardship season. When you enter into a partnership with the body of Christ, you are not only building up treasure for this generation but also for generations to come.

Tuesday Treasure Thought with Mia

I started coming to this church because it was friendly and felt familiar. For the first couple of years I came to bible study on Wednesday nights and services on Sunday and told myself that formal membership wasn’t necessary. As it turned out, I was wrong, and God made sure I knew it. After about a year, every time the question of joining came up, His voice inside my head said “need to join,” regardless of what my mouth said. I finally realized that being a part is important and joined the church sometime in the early 2000s.

I have come to bible study here on Wednesday nights since that group started in 2001 and have participated with Tea Room in one capacity or another since near the beginning. These activities are just two of the ways that each of us become a part of the whole. What I have come to learn is that the rewards of being part of the whole far outweigh any burdens that come with the responsibilities of membership. The friendships I have formed in both of these groups are invaluable in the good times and doubly so in the hard times. I wouldn’t trade a one of them for anything. They are my treasures.

I know many of our members, but every time I walk in the door I meet a member who is new to me, someone who could turn into one of my treasures. For those I haven’t met, here’s a little bit about me for when we do meet. I’m a lawyer and I love to cook. I enjoy practicing law and appreciate that it pays the bills, but there is so much more satisfaction in cooking and sitting down to a meal. Working with others in the kitchen and sharing the meal are lower stress – well sometimes during Tea Room it is higher stress – ways to get to know people and build bonds. In the context of Second Presbyterian I’ve had many opportunities to cook and eat my way towards lifelong friends and a wide ranging second family. The continuation of those opportunities, with current members and those yet to come, is one example of why financial and time gifts are important. Without sufficient gifts of both, our church cannot function in a godly, loving, healthy and supportive way for our members.

-Mia

Join your Second Family as we commit our treasure in service to the Lord by pledging your 2020 gift this Stewardship season. When you enter into a partnership with the body of Christ, you are not only building up treasure for this generation but also for generations to come.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

SERMON SNAPSHOT

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Dear Friends in Christ –

How’s your faith? Curious question. Broad. Non-specific. How’s yours? You may ask. Is it deep enough? Strong enough? 

Do you fret wondering how your faith measures? Or do you just fret feeling yours is insufficient?

Many things we can’t qualify or quantify, but we know we want more. The disciples did. “Increase our faith,” they asked. Curious request.

The psalmist writes,“Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.”

As Richard Rohr puts it, “We do not think ourselves into a new way of living, but we live our lives into a new way of thinking.” 

These times demand our best– a fret-free faith found together in God’s work and worship.

In anticipation –

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LISTEN TO THE SERMON & MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS BELOW

Meet a Member: Gary & Cassie

“Our true treasure here at Second Presbyterian is the community of believers that we can come home to every Sunday. You’ve given us a place where we feel comfortable being vulnerable and where we have found friends with whom we can face the uncertainties and turbulence of life as we all seek a deeper relationship with our savior."

Find out about the treasure of other members of Second Presbyterian here.

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PEACE & GLOBAL WITNESS OFFERING

Special Offering

The Peace & Global Witness Offering encourages the church to cast off anxiety and fear, discord and division, and embrace our reconciling God's mission to those around the corner and around the world.

Please give generously toward this special offering on Sunday or online (include description: Peace). This special offering will be taken up in the service on Sunday, October 6, 2019.

25% of the offering stays in this congregation to use in a local reconciliation program, this year to the Tywanza Sanders Legacy Foundation for college scholarships. These are awarded in part by the applicant's commitment to use his or her education "in improving race relations and dissolving racial barriers".

25% is used in our presbytery. For example, in January a group will travel to Allendale for a day of service in a Headstart program.

50% supports the work for peace and reconciliation being done by Presbyterians across the globe. Mission Co-workers, like our own Leisa Wagstaff, are working with peacemakers in countries torn by war. Her recent newsletter told of the work with rehabilitating former child soldiers.

Each year, the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations facilitates PC(USA) involvement in the UN Commission on the Status of Women, helping shape global standards on the empowerment of women, working to prevent gender-based violence.

Please give generously to the offering. "When we all give a little, it adds up to a lot."

trunk-or-treat

Come for our third annual Trunk-or-Treat Night, Sunday, October 27th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Bring your kids for an extra excuse to don their costume!

This will be a fun evening of intergenerational food and fun, so whether or not you have kids dressing up, please come for dinner and decorate your car and be part of the evening of fun and fellowship.

Peanut-free candy and small toy donations are needed and can be dropped off in the donation box in the education building. Please contact Sarah Craven if you’ll be able to decorate your car for the Trunk-or-Treating or sign up here.

Invite your friends, family, and neighbors! Everyone is welcome.

Contact Sarah Craven with any questions. Find more information here.

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There is also an opportunity to support our friends at Mt. Zion AME for their Trunk-or-Treat on Tuesday, October 29th. Contact Cress or Sarah for more information.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

Good morning! For those that do not know me, I am Rebecca Darwin, also known as the preacher’s wife. I am the mother of two teenage girls who are away at boarding school, a Deacon here at church, and serve on the Boards of Spoleto Festival USA and the Institute for the Arts & Humanities at UNC. I sit in the back pew – have been for 15 years ever since we came here – and in my spare time, I run Garden & Gun magazine. I travel a lot, but I treasure this place and miss all of you when I am not here.

Rebecca Darwin

LISTEN BELOW

That is why when Cress asked David Savard and me if we would chair Stewardship this year, I said yes. And thankfully, David did too!

A couple of months ago during the summer, Sarah Craven gave a sermon based on the scripture, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I was not in town that Sunday, but David was and quickly emailed me that I should take a listen to it on our website. I did and David and I decided that that would be the message on which we would focus.

So our question for each of you this Stewardship season is, “What is your treasure?”

Erin Kerr and family

Of course, ultimately our goal is to encourage all of you to give cheerfully and generously so that we can meet the financial goals and needs of Second Presbyterian. But beyond that, we want to take this time to all get to know each other better and to learn through other people’s experiences here at Second Presbyterian Church – what they treasure and how each of us might become more involved in the life of this church.

So that is why I told you a little about myself in the beginning. Every Sunday we will have a “Meet a Member” moment where a longtime member will introduce us to another member or family, who will share what their treasure is. Also, during the week, we will be sending short emails with reflections from a variety of our members. 

I hope that you will use this season to reflect and to get to know each other. 

With that, it gives me great pleasure to introduce Sue Henderson.

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This is a transcript of Rebecca’s introduction to the 2019 stewardship season during the service on Sunday, September 29, 2019. You can listen to this segment and Sue’s introduction and Erin Kerr’s remarks from that Sunday below. You can also listen to Sarah Craven’s sermon that Rebecca references. Pertinent sermons are embedded below; all sermon podcasts can be found here.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

Find out about the treasure of other members of Second Presbyterian here.

PEACE & GLOBAL WITNESS OFFERING

A Special Invitation

Most of us don’t get any mail except for what? Bills and junk. But once in a while, now and then, a pretty envelope, perhaps hand-addressed and with something nice inside, is nestled among the coupons and ads and utility bills.

An invitation.

It’s something different and it feels good. It feels good to be invited.

Sometimes the church talks about the work we do as an obligation or a duty. We start thinking about the sign-up sheets and the time requirement, the money and ... But try to remember ‘invitation’ instead. Every time we are asked to give of ourselves, our time, our talent and our treasure, it helps to think of it as an invitation to imagine and be a part of God’s reign on earth. And on World Communion Sunday, We can think of no more appropriate word than ‘invitation.’ Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, invites us to the table. And not just us, but Christ invites, and we open doors to believers from all over the world, and we even profess that believers from every time and place join us. At this table we proclaim that Christ joins us into one body despite our differences. Christ invites and our doors open to the broken, the hurting and the survivors of violence—those who suffer, as he suffered, to be nourished by his compassion. Christ invites, and our doors open to all those who work for reconciliation and advocate for God’s justice, which makes for peace.

Christ invites, and we also offer ourselves to the pursuit to end violence and bring about reconciliation through the Peace and Global Witness Offering. Through our gifts, we offer a healing hand to women experiencing abuse, here in this country and in places like Guatemala, even as we seek to remedy the structures that create their vulnerability.

Our giving offers a word of peace to those incarcerated here and those crushed by civil war in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our offering draws together those who were once at war, creating opportunities for veterans from this land to return to Iraq and build relationships that offer a start to healing and understanding. Leisa Wagstaff, the mission co-worker we support in South Sudan, is working to facilitate reconciliation there. And this offering will be shared with a local foundation for reconciliation with the 25% that we retain in our congregation.

It is one of the ways we RSVP ‘yes’ to Christ’s invitation and offer, as the words in 2nd Thessalonians say, ‘peace, at all times, in all ways.’ At Christ’s table, and in these gifts, we are invited to believe those words. But for peace to truly be offered ‘at all times, in all ways’ we will start at THIS time and in THESE ways. If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot.

MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDIES

Midweek Bible Studies

Wednesdays * Thursdays * Fridays

Women's Bible Study – This group meets on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. upstairs in the conference room. You are welcome to join these ladies as they go through the Beth Moore study Entrusted. Please contact Sue Henderson for more info.

Moms' Bible Study – Join a group of moms for a weekly bible study on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. upstairs in the conference room. Together they will discuss passages from Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe. The group will watch a clip for discussion at the beginning of each meeting, you can be just as involved if you don’t have the time to commit outside of the class to read the book. Contact Mary Driver for more information.

Men's Bible Study – A group of men will be meeting early Friday mornings at 6:00 a.m. to study Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. Please contact Aled Pritchard if you are interested.

Young Professionals Group soon!

Please contact Sarah or Cress if you are interested in a joining or leading a bible study group!

Bicentennial hymn

“Wragg Square” Hymn

A Hymn by Mary Edna Fraser and Julia Harlow
This special composition was commissioned for the Bicentennial Finale service held on Sunday, April 26, 2009. It was premiered during that service - the congregation sang the melody, accompanied by organ and brass choir. The words for the first three verses were written by Mary Edna Fraser. The melody, harmonization and words for the fourth verse were composed by Dr. Julia Harlow. The name of the hymn tune is "Wragg Square," after the city park located directly in front of the church. Several other famous hymns are named after places, e.g., Regent Square (Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation), Duke Street (I Know That My Redeemer Lives) and Bunessan (Morning Has Broken).

1.  All power given in heaven and earth, in name of Father and Son, and Holy Ghost observing all things, to ends of all the earth as one.

2.  Black holes above, mysterious, dark, Earth's bluest sky offering light, with fragile faith at best we oft embark, led forth to knowledge and sight.

3.  Through earthquake fire and hurricane, enduring wages of war, through many hardships which the Church sustained, our peace and hope we secure.

4.  With gifts of love and healing prayer, we live our faith in charity, and going out into the world we share, Commitment and Community.

New Sunday School Opportunities!

SUNDAY SCHOOL

We are excited to announce that renewed Sunday School opportunities will return to Second Church for the 2019-2020 academic year! Join us for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. beginning September 15, 2019- and come early each week for breakfast and intergenerational fellowship at 9:00.

Find out more about midweek bible study groups here.

And sign up for text updates through Remind below, make sure you’re receiving the Friday “Snapshot” emails or check your Sunday bulletin to keep up with what’s going on at Second. We would love to have you involved in continued discipleship and fellowship opportunities here at Second.

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS & ADULTS

Young Adults & Families |  Bible 101

Anyone who is interested is welcome to join the new class led by Peter Rupert upstairs in the Conference Room. These are stand-alone lessons each week, so there’s always something to learn, but you won’t be left behind if you miss a week. Join the discussion- whether you want to get to know the Bible better or you're looking to better understand what the Bible means to you.

CONTACT: Peter Rupert

Mixed Adults | The Present Word

Teacher, Dingle Howe, will continue to lead the group through “The Present Word” in what is our longest-standing Sunday School Class! This Fall's focus is Responding to God's Grace. This class meets in the downstairs classroom.

CONTACT: Dingle Howe

The Nursery is available for newborns to 3 year olds. Jessie and Emily are here bright and early to welcome your children into the Nursery located downstairs at the end of the kindergarten hall.

CHILDREN & YOUTH

All children will start out in the Youth Room with the large group for worship and then move into rooms according to their ages.

Children 4 y.o. - 2nd grade | Lectionary Series

Children will be in groups up in Room 215 with Robbie Staubes & Llewellyn Clarke. The children will have lessons based on the Presbyterian Lectionary from which the service is structured.

3rd - 5th grade | Lectionary Series

Children will be in groups up in Room 204 with Sue Henderson. The children will have lessons based on the Presbyterian Lectionary from which the service is structured.

Middle Schoolers | re:form

The Middle Schoolers will stay in the Youth Room with Sarah Craven for a study called re:form. Together they will tackle different aspects of what it means to be a follower of Christ and all that it entails.

High Schoolers | re:form

The High Schoolers will break off with Domonique Brown for a study called re:form. Together in Mrs. Sarah's office they will tackle different aspects of what it means to be a follower of Christ and all that it entails.

CONTACT: Sarah Craven

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You can now get text messages through Remind for important dates, group get-togethers, schedule changes, and other announcements. To sign up simply text the corresponding code below to 81010.

• Church Announcements @2pcchurch

• Young Families @2pcfamily

• Young Professionals @2pcprofess

• High School @2pchighsch

• Middle School @2pcmiddle

• Children @2pckids

• Children’s Choir @2pcchoir

Kick Off Sunday

Meeting people at their point of need on Sunday mornings with renewed Sunday School opportunities for everyone

Please join us early on Sunday, September 15th for Kick Off Sunday as we kick off the academic year with new discipleship and fellowship opportunities- at new times!

BEGINNING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15th

Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. - Everyone is welcome for a light breakfast in the Fellowship Hall

Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. - Classes for all ages in the Education Building

Worship at 10:30 a.m. - Join us for worship in the Sanctuary

Please contact Sarah with any Sunday School questions.

Walk with us at Charleston Pride!

Second Presbyterian Church Pride Walk & Lunch

One of the coolest and most significant things about Charleston is not just the beautiful Palmetto trees or our mutual distaste for mosquitos, but our diversity. This diversity is on display right here in Second Presbyterian Church!

We are a multi-ethnic, inter-generational, affirming church growing and evolving to joyfully face the challenges of a world so in need of Christ's teaching, love and inexhaustible grace. We are unapologetically inclusive and this inclusivity is a direct reflection of the Kingdom of Heaven.

As great stewards of God’s work, promoting Jesus’ love for all, our session has unanimously decided to participate in the 2019 Charleston Pride Parade on September 14th - six weeks away!

Starting at Wragg Mall on Meeting Street and ending at Colonial Lake, we ask for the delight in both your encouragement and support in joining other members of this church in a 1.8 mile walk promoting love and unity, in the spirit of reflecting that our house, being God’s house, has no borders, bounds or walls, and that truly all are welcome.

Registration is just $15, which goes directly toward church t-shirts and food for a lunch hosted at the church at the conclusion of the parade. Other participating congregations will be invited to the lunch and it will be open to the community, so the meal will be a wonderful time of fellowship.

If you would be so called to join us on the walk, at the lunch, or through your support, please sign up!

-Joshua Hall

Pride Committee: Aled Pritchard, Sarah Stevens, Joshua Hall, and Meredith Mosny.

Questions? Find some resources below.

The $15 fee can be paid online at www.2ndpc.org/give, submitted in the offering plate, or delivered to the church office. Please include the description pride with your payment. Please plan to meet the group at the church at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Resources:

The History of Pride

A Short History of Pride from 1970 to Now

The Bible and Same-Sex Marriage - Significant Passages of Scripture to Consider in Discussion of General Assembly Action Regarding Marriage - by Colin Kerr

Frequently Asked Questions - Same-Gender Marriage

Seeking to be Faithful Together: Guidelines for Presbyterians During Times of Disagreement

Guidelines For Holy Scripture

Interpreting Scripture Two Positions

Use of Holy Scripture

Habitat for Humanity 2019-2020

There are volunteer opportunities to join the Habitat build in North Charleston beginning August 15th. The “Faith Build” is an opportunity to put your faith and love into action to assure that a decent, affordable home is ready for a Habitat family. We’re blessed to have Charleston Habitat for Humanity working right here in our community helping low-income families achieve their dream of homeownership.

Habitat homes are built primarily with volunteer labor. No experience is necessary to build! The build continues Wednesdays through Saturdays through October. If you can’t volunteer all day you can choose either the morning or afternoon shift.

Check the Volunteer Calendar for available dates. All volunteers must complete an online Volunteer Application and Volunteer Waiver of Liability prior to volunteering.

For more information please contact Sarah Mitchell or Sarah (Morton) Stevens.

Hands of Christ 2019

This will be our fifth year serving as the Downtown Charleston Distribution Center on August 12th and 13th. Please sign up to help as a volunteer on one of those days. There are lots of opportunities to help as you are able any time between 2:30 and 7:30pm.

A special Hands of Christ offering was collected June 30, 2019. You can still contribute toward that donation to Hands of Christ online or by marking your offering for "Hands of Christ" before putting it in the offering plate.

The mission of Hands of Christ is to bring PC(USA) congregations together to meet the basic needs of children by showing them Christ’s love, helping them start the school year with uniforms and basic school supplies. Started in 2002 by Zion-Olivet and Westminster Churches, the organization has supported over 50,000 school children in Charleston, Berkley, Dorchester, Colleton, Williamsburg and Orangeburg counties and at Thornwell.

Students 3K through 8th grade are invited to receive 2 free school uniforms and grade-related school supplies. Each child may attend ONLY ONE SITE each year! To be served: Your child must be present and accompanied by an adult with a DRIVERS LICENSE or OFFICIAL ID from any government.

**This page will be updated. Please check back for more information.**