Update on the repairs to the bell tower

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The design/engineering phase of the project has wrapped up. The permitting materials were sent to the City of Charleston on October 2nd and applications for both the BAR approvals and building permits have been submitted. There will be a total of three separate permitted jobs. 

1. Lightning strike/fire damage structural repairs to the bell tower roof. 

2. Visual appearance repairs to the exterior of the bell tower - non-structural. 

3. Additions to the bell tower sprinkler system to allow proper operation. 

Applied Building Sciences was able to use our initial thoughts on the roofing repairs to provide a very detailed set of structural drawings to be used for construction. ABS has also provided a project manual detailing methods and materials for the crack repairs and coating of the bell tower.

Project subcontractors have been notified that we are in the permitting phase and have been updated on any changes to the original approach to construction. We are now looking to start construction in the late fall and wrap by early spring.  

Update from our General Contractor, P. Russell Smith with BuildSmith, LLC.

The bell tower has been undergoing repairs since January 2020 as part of the vision of the Steeple Fund. Progress updates (and lots of photos) can be found here.

donate to the steeple fund
Please text the number 81010 with the message '@2pcchurch' to sign up for church text messages so that you are made aware of pertinent announcements and news such as this.

Please text the number 81010 with the message '@2pcchurch' to sign up for church text messages so that you are made aware of pertinent announcements and news such as this.

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Our Facebook page is updated often! Find us on Facebook as "Second Pres Charleston" and make sure you 'Like' and choose 'See First' under 'Following' to be alerted with church information.

Who's Zoomin' Who?

Online Church is posted on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Watch here.

Find upcoming events and announcements here.

SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, October 11, 2020

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Dear Friends in Christ –

Who’s Zoomin’ Who? Aretha Franklin’s  #1 album of 1985 – and a playful song about flirtation. Who would have guessed that 35 years later Zoomin’ would be utilizing an indispensable internet platform? But thank heavens I can access my iTunes account and my Second Presbyterian Zoom account – both allow me important moments for the navigation of these days.

Just when I think the news can’t get worse, a plot to overthrow Michigan and kidnap the governor is revealed, the Gulf Coast is bracing for Hurricane Delta with piles of debris from the last storm still on the corner, and the pandemic continues to rage. 

As we avoid the weekend rain, worship online and look to the 18th to return to the Sanctuary, what are we to do? The Apostle Paul writes, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” He also says, “Rejoice… Don’t worry… Pray.”

How? Together – Invite someone to watch with you. Send me a note on how you plan to approach this. Let’s talk.     

See you Sunday for Online Church –

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Interested in becoming a member of Second Presbyterian? Email Cress for more information.

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Listen to sermon podcasts here. Click here to view all Second Presbyterian Church videos. Find upcoming events and announcements here.

Source: sermons

Warming Center Volunteers Needed

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Volunteers are needed as support for the City of Charleston's Warming Center this winter! 

From November 1 through March 20, when the temperature dips below a specified level (an estimated 27 nights), those dealing with homelessness and those who have inadequate heating will be welcomed into the center from 8 p.m. until 7 a.m.

Volunteers set up the rooms, others prepare or serve a dinner, others spend the night (two shifts), others serve breakfast, and the last team cleans up. If you might consider being part of a team for one or two weeks during those months, please fill out the form below or let Sarah Mitchell know as soon as possible.

UPDATE: We are helping with food preparation (dinners and breakfasts) the week of January 3rd - 9th. All meals are prepared and delivered ahead of the arrival of those spending the night. There are four volunteers on our team so far, and more would be most welcome!

Amazon Smile

Support Second with your shopping throughout the year!

Your Amazon shopping can give back to Second Presbyterian Church. Link your account at smile.amazon.com to "Second Presbyterian Church" and Amazon will automatically donate a percentage of eligible purchases to the church when you checkout through smile.amazon.com or connect from your phone.

To connect your mobile account to Amazon Smile:

Open your Amazon App > go to Settings > click AmazonSmile > Turn On. If this doesn’t work, within the Amazon app, type ‘Amazon Smile’ in the search bar and it should give you the option for a one-click activation.

The One Thing

Online Church is posted on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Watch here.

Find upcoming events and announcements here.

SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, October 4, 2020

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Dear Friends in Christ –

The last few weeks our scripture has shuttled us from the First Testament to the New. We leaned into forgiven–ness, then accompanied a petulant Jonah to Nineveh by way of the belly of a God fish, then to Rome where we were urged to look beyond our rotten circumstances to the future, in patience and with hope. And today we find ourselves at Philippi. Paul pastors the people through emissaries and letters. He has learned of shady characters – dogs, evil doers, enemies of the cross – moving in to co-opt the message. They insist that men follow Jewish custom if they wish to be a Christ follower, but Paul says ‘no!’ He gives his Hebrew creds then he qualifies his past. He qualifies the architecture of his identity and renounces anything that may have held him captive and away from his pursuit of purpose, of fulfillment, of life – of Jesus. 

We find ourselves again in a ‘liminal space’ – not here, not there, not yet.  Paul shows us how to recognize and navigate this moment, this movement that will reveal our hope. 

Tune in. Bring some bread. Bring some wine. Bring a willing spirit and be healed. 

See you Sunday for Online Church –

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Interested in becoming a member of Second Presbyterian? Email Cress for more information.

give online
stay connected

Listen to sermon podcasts here. Click here to view all Second Presbyterian Church videos. Find upcoming events and announcements here.

Source: sermons

In-person Worship

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A reminder as you consider coming to worship in person any week:

If you are experiencing one or multiple of the following symptoms, we invite you to enjoy our online service in the comfort of your home:

  • Fever at/above 100.4 degrees

  • Incessant dry coughing

  • Loss of taste or smell

  • Fatigue

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

  • Chest pain or pressure

  • Find more symptom guidelines at cdc.gov



INDOOR WORSHIP SERVICES

All attending the service will be required to wear masks, with the exception of children 3 years of age and under. Childcare will not be provided. Ushers will show attendees to their seating area. Attendees will remain in their seating areas to the maximum extent possible and attendees will be highly encouraged to fill out an informational insert with a method of contact (e.g. email address). Giving is encouraged online or via text, but there will a place designated for tithes/offerings to be dropped that can be utilized either before being seated or after the conclusion of the service. Attendees will pick up their own bulletins on the way into the service. Hymnals/bibles/reading materials will all be removed from the pews. Liquid hand sanitizer will be available upon entry. Sanitizer wipes will be available in the pews.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will there still be online church?

-       Yes. In-person Sunday services will now be available, but online church will continue.

What is the maximum occupancy we will be allowing at service?

-       Both the COVID Task Force and Music & Worship committees don’t foresee a maximum occupancy issue arising, especially given the number of church attendees before the outbreak occurred and the sheer size of the sanctuary. This does NOT preclude ushers from turning people away should a massive number of folks show for the indoor services. If this does occur, the COVID Task Force and Music & Worship committee will immediately thereafter begin exploring the exact number of occupants the church can safely admit.

 

Are there any criteria (i.e. positive case number spike) for suspending service and going back to strictly online recorded worship?

-       Not at the moment. Again, this does NOT preclude a suspension from taking place. Local positive COVID cases will certainly be something the COVID Task Force will continue to closely monitor, and the committee will be vigilant and swift with its recommendation to suspend service if a spike in positive cases occurs.

 

What sort of cleaning regimen will take place following an indoor service?

-       Pews, high contact surfaces, and bathrooms will be cleaned after each service. Disinfectant wipes will be strategically placed throughout the sanctuary so that high contact surfaces, including doorknobs and handrails, can be disinfected after each use.

 

What happens if a positive COVID case in the congregation is discovered following a service?

-       Cress will emphasize to the attendees during the service that if they so please, they can fill out a contact card to let us know they worshiped with us that day. If a church attendee tests positive for COVID and contacts the church, their identity will not be revealed to the congregation, but attendees from the affected service who provided their information will be contacted. The church office will send out emails to folks who filled out the contact cards, letting them know that someone who worshiped with them on that particular Sunday has tested positive.

WORSHIP CONTACT CARD
 

Medical Missions Live

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A Unique Perspective on Global Missions



The guest this week is Doug Fountain, Executive Director of CCIH, Christian Connections for International Health, a Washington DC-based organization. CCIH works to connect a network of Christian agencies and individuals in the global health field to share ideas and best practices, pray together, join in fellowship and form a collective voice to speak up for those without a voice. 

This is a discussion you do not want to miss. Join on Tuesday night October 6, 2020, at 8 pm. More info here →

Volunteer Opportunities - October 2020

CLICK ON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES BELOW TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION

DELIVER MEALS
 
WARMING SHELTER
HANDS OF CHRIST
 
MUSC
ONE80 PLACE

Tag Sale

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We need more stuff for this to be the HUGE YARD SALE envisioned. This is a great cause to help our Church and we are counting on you. Please, clean out a closet (or two!) and drop the boxes by the Fellowship Hall. And POST the yard sale to your neighborhood Next Door app or Facebook group. Here's what you can post: 

Second Presbyterian Church downtown at 342 Meeting Street is having a HUGE yard sale October 16 & 17 from 9am-4pm. 
China, furniture, clothes, games, frames, sporting goods, cookware, dishes, tools, electronics, books, luggage, holiday decorations, jewelry, and much, much more. And the prices are great! Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided if needed and social distancing will be observed. 

We also need 10 more people to not only help during the sale, but both prior to and after the event. Thank you for your willingness to help. Contact Dawn McCready, 203-921-7819 for more information.

Amazon Smile

Amazon Smile - update!

Your Amazon shopping can give back to Second Presbyterian Church! Go to smile.amazon.com to link your account and Amazon will donate a percentage of eligible purchases automatically. 

Exciting update!! Until now, you could not use AmazonSmile if you shopped through the mobile app, but now you can link your phone to your AmazonSmile account! 

Activate AmazonSmile on your phone now! Open your Amazon App > go to Settings > click AmazonSmile > Turn On. If this doesn’t work, within the Amazon app, type ‘Amazon Smile’ in the search bar and it should give you the option for a one-click activation.

A New Pair of Glasses

Online Church is posted on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Watch here.

Find upcoming events and announcements here.

SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, September 27, 2020

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Dear Friends in Christ –

2020 has been quite a year! Pandemics and primaries. Fires and floods. Cut to the first century. The Apostle Paul takes stock and the picture isn’t pretty – things are off, so out of kilter it seems the cosmos groans. God’s creatures groan as if the whole of creation is giving birth - and it is! A new world, a new life is coming. But as we live in the meantime, the not yet, we reside in hope. Hope that the current scourges of disease, disruption and disinformation are not the last words. 

Paul says we wait in patience. We wait in perseverance, keepin’ on keepin’ on because we are those who live with the promise that as heirs with Christ, suffering when we must as did our Jesus. We are afforded full, non-conditional, non-reversible inclusion, adoption as God’s own. 

In these times, ravaged by nature’s savagery, our hubris, and our frustrations, we worship. We look to Jesus God. The God who ‘creates the world out of overflowing self-giving love.’ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

You’ve heard, ‘What you see is what you get'? Nope – God ain’t through with us yet!

See you Sunday for Online Church –

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Interested in becoming a member of Second Presbyterian? Email Cress for more information.

give online
stay connected

Listen to sermon podcasts here. Click here to view all Second Presbyterian Church videos. Find upcoming events and announcements here.

Source: sermons

You Can't Make Me

Online Church is posted on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Watch here.

Find upcoming events and announcements here.

SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, September 20, 2020

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Dear Friends in Christ –

A few years ago I was given a book – You Can’t Make Me. It was written by Cynthia Tobias, founder of Applied Learning Styles. She was/is the ‘blessed’ mother of a strong-willed child. She was moved, or rather compelled, to write the book You Can’t Make Me. 

The book jacket reports that it “offers a wealth of practical information, valuable insights, and hands on instruction for parents and educators – a must read for all who deal with a strong will in one they love.” The strategies apply, I believe, to all people who may be seen as difficult, stiff-necked, self-righteous.  

It would be easy to think that Tobias had Jonah in mind when she imagined models for her book, but even she would have had a hard time with Jonah. Afraid, defiant, petulant – yet, conscripted by a God who would neither let go nor take no for an answer. 

God’s patience, perseverance and power are all on display in this whale of a tale. But what’s most on display is God’s mercy and love. 

Tune in. We need this. 

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Interested in becoming a member of Second Presbyterian? Email Cress for more information.

give online
stay connected

Listen to sermon podcasts here. Click here to view all Second Presbyterian Church videos. Find upcoming events and announcements here.

Source: sermons

Peace and Global Witness Special Offering

You can contribute now toward the Peace and Global Witness Special Offering. GIVE HERE (choose Peace and Global Witness from the drop down ‘fund’ options) or deliver your donations to the church office.

You can contribute now toward the Peace and Global Witness Special Offering. GIVE HERE (choose Peace and Global Witness from the drop down ‘fund’ options) or deliver your donations to the church office.

Building God’s Household of Peace, Together

Peacemaking is active not passive, doing not waiting.


Let’s let that sink in for a moment: peacemaking is active, not passive; doing, not waiting.

And this is A Season of Peace when we, the church together, are focused on seeking peace and reconciliation. Together we are building God’s house of peace where all are welcome, where all can find compassion, peace and justice.

We are the peacemakers.

Here in our community, we are working to eliminate racism. Our work is supported by your gifts to the Peace & Global Witness Offering. The portion of the offering that we retain will go to the Tywanza Sanders Legacy Foundation. These gifts also unite us with Presbyterian peacemakers across the country and the world who are also active, not passive; who are doing, not waiting.

In Baltimore, Maryland, the Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church used their share of the offering to promote anti-violence programs in their schools.

The Central Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio, used their share to send a delegate to the World Presbyterian Peace Fellowship in Colombia to participate in conversations about the progress of the peace accords in areas of the nation wracked by revolution.

The Presbytery of the Pacific supports efforts to bring about change for low-wage workers and other vulnerable community members in the Los Angeles area.

Our gifts to the Peace & Global Witness Offering have also been combined with others to help end the forced inscription of child soldiers, to end gender-based violence and violence against women, to seek peace through nuclear disarmament, to end hunger and promote peacemaking in places like Madagascar and Rwanda.

During this season of peace, we have heard stories about Presbyterians working together to support sustainable food programs in war-torn parts of Cameroon. We’ve heard about the establishment of a new worshiping community in a Washington prison and a program to provide education to prevent STDs and HIV/AIDS in one of the worst-struck regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

With our gifts we are part of all these efforts, whether they are right here in Charleston or in places we’ve never seen and maybe never will. But these are all places that have one thing in common —the need for freedom and dignity that Christ wants for us all. Let us offer the peace of Christ at all times, in all ways.

We are the peacemakers.

We are the church, together. We are peacemakers, together. We are the builders of God’s household of peace. Together. And when, together, we all do a little, it adds up to a lot. 

Let us pray~

Prince of peace, make us active in reconciliation as we seek to build your house. May your spirit join these gifts that all might be instruments of your peace. Amen. 

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