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Seneca Presbyterian Church “The Church for All People, Serving God through Serving Others”
115 West South 1st Street, Seneca, SC 29678 864-882-2505 www.sprez.org
The Presby Press May 2020
One Of GOd’s Greatest
creations is a mother
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JOHN’S BLOG: May 2020
What a March and April we have had! As someone once said, “If you want to make God laugh, just tell God your plans!” Yes, we have had to change many of our plans in response to COVID-19 and the tornado.
I for one, was not ready for all of these events in our lives and community. My goodness, it took me two Sundays just to get the right number behind “COVID” when the pandemic began. (The first Sunday I called it something like “COVID-12”!)
BUT YOU AS THE SENECA PRESBYTERAIN CHURCH HAVE RESPONDED IN FAITH WITH HOPE AND LOVE IN YOUR HEARTS since the beginning of the pandemic and through tornado relief efforts in our community. You all are AMAZING! From the establishment of the “Errand Runners” for members of our congregation who were sheltering in place, to volunteering at Our Daily Bread and the Golden Corner Food Bank, to the many volunteers who came out to remove tornado debris from the yards of persons in our community.
You could have reacted with grumbling and complaining to God at every turn like the People of Israel in the wilderness But instead you have remained faithful to your call in Christ and looked around you for places to love your neighbor. We have an awesome God and you are his awesome disciples. Thanks be to God for what God is doing in our midst through the Holy Spirit!
And yes, we have also embraced losses these days that we need to grieve before God and with one another. We lost three beloved saints from our church during this time of sheltering in place and social distancing. The memorial services for Bob Akroyd, Betty Dubose and Bob Norton have all had to be postponed until a time when we can gather again in our sanctuary in person. This has not been easy for the families of these persons. Pray that God will continue to sustain them—and us—in these days as we remember and celebrate their lives, holding fast to the promise of Resurrection we find in Jesus Christ our Lord.
To God be the victory! World without end. AMEN. Blessings, John
Good evening Church! I hope you are well. 5/6/2020 In the 25th chapter of Matthew we read the memorable words, "Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’"
Thanks be to God that these words are alive in the Church today--and in the Seneca Presbyterian Church. I have had the privilege as your pastor to have a birds eye view of your many acts of giving over the past weeks in response to the pandemic and the tornado. From members gathering with others in their neighborhood to sew 250 masks for medical providers; or putting in extra duty at the food bank; or removing debris from the yards of persons young and old; or meeting with church and community leaders to direct resources to those most in need; or making sure that persons whose needs are not covered by any other organization know that we will work with them to find a way to help.
And the list could go on and on. We each have had different gifts to offer to help and we have! God is at work among us. Thanks be to God.
We go live from the BB&B Classroom on Thursday’s at Noon. Please email me at [email protected] with concerns. Grace and Peace to you all, Your Pastor, John
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We’d Love to Have You Join Us . . . To those newly worshipping with us we warmly welcome you to our congregation.
You are invited to join us for any and all of the activities and opportunities we
provide. Please let us know if we can serve you in any way. We also extend an
invitation to unite with this church. Periodically we offer a series of Inquirer's Classes
that explore the meaning of church membership in our Presbyterian tradition. Those
interested in membership are encouraged to participate in these classes. If you are
interested in conversation about membership, do not hesitate to call the church
office at 882-2505 at any time.
Window on the Session
The Session convened via teleconference call on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.
A quorum was declared present and the devotional and prayer were given by Michele Creel.
Joys & Concerns were discussed. The Sessions deep sadness over the loss of Bob Norton was noted.
A special thanks was given to the members of the Church’s Tornado work crews, who it was stated is skillfully led by Richard & Susan Caldwell.
Minutes from the previous meeting were approved.
A report on the church’s damage and ongoing actions was given by Glen McCants and Jerry Fouts.
Committee Reports were then given.
After discussion about funds the church is receiving for the tornado disaster. It was decided to form an Ad Hoc committee to discuss and discern the highest and best use/disbursement of the funds. Lyn Norton will chair this committee.
Special Thanks was given to the Worship Committee’s for it’s hard work and diligence during the Covid-19 crisis. In person worship has continued to be suspended thru June 7th.
The next Session meeting will be on Tuesday, May 26th at 5:30 p.m.
The meeting was adjourned with a prayer from Reverend Hartman.
Submitted by Michele Creel
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P r e s b y P r e s s P a g e 5
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To An Absolutely Amazing Work Crew!
Once again thank you to all of you who were able to work today. We had 32 people. We know we were working by the sweat (OK perspiration) and tired limbs but the pile of debris you carried to the road con-firms we did a lot of clearing and cleaning up. I am attaching just a couple of pictures, although we have many more. Sorry if some of you did not make it in one of these. One picture is of a good segment of the work crew. The other picture is of the Crabtree crew who, did not make it into the bigger group picture and who were over at Suzanne Peden’s house, and Ann Smith our very own special Pizza Delivery Person. Thank you Ann for the delicious pizza.
Note: We found one pair of Fiskars long handled (black) pruning shears. Let us know if it is yours.
As we indicated, we will not be working this Friday and we may very well be finished with this debris and trash clean-up phase of the work. We will be working with the Oconee County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) to determine needs and where we can best plug in to help in the future. However, if any of you come across people or places that need work, please let us know.
Peace,
Richard & Susan Caldwell
P N urse
P N urse
Ernie Lombard, RN
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Seneca Team Days for Girls Celebrates 5th Anniversary
Twenty-one team members welcomed a newcomer at the March meeting of our Days
for Girls Team as they celebrated five years of sewing washable/reusable components
for feminine hygiene kits that were originally designed to help girls in 3rd world countries
stay in school and complete their education. Missing school due to the lack of disposable
pads is common in much of the world especially in rural areas. Founded in 2008, Days for
Girls International has now delivered over 1.7 million kits to schools, health clinics and
refugee camps in 144 countries. Volunteers from 26 countries are sewing and purchasing
items for the kits and getting them into the hands of members of established mission networks who will
transport the kits and help with their distribution and the education that Days for Girls provides for the
recipients. Each kit will last for 3 years and enable a girl to attend school while having her period. This
typically gives her back 180 days that she might otherwise be absent.
The Seneca team began meeting in March 2015 with a small number of SPC members and has grown to include others from the area—Seneca, Mountain Rest, Honea Path, Simpsonville, and Anderson. To date there have been 40 volunteers helping the team—many still active. Since the formation of the team over 15,300 sewn items have been sent off to be incorporated into kits. We continue to be grateful for the financial support of the church through the Byrd and Krech Funds, and from other groups and individuals in the tri-county area. The Team meets on the 2nd Wed. beginning at 9:30 a.m. and welcomes anyone who would like to take part—sewers and non-sewers can participate. Contact Jan Palmer or Beverly Crabtree for more information or visit www.daysforgirls.org.
During these unprecedented times of “social distancing”, we most often rely on hearing
the voices only of those we miss. As your Parish Nurse, I am still available by phone (882-
2505) from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm Tuesday and Thursday. In the meantime, stay well and
I hope to literally see you soon! Ernie
The family of Florence Goehle would like to thank the ladies of Circle 2 for
hosting the lovely reception followings Mom’s memorial service. We really
appreciate the support given to the family and all those delicious homemade
cookies. To the entire church family… God bless you all for your acts of
kindness and expressions of sympathy in our great loss. Lani Burrell
Dear SPC Family,
Please accept with my deepest gratitude, my unyielding thanks and appreciation for the countless prayers, encouragement, cards, love, support, calls, notes and texts. The BB&B, the Ladies' Circles, the Deacons, and so many others. It has been an unbelievably difficult 14 months and your unparalleled prayers and love have made such a big difference. You will never know what a huge difference you have made in this battle, and what a font of strength you've been for me.
With my most sincere gratitude and love, Maria Leitner
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Want to become a Ripple Maker? Check out our website and volunteer with us!
Ripple of One Volunteer
The Well What a very crazy few months it’s been for the entire world and especially our
little Oconee County, SC! We are so appreciative of all of our volunteers, partners,
participants and community in general for stepping up and helping our Ripple families! For helping so
many in the Seneca area that were hit by the tornado. A special thank you to Susan Caldwell and a group
at Seneca Pres for asking how they could help participants clean up after the tornado as well :)
With all of the craziness of COVID-19, we haven’t been able to have a Well since January! Due to
the tornado, we postponed this past Well for 1 week too. We were finally able to come together as a
Ripple Family last night on Thursday April 23rd for a ZOOM video chat Well :) It was so very good to see
everyone’s faces, hear everyone’s laughs and be connected once again. Most of our moms showed up and
a few of our graduates!
We used that hour and a half to process everything that has happened within the last few months
between COVID-19 and the tornado. One by one everyone spoke about how they’re being affected by the
virus and how they were affected by the tornado. Thankfully none of our ladies lost their homes and they
were only without power for 7 days at the most. These are some really resilient women!! They said it felt
really great to know their Ripple Family had their back and to have a place to get everything off their chest.
They took tragedies and turned them into triumph! COVID did not succeed in dividing us -- as a Ripple
Family we have become more unified than ever!
Thank you again to Seneca Pres and Susan Caldwell for offering to help our families in need and for
always being a rock for Ripple of One.
Please feel free to stop by the garden radishes ready, as well as lovely sweet onions. Everything else is growing well and we pray that when peas, potatoes, lettuce , etc. is ready, that we'll be able to share it with Ripple and OUM.
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• Circle 6 meeting is the first Wednesday. Join us in September at the Ye’ Ole Sandwich Shop at 5:30 p.m.
Kathy Gerner, Chr. 903-3455.
• Circle 2 meeting is the first Tuesday, at 10:15 a.m. Join us in September in the church library.
Lou Schuman, Chr. 718-9177
BREAK FOR THE SUMMER, WILL RESUME IN SEPTEMBER
Attention Church Members: If you have any children or grandchildren or great grandchildren graduating any type of school, please give us the information below or write a short paragraph and return it to the church as soon as possible. We hope to have a page of graduates in the June Presby Press.
SPC Member: ___________________________________________________________________________
Name of Graduate: _______________________________________________________________________
School/College: __________________________________________________________________________
Degree and/or Major Field of Study: __________________________________________________________
Any details :______________________________________________________________________________
Just Coffee-Delicious Coffee with a Purpose
The first Sunday we return to our Worship schedule, the coffee cart will be open and available with a variety of coffee for purchase or order forms to order your exact coffee preferences. We offer Arabica, Arabica Decaf and Robusta in Regular or Dark roast and in regular grind, fine grind or whole beans. Coffee is $10 per pound bag. If paying by check, make it out to SPC and make sure to put “Coffee” on the memo line.
If you need coffee before the church is reopened for services, please email or call Bonnie Andruszka- [email protected] or 864-973-8008. If your coffee choice is available, it will be pulled and made available for pickup (limited delivery may be available).
Café Justo is a grower owned coffee cooperative based in Chiapas, Mexico. They market a pure organic coffee which is grown, harvested and marketed in the spirit of justice. The goal is to maintain a sustainable small scale business that provides opportunity and incentive to remain on their family lands. Your coffee purchase has a direct impact on the families allowing them training & resources for a successful business and living wages.
When we meet in the building again-Coffee is available in the Adult Sunday School Hall! Come and have a cup of coffee from the coffee carts (usually Arabica and Arabica Decaf are brewed) and then come and buy or order your coffee! Hope to see you soon!
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May Birthdays and *Anniversaries
May 1
Margot Holmquist
John Lipscomb
Janet May
May 6
Carol Hartman
Kelly Holleman
Brenda Thomson
May 8
Richard Caldwell
Sue Crerar
Sandy Olsen
May 11
Carolyn Maddox
May 13
Jim Kenworthy
May 14
Sandy Smith
May 16
Don & Chellye Pomeroy*
May 17
Chad & Liz Laxton*
May 18
Belinda Harper
June Birthdays and *Anniversaries June 2
Diana Low
June 3
Thomas & Ashley Carlson*
Kenny Hunt
Beti Strobeck
June 4
Harry Hendershot
June 5
Bob Simpson
June 6
Suzanne Peden
June 7
Bob & Debbie Simpson*
June 8
Don & Cindi Lesley*
June 10
Tom & Nancy Land*
Matthew & Alicia Rannou*
June 11
Kyle & Emily Cutler*
Jeremy Stanton
James & Merilyn Moss*
June 12
Betty Lehner
June 13
Rick Black
Doug & Barbara Click*
June 14
Barbara Click
Pat Huggins
Charlie & Joyce Brickett*
June 15
Brenda DeHay
Bruce Norton
Joan Riley
Kenneth & Bonnie Andruszka*
June 16
Buddy Letson
Matthew Murr
Carolyn Palmer
June 21
Rick & Nancy Black*
Warren & Adelaide Carpenter*
May 19
Ken Shull
Phil & Nancy Morris*
May 20
Bob & Sally Caswell*
May 21
Lewis & Michele Creel*
James Gaines
David Nicholson
May 22
Maria Leitner
May 23
Jay & Becky Hetherington*
May 26
Robert & Maria Leitner*
May 27
Charlie Brickett
May 30
Susan Goebel
George & Beti Strobeck*
May 31
Amanda Childers
Margaret Trainer
June 22
John Hostetler
June 25
Joseph & Katelyn Carlson*
Glen & Holly McPheeters*
June 26
Judy Kellner
June 27
Deb Conway
June 28
Tony Alford
Joan Erdman
June 30
Carol Shively
Larry & Susan Goebel*
Lynn & Margaret Trainer*
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Deacons Co-Moderators:
Donna Absher and Chad Laxton
Donna Beebe, Susan Caldwell,
Jan Crismore, Ann Fuller,
Pat Harris, Lesley LaRoche,
Carolyn Maddox, Luke McPhail,
Mark McJunkin, Diana Owens,
Julie Perkins
Trustees
Class of 2020: Jerry Crabtree
Class of 2021: Danny Day
Class of 2022: Louis Holleman
Seneca Presbyterian
Church Officers
Session 2020
Moderator: Dr. John Hartman Clerk of Session: Helen Kelly
Treasurer: Barbara Davenport
Administration: Jerry Fouts, Moderator
Michele Creel Building & Grounds:
Glenn McCants, Moderator Christian Education:
Kathy Gerner, Moderator Steve Gibson Fellowship:
Bonnie Andruszka and Chris Paulik Co-Moderators
Finance: Ann Castle, Moderator
Missions/Outreach: Ann Smith, Moderator
Stewardship: Lyn Norton, Moderator
Worship: Mark Davenport, Moderator
2020 Calendars, Box Tops
and UPC labels
They can be placed in the church library. The calendars are distributed at Our Daily Bread, Our Daily Rest, “FamilyFriends”, and O.U.M.
Keep Collecting
https://www.sprez.org/home
Or type Seneca Presbyterian Church and our web site will come up.
When you are on our web site, you can see what is happening, sign up
for pot lucks, check out the bulletins, read and listen to the sermons.
Pay the web site a visit, search around and see all the things we have
to offer.
Pledge Statements – Mailing of quarterly pledge statements is being suspended. Annual statements (December 31) will continue to be mailed. If you need a quarterly statement mailed to you, please contact the church office.
Friend in Faith Quote
for May
Anyone with a heart
full of friendship has
a hard time finding
enemies.
From SPC Knitters
The Seamen’s Church Institute
sent a card saying to connect
from home. Together, as a
community of caring needle
workers, we can weather the
coronavirus.
Stay Home and Knit.
Visit us at
www.sprez.org
@ Seneca
Presbyterian Church
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Telephone – 864-882-2505 FAX – 864-882-2528
Email – [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Dr. John Hartman, Pastor
Rev. Richard Caldwell, Parish Associate
Dr. Robert S. Dendy, Pastor Emeritus
Ernie Lombard, Parish Nurse
Tuesdays - 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Rosalie Hovencamp, Director of Music
Robin Smith, Church Secretary
James Gaines, Custodian
Seneca Presbyterian Church Corner of Oak and South 1st Street, Seneca, SC
(864) 882-2505 sprez.org
Non-Profit Organization
U. S. Postage
PAID
Seneca, SC 29678
Permit No. 165
