Greenville
ARP
Church
January 2015 Newsletter
Inside This Issue
Message from David . 2
Pastoral Cares . 3
Basketball Games . 4
Session Highlights . 5
Children’s Ministry . 6
Student Ministry . 8
Calendar . 10
Contact . 12
2015 . Vol. 1
A message from Rev. David Griffin
“A Father’s
Musings
on
Being
a
Grandfather”
ver the past several years, I have used this generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God
O
page to reflect on my role as the father of to you and to your descendants after you”).
three precious daughters…and I want to
This generational nature of God is according to
do this again this month.
His covenant of grace with us in Christ. And,
At the time of the writing of this Newsletter Mes- O, what a great hope this theme of generational
sage, Sharon and I are awaiting the birth of our covenant-grace is for us all! And no less true is
first grandchild – a granddaughter, no less! Now it for me as a grandfather. For what I know with
several days past her due date, we wonder, “Is certainty about Anna Davis (however unknown at
Anna Davis being stubborn?” Or, “Is she sim- the moment is her weight and her length and the
ply content where she is?” Or, “Is she, perhaps, color of her hair and eyes) is that she, too, will be
displaying a pre-born propensity for being late?” born with a sin-darkened heart. She, too, will be
Whatever may be the reason, we know that, in born a sinner, for which I am partly to blame as
the end, the time of her birth will be according to her grandfather.
God’s perfect time, as was her Savior’s birth before
her (“But when the fullness of time came, God sent What the above quoted Scriptures highlight is
forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the what someone somewhere at some time put so
Law, so that He might redeem those who were un- simply yet profoundly, “God has no grandchilder the Law…” –Galatians 4:4). And so, we (“Pop” dren.” God has no grandchildren, only children!
and “Marmee,” as our grandchildren will call us) This thought underscores the truth that each child
wait!...looking forward to the birth of a little one of each succeeding generation must put his or her
who will mark the beginning of another generation faith in Christ alone for his or her own salvation.
for our family, or as the psalmist expresses it, “the They may not trust in their parents’ salvation, for
God has no grandchildren, only children.
generation to come” (Psalm 78:4-6).
As we see throughout Scripture, particularly in
the Old Testament, God is a generational God.
Psalm 78 certainly makes this clear, as does Isaiah
(chapter 51, verse 8 – “But My righteousness will
be forever, and My salvation to all generations”);
as does Deuteronomy (chapter 6, verse 2 – “so that
you and your son and your grandson might fear
the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes…”);
as does Exodus (chapter 20, verses 5 and 6) – “…I,
the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the
third and fourth generations of those who hate
Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands,
to those who love Me and keep My commandments”); as does Genesis (chapter 17, verse 7 – “I
will establish My covenant between Me and you
and your descendants after you throughout their
And so, what Pop will do, indeed, what I must
do, is set my little “Annie D” on my lap from an
early age and consistently point her to Jesus as
her only Savior from all her sins…just as I did with
her mother when she was little…just as I did with
each of my little girls. And to be sure, her own father and mother will do the same, looking in faith
to the Lord Jesus Christ for her salvation, just as
they do for their own.
2
And when the day comes for Anna Davis to be
baptized, that is very much what you the members of Greenville ARPC will promise to do, with
an affirmative response to the question, “Do you
the members of this congregation undertake with
these parents the covenant responsibility for the
Christian nurture of this child?” (cont. on pg. 5)
Pastoral
Cares
&
Concerns
Remember these members in your prayers:
Mary Andrews
Lydia Baker
Billie Brady
Sylvia Crosby
Jane Dendy
Chris Morgan
Ann Nickles
Lillian Parr
Thelma Purcell
Marie Robinson
Alice Eidson
Pam Hand
Mary Harrison
Copper Horton
Sloan Milling
Betty Taylor
Josh Thompson
Carolyn Whitworth
*Let T. J. know if you would like your name published on the prayer request list. Contact Rev. Griffin if you would
like to receive the Prayers for the People email.
Welcome
Our
New
Members!
Welcome to our new members who joined on Dec. 7, 2014!
Jon & Ann Guest
506 Mary Knob Court
Greenville SC 29607
Laura Beth Jobe
3434 Laurens Rd. Apt. 127
Greenville SC 29607
Sarabeth Scott
3 Pettigru Street
Greenville SC 29601
Save
the
Date!
“Dine
with
9”
on
Jan.
24,
2015
Attention all GARP family and friends! On the evening of Saturday, Jan. 24, we will be having a “Dine
with 9” (more or less) held at various members’ homes. All church members college age or above are
invited to join this fellowship event, and friends are welcome! The Congregational Fellowship and Care
Committee will be organizing the groups for this fun, relaxing night of dinner and fellowship. In addition, the Wednesday night service on Jan. 21 will be cancelled, so that members may have additional
family time during that week. More information, including times and groups, will be communicated
soon.
If you are interested in joining one of the dinner groups, or if you are interested in hosting a group at
your home, please contact the church office. Note: If you are interested in hosting, please let the office
know how many guests you can accommodate (even if it’s more or less than 9).
The
Lunch
Bunch
Circle
The Lunch Bunch Circle invites any lady in the church to join them on the second Tuesday of the
month. The first meeting of the year is Jan. 13, 2015 from 12 - 1 p.m. in the library. We will be studying the book of Titus using Elizabeth George’s book, “A Woman’s High Calling.” Call or email Susan
Tanner (906-2002 or [email protected]) with any questions.
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Basketball
Games
TEAM: I-MITES
Practice: Wednesdays, 5:15 PM
TEAM: MITES (GR. 4-5)
SAT, 1/3 @ 12:30 PM v. 1st Pres. II / W. Pres II
SAT, 1/10 @ 12:30 PM v. FBC I / W. Pres II
SAT, 1/17 @ 12:30 PM v. 2nd Pres. / W. Pres II
Practice: Sundays, 4 PM
TEAM: MIDGET BOYS I (GR. 4-5)
SAT, 1/3 @ 8:30 AM v. 1st Pres. II / GARP
SAT, 1/10 @ 1:30 PM v. CC I / St. Matthew UMC
SAT, 1/17 @ 8:30 AM v. CC I / GARP
SAT, 1/24 @ 9:30 AM v. CC I / GARP
Practice: Sundays, 4 PM
TEAM: MIDGET BOYS II (GR. 4-5)
SAT, 1/3 @ 11:30 AM v. W. Pres. II / GARP
SAT, 1/10 @ 11:30 AM v. W. Pres. III / GARP
SAT, 1/17 @ 8:30 AM v. 1st Pres. IV / TLC
SAT, 1/24 @ 11:30 AM v. St. James / TLC
Practice: Sundays, 4 PM
TEAM: SR. GIRLS
MON, 1/5 @ 7 PM v. 4th Pres. / TLC
Practice: Wednesdays, 5 PM
TEAM: SR. BOYS
MON, 1/5 @ 7 PM v. CC VII / GARP
MON, 1/12 @ 8 PM v. 1st Pres. V / St. Matthew UMC
Practice: Tuesdays, 7 PM
TEAM: WOMEN
THURS, 1/8 @ 7 PM v. 2nd Pres. / Christ Church
THURS, 1/22 @ 7 PM v. St. George / Christ Church
THURS, 1/29 @ 6 PM v. POP / Christ Church
Practice: Tuesdays, 6 PM
TEAM: MEN
THURS, 1/8 @ 8 PM v. 2nd Pres. / AYMC
THURS, 1/15 @ 8 PM v. AHEPA II / AYMC
THURS, 1/22 @ 9 PM v. DT Pres. I / GARP
THURS, 1/29 @ 8 PM v. FBC I / GARP
Practice: Tuesdays, 8 PM
United Ministries
Coat
Drive
–
You
Can
Help
One morning every December, United Ministries sponsors a Coat Giveaway.
Our participants come, try on and pick a coat that fits them that they like.
We also give away gloves, hats and socks.
We are asking for clean coats in all sizes, but particularly men’s and
women’s large, XL and XXL. Please do not wrap the coats as we hang them on a
rack so that they can be easily seen. We can also use knitted hats, gloves and socks. Many
thanks for checking your closets or picking up something new for us. You may deliver them to our
Administrative Building, 606 Pendleton Street. We are open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
and Fridays, 8 a.m. – noon.
A quick, easy way to support United Ministries is to bring non-perishable food items (powdered milk;
canned fruits, vegetables, and meats; peanut butter; dried beans) to church for their pantry. Place food
items in the collection box on the sink cabinet in the hall next to the Parlor.
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(A Father’s Musings, cont. from pg. 2) And in this way God’s promise continues to each generation, “I will establish My covenant between
Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant,
to be God to you and to your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7). Soli Deo Gloria!
Wednesday
Nights
Session
Highlights
At its monthly meeting on Dec. 8, the Session:
Menus (subject to change with short notice):
1/7
1/14
1/28
• Divided into small groups for prayer for various
congregational needs
• Heard Shepherding Group reports from Elders
Joe Patrick and John Wingate
• Approved a recommendation from the Christian
Education Committee to invite Dr. Paul Kooistra (Erskine College President) to hold Special
Services on a date agreeable to him, to include
teaching a joint Sunday School, preaching
during Worship, and teaching in the evening.
(Note: Dr. Kooistra will be coming Feb. 15.)
• Approved a recommendation from the Worship and Music Committee that the church no
longer purchase flowers for the Sanctuary on
Sundays (the budgeted amount for the church
to cover in 2015 would have been $2,900), but
that members may do so, if they desire
• Approved the request from Davey and Marissa
Morgan for the baptism of their son David Ansel for Dec. 14
• Elected Phillip Reavis as Vice-Moderator and
Jimmy Feemster as Clerk for 2015
Ham & Hash Brown Casserole,
Green Beans, Garlic Toast
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables, Rolls
Chicken & Dumplings, Carrots, Biscuits
Sunday School Class Rotation for Kitchen Duty:
January:
February:
Berean Class
Thello Class
Sunday
Reminders
Date Coffee/Snacks Friendship Cultivation
1/4
1/11
1/18
1/25
Carrie Gamble
Carol Junker
Paula Williams
Gloria Parker
Sandra Shaw
Beth Satterfield
Gloria Parker
Donna Wharton
Congratulations
to...
Anna Davis Hornby was born on Monday, Dec.
15 to John and Laura Hornby. Proud grandparents
are David and Sharon Griffin.
The staff enjoyed a lunch with Cheryl before her
last day as Administrative Assistant. The church
is thankful for Cheryl’s faithful service and we
will miss her greatly!
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Children’s Ministry
Article Series:
Singing
Praise
Featuring Children’s Songs
“The Tree Song”
Young and old have loved ‘The Tree Song’ for
years and it has been sung many times at
camp, at church, at home, in the car, and just
about everyone knows the words and motions
to this song. The chorus goes: “I’ve got roots
growing down to the water, I’ve got leaves
growing up to the sunshine, and the fruit that
I bear is a sign of life in me! What life in me!, I
am shade from the hot summer sunshine, I am
rest for the birds of the heavens, I’m becoming
what the Lord of trees has meant me to be-A
strong young tree!”
Christmas Caroling in December
Calendar Dates
Jan. 7: First Wednesday Night of the new
year!
Jan. 8 and 22: Open Gym, 4 -5:30 p.m.
Jan. 11: 123 Time- 1st, 2nd, 3rd graders are
invited for snacks and a lesson in the gym
at the church from 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m.
The song comes from Psalm 1:3, “He is like is
tree planted by streams of water that yields
its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not
wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” What
a wonderful picture of the Christian life! We
grow daily in faith and love and are continually being sanctified by the Holy Spirit just
like a tree grows from being well nourished.
This simple song is a great one to sing every
day to remind us of our roots growing down
deep into Jesus so that we can say- “What life
in me!”
Jan. 15: Little Lights Program from 4 -5 p.m.
Jan. 19: Wear your PJs and join us at the
church for MLK Day Breakfast from 8:30
a.m.- 10 a.m. All ages welcome to join!
Jan. 25: 45 Time will be held at the home of
Joe and Emily Patrick. All 4th and 5th graders are welcome to meet at the church at 5
p.m. for a ride to the Patrick home. We will
return at 7:15 p.m. to the church.
-Psalm 26:2
Cookie Decorating at the
Williams’ home
Christmas Caroling
Kids’ Christmas Party
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Children’s Ministry (cont.)
Little Lights
Featured Family
Children ages 1- 5 are welcome to join in “Little Lights,” a new program geared at spending
time together every third Thursday of the month.
We will learn new songs, have Bible lessons and
spend time playing together. Parents are asked to
stay and enjoy time together as well!
The Cain Family:
Brad, Sara, Katie, Maggie
“When it comes to spending time together
as a family, winter is one of my favorite
times of year. With the evenings getting
dark early, we’re forced to be inside together more. We’ll play games, read books,
watch something-- and often with a fire going! The girls really love it, and it’s made for
some very happy memories.”
CARE Group
First-5th graders are invited to join the CARE
Group to learn to love God through serving and
being C-Considerate, A-Aware, R-Responsible,
and having E-Eyes to see the needs of others. We
will be having events throughout the next few
months in which the children will have opportunities to serve others in our church and community.
Parents are welcomed and encouraged to participate as well!
123 Time
On the second Sunday of every month, the 1st3rd graders are invited for snacks and lesson time
in the gym at the church from 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m.
Please join us for fun and fellowship together! Parents are welcomed and encouraged to come also!
GARP Day School
GARP Day School enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season! We loved learning about the true
meaning of Christmas! We had fun singing songs,
making Christmas crafts and we worked very hard
on our Christmas program for parents.
We are looking forward to learning lots of new
things in the new year!
Good listeners during Chapel
Be on the lookout for 2015-2016 Day School registration! Open enrollment will begin on Jan. 6 for
currently enrolled students and Jan. 26 for others.
Spots will fill up quickly, so if interested, please
email Sarah Duerk at dayschool@greenvillearp.
com.
Dates for the Greenville ARP Day School:*
6 . 7 . 8 . 13 . 14 . 15
. 20 . 21 . 22 . 27 . 28 . 29
Jan.
Pastor Garison leading Chapel
7
Student Ministry
Upcoming Events
Ski Trip: Forms and information will be
mailed to parents. We will depart at 4:30
p.m. on the scheduled Friday night and
return around 2 p.m. on Sunday.
High School: Jan. 23 - 25
Middle School: Jan. 30- Feb. 1
D-Group Schedule: Jan. 11, 18, 25; Feb. 8,
15, 22; March 8, 15, 22; April 15, 12, 19; and
May 10, 17.
Sign up to serve dinner: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0A4BACA622A4FF2-spring
Questions You Have
But Were Afraid to Ask
Prayer and Pancake Schedule: Jan. 16 (10
a.m. in the Fellowship Hall), Feb. 20 (6:30
a.m. TBD), March 27 (6:30 a.m. TBD), April
24, and May 15.
Youth minds want to know
During the last few weeks of 2014 in youth group,
we took time to do question and answer nights.
These nights are open for students to ask questions about the Christian life specifically and get
answers.
High School Retreat: March 6 - 8.
Middle School Retreat: March 27 - 29.
These questions are not as easy as they may initially appear. We had a good time downstairs
talking through each one looking to see how the
Word of God and logic inform us. Enjoy!
In this month’s newsletter article, I want to highlight some of the questions (anonymously– and
no, you may not ask your student if they wrote
the question). I do this because too often we try
to dumb down our teaching of theology to youth
because we don’t think that students will understand. This is not the case. If you don’t believe
me, just ask Matt about his conversation around
the fire on our last camping trip. The students of
this church have great questions that stem from
a deeply rooted desire to know God and the world
he has created.
Read through these questions and take time to
talk to your student, friends, spouse, or dog* as
to how you would the answer.
• “If all people within actual branches of
Christianity (thus not Mormons, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, etc.) are true Christians (thus
saved), what is the point of all the theological debates such as free will vs. predestination?
• “When we sin, is it God letting us sin, or is
it Satan tempting us to sin?”
8
• “Why doesn’t God save everyone? We were
once told it was because (cont. on pg 9)
Student Ministry (cont.)
(Questions, cont.) he still has to take his
wrath out somewhere, but didn’t he already do that? And if you have a desire
to learn more, but you’re not sure, does
that mean you’re saved? What’s the difference between who God saves and who he
doesn’t?”
Book of the Month:
For Parents:
“Gospel Powered Parenting:
How the Gospel shapes and
transformers Parenting”
by William P. Farley
For Students:
“The Business of Heaven”
by C. S. Lewis
• “I don’t understand the Trinity…How can
they all be the same person?”
It is wonderful to see the Holy Spirit at work in
their lives and parents who have fostered deep
roots of faith in their students. Keep it up! If you
are looking for greater clarification because you
too have any of these questions, feel free to call
or stop by and talk with Matt, David or me.
*A few disclaimers:
1. These are great questions that too often we
take the answers for granted or we can’t articulate because we don’t know enough Scripture to inform us. Before answering, please
look to the Word of God- it will give clarity.
2. If you are talking with your dog about these
questions, great- just don’t expect a response
or conversion.
Congratulations to Our Students!
If your student has an accomplishment that you would like highlighted, please let us know!
earned
16 merit badges
with the BSA
in 6 months!
Ne
Ad
made the
Beck Middle School
Basketball team
this year!
k
il B i c er st
aff
ch
na
ria n L y n
9
Rob
S mi t h
finished his
Eagle Scout Project
for the BSA!
January: Calendar of Events
Thursday, Jan. 1, Church Office Closed for Holiday
Monday, Jan. 5
7:30 AM Men’s Prayer and Coffee / Fellowship Hall
7 PM
Young Women’s Circle / Members’ Homes
Tuesday, Jan. 6
6 PM
Sisters in Christ Circle / Members’ Homes
Thursday, Jan. 8
9:30 AM Ladies’ Thursday Morning Bible Study / Conference Room
Saturday, Jan. 10
6 PM
Gaston Sunday School Class After-Christmas Party / Fellowship Hall
Sunday, Jan. 11
6:30 PM Diaconate Meeting (Regular) / Parlor
Tuesday, Jan. 13
10 AM Jean Lesslie Circle / Members’ Homes
12 PM The Lunch Bunch Circle / Conference Room
6 PM
Mary Woods Circle / Fellowship Hall
6:30 PM Circle of Grace / Members’ Homes
Monday, Jan. 19
7 PM
Session Meeting (Regular) / Parlor
Tuesday, Jan. 20
8:15 PM Husbands’ & Fathers’ Gathering / Home of Joe & Emily Patrick
Every Sunday:
9:30 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
9:55 a.m.
10:55 a.m.
6 p.m.
Coffee & Donuts / Fellowship Hall
Cherub Choir (K4-Gr. 1)
Sunday School
Morning Worship
D-Groups (except Jan. 4)
Wednesdays
12:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
JOIN US...
Wednesday Lunchtime Prayer
Joy Singers (Gr. 2-6) / Children’s Choir Room*
Dinner & Program / Fellowship Hall*
Children’s Ministry & Youth Bible Study*
Chancel Choir Rehearsal / Choir Room
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*Except 1/21
Calendar
of
Events
(cont.)
Thursday, Jan. 22
9:30 AM Ladies’ Thursday Morning Bible Study / Conference Room
Friday, Jan. 23
4:30 PM High School Youth Depart for Ski Trip
6 PM
Session Retreat Begins
Saturday, Jan. 24
Evening - Church-Wide Supper Club
Sunday, Jan. 25
5:30 PM 45 Time / Home of Joe & Emily Patrick
Friday, Jan. 30
4:30 PM Middle School Youth Depart for Ski Trip
Korean Grace Church
The Korean Grace Sunday School and Worship will be held every Sunday at 1 p.m. The Korean
Grace Church Bible Study will be held in the Conference Room on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
January
Birthdays
Erica Wingate
2 Lucynda Moore
3
4
5
6
9
10
11
Holly Moore
Anne Hairston
Blake Moore
Richie Andrews
Ed Culbertson
Brielle Harrell (‘12)
Claire Whitehead
Anderson Blair (‘06)
Leslie Cochrane
Brianne Lynch
Barry Cooke
Nadine Johnson
Sarah Duerk
Katie Lilly (‘02)
Casey Page
12 Neely Gibbes (‘05)
Jake Good (‘06)
13 Robert Dendy
Mary Rachel Thompson
15 Will Wharton
16 Scott Dickey
David Griffin
Scott McDaniel
Ann Sommer
17 Luke Laughridge (‘13)
Zeke Whitworth
18 Laura Hornby
Channing Laughridge
21 Browning Blair (‘02)
23 Karen Longhurst
24 R. David Junker
25 Jackson Lyda (‘00)
26 Tracy Hiller
Leslie Milling
Ellen Scroggs
Wallace Welter
27 Sara-Grace Bridwell
Billy Hogan
Noah Reed (‘01)
Sarabeth Scott
29 Lucy Lee
Mary Thompson
30 Harper Page (‘12)
Lil Parr
Rivers Sherrill
31 Mary Deck Patrick (‘12)
Gaston Sunday School After-Christmas Party
The Gaston Sunday School Class After-Christmas Party will be Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 at 6 p.m.
in the Fellowship Hall. More details for the party will be announced in Sunday School. Please
contact Emily A. Patrick at [email protected] with questions or to RSVP.
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Greenville A.R.P. Church
741 Cleveland Street
Greenville, SC 29601
www.greenvillearp.com
Ph: 864-233-6309
Contact Our Staff
Rev. Matt Miller (Senior Pastor): [email protected]
Rev. David Griffin (Associate Pastor of Congregational Care and Membership): [email protected]
Rev. Garison Taylor (Associate Pastor of Youth and College Ministries): [email protected]
Miss Rebekah Harkins (Children’s Ministry Coordinator): [email protected]
Mrs. Sarah Duerk (GARP Day School): [email protected]
Mr. T. J. Ellis (Music Director and Interim Administrative Assistant): [email protected]
Mrs. Cheri Owensby (Children’s Choirs): [email protected]
Mrs. Felicia Dykes (Organist): [email protected]
Mrs. Beth McCary (Financial Secretary): [email protected]
Mr. Jimmy Solesbee (Athletic Coordinator and Sexton): [email protected]
Mr. Jay Crout (Pastoral Intern): [email protected]
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