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J. Barry Dagenhart, Pastor Philip S. Bunch, Associate Pastor Robert J. Robinson, Pastor Emeritus

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

803.327.2009 803.327.4123 fax www.firstarp.org

June 2016

FIRST CHURCH LIFE

First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Rock Hill, South Carolina

9 a.m. Acoustic Service • 11 a.m. Traditional Worship Service

10 a.m. Sunday School (all ages)

Weekend Bible School June 24-26, 2016

Ginger Catoe, Director Megan Sanders, Assistant Director

Join us for a Cajun—themed weekend of fun and fellowship for your entire family, from the

youngest to the oldest!

Classes and activities will be offered for all children ages 3 and older, with nursery available for those two and younger.

NEW THIS YEAR: Middle school & high school youth will enjoy their own group and participate in a service project Saturday morning. The Shoger and Talley families will be our adult speakers, sharing their adoption stories and how God’s love compels us to reach out and be the arms and feet of Jesus in a broken and hurting world.

This amazing weekend kicks off Friday evening with a family friendly dinner, and concludes Sunday morning with worship and a church wide luncheon in Robinson Hall.

Classes and activities for ALL ages! Perfect for inviting friends and neighbors!

Register online at www.firstarp.org or call the church office (327.2009)

Want to help? Donate! Items needed are written on the fireflies at the VBS table in the connector.

Our Christian Sympathy is extended to

The family of

Kenneth Large, Sr. At his death on May 7, 2016

The family of

Kitty Barrett At her death on May 17, 2016

The family of

Virginia Hallman At her death on May 20, 2016

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Psalm 116:15

Congratulat ions Graduates!

Sehyun Ricky Oh Graduated from Westminster Catawba Christian School

and will attend George Washington University in the fall.

Kayleen Michelle Rankin Graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary

Education, & now has a tutoring job with Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes.

Walter Revell Alexander Graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters of

Divinity in Christian Ministry.

Splish Splash! Join us as we kick off summer vacation!

Elementary Pool Party

Wednesday, June 8

1-3 pm at Laurel Creek pool

Bring $5, towel and sunscreen and come ready to

have a good time! For all kids who have completed

K-5th Grade. Sign up in the connector!

THE WAIT IS OVER: Game Night & Breakfast Club are back! As we turn the

page to summer, we're looking forward to an extremely busy summer with

lots of great opportunities for fellowship, discipleship, friendship and

growth! Throughout the summer we'll offer in-town opportunities of

Breakfast Club and Game Nights; please jot down these various dates and

information and add them to your family's summer calendar.

Breakfast Club is a time for students to have a Bible study (continuing in the

Psalms) and enjoy a meal together at the Grigsby's home (1426 Lowell Trace);

we will meet on June 7th, June 28th, July 19th, and August 9th at 10:00 am.

Game Nights will be held on the Youth Floor (7:00-8:30 pm, enter at the

gym). Dessert will be provided as well as fun games of all different types to

play--- Game Nights will be June 2nd, June 22nd, July 13th, and July 27th.

Back 2 School Movie Night: As our summer will inevitably wind down we're

going to have a Movie Night on the Youth Floor: Thursday, August 11th---

Mark your calendars!

Horizon & Quest Registration: It’s not too late to sign up for Horizon, our

High School Conference June 20th-25th, or Quest, June 13th-18th— Please

contact Luke if you wish to register your student!

We’re also excited to invite all of our Middle School students to join up on

July 25th and 26th for our Middle School Mission Project. We will serve

various non-profit organizations in the area, serve alongside other great

ministries, learn about Missions and have a lock-in! More information on the

way— mark your calendars now!

Appalachia Team— Continue to prepare for VBS with your lessons &

planning AND remember we have our final team meeting Sunday, June 26th

at 2 pm in Robinson Hall. The commissioning of our team will also take place

that Sunday, June 26, at the 11 am service.

Be on the look-out for more fun opportunities this summer: Movie Nights, Disc

Golf outings, and more!

Parents, please let Luke know of meets, events, activities, performances,

exhibitions, games, plays, etc. that your students are participating in throughout

the summer so that we can come and support them!

If you’re not receiving email updates from Luke contact

youthdirector@firstarp.org or 322-2255.

2016 Appalachia Mission Team Please be in prayer for our 2016 Appalachia Mission Team of High School Students, College Students and Adults. We will be teaming up with First ARP of Lancaster, SC and sharing the Gospel through the primary means of a Vacation Bible School Monday Through Friday, the week of July 4th-8th. Pray for strength, courage, safety and our preparation as we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the families of Rose Hill, VA. Also, be in prayer for the church where we serve: Morgan Memorial United Methodist Church in Rose Hill, VA and for the hearts and minds of the families with whom we will share God’s Word. Please keep all of our students in your prayers as they spearhead our mission this summer!

Team members are Roddey Smith, Mabry Smith, Ethan Barkley, Jack Gettys, Shelley Harper, Taylor Madsen, Lindsay Looper, Lisa Smith, and Molly and Luke Grigsby.

First ARP Friends and Supporters,

Here are some ways that you can pray and be involved with your daughter church during the month of June.

1. Pray for our outreach efforts in the Riverwalk community. We have several ideas that we will do over the summer to reach out to this growing community. Ideas: kite flying day, concert on the lawn.

2. I am continuing to look for outside employment to help us financially and to help me connect with more people in our community. I've sent out about a dozen applications. Ask the Holy Spirit to give me patience!

3. Ask the Lord to help us connect with our new neighbors that move in at the end of May.

4. Ask the Lord to provide a job in the communications field for our worship leader, Matthew Kreh.

5. We're thankful that both of our daughter and their husbands have found good churches and are getting connected in Newark, DE and Cary, NC.

6. Ask the Lord to provide a summer job for our youngest son, Jacob.

7. Ask the Lord if He would have you help us with a $50 or more gift to help us continue reaching people in eastern York County, SC. We're thankful to those that have responded by becoming monthly supporters. (Checks may be mailed to River Crossing Church Attn: David Stover, 1177 Evergreen Circle, Rock Hill 29732.)

Thanks for praying! We invite you to be our guest over the summer.

David

As we conclude another year of our mid-week programs, the Family Life and Christian Education committees want to thank all those who help and serve on Wednesday nights. Foundations for the Family would not happen without the time and talents of so

many who volunteer!

Appreciation is expressed to Jenny Nowicki, for leading the Elementary Children’s Choir and organizing their Spring program and singing in

worship; Jeanie Alexander, Barbara Lesslie, Margaret Morgan, Beth Logan Roach, Jamie Raines and Ashley Scott who teach our preschool and elementary children’s

classes; Ginger Catoe and Angela Leighton, who serve in our nurseries; Jamey Dagenhart and David Rankin who lead our youth groups; Barry and Philip, who

taught the adult sessions; Ann Roddey, who decorates and cleans Robinson Hall and Erin McManus and Ginger Smith, our chefs and all their kitchen assistants.

Congratulations to

Ray and Caroline Comer On the birth of their son

Nash Oatman On Sunday, May 8, 2016

And to grandparents Nick and Kelley Tuttle

11 Debbie Wingate 12 Hanah Rhoad 13 Mac Aycock Terri Looper 15 Connie Kiser 16 Susanna Ahl 17 John Heinsohn Chad Helms Megan Sanders 18 Joanne Mauldin 19 Robert Alexander JoAnne Vaughan 20 Melissa Leighton James McCallister Bennie Moore

1 West Kellett 2 Juli Gasque Lainey Nowicki 4 Rachel Crawford Jack Hicklin 5 Brad Brakefield Anastasia Brooks Stephanie Brooks 6 Butch Boone Susan Cassels 7 Melissa Robbins 8 Debbie Brault 9 Wayne Gardner Will Hamilton Taylor Madsen

22 Scott Ledford George Coxhead 23 Howard Kellett Mark Neely 25 Valerie Heinsohn Brenda Stallworth 27 Juliet Leach 29 Rhonda Logan 30 Allison Fleischer Tim Kiser Patrick Robinson

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Church Wide Retreat at Bonclarken

October 14-16, 2016

Meet Our Newest Member! On Sunday, May 15, we welcomed Brenda Stallworth into our

First ARP church family.

Brenda began visiting our church after becoming involved with our preschool. She is a stay-at-home mom and loves doing activities with

her children – Maggie, age 5; Deaglan, who is in our 3 year old preschool class; Korbin, age 2 and Vander, who is 13 months old.

Originally from Edison, NJ, Brenda and her family moved to the Carolinas in 2008 for her husband’s job. Loving the pleasant climate and friendly people, the Stallworths decided to “put down roots” and

become part of our church family. Welcome!

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast Saturday, June 11, 7:00 a.m. $2 donation

All men are invited for study, fellowship & encouragement.

Women’s Summer Bible Study

Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Six weeks beginning June 14

Psalms: Songs Along the Way by Kathleen Buswell Nielson

The study will be hosted in the homes of our members.

June 14 Beverly Simpson Lesson 7 June 21 Ginger Smith Lesson 8 June 28 Betsy Dreier Lesson 9

July 5 Jan Philips Lesson 10 July 12 Joanne Mauldin Lesson 11 July 19 Mary Joyce Wright Lesson 12

Lessons are not dependent on each other—plan to attend whenever you are able! Contact Susan Barron at (803) 230-4924.

Due West of What??

If you’ve ever asked this question, plan to attend The Insiders Guide To First ARP, a special four week Sunday school class offered for our newer members and visitors.

Sessions will include information on our church structure, history and the ARP denomination as a whole. Whether you are a visitor, newer member, or life long ARP, you are welcome to come to all or part of these classes, which meet in the Faith Room during the month of June at 10:00 am.

M i s s i o n s 2 0 1 6 - H o n d u r a s

A message from Amanda Ghent:

¡Hola amigos! Jeremy and I have just returned from a week long mission in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Our time in Honduras was far beyond more than we could ask or imagine, and we continue to give thanks for the Lord's perfect provision, perfect protection, and perfect perseverance over all things.

We could spend hours sharing all the many stories we have that in some way shaped our gratitude, changed our hearts, or affirmed God's calling in our lives. We shed a few tears when we think of some of the relationships that we strengthened and new friends that we made. Our hearts ache for the women in the hospital with now week old babies and only enough food for a few meals in the coming week. We fervently pray for the Spirit's stirring in the young girls' jail as many of them do not yet know Jesus. We seek rest and the hovering of God's protection for the folks serving as leaders of Manos Extendidas and all many others who minister to the city of Tegucigalpa. But most of all, we give thanks for the privilege of serving in so many different capacities, so that in all things, God would be glorified.

We look forward to sharing with you specifically how God is at work in Honduras and how we can continue to share HOPE with all those around us.

Thank you for supporting the 2016 Honduras Team!

On Friday, May 13 friends of Camp Joy gathered in Robinson Hall for the 2nd Camp Joy Vision Dinner in our area. Even though there were lots of conflicts with many of our faithful supporters, the Spirit worked mightily in our midst. Erin McManus and her team

provided a delightful meal! Our youth and their friends were our hard working servers. Their bright smiles and accommodating attitudes were so appreciated. Testimonies from Brent Turner, Ann Brice, Mary Ward, Amy Kulbok, Debbie Silverthorn, followed by Andrew Shogers' keynote address gave us insights into how the Lord works mightily in the lives of our campers and their families, counselors, and staff drawing all closer to Him and to each other. The evening culminated with Julie Silverthorn singing "Amazing Grace" on the 11th anniversary of her brain injury. What a night! Surely the presence of the Lord was in Robinson Hall.

The financial report is incredible: $14,296 in cash was received; $13,550 in pledges for a total of $27,846...almost the exact amount was collected in 2015 with 30 more people in attendance. Thanks be to God!! Last year we went on to additionally collect $12,000+ in donations from others who wanted to support Camp Joy but were unable to attend.

You, too, could also make a donation to assure that the Camp Joy Vision will spread. Currently we have 170 ‘special friends' affected by disability on the waiting list. Send donations to CEM-Camp Joy at One Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, SC 29601-3696. Spread the JOY!

Next Worship Service

Thursday, June 23 6:30 p.m.

Family Promise

A few months ago, some of the Family Promise volunteers hosted and got to know a guest family- Katy and Heath and their four boys. A friend who is a volunteer host at another Church just told us that Katy and Heath's two younger sons

are members of the Scout troop at his Church now. The boys told him they "graduated" from Family Promise and now their family is taking care of themselves and doing very well.

There is a new family in the Family Promise program now and they (and possibly others) will be visiting us from June 19-26. It's our Bible School week, so we will invite the guests to join us for the Bible School events. Please consider signing up to help provide your hospitality for these guests. The sign- up board will be in the connector soon and will offer opportunities to greet the guests, prepare meals, provide activities, or stay overnight during our host week.

Thanks to all who have been faithful helpers in this important ministry! Katy and Heath's family's story reminds us of the impact this program has for local families who are experiencing crises.

Wayne and Polly 803-487-6588 (Wayne), Pgwingate@gmail.com (Polly)

The third Thursday of each month is First ARP's day to prepare and serve at the Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen.

The volunteers for May were Diane Thomas (Oakland Presbyterian), Frances Leitner Rouse (Episcopal Church of our Savior), Susan Gardner (First ARP), Donna Zeigler, Pam Faile and Connie Taylor (community volunteers).

We would love to have more of our First ARP members participate in this service to our community. This is a wonderful way to reach out to those less fortunate in our area.

Would you like to serve?? Our next serving day is June 16. Contact Susan Gardner (327-6551) to volunteer.

Staff News/Changes

Hi everyone,

I want to share my deepest appreciation for your kindness to Joseph and me from the moment we became members here, and I especially want to thank each of you for warmly welcoming me to the position of Office Coordinator. It's been a joy to serve alongside the team here and take part in meaningful work for the past seven months. In July, Joseph and I will move to Florida where he's accepted a position to teach Greek, Latin and Rhetoric. We're looking forward to the move and excited about what God has planned in this new chapter of our lives. We leave with many fond memories and hearts full of gratitude for your loving care toward us.

Sincerely, Michelle Tipton The Professional Staff Committee also has some news about staff happenings and changes which I will report on their behalf. Our present Administrative Assistant, Elizabeth Manus, is being trained by Michelle and will assume the position of Office Coordinator and the back office once Michelle moves to Florida. The committee and the staff have all been impressed by Elizabeth in her time with us, and we feel she is the right person for that position now that Michelle is relocating. Thus, the Professional Staff Committee is once again in search mode to fill the Administrative Assistant position. Please thank Charles Robbins, Cole McKinney, Amber Graham and Sarah Harper for all of their time and effort through these interviews as they serve on the Professional Staff Committee.

In the meantime, the Professional Staff Committee has been working with the Preschool Committee to find the right person for the position of Director of our Preschool. Following an advertisement and interview process, both committees feel that Virginia McCallister (our present interim director) is the right person for this responsibility. Virginia has been offered the position, has accepted, and will begin her duties this fall as Director. Please thank both Michelle and Virginia for their hard work these past months, and we hope the best for all in their future responsibilities.

Barry

First ARP Staff (from left to right): Luke Grigsby (Youth Pastor), Dr. Barry Dagenhart (Senior Pastor), Michelle Tipton (Office Coordinator), Elizabeth Manus (Administrative Assistant), Connie Kiser (DCE), and Philip Bunch (Associate Pastor) Not pictured: Virginia McCallister (Preschool Director)

Please submit information for the next newsletter by June 23rd.

1

5 Barry’s Last Sunday before Sabbatical 9:00 am Acoustic Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:00 am Traditional Worship Service

6

7 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool 10:00 am Breakfast Club @ Grigsby Home 6:15 pm CE Committee

8 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool

12 Rev. Buzzy Elder to preach 9:00 am Acoustic Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:00 am Traditional Worship Service

13 9:30 am Jeanie Alexander Prayer Team Meeting

14 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool 10:00 am WM Bible Study 7:00 pm Diaconate

15 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool

19 9:00 am Acoustic Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:00 am Traditional Worship Service

20 7:00 pm Session Meeting

21 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool 10:00 am WM Bible Study

22 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool 7:00 pm Youth Game Night

26 Appalachia Team Commissioning Service 9:00 am Acoustic Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:00 am Traditional Worship Service VBS Closing Celebration and Luncheon 2:00 pm Final Appalachia Team Meeting

27

28 10:00 am WM Bible Study 10:00 am Breakfast Club @ Grigsby Home

29 Ice Cream Social @ Lesslie Land

To schedule an event, please contact the church office.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Quest (Middle School)

Horizon (High School)

Synod

Family Promise Week

Additional information about these events may be found within the newsletter.

2 8:00 am Barry Dagenhart Prayer Team 10:00 am Circle #2 7:00 pm Circle #1 7:00 pm Youth Game Night

3

4

-12:00pm Summer Preschool

9 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool

10

11 7:00 am Men ’s Fellowship Breakfast

-12:00pm Summer Preschool

16 Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool 7:00 pm Book Club

17

18

-12:00pm Summer Preschool

7:00 pm Youth Game

23 9:00 am-12:00pm Summer Preschool 6:30 pm

Just Joy

24 VBS

25 VBS

Ice Cream Social @ Lesslie Land

30

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday