Eastminster Eastminster This FallThis FallDear Friends,

Eastminster is up and running! Multiple worship options, including in-person in the Sanctuary, start Sunday 9/6. Also, Small Groups, Sunday School classes, Wed & Sunday night Bible studies, Youth gatherings, childcare during 8:30 a.m. Field Worship, EDS, and Mission/Service opportunities begin by 9/13. In addition, the “we have been made for just such a time as this” goals shared Sunday, 8/23 provide additional ways each and every EPC member or friend can lean-in and join-in God’s work, regardless of your situation.To help inform you, this newsletter provides an overview of multiple opportunities for you, and any family members, to grow and serve as disciples of Jesus Christ during this time. It is essential, how-ever, that for reasons of safety many of the opportunities offered have to be handled differently than in the past. Please read carefully, register when asked, and check eastminsterpres.org regularly so we can lean-in and join-in together! In-Person Sanctuary Worship Added!

Starting this Sunday, September 6, at 9:00 a.m., up to 100 people who pre-register and wear masks will be able to worship together in the sanctuary! Even as we lament the reality that gathering for worship as we’ve known it will not be possible for some time, I invite you to lean-in toward God and join-in the worship option that best fits you.Sanctuary Worship Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. The upside: In-person worship for up to 100 people! Requirements for Safety: Pre-registered persons only, masks must be worn entire service, and other protocols followed. The challenges: Limited capacity, no childcare, and for safety, we are following CDC guidelines of no children under age 6. We also strongly recommend persons with elevated risk enjoy one of our other worship options.Worship on the Field Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. The upside: live music and worship lead-ers, lets us gather in person, no registration required, space for over 300 people, safer outdoors, nice shade, even more safety for those who worship from cars, parents with young children can worship from their cars with children, and beginning Sept. 13, there will be 20 childcare spaces for 3K-5K in Thompson Hall for this service. Requirements for Safety: Bring your own chairs, must wear masks to/from seating area, must sit in designated pods. Challenges: rain, limited child-care.Worship via Live Feed Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. The upside: Accessible to all with computer access, you can wear pajamas and drink coffee, and you can invite friends to tune-in from their homes. Requirements for Safety: be careful with the coffee! Challenges: less personal and less connection with others. This Sunday (9/6) is the last 10:30 a.m. service.

For full details on these Worship options, including instructions on registering and mask require-ments, please visit eastminsterpres.org and click on the “Worship Options” Quick Link.

Grace & Peace!

Dr. Bradley D. SmithSr. Pastor

September 2020

FALL AM CLASSES...SUNDAY ADULT SS CLASS 10 AM COURSE/STUDY LOCATION SEPT AT GLANCE

WEDNESDAY: 9/9Small Group CELEBRATION (FIELD) 7-8:15PMFRI/SAT: 9/11 & 9/12 OFFICERS RETREATSUNDAY: 9/13 AM KICKOFFSPROMOTION SUNDAY (SS begins on a class-by-class basis.) FALL WORSHIP HOURS SUNDAY: 9/13 PM KICKOFFSTIME W/CHILDREN (SANC) 5-6PM1ST-5TH Grades (MUST RSVP)MS&HS SUN PM YOUTH (FIELD) 5-7PM Food, Fellowship & Fall Info TUESDAY: 9/15COLLEGE (5:30PM) & Younger Adult (7:15PM) 6-WK STUDIES w/Nick WEDNESDAY: 9/16WE@EPC Classes (In-person & Online) 7PM THURSDAY: 9/17TRANSITIONS 3RD THURSDAYDONATIONS TO MCGOWAN’S BY 4PM SERVE FRIENDS AT 5PMSUNDAY:9/20 PM KICKOFFSUNDAYS@5 PM CLASSESMONDAY: 9/21 EPW FALL KICKOFF (SANC) 10:30AM & ONLINEWEDNESDAY: 9/23HS BOYS/GIRLS BIBLE STUDIES (CLC) 7-8:30PM (Dinner provided)CONFIRMATION SUNDAY: 9/27CLASS OF 2019-2020 (FIELD)

NEW BEGINNINGS!

FALL PM CLASSES...SUN (SEPT 20) & WED (SEPT 16)

Starting September 13, there will be two in-person Children’s times on Sundays: Sunday mornings at 8:30 AM for 3K-5K, and Sunday evenings from 5-6:00pm in Thompson Hall for 1st-5th graders. Attendance is limited for both, so you’ll need to RSVP. Please see emails from Croskeys and Fredna for additional safe opportunities for Children’s Time. Visit our website at www.eastminsterpres.org and go to the Virtual Calendar to see children’s listings and times to tune in. Questions about children’s ministries, contact Croskeys croyall@eastminsterpres.org, or Fredna Lee at flee@eastminsterpres.org.

SUNDAYS@5 CLASS (ADULTS) TIME LOCATION LEADERSJOB:AN ENDURING CONVERSATION 5:00-6:30PM ONLINE/ARH DR.DOUGLASS KEY

OFFICER TRAINING 5:00-6:15PM ONLINE/THOMPSON HALL DR. BRAD SMITH

COMMUNICATION IN A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY 5:00-6:30PM ONLINE/RM E-357 REV. GRANDSIRE/REV. MARSH

WE@EPC CLASS (ADULTS) TIME LOCATION LEADERSCURRENTLY THERE IS NO WED PM CLASS. THE UNITY CLASS WILL BE TAUGHT POSSIBLY IN THE WINTER/SPRING TERM

PM: HS YOUTH, COLLEGE & YOUNGER ADULTS

YOUNGER ADULTS:(1st & 3rd TUES STARTS OCT 6) 7-8:30PM 6-WK STUDY An Altar in the World:A Geography of Faith, by Barbara Brown Taylor

HIGH SCHOOL: (WED 9/23) 7-8:30PM BOYS/GIRLS BIBLE STUDIES CLC(GYM-3RD FL)(Dinner first in the GYM...Single-gender safe distance BREAK-OUT BIBLE STUDY SESSIONS)

COLLEGE:(2nd & 4th TUES STARTS 9/22) 7-8:30PM 6-WK STUDY An Altar in the World:A Geography of Faith, by Barbara Brown Taylor

SAVANNAH & REV. NICK DEMUYNCKASSOC. PASTOR OF HS, COLLEGE & YOUNGER ADULTS

HOPE YOU’LL GET THROUGH THIS -LUCADO CLC-3 FL

TED HAIGLER PRESENT WORD E-258JOY ARH

SPARROWS JAMES/1 PETER CLC-3 FL

FIRESIDE E-259

ICHTHUS SIMPLY JESUS - N. T. WRIGHT ONLINE

SPIRITUAL DISC JAMES CLC 269-275

GIFT PSALMS/PROVERBS CTYD

SOLID ROCK 1 CORINTHIANS E-357

YOUTH SS 10 AM COURSE/STUDY LOCATION

HIGH SCHOOL ROTATING VIVA! CLC (GYM)

9TH GRADERS CONFIRMATION CLASS (SUN PM) CLC (GYM)

MIDDLE SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY FIELD

CHILDREN THIS FALL:

YOUTH SUNDAY PM FELLOWSHIP: MS&HS KICKOFF IN THE FIELD ON 9/13 AT 5PM. After the kickoff, we’ll meet on the fourth Sunday of every month. Starting October 25, we will all meet in the field for youth group and fellowship together from 5:00-6:30 PM. Nick will send out more details about what each fellowship event will be at the beginning of each month. (Mid-dle School Youth, stay tuned for more details on Sun PM Fellowship.)

Small Groups: The Best Way to ConnectWe were built for relationships! Connecting with others has never been more important than it is right now. And the best way to connect with other Christians and draw closer to Christ is through a Small Group. On Wednesday, Sep-tember 9, at 7pm, men and women who are either currently a part of a Small Group or anyone wanting to join a new group are invited to our Small Groups Kickoff Celebration in the Field, featuring live music, ice cream by Cold Stone Creamery, and an inspirational Speaker/Author Doug Pollock (GodSpace) who will help us kick off a new Small Group season. Bring your own folding chair to enjoy this outdoor event under the stars, or drive-in and listen via our FM sta-tion, 87.7. This event is free, and childcare is offered for ages 3K-5th grade. How Do Small Groups Work Today?• EPC’s SG Coordinator can reserve a large space (tables/chairs/AV equipment) for your weekly meetings• EPC has 5 Zoom accounts, which can be shared with any SG facilitator for weekly virtual meetings• Outdoor options are encouraged, whether on EPC’s campus or SG members’ backyards/porches• Any SG can jump in one of our pastors’ Sun night (5pm) or Wed night (7pm) classes this Fall, either in-person or

via Zoom webinarHow Do I Get Connected With a Small Group?• Contact SG Coordinator, Caroline Bennett, at cbennett@eastminsterpres.org or 256-1654, ext. 124.• Attend the Small Groups Kickoff Celebration in the Field, September 9, 7-8:15pm. RSVP required: SG Kickoff Cele-

bration Reservations (under Quick Links at www.eastminsterpres.org).Questions: Contact Caroline Bennett at cbennett@eastminsterpres.org or 256-1654, ext. 124.

“You have been prepared for just such a time as this....” Esther 4:14Inspired by Esther’s witness in the face of adversity, Dr. Smith’s 8/23 sermon challenged us to lean forward toward God, even in the midst of our adversity, by joining in to accomplish five Kingdom goals in the next year. For Eastminster to:1. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity. It’s good outdoor work, and to make the experience even richer, let’s work to build the house in partnership with an African-American church. 2. Enrich marriages by coming alongside to encourage not just being married, but having good marriages. And let’s do this both for Eastminster couples, and for others as well.3. Spend $170,000 to raise a million dollars and/or pounds of food to care for hungry and hurting South Carolinians. How? Forty EPC members each recruit ten friends/family across the state to enlist six churches/schools in their area. Churches/ schools then ask their “everyone” to donate a few dollars during Super Bowl week. Groups send 100% of what they collect directly to a charity in their community. EPC members who are more homebound are key: use your time, telephone & email to enlist friends/family across the state. To inspire others, EPC offers a match of one additional dollar for every $5 collect-ed up to the million-dollar total. It’s the Souper Bowl of Caring: a way to help needy people while also boosting the souls, spirits and unity of people across S.C. 4. Create and sponsor an award to be given to local Law Enforcement/First Responders who embody character, compas-sion and community building. We hear about bad apples; let’s lift up some of the many good apples. 5. Provide both guidance and scholarships to students who are the first in their families to go to college. Five of our CHAMPS students, including some who started as Bradley Lunch Buddies in third grade, are going to college this year. Let’s invest in human capital to break cycles of poverty and build lives for Kingdom potential.Will we, will you, even in the midst of this adversity, lean forward toward God more than ever? Now is the time: to register your interest in helping with any of these five efforts or to learn more, email now@eastminsterpres.org, or reach out to Rev. Brian Marsh at bmarsh@eastminsterpres.org for info. “It’s never been more important to love our neighbors than during today’s challenging landscape. As we seek ways to be the church, it’s critical for us to continue finding ways to show Christ’s love for those in need. If you would like to get in involved in one of the above ministries, all you need to do is send an email with your contact information to now@eastminsterpres.org. I look forward to working alongside you this fall.” - Rev. Brian Marsh

Prepared for Just Such a Time:now@eastminsterpres.org

SMALL GROUPS: Get Connected NOW!

Eastminster Presbyterian Church3200 Trenholm RoadColumbia, South Carolina 29204

SUMMER WORSHIP HOURS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6, 2020PROMOTION SUNDAY IS SEPTEMBER 13, 2020.

Church Business Office (803) 256-1654 Christian Life Center (CLC) (803) 256-1650 www.eastminsterpres.org Eastminster Day School (803) 771-1512

Worship This Fall (Sept 13 Kick-off): FIELD WORSHIP:8:30 AM CHILDREN’S TIME (TH) AGES 3K-5K ONLY (MUST RSVP VIA QUICK LINKS)8:30 AM CAR/FM VIEWERS (87.7FM) OR CHAIR VIEWERS (BRING A CHAIR) (ALL AGES WELCOME FOR FIELD WORSHIP! FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND, BUT ALL CHILDREN MUST REMAIN WITH THEIR PARENTS, WHETHER IN CARS OR POD AREAS!) SANCTUARY WORSHIP: (It’s Back!) 9:00 AM WORSHIP (LIMITED SAFE SEATING - MUST RSVP VIA QUICK LINKS)CURRENTLY, NO CHILDCARE OFFERED, FIRST GRADERS AND OLDER (Ages 6+ ONLY) MAY SIT W/PARENTS. (11:15 AM MAY BE ADDED AT A LATER DATE. LET US KNOW IF YOU’D MORE LIKELY ATTEND AT 11:15AM)

VIRTUAL WORSHIP: WWW.EASTMINSTERPRES.ORG LIVE FEED BUTTON 9:00 AM WORSHIP11:15 AM WORSHIP (SUNDAY, 9/6 IS THE LAST 10:30AM SERVICE.)

Nonprofit Org.US POSTAGE

PAIDColumbia, SC

PERMIT No. 27