Graduation Sunday

for 2024 Graduates

We plan to recognize this year's graduates on April 28 (10 AM, AUD). We want you to know how proud we are of you.

Finishing an educational milestone is a great time to think about what God has done and to look forward to what He will do in the future.

Pictures for K5 & High school

For our kindergarten and high school graduates, please email name and picture to mypicture@morningside.org by Sunday April 21.

We're also celebrating our graduates the Sunday night before.

Pizza Fellowship

After the April 21 evening service, join us in the gym for a graduation party and send-off. Our Rooted college-age group will be providing a pizza dinner (suggested donation $5/person or $10/family). 

We truly are proud of you, graduates, and we look forward to recognizing you!

Evangelist Steve Pettit

On the morning and evening of April 21, we host Steve Pettit Ministries.

Steve Pettit’s life “took a significant turn during his freshman year of college when he experienced a profound transformation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (stevepettit.com).

Dr. Pettit served for 29 years as president of the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Association and 9 years as president of Bob Jones University before reentering evangelism in 2023.

Dr. Pettit will preach, and his team will provide special music.

Join us for a pizza fellowship after the PM service (suggested donation $5/person, $10/family).

Easter (March 31)

March 31 is Easter Sunday. We invite you to our Good Friday and Easter services.

Good Friday Service

This year we invite you to join us on the evening of Good Friday as part of Easter weekend. This service begins at 7:00pm and will include Communion as we reflect on our Lord’s sacrifice.

Easter Service

Our Easter service is special, but it’s simple. The choir and orchestra provide great music about the Resurrection, we praise God together in song, and our pastor preaches about how Jesus’ resurrection applies to everyday life.

Services are interpreted in ASL, and we will also hold services in Spanish (11:00) and Mandarin Chinese (10:00).

Photo Stations

We’ll have photo stations available in our lobby for Easter pictures throughout the morning.

Egg Hunt

A few minutes after our 10:00 service, kids through Grade 5 will meet for an Egg Hunt.

Pick up your child from the nursery or Kids Wing, then walk across the street to Pelham Road Elementary School. We’ll provide an Easter bag for each child, and there'll be a special egg hunt just for toddlers and preschool kids!

Guest Refreshments

All guests are welcome to join us in the lobby for coffee and doughnuts right after the morning service.

We are excited to celebrate again this year. Will you join us?

Good Friday Service

This spring our sermons are covering the final week of our Savior’s life: we are joining Jesus.

Join us on Good Friday as part of Easter weekend. Our choir and orchestra will help lead us in worship, and we will reflect on our Lord’s sacrifice by celebrating Communion.

Join us in our Auditorium at 7 PM on Friday, March 29.

Our senior adults calendar also includes a great opportunity to experience the Easter story at Bob Jones University’s Living Gallery production.

Family Night

March 17 is Family Night.

We’ll begin together in the Auditorium (5 PM) and then break into men’s and women’s sessions for a while. Our speakers are Pastor Joe Henson (men and boys) and Mrs. Jeanette Miller (women and girls).

Around 5:30 we will get back together in the chapel for a picnic-style feast.

Suggested donation is $5/person, $10/family for burger sliders, potato salad, baked beans, and dessert.

After the meal, stick around for games or sports—and build godly relationships.

Sign up at the men’s ministry table in the lobby or below.

Jungle Journey VBS 2024

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - SUMMER 2024

JUNE 2-5, 6:00-8:00 pm (Grades 1-8)

It’s a jungle out there! There’s adventure around every bend at The Great Jungle Journey, where kids are equipped to answer questions about who God is and what his Word teaches about salvation. Excitement galore awaits as you learn how to reconnect the Bible to real life through the Seven C’s of History. Children will be encouraged to seek their Creator and Savior!

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Day 1: creation

Our first C takes us back to the beginning of time and the creation of the universe when it was all good. Did the universe start with a big bang, or did God create it?

Day 2: corruption and catastrophe

Next, Adam sinned, which affected his descendants, who were so wicked that God sent a global flood as judgment for their sin.

Day 3: confusion

The fourth C checks out the events that began at the tower of Babel. Can this be where all the people groups originated from?

Days 4 & 5: christ, the cross & consummation

At these stops, we realize once again that man is sinful and needs a Savior. Hallelujah, God provides one in his Son!

The last C shows the thrilling conclusion to history when all goes back to very good again and—best news ever—God wins against sin and Satan.

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2024 Missions Conference

Each year we hold a missions conference to help us fulfill our mission of loving our world. Last year our theme was Enduring Hardness as Good Soldiers.

Our 2024 missions conference takes place on Sunday, Jan. 28, Wednesday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 4. Our theme is On Mission: Declaring His Glory Among the Nations. You can give toward our conference offering or our speaker offering, and registration for our ODBM golf tournament is now open.

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Sunday, January 28

10 AM: Our new missions pastor Joe Henson will preach in the English service (AUD).

Pastor Joe joined our staff in October 2023.

5 PM: Our life groups will meet around the Upstate. Dr. Royce Short will preach in our PM meeting (Chapel). Dr. Short was a Morningside member 2011-18 and has planted Kaysville Bible Chuch in Utah.

Wednesday, January 31

7 PM: Our teens will serve in our English prayer meeting under the leadership of ministry assistant Jalen Ontoy (Chapel).

Sunday, February 4

Chris Anderson will be our guest speaker in our English service (10 AM, AUD). That evening, he will lead us in a Night of Worship entitled “Missiology That Sticks” (5 PM, AUD). Special highlights include our choir and orchestra leading us in fresh congregational arrangements, hymn histories, and extended Scripture readings and gathered prayers.

Chris is the President and Chief Editor for Church Works Media and the Senior Vice President of Global Opportunities at Biblical Ministries Worldwide. We sing several of his modern hymns regularly, including “His Robes for Mine.”

Chris pastored in Ohio and Georgia for over 20 years and now relies on missions support. If you would like to give toward our love offering, designate “Missions Conference Speaker Offering” online or at our offering boxes.

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Special Offering

Our conference offering will help sponsor a trip for CampsAbroad, a ministry of The Wilds. Our church family has benefited from the ministry of The Wilds for many years. We’re excited for the opportunity to help spread that ministry around the world.

Designate “Missions Conference Offering” online or in our offering boxes.

Wednesdays We Pray

Every Wednesday at 7 PM, members gather in our chapel.

We share what we call “Good News About the Good News”:

• ways God is helping us build relationships and present the gospel

• updates from our missionaries around the world

And we do what we were made to do:

We pray.

Our Spanish and Chinese congregations also gather for prayer. Our teens gather in the teen room. Our kids gather for nursery care and discipleship. During the school year for K3 and up, they have Awana. Members receive the password (also available at our office) for our online prayer update.

Join us for prayer meeting this Wednesday at 7 PM.

Our Top 12 Pages of 2023

Other than our home page, here are the top 12 most-visited pages of 2023. Each of them has averaged at least several visits per day all year long.

1. LivestrEam video

   Our Livestream Video page is always popular, but this year it was flooded with traffic when we hosted Ron Hamilton’s graveside service.

2. Bulletin

   This year our online bulletin (updated weekly) became fully functional.

3. RON HAMILTON

   See #1. We made a separate page to make the graveside service easier to find.

4. our Leadership Team

   This year financial administrator John Horn and missions pastor Joe Henson joined our leadership team.

5. Prayer UPDATE

   Our members get a weekly link and password to the online prayer update.

6. GIVE

   We changed giving platforms this year, so many of us visited the giving page more than usual. We’re excited about the ways the new platform will help us function.

7. WHAT WE BELIEVE

   What we believe is the core of who we are.

8. REcent sermons

   Nearly all our guests tell us they watch online services and sermons before they attend in person. Catching up on recent sermons is also great when you’ve been sick or traveling.

9. Kids

   Our kids ministry is a beehive of activity—online as well as in person. Awana calendars, Gospel Project updates, volunteer applications, and much more.

10. News/EVENTS

    Lots of our biggest updates appear first at morningside.org/news.

11. Membership

    Joining Morningside is a 4-step process. Our membership interest class meets every 3rd Sunday at 11:15 AM.

12. life groups

    Our life groups began in 2022 to help us fulfill our mission of loving each other.

Joining Jesus: The Final Week

This spring our theme is Joining Jesus: The Final Week.

As we lead up to Easter on March 31, our sermons will cover our Lord’s Passion Week, where Jesus laid down His life for us. The final week of Jesus’ life was full of drama, and it is full of relevance for all of us.

We have had several series covering the life of Christ in the last few years.

• Reaching Out (2018) covered Christ's interaction with sinners, outcasts, and the untouchables in the first chapters of Mark's gospel.

• Following Jesus (2019) continued in Mark with an emphasis on discipleship.

• Beneath the Cross (2020) continued with Mark’s accounts of the final months leading up to the Cross.

As Christians, we don’t just believe that Jesus was a historical figure, a great teacher, or a good moral example. We believe that His death was our death—and that now His life is ours too.

We pray that the Lord uses His Word to help us take up our own cross:

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Mark 8:34)

Pie & Praise - Happy Thanksgiving!

The Sunday evening before Thanksgiving is our Pie & Praise night (Nov. 19, 5 PM).

We’ll begin with our service in the auditorium. We’ll celebrate with hymns of grateful praise and a missions presentation from John Lehman.

Afterwards our deacons will sponsor a pie fellowship in the Gym. Suggested donation is $1/person, $5/family: pies and drinks are provided.

If you’re able to come on November 19, bring a friend--we’ll have plenty of pie to share.

Happy Thanksgiving! Get our full holiday schedule here.

New Online Giving Platform

We’re excited to offer a new online giving platform.

(Yes, we just switched to this one last year… Here's why we're changing again.)

You can access it today at our giving page.

Accounts on the new giving platform will take a few minutes to set up, but then they will integrate with our church management software.

That’s already where we…

• assign member care

• check kids into our children's ministry

• connect with our classes, life groups, and ministries

In the coming months, we’ll also be rolling out new ways to…

• register for our events

• volunteer for ministry

• connect with fellow volunteers (music, media, kids, hospitality, and much more)

• do just about everything we do on our website

We’ll be saying more about some of these features soon. But you can access the new giving platform now at morningside.org/give.

Let us know if you have any questions. Our giving fuels our mission!

Christmas at Morningside

Haga clic aquí para obtener información sobre nuestras celebraciones españolas.

“Imagine,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and “White Christmas”…

Three songs with a lot in common.

They all recognize that there’s more to life than money, power, and pleasure.

At Christmas, even the most cynical of us can sometimes remember that.

The blessing of Christmas isn’t presents—or family—or even kindness.

The real blessing is that God has sent us…

a Savior.

We have several special Christmas events, and on December 24th we'll worship together at 10 AM and have a special Christmas Eve candlelight service at 5 PM. We look forward to seeing you.

The Savior is Born (Dec. 10)

On December 10 at 10 AM, our choir and orchestra present a Christmas program entitled “The Savior Is Born.” If you’re on Facebook, you can let us know you’re coming—or invite others—at our event.

The program will mix familiar Christmas carols like “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “What Child Is This” with new favorites like “Jesus Saves” and “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery.”

Yes, there is an ache in every heart—and the Savior is born to solve it.

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CHRISTMAS from the kids (Dec. 17)

On December 17 at 5 PM, our kids and teens present “Christmas on the Air.” Afterwards we'll celebrate with a Christmas cookie fellowship. After that morning’s service several of them will also present Christmas specials.

Lily Grimm sings a solo on December 19, 2021, as our kids choir presents “Wow! It’s Christmas.”

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Christmas Eve Worship Service

On December 24, we will celebrate Christmas with carols and a Christmas sermon (10 AM). Child care will be available from birth through grade five.

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Christmas eve candlelight Service

On Sunday, December 24 at 5 PM we host a special family-friendly Christmas Eve candlelight service in our beautiful chapel featuring

• Christmas carols

• Scripture readings

• a gospel challenge from our ministry assistant Jalen Ontoy

• a range of candle types appropriate for different ages

Several nursery rooms with livestream feeds are also available as needed. If your family obligations allow, we hope you can join us.

Get to Know the Henson Family

On October 29, we install Joe Henson as our new missions pastor. Pastor Henson will transition into Pastor Dave Smith’s role as missions pastor. (More about Pastor Smith’s transition here.)

Pastor Henson presented his missions philosophy to us on September 17.

Joe grew up in a pastor's home on the island of Guam, in the south Pacific. He attended Harvest Christian Academy and was active in his local church. Later he graduated from Bob Jones University with a BA in Bible and a minor in Creative Writing. Following his undergraduate studies, he studied at both Northland International University and Bob Jones Seminary and earned a MA in Pastoral Studies. It was during his college years—while working at The Wilds of NC—that he trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior and met his wife, Kristi, who also graduated from BJU with a BS in Elementary Education and an MA in Biblical Counseling. Over the years, Pastor Joe and Kristi have served the Lord together in camp ministry, Christian education, itinerant evangelism, and pastoral ministry.

For the past 12 years, Joe and Kristi and their three daughters (Karis Grace, Elissa Faith, and Raena Truth) have served the Lord by leading and serving a church replant in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. Early in 2023, the Lord directed them back to the Greenville area where Joe now serves as the Chief Relations Officer for Bob Jones University. Though they moved to town to work at BJU, their heart is most burdened for and anchored to the work that God is doing in the world through His church. They understand that the greatest role they will ever play and ministry they will ever have is with, to, and through the local church.

L to R: Kristi, Karis, Raena, Joe, and Elissa Henson

By God’s grace, the Hensons seek to engage the people of God in Christ-centered, Gospel-motivated, Word-saturated, Grace-dispensing, Disciple-making, and Mission-focused ministry. Pastor Joe strives to consistently exposit the Scriptures and to faithfully preach the vital need for…

• A proper understanding of, dependence on, and submission to the truth of God’s Word;

• A humble, faithful, and passionate walk with Christ;

• An active and intentional obedience to the will and commands of our God;

• A fervent desire to know and demonstrate the glory and majesty of God; and

• An increasing burden for and commitment to reaching and making disciples of the lost and dying in the community and the rest of the world.

It is their utmost desire that…

• God would be glorified in everything that He does through them,

• God’s people would be shaken from the all-too-common state of complacency that plagues the church of Jesus Christ today,

• A “culture of grace” would flourish in every aspect of the church’s ministry to saved and lost alike, and

• The church would be mobilized to Look to Christ, Learn the Word, and Live on Mission locally, regionally, and globally!

Joe is also a hymnwriter. You can find some of his hymns and articles at DeclaringGlory.com.

Fall Carnival

We are looking forward to welcoming the community to our annual Fall Carnival! This year’s event is 5-7 PM, October 29—rain or shine.

This event provides opportunities to fulfill our church’s mission of “loving our world” by engaging in meaningful conversations and serving others. The kids enjoy wearing costumes, and we’ll make sure there’s plenty of gospel tracts and candy—as well as inflatables, treats, and smiles. We would love to see you there.

You can also “love others” by volunteering to serve alongside our church family. Click on the link below to choose from a variety of opportunities. (If you will be decorating your trunk, make sure to bring candy too!)

Get to Know Our Ministry Assistant

This fall Jalen Ontoy joined our staff as a ministry assistant.

Jalen is no stranger to our church family. He has preached in evening gatherings and prayer meetings multiple times. He has served as a small group leader in our youth group and helped lead our Rooted college-age music.

This summer Jalen served an internship with us.

Now He has started seminary training, and will also serve with increased leadership responsibilities.

Jalen and his wife Jenna will assist Alan and Karis Morgan in leading our new Engage young couples group.

Jalen plans to continue helping in the youth group as well, and we look forward to having him open God’s Word to us again soon.

Homecoming Events for your Family

Join us Oct 1-4 as we gather for Homecoming events for the whole family.

This fall we celebrate 65 years of God’s faithfulness to our church family.

During the week of our Gospel Conference, men, women, teens and kids are invited for times of fellowship, food and reflection from God’s Word.

Tickets for the Men’s and Women’s events begin 9/17 in the Lobby (suggested donation $5/person in the lobby or below). Teens may donate $5 at their events.

Sunday, October 1

10:00 AM Homecoming Service

5:00 PM Homecoming Service and Awana

Monday, October 2

6:00-8:00 PM Women’s Dinner and Games
For women and girls 6 years and up. Invite a friend.

Tuesday, October 3

6:00-8:00 PM Men’s Dinner and Pickleball
For men and boys 6 years and up. Invite a friend.

Wednesday, October 4

6:00-8:00 PM Teens’ Food and Fun.

Our guest speaker is Brent Sivnksty, who preached for our Homecoming services in 2020. Learn more about Brent here.

Annual Church Picnic

Pig Pickin’ is a yearly tradition where we enjoy eating fantastic BBQ and fellowshipping with our Morningside family and friends.

This year’s Pig Pickin’ is 4-7 PM on Sunday, September 24 at the Pavilion Recreation Complex (400 Scottswood Drive, Taylors).

Food will be catered by Mike & Jeff’s BBQ. The cost is a suggested donation of $5/person or $15/family (secure online payment form here).

Activities begin at 4:00 pm with kids’ face painting. Food will be available 4:30-5:30 pm. Your family may wish to bring lawn chairs for the outdoor events. socks for any wishing to ice skate or play in the bounce area. Ice skating is $8/person, and it’s available 3:00-4:30.

Come and fellowship with us!

Awana

We offer Awana Clubs for kids. Awana meets on Wednesday evenings (6:45-8:00 PM) starting September 6. Our location is 1115 Pelham Road.

What is Awana?

Awana is designed to help your child understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our caring, trained volunteers develop engaging relationships and teach Bible truths so that Christian discipleship can happen.

Your kids will memorize truth from God’s Word—and receive guidance in understanding it.

Games and special dress-up nights create a fun environment and help kids earn team points, and missions focus happens twice a year too! Check out our Awana calendars at Morningside Kids for more details about special themes, memory verses and events.

How old does my child have to be?

Cubbies (K3-K4) features Bible memory, snacks, crafts, puppets and age-appropriate hands-on Bible learning in a setting that fosters love and respect for God. Cubbies resources will encourage and equip you to actively nurture your child. Our volunteers will work alongside you to guide children into truth.

Sparks (K5-Grade 2) learn and memorize God’s Word with an emphasis on developing caring relationships with their leaders. Bible biographies show children how others in Bible times interacted personally with God. Sparks learn that they can also know God personally through the gift of His Son, Jesus. Sparks also experience fun through songs, games and periodic crafts.

Truth & Training (Grades 3-5) kids begin with games, and our volunteers always have a Bible application for each one. Clubbers then transition to a Bible lesson, songs, and Bible memory in small group discussions led by caring adults who want to help them grow in their walk with the Lord. Check out our Awana calendar for more details.

New Group for Young Adults

This fall we’re launching a new young adult group for post-college ages.

It’s called Next.

Rooted

Ages 18-22

Learn more about Rooted

Rooted has been the name of our college-age group for several years.

We’re thankful for the scores of college students who join us for worship, fellowship, and ministry, especially throughout the school year. Our kids, music, media, and hospitality especially benefit from their energy and strength. Some students join as associate members while they’re staying in Greenville.

Pursue

Young Professionals

Ages 25-35

Learn more about Pursue

Pursue is our young professionals group that started a few years ago.

Dozens of young professionals meet Sundays at 11 and two Wednesday evenings per month—and a whole lot more.

Pursue takes mission trips, holds Bible studies for men and women, and engages in most of our regular ministries. Many of our new members come from Pursue each year.

NEXT - New Young Adults Group

Ages 21-25

Learn more about our new young adults group

On August 13 we launched NEXT, a new group especially for young adults ages 21-25.

Pastor Stuhl is helping this group get started, and they are meeting in the Kennedy House for now. Check out Morningside.org/Next for more information.

Young couples can check out our Engage group, and families with small children can check out our Homebuilders group.

May the Lord help us to fulfill our mission for our generation—no matter our age!