Heritage Presbyterian Church

02/23/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! On Saturday, March 21st, from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, we will be hosting a multi-family yard sale. Some families from our church are participating by bringing their "treasures" to sell (each person is responsible for their own change). We are also making some FREE tables available for those outside the church who want to participate. There are several options:
1. Call me at 803-760-8779 and let me know if you want a table to sell your stuff. (We have limited tables, so please let me know ASAP.
2. Call me if you would like to donate some items for us to sell (any proceeds from donations will go towards procuring items for Operation Christmas Child).
3. RAIN or SHINE - if it rains, we'll be in the youth building. If it's nice, we'll be in the front parking lot.
4. David Martin will have an evangelistic outreach at one of the tables (this event was actually his idea).
5. We cannot store any unsold items at the church. Anything donated but not sold, will be taken to His House (non-profit org).
6. PLEASE NOTIFY ANY AND ALL NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, ETC. TO COME AND SEE US ON THIS DAY. "Word of mouth" is the best way to advertise! We will also be advertising on FB Marketplace, and will have plenty of signs to place.
Please be in prayer for this event, that many will not only come to "shop" but that they will hear and respond to the Word of God as David shares with them. Any questions? Please call Lawrie, 803-760-8779.

02/23/2026

February Update from Peter & Diane Bakelaar in Japan:

Dear Friends and Partners, Grace and peace to you in this new year.

We had hoped to send a fuller newsletter earlier, but the year began in a way we did not expect. Just before Christmas, both of us became quite sick. While most of our ministry activities were thankfully completed, the recovery afterward has taken longer than we anticipated.

Diane experienced a significant reaction to her illness that led to a 12-day stay in the hospital.

It was a humbling and sobering season for us. We are deeply grateful for the care she received and thankful to say she is now home. Recovery is steady, though slower than we would like, and we are learning again what it means to live and serve in dependence on the Lord. We are grateful our daughter Rita who came from California to help for two weeks.

As ministry begins to pick up with the new year, we are excited about what lies ahead. There are meaningful opportunities before us such as new exhibitions,

community engagement, and ongoing partnerships in church planting and the arts here in Japan. It has simply taken a little time for us to get back on our feet physically while stepping back into these responsibilities.

We want you to know how deeply we appreciate your prayers and faithful support. In seasons of weakness and in seasons of energy, your partnership sustains us more than you realize. Thank you for standing with us.

A more detailed newsletter will be coming soon with updates and specific prayer requests. For now, we simply wanted to say thank you and to ask for continued

prayer for Diane’s full recovery, for renewed strength, and for wisdom as we step into this new year of ministry.

With gratitude and hope,

Peter & Diane

02/05/2026

A Cry from the Heart of the Nation: The 2026 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance

Sarah Holliday, The Washington Stand
February 4, 2026

On February 4, 2026, hundreds of voices rose in unison right in the beating heart of Washington, D.C. — not in anger, not in protest, but in raw, humble surrender. The Museum of the Bible became a spiritual battleground where believers from every corner of the earth gathered, not to demand, but to plead — for people to pray. This was not merely an event. The 2026 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance was an opportunity to confess the sins that have scarred our country and cry out for God to stoop down, extend His mighty hand, and lead us back to the path of righteousness.

Far from a gathering shrouded in despair, the air was filled with hope. Attendees arrived already convinced that it’s not too late — that the God who parted seas and raised the dead can still awaken hearts, heal lands, and restore what has been broken. They came believing that true change begins not in legislation or headlines, but on bended knees before the throne of grace. Otherwise, why would they be praying?

People from almost all 50 states stood shoulder to shoulder with brothers and sisters from nations near and far — Iran, Nigeria, Cuba, Armenia, Ukraine, Israel, Hungary, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Korea, Venezuela, Great Britain, Pakistan, India, Canada, China, and countless others. Faith leaders, CEOs, and everyday warriors for truth all converged in one place, united by a single goal: to see the world turn toward Christ. As Dr. Jim Garlow of Well Versed, the event’s co-founder, declared, this moment should be met with “a sense of holy urgency — a sense of holy desperation.”

Even men and women from the halls of power joined in prayer. Congressmen, senators, members of the Trump administration, state attorneys general, and other elected officials from coast to coast joined the chorus. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) stood among them, their heads bowed in humility.

America “is the greatest nation in the history of the world,” Johnson proclaimed. “We’re the most free, most successful, most powerful, most benevolent nation that has ever been.” And why? Because, he insisted, this nation was forged on a biblical foundation. With those words hanging in the air, he bowed his head and prayed — for forgiveness, for guidance, and with overflowing gratitude.

Moments later, Scalise lifted his voice in awe of the gracious Creator who extends mercy and love even amid our rebellion. He thanked God for comfort in our struggles, provision in our need, and the undeniable power of prayer. Like so many there, he poured out his gratitude for America’s freedoms and humbly asked for divine wisdom, strength, faithfulness, and compassion to guard the nation’s founding principles. And, above all, he prayed for true national unity.

That longing for unity struck a deep chord as Pastor Tim Macklin stepped forward with a prayer that cut straight to the soul of America’s present turmoil. Now widely known as the ex-father-in-law of Renée Good — the woman tragically and fatally shot during a hostile encounter with an ICE agent in Minnesota — Macklin confronted the division and furious protests her death prompted head-on. He prayed fervently for “a spirit of conviction” and “a spirit of repentance.” Drawing from Scripture’s warnings about false teachers and prophets, he implored God for discernment so we would not “follow their pernicious ways.”

He called for leaders to “rise up in the name of Jesus” and “preach repentance … and tell people the truth.” With steady clarity, he insisted, “This is not a political problem. This is spiritual warfare. We’re not wrestling against flesh and blood.” His words concluded with a call to action: “We all need to seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our lands.”

Yet the prayers reached far beyond America’s borders. Hearts ached for persecuted believers worldwide. Grace Jin Drexel, for instance, lifted passionate pleas for her homeland of China, as well as for her own father, a pastor imprisoned for his faith, alongside many others. Drexel’s prayer was a mixture of honest fear and faith — praying repentance over the temptation of unbelief, while also sharing her gratitude that the God we serve is a saving God, a trustworthy God, and a promise-keeping God.

Whether focused on home or distant shores, the sins laid bare before God were painfully similar: idolatry, sexual immorality, distortion of truth, injustice, pride, rejection of God’s authority, silence and compromise, dishonoring our bodies and lives, dishonoring our country, greed, godlessness and lawlessness, taking freedoms for granted, impatience, unforgiveness, jealousy, prayerlessness, lukewarm devotion, deceitfulness, unbelief.

Many voices rose in earnest repentance for political and societal sins that destroy lives daily: abortion, the slavery of human trafficking, LGBT ideology, the indoctrination and mutilation of children (and adults), the redefinition of marriage, divorce, anti-Semitism, euthanasia, and more. The cries rang out: Expose our sin. Guard us, guide us, direct us in all we do. Forgive us. Restore us. Lord, unleash a spiritual awakening across this land and around the globe!

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, co-founder of the gathering, reminded us as America’s 250th anniversary approaches that when God grants freedom, He does so with intention — “so His people could identify with and belong to and serve Him.” In this special year of America’s founding, Perkins emphasized that the moment calls for reflection: if the Founders sought freedom for a divine purpose, and that same purpose was entrusted to us as a nation — to serve God, honor Him, and live under His authority — then “we must ask the question,” he said, “are we living by that purpose today as a nation?”

From every speaker, every prayer, one resounding truth echoed: It all comes back to Christ. Every good thing, every truth, every beauty flows from Him. A thriving nation, a flourishing society, a soul that radiates light in darkness — it all comes back to Christ. In this act of prayer and repentance — which is not meant to be confined to a single day but continued throughout all generations — perhaps the greatest gift we could receive is a fresh and real encounter with God that floods back into the hearts of people everywhere.

01/27/2026

UPDATE: Thanks for your prayers! Last Friday, we served over 60 people at the IFM dinner. Spaghetti, lasagna, salad, cookies and fruit. Thanks to ALL who participated in cooking and picking up supplies - we appreciate you!

01/21/2026

Please pray for this coming Friday evening, Jan. 23rd, as HPC provides dinner for 75-80 USC International students, hosted by International Friendship Ministries (IFM) at Columbia Evangelical Church, downtown. We are coordinating with another church to help us, and more importantly, to speak to and be a friend to a foreign student. This is a wonderful outreach that we do once a year. Pray that inclement weather won't stop these students from attending.

01/21/2026

POWERFUL MESSAGE! Posted on Facebook by Family Research Council https://www.frc.org/

Jesus leaves no ambiguity: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Not some of the world. Not the parts that feel safe. All of it. It’s a command that stretches beyond borders, cultures, and comfort. And yet the question haunts me: If we’re commissioned to reach the ends of the earth, why do so many of us refuse to reach the end of ourselves?

We dream of distant mission fields while carefully guarding the relational territory nearest to us. Some Christians will boldly share Christ with a stranger in a grocery store, yet remain conspicuously silent with the coworker we eat lunch with five days a week, the neighbor we’ve befriended, the sibling we text daily, or the parent whose disapproval still carries weight decades later.

Why is the gospel hardest to speak at home? My guess is because that proximity raises the stakes. When someone already knows us — our flaws, our history, our ordinary routines — the gospel suddenly feels dangerously personal. To tell them they are sinners in need of a Savior is to risk being seen as judgmental, hypocritical, or simply “that religious friend” who’s pushy and no longer fun to be around. Fear whispers that silence is kinder, that preserving the relationship matters more than proclaiming the truth. However, silence in the face of coming judgment is not kindness. In fact, it’s the opposite.

If a person you love remains unrepentant and outside of Christ, the most loving act you can perform is to offend them with the truth. Yes, Ephesians 4:15 commands us to speak the truth in love. The manner matters. Tone, timing, and tenderness does matter. But we must never allow the fear of offense to silence the message itself. The gospel is inherently offensive to the natural man. It declares that our best efforts are filthy rags, that our hearts are deceitful above all things, that apart from Christ we stand condemned.

There is no way to remove the offense without removing the gospel. This is where faith must overcome fear. We cannot allow ourselves to be paralyzed by the possibility that they might pull away, unfriend us, or never speak to us again. We must be anchored in a deeper reality: the relationship we ultimately long for with them is not merely pleasant family dinners or comfortable friendship — it’s eternal brotherhood or sisterhood in Christ.

Anything less, no matter how warm it feels in the moment, will one day be severed forever. A soul that never hears the gospel from your lips may never hear it at all. And if they do eventually come to Christ years later, the question that could haunt you is devastating. “You knew,” they might say. “You knew the way of salvation. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

I have stood in that fearful place more times than I care to admit — calculating the risk, rehearsing worst-case scenarios, convincing myself that “building more trust first” is wisdom rather than procrastination. But here’s the brutal truth: We’re not promised later. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. None of us is guaranteed the next conversation, the next holiday, the next birthday. Every delay in the name of relational strategy is irreplaceable time slipping through our fingers. Because “maybe later” has a terrible habit of becoming never. In an age where algorithms curate our worlds and ‘live and let live’ is the unspoken creed, silence may feel like the path of least resistance… But consider this: If not us, who?

The only tragedy that lasts forever is death without Christ. For those of faith, every other sorrow — however sharp, however deep, however crushingly real — will one day be swallowed up in glory. In the book of Revelation, we read of the promises that God Himself will personally wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain. Our present sufferings, Paul says, are not even worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).

And that is why we speak. That is why we risk the awkwardness, the rejection, the strained silences at family gatherings. Because we want the people we love to stand with us in that glory. We want them to know the joy of sins forgiven, the freedom of a new heart, the certainty of an eternal, perfect, heavenly home.

Yet, if you wrestle with this, I don’t want you to feel alone or helpless. Remember the disciples in Acts? Hiding in fear after the crucifixion, they eventually emerged at Pentecost as flames of boldness, preaching to thousands (Acts 2). The same Spirit that turned cowards into proclaimers lives in us. If Peter could confront his own people, the very crowd that crucified Jesus, surely we can speak to the skeptical people in our lives. Stephen evangelized his accusers even as stones flew.

Scripture provides countless examples of the need to go when sent, even in the face of danger or mockery. We must preach the gospel as if it’s urgent, because it is. And this means we can’t wait for the “perfect moment.” Philip certainly didn’t. No, he ran to a stranger’s chariot, explained Scripture personally, and baptized him on the spot (Acts 8:26-38). If evangelism thrives in chance encounters with outsiders, how much more pressing is it with insiders we’ve known for months or years?

The early church faced stonings, imprisonments, and riots, yet they persisted. If they spoke truth amid mortal danger, what excuse do we have for silence amid mere awkwardness or political hostility? And even if we are confronted with mortal danger (as we saw so recently with Charlie Kirk), the Bible never promised us a life free from trial. The book of Acts alone reveals itself not as a tale of comfort-zone Christianity, but a blueprint for costly obedience that bears eternal fruit.

So, when you think of that unbelieving friend, neighbor, coworker, son, daughter, spouse, or parent, let me ask you to reorient your first thought: Not “What will they think of me?” Not “How will they respond?” Not “Am I eloquent enough?” But this: “I love this person. I cannot bear the thought of eternity without them. They carry a void only Christ can fill. Their life, however successful it appears on the outside, is empty apart from Him. And I know the One, the only One, who can make them whole.”

The Great Commission isn’t about one of us single-handedly evangelizing the planet. It’s a glorious chain reaction. One faithful conversation ignites another. One courageous act of obedience ripples into families, neighborhoods, cities, and nations. But the chain begins — and can only continue — with individual choices to obey in the place God has already put us. For the gospel to reach the ends of the earth, it must first reach the end of our fear, the edge of our comfort, the people within arm’s reach. That’s not optional, nor is it advanced discipleship. That is the ordinary, everyday calling of every follower of Jesus.

May God give us grace to love people enough to tell them the truth — however costly, however uncomfortable, however long the silence that follows. Because the silence of eternity, particularly eternity lost, is infinitely more unbearable.

𝑊𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑦 𝑆𝑎𝑟𝑎ℎ 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦. 𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑.

01/06/2026

Stand Up for Life March and Rally - This Saturday, Jan. 10th! 11 am Line up on Greene Street (outside USC Russell House), 11:30 am March begins. 12 Noon - Rally begins on the SC State House Steps.
Sponsored by SC Citizens for Life. A love offering will be taken. Be a voice for those who cannot speak. Love never fails. 1 Cor. 13:8

12/23/2025

PLEASE JOIN US on Wed, Dec. 24 at 6:00 pm for a candlelight Christmas Eve service. 2547 Rainbow Drive.

11/25/2025

Who else celebrates Thanksgiving as a national holiday?
The term Thanksgiving is not even in the New Oxford American Dictionary. It is in the Webster’s 1828. What is Thanksgiving? It is an acknowledgment of Yahweh’s Divine Providence. It is a celebration of gratefulness for provision. It is a declaration of a God that is above all civil governments. This expression of thanks also comes with a baked-in understanding that life is valuable and worth preserving.

When you think about the fact that half of the adult Pilgrims died the first winter from cold, sickness, and starvation, it puts a lot in perspective. They were still thankful. Gratefulness is evidence of one’s personal relationship with Yahweh. It reflects His character, His love for His children, and is one of our ways of responding to a loving Father. Murmuring, complaining, and focusing on what we don’t have instead of what we have is a sign of bitterness, ungratefulness, and lack of appreciation. Greed always wants more. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

We are grateful for Yahweh’s continued provision this last year and are thankful for each of you that have been used by Him in your prayers, giving, love, kindness, feedback, and participation in our events. May the Lord continue to bless your families, businesses, homes, and projects. May you have safe travels and thoroughly enjoy your time with friends and loved ones.

11/03/2025

This Sunday, Nov. 9th, we will be packing the Operation Christmas Child boxes after the morning service. Please come and help us pack these boxes, and pray that children and their families will come to know Christ as their Savior. SPECIAL THANKS to everyone who provided items for these special boxes of love!

11/03/2025

PTL: 61 Planned Parenthood abortion centers have closed in 2025.

Troy Newman, president of the pro-life group Operation Rescue, had some great news, reports LifeNews.com.

He said, “61 Planned Parenthood locations in total (including referral centers) have shut their doors since our 2024 survey — a record number.”

The ripple effect of President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill is saving lots of babies from abortion. Planned Parenthood was defunded $600 million of taxpayer money for a year which has resulted in these inevitable closures.

Speaking of Prophet Jeremiah in the womb, God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5) That divine statement is true of each of us.

09/16/2025

How Do We Respond to What Just Happened?

By Dr. Josh Mulvihill, www.Renewanation.org

We all feel a mixture of emotions about the killing of Charlie Kirk. I have two college-aged sons, and his assassination hit our family hard. In our family, there have been many tears, grief, anger, and many questions about what our country has become and what this means moving forward.

On the day of Charlie’s murder, my phone rang, and on the other end of the phone was a 50-year-old man who was weeping. He asked me, “How do we respond to what just happened?” It’s a question many of us are asking, so I thought I would provide some thoughts that may be helpful for you if you are asking a similar question:

#1. We can take comfort that God will take what was evil and use it for good. The murder of Charlie Kirk reminds me of Stephen in the book of Acts. Stephen was declaring truth and winning arguments with people, the Pharisees, and Saul (who was to become Paul). Saul, who was losing the battle for truth, encouraged the people to stone Stephen. After Stephen was murdered, Jesus confronted Saul and asked him why he was persecuting Jesus. We all know the end of the story: Jesus saved Saul and made him Paul. It’s an incredible plot twist! The death of Stephen reminds us that a seed must die in order to produce great fruit. Stephen was that seed, and I believe Charlie is as well. Paul was fruit from Stephen’s death that led to even more fruit than Stephen produced himself.

I believe there will be fruit like Paul from Charlie’s death. In the midst of the horrific murder, we can take comfort that God is still good, He is still in control, and He is sovereign over all that happens. While we do not fully understand why something tragic like this happens, our faith in God is the bedrock to provide hope and peace in turbulent times, and this evil act functions as a wake-up call for all of us that eternity is certain and our days are short, so we have a great work still to do.

#2. We can be angry. It is good for us to have the moral clarity to call what happened evil and wrong. Our world tries to tell us that good and evil are cultural constructs, but that secular worldview evaporates when something horrific happens, like the murder of Charlie. As Christians, the Bible tells us that we are not to sin in our anger. There is a form of anger that is good, acceptable, and not sin. This form of anger is a righteous indignation when we see something evil, such as the murder of Charlie Kirk. We must not give in to the flesh and seek revenge. In this instance, God has given the government the sword to bring about justice for his murder, and I believe the death penalty is appropriate for the government to pursue in this instance. Pray that justice will occur.

#3. We must speak and teach the truth, starting in our homes, churches, schools, and relationships. George Orwell once said, “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” We need bold, courageous truth tellers. Do not silence your voice. Do not live in fear of man. Do not live by lies. While there is a cost to telling the truth, let us respond, “Here am I, Lord, send me.” Charlie showed us that the truth wins hearts and minds, and that lies can be opposed. And that it can all be done with a big smile. Charlie’s murder is ultimately an attack against God and His good design of life (faith, family, gender, civil government) that the killer hated so much. It is an attack against the American way of life, free speech, the value of human life, and so much more. Teach your children the failure of the secular and Marxist worldview. We just witnessed the ugly fruit of this worldview displayed. Teach children God’s good design for marriage between one man and one woman, what it means to be a man and a woman, how America and western civilization were built on biblical principles, the biblical meaning of equality and justice, and so much more. These truths give life, they bring freedom, and result in liberty. Charlie Kirk stated, “Once people drink from the stream of liberty, they will want to know its source.”

#4. We need to ensure ungodly people do not have access to our children’s minds, including education and media. From all appearances, it looks like Tyler Robinson came from a solid, loving, conservative family. Yet, his educational influences and years hanging out with the wrong crowds in Antifa Discord rooms online were enough to radicalize him. He took photos of communist shirts. He argued with his family over dinner that Charlie was a fascist and a threat to America. He made a plan to kill Charlie and engraved Antifa sayings on the bullet casings. Voddie Baucham said it best, “If you send your children to Caesar, don’t be surprised when they come back a Roman.” Children educated by the state, which is public education, have a high likelihood of adopting secular values instead of their parents’ values. This is what happened to the killer. Choose an education for your children that teaches God’s truth in all areas of life. Radically limit and monitor your child’s media intake. These are serious matters that impact their soul, so treat them with this level of care.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk seems to mark a new era, a world of radicalized youth who lack hope and seek violence as a solution. It is a world no one wants, but may very well be here. When a young father is murdered for simply debating ideas and mobilizing young people to vote for a party that represents half of America, it feels like some sort of invisible line has been crossed that many of us didn’t even know was there. Charlie’s murder is a tragedy for all of us in ways we will only understand as time unfolds. Whatever it means, we trust that God has a plan, and He has invited us to play a part in that plan to share the good news of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word to a lost and hurting world.

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