E-Newsletter
August / 29 / 2017
Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard
Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy
Transitional Leader

"Big Gathering"  

    On Thursday the Presbytery Gathering will take place, and it is going to be a big one! If you are wondering if you should attend, the answer is yes! At this Gathering we will meet our new Designated Associate Presbytery Leader, Vanessa Hawkins. Also, we will vote on moving the presbytery office to a new home. There will be motions tweaking the presbytery design, as well as new ways to invest in mission and communities. There will be an examination for candidacy, and voting on new members for teams, committees, and commissions. Furthermore, we will present these ideas in a new format that we hope will be efficient, informative, and motivating.

Our Presbytery - Our Work
    This week's our prayer basket overflows ....    
   Please pray for travel mercies for Hurricane Harvey victims, and continued prayers for our nation in
   Click here to add a prayer slip to our basket, and please visit our prayer page often in unity and love of those who are listed there. You can find the page here.
Eyes Wide-Open PC(USA)
Response to Charlottesville
  In the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia top leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) issued statements condemning white supremacy and racism.
 Caritas Presbyterian Fellowship
Sat., Sept. 16 - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
  Learn in person, or by viewing a live stream, about the genetics and environmental factors that increase a person's risk for mental health issues. Follow here for more information and to register.

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  Resource Center Update
  Barbi and Stephanie have been diligently working to update, add inventory, and labeling in the Resource Center. They are continuing to be supportive to all of our congregations and teams, by ensuring that each have what they need to build and maintain healthy vibrant ministries.
  If you have resources out that have ben used, but are ready for return, please bring them with you the August 31 Presbytery Gathering at Washington Presbyterian Church. Stephanie and Barbie will be at a table that day accepting resource material.
 Your help in utilizing and returning resource material gives strength to our presbytery.
Team Events & Updates
 Upcoming Ministry Team Meetings
(All Teams meet at the Presbytery Center, unless noted)

Thurs., Aug. 31
12:30 p.m. - Presbytery Gathering (Washington Presbyterian)

   Call for the Stated Meeting
Has Been Sent  & Papers Posted
 
   The Call for the Stated Meeting can be found here . If you have any questions, please let us know by emailing or calling Office Manager, Leigh Porter at  [email protected] or 314-772-2395.
  In honor of our host church please bring a gift of love in the form of canned fruit, spaghetti sauces or bread mixes. This will in turn be giving to the local food pantry they support. A simple gift of love!


Presbytery Office Closed Thursday, as staff attends the meeting.
Presbyterian Agencies Approve
Intent to Merge
    
    Upon the recommendation of a Joint Trustee Committee, the Board of Trustees of two social service agencies, Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services of Missouri (PCHAS MO) and Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services of Texas and Louisiana (PCHAS TX/LA), have approved their intent to merge effective January 1, 2018.
  “Both Boards have voted unanimously to take the necessary steps towards merger,” shared Bob Farris, Chair of the Joint Trustee Committee and the PCHAS TX/LA Board of Trustees. The new agency will be known as Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS). For the past five years, both agencies have worked side by side under the leadership of Ed Knight, PCHAS of Texas and Louisiana’s President/CEO and PCHAS of Missouri’s Board President.
Our Community Connected
  Presbyterians in Prison Ministry
  Have you ever considered participating in Prison Ministry? Commitment these ministry teams is NOT financial--it is relational, and it can be as simple as treating someone like a person again, claimed and beloved by God. Our Presbytery has currently fielded six teams. There are two teams from Ladue Chapel and First Presbyterian, St. Louis, and one team each from Cote Brilliante and Second Presbyterian, Cote Brilliante.
These churches have readied themselves to be a relational loving arm of Christ to those in prison. We are seeking four more ministry teams or more before the end of 2017 - Could that be you?
 Start your research here:  Concordance Academy invites the congregations in the St. Louis region to start right at home. 95 percent of the people sent away to prison will eventually return to society where they will seek to build new lives. We at Concordance seek to empower success in building new lives by providing opportunities for employment, housing, education, and new life skills. The deepest need people have coming out of prison, through, is a restored sense of community. For this, we call on our congregational partners to match each of our participants with a "support team" to walk with them for their first year back home.

Celebrating 61 Years of Worship, Fellowship & Ministry at Cote Brilliante
  Join Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 17, 2017 for regular worship at 10 a.m. and at 2 p.m. will continue in an Anniversary Musical Celebration with invited musical guests.
  All are welcome to join in worship and praise of Almighty God for this dynamic ministry.
Presbyterian Women Fall Gathering

   Mark your calendars for the Presbyterian Women of Giddings-Lovejoy fall gathering. The theme is “Cloud of Witnesses” and will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at New Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Charles, Missouri from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Rev. Joy Meyers will present the Fall bible study to all in attendance. Lunch is available for a small fee of $10 per person.
  The registration deadline is Friday, September 15,
2017. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ann Schmidt at 636-699-2142. Registration for the gathering can be found on page 4 of this month’s Linkletter. which can be found here.
2017 ST. LOUIS CROP WALK AND CONCERT
 
  The 2017 St. Louis CROP Walk and Concert will be Sunday, October 1 at Eden Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood Ave. in Webster Groves 63119, starting at 5:30 pm with registration/check-in/walking, followed by the CROP Concert at 7:00 pm. In between, you may pick up supper from 2Girls4Wheels!, a food truck featuring St. Louis favorites. Everyone is invited to walk and/or sing to raise funds for CROP, the hunger-fighting wing of Church World Service, of which the PCUSA is a vital part. The CROP Concert features Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (see his contribution to GLORY TO GOD), along with Paul Vasile and the Eden Choir. 
  Register, create a team, and/or donate at www.crophungerwalk.org/saintlouismo . 
Questions? Contact Clint McCann at [email protected] or 314-395-5826.
TIPS FOR LIVING "GREEN
Refuse to buy individual water bottles! 
   The water they contain is neither safer nor cleaner than most tap water. Bottled water is not regulated or tested the way tap water is, and costs as much if not more than gasoline. Also, it takes a lot of water to make a plastic bottle!
("TIPS" are provided by the presbytery's Earth Care Action Team comprised of members of the seven certified Earth Care Congregations of the presbytery. For more information about becoming a certified ECC, contact [email protected].
 *** Remember that Friday, September 1 is World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the first day of the Celebration of Creation Month on the Presbyterian Calendar.
Educational Opportunities
Christian Martyrdom and Political Violence
  
  In recent years, martyrdom and political violence have been conflated in the public imagination. Rubén Rosario Rodríguez, Teaching Elder within Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, argues that martyr narratives deserve consideration as resources for resisting political violence in contemporary theological reflection. Underlying the three Abrahamic monotheistic traditions is a shared belief that God requires liberation for the oppressed, justice for the victims and, most demanding of all, love for the political enemy.
  Christian, Jewish and Muslim martyr narratives that condone political violence - whether terrorist or state-sponsored - are examined alongside each religion's canon, in order to evaluate how central or marginalized these discourses are within their respective traditions. Primarily a work of Christian theology in conversation with Judaism and Islam, this book aims to model religious pluralism and cooperation by retrieving distinctly Christian sources that nurture tolerance and facilitate coexistence, while respecting religious difference.
   Acknowledgements in this book include Ladue Chapel and Trinity Presbyterian Churches.
  E4 Faith Formation Conference
Educate-Empower-Energize-Engage

   The 2017 E4 Faith Formation Conference will be held October 22-24, 2017 at the Embassy Suites (Kansas City Airport) in Kansas City, Mo. 
  This year our theme is “Christian Education Renovation”, and we have built the schedule and planned our workshops with that in mind. Jason Brian Santos is the Mission Coordinator for Christian Formation (Christian education, children, youth, college, young adult, camps and conference ministries) at the Presbyterian Mission Agency. He also serves as the National Director of UKirk Collegiate Ministries. More information can be found here .
  Blessing the Waters of Life: Justice and Healing for Our Watersheds

 The national biennial conference, held September 26-29, 2017,  of Presbyterians for Earth Care will focus on water issues at the nexus of faith, climate change and indigenous people. Caring for and celebrating the “waters of life” has always been central to Indigenous people of the world much as water rituals and images in scripture are central in the Christian tradition.
  Our keynote speaker is the Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing, an ordained Lutheran minister, and seminary professor, who is active in public theology in both the scholarly academy and the church, working on climate justice and the Bible. The worship leader is the Rev. Dr. Paul Galbreath, a professor of theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte.   Please continue hear to read more.  
VBS Curriculum Available   

   St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Ballwin has Hero Central Vacation Bible School supplies with a full kit of leader’s guides and DVDs to share with another congregation. 
  Please contact [email protected] , and we will send it your way.
Ministry Postings
    Small Congregation Seeking Pastor
Small congregation seeking part-time pastor. This community is in the western area of the Presbytery, approximately a one hour drive west of St. Louis.
  Interest parties, please read the position description, found here , and then email the Clerk of Session, Cindy Koppelmann, at [email protected].   
  Seeking: An Excellent Tenor for a
FUN Church Choir!
    Trinity Presbyterian church in University City seeks a qualified and versatile singer to serve as Tenor Section Leader for our chancel choir. Must have excellent sight-reading skills and sing comfortably in a wide variety of musical styles. Competitive compensation. For full details, please contact Vicki Carmichael, Minister of Music, at 314-725-3840 or email to: [email protected] .
Children’s Ministry Assistant
    First Presbyterian, Kirkwood is seeking a Children’s Ministry Assistant will work closely with the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries, the Director of Music Ministries, the Children and Family Committee of Session, volunteers, and staff to facilitate the faith formation of the children of the First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, MO. The Children’s Ministry Assistant will be supervised by the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries. The position description can be found here . If interested please email , [email protected]