One Foot in Summer and One Foot in Fall

A reflection from Executive Presbyter & Transitional Stated Clerk Rev. Dr. Erin Cox-Holmes

Recently I took what we call a “staycation” week. In fact, all the staff were off on various adventures, and we turned off the work production pipeline for a week. All, that is, except for Stephanie, who held down the fort, collected the mail, and managed the unexpected. It made me grateful, once again, for this remarkable group of humans and their constant labor to equip the mission of the Presbytery of Donegal.

And what is that? The Mission of the Presbytery of Donegal is to participate in the Gospel of Jesus Christ by equipping the ministry of congregations and leaders of congregations, and by carrying out the mission that we do better together as a presbytery to fulfill the Great Ends of the Church.

I spent part of my unplugged time away dwelling in the beauty of the flowers and plants that populate my back porch. It had taken a ton of backbreaking labor at the start of this season to haul out the pots from their winter hibernating space, arrange them, and fill them with fresh soil. Next came the careful work of considering each plant, not only in its own unique beauty, but also in relation to all its other potential container-mates, and arranging them to together become the Porch Paradise. But then, it is the inexorable force of God’s always-creating goodness that grows the flowers.

The world is charged with the grandeur of God, says Gerard Manley Hopkins.

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

…And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs--

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Summer is the time when we open our eyes to see the Holy Ghost brooding over the flowers with bright wings, and also over everything else.

But this staycation also involved what was neither staying nor cationing: the Reaming Out of the Closets. I promised myself that, for every two minutes on the porch, I would put one minute into the closets. And the drawers. And the horrible storage room in the basement. I had cleaned them all out to keep from going crazy in the early days of Covid. But detritus piles up, and SIX YEARS LATER it was time to do it again. I gathered piles for donation: the stuff I no longer actually need, that might bring use or pleasure to someone else.

Even in the space of summer, the staff, the Leader Team, and all the remarkable committees and commissions that keep the fabric of the presbytery are looking to the fall. What weaves the continuing beauty of this presbytery? What used to be useful but now has become clutter?

Over the coming weeks, It’s Never Dull in Donegal will be letting you know about the continuing opportunities and fresh initiatives for the next season in the life of the presbytery. We are looking to savor the present beauty of another month of summer. And we are looking to savor all the goodness that lies ahead in our life together. We hope that you are too!

Erin C-H

Wee Kirk Small Church Conference

For Pastors, Elders, Deacons & Lay Leaders!

Monday, October 13 - Wednesday, October 15

Laurelville Retreat Center, Mt. Pleasant, PA

We are organizing a group from Donegal Presbytery to attend the Wee Kirk (Scottish for "small church") conference in western Pennsylvania! This annual event aims to inspire, equip, motivate, and encourage small churches and to provide rest and refreshment for the clergy and lay leaders of small churches.

The event is designed for anyone with a leadership role in a small church -- pastors, staff, ruling elders, deacons, trustees, committee members, and other volunteers.

Learn more about the conference and presenters HERE.

The cost of the conference is $200 per person in a double-occupancy room, or $350 per person in a private room (available on a first-come, first-served basis). The presbytery is offering scholarships for those with financial need -- especially non-clergy without continuing education budgets. We do not want cost to be a barrier that keeps anyone from attending!

Contact Stephanie Borger at stephanie@donegalpby.org with questions.

Use the button below to sign-up to attend with the Donegal Presbytery delegation. (You don't need to complete the registration form on the conference website. The presbytery office will register us all together as a group.)

Grants Available

To Support Congregational Mission

The Engaging Our Mission Committee (EOM) of Donegal Presbytery has grants available to support the mission and ministry of congregations!

EOM grants of up to $5,000 are available to help fund congregations' mission and outreach initiatives. Grants of up to $2,500 are available to assist with building improvements and technology upgrades.

Last year, EOM mission grants supported local hunger relief, hurricane clean-up efforts, Spanish classes, a Rise Against Hunger meal-packing event, refugee resettlement, and mission trips. EOM facility/technology grants helped churches upgrade an audio system, a Baby Room, livestream capabilities, Fellowship Hall flooring, and a security system.

The Engaging Our Mission Committee is thrilled to see the many ways God is at work in and through the congregations of Donegal Presbytery. We are excited to continue partnering with you as you serve God and serve your neighbors.