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October 12, 2017 Issue 109
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Quickly go to the articles listed by clicking on the title below.
Use the QUICK LINKS at the bottom of this column to be easily directed to additional news.
Email Presbytery staff using the directory below.
When's the last time
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Ed Thompson
General Presbyter
Maureen Wright
Stated Clerk, Associate for Congregational Support
Rocky Poole
Financial Administration/Treasurer
Barbara Chalfant
Associate Presbyter for Mission
Susan Sharp Campbell
Associate for Educational Ministry
Nellie Howard
Resource Center Director
Mark Miller
Bluestone Camp Director
Amy Robinson
Office Administrator/Communications
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Prayer List for Churches
Davis Memorial Presbyterian, Gassaway
Fleming Memorial Presbyterian, Fairmont
In Kenya: Mathakwaini (
Mah-THAH-kwab-ENN'nay) Presbyterian Church
Week 43 - October 22
First Presbyterian Church, Mannington
Philippi Presbyterian Church
In Kenya: Mathakwaini (Mah-THAH-kwab-ENN'nay) Church Dispensary
Week 44 - October 29
Rock Lake Presbyterian, South Charleston
Salem Presbyterian Church, Ronceverte
Sugar Grove Presbyterian, Morgantown
In Kenya: Ndugamano (Doh-gah-mah-NO') Presbyterian Church
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Nurturing Faith Ideas
Oct. 15, 22 & 29
Nurturing Faith Ideas are weekly suggestions and activities from the Presbytery's Nurture Committee to link worship and home and to nurture faith development in the family. They are intended for all ages and family types. Add one to your bulletin each week or put them in your monthly newsletter. They could also be sent via email or added to a Facebook page.
Ideas for the entire year can be found near the end of the documents page of wvpresbytery.org.
Read Luke 7:36-50. In what way does the woman's behavior in this Scripture passage make you think about the act of worship and/or how you worship God? Do you feel like your worship is sincere? How might you demonstrate your own gratitude to God? As you join others in worshipping God today, consider these questions and remember this woman.
October 22
This Sunday is "Children's Sabbath." Take time to think about the children in your congregation, whether you have many kids or only one (who visits just once a year). What gifts do children bring into the life of your congregation, and what might your church do to make its younger visitors feel welcome? If you are a child, share what you might like to do in your church with a parent or your pastor.
October 29
Today is Reformation Sunday, and it is not just Reformation Sunday but the 500th Anniversary from when Martin Luther posted his "95 Theses," calling for change in the church of his day. Take time today to read about Martin Luther's life. What difference is the Protestant reformation still making on the Church?
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A Word from our General Presbyter
Ed Thompson
During the last week of September, the West Virginia Council of Churches held a retreat for their Board of Directors that looked at the Spiritual State of Appalachia. That theme followed up on a conference they held in the spring on the State of Appalachia. Unfortunately, I missed that event because of my mother-in-law's funeral, but apparently it dealt more with the economy and the environment of our region.
I was glad I was able to make this one. An insight, which may seem obvious, is that there are significant differences within Appalachia, as well as within our state. For example, Charleston is not Wheeling, Huntington is not Lewisburg, and Martinsburg is not Fairmont. Someone suggested that maybe what we needed to do is conduct a listening tour around the state to learn more about each locale and what's really going on in our area.
Click here to read more
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Family (Church Family) Systems workshop
Oct. 27-28 at Westminster Presbyterian, Charleston. Register by Friday.
Families and congregations are connected by many emotional systems. We speak of church as "the family of God" or the "family of faith," as we worship, play and work together. This workshop with Ruling Elder and Certified Christian Educator Elaine Barnett will enable participants to understand a system, identify systems within their congregation and address the impact of systems on anxiety, conflict and relationships in ways that lead a congregation to a healthier and effective life together.
Registration deadline is Friday, with registrants then sent the advance assignment.
Click here
for more information and to register.
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Bream Memorial Homecoming Celebration
11 a.m. Sunday
 Bream Memorial Presbyterian Church on Charleston's West Side will host a Homecoming Celebration at 11 a.m. Sunday. A landmark on Washington Street West for more than 100 years, the church is at a crossroads as it prepares to call a new permanent pastor.
The church has a strong history of community involvement and social justice, which will be imperative to its mission moving forward. It has also served as a hub for children and youth, and it continues to provide space for learning and growth to its own preschool, Bream Center, as well as Charleston Montessori.
The Homecoming Celebration will bring together members, friends, attendees, and staff, as well as those who have been impacted by the church's preschool and community gymnasium.
A worship service and luncheon will allow people to remember where the church has been, reflect on where it is being called to mission today, and rejoice in its continued work in the future.
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Welcoming LGBTQ: The Joy of Inclusion
Sunday at First Presbyterian, Morgantown & Monday at Davis Memorial, Gassaway
First Presbyterian, Morgantown will host two sessions of this free program on inclusion. The first is 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the church, and the second is at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Davis Memorial, Gassaway
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The program demonstrates
how openness and inclusiveness in Christian communities strengthens and expands the faith. The keynote speaker is Dr. Michael Adee of the Global Faith and Justice Project, in Santa Fe, NM, a longtime advocate within the Christian community.
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Job opening!
Westminster Foundation coordinator
Part-time position at WVU Campus Ministry Center
The Westminster Foundation of WV, a statewide non-profit campus ministry organization of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the University Christian Council, a Morgantown non-profit manager of the historic Rogers House/WVU Campus Ministry Center, seeks a part-time foundation coordinator.
The foundation coordinator will provide support to the board of directors and staff of the of the Westminster Foundation ministries (
Harless Center, Westminster statewide ministries, WVU Presbyterian Student Fellowship
) and University Christian Council ministries (
Rogers House, Campus Ministry Center
) with a range of duties that are organizational, administrative, and property management.
Reporting to the Presbyterian Campus Pastor, the successful candidate will back up the boards and ministries in the areas of general administration, board relations, fundraising, communications, and advocacy and support of campus ministry throughout the state. The successful candidate will be eager to learn the ins and outs of the ministries supported by the foundation, able to quickly respond to requests, possess strong administrative and organizational skills, and work to advocate for the work of the foundation as the first line of response in the main office.
Candidates apply should send a cover letter and resume with three references to [email protected] by Sunday. No phone calls, please. Complete job descriptions are available upon request at [email protected].
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Older Youth Retreat: Climbing Mountains
Nov. 17-19 at Bluestone. Register by Nov. 2.
Youth in grades 9-12 and their adult advisors are encouraged to join together at the Older Youth Retreat at Bluestone Conference Center Nov. 17-19. Seth Lovell, the Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministry at Olivet Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, VA, will be the keynote presenter. Through keynote and small group discussion, participants will explore together the paths we walk throughout our lives - paths with times of struggle and times of ease, along with those with whom we share these paths.
Information regarding this retreat was emailed on Sept. 15 to pastoral leaders, educators, clerks of sessions and youth ministry and Christian education contacts. If you received it, please share it with youth in your congregation and the adults who live/work with them.
If you need this information or any additional information, including how we might include a youth with special needs, contact Susan Sharp Campbell at
[email protected] or 304-645-4568. Complete registration information can be found
here.
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Spotlight on: Edgewood Presbyterian
Church hosts International Peacemaker dinner
On Oct. 2, Edgewood Presbyterian Church hosted an event featuring Sierra Leonne's Ebun James-DeKam, an International Peacemaker with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. People from at least five churches in the Greenbrier Cluster attended the covered dish supper followed by her presentation, which included the response of churches of the world to the troubles in Sierra Leonne, including their civil war, famine, and the recent Ebola epidemic. Her description of the effects of the Ebola outbreak was heartbreaking. She told of the courage of the people working to contain it and help those affected.
Ebun James-DeKam
lives with her family in Freetown, Sierra Leone. With her MA in Education, she taught in the classroom for a number of years. She served as the Director of the Human Rights and Social Services Department of the Council of Churches, and in 2011, she was appointed to the position of General Secretary for the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone, leading them in the implementation of a variety of activities to counter and defeat the Ebola virus epidemic
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Her trip to the United States began with a meeting in Louisville, KY, right before her visit to West Virginia. Her next stop will be in San Francisco.
At the end of the evening's program, Pastor Larryetta Ellis brought everyone together in the center of the hall and led a prayer for Ebun James-DeKam and her work.
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Food Week of Action and World Food Day
The global Food Week of Action (Monday-Oct. 22) is an opportunity for Christians around the world to act together for food justice and food sovereignty. It is a time to raise awareness about approaches that help individuals and communities develop resiliency and combat poverty. Beyond examining our food choices, we must also recognize the lingering roots of racism embedded in our food system, which was founded on slavery and plantation agriculture, and still exploits the environment and workers in the food chain. We call for societal and policy changes that bring us closer to realizing the right to food for everyone and positive transformation of the dominant system.
The Food Week of Action includes
International Day for Rural Women (Oct. 15), World Food Day (Oct. 16), and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (Oct. 17).
Click here to read more and
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Deep & Wide: Boundless Hospitality
2018 Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Annual Event at The Galt House, Louisville, KY
The event's theme encourages you to open your heart, mind and doors. With 80 workshops, 6 mini-plenaries, imaginative worship, keynote presentations and a marketplace, there is something for anyone engaged in educational ministry who wants to learn more about being welcoming in their ministry and congregation.
The early registration deadline is Dec. 8, for which the cost is $350 for APCE members and $525 for non-members; after that, it goes up by $50 through Jan. 5 and another $50 after that. Joining APCE, even if only for a year, will help lower your cost. Also, please be aware that workshop sizes are limited, and some fill up quickly.
If you are interested but not sure about attending, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell at [email protected] or 304-645-4568. Several of our educators have already registered, and we would welcome more to join us. Also, the presbytery has some money available for scholarships, and APCE also offers some scholarship (for which you must apply by Sunday). Please be in touch if you need more information about this as well.
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WV Council of Churches Annual Assembly
Sunday-Tuesday at Christ Church United Methodist, Charleston
 The 136th Annual Assembly of the West Virginia Council of Churches begins on Sunday evening with a worship service at 7 p.m., to which all are invited.
The Rev. Jim Winkler, the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, is preaching and will also give the keynote address on Monday morning
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Additionally, Monday morning
will feature an Ecumenical Breakfast, with Bishop Matthew Riegel speaking on "Arson, Arrest, War Bonds and Bandages: Reformation 400 in America
," as well as a presentation
by Rabbi Victor Urecki on Tikkum Olam (Repair of the World) and a Muslim-Christian dialogue. In the afternoon, there are workshops on Community Reentry for Ex-Offenders, Becoming a Child Advocate, Disaster Response 101 and the Three Streams of Organizing.
The Assembly concludes on Tuesday with an Ecumenical Prayer Service for Peace, a Dialogue on Dismantling Racism in West Virginia and a Public Policy Forum.
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24th Annual Jim Dent Dinner for the Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center
Tuesday at Embassy Suites, Charleston
Stand-up comedian John Crist will perform at the 24th Annual Jim Dent Dinner, which begins with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and Crist's performance at 8 p.m.
The Dent Dinner is the only fundraising event for the KPCC, which provides more than $180,000 in uncompensated services annually.
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We invite you to print and include this newsletter in your bulletins, give it to your congregation and distribute widely. We hope it is helpful for your congregation and community.
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From the Resource Center
An often overlooked resource for Presbyterians is the website
https://www.thethoughtfulchristian.com, which is part of the Presbyterian Publishing Inc. and has resources for just about any subject for which you might be looking.
 Besides many books on theology, religion and Christian living, it also offers studies that you may instantly download for a small cost. For instance, right now, there is an interesting looking downloadable study titled
Christmas Accounts in the Gospels, which is a four-session study. In it, we are asked to consider what each Gospel writer's house might have looked like at Christmas based on the writer's description of Jesus' birth. The study includes participant handouts, leader's guides and illustrations of each imagined Gospel house.
If you are researching studies for a variety of classes throughout the year, you might consider a subscription to The Thoughtful Christian. For just $125 a year, you have access to all their downloadable studies, though each may be bought individually without a subscription.
Some other downloadable studies for adults to take us through the Advent and Christmas season are...
Click here to read more
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Peace & Global Witness Offering
The Peace & Global Witness Offering is received during the Season of Peace, which ends on Sunday, which is World Communion Sunday. However, you can help sustain the important PC(USA) ministries and programs that are supported by this important Offering by making a gift online at any time throughout the year. Checks can be mailed in care of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700.
Christmas Joy Offering Supplies
Have you ordered your Christmas Joy Offering Supplies? Now is the time!
Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the Christmas Joy Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges.
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Regarding Ruling Elders
Meetings as God's leading
By Rev. Dr. Diana Nishita Cheifetz
I dread meetings. As a lifelong Presbyterian, I am embarrassed to admit this. Meetings can feel tedious, frustrating, confusing, and so unspiritual.
Meetings are a significant part of how we, as people of faith, discern, organize, and execute decisions and actions. They are how we get things done. But most importantly, it is through meetings that together we listen to and act upon God's leading.
I've been reflecting on what makes meetings challenging for me. I am asking myself questions and looking at what I can do about it. While your experiences and context are different than mine, perhaps one, or more, will strike a chord for you.
Click here to read more
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Christmas Tree Seeking New Home
First Presbyterian Church in Oak Hill has a 15-foot, unlighted Christmas tree available free to anyone who needs it. If interested, contact Kathy Moss, the Clerk of Session, at 304-465-8522 or [email protected] to arrange pickup.
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Sign up for The Beech Tree
The Beech Tree, the Friends of Bluestone newsletter, is now electronic. If you wish to receive it, go
here
to sign up.
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*Also on the webpage
You will find located on the Home page of the website (scroll down past the photo) direct links to recent newsletters, Equipping Disciples events, Ministry Toolbox events, the Pray-For church list and Nurturing Faith Ideas for 2017, e-news Archives and more. Please let us know how we can improve the website and whenever you encounter any problem with it. Thank you.
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Editor's Note:
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In order to keep the PWV Newsletter
fresh,
articles sent
for publication will generally run for two consecutive issues.
If you wish for a piece to continue to run, please resubmit.
We encourage you to reword, add a photo (or different photo),
or change the piece in some way so that the news stays
fresh and interesting.
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Presbytery of West Virginia,
520 Second Avenue,
South Charleston, WV 25303
Phone (304) 744-7634, Fax (304) 744-7649,
Office Hours: Monday -Thursday 8:30AM-5:30PM
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