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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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Save the Date: Small Church Conference
The fourth annual Small Church Conference will take place Saturday, September 23, 2017. This will be a
time of joyful reunions and learning ways that God empowers our ministries, as well as gaining a renewed and strengthening sense of what it means to be the people of God, growing stronger together as a presbytery ready for an exciting, meaningful and confident future in faith, hope and love. Save the date magnets are available at the Presbytery office and will also be distributed at the next Presbytery Meeting.
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Prayer List for Churches
Week 18 - April 30
Ruffner Memorial Presbyterian, Charleston
South Park Presbyterian Church, Charleston
In Kenya:
Kagumo (Kah-GOOM'OH)
Parish
Week 19 - May 7
Kanawha United Presbyterian, Charleston
First Presbyterian Church, Logan
Milton Presbyterian Church
In Kenya:
Githiru (Gay-THEE'roh) Presbyterian Church
Week 20 - May 14
F
irst Presbyterian Church, Thomas
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Vienna
In Kenya:
Kiagonde (Kigh-GOH'day) Presbyterian Church
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Nurturing Faith Ideas
April 30, May 7 and 14
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 24:13-35. As you eat bread this week, remember the words of Jesus: "This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me." With whom might you share a meal this week and experience the presence of Jesus, who loves us forever?
May 7
In Acts 2:42, we read, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." It has just been a month since we began to celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Do you still feel the joy? What might you joyously do to show your devotion to the teachings of Jesus? Do it.
May 14
Today we celebrate all the women who have been mothers to us --- from our biological mothers to the many women who have guided us in our lives. What women have been guides for you as a Christian? Make a list of these women as you think about what each has done for you. After you have made your list, then make another list of how you can be a guide to young people.
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A Word from our General Presbyter
Ed Thompson
On Saturday, April 22, I gave the keynote address at the gathering of the Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of West Virginia, which was held at the First Presbyterian Church of Parkersburg. One of the things I suggested to them is that they find ways to serve as mentors or partners to a younger generation of women if they want to pass on the values and wisdom they have and if they want Presbyterian Women to survive.
As I've reflected on that, I've realized this advice really applies to all of us. How do we pass on the values and wisdom we have? How do we pass on our faith to a younger generation? That's a question I've struggled with for a long time. I have not found any quick or easy answers.
Click here to read more
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Nominating Committee Accepting General Assembly Commissioner Applications
The General Assembly will meet June 16-23, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Nominating Committee is now accepting applications for Ruling Elder and Teaching Elder/Minister of Word and Sacrament Commissioner and Young Adult Advisory Delegates. Applications will be accepted through June 15, 2017.
The Nominating Committee will be guided in its work by the leading of the Holy Spirit and the appropriate provisions of the Book of Order, particularly F-1.03, F-1.04 and G-3.0302a. Applicants should demonstrate activity in the life of the Church, especially within their congregation and the Presbytery of West Virginia. Commissioners need to have the ability to interpret and communicate the actions of the GA back to the Presbytery and should be prepared to present a brief report at the August 2018 Presbytery Meeting and at other events around the presbytery, as requested. Ruling Elder Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegates must be endorsed by their Session.
Click here to download an application.
(Page 1 is for Teaching Elders, page 2 for Ruling Elders and page 3 for Young Adult Advisory Delegates.)
If you have questions or need more information on serving the presbytery as a commissioner, please contact General Presbyter Ed Thompson or Stated Clerk Maureen Wright at 304-744-7634.
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Bluestone Camp Director Mark Miller is having surgery to remove his gallbladder on Tuesday, May 2. Please keep him, his wife and the camp in your prayers.
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News from the Associate for Educational Ministry
Susan Sharp Campbell
Stewardship Workshop
June 2 and 3 at Kanawha United Presbyterian
The next Expanding Your Ministry Toolbox course will be a Stewardship Workshop Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3 at Kanawha United Presbyterian Church, Charleston. These courses are particularly designed for Commissioned Ruling Elders, Authorized Lay Preachers, Christian Educators, Pastors and others in leadership in our congregations, especially those with limited continuing education funds.
This workshop will consider ways to celebrate the assets in small congregations and to energize their stewardship and cultivate a culture of generosity. Special emphasis will be on small membership churches, which often tend to see their limitations and liabilities instead of affirming their unique assets; however, leaders in stewardship from all size congregations are welcome.
The workshop leader is Olanda Carr, East Region Ministry Relations Officer of the Presbyterian Foundation.
For those needing housing on Friday night, the WV Institute for Spirituality and John XXIII Pastoral Center offer very reasonably priced accommodations.
The registration deadline is Monday, May 8. Upon registration, the advance assignment will be sent to participants.
Click here to register
Child Protection Policy and Training Help
The Constitution of the PC(USA) now requires that each council, including sessions, have a Child and Youth Protection Policy. Many sessions have begun working on these, but others aren't sure what to include, where to start, etc. The Presbytery of West Virginia now has several people across the presbytery who have been trained in assisting sessions in writing child protection policies. If you would like to have one of these trainers meet with those who are developing a policy for your session/congregation, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell, Associate for Educational Ministry, at 304-667-9428 or
[email protected]
or Maureen Wright, Stated Clerk, at 304-744-7634 or
[email protected]
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Youth Council Application Reminder
Applications can be found
here
. They will be considered at the Nurture Committee's May 25 meeting. Complete applications include: 1) application form, 2) session nomination and 3) parent support form. Church leaders are reminded that one adult and one youth may be nominated from any particular church in a given year.
Scholarship Application Reminder
Due May 1
Applications can be found
here. To be considered, the application form and letters of recommendation must all be submitted by May 1.
For those who wish to renew loans for another year, a letter with this request and an update on the progress being made should be send to
[email protected] or Presbytery of WV, attn.: Susan Sharp Campbell, 520 Second Avenue, South Charleston, WV 25303.
Educators Gathering
Wednesday, May 24 at Huntington Museum of Art
The next gathering of those involved/interested in educational ministry will be Wednesday, May 24 at the Huntington Museum of Art. We will have a tour there at 10 a.m., eat our brown bag lunches and be outside in the afternoon; the cost per person will be $5. For those wishing to carpool from Charleston, we will meet at the presbytery office at 9 a.m. For more information, contact Susan Sharp Campbell.
Another ALP/CRE Preparation Program to begin in September 2018
While some of the specifics are still up in the air, the Vocations Committee is planning another Authorized Lay Preacher/Commissioned Ruling Elder Preparation Program to begin in September 2018. Are there people in your congregation who have gifts and skills for commissioned pastoral ministry or pulpit supply, who might sense a call to serve churches in our presbytery as Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) or Authorized Lay Preachers (ALPs)? Do you sense a call to do so? Prayerfully consider how you might respond or how you might encourage someone(s) in your congregation to be a part of this preparation program.
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Presbytery of WV Builds a Bridge
In 2015, a series of devastating floods occurred in the state
and caused more than 600 private bridges to be significantly
damaged or destroyed. Half of those bridges belonged to
families who had no resources to repair of rebuild the bridges
that gave them access to their homes and neighborhoods.
WVVOAD (WV Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disaster, of which the presbytery is part of) helped with this problem, aided by the Mennonite Disaster Service, which designed 7 different bridges that could be modified for various settings. The first bridges were built in December 2015, and there are currently 29. The 28th, in Cabell County (pictured), was sponsored by the presbytery. Click here to read more about WVVOAD's bridge-building effort
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Presbyterian Homes in WV
Did you know that the Presbyterian Church is affiliated with quite a number of housing facilities for older adults in West Virginia? Most are for the purpose of providing safe, well-cared-for housing for lower-income older adults. We also have two family housing properties that we have been associated with for many years.
If your congregation is near one of the homes, get involved by doing things like praying for the staff and residents; volunteering to lead a class, play games, host a party, answer phones and more; donating to a presbytery emergency fund to assist residents and being a member of the Presbyterian housing Fund Board of WV.
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Synod Regional Gathering to be held May 11 in Morgantown
 In May, The Synod of the Trinity is holding four regional gatherings to connect its people, presbyteries and congregations
for discussion and interaction. The one in our region (the southwest region, which also includes
the
Pittsburgh, Redstone, Upper Ohio Valley and Washington presbyteries
) is May 11 at First Presbyterian, Morgantown.
The day runs 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and includes your choice of a morning targeted conversation group, plus afternoon worship and a conversation on "Remembering What Will Come: Embracing Our Identity as God's People in an Uncertain Age." The conversation groups are Story Weaving: Learning to Let Your Part of the Gospel Story Arise; Cultivating Wonder, Curiosity and Awe; Into the Light: Joining the Conversation about Addiction; Connecting with the Community: With Others, For Youth; Holy Advocacy: A Time for Mutual Understanding and Exploring Resources from the Presbyterian Foundation.
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PC(USA) Constitutional Amendments Ratified
As of April 10, all 16 amendments to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) proposed by the 222nd General Assembly have received the 86 affirmative votes necessary for ratification. The new proposals will take effect on June 25. Click here to read more
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Caring for God's Earth
Vacation Bible School and Summer Study, Part I
 By Nellie Howard, Resource
Center Director
SUMMER! What a great time to learn something new about God's Creation. The Presbytery of West Virginia Resource Center has some good choices for Summer Bible School for both children and adults. Most of the programs offered below may be adapted for Sunday School, after-school programs or church retreats. This part I will let you know about what your Resource Center has for children, while Part II, which will appear in the next newsletter, will cover offerings for adults to study.
Offerings in this part include free web programs from The Society of St. Andrew (endhunger.org) and Solar Under the Sun, an Ecumenical Ministry of the Synod of the Sun, PC(USA) (solarunderthesun.org), as well as the books
Earth Child 2000: Earth Science for Young Children, Games, Stories, Activities and Experiments and
Fifty Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth and the programs
God's Creation, Our Health: Taking Action Together and
Clean Water for All God's Children.
Click here to read more about these offerings
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Introducing New Resources
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Upcoming National Events
July 6-8 in St. Louis
Big Tent is a biennial gathering for Presbyterians from across the country. The 2017 event will take place at Washington University in St. Louis and have a theme of Race, Reconciliation and Reformation, which will emphasize the hope of the gospel and its power to transform society in our current cultural context marked by anxiety, racial division, political animosity and economic inequality. The cost is $395 (includes accommodations). Read more about Big Tent 2017 and register for it
here.
Women's Connection 2017
Aug. 11-13 at Montreat
The theme of this year's Montreat Women's Connection is Fullness of Life. The conference features keynote presenter Rachel Held Evans, as well as activities including worship, recreation, workshops and a time to study and discuss Evans' book, "Searching for Sunday."
It is a holy time for women to honor who God created them to be and will encourage participants to find grace and renewal through reflection, rest and community. Rates range from $282.50-$432.50, depending on your room selection. Read more about Women's Connection 2017 and register here.
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Can your church use these items?
 First Presbyterian, Morgantown has a four-drawer cabinet with a display rack for papers on top (pictured) that it will gift to another congregation. It must be picked up at the church. Contact church secretary Johnetta Velickoff at 304-296-8236 or [email protected].
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The blond wood baptismal font from the now-defunct Montgomery Presbyterian Church needs a new home. Please contact Maureen Wright or Rocky Poole at the Presbytery office.
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Unity of Kanawha Valley, located in the former South Hills Presbyterian Church, is looking to replace the old South Hills pews with stackable seating. The beautiful, wooden pews seat about 70. Contact Unity's president, Sharon Mullins, at [email protected].
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Mission Ideas
At the Feb. 25 Presbytery Meeting Mission Fair, participants had the opportunity to share what their congregations were doing and who to contact for more information. Below are those ideas. Please feel free to contact the people listed for more information about how your congregation can do some exciting new things in your community.
* We are doing a Food Backpack for weekends for an elementary school in Mount Hope, WV. We serve 18 children. Call Suzette Wingrove at 304-575-6897.
* We are doing a 30-hour Famine at Old Stone Presbyterian Church.
* United Christian Food Pantry: Contact Barbara Accord, 304-765-3107
* First Presbyterian, Bluefield was a relay center for processing 2,600+ Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes and then sent a 13-person team to Charlotte to pack at the processing center.
* The youth of Riverlawn, St Albans are beginning a six-week study called "True Story: What God Wants Us to Do about Poverty" preparing them for local efforts and our Colombia trip this June.
[email protected]
* We serve lunch to college students in need at Fairmont State University. Call First Presbyterian of Fairmont.
* Take Out Church, using pizza boxes filled with a variety of items for children to do over the summer...we deliver ours to the mission. Call Bridgeport Presbyterian.
* Working with a recovery house as a partner in ministry. David Richards, 2nd Church, Huntington, 304-412-3689
* Suicide awareness ministry, Valleyoftheshadow.org - Beth Stone, Bradley
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Davis & Elkins College Inauguration Week
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Rev. Chris Wood was inaugurated as Davis & Elkins College's 15th president on March 30.
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Davis & Elkins College was alive with activity March 26-30 in honor of Rev. Chris Wood's inauguration as the school's 15th president. Every day celebrated a different aspect of the College's ministry and mission. The theme for the week built on a wise word from President Wood's father that "the journey continues" throughout our lives.
Activities included a Rise Against Hunger event on Sunday; a talk by D&E graduate and member of its 1970 NAIA championship soccer team
Hank Steinbrecher on Monday; a musical, theatrical and artistic showcase on Tuesday; a reading by West Virginia poet laureate Marc Harshman on Wednesday and a lecture by D&E graduate David Morrison and the inauguration on Thursday.
Read President Wood's inaugural address, which calls for collaboration in D&E's journey to the future, here
. S
ee the week in video here. Click here to read more
LEFT: President Wood and D&E students help at the Rise Against Hunger event.
RIGHT: Presbytery Stated Clerk Maureen Wright speaks at the inauguration.
LEFT: Rev. Sue Wonderland of the Synod of the Trinity preaches at Sunday's worship service.
RIGHT: The dedication of the
Morrison-Novakovic Center for Faith and Public Policy was held Thursday.
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New Marshall UKirk Pastor
The Westminster Foundation met Monday, March 27 and approved the recommendation of the Pastor Nominating Committee to call Mr. Christopher M. Bailey as campus pastor at Marshall University's UKirk ministry. Mr. Bailey was unanimously approved for ordination at a called meeting of presbytery on March 28. The presbytery celebrates with Westminster Foundation, as well as the Marshall University and Huntington communities as Marshall UKirk begins a new chapter in its ministry.
Click here to read the Marshall Parthenon article on Bailey
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Rock Lake Community Life Center Coordinator Wanted
The Rock Lake Presbyterian Church's Community Life Center is seeking someone to help them meet the needs of the local community. The RLCLC exists to provide resource, care, space and opportunities to come together in various ways. They are looking for a Christian who will be able to work with people of all backgrounds, interests, needs, strengths and weaknesses.
Candidates should be caring, praying, empathetic leaders, who are computer and Internet literate, detail oriented, a competent manager, outgoing, friendly, thoughtful and able to communicate well. The position is 35 hours a week. Job duties include acting as the primary contact for programs, overseeing the day-to-day activities, handling communications and fundraising duties, maintaining the facility
and recruiting, training and coordinating volunteers. Click here for full job description
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New Resources Equip Ruling Elders to be Spiritual Leaders
Helping ruling elders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) function as spiritual leaders in their congregations is the focus of a series of monthly articles set to premiere in mid-April. Titled "Regarding Ruling Elders: A Monthly Series for Spiritual Leaders," the series is free and will be available online in three languages: English, Spanish, and Korean.
Click here to read more
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A Move to Part-Time Clergy Sparks Innovation in Congregations
Although church leaders often worry that switching from full-time to part-time clergy will lead to decline, congregations across the country are finding new vitality by reimagining the roles of clergy and laypeople. (Click the above link to read the article.)
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Bluestone Summer Camp Scholarships
Scholarships are available for Bluestone summer campers, thanks to support from the Molly Grant Scholarship Fund. Candidates must apply through their local church; find applications
here
. Funds will be distributed at the discretion of the Presbytery's Bluestone Committee.
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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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