April 29, 2015

   



Our Mission Statement
We, the Synod of the Covenant,
in partnership with
our presbyteries, congregations, the General Assembly
and other faith communions,
are called and sent by God
to be a living, active and inclusive witness
to the love of Christ  
In This Issue
Mobile Health Fair Team
MultiCutural Youth Conference
Celebrating the Life of Ernesto Badillo
PW Churchwide Gathering
PW Disaster Preparedness
Big Tent 2015
GIVE NOW!
Presbyterian News
No Easy Way

The power of the connectional church 'on display'
Presbyterians kick-off 
weekend of worship and advocacy to end exploitation

Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry hosts 200 Presbyterian advocates to discuss solutions for addressing mass incarceration problem 

  

Participants in 1001 movement are young, racially diverse      

 

PC(USA) calls on Indonesian government to halt execution of Mary Jane Veloso    

  

 Presbyterian Mission Agency Board affirms Purdue as location for 2016 Youth Triennium

Some concerns regarding Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act abated, others remain

  

  

Ecumenical Advocacy Days: 
Rhashell Hunter receives life membership award from Presbyterian Women
Award celebrates commitment to mission and leadership development

Office of Theology and Worship introduces Directory for Worship study guide

'From the Sanctuary to the Street' designed to help Presbyterians engage proposed revision to PC(USA) constitution 

 

New PC(USA) denominational children's curriculum includes children with disabilities and special needs 
From 'making good
church people' to 'becoming good disciples'
221st General Assembly (2014) Voting Tallies

Pillars of the Church program fosters commitment to peace and justice ministries
New program aims to build sustainable community of donors

Presbyterian Mission Agency Board briefed on Educate a Child initiative

U.S. component of the campaign launches a board meeting and in Washington, D.C., this week

Presbyterian Mission Agency Board receives report on new church initiative
Ohio Council of Churches
Presbyterian Women
SYMPOSIUM
Seeing Our Urban Communities Through Kingdom Eyes
COVENANT GATHERING
June 28 - July 3
In conjunction with the MultiCultural Youth Conference



Covenant Gathering Website

Download Brochure
2015 Western National Leadership Training Event
Other LInks
MOBILE HEALTH FAIR 2015!
 MEET THE MHF STAFF

Team Supervisor, Hanan Zaki

Hello! My name is, Hanan Zaki. I'm the Team Supervisor for the 2015 Mobile Health Fair Season. This will be my third and final summer with the team! My hometown is Atlanta, Georgia (Go Dawgs!). I will be a senior at The University of Toledo this Fall. I'm an English-Creative Writing Major and Theatre Minor. I'm currently applying to Law School and hope to be a lawyer someday. I am also very involved at my university: I'm the President of UT's Model United Nations Team and a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity. I love helping others and I look forward to seeing some familiar faces at the fairs this summer!

Team Leader, Brian Harper

Hi! My name is Brian Harper and I attend Cuyahoga Community College. I Study biology and business economics. I worked with the health fair team last year and thought it was a fun, exciting and, most importantly, a helpful experience, and so I decided to re-apply for this year. I look forward to working with everyone this coming summer

Team Member, Nicole Clark

 Hello! My name is Nicole M. Clark. I am currently a junior at the University of Toledo, majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. Along with school, I am a research assistant at the University of Toledo and an emergency room medical documentation scribe in Toledo hospitals. After I graduate, I plan to attend medical school to become a neonatologist. I'm excited to participate in the Mobile Health Fair this summer and gain more experience working with under-privileged patients. I anticipate that this will be a great opportunity for medical exposure and giving back to the community and I can't wait to work hard and get a lot out of the experience!

Team Member, Jinting Hayter

 

 My name is Jinting Hayter and I am just finishing up my sophomore year at the University of Michigan! I am studying Life Science Informatics and trying to squeeze in a minor in Gender and Health. Eventually, I am hoping to go to medical school and become a physician of some sort (I'm unsure of the specifics). A little bit more about me: I have two younger siblings, ages five and ten, so I enjoy hanging out with them. And my favorite things in life are food, Disney, and Christmas.

This will be my first year doing the health fair and I'm super excited! I am looking forward to getting to know everyone and growing in Christ with the rest of the team. I'm also excited to be providing service to people we meet during our trip. I love meeting new people and talking to them to hear their stories; there's always something to learn! I hope to also walk away with more knowledge and experience in the health field. Since medicine is something I am hoping to pursue in the future, this will be a great opportunity for me to experience first hand some of the basic things that health care professionals do. 

Team Member, Holly Olberding
 Hello, my name is Holly Olberding. I'm from Bedford Ohio, I am 19 years old, and I graduated from Bedford High School in 2014. I am STNA certified, as well as lifeguard, CPR, AED, home health aid, and first aid certified. As far as my schooling goes right now I attend Cuyahoga Community College and plan to get my RN. Then after completing my RN l plan on transferring to Indiana Wesleyan University within the next couple of years. My major is nursing, and what I expect to get out of the Health Fair is a learning experience of different environments and cultures. 

Team Member, Francis B. Goins
I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from Shaker Heights High School. I currently attend Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts where I study Political Science and Psychology. I run the 400 meter and 200 meter dash for Tufts and participate in my universities chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. I hope to attend law school after graduation and pursue a career in either constitutional or international law. I love working with others and enjoy dedicating my time in order to help others.  

 

 
4th Annual MultiCultural Youth Conference
MCYC 2014
The 4th Annual Synod of the Covenant MultiCultural Youth Conference is June 29 thru July 3 this year! We hope to see you at Michindoh Conference Center in Hillsdale, MI.


Open to Rising 9th to 12th Graders


$200 by June 1st
$250 after June 1st

$100 Scholarships available by writing one page essay "
What does Multicultural mean to me and where am I'

To register send completed registration and medical form with registration fee and essay(optional) by
JUNE 23 to:
Synod of the Covenant
1911 Indianwood Circle, Suite B
Maumee OH 43537

2014 Comments 
What was your overall impression of the conference?  
'I thought the conference was so great! I would love to come back every year!'
'I like how it turned and can't wait to return!'
'It was a great experience and I loved all the activities and things we did.
''My overall impression was moving-a great experience.'

     

What did the conference do for you personally?  
'It introduced me to cultures and how to be accepting.'
'It made me realize that stereotypes didn't really matter.'
'I feel like it brought me closer to God.'
'It helped me be more open and make more friends.'

  

What Activities did you enjoy?  
'Waterslide, fireworks, free time, the gym'
'Hiking, basketball and volleyball.'
'Every single one.'

 

Celebrating the Life of Ernesto Badillo
The Synod of the Covenant would like to express condolences and prayers with much gratitude and love to our dear brother and friend, the Rev. Ernesto Badillo and his family. May God comfort family and friends on the hope of the resurrection.

Ernesto started at the Board of Pensions in 1992 and served the Synod of the Covenant, Synod of the Trinity and Boroquin (Puerto Rico). He was pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, before joining the Board.

  

In addition to serving as a regional representative, Ernesto had also served as account executive for the Affiliated Benefits Program, manager of the Regional Service team and regional administrator for Member Services.

 

In late March, Ernesto sent out a notice that announced he was assisting in the leadership skills of pastoral candidates during their seminary studies. It was with this in mind that he teamed up with the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico and the Presbyterian Foundation to form the Rev. Ernesto Badillo Fund for Church Administration. These endowed funds provided the resources for an annual course in Church Administration and an annual Church Administration Award.

 

A service of Witness to the Resurrection for Ernesto will be held Saturday, May 2, at 3 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 499 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill NJ 08034. The service will be followed by a greeting of the family and light refreshments. Teaching Elders are invited to wear robes and colorful stoles. 

 

Anyone wishing to continue to honor him can do so through the Presbyterian Mission Exchange by clicking here. 

 

The address for the Badillo family is 11 Woodstone Drive, Voorhees NJ 08043. 

Presbyterian Women Churchwide Gathering


Registration for the 2015 PW Churchwide Gathering is now open!

Register now. 

The Gathering will be held June 18-21, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The theme of the Gathering is "One Body, One Spirit," based on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. As always, workshops, plenary sessions, worship, mission opportunities  and all Gathering programming will explore the theme in the context of a diverse, faithful sisterhood. Full registration for the event is just $395 (less than in 2012!), plus lodging and transportation.

Learn about registration options and see the daily schedule.

 

Presbyterian Women answer call to disaster preparedness 


Recent training helps congregations focus on emergency and disaster preparation

APRIL 14, 2015

Disaster Preparedness trainers and instructors commissioned in Louisville, Ky. -Scott O'Neill

Presbyterian News Service

SCOTT O'NEILL

LOUISVILLE

 

A collaboration between the Presbyterian Women (PW) and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) ministries provides specialized training to equip Presbyterian women to work with their congregations and witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis.

Sixteen women received commissions as Disaster Preparedness Trainers in a brief ceremony held last week at Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) offices in Louisville, Ky. They are now responsible for returning to their local congregations and presbyteries to conduct a minimum of three disaster preparedness trainings per year.

The April 8-9 training was the first PDA event to train Presbyterian Women to become certified as volunteer trainers.  The PW and PDA ministries will train a minimum of two women in each presbytery to prepare families, congregations and presbyteries on how to plan for natural, human-caused, and/or industrial-technical disasters. To become a commissioned disaster preparedness trainer, individuals must be willing to acquire, or have experience in, the following:

 

Continue article 

 

BIG TENT 2015

Experience that deep sense of community one would expect at a national gathering of Presbyterians-a great big family reunion!  Join us for a wide variety of workshops, all under one Big Tent, a conference that will inspire and equip Presbyterians to live missionally.

 

Only $395 per person, which includes accommodations, seven meals, campus parking and outstanding programming. Fees for children and youth are no more than $150 each.

 

More Information 

 

Be inspired...Become equipped...Get connected! 

Synod News Deadline
The article deadline for the next regular edition of this newsletter is Wednesday, May 27, 4:00 p.m. Submit to Janet Fehlen at j.fehlen@synodofthecovenant.org