O come, Desire of nations, bind

All peoples in one heart and mind;

Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;

Fill the whole world with heaven's peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee O Israel!

The third verse of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel speaks to me especially at this Advent time. My prayer for our presbytery, our Presbyterian Church and for the world is that the words of the ancient Latin hymn be true in this season of expectation of the coming of Jesus and his Kingdom into the world anew:

"Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven's peace."

May you and your congregation enjoy the many blessings of peace that come from our faith, our hope, our love, and our strength in Jesus.

Frank

General Presbyter

Lord thank you for the anticipation of waiting that once again only the season of Advent brings. We seek your guidance in trusting that light will one day conquer darkness. We pray for that true light to enlighten our expectations in preparation for the coming of Christ.

Please hold Rev. Frank Vardeman and family in prayer on the loss of his Aunt Burney Gardner, Asheville TN, December 2.

May prayers surround Rev. Sue Babovec, Peabody Retirement Community Chaplain, as she prepares for knee replacement surgery December 12.

May your loving guidance continue to be with Granger Presbyterian Church as they have so faithfully served the community and the Church since April 1, 1945.

Relief work continues after typhoon in the Philippines

PDA working with partners to provide relief, plan for long-term recovery

Nearly a month after Typhoon Haiyan devastated much of the central part of the Philippines, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) continues to work with its partners to provide basic relief.

An initial commitment of $50,000 from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering is helping to provide Filipinos with food, water, sanitation and shelter.

In the future, PDA will work with partners to assess how to best work toward long-term recovery.

"We know it will be a long road to recovery," said Laurie Kraus, coordinator of PDA, in a statement. "PDA will continue working with our partners to meet the long-term needs of those affected by the typhoon and to assist with redevelopment efforts."

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has five mission co-workers and several Young Adult Volunteers based in the Philippines. Mission co-worker Rebecca Lawson is collaborating with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines sorting supplies being sent to one of the hardest hit areas. Mission co-workers Cobbie and Dessa Palm are helping United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) with ongoing assessment needs. Cobbie will be part of a team to assess and formulate a plan to address the needs in the Philippines over the long term. YAV Duncan Kirk has been assigned to work directly with the UCCP Task Force Yolanda/Haiyan.

PDA is a member of ACT Alliance, an ecumenical agency that provides emergency, development and advocacy resources to those in need. PDA's partner, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, is working with ACT to assemble thousands of relief packages.

PDA encourages Presbyterians who want to help the recovery efforts to stand in the GAP by giving, acting and praying:

• Give: Share your financial blessings by designating gifts to DR000012-Philippines. Give through your local Presbyterian congregation, online, or by mailing a check to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) P.O. Box 643700 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. You can also text 'PDA' to 20222 to donate $10 for disaster response.
• Act: Like us on Facebook and share updates with your congregation or others.
• Pray: Please pray that through the response of the faith community, the people and communities impacted by Super Typhoon Haiyan and those offering assistance will be strengthened, have their needs met, and be reminded of the hope and compassion that are found in Christ.

Those who wish to give physical items are encouraged to send "gifts of the heart" to Church World Service (CWS). These gifts include baby care kits, school kits and cleanup buckets and are used to restock CWS's warehouses after disasters.  More information on these gifts is available from CWS.  

Seminary News

Three Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seminaries are among 18 theological institutions selected for the inaugural listing of "Seminaries that Change the World" (STCTW).

PC(USA) leaders ask Congress not to cut SNAP benefits

We urge you to refrain from cutting SNAP, and instead to invest in this program that provides only the most basic assistance to struggling people in some of their darkest hours.

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"The First Presbyterian Church of Monticello is looking for a sound system company to improve their audio equipment and speakers.  If you have had a favorable experience with one and can recommend them, please contact the church either by email admin@monticellofpc.com  or phone 574-583-5787."