Presbytery of Wabash Valley
Office Hours: 8 - 4 Monday - Friday 

May 13, 2015   
God Calls
GC Summer Camper 2011
Geneva Center Summer Camper

Passage to Ponder... Ezekiel 37:4-6

4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD."

(from the Presbytery of Wabash Valley  2015 Monthly Bible Study  Reading and Reflection)

 



As we prepare to gather next Tuesday, May 19th, I ask particularly that you avail yourselves the opportunity to read the Confession of Belhar prior to the time of our gathering. We will be having Table Talk discussions on the relevancy of Belhar in being included in our Book of Confessions. Owing to time constraints, we will not have the time to read the confession in its entirety during the Assembly. Our General Assembly Commissioners will present brief words on why we are studying the Belhar Confession, the origins of apartheid in South Africa, and the overall theme of unity within the confession.

 

The book of Ephesians speaks to us that we are one body, one Spirit ... and that God is above all and through all and in all. Let us be mindful of our oneness and allow diversity to strengthen our unity rather than divide us.

 

May you all have safe journeys to Geneva Center next week.

 

Jill Kitowski, Moderator

Presbytery of Wabash Valley

 

Click Here for Assembly Registration and to access documents as they are posted.  

 

 
Summary of Special Called Council Meeting

On Monday, May 11th,  Council met in a called session as a commission to take the following actions on behalf of our presbytery:

  • Authorize the formation of a committee to search for a full-time Transitional Presbyter to lead Wabash Valley through refining its plan for restructuring its work and assisting the Presbytery to live into its changes.
  • Articulate some expectations for a Transitional Presbyter that the search team will consider in preparing a job description for Council to consider.
  • Recommend to the leadership team the names of teaching elders and ruling elders to serve on Council's search committee of five or six that represent the diversity of our presbytery congregations.
  • Consider the serious implications of having congregations paying only a total of 75% of the per capita apportionments and the anticipated deficit of $135,000 for FY 2015 at the end of June.  Many pay all; some pay none; a few pay some portion in support of our connectional work as presbytery.
  • Dissolve the position of General Presbyter, in anticipation of restructuring staff.
  • Anticipate a timeline of announcing to the Assembly the appointment of the search team on May 19th and the job description and the budget for Fiscal Year 2016 at the meeting of Assembly to be called for June 23.

- Linda Long, Stated Clerk 

 



STAY CONNECTED


In This Issue
Save the Dates

2015 COUNCIL
Reschedule for June 9
July 21
August 18
October 20
December 8

2015 ASSEMBLY
May 19
Registration/Documents
Special Called June 23
September 18-19
November 17


Ministry Quick Links


PRESBYTERY OF WABASH VALLEY

 Pulpit Supply List 

    

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North Central  

Wee Kirk Conference

Discerning what is Best 

October 6-8, 2015

Register Online 

 

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 The Season of Departures
by Lisa G. Fischbeck

 

 

 

Congregational Events


Saturday, May 16 @ 7:00 pm.
Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church, 307 South Washington St., Crawfordsville
More Information

 
PRAYERS of the PRESBYTERY

Lord God, we are so grateful for your never ending love and the comfort that comes with that love. Teach to love and care for each other as you have loved and cared for us. We ask your healing touch for those listed and those who are silently suffering.


Please lift those listed below in your prayers:
  • Bruce McVay brother of CRE Jene McVay, Crawfordsville Milligan Memorial Presbyterian Church, recovering from surgery to remove a kidney and will undergo an alternative cancer treatment.
  • Rev. Hank Blunk, Honorably Retired, as he recovers, from hip replacement surgery.
  • Rev. Sally Gilbert, Minister Member at Large, and family as Sally recovers from serious medical problems.
  • Rev. Frank Vardeman, Minister Member at Large, as he had some set-backs in his continued recovery.
We pray for and with Lake Station Community Presbyterian Church who has faithfully served their community and followed you Lord since 1926.

All in your name and for your glory. Amen.
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Thank you for your ministry and your service...
  • May 17, 1962 - TE Leroy Fassett, Honorably Retired
  • May 17, 1981 - TE Maria Rutland, Hudson, Salem Center Presbyterian Church
If you have been omitted or your information is incorrect please accept my apology. Help to update our records by sending your current information to [email protected].

PDA

Responds to NEPAL Earthquake

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is working with ACT Alliance and other partners to initiate a rapid assessment and emergency response plan to the 7.9 earthquake that struck Nepal near Kathmandu. 

Read the latest updates and find out how you can help.

 

godly-enter-key.jpg One simple thing you can do to be a good steward for God of the earth is to turn off your computer at night:  By turning off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you can save 40 watt-hours per day. That adds up to 4 cents a day, or $14 per year. If you don't want to wait for your computer to start up, set it to turn on automatically a few minutes before you get to work, or boot up while you're pouring your morning cup 'o joe.

 

"Going green" doesn't have to be a daunting task that means sweeping life changes.  Simple things can make a difference.  Small steps add up to big changes.  Reduce, reuse, recycle, and rethink.  God made the earth and proclaimed it good.  Take steps to act with God to preserve and further bless that goodness.                                    Suggestion from 50waystohelp.com 

 

 
  New PC(USA) Student Ministry at Purdue!


A team of Presbyterians at Central, Bethany, Dayton Memorial, and Elston Churches in greater Lafayette have been busy this spring organizing a new PC(USA) Student Ministry at Purdue University!   UKirk@Purdue PC(USA)  has been officially registered and recognized as a student organization by the University and officially registered and recognized as a "UKirk"  chapter by the Presbyterian Church (USA).   If you have any rising Purdue First Years (Freshman) coming to West Lafayette in the Fall PLEASE send their contact info to Dave Comstock, Interim Pastor at Central Presbyterian, Lafayette  so they can be on the mailing list for information about events and activities on Campus.  

 

Stay tuned for more information in a few weeks!

Rev. Dave Comstock, Central Presbyterian Church, Lafayette

[email protected]  

 

 


Be inspired...Become equipped...Get connected!
Join us at Big Tent; a conference that will inspire and equip Presbyterians to live missionally. Experience that deep sense of community one would expect at a national gathering of Presbyterians-a great big family reunion! Join us for worship, bible study, displays of the PC(USA) agencies, and a wide variety of workshops and other activities.

All are welcome!

Each week leading up to the Big Tent, you will find in God Calls a featured workshop and this link to registration information.

National Asian Presbyterian Council Pre-Conference
Begins Wednesday, July 29, 5:00 p.m. and ends before 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Potluck Theology - It's been said that "where two or three Asians are gathered, there will be food." Asian Presbyterians come with a richly varied mix of ethnicities, historical alliances and conflicts, languages, religious traditions, class distinctions, and of course cuisines. Yet there may be a few common roots from which we share certain values, strengthened by our place in the PC(USA) culture. Rev. Wendy Tajima will explore some of the history of Asians in the PC(USA), the diversity that we bring to the PC(USA), and the gifts that may help the PC(USA) learn to live into the diversity of theological perspectives that remain in the denomination.
Strategies for Staying at Jesus' One Table - Because we all have something to bring to Christ's table, this follow-up to the NAPC keynote will take a more practical approach to ways that we can work together as Asian Presbyterians, but also how we can contribute to the PC(USA) at large. Bring your stories and ideas, so that we can sample from the variety of experiences we bring to the PC(USA), and what we have experienced in the PC(USA). For more information, contact Victor Hamel ([email protected]).


GROWING TOGETHER IN CHRIST

A Workshop for Small Church Congregations


Rev. Dennis Bickers, presenter

SAVE THE DATE
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2015
Time: 10:00 am-4:00 p.m.
Place: Geneva Center, 5282 N Old US Hwy 31 Rochester
Cost: $10 individual, $25 church
(lunch provided)

Last opportunity to join
CLERK'S ANNUAL GATHERING & RECORDS REVIEW

Those 46 churches who missed the first three opportunities are encouraged to bring their books to the Presbytery Assembly on May 19th. After the Assembly adjourns in the afternoon, clerks with books to review will gather and review one another's records. Please do two things:

                               - Looking forward to seeing you!  

                                      Linda Long, Stated Clerk 


2015-2016 Presbyterian Planning Calendar

 

an invaluable resource, available from the Presbytery office while supplies last 

 

$9.00 each - payable: Presbytery of Wabash Valley  

                               5288 N Old US Hwy 31

                               Rochester, IN 46975

Please call 574-223-5678, e-mail  [email protected], or forward payment for the desired number of copies. Orders may be picked up at the May 19 assembly unless specified to be mailed with invoice to include shipping.

 

 

2016 Mission Yearbook

Presbyterian Mission Agency has communicated

Yearbook in digital form - free

In keeping with our goals and strategies, we are transitioning the Presbyterian Mission Yearbook from a print-only publication to a digital format. Our readers spoke-and we listened. Readership of the book plummeted from 80,000 per year in 2000 to just 8,000 in 2015. That caused the price of the book to skyrocket from around $6 per copy to nearly $35. That, combined with significant operating losses, means the print version is simply not sustainable if we are to remain good stewards of the funds entrusted to us. The 2016 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook will be featured prominently on our new website, with more timely stories of mission from across the church. And best of all, it will be free for all who wish to use it.

 

Upcoming Events and Meetings


Thursday, May 14
10 am - Stewardship Ministry Team (Go-To-Meeting)
10 am - Commission on Ministry

Tuesday, May 19
10 am - Presbytery Assembly (Registration/Documents)
  3 pm - Following Assembly - Clerk's Gathering

Wednesday, May 20
1 pm - Northwest Church Professionals Gathering - Michigan City First Presbyterian Church (map)

Thursday, May 21
10 am - Commission on Ministry (Go-To-Meeting)
10 am - Geneva Center Transition Team

Monday, May 25
PRESBYTERY OFFICE CLOSED - MEMORIAL DAY

All meetings & events posted on the PWV Calendar are eastern time (ET) unless noted otherwise. Please visit  http://www.ourpresbytery.org/calendar.htm for more information regarding meetings and events or call 574-223-5678.
                  
 
Every week, we publish this eNewsletter to hundreds of Wabash Valley and PC(USA) members and also post online!  The Church Relations Coordinator  accepts articles for entry and is actively seeking new and original content sharing how your congregation is engaged in ministry. We would especially like to share photo's and stories of your confirmands, new members, VBS,  mission trips and other special ministries that are occurring in your congregation and community. Please forward your stories and photos to [email protected], due each Friday.

 


Presbytery of Wabash Valley & Geneva Center Contact Information

Stated Clerk ~ Elder Linda Long ~ 219-926-7098
Office Manager ~ Gladys Sargent ~ 574-223-5678 ext 102
Financial Consultant ~ Eric Herzog ~ 574-223-5678 ext 105
Church Relations Coordinator ~ Elder Vicki Dreibelbis ~ 574-223-5678 ext 100
Geneva Center Manager ~ Cathy Adley ~ 574-223-6915 ext 200
Geneva Center Maintenance Director ~ Jeff Winegardener ~ 574-223-6915 ext 204
Nourished by the living waters of Jesus Christ,

we awaken, enliven and enhance worshiping communities

to courageously extend their branches  

and bear new fruit in the Spirit.

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