Presbytery of Wabash Valley
Summer Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday 8 - 4
Friday 8 - Noon
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August 12, 2015
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 God Calls
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Passage to Ponder... Luke 20: 14-15
But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, "This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours." So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
(from the Presbytery of Wabash Valley 2015 Monthly Bible Study)
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With its elegant stained-glass windows and imposing stone columns, Tabernacle Baptist Church swallows the corner of Grove Avenue and Meadow Street in Richmond's historic Fan District, making it easy for Paul and Lugene Fernald to find.
For months, they'd talked about worshiping at Tabernacle Baptist, ever since Paul heard the Rev. Sterling Severns speak at a seminar about Tabernacle's approach, which the pastor described as "creative traditional."
So on Epiphany Sunday 2014, they set out from their shady suburban neighborhood in Midlothian, Virginia. Instead of going to their church, they drove east across the James River into downtown Richmond, in search of something a little different.
The structure of the Tabernacle sanctuary felt fairly conventional, with its rows and rows of weathered pews and its choir loft nestled beneath the Tiffany-style glass depicting Jesus' baptism in the Jordan.
But Lugene caught her breath when she saw how the congregation had transformed that timeworn space into "a living, breathing thing."
Brilliant Moravian stars hung suspended from the sanctuary's ceiling, reminiscent of the bright star that guided the magi to Christ's birthplace. Bolts of blue fabric cascaded from the rafters like water, recalling Jesus' baptism. The installation would change over the coming weeks, becoming brighter, as the season that began with a single star in the sky culminated in Jesus' glorious transfiguration atop a mountain.
Though her own church had incorporated some creative music and drama into its Easter and Christmas services, it had never celebrated Epiphany.
Lugene Fernald wept during the service -- and every Sunday for the next five or six weeks.
"I felt like I'd been checking in and checking out for too long ... and not really becoming engaged in worship. I knew something was missing, but I didn't know what it was," she said. "This was something very visually engaging and very purposeful. We could tell that from the beginning, even though we didn't know what it was all about. Everything was there to support the idea of worship." Tabernacle's pastor, the Rev. Sterling Severns, works with his staff and congregation to create stunning visual installations that are incorporated into traditional worship at the 128-year-old church. Guided by Scripture, he and his staff establish a theme for each liturgical season. They then invite church members to bring that theme to life visually inside the sanctuary. There, using recycled craft materials and a fair amount of duct tape, congregants young and old create vivid installations that evolve with the season.
READ MORE
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Save the Dates
2015 COUNCIL
August 17-18
October 20
December 8
2015 ASSEMBLY
September 18-19
November 17
The Presbyterian Church of Wabash
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CONGREGATIONAL EVENTS
Elkhart First Presbyterian Church Emerging Michiana Artist Concert Featuring: HiFi2WiFi and Von Strantz Saturday, August 15 @ 7 pm Tickets Required |
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PRAYERS of the PRESBYTERY
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Lord, we pray and plan, and then we trust you God who knows fully and completely what we can never predict. This is why we love the promise of Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
- Presbytery Council Members as they come together Monday and Tuesday seeking direction for the presbytery.
- CRE Jene McVay, Milligan Memorial Presbyterian Church Crawfordsville, as he supports his brother Bruce McVay who continues with aggressive cancer treatments due to the spread of cancer to his brain from his lymph-nods, lungs and liver.
We thank you Lord for Highland First Presbyterian Church who have faithfully served their community and followed you since 1937.
In the name of the one who loves us, Amen.
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Thank you for your ministry and your service...
- August 15, 1993 - TE Paige Cantwell, Minister Member at Large
- August 15, 2010 - TE Quincy Worthington, Munster Westminster Presbyterian Church
- August 16, 1985 - TE H. Ann Williams, Honorably Retired
- August 17, 1975 - TE Phil Smith, Honorably Retired
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 vicki@ourpresbytery.org.
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CARROLL COUNTY CHURCHES 2nd BLOCK PARTY HOSTED BY FIRST PRES DELPHI
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Photo Provided by David Lawrence,
Minister Member at Large
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by Rev. David Lawrence,
Minister Member at Large
The Carroll County party rolled on this month. July found neighbors gathering in the parking lot of the Delphi Church. There was another great turnout for this time of fellowship and disciple-making! The final Carroll County party will be Sunday, August 23rd at the Cutler Presbyterian Church. Hope to see you there!
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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 always actively seeking new and original content sharing how your congregation is engaged in ministry. We would especially like to share photos 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 vicki@ourpresbytery.org, due each Friday.
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General Assembly Business Explained
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Being Presbyterian is unique in many ways -- how the church is governed and how decisions are made, and by whom, for example. Watch this quick video that explains business at General Assembly.
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PC(USA) NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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'God is writing history in our lives'
Early lesson in forgiveness helped transcend bigotry, pastor tells conference-goers
August 12, 2015
The Rev. Princeton Abaraoha says the experience of being forgiven by others transformed his life.
Bible Study yesterday morning at the national 1001 New Worshiping Communities Conference began with a simple question: "Where have you experienced bigotry because of race?"
It opened the door for the Rev. Princeton Abaraoha to tell his story, of how he'd come to America from Nigeria to study and ended up learning about bigotry firsthand.
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The Synod of Lincoln Trails Partners with
The Presbyterian Foundation to Create
Ministerial Excellence Fund: Sustaining The Call
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The Synod opened a mission exchange account with the Presbyterian Foundation as an important part of continuing the work of the Ministerial Excellence Fund Program in the State of Indiana. Four years ago The Lilly Endowment gave grants to 16 denominations to address economic issues facing Indiana pastors. The presbyteries of Ohio Valley, Wabash Valley, and Whitewater Valley all received grant money. The directors of the Ministerial Excellence Fund of the presbyteries understood the need to conduct fund-raising campaigns to help fulfill the following: to meet the obligation of matching funds as required by The Lilly Endowment; and, to create the means to continue the fund activities beyond the initial grant timeline.
Click here to read more about the initiative as well as interviews conducted with pastors who have benefitted from the Ministerial Excellence Fund Program.
Check back often as our website will continually be updated and will include a "Give Now" button for immediate giving to the program. Giving can be done in two ways: online at www.presbyterianmissionexchange.org and search for Ministerial Excellence Fund or by mailing a check to the Ministerial Excellence Fund, Synod of Lincoln Trails, 1100 W. 42nd Street, Suite 210, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
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2015 Presbytery Pastoral Care Network Annual Conference
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held in partnership with Synod of Mid America and
Presbyterian Association of Christian Educators
OASIS REGIONAL
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION EVENT
October 25 ~ October 27
Sunday 5 PM to Tuesday 5 PM
Embassy Suites Kansas City Plaza
Kansas City, MO
Registration $219 October 7-21 | daily rate available
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resources from the center for congregations
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 Check out the new resources about community gardening on the Congregational Resource Guide (CRG). Community gardening is growing in popularity as a ministry that promotes healing, outreach, fellowship and environmental issues. This is one of many topics of interest to congregations on the CRG. If you're looking for resources around technology, mental health, finance, worship and more, you can find an abundance of helpful information at http://thecrg.org. |
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2016 Mission Yearbook for Prayer Transitions to Digital Only
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Mission Yearbook for Prayer will become a digital-only publication starting in 2016. Part of the reason is financial: Orders for the print edition have dropped from 80,000 to 8,000, raising the cost from $6 per copy to $35. Change to a digital format will mean the stories in the yearbook will be more timely, relevant "and most important, free to everyone," reports Presbyterian Mission Agency Senior Director of Communications, Kathy Francis. The print edition "is a beautiful book . . . But it's not sustainable and it's not good stewardship. It's losing too much money."
READ MORE
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Upcoming Events and Meetings
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Thursday, August 13
CANCELLED - Stewardship Ministry Team (Go-To-Meeting)
Monday - Tuesday, August 17 & 18
10 am - Council Retreat
Thursday, August 20
10 am - Commission on Ministry (Go-To-Meeting)
Friday, August 21
10 am - Geneva Center Transition Team Sunday, August 236 pm - Carroll County Churches Block Party - Cutler Presbyterian Church (map)
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.
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Presbytery of Wabash Valley & Geneva Center Contact InformationFinancial Consultant ~ Eric Herzog ~ 574-223-5678 ext 105 Geneva Center Manager ~ Cathy Adley ~ 574-223-6915 ext 200 Geneva Center Maintenance Director ~ Jeff Winegardener ~ 574-223-6915 ext 204
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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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