God Calls
Serving Christ, Enhancing Congregations, Connecting Communities 

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8-12 & 1-5 Closed Friday
                                                                          February 15, 2017
Events, Opportunities, Webinars & Workshops
LAST DAY TO REGISTER!
DON'T MISS THIS!!!   
 
 
Register now for the
Saturday, February 25th presbytery assembly & FREE workshop
https://tinyurl.com/zvvb2j7  
 
LIVE! at First Presbyterian Church of Valparaiso (8 am-4 pm central)
 
or attend at one of three convenient locations:
Bethany Presbyterian, Lafayette
First Presbyterian, Elkhart
First Presbyterian, Peru
(9:00-5:00 p.m. eastern)
Lunch $10.00
Same content! Interact with presenter and other attendees!
Commissioners and ALL interested folks are heartily encouraged to attend!

Registration closes at 5 pm today, Wednesday, February 15.
You are welcome and encouraged to attend but
Lack of registration = no lunch = no workshop materials.
Center for Congregations
The Art of the Flourishing Congregation
Thursday, March 16 ~ 9:00 am - 4:30 pm (ET) 
  Morris Inn on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend 
 
Council encourages congregations to put together working teams to engage for the day in this great opportunity.
 
Center for Congregations says attendees at this interactive workshop will:
  • learn the benefits of positive change;
  • explore how to hold and manage the three life-giving capacities that contribute to positive change;
  • learn the five practices that promote positive change;
  • discover how to assess the presence of the five practices currently in your congregation;
  • experience the resources/processes that facilitate positive change;
  • create a concrete and practical plan for affecting change and addressing challenges using positive change resources and practices.
Cost of this gathering is $50 for a congregational team of three or more registering together.

 
 
A WEBINAR -
CONFIRMATION: Equipping children, parents and congregations for the journey of faith
Tuesday, March 28 at 2 pm ET
Presented by Rebecca Kirkpatrick

Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick
Should confirmation be an introduction to the Christian faith and life for young people, or a moment when their faith is transformed into something new? This webinar will examine our expectations for confirmation classes and why it feels like more and more students are coming to this pivotal year unprepared to have the experience we want them to have. Together we will look at specific examples of how foundational biblical stories, liturgies or congregational traditions can be expanded into confirmation conversations.

2017 Summer Camp at Geneva Center
Join us this summer for... 

A $50.00 deposit is required to hold your spot for your camp week.   
Please mail in a check if possible to help us keep our fees down. 
All camp fees are due in full 2 weeks prior to your camp week.
 
June 12 - 17 High School (Grades 9-12) 4 options  $290.00 per camper 
Traditional  
MAD - Music, Art & Drama
C.R.O.S.S. - (Christian Recreation and Outdoor Sports Skills) Variety of sports, games and activities. Hands on Mission - Complete service oriented mission projects in nearby communities.
 
June 13 - 15 You and Me #1      $185.00 per camper
(ages 5 and up with an adult)                                                                                                                                   
June 19 - 24 Middle School (Grades 6-8) 3 options  $290.00 per camper
Traditional
MAD - Music, Art & Drama
C.R.O.S.S. - (Christian Recreation and Outdoor Sports Skills) Variety of sports, games and activities.
 
June 23-25 You and Me #2      $185.00 per camper
(ages 5 and up with an adult)   
 
June 26 - July 1  $290.00 per camper
Explorer Camp (Grades 4-5)
Leadership Camp (age 16 - grade 12)
 
June 27 - 29 New Beginnings Camp (Grades 2-3)  $185.00 per camper
 
June 29 - July 1 You and Me #3  $185.00 per camper 
(ages 5 and up with an adult)  
                                                             

Geneva Center - Connecting Adults and Youth at Summer Camp 

Are you someone that would enjoy helping for a week at Summer Camp this year? We will have a Director in charge of each camp this summer and would like to invite Parents, Youth Directors, Pastors, Aunts, Uncles or just someone wanting to help our youth have the same experiences that we did when we were at Summer Camp. When was the last time you were at Summer Camp? Remember all the fun you had? Help us reconnect and "Branch Out" to our youth. Call Cathy Adley at Geneva Center 574-223-6915 or email:  [email protected] to sign up today!  You will have a blast!!


PWV MEETING CALENDAR

Monday, February 20
Presidents' Day - Presbytery Office Closed

Tuesday, February 21
7 pm - Carroll County Churches Gathering -  First Presbyterian Church 213 S Indiana St., Delphi (map)

Wednesday, February 22
1 pm - Personnel Ministry Team - PWV Office 707 Main St., Rochester (map)

Thursday, February 23
10 am - Coffee Office Hours ~ Aroma Coffee Shop 61 N Broadway Peru (map)

Friday, February 24
10 am - Leadership Team (Go-to-meeting)

Saturday, February 25
Assembly/Healthy Pastor-Congregation Relations ~ Multiple Locations Click here for more information & to register by 5 pm today Wednesday, February 15

Tuesday, February 28
10 am - Commissioned Ruling Elder Revitalization Team - PWV Office 707 Main St., Rochester (map)
1 pm - PWV Mission Team - PWV Office

Thursday, March 2
10 am - Commission on Ministry - Bethlehem PC 5588 N SR 25 Logansport (map)
10 am - Commission Preparation for Ministry - Bethlehem PC - See Above

All meetings & events posted on the PWV Calendar are eastern time (EDT) unless noted otherwise. Please call 574-223-5678 or visit http://www.ourpresbytery.org/calendar.htm for more information regarding meetings and events.

GOOD THINGS TO KNOW
Tomorrow is the last day to enter your statistical report!!

Only 56% of our 80 Wabash Valley congregations have recorded their stats to date.  If your church is among them, congratulations!  If the Clerk still needs to enter the changes in membership and other data into the Annual Statistical Reporting system, now is the time. 

Deadline to enter data is this Thursday, February 16th.
 
It's important to all the congregations of our presbytery to have reports from all of our churches.  It's the foundation for representation at General Assembly, for our presbytery planning for staffing, structure, budgeting, and our collaborative work, and the numbers inform planning and funding for Synod work and to support staff that work year-round on denominational support.  

FREE AVAILABLE HELP INFORMATION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS

Dear Wabash Valley Presbytery Folks,

Lots of women do not get help because they do not know that help is available.

One
way to get help data into the hands of women is to post in your women's restroom business-sized, domestic violence info cards.


The cards come from the Indiana State Medical Association. The ISMA cards (which come in English and Spanish) provide phone numbers for shelters, non-residential support, and a safety plan of how to leave/disappear from your batterer.
                 
The cards are free. The displays are free. To request either or both, simply call ISMA: 800-257-4762
               
The place to post them is in your women's restroom because that allows for women to take these cards without being observed. (See photo examples of the cards and display) Also, batterers are known to trash/take all of the cards if they see them in a public area.
               
Crawfordsville, Wabash Avenue has had these cards up in all women's restrooms in our church for several, several years now.
               
We host the county's recovery meetings, a counseling center, and a preschool -- and these cards get picked up.
  
It would be really cool if we/this presbytery could make these cards available widely at all WVP churches.
                 
Doing so does lessen suffering -- and it could save a life.
                                 
FYI with thanks and blessings,  
Rev.
John Van Nuys, Wabash Avenue PC Crawfordsville


News from PC(USA)
Live Forward, Give Forward

A gift to the church or ministry in a will may be the most important gift someone ever makes.  But they may not make that gift we don't ask.  Live Forward, Give Forward is all about making it easier to talk about bequest and to encourage members to share their values with future generations through a gift in their wills.

Read More

QUICK LINKS

Pulpit Supply ListFaith & Leadership
Think globally, act locally. Then act globally
2017 Bible Study
Proposed Directory for Worship
Center for Congregations
Top Church Planting Resources
The Administrative Personnel Association
PC(USA)
Ruling Elder Training Resources

A Report from your
Visioning Connecting Leader
Six months: a report to Presbytery of Wabash Valley

 
Called to serve as the Presbytery of Wabash Valley's Visioning and Connecting Leader, I began my work with you joyfully on August 1, 2016.

Since August 1st I have worshipped on Sunday mornings with 31 different congregations, attended twelve congregation's session meetings, hosted 21 coffee office hours in as many locations, participated in six local mission projects, enjoyed ten regional meetings of Wabash Valley Presbyterians who are interested in partnerships and collaborative ministry, coached visioning groups in two congregations as they seek a new direction, attended one Center for Congregations workshop and a South Bend Cubs game with 150 St. Joe County Presbyterians, not to mention dozens of lunches and cups of coffee and tea with folks who've wanted to share their stories and think with me about the future.

Since August 1st I've attended all of the meetings you would expect a presbytery leader to show up for: Council meetings (and a fall retreat at beautiful Geneva Center), Stewardship Ministry team meetings, Personnel Ministry team meetings; staff meetings, COM and CPM meetings, Leadership Team and Nominating Committee meetings; meetings with folks passionate about our renewed Commissioned Ruling Elder program and another vital group of folks with an emerging vision for leadership development for our eighty congregations; meetings with synod leaders and with presbytery leaders from throughout the Synod of Lincoln Trails; planning meetings for our experimental presbytery assembly+workshop in four sites-simultaneously-- on February 25; meetings with congregations in crisis and congregations busy celebrating; and assisting your presbytery search team begin its search for a new stated clerk.

Since August 1st I have jumped head first into learning about your visions and doing some vision casting myself. I have relished connecting with you and being intentional about connecting you with each other, leaders, sessions, congregations, ecumenical partners, cross-presbyteries, inter-synod and more.

The months to come hold much to anticipate: workshops and learning labs on technology in the local church, the care and feeding of leaders, nurturing and sustaining vital congregational leadership, deepening our spiritual practices, financial planning in early ministry and anticipating retirement and more, all in response to what you've shared are your priorities for your ministry in your particular setting. We're going to host two visits from one of the co-moderators of the 222nd General Assembly, the Reverend Jan Edmiston, who will lead a conversation with COM and CPM on April 6th and will address our presbytery assembly on May 23rd.

Thankful for the very great honor and joy to serve as your visioning and connecting leader as together we seek to continue
                                       Serving Christ
                                       Enhancing congregations
                                       Connecting communities.
Peace,
Jennifer

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NOMINATING COMMITTEE ACCEPTING NAMES

"The Nominating Committee is accepting names of those who might have the interest, gifts, and skills to serve on the Stewardship Ministry Team (SMT) or the Commission on Ministry team (COM).  Please contact Jan Sandos, Moderator, at 765-379-2287, if you are interested." 

Other Volunteer Opportunities

The Presbytery office is seeking a detail oriented volunteer with a good understanding of a highly confidential work environment. Experience with Microsoft Office and copier equipment would be helpful. Miscellaneous office tasks such as filing paper and electronic files are just some of the jobs that Vicki needs help with. Volunteer tasks could mean covering the office while staff is at a meeting or on vacation.  If you have interest in volunteering in any of these roles please contact Vicki at 574-223-5678 or [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!

PRAYERS OF THE PRESBYTERY

Lord yesterday, in honor of St. Valentine, we give someone a card or gift, to say "I love you." Today, lead us to hold out an olive branch to someone we don't like. Help us to listen to the thoughts of someone whom we don't want to hear. Guide us to share a warm smile or gesture of friendship with someone who is outside our circle. Guide us to expand the territory of our love-no! Your love. Amen.

February prays submitted by Rev. Louis Sandos, Honorably Retired

Please pray for...
  • The Rev. Lucia Oerter and Lafayette Central as they begin their ministry together
  • The Rev. Jack Hess, Honorably Retired, as he continues to have health issues
  • The Rev. Ken Burris, Honorably Retired, who has lung cancer
  • Kentland Covenant Federated Church

                                                                                                                 AMEN!

Nourished by the living waters of Jesus Christ,
we awaken, enliven, and enhance worshipping communities
to courageously extend their branches and bear new fruit in the Spirit.
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Thank you for your ministry and your service...

February 22, 2008 ~ CRE Martha Flora, Albion First Presbyterian Church
February 27, 1994 ~ The Rev. John Van Nuys, Crawfordsville Wabash Avenue 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]

Commissioned to Validated Ministry Available to Serve Communion
David Abbott
574.234.2414
[email protected]
Jill Kitowski
219.325.0039
[email protected]
Carrie Munson
574.721.5225
[email protected]

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2017 PER CAPITA

General Assembly - $7.50
Synod of Lincoln Trails - $3.81
Presbytery of Wabash Valley - $28.45

Total Per Member - $39.76
Contact Information for Wabash Valley Officers, Staff and Consultant

Visioning Connecting Leader ~ TE Jennifer Burns Lewis ~ 574-653-1003
Stated Clerk ~ RE Linda Long ~ 219-926-7098
Presbytery Moderator ~ TE Sarah Sanderson-Doughty ~ 574-264-3109
Presbytery Vice-Moderator ~ CRE Rick Ryan ~  765-490-8971
Council Moderator ~ TE David Smook ~ 574-343-0568
Financial Consultant ~RE Eric Herzog ~ 317-361-2632
Administrative Assistant ~ RE  Vicki Dreibelbis ~ 574-223-5678
Phone: 574.223.5678 | Fax: 888.215.6219 | [email protected] | www.ourpresbytery.org
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