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Presbytery of WV NEWS
ISSUE #24 January 9, 2014
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Session Record Review
Dates and Locations
March 23, 2014
2:00 First Pres. Williamstown
March 30, 2914
2:00 Church of the Covenant
7:00 Highlawn, St. Albans
April 5, 2014 Festival of Faith, First Pres Char. April 6, 2014 2:00 First Pres. Logan
April 12, 2014 2:00 Fleming Memorial
April 13, 2014 2:00 Davis Mem. Elkins
April 26, 2014 2:00 First Pres. Bluefield
April 27, 2014 2:00 Edgewood
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Resource Center Features
Lent is Coming!!
Here are a few of the resources you will find in the Resource Center for use during the
Lenten season:
God is on the Cross: Reflections on Lent and Easter
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
This small book of forty devotionals will guide and inspire readers as they move thematically through the weeks of Lent & Easter, encountering themes of prayerful reflection, self-denial, temptation, suffering and the meaning of the cross.
Living into Lent by
Donald K. McKim
McKim allows time during the Lent season for readers to reflect on their Christian identities, listen to God's Word and will and engage in practices that deepen the Christian experience through discipleship. Good for individuals or small groups. Daily devotions divided into weekly segments. Includes 7 session study guide.
Were You There? Finding Ourselves at the Foot of the Cross by by Erik Kolbell
Through the story of The Passion, Kilbell helps readers discover, through the wide responses of people in the story, the range of human responses also available to those of us living today.
 Book of Faith Lenten Journey Beyond Question by Eric Burtness Jesus asks us questions throughout the Gospels. These are not questions with easy answers. They are transformative questions that challenge us, reposition us, change us, and draw us into deeper faith and discipleship.  Worship Feast: Complete Worship Outlines for Lent and Easter by Mike Baughman and Jenny Youngman Includes worship outlines that will take you on a journey of submission. Youth will submit their devotion, their bodies, their voices, their surprise. Some services include prayer stations, others include a creative expression. Some services include storytelling and others include silence. Includes a music CD as well as guitar chords and lyrics.
QUICK LINKS
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If you have information to share in a newsletter, please submit it to the office no later than the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month. The newsletter is published on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. Please plan your article accordingly if the information is timely. We hope you will share this newsletter with your congregations.
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Youth In Service: Mission Possible 
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The registration deadline for this day of mission and service for youth in grades 6-12, and their adult advisors, is fast approaching on SATURDAY, JANUARY 11. If weather this past week has made it difficult to contact and get commitments from youth, please let Susan Sharp Campbell know at 304-645-4568.
Participants will meet at three different sites (First Presbyterian Church, Clarksburg; Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, Hurricane; and Clifton Presbyterian Church, Maxwelton (5 miles north of Lewisburg) at 10 am. Following a gathering time, participants will go out to serve in the communities; the type of work and number of sites are dependent upon registrations. The day will conclude at 4 pm back at the church sites. There is no cost for this event, but each participant needs to bring a lunch.
Registration forms have been sent to churches and can be downloaded by clicking here. Preparations have been and are being made with a variety of agencies for this event. Please encourage youth in your congregation to participate at the site nearest them.
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| 2014 Directory PWV Updates |  REMINDER...
Don't forget to send your updated information for the 2014 PWV Directory to Leslie by January 30th!
Letters were mailed to churches and clerks of session the beginning of December requesting updates. Those letters contained copies of the current directory entry for each church. If you or your church need another copy to update please let Leslie know.
We are trying to get the 2014 PWV Directory out as early in 2014 as possible. |
| Nurturing Faith | |
Included here are weekly suggestions and activities  meant to guide faith development in the family. These are intended for all ages and all family types - with children or grandchildren or families with no children.
There is one for each Sunday of the year. Add one to your bulletin each week or put in your monthly newsletter. They could also be sent out via email or added to a Facebook page.
Please click here to view |
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The Season of Reporting
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Clerks of Session and Teaching Elders serving congregations should have received a detailed letter from Maureen Wright, Stated Clerk, which outlined the requirement for all churches to complete the annual Statistical Report; the deadline for completing the report is February 20, 2014.
In addition, the letter asked churches to complete the Clerk's Annual Questionnaire, the Pastor's Compensation Report, and Necrology Report. The deadlines for the Pastor's Compensation Report and Necrology Report are January 31, 2014. The Necrology will be used in worship at the February meeting of Presbytery! The letter also contained the dates of the Session Record Reviews. Record Reviews will be held in each cluster this spring; these dates can be found on the left. Clerks of Session or Teaching Elders are encouraged to contact Maureen Wright with questions or concerns: [email protected] or (304) 720-2065.
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| Festival of Faith - April 5, 2014 |  Neal Presa, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCUSA, will be our keynote presenter for Festival of Faith, April 5, at First Presbyterian Church, Charleston. In addition to the keynote presentation, there will be opportunities for worship, workshops, fellowship and fun. Packets of information on this event should be in churches the week of January 12; they are being prepared and mailed on January 9 to pastors, clerks of sessions, educators, youth ministry and education contacts, ALPs and others. Complete information can be found by clicking here. If you would like a packet of information sent to you, please contact Leslie Curtis at [email protected]. |
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Presbyterians for Just Immigration - Trainings
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Presbyterians for Just Immigration will be holding two trainings in early 2014 to help Presbyterians gain skills and resources to help address the suffering created by our country's broken immigration system. This training will cover a history of Presbyterian action on immigration, worship and workshops on developing a theological understanding of migration; community organizing skills, and information sharing on how to address immigration in a local context. See details below and learn more by clicking here. February 21-23 FREE event at Stony Point, NY. Participants are expected to raise funds for or pay for their own travel/transportation costs only.
March 6-9 Austin Seminary Austin, Texas. Nominal fee of $100 (approximately) to cover meals and lodging and travel/transportation costs. Participants can pay for or raise these funds.
Please share this information with your congregations and staff. For more information contact Teresa Waggener at [email protected] or 502-569-5372. |
| D&E Schedule for Student Open House Events | |
Davis & Elkins College has set dates for five Admission Open House sessions throughout the spring semester. The visits give prospective students and their families an opportunity to tour the 170-acre campus, meet professors and Student Life representatives, and enjoy a meal from the College's dining services. If your church or a group of churches would like to bring a group of high school students to one of these Open House events, please let us know!
To register online, visit www.dewv.edu. For further information, call VanDevender at 304-637-1230 or email [email protected]. Related to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Davis & Elkins College is located in Elkins, 2 hours east of Charleston, 3 hours south of Pittsburgh and 4 hours west of Washington, DC. For more information, please visit the College website at www.dewv.edu or call 304-637-1243.
READ MORE
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| WV Food Bank - Food Drives |  W.Va. food banks look to shore up donations after holidays Decreased donations from individuals and the absence of seasonal food-drives is putting pressure on West Virginia food access organizations. January and February can be the toughest times to keep food stocked and trucks rolling. Donations decline after the holidays during the bitter cold of winter when people are struggling to pay high utility bills and feed families. Please consider holding a food drive in your congregation. Food Drives are a great way to support Mountaineer Food Bank or your local food pantry and get involved with the community. To learn How to Organize a Food Drive CLICK HERE to download a registration form and packet to hold a food drive in your community. |
| News From Clusters | |
The Charleston Cluster hosted a Christmas Soup Luncheon for the retired Church Professionals of the cluster at Village Chapel Presbyterian Church. There were 15 in attendance...
The Parkersburg Cluster discussed plans for their upcoming "Presbytery on the Move" event to be Jan. 19 at Beechwood Presbyterian, Parkersburg. Members of the Presbytery staff will present workshops related to their positions...
The Huntington Cluster is continuing its ministry with Harmony House and the Huntington Coalition for the Homeless. They are exploring ways congregations and individuals can be involved in supporting folks who seek to break the hold of poverty. There will also be a fundraiser for Harmony House...
The Clarksburg Cluster Peer Group will be meeting at Eat & Park in Bridgeport beginning in January. Their first meeting of the year will be Thursday, Jan. 9, at 11:30. All active or retired Church Professionals in the area (including those from Mountain Valley Cluster) are invited to attend the luncheons.
If you have other Cluster news, projects, and/or activities, please share them with Craig Butler ([email protected]). You may also contact Craig if you have any questions about clusters in the Presbytery of West Virginia.
READ FULL ARTICLE
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| New Hymnal Study Now Available |  The selections of text and tunes, the organization and arrangements of them within a collection, and the indexing all have an impact on a worshiping community. In this one-session study, "Preaching and Teaching from Glory to God," readers will learn about the theological potential of Glory to God for preachers and teachers.
Click here to see all of the studies available in this free series of articles about the new hymnal, Glory to God. ** New Glory to God iPad App available **
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| Younger Youth Retreat - March 7-9
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The Younger Youth Retreat for those in grades 6-8, and their adult advisors, will be held March 7-9, 2014, at Cedar Lakes Conference Center. The leadership for this event will be provided by the Presbytery Youth Council. Complete retreat information and registration forms will be sent out in mid-January. Please share this information with youth in your congregations and those who work with them.
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| Stewardship Kaleidoscope |
The 2014 Stewardship Kaleidoscope event is scheduled for March 17-19, 2014, at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel. The annual event offers the best thinking of the day on all aspects of Stewardship. Plenary speakers will be Karl Travis, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, TX, and Carol Howard Merritt who "has been a pastor for 14 years... in the swamps of Cajun Louisiana, a bayside village in Rhode Island, an urban neighborhood in D.C., and a town in Tennessee." Worship will be led by J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the PCUSA Office of Public Witness and Jessica Tate, the Director the NEXT Church. Many workshops are planned throughout the conference. For the fullest information go to www.stewardshipkaleidoscope.org or pick up a brochure (while they last) at Presbytery Office. Craig Butler will be attending and would be available to carpool.
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| Bluestone Summer Camp Accreditation | 
Now that we are through the holidays, it's time to ease into the new year and begin planning for the months ahead. Please find the link to our Summer Camp 2014 eBrochure and pass it along electronically to your friends, families, congregations!
You may not be aware that Bluestone went through the American Camping Association (ACA) accreditation process during the summer of 2013. We are proud to announce that we have achieved our goal and are now recognized nationally as an "Accredited Camping Organization"... Being an "accredited camp" means that we have been evaluated and affirmed by the ACA in regard to our compliance with 300 camping industry administrative and safety standards...
Stay tuned to Facebook and watch your email inboxes these coming weeks as we will be posting lots of pictures and announcements. Retreat season and summer camp will be here before you know it.... start planning now!
READ FULL ARTICLE
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| Smaller Church Conference | |
There will be a conference geared for our smaller membership congregations which will be held May 16-17 at the Days Hotel Conference Center at Flatwoods, WV. Planning is underway. Details (schedule, speakers, workshops, and cost) should be available by Feb. 1st. Please check your calendars and begin making plans to attend. According to the PCUSA, a "small church" is any congregation with an average worshiping attendance of 100 or fewer persons; that fits most of our congregations. However, anyone is invited to attend.
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| Presby Prep - Reformed Theology | 
Reformed Theology will be the topic of discussion at the February Presby Prep courses. These will be offered on Saturday, February 15, at Clifton Presbyterian Church in Maxwelton (just north of Lewisburg) and on Saturday, February 22, at Teays Valley Presbyterian Church in Scott Depot. The same course will be offered at each site. Interested persons may register using the registration form found by clicking here, scroll down to "Presby Prep info Brochure." To facilitate participants receiving reading assignments in a timely fashion, registration should occur for the February course no later than February 3.
Presby Prep offers courses to learn more about being Presbyterian and is open to all interested persons. For more information, contact Susan Sharp Campbell.
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A New Resource for Church Historians
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| Summer Youth Opportunities: A Reminder | |
Middle School Youth - those currently in grades 6-8 - Massanetta Springs Middle School Conference, Tuesday, June 24- Friday, June 27. The registration deadline is Monday, March 3.
High School - those currently in grades 9-12 - Mission Trip - Raleigh Youth Mission, Sunday, July 12-Friday, July 18. The registration deadline for this event is Thursday, April 3.
Information on both of these events can be found on the presbytery website: wvpresbytery.org, click on "ministries" and then "Nurture Committee." If you have questions, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell at 304-645-4568 or [email protected]
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Charles "Chuck" Vorderberg, Honorably Retired Minister in presbytery of WV, passed away on November 29th of 2013 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Chuck served the Belington, Pickens, and Zion congregations.
Bert Morris, member of First Presbyterian Church in Charleston passed away on December 25, 2013. Bert was the first Program Director at Bluestone Summer Camp. For the obituary, please click here.
James "Buck" Harless, of Gilbert, WV, passed away on January 1, 2014. Buck was very involved with Gilbert Presbyterian Church and the Westminster Foundation as well as many other philanthropic ventures. For the obituary, please click here or click here for more information about Buck.
Libby Doss, sister of Kathryn McCrary, passed away on January 4, 2014. Kathryn is a member at Village Chapel Presbyterian Church, a Certified Christian Educator, an Authorized Lay Preacher, and a former member of Presbytery Staff.
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Forrest Palmer, Interim Executive Presbyter - We are a baptized covenant people -
Craig Butler, Trans. Assoc. for Congregational Dev. Presbytery of West Virginia
Lois Coffey, Treasurer & Financial Administrator South Charleston, WV 25303
Claire Butler, Interim Older Adult Min. & Hunger Action Enabler Phone (304) 744-7634
Leslie Curtis, Office Administrator Office Hours: M-Th. 8:30-5:30
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