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Youth In Service: Mission Possible 

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. 

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.  

The Season of Reporting 

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:  statedclerk@wvpresbytery.org or (304) 720-2065.

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 office@wvpresbytery.org.

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 vandevenderj@dewv.edu. 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.

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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. 

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 (craig.butler@wvpresbytery.org).  You may also contact Craig if you have any questions about clusters in the Presbytery of West Virginia.

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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.

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!

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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.

A New Resource for Church Historians 

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 susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com