October 9, 2014                                           Issue #42
 



 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Presbyterian Outlook Webinar

 

If you were unable to attend the Presbyterian Outlook Seminar, "The Editor's Outlook: A Conversation with Jack Haberer on the Really Big Issues Facing the Church." You may now watch it online at   You can now view the on-demand replay of the webinar online here.You will need to enter a password. Please call the Presbytery office to receive the password.

 


 

 

 

Resource Center Features


28 Hymns to Sing Before You Die

By John  M. Mulder & F. Morgan Roberts - Brief History 28 beautiful hymns followed by meditations on a lesson from the hymn.


 

Keeping Company with St. Ignatius

By Luke J. Larson - Walk with the author and his wife as they trek the 500 across Spain on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela . For Larson it is an intentional spiritual pilgrimage of faith and discipline.

 


From Whom No Secrets are Hid: Introducing the Psalms

By Walter Brueggemann - This study is much more than a commentary. It introduces the Psalms in general with discussions of examples from specific  Psalms



The Caring Congregation: Training Manual and Resource Guide

By Karen Lampe - A congregational care program for churches seeking effective ways to comfort and care for congregants.


 

 

 

 

 

Prayer List For Churches


Week 40

Presbytery of WV 
Upperglade 
Spring Valley, Huntington
Whittico Memorial, Keystone

Nyeri Presbytery
Church: Ihithe
Pronun: Ee-HITH'they
Parish: Thegene
Spoken: They-GEN'gay



Week 41

Presbytery of WV
Belington 
First, Charleston
Bramwell

Nyeri Presbytery
Church: Kiamutiga
Pronun: Kay-ah-MOOT'ee-gah
Parish: Thegene
Spoken: They-GEN'gay



Week 42

Presbytery of WV
Davis Memorial, Gassaway
Fleming Memorial, Fairmont

Nyeri Presbytery
Church:  Mathakwaini  
Pronun:  Mah-THAH-kwab-ENN'nay
  Parish:  Thegene         
Spoken:  They-GEN'gay

 


 

Nurturing Faith Ideas


 

October 12:  Help your children pray aloud by giving them a sentence to complete, such as: "Lord, I think you for..."; "Lord, help my friend..."; "Lord, give me the courage to...".  


 

October 19:  On a grocery shopping trip with your children, pick up a few extra cans and deliver them to the local food pantry.

 

 

October 26:  Set a routine for Bible time.  Read from a children's Bible.  Keep the stories short.  Try to have it at approximately the same time each day, perhaps after breakfast or before snack.


 

November 2:  On All Saints Day we remember all those who have gone before us in this life.  Who is the Saint that has gone to be with our Lord that has impacted your life the most?  What about them is so meaningful to you?

 

 

 



QUICK LINKS
 



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Meet Rocky Poole - Financial Admin/Treasurer of PWV Rocky

"I am excited and proud to join the staff and contribute to the work being done by the Presbytery. If you need anything at all, please give me a call or email me at [email protected] or (304) 744-7644."
 

The Presbytery's new Treasurer/Financial Administrator, Rocky Poole, started on August 20th.  Rocky, a life-long Presbyterian is a graduate of WVU, with a degree in finance, and the Marshall Graduate School, with a master's degree in business administration.  He worked ten years as a portfolio manager for the West Virginia Board of Investments.  After his time in state government, Rocky spent the next nine years as the Asset-Liability Manager at two financial institutions in the Parkersburg area.  The last ten years, Rocky managed his own business.

 

Rocky and his wife, Medina, live in Williamstown and they are members First Presbyterian there. Rocky and Medina have both served their church as elders and Rocky is currently the co-treasurer of the church and long-time member of the Stewardship and Finance committee.   They have two children, Craig and Victoria.  Both Craig and Victoria are students at WVU and are active in the Presbyterian Student Fellowship.  Craig and Victoria each served on the Presbytery's Youth Council.

Congratulations - New Baby Baby

Thanks be to God for the gift of new life!

 

Laurel Anne Starcher arrived on October 6th at 4:21 pm.  She was 19.5 inches and 6lbs 4oz. The family is all doing well. Laurel is the daughter of Kevin and Chrissy Starcher. Kevin is the Associate Pastor at Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church in Elkins. This is the second child for Chrissy and Kevin; big brother Levi will be moon-walking when he hears the news!

Buckeye Chapel Ministry Celebration Service Buckeye

There will be a service of celebration for the ministry of Buckeye chapel on Sunday, October 12th at 3:00 p.m at the chapel. The Buckeye Chapel is located on Steven Hole Run Road, 1/4 mile off Rt. 219 in Buckeye It will be a simple celebration, just the service with the Lord's Supper and a time of remembrance. 

 

The Swago Presbyterian Church of Buckeye was organized on September 23, 1923 to meet in a Protestant Methodist Church. In 1929 the Swago Church was dissolved by the Presbytery upon request and the members transferred to Marlinton Presbyterian Church and has been Buckeye Presbyterian Chapel since.

Evangelism Evangelism

Maybe it is just me, but when I was a student at Louisville Seminary I don't remember anyone trying to teach me about Evangelism.  (The same goes for Stewardship, but that's another story.)  It seems as if that were a forbidden subject.  I am writing to ask for your help.  The Ministry Committee has set up a short-term task group to look into what the Presbytery of West Virginia can do to help congregations, teaching elders, Commissioned Ruling Elders, and Sessions deal with the questions of how do we make disciples, welcome guests, and help people make commitments to join our congregations.

 

If you have any ideas for the task group, please let us know.  We are working with a very quick window.  The task group will be reporting back to the Ministry Committee on Oct. 28th.  If you or any member of your congregation has a special interest or training in evangelism, church hospitality, or other similar areas, or if you have good ideas on how the Presbytery of West Virginia can support our congregations in their efforts for the kingdom of God, please let us know.  The task group is John Holland, Kellan Sarles, and Mike Burton.  Send your experience, learnings, and/or ideas to Craig Butler ([email protected]) and copy it to Kellan Sarles ([email protected]).

 

First Impressions Article Resource - Click here

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month DomesticAwareness
2014 Worship and Awareness Resources are offered by PHEWA's Presbyterians Against Domestic Violence Network (PADVN)

This annual packet of worship, advocacy, and awareness resources for Observing Domestic Violence Awareness, developed by PHEWA's Presbyterians Against Domestic Violence Network (PADVN), includes resources that faith communities might find useful in worship, in your own work with victims and survivors of domestic violence, and in educating congregational members on how to be effective agents of hope, that may empower others toward restoration (and in doing so, be restored, themselves).

 

The packet can be downloaded by clicking here.

WV Council of Churches Annual Assembly WVCouncilofChurches

The 133rd Annual Assembly of the West Virginia Council of Churches will be held October 19 and 20 at St. John Pastoral Center in Charleston. For an agenda, please click here . For  bulletin insert, please click here. To register for the Assembly, please click here

 

Annual Assembly Ecumenical Preacher:
Rev. S�kinah Hamlin, Executive Director, Ecumenical Poverty Initiative. 
The Reverend S�kinah Hamlin is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Rev. Hamlin is the Director of the Washington, DC-based Ecumenical Poverty Initiative (EPI). Her ministry coordinates the voices and ministries of a diverse array of denominations, state religious organizations, and pastors that are committed to dismantling systems of injustice and inequity that contribute to poverty and hunger among US families. A well-versed and versatile advocate of justice and social change, Rev. Hamlin has given innovative and transformative leadership within church bodies and their related communities.

Synod of the Trinity Shares Word About PWV's ILM SynodILM

Jeremiah 29:11 says, according to the New International Version of the Bible, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

 

That in a nutshell is the backbone to the new West Virginia Institute for Leaders in Ministry program that is still in the ground-floor stages at the Presbytery of West Virginia. Designed to help ministers and educators gain valuable leadership skills, the ILM broke ground with a weekend meeting in early September. It was the first of a scheduled eight monthly retreats around the presbytery that includes nine leaders from the state and two facilitators from the Pastors' Institute in Asheville, N.C.

 

"The goal is to equip the pastoral leaders to make a different in their church and their church to make a difference in the communities," said Forrest Palmer, the interim executive presbyter at the Presbytery of West Virginia.

 

Click here to visit the Synod of the Trinity's website and the full article.
Complementary Webinar: How to Survive a Church Building Project webinar

Tuesday, October 21 at 7 pm ET (4 pm PT)

 

Presented by the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program (PILP). Thanks to PILP, this webinar is offered free of charge to pastors, elders, trustees and committee members.

 

Building projects create excitement as congregations envision new ministry possibilities. Along with the excitement comes anxiety. Can we really afford a project of this size? How will we pay for the project? Will this affect our ministry budget?

 

Learn about best practices for successfully navigating construction projects of all sizes. Jay Hudson and Ben Blake, both with The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Investment & Loan Program (PILP), will share pros and pitfalls experienced by hundreds of congregations they moved from initial conception through debt retirement.

 

Click here to register

If We're Honest Tour - October 25th at D&E DandE
Compassion International presents the If We're Honest tour, bringing together two of the top selling artists in recent years, Francesca Battistelli and Sanctus Real. A message from Crossway Records' Jon Bauer will also be featured in this tour.

On October 25th, doors will open for VIP ticket holders at 6:00 p.m. for a Q&A session with the artists. Presented by Davis & Elkins College. 

 

For more information, call 304-637-1255.  VIP Floor Seating (front, center section): $35; General Floor Reserved: $20; Balcony Front: $20; Balcony Back: $15; Group (10+): 20 percent discount per ticket; FREE for D&E Students, Faculty, Staff

 

http://www.jonbauermusic.com/tour/

http://sanctusreal.com/

http://www.francescamusic.com/news

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Take the Pledge to Vote Vote

The 2014 Midterm elections on November 4 are just one month away! Are you registered to vote? You can still register to vote in 25 states. What is your plan-- are you voting early or voting on election day? Are you encouraging your friends, neighbors, and members of your church to vote? If you are outside of the state in which you are registered to vote, make sure to request an absentee ballot in time (this is different for every state). For those who aren't eligible to vote, use your voice to encourage other people to vote! Voting is both one of our fundamental rights as citizens and is a vital way we speak to the values of the kingdom of God in the political realm.

 

Click here to take a pledge to vote today.

 

As a member of a congregation, how is your congregation getting out the vote? You might assume churches can't be involved in elections because of their non-partisan 501(c)(3) status, but there are many ways that you can. 

 

Click here for some do's and don'ts of congregation and clergy involvement in political action.

- We are a baptized covenant people -    
Presbytery of West Virginia                   520 Second Avenue                   South Charleston, WV 25303
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