Your opportunity, perhaps even a once in a life time opportunity to hear John Bell, of the Iona Community in Scotland, in West Virginia, is rapidly approaching.  John will be with us at First Presbyterian Church in Charleston, WV, on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20.   He will be presenting at 2:30 pm and 7 pm on Friday; and at 9:30 am and 2 pm on Saturday; you may choose to attend individual workshops for $15 each, or two in one day for $25, or both days for $50.   However, these costs will be going up on June 11, so don't miss the early deadline.

Click here for a more complete information and a registration form is attached to this email, or you can find it at wvpresbytery.org, click on John Bell under Recent News on the cover page.  If you have any questions, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell,  [email protected] or 304-645-4568. Plan to join us for this exciting event!

The Rev. Elizabeth Campbell-Maleke delivers a sermon dressed as Raggedy Ann during Holy Humor Sunday at First Presbyterian Church of Williamstown, WV

"Change" is the backbone to a pastor placement program that is currently being used by five churches in the Presbytery of West Virginia. Called the "Small Church Residency Program," it places recent seminary graduates into churches where a pastor is needed with the hope of giving him or her a starting point while also revitalizing the congregation where he or she lands. Formerly known as "For Such a Time as This," the program is the brainchild of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is working in churches nationwide.

The Rev. Elizabeth Campbell-Maleke is handling two churches in the Williamstown, WV, area, namely First Presbyterian Church and Waverly Bethel Presbyterian Church. She started preaching at the churches four years ago and when her two-year commitment through the Small Church Residency Program was over, the yoked congregations decided to keep her in the pulpit...

 READ MORE                      - Synod of the Trinity News

The Nominating Committee will be accepting applications for Commissioners and YAADs starting immediately.  The application deadline is Wednesday, September 30, 2015.  Applications will be available on Monday through the Presbytery website or can be requested by calling the Presbytery office at (304) 744-7634.

The Nominating Committee will present nominees at the December 3, 2015 Stated Meeting at Enslow Park Presbyterian Church, Huntington.

The process is outlined in the Presbytery Manual which is available on the website.  Additional questions regarding the process and applications may be directed to Terry Cunningham, Nominating Committee Chair, at [email protected], (304) 344-8162 [home], or (304) 541-2615, or Maureen Wright, Stated Clerk, at [email protected] or (304) 720-2065.

GROWING IN GRACE & GRATITUDE 

To watch a short video produced by Susan Sharp Campbell and Nellie Howard click on the link. Find out all about the new children's curriculum from our denomination.  See what it's all about and find out how to get more information or to order your curriculum.

Greetings from Huntington! We are in the midst of summer classes here at Marshall University, and the campus is definitely quieter as the students are back home, traveling, or working. As the Interim Campus Minister, one of my tasks has been to work with our local Campus Ministry Committee through a Mission Study -- leading up to the job search and the hiring of an installed Campus Minister. I am also working on making some plans for the 2015-2016 school year....and this is where YOU come in!

We want to welcome your High School graduates into our fold! We also want to reach out to your college students at Marshall University! I have already been able to meet and connect with many Presbyterian students who were not yet involved in a faith community.

If you could, please provide me with the names, email addresses and/or tel #s of any college or graduate students who are currently enrolled at Marshall, or who are planning on starting at Marshall this fall. That would be such an amazing way to connect your congregation to our ministry, and to show your support of our ministry, too! If you do not have this information, please email me and let me know the best person to contact....or forward it to a congregation member that would be able to provide these names for me.

Exciting things are happening at MARSHALL UKIRK. Please read about us on our website at http://www.marshallukirk.org. Thank you! Please continue to pray for this ministry, especially as we are in an interim period. Thank you!

Rev. Ellen R. Dawson

Interim Campus Minister, Marshall UKirk

[email protected]    304-962-1259

Four congregations of different denominations are

Bob Wojcieszak  Daily Mail

now housed in one building on Charleston's East End.

The different church families meet inside Ruffner Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1698 Quarrier St. "It is wonderful having a bustling church with things going on all the time," said Pastor Bill Brown, who has served the Ruffner congregation for nearly six years.

Ruffner has about 40 parishioners in the sprawling, historic building where the ruling body of the church decided to welcome other congregations to share the space.

"Sometimes a building can become a liability," Brown said. "We decided to turn it into an asset."

While the different denominations may have various ideas, they share one basic belief.

"There is one thing that binds us together," Brown said. "That is a belief in Jesus Christ. Sometimes we let superficial differences separate us in our worship."

July 2015                    August 2015

To view each edition please click on the dates above. We are sending you the most recently published issues of the Parish Papers. The Presbytery of WV's purchase of a subscription INCLUDES: 

1.    Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: E-mail, Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our Web site.

2.    Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its Web site, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs.

Congregations within our Presbytery's jurisdiction to which we distribute The Parish Paper do NOT have permission (a) to delete the copyright ownership notice, (b) to re-write, paraphrase, delete, or change the wording of sentences and paragraphs, or (c) to give ANY THIRD PARTY-other than our staff and constituents-permission to photocopy or reprint (in any quantity, no matter how small, whether for free distribution or for sale). 

Thanks to a PCUSA Restricted funds grant, the 

WV Presbytery Stewardship of  Creation Ministry Team (SCMT) has the ability to provide workshops
 for your church or community on the subject of water preservation and energy conservation. These workshops can be an important outreach to your larger community.

Explanation/Rationale: Water is life! We believe in the power of water as a  symbol for baptism, cleansing and renewal. While enduring many challenges, West Virginia's natural water systems are truly our greatest resources and deserve our   protection - for the sake of human health and to honor God's good creation. Energy conservation is closely related to water preservation in many ways, which will be  explained in the workshop. Both of these practices have an additional bonus: potentially significant financial savings!

This workshop can be done with groups from individual churches or clusters of churches, Presbyterian Women's groups, or Clergy gatherings. We will give  participants information on how to preserve water quality and conserve energy in their homes, churches and communities. Practical resources - including some that may be used in adult, multi-generational or youth settings - will be shared.

For more info, and/or scheduling of a program, please contact Robin Blakeman

[email protected]    304-840-4877

What: Presbyterian Women Summer Gathering

When: August 15, 2015

Where: Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, Elkins

Hear from women who attended the PW Gathering in Minneapolis, MN. 

More details to follow!

There are no failsafe ways to stop a disaster from happening... but there are ways to be read to respond. In the aftermath of disaster community
leaders are called to step up and be ready. Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, schools, Food banks, and all manner of non-Profits are asked to step in and make the way easier for those whose world has been turned upside down.
 

These workshops are designed to held these community organizations of care be ready to lend a
helping hand. September 12-13 in Charleston WV (location TBD) led by Dr. Kenneth B. McKenzie,
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Consultant /Instructor Synod of South Atlantic National Response Team Presbyterian Church (USA)

Click here for more information!