PWV NEWSLETTER

January 14, 2016        Issue #68


































ANNOUNCEMENTS

Small Church Conference 
April 30, 2016 
Fayetteville Presbyterian Church
Details to be sent to churches soon!




2015 Session Record Review DATES

Huntington & Teays Valley Clusters - March 20, 2016

Charleston Cluster - April 2, 2016 at Festival of Faith

Clarksburg Cluster - April 3, 2016

Mountain Valley Cluster - 
April 10, 2016

Parkersburg Cluster - April 17, 2016

Beckley Cluster - April 24, 2016

Greenbrier Valley Cluster - 
May 1, 2016





































Nurturing Faith Ideas
 
January 17:
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 where the apostle Paul talks about spiritual gifts.  What is your spiritual gift and how can you use it to help others?

January 24:
Make sure you check on neighbors during these cold winter days, especially elderly neighbors.  Make a batch of cookies and go for a visit.

January 31:
Introduce the "Warm Fuzzies jar.  For each act of service that someone does in your home, put a warm fuzzy (cotton ball or pom-pom) in the jar.  The goal is to fill the jar by a given date and in the process, to serve each other and be more like Jesus.

















Prayer List For Churches


Week 3 - January 17
 Presbytery of WV
 Marsh Fork Presbyterian Church
 Village Chapel Presbyterian Church
 Valley Bend Presbyterian Church

Nyeri Presbytery
Church:  Kabiru
Pronun:  KahBEE'roo


Week 4 - January 24
Presbytery of WV
Pineville Presbyterian Church
Rock Forge Presbyterian Church

Nyeri Presbytery  
Parish:  Gaaki
Spoken:  GAH' key
       
Week 5 - January 31
Presbytery of WV
Summersville Presbyterian Church
Winfield Presbyterian Church

Nyeri Presbytery
Church:  Kiawaithanji
Pronun:  CARE'wha-eeTHA-JEH















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PRESBYTERY STAFF

Maureen Wright
Stated Clerk

Rocky Poole
Financial Admin./Treasurer

Barbara Chalfant
Associate for Mission

Susan Sharp Campbell
Associate for Educational Min.

Nellie Howard
Resource Center Director

Mark Miller
Bluestone Camp Director

 
Statistical Reports and Session Records Reviews StatReport 
Statistical Reports: The deadline for completing this report is February 15, 2016. The instruction workbook is available by clicking here or you may use the link found on the Presbytery's website. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Maureen Wright at (304) 720-2065 or statedclerk@wvpresbytery.org

Presbytery Year End Reports
Please send these two completed reports to the office or to Maureen Wright at statedclerk@wvpresbytery.org by January 29, 2016.

Minutes Review for 2015
Session Records Review events will take place throughout the presbytery. Clerks are invited to attend any of the Session Record Review gatherings in order to complete the Minutes Review requirement (G-3.0108a). 
The dates are as follows with locations TBD
Huntington & Teays Valley Clusters - 03/20/16
Charleston Cluster - 04/02/16 at Festival of Faith
Clarksburg Cluster - 04/03/16
Mountain Valley Cluster - 04/10/16
Parkersburg Cluster - 04/17/16
Beckley Cluster - 04/24/16
Greenbrier Valley Cluster - 05/01/16
Important Financial Info Financial
2016 IRS Standard Mileage   
On December 17th, IRS announced the following changes to the standard mileage rates... Beginning on Jan. 1, 2016, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

     -   54 cents per mile for business miles driven, down from 57.5 cents for 2015

     -   19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, down from 23 cents for 2015

     -   14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

 

Important Dates for Employee Tax Forms
W-2
Generally, you must furnish Copies B, C, and 2 of Form W-2 to your employees by February 1, 2016.
Also, employers must file Copy A of all Forms W-2 with Form W-3 by February 1, 2016.
1099's
Generally, you must furnish Copy B of form 1099- Generally, you must MISC to the recipient by February 1, 2016. The due date is extended to February 16, 2016, if you are reporting payments in box 8 or 14.  You must file Copy A form 1099-MISC with the IRS by February 1, 2016.
You will meet the "furnish" requirement if the form is properly addressed and mailed on or before the due date.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Rocky Poole, PWV Treasurer/Financial Administrator, at (304) 744-7644 or at treasurer@wvpresbytery.org.
Educator/Clergy/CRE Retreat EdCREClergy
February 22-23 
Hawks Nest State Park

Christian Educators (including those employed in youth ministry), Teaching Elders and Commissioned Ruling Elders are invited and encouraged to participate in the 2016 Educator Clergy CRE Retreat, May the Words of My Mouth: Praying Together as the Body of Christ.  This retreat will be led by Kimberly Bracken Long, Associate Professor of Worship at Columbia Theological Seminary. Retreat information, with a registration form, was sent to Christian educators and those serving as pastors in late 2015.  For those who may need a form, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell. 
Sign Up: Small Church Conference Choir SCCChoir
Come join the Small Church Choir for worship at the Small Church Conference, Fayetteville Presbyterian Church, April 30, 2016.  The only requirement is that you can make a joyful noise!
 
Nancy Villain, Music Director at Elk Hills Presbyterian Church, will direct the choir that will be made up of church members from all over West Virginia joining their voices in praise to God. Please send an email to nvilain@aol.com and let her know you are interested. 

Click Here for more information!
2016 Presbytery of WV Directory Updates DirectoryUpdate
A few weeks ago each church was mailed 2 copies of their entry in the current (2015) Presbytery of WV directory for updates. Please make sure your church updates that form and mails it back to the presbytery office. We want to make sure we get as accurate a directory as we can. The deadline to return the forms is Monday, January 25th. If you need another copy of your church's entry, please contact the Presbytery Office at (304) 744-7634 or office@wvpresbytyery.org

We have only heard back from 64 of our 134 churches! Please don't forget to send in your update!
2016 Festival of Faith FOF
Heath Rada, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCUSA, will be our keynote presenter for Festival of Faith, April 2, at First Presbyterian Church, Charleston.   In addition to the keynote presentation, there will be opportunities for worship, workshops, fellowship and fun for all ages.   
                
New this year will be the opportunity to attend 3 workshops during the day.  Some of the workshop offerings and their leaders are:   A Conversation with the Moderator (Heath Rada);  Meet our New General Presbyter (Ed Thompson); Discovering Faith in Calvin and Hobbes (Amy  Parker); and An Invitation to Hospitality: Coloring Grows Up (Jackie Taylor). 
                
Packets of information have been sent to churches.  Check with your Pastor, Clerk of Session, Church Educator for materials.   Complete information can also be found by clicking here! If you would like a packet of information sent to you, please contact office@wvpresbytery.org.
First Pres. Fairmont Opens Street Store FirstFairmont
Some congregations might find being located between two homeless shelters a bit unsettling. First Presbyterian Church of Fairmont, WV, relishes it. One of only two churches located in downtown Fairmont, the staff is regularly faced with visits from those seeking help in one form or another.
"We are inundated with people who need assistance," said the Rev. Elise Neal. "Literally every week I have people who come through my door looking for assistance and needing help."

Knowing how much the community relies on it, First Fairmont recently took its relationship with its neighbors one step farther when it opened its Street Store after the New Year. Realizing that the weather is quickly getting colder and that some people may not have the proper clothing to combat the chilly temperatures, weekday mornings First Fairmont hangs donated jackets, scarves, hats and other winter clothing on the fence that lines the front of its building.

The items are displayed for the day - and if the weather is good the clothing remains out overnight - for anyone who is need of some new winter apparel. Even toboggans were among the things available...
by Michael Givler, Synod of the Trinity
CSI: Cedar Lakes Younger Youth Retreat YYR
CSI*: CEDAR LAKES (* Christians Seeking and Investigating)
Younger Youth Retreat, March 4-6, at Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley

Youth in grades 6-8, and their adult advisors, are encouraged to join the Youth Council in investigating their faith and their purpose. Complete information and registration materials have been sent to church leaders and can also be found at wvpresbytery.org.  

Interim Pastor Embraces Advisory Side of Transient Post KenLocke
by Tom Hindman, Gazette-Mail
Don't look for the Rev. Ken Locke to stay in one pulpit for long. Not anymore. As interim pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of South Charleston, he's experiencing his first go-between role, a minister bridging the gap between the former pastor and the new one.

He enjoys the consultant side of his assignment, the chance to suggest changes as his temporary flock embarks on the search for a new leader. Now, he's looking at interim work as his permanent niche. When he leaves South Charleston, he plans to move on to one interim slot after another. Reared by liberal Baptist missionaries, he spent several formative years in Hong Kong, his birthplace. Visits to a Presbyterian student center as a graduate student hooked him on the inquisitive theology of Presbyterianism and led to a divinity degree. He landed eventually in Nashville, where he nurtured a thriving program for the homeless in a landmark downtown church.

The need for a change brought him to the interim post in South Charleston last March.
by Sandy Wells, Staff Writer, Gazette-Mail
Presbyterian Youth Triennium Triennium
July (18)19-23, 2016

This summer's Presbyterian Youth Triennium for youth currently in grades 8-12 will be here before we know it.  This national youth event, sponosored and planned by the Presbyterian Church(USA) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church,  will be held on the campus of Purdue University. The cost per youth will be $425, which includes housing, transportation (bus), program, t-shirts and meals. Adult advisors over the age of 25 will also be needed, though the exact number won't be known until registrations are in; interested adults should be in touch with Susan Sharp Campbell as soon as possible.  

It is our intention to take all interested youth from the presbytery. Registration and other information was sent to church leaders last fall.  It can also be found on the presbytery website by clicking here. THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, MARCH 11; at this time, registration forms and a $225 deposit are due in the presbytery office.  For more information, check out the Triennium website, presbyterianyouthtriennium.org, or contact Susan Sharp Campbell
Educator Gatherings & Book Discussions Educator
Educators Gatherings are designed for those actively serving as professionals or volunteers in the educational ministry of their congregations.  Gatherings are held almost monthly during the academic year.  For the most part, these gatherings are held at the presbytery office in South Charleston from 10 am - 1:30 pm. 

Dates for Educator Gatherings are as follows:
Monday, February 8:   Educators who have attended the APCE Annual Event will share their experience and learnings
Monday, March 14
Monday, May 9
Friday, June 3:  End of Year Educators' Picnic

For more information, or to be added to the educators email list, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell. 
Puppet Ministry Needs A New Home Puppets
Highlawn Presbyterian Church in Huntington is looking for a new home for their puppet ministry. They have 5 trunks of puppets of varying sizes and would like to give them to a church that would put them to good use. A monetary donation would be appreciated. If you are interested or want more information, please contact Sarah Specht at (304) 522-1676 or sarahb43215@yahoo.com.  
Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program Survey InvestmentSurvey
Each year the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program asks congregations questions concerning loans and investments. These questions are frequently asked in the Clerk's Annual Questionnaire; however, they were not included in the Clerk's Annual Questionnaire 2015. As this information is very important to their work, those questions are being asked here.

The survey is very short and will only take a few minutes to complete. If the congregation does not have any loans, investments or plans for loans or investments, it will take you about three minutes to answer these questions.  It will take a few more minutes if the congregation does have loans, investments or plans to obtain loans.  Will you take a few minutes to answer these questions?

On behalf of the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, thank you!

Church As A Street Performer ChurchStreetPerformer
"I first came across Amanda Palmer's work through her $1.2 million Kickstarter campaign. Soon after, I found her TED Talk, "The Art of Asking," that today has been viewed 7.5 million times. So, I had to pick up her book, The Art of Asking: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help. It's quite a read, and I actually assigned it for the seminary's Money and Mission of the Church course last semester. 

Let me be clear, Palmer is not your usual church stewardship type. For one, she's not traditionally religious. Second, she's a punk cabaret artist known for her intense performance style that often includes nudity, and always profanity. But, she's thought deeply about the human acts of giving and asking, and Palmer's book is an ode to the art of inviting people to collaborate through their gifts, whatever those may be.
 
Palmer argues against our culture that associates asking for help with shame. Instead, Palmer says, "Asking is, at its core, a collaboration."Those who can ask without shame are viewing themselves in collaboration with-rather than in competition with-the world..."
Adam Copeland, Center for Stewardship Leaders

READ MORE
Webinar - Retirement, What Can Be So Hard About Not Working Webinar
An on-demand 90-minute webinar presented by Ed Zinkiewicz, through The Presbyterian Outlook, coming Tuesday, January 19th.

In this webinar we'll look at three of the major surprises that can detour any of us into these byways. We'll talk about where these surprises come from. We'll learn how we might easily follow one of the less-desirable routes. And we'll learn to recognize the signs that we've left the successful retirement path.

No two retirements are successful in the same way. Your route will be different from mine. So we will also work on how you can measure success for you. Don't let your retirement be kicked off the right road to some desolate byway. Don't let others you know follow that lead, either. This webinar will give you some positive steps to meet the surprises waiting around the bend and some means to stay the course.
Presbytery of West Virginia                   520 Second Avenue                   South Charleston, WV 25303
Phone (304) 744-7634                           Fax (304) 744-7649                              www.wvpresbytery.org
Office Hours: Monday -Thursday  8:30AM-5:30PM