April 28, 2016        Issue #75



 


















When's the last time you checked out the Presbytery website?  Hop on over to www.wvpresbytery.org and 
take a look!  If you are on a mobile device, hit the plus sign on the top right of your screen 
to access the full menu.

General
Presbyter
Sightings!

Catch the General Presbyter at the following churches and events:
  • Saturday, April 30, Small Church Conference, Fayetteville Presbyterian
  • Sunday, May 1, Bradley & Mt. Hope Presbyterian Churches 
  • Sunday, May 8, Fairmont First Presbyterian 
  • Sunday, May 15, Gilbert Presbyterian
Presbytery Staff

Ed Thompson
General Presbyter
Maureen Wright
Stated Clerk

Rocky Poole
Financial Administration/Treasurer

Barbara Chalfant
Associate Presbyter for Mission

Susan Sharp Campbell
Associate for Educational Ministry

Nellie Howard
Resource Center Director

Mark Miller
Bluestone Camp Director

Mark Parsons-Justice
Office Administrator/Communications




Prayer List For Churches

Week 18:  May 1 
Ruffner Memorial, Charleston 
South Park Presbyterian, Charleston
Parish: Kagumo 
(Kah-GOOM'OH)

Week 19:  May 8 
Kanawha United, Charleston 
First Presbyterian, Logan 
Milton Presbyterian, Milton
Church: Githiru 
(Gay-THEE'roh) 
Parish: Kagumo 
(Kah-GOOM'OH)



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Bluestone




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Notice: Email Update
It is with great joy that we report that our email troubles have ended.  All Suddenlink customers appear to be able to send to and receive mail from PWV emails.  If you encounter difficulties, please call the office (304-744-7634).  Thank you for your patience as we have worked through this problem.
by Ed Thompson, General Presbyter
While preparing for the Festival of Faith I was looking for notes I took at a workshop at last year's Big Tent Event on "The Essential Functions of a Presbytery". One thing I discovered before I finally found what I was looking for was my response to a question, "What makes a congregation vital?" (I think that was part of a supplemental questionnaire I had to fill out for the Presbytery of Northern Kansas.) I had a good answer - which is maybe why I got the job - but I decided it needed some updating. Continue reading...
In order to make out website, newsletter, and social media even better resources to tell the story of the Presbytery of West Virginia, we need your help!  If you are at a Presbytery event and snap a few pics, we'd love to see them.  If you are on Facebook or Twitter, use the hashtag #MyPWV.  If you don't use social media, send them via email to Mark Parsons-Justice in the Presbytery office (office@wvpresbytery.org).  
Small Church Conference Slated for Saturday, April 30 small
 Ministry Molded by Mountains
Year III: Mustard Seed Ministry
  Saturday, April 30, 2016
Fayetteville Presbyterian Church

Want to know a bit more about what to expect? 
Session Records Reviewrecords
Only one more to go!  Session Records Review will take place in the Greenbrier Valley Cluster on Sunday, May 1, 2016, at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, at 3 PM.  Clerks are invited to attend any of the Session Record Review gatherings in order to complete the Minutes Review requirement (G-3.0108a). A complete checklist is available here:  Session Records Review Checklist 2016. 
Guys Weekend VideoGuysWeekend
Men from around the Presbytery gathered for Guys Weekend at Bluestone on April 22-24.  For a look at the fun that was had, check out the video clip below.
Bluestone Golf Tournament golf
 golf-ball-grass.jpg
The Friends of Bluestone 6th Annual Golf Tournament will be held on May 14 at Scarlet Oaks in Poca.  In addition to needing golfers to support the event, the Friends of Bluestone are soliciting sponsorships from businesses and churches.  For all the details,  click here!
New Elder Training May 22NewElder
The Elders at Summersville Presbyterian invite any elders to join them as Susan Sharp Campbell leads Elder Training on Sunday, May 22, 3-6 PM.  This is for "new" elders or even "old" elders who could use a refresher!  If you are interested, please contact Rachel Isabel at Summersville office at 304-872-2371. 
Got Good News?GoodNews
Does your church have good news to share? Let us all celebrate with you! Share it with us so the whole Presbytery can rejoice! In God's economy, no news is too small to celebrate!  Send your Good News tidbit (a sentence or two) to pwvgoodnews@gmail.com so we can include it in the newsletter.
  • We celebrate with the men who attended Bluestone Camp's Guys Weekend April 22-24, 2016.  A great time was had by all!
  • We celebrate with the youth who attended the Confirmation Retreat in Bridgeport on Saturday, April 16. Some of the participants are pictured below. (Special thanks to Robin Ray for sharing the photo!)

PWV PrayersPWVPrayers
  • We lift Bonnie Boyce in prayer at the passing of her mother, Margaret Boyce.  Margaret lived in Charlotte, NC, where she was born in 1919.  Please remember Bonnie and all of Margaret's family and friends as they mourn her death and celebrate her life.
  • We lift in prayer the pastoral leaders and congregations in transition throughout the Presbytery.
Youth Council Registration Deadline Extended to May 5YC
The Presbytery's Youth Council plays an important role in our presbytery's ministry with you as they plan and lead our Younger and Older Youth Retreats. This Council is made up of youth from across the presbytery and adults who enjoy working with them. The Youth Council is composed of 14 youth and 8 adults, representing the different geographical areas of our presbytery and as many churches as possible. Youth must be in grade 10, 11 or 12 in the fall of 2016; it is anticipated that, if selected, they will serve until they graduate from high school. Adults serve a three-year term, with opportunity to serve a second term. There are openings for 7 youth and 4 adults. No church may nominate more than one youth and one adult in an year. 

Applications, including Session Nomination Forms, were sent to church leaders in mid-March. Due to this late reminder, the deadline for receiving completed forms has been extended to Thursday, May 5. Forms can be found at www.wvpresbytery.org. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell, 304-667-9428, or susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com.
Bluestone Summer Campbluestone
Complete camp information can be found online at www.bluestonecamp.com.   To register, download the Bluestone eBrochure 2016.
Scholarship Application Deadline Fast Approaching, But Extended Scholarship
Scholarships for post-secondary education, usually in the amount of a $1000 loan, are available through the Nurture Committee. Application information was sent to church leaders and those who work with youth in mid-March. It is now time for those applications to be submitted. They are due in the Presbytery Office no later than Thursday, May 5 (a little later than originally announced). Forms can be found at www.wvpresbytery.org. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell, 304-667-9428, or susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com.
Christian Educators' Gathering slated for Monday, May 9 CEGathering
All who are involved in the educational ministry of the church are invited to join with other Christian educators around the presbytery for a time of sharing what is happening in our churches and resourcing one another. Lunch is a potluck salad, so bring your favorite salad toppings. Lettuce and dressings will be provided. We will gather at 10 AM and conclude by 1:30 PM.  Even if you can't be with us for the entire time, join us for what you can.
Call for Older Adult ResourcesOlderAdult
We are working on adding an older adult resource section to our Presbytery website for congregations and families. It there are specific resources you or your congregation would like to make sure we consider adding, please let Barbara Chalfant at the Presbytery office know about them!  Her email is missions@wvpresbytery.org.
Mini-grants up to $3,000 available to churches that partner with community groups on healthy projects
TryThis
Are you worried about the health of the kids in your church? Tired of burying people before their time? Do you know about the research that says healthy eating and physical activity lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes and early death? These are interfaith questions, not just Presbyterian questions.  Click here for more information!
Pocahontas Episcopal ministries partnered with Linwood Childcare Center for a Try This children's gardening grant. What kind of healthy-community grant would you like? (Courtesy photo)
Pianist Needed for Worshippianist
The Presbyterian Church of the Covenant is searching for a pianist to help lead in worship services. The position involves playing for Sunday morning worship services and practice with the praise band Sunday evenings. A full job description is available. Please contact Rob Laukoter at 304-610-3054 or covenantchurch@yahoo.com.
Teays Church Seeks OrganistOrganist
Teays Valley Presbyterian Church in Scott Depot is seeking an organist for Sunday morning worship at 10 AM each week.  The candidate would also need to be available for rehearsal on Wednesday night at 6:30 PM. Interested candidates should contact the church office at 304-757-6073 or email resumes directly to Pastor Kyle Key at kylekey@teaysvalleypresby.com. 
Emergency Volunteers NeededVolunteers
Every wondered how you could help in times of disaster? Do you have skills and gifts to share? This might be just the right moment to volunteer! We have been asked to assemble teams of volunteers who will be mobilized in the first 24 to 48 hours of a disaster to do pastoral care and damage assessments so that the work of rebuilding and restoring communities care happen faster.  For more information, click here.
New PCUSA Missional ResourcesMission
Borrowing from the story-telling tradition of the Gospel, the Presbyterian Mission Agency and New Castle Presbytery have joined forces to develop missional lectionary-based stories available via download.  For more information, click here!
Biblical Resources Availablebiblical
The Presbytery has received a very gracious offer from Towson Presbyterian Church near Baltimore, MD.  A donor has recently gifted their church with numerous books, including Bibles and commentaries. As such, they have offered to donate their duplicates to churches in the Presbytery that might be interested in receiving them.  Books available include Interpreter's Bible in King James and Revised Standard Version (complete set, 12 volumes), Layman's Bible Commentary by John Knox Press (complete set, 25 volumes), numerous Bible atlases, numerous Bible dictionaries, Daily Study Bible Series by William Barclay, numerous concordances, and numerous large (not large print) Bibles with drawings, etc.  For more information, contact Barbara Chalfant in the Presbytery office at 304-744-7634 or missions@wvpresbytery.org. 
Editor's Note:
In order to keep the PWV Newsletter fresh, articles sent for publication will generally run for two consecutive issues.  If you wish for a piece to continue to run, please resubmit. We encourage you to reword, add a photo (or different photo), or change the piece in some way so that the news stays fresh and interesting. 
Presbytery of West Virginia, 520 Second Avenue, South Charleston, WV 25303
Phone (304) 744-7634, Fax (304) 744-7649, 

Office Hours: Monday -Thursday  8:30AM-5:30PM