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August 28, 2016 Issue #83
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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
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Prayer List For Churches
Week 36 - September 4
Beechwood Presbyterian Church,
Parkersburg
Bradley Presbyterian Church, Centerville
Presbyterian Church, Greenville
Church in Kenya: St. Cuthbert's
Parish: Rware; Spoken: Roh-ARE'ray
Week 37 - September 11
Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, Elkins
Highlawn Presbyterian Church, Huntington
Parish in Kenya: Thegenge
Spoken: They-GEN'gay
Week 38 - September 18
First Presbyterian Church, Kingwood McLean Presbyterian Church, Ronceverte Mount Hope Presbyterian Church
Church in Kenya: Gathuthi;
Pronun: GAH-THO-THEE;
Parish: Thegenge
Week 39 - September 25
Parsons Presbyterian Church
Smithers Presbyterian Church
St. Marys Presbyterian Church
Church in Kenya: Hubuini
Pronun: Hobo-ENN'nay
Parish: Thegenge
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by Ed Thompson, General Presbyter
Some of you may know about - or may have even ordered from - Abbey Press. They market religious and inspirational products for a wide variety of holidays and other special occasions. If you ever ordered anything from them it seemed like you would get their catalogs in the mail at least twice a week. Now it seems like they have abandoned their print catalogs and do their marketing mostly online. Or maybe they just lost my mailing address after a series of moves.
Many of their products reflect a Roman Catholic religious perspective which is not surprising and completely understandable since they are owned and operated by Saint Meinrad Archabbey, a Benedictine monastic community. When my wife Jackie and I were . . . Continue reading here
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Important Notices from Our Treasurer 
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Flood Response:
What to do to help now....
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Presbytery Staff Job Posting
Position: Associate Presbyter for Congregational Support
Position Description: The Associate for Congregational Support shall provide professional staff support to presbytery committees and congregations. In particular this Associate is the contact person for churches in transition and will work closely with the Ministry Committee to ensure the need is met. He/she will work with small churches to inspire hope, generate vision, and challenge them to consider new models for ministry.
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This summer we in French Creek, West Virginia are celebrating 200 years since the Rev. Asa Brooks arrived in the wilderness of western Virginia to preach to the settlers, at the time Rev. Brooks also preached at Buckhannon (30 years before we became a Church); he also preached at Huttonsville, Beverly, and Belington. After organizing the French Creek Church (1819), in 1830 he moved to Clarksburg and organized that Church and is buried under what was their pulpit in the original building; he is still there but no longer under the pulpit. Our celebration was Saturday and Sunday, August 20 & 21, with Rev. Gini Campbell (3rd Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, VA) as the guest preacher. She has deep roots in French Creek. - Amy W. Tenney
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Many of our congregations and pastors are in transition. Please keep them all in your prayers. Discernment, prayer, hope and faith are the order of the day. Additional prayers for Mark Parsons-Justice and Lawton Posey.
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Elk Hills Seeking Office Assistant
Elk Hills Presbyterian Church is currently seeking a part-time Office Assistant; approximately 5-6 hours per week. Overview of duties include preparation of the church bulletin, newsletter, data entry of accounting receipts, ordering supplies, personal auto for completion of some responsibilities, etc. Seeking a self-motivated individual with the ability to work independently, and basic computer skills. Good extra income opportunity for a retiree or stay-at-home parent. If you are interested in additional information, please contact Jean Naylor, Personnel Elder; at 304-925-7490 or Pastor Cherrie Sizemore 304-610-4507.
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New Resources!
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The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation recently added two new resources to the Glory to God hymnal collection - Glory to God: A Companion and Glory to God- Hymns and Songs for Children and Families: Singing Faith All Day Long. Read more here...
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Doodle, Draw, Decorate
& Think
by Nellie Howard, Resource Center Director
"Book of Fidgets" Is full of doodling ideas to help just about any of us think about our relationship with God and our faith.
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Bluestone Camp & Retreat Mid-Summer Update
Summer Camp 2016 proved to be another great program experience for all who participated. Dedicated staff and volunteers, energetic campers, the beauty of our natural setting, and the presence of the Holy Spirit combined to make our rendition of the summer camp experience memorable and meaningful for everyone involved.
Once again our presbytery churches were generous... Continued here
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Visitation Training! 
Saturday, September 17 at 10 am - 2 pm Highlawn Presbyterian Church
2501 Washington Ave, St Albans No cost. Lunch provided.
Please RSVP to 304-727-7140 for lunch.
Does your church or community have people who are lonely or sick in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes, or even their own home? Do you want to reach out to them with visits and calls, but are at a loss at what to do or say?
This training is designed to equip the average Christian with the knowledge and skills to visit the sick, the elderly, and the lonely.
Facilitator: Tom Hastie, Manager of Pastoral Care at Cabell Huntington Hospital and CRE at Milton Presbyterian Church.
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Challenging the Church -
The Rise of the "Nones"
 The Presbytery of West Virginia's Nurture Committee presents:
Rodger Nishioka
Saturday, November 12
10 am - 3 pm
Bream Memorial Presbyterian Church, Charleston, WV
Cost per person on or before
Thursday, October 27 - $25.
Cost per person after the 27th or at the door - $30.
Boxed lunches will be available for those who register no later than October 27 at a cost of $12/lunch; or bring lunch with you.
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Help Campus Ministry!
Help needed! The Presbyterian Campus Ministry at WVU is an Ukirk ministry charged with reaching, teaching, and loving college students so they may be lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.
We meet weekly during the school year (Wednesdays, 7 pm, at Campus Ministry Center, downtown).
We need YOUR help identifying students who will be attending WVU in the fall (new, returning, transfer, etc). Here are ways you can help. Click Here...
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Preserve and Conserve! 
Workshops available on Energy Efficiency, Water Resources, And Community Health
The Presbytery's Stewardship of Creation Ministry Team (SCMT) is continuing to provide workshops around the Presbytery on the importance to the faith community of preserving and conserving resources, especially water and energy. They are providing these workshops free of charge and will tailor the event to the ages and size of the gathering.
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Child Protection Policy Workshop!
Saturday, September 10
10 am - 4 pm
Village Chapel
Presbyterian Church
Dr. Rebecca Davis, Associate Professor of Religion at Presbyterian College, and a life-long advocate for children, will be leading participants in exploring these and other issues related to a child protection policy in our congregations. This will be an opportunity to hear more about some of the issues that have led to the inclusion of the child protection policy in our Form of Government and what needs to be in such a policy.
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Flood Recovery Week in October
 The PWV Mission Trip will be a flood recovery week through WVMAW in Greenbrier County October 16-20. The costs will be the $300.00 for the week or $75.00 a day. Please mark this on your calendar and prayerfully consider if you are able to serve.
WVMAW is a long term recovery agency, working in partnership with the Presbytery of WV. This means that after the first responders go home, we will be there working with families in need for years to come. WVMAW is booking long term recovery teams now, and would like to give our people in WV the opportunity to respond to their own neighbors. Please let us know interest by September 15.
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The Relations Committee is seeking techies to assist local churches with website and technology needs on a volunteer, as-needed basis. Churches need help with setting up a webpage or with communications technology. The committee particularly needs persons who would be available to churches in the Parkersburg, Charleston, Lewisburg, and Morgantown areas. For more information, please contact Patrick Ryan, Relations Committee ComTech Teach chair, at [email protected].
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The 135th West Virginia Council of Churches Annual Assembly will be held October 16 - 17, 2016 at Christ Church United Methodist in Charleston. This year's theme will be "Acts of Mercy." Plenaries include Acts of Mercy from an Interfaith Perspective and a presentation on the Common Good by Dr. Robert Rupp of West Virginia Wesleyan College. Ms. Gaylene Miller, State Director, AARP West Virginia, will be our Ecumenical Breakfast speaker. The Assembly will be followed by our annual Public Policy Forum on October 18. Registration for the Annual Assembly and the Forum will be open soon! http://www.wvcc.org/
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The West Virginia Council of Churches' Prison Ministry/Corrections program unit has been working with Beverly Sharp, a lay pastor in the Presbyterian Church, to create local Community Reentry Councils over the past year or so. On June 15, working in conjunction with many partners, the Kanawha Community Reentry Council was launched. Community Reentry Councils help ex-offenders make the transition back into the society by networking together to provide information on housing, employment, and other ex-offender needs. The Kanawha Community Reentry Council meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Please call (304) 344-3141 or email[email protected] for more information or if you have an interest in starting a Community Reentry Council in your area.
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Continuing Education Opportunities at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
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- Violence in Scripture, an online class with Jerome Creach, registration deadline September 12
- The Desert Abbas & Ammas with Roberta Bondi, September 14-17
- Extending Hospitality, Conversations & Community Series, beginning September 14
- Change of Course: Navigating Christian Education Today
with Paul Humphreys, September 24 - Transforming Mission, the McClure Lectures with Stephen Bevans, September 26-27
- The Place Where We Are Right: A Conversation between Friends about Israel & Palestine, September 29
- The Art of Transitional Ministry, Part 2, October 17-21
- The End of Adam & Eve: Theology & the Science of Human Origins, an online class with Ron Cole-Turner
- Are We There Yet? Safe Travels with Youth, a FREE WEBINAR resource
Please go to www.pts.edu/CE for more information.
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Presbyterians Today's BLOG
We are storytellers. We are everyday Presbyterians who want to talk honestly about the future of the church. We are part of a creative team commissioned by Presbyterians Today to ask questions about who's getting a platform to speak and who's not. And this is our canvas. Our blog is a holy place Continue reading here
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Editor's Note:
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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.
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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
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