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Weekly Update
February 23, 2012 |
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Upcoming Events | |
Save these dates and be on the lookout for details!
3/10/2012
Stated Meeting of Presbytery
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Registration begins at 8:30am
The Presbyterian Church,
142 N. 4th Street
Coshocton, Ohio
Leadership Summit with Terry Wardle on Formational Prayer
(Business as needed)
Click Here to Register for Event! -------------
Questions?
Concerns? Corrections?
Call or Email!
(800) 693-1147
(330) 339-5515
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Email Shauna
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
8:00am to 4:30pm
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MVP Materials:
2011-2013
Book of Order
Please contact Shauna to reserve yours today!
$9.00 each
2011-2012
Presbyterian Planning Calendars are still available in the MVP Mission Center.
$7.25 each
Contact Shauna today to pick up yours!
2012 Mission Yearbooks are here!
$12.00 each
Call or email Shauna today to reserve yours!
330.339.5515
1.800.693.1147
Monday - Thursday
8:00am to 4:30pm
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Welcome to Ben Radley, the new director of Camp Pleasant Hills Camp.
Ben is the former camp program director and starts his new post next week.
You will have the opportunity to meet Ben at the March 10th MVP gathering in Coshocton and pick up material about this year's camp activities.
www.phoc.org | |
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Ready for Summer?
Rent Camp LiMRod for your church group or family event.
It is located on 162 acres near Alliance, Ohio.
It is equipped with:
- an inground pool;
- cabins with bunk beds;
- teepees with cots;
- a challenge course;
- climbing wall;
- zip line through the woods;
- kids' mini zip line;
- showerhouse;
- lodge with kitchen;
- hiking trails;
and
- an archery range.
This is a ministry of First United Presbyterian Church of Alliance.
Contact the church office at 330-821-5340 to get an application to rent the Camp LiMRod property.
Camp LiMRod rentals flyer | | |
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Celebration of the Life and Ministry
of
Rev. Elaine Dutton
Sunday, March 4th
Beginning at 3:00pm
New Harrisburg Presbyterian Church
3006 Waynesburg Road NW
Carrollton, 44615 | |
Directions | |
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Dust...
Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.
Have you ever tried to burn palm branches? They are not easy to burn. During my years in parish ministry, I would take last year's palm branches and burn them that we might have ashes for those who desired to receive them during the imposition of ashes. The only problem is that while the dried palm branches would catch fire pretty easily, they did not hold the flame. Often they burn just enough to leave a charred "skeleton", but not burn to ash. Even persistence and determination were not enough to fully burn the branches.*
So also with our sins! We can repent of our sins, yet the charred skeletons of our actions remain. We can seek to rid our lives of those actions and thoughts which have drawn us apart from God and neighbor, but on our own we cannot fully turn them into ash. We can take up spiritual disciplines-such as fasting, prayer, and service-which will help to reshape our lives but not transform them. In the end, we need something, no someONE, beyond ourselves if we are to be fully cleansed of our sins. "Come to me," our Lord Jesus invites us. Yet how many of us hold back?
The ashes and burnt remains of the palm branches remind us of our mortality. Like many Protestants, I did not receive ashes when I was growing up. When my Catholic friends would arrive at school on Ash Wednesday with their foreheads darkened with ashes, I was both drawn to and repelled by the sight. Seeing the sign of the cross on the foreheads of friends (not to mention my own) is a powerful reminder of our mortality and brokenness.
While we don't often like to ponder those dark places in our lives, Lent provides the opportunity to do so in the context of God's redeeming love made known in Jesus. The burdens most of us carry are far too heavy to bear. Jesus, during this season of Lent, calls us to come to him that he might bear the burden of our sin. At its core, the season of Lent is about forgiveness and love. What wondrous love is this, the old spiritual asks. Love so broad, so deep, so high is the amazing grace of this forty-day journey.
But we cannot receive the gift without making the journey. Will you join me?
* True Confession: After several years, I finally gave up trying to burn last year's palm branches and purchased them from Cokesbury-source of all sources. |
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Holy Habit: Going Down
Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.
Parker Palmer in Let Your Life Speak reflects on the reality that the way to God is often down, not up as we might imagine. "Why must we go in and down?" he queries. "Because as we do so, we will meet the darkness that we carry within ourselves-the ultimate source of shadows that we project onto other people." In confronting those shadows, we come to encounter another reality; the reality of the One who is the ground of our being and the source of all we are and have. This Lent take some time to confront the shadows within yourself. Palmer notes five shadows, in particular, that leaders would do well to own:
- Insecurity about identity and worth.
- The belief that the universe is a battleground.
- Functional atheism: the belief that ultimate responsibility rests with us.
- Fear-especially of the natural chaos of life.
- Denial of death.
Which shadow is God asking you to give up this Lenten season?
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Formational Prayer Seminar Description:
The Institute regularly holds training seminars in Formational Prayer for those men and women engaged in care-giving ministries. This seminar provides the tools for addressing dysfunctional behaviors; teaches steps for dealing with deep wounds; presents information on spirituality and world view as each relates to helping the broken; and demonstrates pathways that help people dismantle destructive false beliefs.
Link to June Formational Prayer Seminar:
http://seminary.ashland.edu/documents/IFC/june6-9-2012_broch.pdf
Explanation of the Formational Prayer Seminar:
June 6-9, 2012 we are holding a Formational Prayer Seminar. At this seminar, participants will receive in-depth instruction on Formational Prayer. The seminar is based on Dr. Terry Wardle's Book Healing Care Healing Pray. Each participant will receive a copy of the book Healing Care Healing Pray as well as a large three-ring note taking manual. You will also receive hands on experience in a small group setting. The groups are comprised of three seminar participants and lead by a caregiver. Caregivers are doctoral students in the Formational Counseling program at ATS. This seminar runs four full days, a total of 30 hours training. Wednesday you start at 8:00 with registration and end at 6:30 in the evening. Of course, you will receive a lunch and dinner break along with a few 15-minute stretch breaks throughout the day. Thursday and Friday the seminar runs from 8:00 to 5:00 and Saturday 8:00 to 4:00 again with lunch and stretch breaks throughout the day.
I have attached endorsements written by a few people who have attended the seminar in the past. They range from a Seminary president, to a professional in the counseling field, doctoral students, pastors, seminar participants, etc. I think this may give you some clarity as well. The cost for the four-day seminar and materials is $475. However, a group rate of $375 is available to groups of three or more participants who register together.
Healing Care Small Group Leaders Training:
Since seminar participants will not be in class on Thursday evening , Dr. Donna Thomas will be presenting an additional training on Dr.
Wardle's "Healing Care Group Material". Dr. Wardle has designed a 16-week small group experience that is now being widely used by caregivers with very positive results. The purpose of this small group curriculum is to offer individuals a safe place to heal from deep wounds, false beliefs, damaged emotions, and dysfunctional behaviors in a confidential small group setting.
Seminar participants are welcome to be a part of this one evening training session. While the normal cost for this training is $250, you are able to attend for the cost of the Small Group Leader's Materials. Which include a Leaders Guide, an instructional CD, copies of Dr. Wardle's books "Wounded" and "Draw Close to the Fire" and a copy of Dr. Thomas' book "The Healing Christ In Community" for $155.00. This Leaders Guide is a 250 pages color manual that provides everything you would need to do Healing Care groups.
If you are interested in registering for the Formational Prayer Seminar and additionally the Healing Care Small Group Leaders Training, please contact me as soon as possible. We will be glad to have you join us.
The Healing Care Leaders training is only available to those who have completed or are in the process of completing the Formational Prayer Seminar.
If you have, any further questions feel free to contact me at any time.
Lynne Lawson
Assistant Director
The Institute of Formational Counseling
419-207-5547
Formational Prayer Seminar Endorsements (.PDF) |
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A call for generous sharing across the PC(USA)
One Great Hour of Sharing supports the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Self Development of People program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Below is information to help you in planning the promotion of the Offering in your congregation:
- Standing orders for One Great Hour of Sharing have been shipped. If you have not received your order by February 10, please call (800) 524-2612 or send an email to inquire about your order.
- Access the One Great Hour of Sharing website's Art page to download graphics and fun facts about the Offering for your newsletter.
- New this year are alternative ways of giving for congregants. We are now offering the option of text giving. The graphic below will help you introduce this option:
Thank you. Your support of One Great Hour of Sharing continues to make a difference in the lives of others! |
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A recent venture of the Total Living Center:
This website presents an abundance of FREE spiritually centered resources. |
Cutting Edge Psychotherapy Conference
Mercy Medical Center in Canton
Saturday, April 14th
8:00 Registration
8:30 Mindful Solutions
Psychotherapy
Dr. Nina Kucyk
9:15 Acceptance & Commitment
Therapy
Dr. James Pontius
10:00 break
10:15 Internal Family Systems
Model Psychotherapy
Dr. Howard Humphress
11:00 Spiritual Formation
Dr. Terry Wardle
11:45 break
12:00 Panel Discussion
1:00 adjourn
These are all psychotherapies which have been developed in recent years and hold greater promise than conventional ones. The pioneers who created these psychotherapies include Jack Kornfield, Steven Hayes, Richard Schwartz, and of course Terry Wardle. Among the speakers, Howard Humphress, D. Min. is an ordained United Methodist Elder and member of East Ohio Conference, a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. He is the appointed counselor for ministers in his territory in the East Ohio Conference. Dr. James Pontius is a psychologist in private practice who works with the ACT model. Dr. Nina Kucyk is a psychologist who is active in the Akron-Canton Shambhala Meditation Center. As you know, Terry Wardle, D.Min. is Professor of Practical Theology at Ashland Theological Seminary. I expect that some of the pastors in the Muskingum Valley Presbytery may be interested in attending our Conference. The registration fee will be $30.00, with an additional $20.00 if CE credits are desired. A formal invitation and registration form will be sent out later, but I thought some of your pastors may want to know about this Conference and set the date aside.
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Prayer Request:
Please hold Sheila Ellenberger in your prayers, she is currently serving as the Area III chair on COM. Sheila had surgery last Thursday, February 16th to replace both knees. She is now in the hospital rehabilitation therapy unit and will be there until Friday, February 24th. Sheila wanted everyone to know how blessed she is to have so many friends and acquaintances lifting me up in prayer. Just knowing that has made surgery, therapy and recovery much more manageable.
Please hold Joyce and Don Rhamey from the Fredericksburg Church in your prayers. Joyce has completed loyal service on the MVP Nominating Committee. Joyce's sister, Lillian Templeton, lives in Washington State and has advanced cancer. Joyce and Don will be visiting Lillian during the week of the March MVP gathering in Coshocton.
If you or someone you know has a prayer request,
please send them to: Shauna at Shauna@MVPJourney.org
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Journeying with Jesus to touch the world...
Empowered by the Spirit to:
Make Disciples, Nurture Our Faith, and Serve the Needs of the Community!
Shauna Engeldinger, Administrative Assistant
Muskingum Valley Presbytery
109 Stonecreek Road NW
New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663
330.339.5515
1.800.693.1147
Fax: 330.339.6225
Visit our website: www.MVPJourney.org
Office hours
Monday - Thursday
8:00am to 4:30pm
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