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Weekly Update
February 14, 2013
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Save the Dates!
Monday,
February 25th at
10:00AM
Registration begins at 9:30am
Special Called Meeting of the Presbytery
Milton Presbyterian Church
250 North Street
Examination for Ordination
to the office of Teaching Elder,
Marcel (Marc)
van Bulck
upon the call of the Seville Presbyterian Church.
------------- Wednesday March 13th, 5P until Thursday, March 14th, 5P Registration begins at 4:30P Lenten Retreat/ Inner Shalom Christ Presbyterian Church 530 Tuscarawas Street West Canton, OH 44702 Click Here to Register for the Lenten Retreat*Please call the McKinley Hotel, 1-877-454-5008 to book your reservations. To receive discount, state that you are attending the MVP Lenten Retreat. You must call to ahead to reserve room(s). ------------- Saturday, April 20th 9:00A-4:00P Registration begins at 8:30A Ministry Options in the 21st Century with George Bullard Unity Presbyterian Church 130 N. 7th Street Cambridge, OH 43725 ------------- Questions? Comments?
Corrections?
800.693.1147
330.339.5515
MVP
Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday
8:00A - 4:30P
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MVP News:
The MVP Office will be closing at NOON on Thursday, February 14th. The MVP Office will be closed on Monday, February 18th and Tuesday, February 19th for a Staff Retreat. We will reopen with our regular business hours on Wednesday, February 20th. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2013, the standard mileage rates will be: 56.5 cents per mile for business miles driven. 2011-2013 Book of Order $9.00 each
*NEW* 2013 Mission Yearbooks are now on sale at the Presbytery office. $15.00 each Per Capita 2013 |
GA
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6.87
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Synod
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3.25
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Presbytery
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18.36
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Total
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"Introduction to
Glory to God, the new Presbyterian Hymnal" is being held April 20, 2013 at Pittsburgh Seminary.
"This brochure was designed to be printed on both sides of a legal sized sheet of paper. Please adjust your printer to legal and landscape so that the PDF will print as designed. If you don't have a printer that can do that, you will have a reduced size one which is usable that prints on letter paper."
Feel free to download the brochure and the PDF. They are meant to be distributed to as many as possible.
Thank you for all you can do to support and publicize this regional event for our denomination. We appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Barbara McKelway, President
Pittsburgh Chapter, PAM (Presbyterian Association of Musicians)
352 Hawthorn Court
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15237
412-366-4513
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Consider
Detroit as a
Location
for your next
Youth or Adult Mission Trip
Detroit Presbytery Service Initiative is a program run by the Hands-On Mission Work Group of the Presbytery of Detroit, 17575 Hubbell, and Detroit, MI 48235.
Nature of Work:
A variety of service opportunities in partnership with area congregations, community agencies and social service organizations.
Work projects include and are not limited to demolition, construction, human services, Vacation Bible Schools, Habitat builds, nature conservancy and many others.
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For those engaged in
Healing Ministries
Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church
presents Lynn Eib,
author of When God and Cancer Meet
who will be the guest speaker at the church
on Saturday,
March 2, 2013
8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lynn's hope-filled message is for anyone who has ever been touched by cancer: patients, survivors, family members, and health care professionals. The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and a Continental Breakfast, and ends at 1:30 p.m. with a lunch and book-signing by the author.
There is a $5 cost for this event. Please call the church 330-695-2511 by February 22 to reserve a seat.
The founder of The Cancer Prayer Support Group,
Lynn is a cancer survivor, a journalist
and a cancer patient advocate.
www.fredericksburgpres.org
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Entering the Mess To be open to the embrace of the Father is necessarily and inevitably to be open to the whole creation, which is held in his embrace. Brother Martin Smith, SSJE Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose to enter the mess? He didn't have to. He could have kept his distance, looking down from afar upon the crowd who had flocked out to John seeking forgiveness for their sins. He, who was without sin, could have stood at a distance, not getting caught up in the chaos. Yet on that riverbank, he makes the conscious choice to enter the fullness of our condition. It is in that precise moment that God's pleasure can no longer be contained: "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 2:22). Take note of the Father's joy as the Son throws away his separateness to enter into our brokenness. He who is without sin becomes one with us in our pain. It is then that the Spirit descends, filling him with an awareness of his true identity as the beloved Son. Only as Jesus heeds God's call to take on our suffering does God flood him with awareness of his unique relationship as the only-begotten Son and anoint him with the Spirit for his mission; not before. It is the same for us. Only as we step out in faith will we receive confirmation of our core identity in Christ and God's call. When Jesus chose to plunge himself that day into our condition, he revealed that nothing shall separate us from the love of God (see Romans 8:31-39). What a profound moment of truth for us! In his baptism, Jesus embodies God's love for us even as he challenges us to follow him into the mess. From the prophets on, God has called us to seek the Shalom of the cities to which we have been sent in exile (see Jeremiah 29:1-11). Jesus models this with his baptism as he enters into our brokenness. This is the axis on which the gospel turns. The same movement of surrender that opens us to intimacy with God, also opens us up to compassion with all who struggle and are in need. To be open to the Spirit is to be open to humanity in all its brokenness and its ardent yearning for wholeness. As Brother Martin Smith of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist reminds us: "To be open to the embrace of the Father is necessarily and inevitably to be open to the whole creation, which is held in his embrace."  |
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Food for the Journey
Jeremiah 29:1-11, Seek the Shalom of the city to which I have sent you in exile
Romans 8:31-39, Nothing shall separate us from the love of God
Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus' baptism
Journey Questions
- Just as God's pleasure could no longer be contained when Jesus entered into our broken humanity, so God's pleasure is made known in us when we bear his heart into a suffering world. In what ways have you born Christ's heart into the world?
- What commitments are you ready to make with regard to the shaping of your character that you might be ready for this journey?
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Are you ready to enter the mess? Are you ready to allow your life to run on the same axis as Jesus, an axis that led to betrayal and death?
Journey Practice: Entering the Mess As you begin this season of Lent, read through the four accounts of Jesus baptism: Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-37; John 1:19-34. Do not try to reconcile the differences in the four accounts, receive them for their different perspectives, each offering revelation. Now, choose one account and read it aloud. Take a moment to ponder the scene again. Where are you on that muddy riverbank? Are you part of the crowd? One of John's disciples? John the Baptist? Jesus, himself? How do you experience Jesus' entry into our condition...brokenness... need? How does Jesus' entering into our mess inform God's call to you? In what way is God calling you to enter into the mess of your community to bring healing? Prayer for the Journey Come, O Holy Spirit. Come as Holy Fire and burn in us. Come as Holy Wind and cleanse us within. Come as Holy Light and lead us in the darkness. Come as Holy Truth and dispel our ignorance. Come as Holy Power and enable our weakness. Come as Holy Life and dwell in us. Convict us, convert us, consecrate us, Until we are set free from the service of ourselves, to be your servants in the world. Book of Common Worship |
February 5, 2013 Dear MVP Session Clerks: You will recall that I advised you a couple of months ago to hold off from submitting your 2012 statistical reports until I could share more with you about the Mission Council's review of alternate ways to report the missional activities and witness of our congregations. That work has not yet been completed so I am writing now to encourage you to complete and submit the existing 2012 statistical report for your congregation. Some of our clerks have already called Shauna at the MVP Mission Center and provided her with the 2012 figures and other required information so she can complete their report on line to ensure the report goes to our denominational office. She welcomes additional calls from those of our session clerks who would like her help in that manner. Others of you may decide to submit your completed reports on your own to Louisville directly by mail or email. If you do so, please let Shauna know that you have done so in order that she can track which session clerks have not yet been filed. Before moving to Minerva ten years ago, I served as clerk of session at my Presbyterian church near Buffalo, New York, long enough to understand the many responsibilities that this position carries. Please don't see this 2012 statistical report as an optional or meaningless exercise in communicating with the PCUSA national staff. The information collected from our denomination's presbyteries provides national and local staff with valuable data. Our Presbytery's Mission Council and staff sincerely appreciate all that you do throughout the year as you serve God, your congregation and your presbytery. Please don't hesitate to contact Shauna by phone, 330-339-5515 or by email, Shauna@MVPJourney.org, if you need help. In Christ's service, 
Elder Paula G. Lane MVP Transitional Stated Clerk |
Special Called Meeting of the Presbytery
Monday, February 25th, 2013 at 10:00AM
Registration begins at 9:30AM
Location: Milton Presbyterian Church 250 North Street Rittman, Ohio 44270 Examination for Ordination to the office of Teaching Elder, Marcel (Marc) van Bulck
upon the call of the Seville Presbyterian Church.
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Small Employer Healthcare Tax Credit The Small Employer Healthcare Tax Credit, available for tax years through 2013, provides an incentive for small employers to provide healthcare coverage to their employees. Those small employers that meet the criteria may be eligible for a credit of up to 25 percent of the employer's healthcare coverage costs.Sm all employers that offer a qualifying arrangement, such as Traditional Program or Affiliated Benefits Program coverage under the Medical Plan of the PC(USA), have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees, and pay average annual wages of less than $50,000 may be eligible for the tax credit if they contribute a uniform percentage of at least 50 percent toward the dues (premiums) for each employee enrolled in the healthcare coverage they offer.* . Employing organizations can use IRS Form 8941** and the Tax Credit Worksheet,** available from the Board, to assist with determining if they qualify for the tax credit and, if so, the maximum amount of that credit. Eligible employers should claim the credit on Form 990-T. A more in-depth explanation can be found on this page of pensions.org http://www.pensions.org/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=84204&mode=2 Reference Materials: What must go on 2013 w-2s
Value of healthcare coverage on W-2s: Employers are required to provide information on the value of healthcare coverage on an employee's W-2 beginning with the 2012 tax year. However, coverage provided through the Medical Plan of the PC(USA) is exempt from this reporting requirement because it is a church plan. Note: Churches and employing organizations that provide healthcare coverage to employees through another entity and issue 250 or more W-2s should contact their insurance provider or broker, as they may be required to provide covered employees with the value of that coverage beginning with their 2012 W-2s (i.e., on W-2s issued in January 2013). |
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Help with Hurricane Sandy Recovery
First Presbyterian Church in Wooster Ohio is sending a group to New York City to help with Hurricane Sandy recovery. We will leave on April 28th and return on May 4th. Individuals are responsible for their own travel. The cost is $40 per person per night. Please contact Bruce Ballantine by email (bballantine@fpc-wooster.org) or phone (330-264-9420) for more information or to join the group. You must be over 18 years old to join us on this trip.
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Westminster Presbyterian Church in New Concord is cleaning out closets! We have over 100 copies of the 1933/1949 Presbyterian Hymnal (dark green cover), free for the asking. Please email pastor Ellen Thomas at ellenthomas22@gmail.com if interested. Thank you.
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January 4, 2013
Dear Presbytery Staff Members,
Grace and peace to you all.
We write with concern about proposed benefits and dues plan changes announced by the Board of Pensions after their October 2012 meeting, and to urge reconsideration. We ask that you share this letter with the pastoral leaders and clerks of session of your Presbytery, to encourage congregational conversations toward the hope that more faithful and constructive options might be explored as all of us consider how to respond to the funding crisis for the health care benefits of the Plan.
The reasons for our concern begin with our sense that the proposed changes are counter to the values of the Presbyterian Church (USA), including those of the Board of Pensions. Among our concerns are the following:
1. No suggestion was made in written reports by the Board of Pensions to the 220th General Assembly (2012) that a significant change in the structure of medical benefits was contemplated, nor was any suggestion offered that perhaps the plan was facing a deficit situation. A deficit of the level the Board has announced seems unlikely to have emerged
between July and October 2012. Although there was a small hint of a change in the financial outlook for the medical plan in the report to the 2012 General Assembly, the concern was not clearly stated.
2. The proposed turn away from the historic communal nature and the call neutrality aspects of the plan are troubling. These two aspects have been central in the Board's reports and interpretive pieces, which does not surprise, as both are highly valued by Plan members and congregations. Indeed, the communal nature of the Plan was emphasized in the Board's Agency Summary to the 220th General Assembly. These aspects are understood and lived as spiritual values by Presbyterians across the church. Changing the essential nature of the Plan would damage the church and render faithful ministry more difficult in many places.
3. Further, the proposed changes may well exacerbate existing divisions in the church. Increasing costs for Plan
members with dependents puts Plan members on opposing sides. It places members with dependents, a group that includes many of the younger members of the Plan, out of parity with members without dependents, a group that includes the majority of older and/or retired members. It also could result in increasing division between Plan members who serve smaller, less-resourced congregations and those who serve larger, wealthier congregations. In many cases,
members who are financially better off will get a break, while members who are already experiencing financial stress will be under increased burdens if the proposed changes are enacted.
Finally, the Board's report to the 220th General Assembly on Amendments to the Plan notes that amendments "that are in the nature of a benefit reduction...are only effective upon approval of the General Assembly". We suggest that a benefit reduction is part of the proposed change, and thus, we believe that the Board must submit these proposed changes to the 221st General Assembly (2014), which would allow the church time for a full conversation about the potential benefits and costs of the proposed changed to the medical benefits of the Plan.
We urge the Board of Directors to reconsider these changes and offer the church the opportunity to consider all the implications of the proposed changes at the 221st General Assembly.
John Fife, Moderator Deborah Fortel, Moderator
204th General Assembly, PC(USA) (1992) GA Task Force on Theology of Compensation, 2008-2010
NOTE: The Presbyterian News Service press release on proposed changes is one place to find more information.
http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/11/2/board-pensions-unveils-new-2014-healthcare-dues-st/
A summary and FAQ about the changes. These changes especially affect small churches and pastors with families.
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 Cynthia Gooch
Cynthia (Stetson) Gooch, 80, of Wooster, passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at West View Healthy Living.
She was born Aug. 15, 1932, in Canandaigua, N.Y., the daughter of Paul and Lois (Raymond) Stetson and grew up in Rochester, N.Y. Cinny was a 1954 graduate of The College of Wooster, where she met her husband, Ross H. Gooch, whom she married on June 26, 1954.
She was a social worker, a teacher, a bookkeeper and retired from the Edward Jones office in Ashland, as the branch office administrator. She was the first branch office administrator to be given a limited partnership by Edward Jones.
She was a member of AAUW and a past board member of the New Covenant Funds of the Presbyterian Foundation. She was very active in the congregation of Westminster Presbyterian Church, as an elder and served on a variety of committees. She was also active in the Muskingum Valley Presbytery.
Surviving in addition to her husband, are children, Paul Gooch of Port Washington, Wisc., Ruth Goode of Madison Heights, Mich., Lois (Greg) Marler of Naples, Fla., and Mark (Cheryl) Gooch of Wooster; grandchildren, Meghan Gooch, Emily Osborne, Leah Goode, Brian and Justin Marler and Peter and Jacob Gooch; great-grandchildren, Aiden Lema, Stella Mae Waites and Lillyan Nielsen.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and a brother, Kirk R. Stetson.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. McIntire, Bradham & Sleek Funeral Home, 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster, is assisting the family.
The family would like to express thanks to the staffs of West View Healthy Living and Hospice & Palliative Care of Greater Wayne County.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Buckhorn Children's Home, 116 Buckhorn Lane, Buckhorn, Ky. 41721.
A Celebration of Life service for Cynthia Gooch, 80, of Wooster, will be Saturday, April 27, at 10 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 353 E. Pine St., Wooster. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the services at the church.
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Prayer Requests/Updates
Please hold Ross Gooch and the family in your prayers.
Praise: Kathy Adams, lay pastor of Mansfield East Hills, recently returned from Haiti stating they got a lot more done than expected.
Anyone interested in a Haiti teaching mission?
Contact Kathy Adams, kadamssigad@yahoo.com
If you or someone you know has a prayer request
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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
Regular Office hours
Monday - Thursday
8:00A to 4:30P
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