Muskingum Valley Presbytery
MVP Mission Update

February 13, 2014

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Save the Dates

  

Tuesday

February 25, 2014

9:30 am - 4 pm

 

Stated Meeting:

The Presbytery Gathers for Worship and Business

  

Wooster First Presbyterian Church

621 College Avenue

Wooster, OH 44691

 

Cost: $10 for lunch

RSVP to Candice

 

Registration begins at 9:30 am 

 

Worship begins at 10:00 am

 

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Wednesday

February 26, 2014

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

 

Encore!

The Journey

Discovery 2:

Where Am I Now?

  

Mission Center

109 Stonecreek Rd NW

New Phila, OH 44663

 

9:30 am - 4:30 pm

 

RSVP To Candice

 

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Saturday

March 15, 2014

9:30 am - 4:30 pm

 

 

Believing Out Loud: Finding Your Preaching Voice

Training for Lay Preachers  

 

Mission Center

109 Stonecreek Rd NW

New Phila, OH 44663

  

Cost: $25 for lunch and materials

 

RSVP to Candice before March 11.

  

 

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Questions?
Comments?
Corrections?

  

800.693.1147
330.339.5515

 

  

MVP Office 
Hours: 
Monday through Thursday
8:00A - 4:30P

MVP News:

 

2014 Mission Yearbooks  
are now on sale 
$15.00 each
 
 
 
Per Capita 2014
GA
 7.02
Synod 3.25
Presbytery18.36
Total
28.63
   

Beyond Satisfaction to Transformation

 

A membership organization will ask if the members are satisfied.  A purposeful organization will ask if people's lives are being changed.  

Gil Rendle, Back to Zero

 

What and how we measure matters!  Rather than focusing on "member satisfaction," we do well to ask are we (is our congregation) evidencing transformation in our lives and living?  The shift from membership to discipleship, from doing church to being the body of Christ, from an inward focus to an outward focus calls for new metrics. No longer can "success" be measured in terms of how much, how often, and how many. Effectiveness should not be measured in terms of giving units, programs, and membership.  Scripture repeatedly reports conversions, healings, and feedings, but note the outward focus.  Transformation is measured in terms of lives transformed, not the building up of institution.  The challenge, of course, is that growing up into maturity in Christ and embodying Incarnation are inherently un-measurable.

 

Six Scripture texts that challenge me include:

 

-       Discipleship Outcome: II Corinthians 3:17-18, Becoming like Jesus

-       Community Outcome: Revelation 21: 1-8, Vision of the New Jerusalem

-       Metrics: Matthew 22:36-40, The Great Commandment; Matthew 25: 31-46, As you did the to the least of these; Matthew 28:16-20, The Great Commission; Acts 1:8, Witnesses

 

Jesus is clear that love of God comes before anything else.  It is our love of God that results in the imitation of Christ expressed through the love of neighbor that leads to the transformation of the community.  But how are we to measure love of God and neighbor?

 

Jim Collins, in his monograph on Good to Great and the Social Sectors, suggests that leaders move from counting to describing.  Some clerks have begun to provide descriptions in their statistical reports of where their congregation is, what they've done and learned, and how to move ahead.  I believe such descriptions speak to the deep authenticity of their congregation's response to God's call, born of intersection of their passions and strengths in response to the needs of the community.

 

Much for us to ponder as we continue our journey from institution to movement in response to God's call to be transformed!

 

With blessing, 

 

Debbie Rundlett

General Presbyter 

 

 

Holy Habit: The Practice of Describing

 

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17

 

It is so easy to get caught up in a scarcity mindset.  Most of us have been trained to look for the gaps, for what is missing and in need of fixing, so we miss the ways in which the Holy Spirit has been with us, delighting is, and rejoicing over us.  As you live into this new year, take some time -- individually, as a leadership team, and as a congregation -- to pause and reflect on the places where you have seen God at work in the last year. 

 

First, consider how God loves you. Prayerfully ponder Zephaniah 3:17:    

 

The Lord your God is with you,

             God is mighty to save.

            God will take great delight in you;

            God will quiet you with love;

            God will rejoice over you with singing.

 

Now be still and listen and then ask yourself:

  • How is God reflected delight in me, my congregation, and our shared ministry in the last year?
  • Give thanks and take some time to delight in the God who delights in you.
  • Intentionally ask for the gift of appreciating yourself the way God does.
 

"Believing Out Loud: Finding Your Preaching Voice" training for Lay Preachers coming soon!

 

"How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them?" 

(Romans 10:14 NIRV)

 

Save the date! 

On March 15, 2014, we will be offering "Believing Out Loud: Finding Your Preaching Voice," a one-day training session at the Mission Center for lay people who might serve as pulpit supply.  This is an excellent opportunity for those who may consider the Commissioned Lay Pastor transformation track in Fall 2014, as well as other church leaders, elders, and/or deacons.

 

Preaching is a physical activity where mind, body, spirit, voice and passion are engaged. In the process of preparing for and practicing sermons out loud, this seminar will provide the practical basics of preaching and aims for your discovery of and gaining confidence in your preaching voice.

 

  • Date: Saturday, March 15, 2014
  • Time: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
  • Location: MVP Mission Center, 109 Stonecreek Rd NW, New Philadelphia, OH
  • Cost: $25 (includes materials and lunch)
  • RSVP to Candice by email or phone (330) 339-5515 before March 11, 2014.
 

An Update from the Mission Center

from Candice McMath 


This is a friendly reminder that the following deadlines are approaching:
  • Your Church Directory Information update and the 2013 Necrology Report.  Please return them to the Mission Center by February 15, 2014 so that we can prepare an updated directory for the Stated Meeting on February 25.
  • Copies of the 2014 Terms of Call are due to the Mission Center by February 28, 2014.
  • Online submission of the Clerk's Annual Questionnaire and the Annual Church Statistical Reports are due by February 28, 2014.  
  • RSVP's for upcoming events are approaching! Remember, we ask for RSVP's to ensure an accurate count for catering needs and providing of materials.  If you plan to attend the following upcoming events, please RSVP to Candice as soon as you are able:
    • Stated Meeting: due by February 18 
    • Discovery 2 Encore: due by February 20
    • Believing Out Loud lay preaching seminar: due by March 11
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at the Mission Center by calling 330-339-5515 or emailing at Candice@MVPJourney.org.
 

Save the Date!

Upcoming Stated Meeting of the Presbytery

 

Tuesday

February 25, 2014

9:30 am - 4 pm

 

Stated Meeting:

The Presbytery Gathers for Worship and Business

  

Wooster First Presbyterian Church

621 College Avenue

Wooster, OH 44691

 

Cost: $10 for lunch

RSVP to Candice

by February 18, 2014

 

Registration begins at 9:30 am 

 

Worship begins at 10:00 am 

and will include worshipping with musicians from Wooster First! Many thanks to them for sharing their musical worship gifts with us.

 

   

From the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary

Please find attached two press releases from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary regarding Continuing Education and Master's of Divinity cohort.

 

Also, a new announcement concerning a March 12-14 conference:

Please see the attached news release announcing the Exploring a Call to Seminary Conference at UDTS 

 

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

Thanks much,

 

Kristi Lynch
Director of Public Information
University of Dubuque
563.589.3267

 

 

Upcoming Event: Work/Life Balance Seminar

From Weatherhead School of Management

 

Please see the attached information regarding an upcoming event on May 3, 2014 from Weatherhead School of Management. This interactive session will include a customized feedback report and work life development guide, catered to where you are right now. The tool will provide you with your own personal work-life effectiveness profile, including your strengths and challenges, and insights on how to improve your work-life relationships and manage boundaries on and off the job. 

 

If interested, please RSVP to Candice by February 28, 2014.

 

Chantal van Esch 
PhD Student in Organizational Behavior 
Weatherhead School of Management 
Case Western Reserve University  

 

An Update from the Presbyterian Women

From Sandi Butterbaugh

 

Attached is the winter 2013 newsletter for the Presbyterian Women of the Synod of the Covenant.  Enjoy!

 

Winter 2013 Newsletter

From Massillon Central Presbyterian Church

Seeking an Organist

 

Central Presbyterian Church of Massillon has an immediate opening for a quarter-time organist and accompanist. Instruments are a 2002 Allen Renaissance 80-stop, 3-manual digital organ with MIDI and a Steinway six-foot grand piano.  The individual filling the position will be responsible for one Sunday morning worship service, weekly rehearsal (September-May) with a twenty-five voice chancel choir, special liturgical services, weddings, and in-church funeral services.  

 

Position reports to the Director of Music Ministries. Compensation will be negotiated and based upon commensurate experience.  A full position description is available upon request. 

 

Interested persons are asked to contact Larry Lalama at 330-832-7455 or cpcp@sssnet.com.


 

2014 PW Gathering: "Radical Hospitality"

From the Presbyterian Women in the Synod of the Covenant 

 

The PW in the Synod of the Covenant wish to announce their 2014 Gathering, "Radical Hospitality."

  • Date: July 18-19, 2014
  • Location: Trinity United Presbyterian Church, 5151 W Lennon Rd, Flint Township, MI 48507

Details on breakout sessions, cost, and speakers can be found in this brochure.

  
 
From George Bullard, The Columbia Partnership 
Travel-free Learning Schedule available
 
 The Columbia Partnership is offering Travel Free Learning opportunities.   The schedule is attached.

 

Save the Date: May 1, 2014

Re/Entry: Rebuilding Productive Lives, Post-Incarceration

A Policy Coordination and Training Symposium for Professionals

 

Muskingum Valley Presbytery, along with our NE Ohio Presbyterian peers, are hosting a training symposium at Christ Presbyterian Church.  The symposium will cover frontline programming for professionals in a variety of disciplines, including clergy.  Further details and contact information can be found in this brochure.
We are happy to post news and requests from your church in this section of the MVP Update.  Just email Candice or call 330-339-5515 to relay your news.  Please also let us know the "expiration date" on the news item so that we can keep this section current.

 
 
Prayer Requests/Updates

  


Journeying with Jesus to touch the world...
Empowered by the Spirit to:
Make Disciples, Nurture Our Faith, and Serve the Needs of the Community! 
 

Candice McMath, Mission Coordinator 

  

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