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MVP Mission Update
September 11, 2014
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Comments?
Corrections?
800.693.1147
330.339.5515
Mission Center Office Hours:
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
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2014 Mission Yearbooks
are available for
$15.00 each
Per Capita 2014
GA
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7.02
| Synod | 3.25 | Presbytery | 18.36 |
Total
| 28.63 |
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Charge!
One of the joys of being a connectional church is sharing in services of ordination and installation. This past Sunday, David Rice was installed as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Wooster. Participating in the commission were Elder Kathy Kettlewell from Christ Presbyterian Church (who had served as the liaison to the pastor nominating committee), Elder Nancy Young (clerk of session and chair of the PNC), Pastor Dries Coetzee (neighboring pastor from Westminster Presbyterian Church), Pastor Jon Carlisle (from Coshocton), Pastor Tim Pollock (from Bloomfield and presbytery moderator), and myself.
The highlight of the service for me was the charge to the congregation given by Nancy Young. It was as inspiriting as it was challenging. It was a charge, I felt we all needed to "hear." To that end, I asked Nancy to share it as our weekly broadcast this week. May you be blessed as you read and receive her words.
Together in Christ,
Debbie Rundlett General Presbyter Congregational Charge to First Presbyterian Church in Wooster, Ohio, upon the Installation of David Rice
I would like to preface my remarks today with a verse from the Gospel of Mark: chapter 4, verse 24. Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given unto you. My charge to you today involves the congregational promises we made just a few minutes ago. In the Presbyterian church, we make these promises whenever we install or ordain an interim pastor, an associate pastor or a new head of staff. We make these same promises every time we ordain or install our elders and deacons--which means, in this church, we make these same promises at least once a year. I wonder sometimes if we really pay attention to them anymore or even think about what we are actually promising. In case you missed it this time, we have just promised to pray for David and to encourage him; to respect his decisions; to follow as he guides us while we all serve Jesus Christ. We promised to pay him fairly, to provide for his welfare, to stand by him in trouble and to share in his joys. We promised to listen to the word as he preaches, to welcome his pastoral care and to honor his authority. So many verbs in these promises, aren't there? To pray, to encourage, to respect, to follow, to provide, to share, to listen, to welcome and to honor. We are making promises to God, to each other and to David to invest ourselves in David's ministry. His successful ministry among us is as entwined with our acting on our promises as it is entwined with God's actions in and through David and in and through all of us. These are important promises; these are life-changing promises; these are Kingdom of God promises. The more we act on these promises, the more we become the people God means us to be; the more we help each other act on them the more we become the community God means us to become; the more we share these promises, the more we help to make visible the Kingdom of God. And so my charge to you today is to fold these promises into your heart and let acting on them become as normal---and as necessary---as breathing. David's ministry with us, our lives, individually and corporately, and God's Kingdom depend on us to keep our promises. Pray. Encourage. Respect. Follow. Provide. Share. Listen. Welcome. Honor. The measure we give will be the measure we get, and still more will be given to us.
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Holy Habit - Praying Your Vows
This week take some time to pray through the vows you have made as ruling and teaching elders. Click here to access the list of vows.
For further reading: "This We Believe: Eight Truths Presbyterians Affirm" by Stephen W. Plunkett (Geneva Press)
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Muskingum Valley Presbytery Welcomes New Pastor -- Upcoming Installation Service It is with great joy we welcome the following pastor to our Presbytery, and announce their installation service:
Rich Holmes will be installed at Northminster Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 3:00 pm.
Northminster Presbyterian Church is located at 237 West Maple Street in North Canton, Ohio.
His biography will be featured in the Broadcast the week prior to his installation. All are invited to attend the installation service, and share in our joy in welcoming him and his family to our presbytery.
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Announcing the September 23, 2014 Stated Meeting of Muskingum Valley Presbytery
September 23, 2014 Genesis Conference Center 10265 Wooster Pike (State Route 3) Creston, OH 44217 Registration begins at 9:00 am Meeting begins at 9:30 am
Early RSVP's to the meeting are greatly appreciated to enable accurate planning for catering. RSVP to Candice via email or by calling 330-339-5515.
Click here for more details, including meeting materials.
Click here for a personal invitation to the meeting from Treasurer Joan Brode
Further details on the CROP walk, hosted by the Serving in Mission Commission, are also available on the website. Sponsor envelopes will be mailed out to churches the week after Labor Day. Be sure to bring your walking shoes to the Presbytery meeting!
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Dalton Presbyterian Church Celebrating its 200th birthday - Sunday, September 21, 2014
Morning worship at 10:30 am will be a time of sharing and remembering interspersed with favorite hymns from the past.A light lunch will follow.Ralph and Lois Fogal will be present to share their own memories.
At the 4:00 p.m., there will be a celebratory worship service. Rusty Cowden will be preaching and Debbie Rundlett will be the celebrant of the Lord's Supper. A half hour of music presented by Peter Douglas will precede worship and a dinner will follow.
All are welcome!
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Grant Opportunity Available for MVP Members from Hopewell Presbyterian Church
Truly, small is strong! Congregations who are part of Muskingum Valley Presbytery are being afforded an opportunity to seek grant funding for ministries, outside the operating budget, that "proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to others."
As Pastor Chris Stewart notes, "Seven years ago, the Hopewell church established an endowment that is not to be used for current operation, but rather to extend and enhance the mission of Hopewell Presbyterian Church to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to others."
A copy of the bylaws are available upon request.
Hopewell Presbyterian Church (USA)
6900 State Route 754
Shreve, Ohio 44676
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Retreat Ministry Mission Group Announces Fall Day Retreat
RMMG will be hosting their fall day retreat at Pleasant Hills Outdoor Center on Thursday, October 9, 2014.
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Fall Lantern Fellowship Women's Retreat from Tara Mitchell, Cambridge First
All ladies are invited to attend the 2014 Fall Lantern Women's Retreat in September 19-21, 2014
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Rittman Milton to host the Ugandan Orphan's Choir September 2014
Milton church is hosting a performance by the Ugandan Orphan's Choir on the evening of Sunday, September 21 at 7:00pm All are invited to attend. Find out more about the choir by clicking on this link. Alex Barnes, Pastor Milton Rittman Presbyterian Church 250 N. Street Rittman, Ohio 44270 http://miltonpreschurch.org/ |
Church Items Available
As New Harrisburg Presbyterian Church prepares to close, we have some items available for anyone who is able to come pick them up including:
- choir robes (both youth and adult)
- paraments (including a storage case)
- Celebration hymnals
- and many other assorted items
Please contact Jen Baer at 330-601-0098 or [email protected] to arrange to see the items and pick up any you are interested in.
From First Presbyterian in Marietta:
Our congregation purchased the building and contents of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Marietta. We are trying to find a good home for the pews and organ in that building. We would be glad to accept a monetary gift (we have been selling smaller pews to individuals for $100), but our bigger concern is to find a church or other space where these could be put to good use.
Anyone who might be interested is asked to send an email to [email protected]. We can arrange a time for an up-close look.
Grace and Peace,
David Smith First Pres of Marietta.
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2 Cents a Meal Grant Applications are now being accepted!
Applications are now being accepted for the 2 Cents a Meal grant. You can download and fill out the application form by clicking on this link or from the MVP Website.
Several grants were awarded in 2013, so there is a total of $2,800 available for grants in 2014. Preference will be given to those for whom this is their first time applying for the grant.
Grant applications are due to the Mission Center no later than Monday, October 20, 2014, by fax (330-339-6225), email ([email protected]) or in person. Awards to be given at the December 2014 presbytery meeting. |
Fall 2014 Opportunities Available to Host International Peacemaker
The International Peacemaker program of our denomination offers a unique opportunity to see the world through the eyes of neighbor Christians trying to live out their faith in response to circumstances we learn about largely through the news media. This year, we welcome our visiting International Peacemaker from the South Sudan, Rev. James Ninrew.The Sudan has experienced decades of strife and warfare in which religious affiliation has played a defining role. In just the last year, the largely Christian and animist South Sudan has established an independent nation from the Muslim majority north of the country. Our nation as well as our church has been called upon to offer aid and support throughout the violent conflict and in the wake of the new national entity. The Presbyterian Church of the South Sudan is a significant part of the Christian population of the new nation. Rev. Ninrew has experienced the before, during and after of the conflict and drive for nationhood. What an opportunity to learn about serving Jesus in such circumstances! Rev. Ninrew will be in our presbytery October 7-13, 2014. There are still openings to schedule his participation in events on Friday, Oct. 10, Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday evening Oct. 12. Please call Rev. Lynn Bozich Shetzer at 330-494-2288 or email her [email protected] if your church would like to welcome him. |
Northminster Presbyterian Church Seeking Student Ministries Coordinator
Interested persons should email a cover letter and resume to the church office at [email protected]. Applications are being accepted through August 29, 2014.
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Warsaw First Presbyterian Church Seeking Pastor
We are seeking to fulfill our pulpit by a part-time pastor, either half-time or three quarter-time. Our pulpit is now vacant due to resignation.
We are an 80+ member church serving God through our mission to community, country and world. Our church is a "Confessing Church" and holds faithfully to "Reformed Doctrine." Our purpose exists to bring the bread of life to all of God's people.
Interested persons should contact, Jim Lawrence, Elder, Worship Committee Chairperson at 1-740-3890 or [email protected].
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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.
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Prayer Requests/Updates
- Prayers are requested for John and Paula Lane, after the death of John's mother Laura last week. Laura's obituary is available at this link.
- Prayers are requested for Burnetta Armour, who is attending the Credo Conference in Henryville, IN, during the week of September 23rd-29th as she participates in deep reflecting, learning, and growing.
If you or someone you know has a prayer request, please send them to Candice at
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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!
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
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