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July 19, 2007 Issue #74 |
Top Stories
Mission Info
News Issues
Christian Formation Info
Positions Available
Upcoming meetings!
One Good Idea |
Growing Faith Growing Churches |
Upcoming Presbytery meetings:
September 18th at Stewartstown Presbyterian Church at 3pm
Presbytery meetings:
Do you need a baby sitter for presbytery meetings? Call the church directly and they will arrange for it!
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Personnel Resource Database! |
Need a contact in our presbytery with some special expertise? Go to our web site, www.donegalpby.com click on Resource Center and then Personnel and find some help! To add your own skills to the database, just use the password - dpres and you can add your own.
As of 7/19/07 there were 130 skilled people in this database. What skills do you need? |
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CONTACT |
Presbytery of Donegal
P.O. Box 10054
1861 Charter Lane ste 125
Lancaster, PA 17605-0054
717.392.4035 (phone)
717.392.8922 (fax)
To unsubscribe from this news, send an email to: kathy@donegalpby.com and put in the subject line - unsubscribe eNews
Important Note: If you want to have a confidential conversation regarding a possible sexual misconduct incident, call our Stated Clerk, Rev. Dr. William Netting, 717.548.3719, as indicated in our Presbytery Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Go see what's new at our constantly changing webpage!
http://www.donegalpby.com |
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TOP STORIES GROWING FAITH - GROWING CHURCHES |
Youth Triennium is in Full Swing! and the New Wilmington Missionary Conference happens next week! More than 4,000 Presbyterian teenagers from all over the country and around the world streamed into the Elliott Hall of Music on the campus of Purdue University Tuesday night (July 17) for an exuberant kick-off to the 2007 Presbyterian Youth Triennium. Thirteen of those teenagers are from Donegal. (3 adults from here are also in the midst) The theme of the event is "Hope Is In Our Midst," and judging by the raucous two-hour opening celebration and worship, there is plenty of hope left in the PC(USA). Even the reading of Scripture brought thunderous applause.
Enhance your worship experience with the Rev Tracy Marx's writings found at this website: http://www.scriptureecho.com
Two churches have indicated a need for help with Special Music during the summer months. First Church in Parkesburg and West Grove Church. Please contact the Clerk of Session if there is someone in your congregation who would be willing to help. At First Parkesburg, contact Jess Czetli, 717-290-7434 or Jess@freedomah.com. At West Grove contact Tom Shaw at 610-255-4242 or themrshaw@aol.com. Thank you. Kathy Bartels
Presbyterian Media Mission is trying to be helpful in addressing media literacy with children, youth, and their families. There are new ideas every several days for media ministry at the website www.pmm4u.org Check out recent audio and video clips http://www.pmm4u.org/media/index.cfm
Try this out! It's really easy to call and express yourself and your ideas for raising the bar in ministry! You can call in from the beach or from the mountains and publish an entry to our blog via phone!
Just call 214.615.6431
Enter pin – 168-049-813 and #
Then select 1 to record and publish
Then select account 1000 and #
Then just follow the instructions to record your message and hit # to end. It’s that easy. In a day or so, I will make sure that it is published on the following blog area for all to hear! Give it a try! If you want to listen to my first attempt at this, go to the following location and listen! http://www.donegalpresbytery.blogspot.com/
Here’s a book for your summer reading: Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers by Fil Anderson. You can take this one to the beach to help you feel good about disconnecting from your work, desk, cell phone, email, etc. In the first half of the book Anderson uses scripture, poetry, novels, and other sources to tell us why we need to seek God more deeply in the midst of our business – especially if we are church professionals. The second half of the book sets out ways to use spiritual disciplines to fill our spiritual emptiness. This would also be a great book for a class, circle or book club; thought questions are included at the ends of the chapters. This book helped me to remember how essential it is to remember WHY I do what I do. Grace and peace, Joan, Moderator, 217th General Assembly (2006) Joan S. Gray |
MISSION INFORMATION |
Could you help one of our pastors serve Christ in Honduras? A Donegal Pastor and his wife desire to participate in an Inter-Presbytery Medical Mission to Honduras in January 2008. They are seeking a Frequent Flier Mile donation of 50,000 for airfare. Are you one of the lucky individuals sitting on heaps of accrued miles who might donate them for service to Christ's mission? If so, please contact Rev. Richard Graugh (610)593-2957. Thanks for being a partner in this effort!
Our denomination is having a BIG mission conference in Louisville from Oct 2nd - 6th titled "World Mission '07." There will be many dynamic speakers & workshops and it will be a chance for the many PC(USA) Mission Networks to meet. I'm the convener for our South African Mission Network that will be meeting at this time.
To find out all the information on the conference just click: http://www.pcusa.org/missioncelebration/ To cut to the chase, i.e. the registration page click: http://www.pcusa.org/missioncelebration/register-now.htm
The registration fees are as follows:
$175 – Registration fee after Monday, June 18th
$25 – Student registration (seminary, college & high school)
$75 – For attendees of the network gatherings only (Oct 4th - 6th)
I hope you find this conference of interest and make plans to attend. Rick Schmidt |
NEWS ISSUES FROM PRESBYTERY! |
New Book of Order available via download: http://www.pcusa.org/oga/publications/boo07-09.pdf
Thanks to Mark Atkinson and the "Fairview Messenger" sharing Roy Adler's website, and article from Dr. Ralph F. Wilson http://www.joyfulheart.com/church/ants.htm
THIRD ANNUAL ENERGY COST REDUCTION WORKSHOP SATURDAY, October 6, 2007, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. SUNDAY, October 7, 2007, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral, 221 North Front Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania PRACTICAL ADVICE, REAL SOLUTIONS, Fall is budget time. What will your congregation have to forego because of your heating/energy bills? Sign up for professional and practical advice by a consultant to many churches. Andrew Rudin, experienced energy management consultant, will present specific, concrete approaches to reduce energy bills for your congregation’s buildings. Mr. Rudin has conducted numerous energy reduction studies for thousands of buildings owned by congregations, and helped them protect their limited budgets. Like last year’s successful workshop, this workshop will give you real life solutions that can help you at your house of worship. This is an ecumenical workshop open to all faiths. It will include a discussion of the religious and moral basis for reducing energy use. RSVP by Sept. 30 by sending a note to Anne Yellott c/o the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania (ajyellott@paonline.com), P.O Box 11937, Harrisburg PA 17108. Please include a check to the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania for $20 to cover lunch and expenses. Directions as well as instructions on free parking will be provided in response to the RSVP. An optional tour of St. Stephen’s energy efficient green school building will follow the workshop.
The women of the Presbytery are invited to the annual women’s retreat at Leacock Presbyterian Church on Wednesday August 1, 2007. Our presenter this year will be Rev. Jane DeFord, pastor at Latta Memorial Presbyterian Church; her topic, A Message in a Bottle, will provide us with a time of study, reflection and prayer considering how God speaks to us in our daily lives. The retreat begins with registration at 9am and concludes with a noon luncheon. A freewill offering will be accepted at the close of our time together. Please make reservations with Arlene Brackbill, 394-9996, or Marie O. Brackbill, 768-8470. Thank you, Marie Brackbill
Annual Camp Donegal Softball Retreat!!! Saturday, August 4, 2007 8 am – 5pm Rally some players & sign-up your team for our annual softball retreat (Slow-pitch; Double-elimination; Time-limited games; 10-player teams; 7th grade +; 2 females required) Join us for a fabulous afternoon of softball, fun, fellowship and of course food! Come cheer on your team – even if you don’t want to play. Will YOUR team be the one to take away the first “Willis Stine” trophy? (Trophy renamed in memory of long-time softball retreat and camp supporter, Willis Stine) Fees include: food & drinks from 11am-1pm; use of pool for the day; great softball & other fun; blessings by the presence of the Spirit and the fellowship of God’s Family! $10 per player; $5 per spectator; 3&u FREE Pre-register with the camp office by July 20th 717-862-3722 OR amy@campdonegal.org
Columbia Presbyterian Church, 360 Locust St. , Columbia , is preparing to celebrate its bicentennial on September 22, 2007, from 10 am until 5 pm at the church. Our theme for the occasion is: Celebrating 200 Years of Ministry: 1807-2007. The church will have an open house, a display of the contents of the cornerstone (last removed in 1957 for the church's 150th anniversary), historical artifacts and displays on hand. The bicentennial celebration will also feature an outreach to the community. There will be a picnic in the church grounds with live music by the church's own Found Grace Worship Band, face painting, free hot dogs and other summertime goodies! For more information, contact the Rev. David C. Powers at the church- (717) 684-6271.
You can now apply for an Interfaith Listening Team for 2007! The Office of Interfaith Relations is once again preparing to bring two teams consisting of a Muslim and a Christian from India and the Philippines to visit presbyteries and local communities in the U.S. Teams will spend 3-5 days in select presbyteries during September 14 - October 8, 2007. This is an opportunity for you to learn first hand about their experience of living with religious diversity in their context and how they work across faith lines to address situations of conflict, tension, and/or specific social problems. Those who have hosted teams in the past have reported that visiting teams helped replace stereotypes with accurate information while initiating or nurturing interfaith ties in their communities. Please visit http://www.pcusa.org/listeningproject/ to download the brochure and application form.
Carbon Neutral Calculators - Are you "Carbon Neutral?" Check this out!!! http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/ http://www.self.org/cnc.asp
275th Anniversary Celebration of the Presbytery of Donegal Oct 14, 2007 at Hempfield Performing Arts Center! Alert your choir director/choir about the combined choir, Oct. 14 Consider opening your church for “visitation Sundays” with some type of historical display or presentation. Get information from Nancy Brown at wjb453@verizon.net
CHRISTIAN FORMATION INFORMATION |
"If we had a retreat center at Camp Donegal, would you use it?" The Camp Donegal long ranger planners would love to know. Send your emails to: cwgross@gmail.com or kathy@donegalpby.com
SAVE THIS DATE!! —Wednesday, September 26th. That’s the day of the presbytery’s annual educators’ event at Camp Donegal , 9am-3pm. Our theme is “Fashion Me A People,” based on a book by the same name written by Maria Harris. We’re excited to have Byron Borger, proprietor of Hearts and Minds in Dallastown as our keynote speaker. If you didn’t get a book at the June presbytery meeting, they will be available in the presbytery Resource Center or from Hearts and Minds Bookstore 717-246-3333. The cost is $20, cash or checks made out to Hearts and Minds (no plastic, please). Full details of our event are in a flyer attached to the June newsletter. Go to this link http://www.donegalpby.com/documentdownload.php and scroll down to June Resource Center Newsletter. Betty Duncan Copies of the book are also available here: http://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Me-People-Curriculum-Church/dp/0664240526
John Bell of Iona is coming to Lancaster on October 22-23! Best known as one of the leaders of the Wild Goose Worship Group of Iona, Scotland, John Bell joins traditional lyrics and passages from scripture with music influenced by the Celtic Christian tradition. He will be on the Lancaster Theological Seminary campus in the Santee Chapel on Monday, October 22, 2007 from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. On Monday, October 22 from 3 p.m.-5:00 p.m, Bell will be leading an interactive workshop for clergy and church musicians at Lancaster Theological Seminary’s Santee Chapel, entitled “Worshipping the Incarnate Jesus.” On Monday and Tuesday evenings of that week at 7:00 p.m., Bell will be giving the Carson Lectures at Highland Presbyterian Church in Lancaster on the theme of “God in the Ordinary.”
We also want to invite you to Seminary’s Fall Convocation, September 20 at 11:00 a.m., featuring Emilie Townes of Yale University, and the Ward Lecture and Workshop, October 18, at 11:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., featuring Mary Elizabeth Moore, of Candler School of Theology.
For more information, please contact Dr. Bruce Epperly, Director of Continuing Education and Professor of Practical Theology, at bepperly@lancasterseminary.edu or 717-290-8759.
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette is the co-pastor of the Limestone Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware and author of Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today’s Worship (Geneva Press, 2000). She has made several of her hymns available for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to share with congregations in their response for various disasters including Hurricane Katrina, Asia tsunami, and September 11. Her hymns can be found on the PDA web site http://www.pcusa.org/pda/tools/resources-worshipresources.htm Gillette has just written a new hymn "Who is My Neighbor?" This hymn is inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan which is the Gospel lesson for this Sunday, July 15, 2007. The words are attached as a PDF document.
What's going on in the religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers? Come hear Tony Compolo and Bob McCarty address this on Oct 15th from 10am till 2:30pm at: Cardinal Keeler Center, 4800 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA 717.657.4804 or register at: http://www.pachurches.org Register before October 5th.
Continuing Education in the Fall! "Being the Church: Sacred Conversations for Missional Reformation" led by the Rev. Tony Sundermeier. This will be a partner event with Lancaster Theological Seminary. Details to follow in July! |
POSITIONS AVAILABLE |
Paoli Presbyterian Church is seeking a Director of Arts for Children and Youth. This is 15 hour/week position. The successful candidate will invite and equip children and youth to invest their creative gifts in worship and ministry. For please information, please Contact Bill Lee at 610-644-8250.
The First Presbyterian Church of Phoenixville is seeking a Worship & Praise Team Leader to lead the music and direct our Praise Team during our contemporary Rise & Shine service. This is a salaried, part-time position (approximately 10 hours per week). This is your opportunity to contribute to a loving, growing and thriving church. Interested musicians should forward their resume to anne.park@verizon.net or mail to: The First Presbyterian Church of Phoenixville, 145 Main Street Phoenixville , PA 19460 RE: Praise Team Leader.
Wrightsville Presbyterian Church, an equal opportunity employer, seeks a Youth/ Young Adult Director (Summary) This newly established, part-time position will minister to youth and young adults up to the age of 20 and will develop programs to reach these age groups in the Wrightsville Community. In addition to reaching the unchurched youth in the community, leading youth to a life-long relationship and commitment with Jesus Christ is the ultimate goal of this position. Primary qualification is a person who is fully committed to Jesus Christ and to bringing others into relationship with Jesus. Additional qualifications include: education in graduate, undergraduate, or seminary specializing in youth ministry; leadership skills and ability to work with youth and volunteers; applicable clearances for working with minors; ability to work 20 hours per week. Qualified candidates should send resume with applicable experience, cover letter, and references to attention: Chair, Search Committee, Wrightsville Presbyterian Church, 205 North Second Street, Wrightsville, PA 17368.
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC SEARCH Calvary Presbyterian Church in Wilmington is searching for a part-time Director of Music to join in the excitement as God continues to move Calvary towards being the church we know we are called to be. We're not there yet - but we're on the way, and the right person in this position will help move us closer. Interested persons should contact Jessie Jones jessie195@comcast.net. Resumes can also be sent to this email address.
Presbytery of Genesee Valley is looking for a Co-Presbyter for Pastoral Vitality. Go to: http://www.pbygenval.org and click on the link for Co-Presbyter Search. Deadline for receiving applications is Sept 17, 2007. |
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CALENDAR OF COMING MEETINGS! |
Use the webpage calendar at: http://www.donegalpby.com/cgi-bin/calendar.pl or:
Monday, July 23 - Camp Donegal Committee meets at 7pm at Camp Donegal
Wednesday, July 25 - Self Development of People meets at 7pm at presbytery office
Thursday, July 26 - Administrative Commission for "the 3 churches" meets at 4pm
Wednesday, August 1 – Women in Ministry at 10am at First Church, Strasburg
Saturday, August 4 - Softball Retreat at Camp Donegal - 8am to 5pm
Monday, August 6 - Committee on Preparation meets at Highland at 1pm - 4pm
Wednesday, August 8 - Abortion Task Force meets at Bellevue at 6pm
Thursday, August 16 - Presbytery Staff meets at 10am at the presbytery office
Monday, August 27 - Committee on Ministry meets at Leacock at 7pm
Tuesday, August 28 - Administration Department meets at the presbytery office from 9am till 11am
Wednesday, August 29 - Nominating Committee meets at the presbytery office at 9:30am; Vitalization Division meets at the presbytery office at 1:30pm |
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