This Week
November 25– 7:00 PM Committee on Ministry, Neshannock NW
November 27-28 – OFFICE CLOSED, Thanksgiving Holiday
December 1-2 – Sudan Mission Network, Louisville, KY
Survey for LeaderFest – Time’s Almost Up to Complete This!
Russ Crabtree, keynote speaker for Leaderfest in January and director of “Holy Cow! Consulting” has asked the Presbytery Council to offer a survey to leaders in our congregations and Presbytery. This survey will help him prepare for his presentation at Leaderfest in January. Please click on the link below and complete the survey at your leisure (before the end of November) so that the results can be compiled. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. Russ would like to know your opinion.Here is the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=tN2JqCpvkD4x_2fwP2LiWJVw_3d_3d
Featured Headlines from Previous Weeks
Full text available on our blog at http://www.shenango.org/spnews.html
– Tax Tips for Ministers and Churches Teleconference December 11, 2008
– Spread the Warmth – collection for the area homeless youth at the Silk Road Market
– A Pittsburgh Seminary Student Pastor at Your Church
– Letter from Sudan Missionaries Del and Debbie Braaksma
– Calvin Symposium on Worship – January 29-31, 2009Grand Rapids, MI
Prayers
– david bailey is recovering from his brain surgery and is awaiting results of the biopsy. Please pray for david and his family, and his doctors. David has been cancer free for 12 years.
Interested in Carpooling to the Equipping Pastors Retreat in Ligonier?
There are interested parties in both Ellwood City and Grove City – if you would like to share a ride, please contact Rev. Teresa Kendall at 724-752-8892.
Rev. Daniel’s Visit: Special Advent Blessing
Don’t miss a brief visit from Rev. Daniel from the Sudan. He leads the Darfur Mission Committee work and has been there 40 times in the past 3 years. The church in Sudan wants to take a special Christmas gift of food to the displaced persons in Darfur. You can bring financial gifts to the two meetings. Ken Bailey will interview Rev. Daniel at the following public gatherings:
7 PM on Wednesday, December 3 at New Wilmington Church
10 AM on Thursday, December 4 at Tower Church (Grove City)
Alternative Gift Market at Westminster College
Solve your gift giving problems and learn something along the way – you will be able to buy food for the hungry, care for the sick, shelter for the homeless, renewal for our endangered planet, and much more – truly meaningful alternatives to the usual holiday gifts. Wednesday, December 3rd from 9 AM until 9 PM in the McKelvey Campus Center at Westminster College. 90% of the money raised for AGI’s projects goes directly to support relief and development around the world. All donations are tax-deductible.
How Presbyterians Came to Western PA
An historical drama (The Circle of Hope) depicting how the Rev. John McMillan came from Philadelphia to western Pennsylvania to establish churches in 1776 will air on Thanksgiving Day. This is part of the 250th celebration of Pittsburgh. You can see this program on WTAE (channel 4) at 12:30 PM on Thanksgiving Day. To view a scene from the film, go to the following link and click on the second video file (bottom of the page). http://www.pmm4u.org.
Intersted in the Missional Church Conversation?
13 congregations have participated in the Missional Church conversation. A new Partnership for the Missional Church (PMC) Cluster will begin next September. You are encouraged to take a look at what is happening. Go to http://www.shenanog.org/PMC/index.htm where you will find the following:
- an Invitation to pastors for the next lunch conversation on Decmeber 10
- links to brief articles, websites, and books on the missional church
- a list of friends and colleagues in neighboring churches who can tell you about their experiences in missional church.
Your session can request an introductory presentation about PMC in early 2009. Contact david.dawson@presbynet.org.
Save this date – January 17, 2009 – Presbytery’s annual LeaderFest at Westminster College!
At LeaderFest 2009, the Keynote address, “Leadership in an Age of Choices” will be presented by Russ Crabtree. He says that we are living in an environment in which people have choices. This creates pressure on churches to take seriously the quality of the experience that they are creating for those who live within them. Providing high quality experiences for people requires leadership skills that foster the development of a spiritual “field” within the Body of Christ in which people are strengthened, healed, and energized. For most churches, this requires a change from solving problems to shifting a culture. Churches have thousands of problems, but solutions are few. This keynote address will focus on these solutions.
Hurricane Relief Mission Trip – February 21 – March 1, 2009
Area churches are organizing a mission trip back to Pearlington, MS. Some of us were there in 2006, 2007 & 2008. This is a very poor and marginalized community with many recovery needs. They are in the rebuilding phase. We will be staying at PDA camp #6. The cost of the camp is $20 a day. If you need transportation, please let us know. We are renting 15 passenger vans. The cost is $150 per person for the vans. If you are interested, please contact Bill Gwin 724-667-8321 wlgwin@att.net, Gary Barr 724-667-8324 or Tom Kaufman 724-651-4323 tek114@zoominternet.net.
A Continuing Education Opportunity – 1 Week Leader’s Intensive
The annual 1-week Leader’s Intensive Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class of pastors, missionaries, and other Christian workers will be January 20-28, 2009 at Mt. Sequoyah Retreat and Conference Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. For information see http://www.perspecitives.org/atf/cf/%7B1EB5210-3B12-4790-9F8C-D025aE89B1A99%7D/Leaders_Intensive_Details-2009.pdf.
Lawrence County Habitat for Humanity
In September 2007, Lawrence County Habitat dedicated house #14, bringing the total number of people living in Habitat homes in Lawrence County to 50. Presbyterians provide a large percentage of the time and money.
Christmas Concert at PTS
“Joy to the World” The Music and Poetry of Christmas will be presented at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, December 16th at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Info Request from Jamestown PC
The Jamestown Presbyterian Church is considering hiring a part-time Director of Youth Ministries. If your church employs a Youth Director – either full-time or part-time – they would appreciate having a copy of that person’s job description so that they don’t have to “start from scratch.” Please either c-mail to pastordons@hotmail.com or snail-mail to Don Stanley, 411 Liberty St., Jamestown, PA 16134. Thanks!
Share in a Booklet Order
The Jamestown Presbyterian Church will soon be ordering “About Being Presbyterian” booklets from Channing Bete Company. These are great resources for introducing folk to the Presbyterian Church, and cost less when ordered in quantity. If your church would like to share in the order, thus increasing the number ordered and reducing the price, either e-mail pastordons@hotmail.com or snail mail Don Stanley, 411 Liberty St., Jamestown, PA 16134, with your request.
29th Year for Boar’s Head Festival at Christ Presbyterian Church
The presentation is 1 hour of music and pageantry celebrating the birth of Christ. This year’s performances are November 29 at 7 PM and December 6 and 7 at 5 and 7 PM. Tickets are “free” for this wonderful event and details for requesting tickets, along with a short history of this event, are available on the Presbytery’s “News & Events” page.
New CE Blog
Want to know what’s happening with the Christian Education Committee of Presbytery? Check out their new blog at http://spcenews.blogspot.com/. You’ll find information regarding Christian Education in the Presbytery and links to resources for Children’s, Youth, and Adult Ministries that you can use for your programs.
Your World. Your Chance to Make It Better.
Slippery Rock University is accepting applications for the Connector Corps AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorp offers opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. Currently, positions exist in New Castle, Grove City and Ellwood City – and involve designing after-school programs, reading and math support in elementary schools, tutoring homeless children and much more. Read the full ad on the “News & Events” page of the Presbytery website, or contact Lisa Russo, Americorps Program Coordinator, at 724-738-6280 or lisa.russo@sru.edu.
NWMC Mailing
Watch your mail for the arrival of the light blue packet from the New Wilmington Mission Conference. There are 3 brochures and registration forms in the packet – one for the Christian Educator, one for the Youth Leader, and one for the Mission Committee. Visit the web site to view a Power Point about the conference: http://www.NWMCmission.org.
The Presbytery of Shenango 