Note: The Presbytery Office will be closed from December 24-January 1 in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Welcome Pastors
Shenango’s newest pastors recently gathered at the presbytery office for orientation and fellowship. Pictured left to right: Ray Medina (Bell Memorial), Mark Frailey (Coolspring), Mike Carlin (First Sharpsville), Matt Camlin (New Wilmington), Rob Guy (Wurtemburg), Max Muska (Harlansburg, Rich Hill), and Elizabeth Wallace (Christ, Ellport). Welcome to Shenango!
Mission Giving Deadlines
The deadline for the Presbytery Office to receive mission moneys for the 2015 calendar year is coming soon. Monies must be in office by Friday, December 31, 2015 for INDIVIDUALS, and postmarked by Friday, January 8, 2016 for CHURCHES.
Anthems Available
Joe Hopkins (H.R.) has donated a box full of anthems that he has written and composed. They are free to any church, and are available at the Presbytery Office.
Advent Devotional- Now Available
The Fellowship Community has made available their 2015 Advent Devotional, featuring downloadable PDFs and daily email messages from a variety of authors. Included in the list of authors are Ray and Judith Hylton, formerly at First, New Castle and now serving in Evanston, IL. Click here to download the devotional and other resources.
Stumped for a gift?
Do you have a “foodie” on your list or an aspiring chef? The MCS Committee has the perfect gift idea for you…Cooking with a Mission! CWAM is a “hands on” 5-week course in gastronomic delights led by local chef, Mark Arnold. Each class will run approximately 3 hours, and will include instruction, hands on cooking, tasting, and clean up…with menus including (but not limited to) shrimp bisque, roast pork tenderloin, quinoa, and tiramisu. Classes run from January 11 through February 8 (5:30 – 8:30 PM) at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Mercer. Class size is limited, so sign up today by calling the Presbytery Office. CWAM is $250 per person, plus the cost of food (which is not expected to exceed $100). As a special bonus, “Guest Chefs” Michael and Rachel Weller will teach class members how to prepare the traditional Ethiopian dish, “Injera ba Wat”.
All proceeds will go to support mission work sponsored by Shenango Presbytery. No one participating in the program will be compensated in any way.
LeaderFest 2016 (January 16 in New Wilmington) is rapidly approaching!
The Early Bird and Group registration deadline is January 4.
Don’t forget:
- Churches may send as many leaders as they’d like for only $100 (but all must be completely registered by January 4).
- We want to invite young leaders (ages 14-22) to join us this year. $5/person and a special workshop just for them!
Help us get the word out in your church! Put an announcement in the bulletin or consider doing a Moment for Mission to help us promote LeaderFest. We want to support and equip our leaders, but we need YOU to help get them to LeaderFest! click here for more information and a link to register online.
Questions? See Andrea Hall (andreabhall@gmail.com).
Annual Reports
It’s time for Annual Reports again! The GA online statistical program is located at http://oga.pcusa.org/stats. Clerks will use the same “user name” and “password” as they have used the past few years. Please note the the password should contain an “!” and is case-sensitive. The deadline for entering your statistical information is February 17, 2016 at midnight. If you have forgotten your user name and password, please call or email the Presbytery office. (Note: If you changed your password from what was assigned by the denomination, we will not have that new password.) There is a “Frequently Asked Questions” page available to help with most common questions.
Presbytery annual reports are available on the “Resources” page of the Presbytery website. They are downloadable as WORD and EXCEL files and the completed forms can either be mailed to the office or emailed to Autumn at office@shenango.org. The deadline for completing these forms is January 31, 2016. Several churches have not been able to complete their reports by the January deadline in the past, please note that in order for your deceased elders to be included in the special service at the February presbytery meeting, your Necrology form MUST be received at the office by February 12th!
Do Something Meaningful in 2016
Stretch your vision of what God is doing in the world. Every week read great articles from the textbook and hear from instructors involved in interesting ministry. Engage with others interested in broadening their Christian world view. The Perspectives Course is famous for its biblical, historical, cultural and strategic aspects. View the video on the website for an overview of this course offered all over the world, now translated into 5 languages.
Registration is now open at www.perspectives.org. Go to Classes. Type in Grove City. See the bios for the 14 different instructors who will be teaching this semester. Class will be held Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30pm beginning January 19 until May 3, 2016 on the Grove City College campus.
A $100 scholarship is available for Shenango Presbytery church members. Write Shenango in the scholarship box when you register online, then fill out a form available at the Presbytery office. Save $25 by registering before January 6, 2016. If you have questions, please contact Pam Pope Courtney mail@dcourtney.net or call 724-748-3217.
New Chaplain
Sharon Regional Health System Hospice and Palliative Care has named The Rev. Stacie Pitts as their new Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator. Mercer and Lawrence County clergy are invited to meet Stacie on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 from 11 AM – 1 PM in the Sharon Regional Health System School of Nursing (740 East State Street, Sharon). RSVP by Wednesday, January 13, 2016 to 724-308-7322.
News from the Churches
Secretary Wanted
Faith Presbyterian Church in Hermitage is looking for a Part-Time Secretary. Resumes can be sent to: Faith Presbyterian Church, 2370 N. Hermitage Road, Hermitage, PA 16148
FREE Bibles
New Wilmington Presbyterian Church has 272 copies of the RSV Bible, copyright 1952. They are well used, but still very usable. If interested, please contact the church office at 724-946-3541.
Part-Time Financial Secretary
Westfield Church (ECO) is looking for a part-time financial secretary. Starting salary is $6,000 per year based on 15 hours per week. Salary negotiable based on experience. A knowledge of Church Windows software a plus. To apply, please send resume to finance@westfieldchurch.org.
The Presbytery of Shenango 