This Week:
February 12- 9:00 AM Preparation for Ministry, Presbytery Office
February 16- 7:00 PM Committee on Ministry, Neshannock PC
Kinneys Welcome Baby
We rejoice with TE Rich Kinney (Highland) and his wife over the birth of a son, Howard A. Kinney II, who was born on Monday afternoon at 4:32 PM. Baby is “healthy and handsome”. He weighs 6 lbs. 6 oz. and is 18 in. long.
EP Activity This Month
Our Executive Presbyter, Ralph Hawkins, is preaching at Mt. Jackson (Feb 21) and meeting with the elders and deacons of Slippery Rock church (Feb 15). With TE Chris Weichman (Clen-Moore) and CRE Jim Moose (Unity) he will be co-leading a group of 31 participants in the Dominican Republic partnership visit shared by several Shenango congregations (Feb 27 – Mar 5). Ralph welcomes opportunities to preach or bring greetings during a worship service, as well as opportunities to visit Session and Deacon meetings. Schedule a Sunday or a meeting time by contacting him at 724-528-1610 or ralph@shenango.org.
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 was 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!
Board of Pensions Assistance
Sessions: If your pastor is 1. enrolled in the Board of Pensions benefits plan, and 2. has a spouse and/or dependents also enrolled in the plan, then there is a 1.5% reimbursement of the plan dues available this year through our Committee on Ministry. Contact EP Ralph Hawkins in the presbytery office to find out how to compute and request this reimbursement.
Shared Worship in New Castle
Elder Jean Reynolds (Third New Castle) and her son offer a moment for mission at the start of worship Sunday, February 7, a communion Sunday shared by three New Castle congregations: Shenango, Third, and First. The three flocks will be sharing worship once a month for the next year, rotating the location among their three facilities. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people dwell together in unity!” – Psalm 133
Five Talents Reception
The New Wilmington church hosted Sonia Paterson (pictured standing) this weekend, a Presbyterian who works as CEO of Five Talents — an international Christian NGO that supports micro-lending, financial training, and self-development for women in some of the poorest countries around the world. One of Five Talents focus countries is South Sudan, where many of our Shenango congregations support Presbyterian mission co-workers.
Why Men Don’t Go To Church
Greetings! At Leaderfest this year, Charlene Kennedy (Bell Memorial) and I presented the workshop on “Why Men Don’t Go to Church”. If you found that conversation helpful and would love to engage the topic further in your own context, one or both of us would be glad to follow up with you and your congregation. Please contact us at the following email address: Charlene.Kennedy@hotmail.com or splyler@humanservicescenter.net. God Bless, CRE Steve Plyler (Mt. Jackson)
Westminster College Office of Faith and Spirituality presents Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia, Vice-Moderator of the General Assembly PC(USA) and director of Church Relations, Princeton Theological Seminary as our Spiritual Emphasis Westminster speaker on Sunday, February 21, 2016 at 7:00 PM in Wallace Memorial Chapel, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA.
The Reverend Larissa Kwong Abazia is a native of New Jersey and graduate of Rutgers University and Princeton Theological Seminary. Upon graduating from seminary, she was honored with the Asian American Ministry Award and the David P. Watermulder Award for Church Leadership. Rev. Kwong Abazia worked as a pastoral care resident at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia before serving congregations in Chicago, Manasquan, New Jersey, and Forest Hills, New York. She now serves as director of church relations at Princeton Theological Seminary
Rev. Kwong Abazia served as a core team member and co-moderator for Racial Ethnic Young Women Together (REYWT) and participated in the Presbyterian Women’s Racial Ethnic Dialogue. She also has worked with That All May Freely Serve, the Chicago Youth Collective, and the Advance Justice Committee of Chicago Presbytery. She currently serves on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Committee on Representation and the Personnel and Worship committees of the Presbytery of New York City. Rev. Kwong Abazia continually seeks ways to equip and empower people of all ages and backgrounds to live into the radical potential of life in community.
As a writer, Rev. Kwong Abazia has coauthored a reflection on readings from the lectionary for the Human Rights Campaign’s “Out In Scripture”; nine supplemental resources for the 2011–2012 Presbyterian Women’s Bible study on the Beatitudes; and an article for Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Social Justice titled, “Ready or Not.” She also has written a chapter in a collection of narratives by young adult clergywomen of color, “Streams Running Uphill: Conversations with Young Clergywomen of Color,” released in March 2014.
Leadership Training Event
For pastors, elders, deacons, and all church leaders – – Sunday, March 13, 2016 from 2:30 – 5:45 PM at the Cranberry Community United Presbyterian Church. This event will feature Dr. Scott Hagley, Assistant Professor of Missiology at PTS, with workshops for clerks, mentoring, treasurers, leadership, and even a deacon workshop led by Ralph Hawkins. Contact the presbytery office for a copy of the registration form.
THRIVE: Ministry in the New Millennium
April 10-11, 2016 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe, PA featuring Keynote Speaker: Joel Comiskey, Worship Leader: Joshua Price, and Main Speaker: Karen Snavely. Come and hear from practitioners on the leading edge of ministry in areas including: cell groups, worship, millennial ministry, campus ministry, media & communications, children – youth – and family ministry, and more. Find out more and register atwww.thrive2016.us.
News From the Churches
Love The Arts!
First Presbyterian Church of Sharon, 600 East State Street, is hosting an “Art Show and Hands – On Art” on Saturday, February 13, 2016 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM in their gymnasium and Fellowship Hall. This event is FREE and open to the public. Many local artists will have their marvelous work on display and for sale, and a number of the artists and theatre folks will have hands-on stations so children and adults can try their creative side and experience different forms of art. You might just find that perfect gift for your Valentine!
Director Of Children/Youth Ministries
Local Presbyterian Church is seeking someone to educate our children and youth in the worship of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. This person will oversee the Christian Education program of our church for ages from high chair to high school. The individual we seek must have strong Christian beliefs, solid interpersonal and communication skills, along with being an organized, self-starting person capable of accomplishing goals and objectives with minimum supervision. Must have availability for Sunday worship, Saturday PM and other occasions as necessary. Previous experience in church education programs is a plus. Interested applicants should send resume in confidence to: Personnel Committee, Northminster Presbyterian Church, 2434 Wilmington Road, New Castle, PA 16105 Or send on line to: office@npcnc.org Résumés/applications must be received no later than Feb. 19, 2016, for consideration.
Piano Platform Available
Third Presbyterian Church in New Castle has a platform for a baby grand piano. It has wheels so that the piano can be moved or repositioned. They will offer it at no charge to any other church that has a use for it. Please contact Janis Pherson at 724-651-8054.
The Presbytery of Shenango 