Note: The Presbytery Office will be closed from December 23-January 2 in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Have a blessed holiday season!
Year End Mission Giving Deadline
In order to receive credit for the calendar year ending December 31, 2016, all checks must be received or postmarked by Friday, January 6, 2017.
2017 Standard Mileage Rates
Beginning on January 1, 2017, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car will be 53.5 cents per business mile driven. The rate for medical or moving purposes will be 17 cents per mile driven, and the rate for the service of charitable organizations will be 14 cents per mile. Read more on http://www.irs.gov.
Stated Clerk Updates
– TE Joe Tagliaferre (Ebenezer) resigned earlier this year from a part-time director position with camps Westminster Highlands and Lambec. The camping program is in a period of assessment about the future viability of the two properties.
– TE Don Stanley (Jamestown) was granted Honorable Retirement by the presbytery at our November stated meeting.
– TE Brad Walters has been received into our presbytery, transferring from Pittsburgh Presbytery. Brad is a pastoral counselor and psychotherapist who is now practicing out of the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute office at our Northminster church in New Castle.
– A three-person Administrative Commission has been formed by the presbytery, at the request of the congregation, to steward the process of closing the Kennard congregation in Mercer County.=
Shenango Presbytery’s Annual LeaderFest
Saturday, January 14, 2017, 8:30 am-1:30 pm at Westminster College and New Wilmington Presbyterian Church. All leaders in the church are welcome to join us as we hear keynoter Byron Borger speak to us about “Seeking the Peace of the City (or Small Town): Living in Hope with God’s Heart for Western Pennsylvania”. Click here for more information, a link to online registration, and to download this year’s brochure and bulletin insert.
Young Leaders @ LeaderFest
Churches are encouraged to send high school students and young adults to LeaderFest again this year. Their registration fee is only $5 per person (or include them in your church group fee of $100). There is a special workshop in each time slot specifically geared toward young leaders (marked with YL in the brochure) led by Mike Haddox, who was the Morning Meeting speaker at the 2015 New Wilmington Mission Conference. Use the link in the above ad to register your Young Leaders today!
South Sudan Christmas Challenge
The Presbytery Mission Team challenges individuals to give 5% of money spent on Christmas (gifts, food, decorations) to help starving and persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in South Sudan. 100% of the money will go directly to our partner churches who are distributing the food and aid – no overhead, no administrative costs. Checks can be made payable to: The Presbytery of Shenango, 4197 New Castle Road, Pulaski, PA 16143. Please list “South Sudan Christmas Project” in the memo. You can also donate by credit card by clicking the “Donate” button at the bottom of this page.
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 22, 2017 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, 2017. 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 10th!
News From the Churches
Knox and Christ Churches Spend Year Harmonizing Traditions, Congregations
Read the recent article from the Ellwood City Ledger about the congregations.
Discovering Jesus in the Sharing of Food
Read the recent Sharon Herald article by Rev. Adam Rodgers (Stoneboro) about his yearly tradition distributing Thanksgiving food baskets.
The Presbytery of Shenango 