December 23-January 1 OFFICE CLOSED, Christmas Holiday

Note: Office Staff will again be using vacation time during the Christmas Holiday and the office will be closed from December 23-January 1.  The office will re-open on January 2, 2104.  Rev. Dawson will be available by email (david.dawson@shenango.org) and cell phone.

Mission Giving Deadline

The deadline for the Presbytery Office to receive mission moneys for the 2013 calendar year is coming soon.  Monies must be postmarked by Friday, January 3, 2014.

Coup in South Sudan

There has been a coup in South Sudan.  http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/south-sudan-teeters-brink-20131217131843385823.html.  We have word that Tut Kony (General Secretary of the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church) and his family had to flee their home because of fighting in their area.  Their home was later looted.  Please pray for our friends and the South Sudan and ask your congregation to remember them this Sunday.

Register for LeaderFest 2014

LeaderFest is Shenango Presbytery’s annual leadership training event for officers, leaders, and all people who desire Christian growth in their church.  It will be held at Westminster College on Saturday, January 11, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Registration for LeaderFest is $20.00 per person, which includes materials and lunch.  Early birds pay only $15.00 per person, if registered by Monday, January 6th!

• Register Online
• Download the PDF brochure
• Download the PDF poster
• Download the PDF bulletin insert

Read more…

Christmas Radio Spots

Last Thursday, December 12th, the Passages Christmas Stories during Advent began airing on Froggie 95 in Hermitage (at 8:34 AM and 4:15 PM) and the Pickle FM 92.1 in New Castle (7:12 AM and 4:25 PM).  This audio Christmas greeting giving the reason for the season is a gift from Presbyterian Churches in Mercer and Lawrence Counties (brought to you by the Evangelism Committee of Shenango Presbytery).

It’s time for Annual Reports again!  

The GA online statistical program is located at http://oga.pcusa.org/stats.  The system should be accessible to churches by January 1, 2014.  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 19, 2014 at midnight.    If you have forgotten your user name and password, please call or email the Presbytery office.

Presbytery annual reports are available on the “Publications & Information” 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, 2014.  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 14th!

Holocaust Remembrance Day – January 27, 2014

Please check the link here for Holocaust Remembrance Day observance by the Community Foundation which serves our counties.  Holocaust Bulletin Insert  Holocaust Bulletin Insert#2

CAPNWP Confirmation Retreat

There were 22 youth and adult participants at the Confirmation Retreat at Westminster Highlands, November 22-23…the first CAPNWP-led program in many years.  75% of the youth who attended had not attended summer camp at either Westminster Highlands or Camp Lambec, but were unanimous in wanting to participate in future fall/winter retreats.

Young Presbyterian Scholarship

Westminster College offers Presbyterian college applicants a substantial scholarship.  Two per church can be accepted.  Contact Care Ann LaSor meyerca@westminster.edu or Jim Mohr morhjr@westminster.edu for details.

News From The Churches

Thou Art Invited

Thou are invited to attend our 6th Annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival on Sunday, January 5, 2014 at 3:30 PM.  Meet the cast reception following.  Everyone welcome – FREE ADMISSION.  First Presbyterian Church, 600 East State Street, Sharon, PA  16146.  724-981-2211  www.1stpcs.org.  See the tradition and the pageantry; hear the beautiful music; celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Free Piano

Spinet piano – free to a church.  Please call 724-657-9441 if interested.

It’s time for Annual Reports again!  

The GA online statistical program is located at http://oga.pcusa.org/stats.  The system should be accessible to churches by January 1, 2014.  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 19, 2014 at midnight.    If you have forgotten your user name and password, please call or email the Presbytery office.

Presbytery annual reports are available on the “Publications & Information” 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, 2014.  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 14th!

LeaderFest is Shenango Presbytery’s annual leadership training event for officers, leaders, and all people who desire Christian growth in their church.  It will be held at Westminster College on Saturday, January 11, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Registration for LeaderFest is $20.00 per person, which includes materials and lunch.  Early birds pay only $15.00 per person, if registered by Monday, January 6th!

• Register Online
• Download the PDF brochure
• Download the PDF poster
• Download the PDF bulletin insert

Read more…

Christmas Radio Spots

Tomorrow morning, Thursday, December 12th, the Passages Christmas Stories during Advent will begin airing on Froggie 95 in Hermitage (at 8:34 AM and 4:15 PM) and the Pickle FM 92.1 in New Castle (7:12 AM and 4:25 PM).  This audio Christmas greeting giving the reason for the season is a gift from Presbyterian Churches in Mercer and Lawrence Counties (brought to you by the Evangelism Committee of Shenango Presbytery).

Upcoming Events: 

December 12- 1:30 PM Evangelism Committee, Presbytery Office
December 17- 9:30 AM Special Council Meeting, Westminster College
December 23-January 1 OFFICE CLOSED, Christmas Holiday
Note: Office Staff will again be using vacation time during the Christmas Holiday and the office will be closed from December 23-January 1.  The office will re-open on January 2, 2104.  Rev. Dawson will be available by email (david.dawson@shenango.org) and cell phone.

Mission Giving Deadline

The deadline for the Presbytery Office to receive mission moneys for the 2013 calendar year is coming soon.  Monies must be postmarked by Friday, January 3, 2014.

CAPNWP Confirmation Retreat

There were 22 youth and adult participants at the Confirmation Retreat at Westminster Highlands, November 22-23…the first CAPNWP-led program in many years.  75% of the youth who attended had not attended summer camp at either Westminster Highlands or Camp Lambec, but were unanimous in wanting to participate in future fall/winter retreats.

Young Presbyterian Scholarship

Westminster College offers Presbyterian college applicants a substantial scholarship.  Two per church can be accepted.  Contact Care Ann LaSor meyerca@westminster.edu or Jim Mohr morhjr@westminster.edu for details.

News From The Churches

Bethlehem Blvd. Live Nativity

Sunday, December 15, 3-7 PM…Faith Presbyterian Church, 2370 North Hermitage Road, Hermitage, PA  16148…Admission is FREE.  Come celebrate the joy of Christmas by wandering the streets of ancient day Bethlehem on the day when Jesus was born.  Discover the customs and traditions of everyday Jewish people by visiting the Synagogue and Jewish Home.  Wander around the Marketplace, taste some of what Bethlehem has to offer, smell fragrances and perfumes of the day, and watch the carpenters, and the millers at the granary, listen to the strumming of a heavenly harpist, and much more.  The marketplace is always changing, you never know who or what you might find here!  Conclude the night which your family by visiting the Holy Family in our live (animals) nativity.  What better way to celebrate Christmas than by reliving that special night when it all began…

Live Nativity

Sandy Lake Presbyterian Church (3461 Sandy Lake New Lebanon Road, Sandy Lake, PA) will host a live Nativity this Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15 from 7-9 PM.  You are able to drive or walk through…whichever your preference.

We are seeking a Youth Advisory Delegate to represent Shenango Presbytery at the 221st General Assembly…June 14-21, 2014 in Detroit, MI.  Applications will be taken online this year, and interviews will be conducted during the semester break.  Deadline to apply is December 20, 2013.

• YAD letter 2014
• YAD poster 2014
• Complete the online application

Upcoming Events: 

December 4- 1:00 PM Christian Education Committee, Presbytery Office
December 5- 10:00 AM EP Nominating Committee, Presbytery Office
December 8-10 – Sudan Mission Network, Louisville, KY

New Web Site

The new web site went live this afternoon.   The new site is “mobile friendly”, so you can view it on your smart phone without scrolling sideways.   For the time being there is an entry page…that is a necessity due to domain/hosting issues, but that will likely change in the future.  The new site is connected to our eLink News blog, so that it is more interactive.  From time to time you will receive special one-item eLinks (events, special offerings, etc.) which will allow those “current” items to be easily found in the tabbed boxes on the lower right-hand side of the homepage.  There is still some work to be done on it, but we hope that you find it continues to be a valuable resource.

Sudan Mission Network

The Sudan Mission Network has been meeting annually for almost 20 years.  Approximately 70 persons attend from four presbyteries who have Sudan partners,  individuals come from interested congregations and Sudan missionaries and World Mission staff.  Shenango Presbytery will send the following to the meeting this coming Sunday through Tuesday:  Miriam Gwin, Jim Leuenberger, Betsy Barr, Steve Stelle, Brenda Stelle, Judy Veon, Tom Kaufman, Pam Courtney and Dave Dawson.

Prayers Needed

Friends of South Sudan,

I have recently returned from a trip to South Sudan (and DR Congo) and the stories I heard about the situation of the Murle people were extremely sobering.  Please keep them in your prayers and pray for successful negotiations with David Yau Yau. We are still able to receive funds for the appeal to respond to this tragic situationhttp://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/world-mission/south-sudan-appeal/

In Christ,
Debbie

Learn more about the root causes of the conflict and the current situation in South Sudan.

News From The Churches

Live Nativity

Westfield Presbyterian Church (1363 Mt. Jackson Road, New Castle, PA  16102) will host a Living Nativity on Saturday, December 7th from 6-8 PM.  This holiday drive-through experience features carolers, live actors, and animals, and over 1,000 luminaries.  Invite your friends, neighbors, and relatives to experience this FREE gift to the community.  Visit www.westfieldchurch.org for more information and directions.

Blue Christmas Service

New Wilmington Presbyterian Church is again hosting its annual Blue Christmas Service: a simple, candlelit service for those who need space to pause, acknowledge any loss, grief, or sadness from this year nearly gone, and be surrounded by quiet prayer, song, and scripture.  Members and friends of our sister presbytery churches are welcome to attend.  Sunday, December 8, 6 PM in the Ligo Room (just off our sanctuary).

Upcoming Events: 

November 28-29 – OFFICE CLOSED, Thanksgiving Holiday

Due to the predicted winter storm, the office will be closed today, and most likely tomorrow.  You can still reach the staff by email: Dave at david.dawson@shenango.org; Autumn at office@shenango.org; Shari at finance@shenango.org; and Debbie at resource@shenango.org. 

Ordination

George Branch-Trevathan (husband of Becky) who teaches at Thiel College was ordained on November 24 by Central Florida Presbytery.

Retreat for Succession Planning

The Presbytery Council, the Presbytery Future Committee, and the Executive Presbyter Nominating Committee held a retreat at Villa Maria Conference Center on November 15-16 under the leadership of Russ Crabtree.  Russ is a consultant with Holy Cow Consulting! with which the Presbytery Council has a contract (with the bulk of the financial obligation coming from the Synod of the Trinity) to provide succession planning support for our search for our next presbytery executive.

At the “foundations retreat” the 25 attendees reviewed the process for this change and identified questions to be answered and a process for collecting information and moving forward with the necessary decisions.  At a second “recommendations retreat” on February 7-8 decisions will be finalized on how to proceed.

The URL http://www.buildingorganizationalintelligence.com/shenangopresbytery/succession will allow you to link to Holy Cow Consulting! where you will find documents used at the retreat.  Comments are welcome to Presbytery Council via Jim Mohr, moderator at mohrjr@westminster.edu.

Pastor’s Theological Lunch

The Moving Forward Theological Task force has been working hard at finalizing a statement of faith for Shenango Presbytery.  It is available here for downloading and reading.  If you are interested in joining us at a luncheon to begin discussing the document, please see the following invitation letter including RSVP instructions for the luncheon on December 3rd.

Prayers Needed

Friends of South Sudan,

I have recently returned from a trip to South Sudan (and DR Congo) and the stories I heard about the situation of the Murle people were extremely sobering.  Please keep them in your prayers and pray for successful negotiations with David Yau Yau. We are still able to receive funds for the appeal to respond to this tragic situation http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/world-mission/south-sudan-appeal/

In Christ,
Debbie

South Sudan

Displaced by violence: the people of South Sudan need our help

Displaced people in Gumuruk from Pibor town – photo by Hannah McNeish

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Presbyterian World Mission are compelled to help more than 90,000 displaced people, mostly Murle, in South Sudan who fled inter-ethnic conflict and gross human rights violations by the South Sudanese military. Our goal is to provide food, emergency supplies, trauma recovery and peace building support. We are working with our Sudanese partners, but the needs are much greater than we can handle without significant gifts from supporters like you.

Presbyterian Relief and Disaster Assistance, the relief and development arm of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, will be providing food, emergency supplies and resources for recovery for those displaced by the continuing violence. In response to the need to stop the violence and promote reconciliation RECONCILE has planned a strategic response which is integral to ending the “cycle of violence” in Jonglei State including: Trauma Healing for children and adults victimized by this reign of terror, followed by facilitation of Women’s Peace Building efforts and mobilization of South Sudanese Church Leaders for Peace.

GIVE

• We are called to serve the survivors of the violence in Jonglei State through prayer, action and support. Will you stand in the GAP (Give/Act/Pray) and share your financial blessings so the healing can begin? Give to DR 000042-South Sudan

ACT

• Learn more about the situation in South Sudan through World Mission’s South Sudan website and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations’ “Swords into Plowshares” blog.

• Write to your members of Congress and the Secretary of State to advocate for peace in Jonglei State. The Office of Public Witness offers further resources.
• Join the Sudan Advocacy Action Forum to advocate for peace and justice in Sudan and South Sudan.

PRAY

• Pray for healing for the people of South Sudan, that they may recover from trauma, break the cycle of violence, and promote reconciliation and peacebuilding.
• Pray that the Government of South Sudan will be able to put an end to the violence in Jonglei State, enabling survivors to return to their homes.

Learn more about the root causes of the conflict and the current situation in South Sudan.

News From The Churches

Live Nativity

Westfield Presbyterian Church (1363 Mt. Jackson Road, New Castle, PA  16102) will be hosting a Live Drive-Through Nativity on Saturday, December 7, 2013 from 6-8 PM featuring carolers, live actors and animals, and over 1,000 luminaries.  Invite your friends, neighbors, and relatives to witness this FREE gift to the community.

Blue Christmas Service

New Wilmington Presbyterian Church is again hosting its annual Blue Christmas Service: a simple, candlelit service for those who need space to pause, acknowledge any loss, grief, or sadness from this year nearly gone, and be surrounded by quiet prayer, song, and scripture.  Members and friends of our sister presbytery churches are welcome to attend.  Sunday, December 8, 6 PM in the Ligo Room (just off our sanctuary).

Youth Director Wanted

Upcoming Events: 

November 25- 11:00 AM Steering Committee, Presbytery Office
7:00 PM Committee on Ministry, Neshannock, NW
November 28-29 – OFFICE CLOSED, Thanksgiving Holiday

Retreat for Succession Planning

The Presbytery Council, the Presbytery Future Committee, and the Executive Presbyter Nominating Committee held a retreat at Villa Maria Conference Center on November 15-16 under the leadership of Russ Crabtree.  Russ is a consultant with Holy Cow Consulting! with which the Presbytery Council has a contract (with the bulk of the financial obligation coming from the Synod of the Trinity) to provide succession planning support for our search for our next presbytery executive.

At the “foundations retreat” the 25 attendees reviewed the process for this change and identified questions to be answered and a process for collecting information and moving forward with the necessary decisions.  At a second “recommendations retreat” on February 7-8 decisions will be finalized on how to proceed.

The URL http://www.buildingorganizationalintelligence.com/shenangopresbytery/succession will allow you to link to Holy Cow Consulting! where you will find documents used at the retreat.  Comments are welcome to Presbytery Council via Jim Mohr, moderator at mohrjr@westminster.edu.

Pastor’s Theological Lunch

The Moving Forward Theological Task force has been working hard at finalizing a statement of faith for Shenango presbytery.  It is available here for downloading and reading.  If you are interested in joining us at a luncheon to begin discussing the document, please see the following invitation letter including RSVP instructions for the luncheon on December 3rd.

Web Site News

We’ve encountered some technical glitches and have delayed publishing the new site.  We hope to have it up and running soon.  You may receive some additional eLinks this week, and occasionally in the future, with single entries.  The new site will be affiliated with our eLink blog, and in order to fill-in some of the “Hot Item” tabs on the home page, Autumn will need to create some special blog posts.  Anyone who has subscribed to eLink will receive those posts in their regular delivery.

News From The Churches

Youth Director Wanted