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| 868th Gathering of the Presbytery of Baltimore Mission Crossroads New Beginnings -- "Come and See" Brown Mem'l Woodbrook seeks Organist/Choir Director Being the Church in the City Summit October is Pastor Appreciation Month Prayers for Peace in the Middle East Board of Pensions' Call to Health Initiative |
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Committee and Commission meetings will be held at the Presbytery's office unless noted otherwise.)
Administration Committee will meet
at 11am on Aug 11.
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Baltimore/Dakota Learning Camp will meet Aug 11 at 11am at Catonsville PC.
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The
General Presbyter Nominating Search Committee
will meet at 10am on Aug. 19.
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COM will holds its annual retreat on Aug 22 at Catonsville PC.
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Please pray for
Deborah Greene, Director of Communications, who is recovering from surgery.
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Our Shared Ministry provides vital support to our Ministry Groups, Partnerships and Commissions.
As of this date $89,500 has been received toward the $220,000 budget for 2015 Shared Ministry.
We are
grateful
to the
Sessions of the following churches
for contributions made toward their
2015 Shared Ministry pledge
:
Ark & Dove
Ashland Brown Mem'l Park Ave. Catonsville Christ Our Anchor Christ Our King Churchville Covenant Dickey Memorial Faith Fallston 1st of Annapolis 1st of Bel Air 1st of Cumberland 1st of Howard County Frederick Good Shepherd Granite Grove Hagerstown Harundale Hughes Memorial Hunting Ridge Kenwood Mount Hebron Mount Paran Prince of Peace Roland Park Towson Woods Memorial God Bless!
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Big Tent
By
Debbie Schmidt Associate, Spiritual Leadership Development Presbytery of Baltimore With 23 participants, Baltimore Presbytery was perhaps the best-represented presbytery at the recent Big Tent Event in Knoxville, TN. Teaching Elders, Ruling Elders and staff had the opportunity to learn in workshops, spend time together with others from our presbytery, and worship with Presbyterians from around the country. A creative and diverse worship music team led us in hymns and songs from our reformed tradition along with music from Africa, the Middle East and Central America. We heard inspiring messages from Jana Childers (professor of Homiletics and Speech-Communication, SF Theological Seminary), Laurene Chan (Director of Youth Ministry, Cameron House, SF), and Paul Roberts (President, Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary). A variety of workshops were offered throughout the two full days of the conference. The first day of workshops kicked off with three featured workshops that were repeated twice during the morning. The Rev. Scott Weimer, pastor of North Ave. Presbyterian in Atlanta, shared about his congregation's call and involvement in countering human sexual trafficking and advocating for victims. His congregation's involvement in this work has also resulted in renewal within the congregation as they have seen God at work in their community. Sister Simone Campbell (Sisters of Social Service), Executive Director of NETWORK and author of A Nun on the Bus, shared from her extensive experience as an advocate for justice for the poor in Washington and across the country. She urged those attending the workshop to engage in ministries combating the effects and causes of poverty. Rodger Nishioka, Associate Professor of Christian Education at Columbia Theological Seminary, focused on ministries that call and equip Christians of all ages for the role of disciple. He also explored some of the ways churches can be more inviting and accessible to young adults in our communities. Two of the ministry groups in our presbytery will have special events in the fall to provide an opportunity for those who attended the Big Tent Event to share what they learned. Whether your ministry group is hosting such an event or not, seek out someone who went and ask them about their experience. We can all benefit from what was learned during the Big Tent Event.
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| Take noteTake Note /Act Now |
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Presbytery
. . . and the
Wider Church
Mission Crossroads is making changes! On-line resources can now be found at www.pcusa.org/missionresources. There, you will find tools for planning mission trips, organizing committees, connecting with mission co-workers and leading mission-oriented Christian education courses. Additionally, consider attending Mission Magnified, a mission leader event, to be held November 19 -21, 2015 in Kansas City, MO.; and, check out World Mission Today webinars, too.
The
Presbyterian Mission Agency offers resources for
creating a vision for educational ministry. For details click
here.
On September 11, from 12 to 2:30pm, Presbytery's Commission on Thriving Congregations will be hosting "COME AND SEE" - an informational luncheon for congregational leaders desiring to know more about the PCUSA's New Beginnings resources. The event will take place at Brown Memorial Woodbrook Church, 6200 North Charles Street, Baltimore. A light lunch will be served at noon, and then Clark Cowden, a member of our denomination's New Beginnings staff, will offer an overview of New Beginnings resources and address any questions that arise.
If you and any others from your congregation would like to attend, please let Bill Nickels know how many we can expect from your congregation by Friday August 28. Email him at [email protected] so that we can be ready to receive you hospitably.
Churches
Brown Memorial Woodbrook is seeking an Organist/Choir Director for one weekly service and 1 weekly choir rehearsal preceded by a handbell rehearsal. For more information please contact Alex Short, [email protected] or 410 323 6519.
Other
October is "Pastor Appreciation Month." The Presbytery's Clergy Care Team encourages all congregations to recognize their pastors in some way during October. Some ideas can be found here: http://blog.thethoughtfulchristian.com/2014/10/10-ways-to-show-your-pastor-you-care.html.
A Day of Prayers for Peace in the Middle East will be held at the Memorial Chapel, University of Maryland College Park on October 18, 2015, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Click Peace for more information.
| How's your health? Each day we're reminded of the need to protect and cherish our personal health and the health of our families, loved ones, and broader community of faith. The Board of Pensions' Call to Health initiative is one way we can each demonstrate our respect and gratitude for God's gift of life and support our obligation to care for ourselves and those we love and serve. Last year, 53.5% of plan members in the Presbytery of Baltimore completed Call to Health. This year, the goal is 50% or more. Please actively answer the 2015 Call to Health to achieve their best health as well as savings on their 2016 deductibles. Answer the 2015 Call to Health before September 30th! |
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