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Gathering 224th OGA Hosted
in Baltimore
Order of the Day
Presbytery Women in the
Presbytery Newsletter,
Spring Edition
Catonsville Concerts at 3:
Quintaero: French Chamber
Music in Concert
Faith PC Block Party
West Side Ministry
Group: Neighborhood Workshop
Knox seeks a Church Administrator
1st of Cumberland
seeks Director of Music Ministry
1st of Westminster seeks a Director of Christian Education
Charm City Chorus Concert: "Songs of Struggle . . ."
Habitat for Humanity: interfaith in Action
World Refugee Day - Join the Movement!
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Committee and Commission meetings will be held at the Presbytery's office (unless noted otherwise.)
Steering Cabinet
will meet at 1pm on Wednesday, May 25
Commission on Spiritual Leader Development
will meet at 10am on Tuesday, June 7
Commission on Reconciliation will meet at 6:30pm on May 25
Commission on Thriving Congregations meets at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 17
Cuba Partnership
will meet at 2:30pm on Wednesday, May 18 in the library of Hunting Ridge PC
West Side Ministry Group will meet 9:30am to 1pm on Saturday, June 4 at Northminster PC.
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Thank you to the following congregations who have pledged toward Our Shared Ministry 2016.
Ark & Dove
Barrelville
Brown Mem'l Woodbrook
Catonsville
Central
Christ Our King
Faith
Fallston
First & Franklin
1st of Annapolis
1st of Bel Air
Franklinville
Frederick
Good Shepherd
Granite
Grove
Hagerstown
Havre de Grace
Hunting Ridge
Kenwood
Light Street
Maryland
Mount Paran
Northminster
Prince of Peace
Roland Park
Second
Springfield
Woods Mem'l
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Clerks of Sessions
Annual Review
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You are invited to bring your session minutes, rolls, and registers to one of the following annual meetings to review session records.
Click here.
Western Maryland
Saturday, May 21, 2pm
Hancock Presbyterian Church, Hancock
Anne Arundel
Sunday, May 22, 2pm
Harundale Presbyterian Church,
Glen Burnie.
North Baltimore City/County
Monday, May 23, 7pm
Babcock Presbyterian Church, Towson
Harford County
Wednesday, May 25,7pm
Christ Our King Presbyterian Church, Bel Air
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Please pray for
TE Ron Hankins, pastor of
Trinity Presbyterian Church, whose family is in mourning the death of of his father,
Ernest C. Bell, 87 of Somerset, NJ who died May 7 while in hospice in Somerset, NJ.
******
Please join the
Rev.
David C. Harris and the cong
regati
on
of
First & Franklin
Presbyteri
an Church as they celebrate his retirement and the conclusion of his interim pastorate at a 10:30am worship on Sunday, May 22, followed by a reception.
To RSVP, please call the church at 410.728.5545.
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Presbytery Celebrates the Empowerment of Music and Social Justice
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Dr. Mary "Mel" Louise Bringle explains gospel music's vital role in the struggle for social justice in this country and around the world.
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Choral music echoed from the rafters of Good Shepherd's sanctuary on Saturday as more than 100 church members came to worship and sing songs of social justice and empowerment during the 871
st Gathering of the Presbytery of Baltimore. The worship service, entitled "Singing for a Change," was led by Mary "Mel" Louise Bringle, a celebrated hymn writer who chaired the committee to create "Glory to God," the Presbyterian Church USA's new hymnal.
A choir from Good Shepherd sang hymnal favorites such as There is a Balm in Gilead and What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine. They sang soon-to-become favorites, too, such as the Korean inspired Dream On, Dream On and songs sung in remembrance of the Apartheid struggle such as Listen, God is Calling, Freedom is Coming and We are Marching in the Light of God.
For those who have "dreamed dreams of living in harmony and at peace with one another, songs
have helped to feed their dreams and sustain their hope through times of trouble," Dr. Bringle told the gathering. She explained that many freedom songs are
deeply rooted in biblical imagery and Christian hope; songs such as: Wade in the Water, We Shall not be Moved, Will the Circle be Unbroken, Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around and This little Light of Mine.
"Freedom song play a vital role in our struggle,"said Dr, Bringle, quoting civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "They give people new courage and a sense of unity particularly in our most trying times."
The choral music was interspersed with video clips of freedom marches and and excerpts from a book of reflections written by presbytery members about the civil unrest in Baltimore last year. The book, preliminarily entitled
From Hope to Wholeness: A Presbyterian Response to he Unrest In Baltimore in April 2015
, will be published and available for purchase this summer.
During the Stories and Celebrations segment of the Gathering, the Presbytery acknowledged the retirements of Teaching Elders Carol Davis (May 1) and David Harris (June 1). It also recognized the following churches certified as Earth care Congregations for their environmental ministries: Catonsville Presbyterian Church; Churchville Presbyterian Church; First Presbyterian Church of Howard County; Light Street Presbyterian Church; Maryland Presbyterian Church; Towson Presbyterian Church; Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church; and, First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis.
After a noon meal and fellowship with colleagues and friends - members of the presbytery gathered for Decisions and Discernment during which Jack V. Carlson was elected Moderator and Adrienne Knight was elected Vice Moderator. Additionally, Catherine Blacka was elected to serve a one-year term as the presbytery's Stated Clerk. The presbytery also approved Terms of Call for clergy; elected new commission and committee members; examined Rebecca Crate for ordination and Janna VanderWoude as a candidate for ministry; approved to dissolve Deer Creek Harmony Presbyterian Church in June; and heard an update from the General Presbyter search committee, which soon expects to name a candidate for the position.
A special meeting is expected to be called this summer in regard to the selection of a new General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Baltimore.
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Presbytery . . . and the Wider Church
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Something
BIG
is coming to Baltimore in four years:
The
224 PCUSA General Assembly!
The bi-annual assembly will bring thousands of Presbyterians to Baltimore and it is OUR job to be the "hosts with the most," providing hospitality, arranging transportation, gathering the hundreds of volunteers needed, offering side trips to local and regional attractions . . . you get the picture.
If YOU are interested or if you know someone you think might be good, especially those with great organizational skills and creative planners, please email your name and contact information to
Wanda Morgan
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The next
"Order of the Day"
will be held 4pm on Thursday, May 19, at Ryleigh's Oyster (22 Padonia Rd., Hunt Valley). Pastors, join your colleagues in ministry for a refreshing beverage and some good old fashioned fellowship. This is a great way to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and strengthen the ties that bind us together.
Faith Presbyterian Church will sponsor a
free block party from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday June 1. For further details, click
Block Party.
Catonsville Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian of Howard County
will join together at 6:30pm pm Thursday, May 26 for a dinner and workshop entitled
Engaging in Your Neighborhood: How Your Congregation Can Get to Know Your Neighbors and Get Involved in Your Local Community
.
All West Side Story churches are invited to participate.
Knox Presbyterian Church
seeks a
Church Administrator
. For a job description and salary information.
The First Presbyterian Church of Westminster seeks a part-time Director of Christian Education. Click here for a job description.
Other
Charm City Labor Chorus -- which includes presbytery member
TE Susan Quass -- will perform 7:30pm on Saturday, May 21 at The Baltimore Museum of Art. The concert, entitled
RISE UP SINGING, will include
songs of struggle from labor, civil-rights, global trade, and women. General admission tickets are $15; discounts for BMA members and students. Click
here for flyer.
Habitat for Humanity will host
"Interfaith in Action," from 10:30am to 4pm on Sunday, Jun 5. Share , listen and learn how to build relationships with people of different faiths as, together with others, you help to build homes for families in need. or details, call 443.297.5245. Click
here for flyer.
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