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Dear Friends,
With September upon us, much to do, and many possibilities before us, a provocative poem from Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate of the United States:
Do you change it? Do you
Leave it the same?
With this issue, Hudson Happenings has resumed its regular, every three week schedule for publication. The next issue will be published on Thursday, Sept. 15. Submissions for that Sept. 15 issue are due no later than Tuesday, Sept. 13 and may be sent to
noelle@hudrivpres.org.
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| From Your Interim General Presbyter |
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A Letter from HRP Chair of Personnel and Interim  GP/Head of Staff
Dear HRP,
As you all know from last week's communication from Rhonda Kruse, she will be leaving her staff position with HRP. On September 15, she will join the PCUSA's Mission Engagement and Support Ministries as a Mission Engagement Advisor. While we are sorry that she will be leaving our staff, we celebrate this new opportunity for Rhonda to utilize her strong and varied gifts with the larger church as we give thanks for her many faithful years of devoted and strong service to Hudson River Presbytery!
Read on to learn more about Rhonda's service and next steps for covering her responsibilities during this transition.
Your Input Sought as Transition Team Proposes Revised Structure
As you've heard numerous times from me and others, your
 Transition Team has been working hard for the past 16 months.
At the September 27 presbytery gathering at Holmes, the Transition Team will present a revised structure of the presbytery and answer questions of clarification; these revisions are based on the evaluation done at the April presbytery meeting. A request to adopt these revisions will be at the December 6 presbytery gathering and if adopted, changes will occur the beginning of 2017.
Next week, pastors, CRE's and Clerks of Session will receive an email with the three Ministry Goals developed by the Transition Team. These Ministry Goals came from HRP's Mission. This Mission Statement was developed ten years ago, reaffirmed by Jethro several years ago and by your Transition Team.
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| Presbytery News and Events |
Register for Presbytery Gathering, Sept. 27
The Presbytery will gather at Holmes Camp and Conference Center on Tuesday, September 27.
Prayer and on site registration begins at 9:30am with the gathering
beginning at 10:00am.
Save time in line and register online now!
The registration form also allows you to request to be excused and to register for lunch.
You will receive an email when the papers for the
gathering are available.
At this meeting we will be bidding fare
well to the Rev. RhondaKruse, HRP's Connections and Change Presbyter, who has accepted a new mission interpretation position with the denomination. Read Rhonda's letter about her transition. This is a great chance for you to say good-bye and wish her well.
Register now and have more time to enjoy conversation with your colleagues and the beauty of Holmes on the day of presbytery!
Working Group on Healing the Wounds of Racism
All who feel passionately that racism is an urgent concern in our church and in our world and who would like to be a part of the Working Group on Healing the Wounds of Racism, please contact the Advocacy, Education, and Networks Team Chairperson, the Rev. Lynn Dunn at
allyndunn@gmail.com. And spread the word among your congregations about the group's formation. We hope to convene soon to begin our work.
HRPGreen Logo Design Contest 
HRPGreen is calling on all artists to design a logo for our Presbytery-wide environmental group. A grand prize of $200 will be awarded for the chosen design. Participants must be connected to a Hudson River Presbytery Congregation one way or another - membership in a congregation is not required.
The winning logo will be announced and displayed at the December Presbytery meeting.
Entries should be submitted to Kathy Dean at
kathydean64@gmail.com
by November 15, 2016.
HRPGreen's new mission statement is: HRPGreen is a faith-based partnership of individuals and congregations throughout the Hudson River Presbytery dedicated to raising awareness and securing engagement around environmental and climate change issues. We want to ensure the survival of Mother Earth.
Newish to Hudson River Presbytery? 
Gather over coffee and bagels with other pastors who have recently moved to the presbytery on Tuesday, September 13, 10:00am-12:00pm in the Chapel at Scarborough Church. The HRP staff and members of the Commission on Ministry will provide a brief orientation to help you find the people and resources you need for successful ministry. Regardless how long you've been around, you are welcome.
Celebrate the Groundbreaking for Habitat Homes in Newburgh, Sept. 14
You're invited to celebrate with us as we break ground on four new Habitat Newburgh homes at 150, 152, 154, & 156 Ann Street. These four homes are being sponsored by our faith community teams-PresbyBuild, EpiscoBuild, Methodists & Friends Build-and a very special Unity House project which is supported by many different faith groups. Join us in celebrating Habitat Newburgh's mission of putting God's love into action by building homes, communities, and hope. The celebration begins at 10:00am and refreshments will be served. Contact Deke Spierling for more information at
dspierling@hvc.rr.com.
Boundary Training for TE's and CRE's, Oct. 18
On Tuesday, October 18, the annual Hudson River Presbytery (HRP) Boundary Training event will occur at Stony Point.
New TE's and CRE's members of HRP, who have not attended a Boundary Training event in HRP should plan to attend from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. (lunch included).
Continuing TE's and CRE's needing renewal... who haven't attended a Boundary Training event within the past five years, plan to attend 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.
This is an HRP requirement set forth in policy enacted by the presbytery. More information will be forth coming, but please mark your calendars now!
HRP Honorably Retired Ministers and Spouses Lunch, Oct. 24
Honorably Retired Ministers of Hudson River Presbytery and their spouses are invited to a luncheon at Holmes Camp and Conference Center on Monday, October 24, 10:00am-2:00pm. Interim General Presbyter Gavin Meek and others will lead a conversation about the future of the presbytery and answer questions. There will also be time to share stories and update one another on life events. To make reservations to attend, please contact Jean Kaiser at jean@hudrivpres.org or 914-941-2100.
Fossil-Free Investing with the Presbyterian Foundation 
The PC(USA) is now offering fossil free investing strategies to presbyteries, congregations, and other institutional investors through the Presbyterian Foundation's subsidiary, New Covenant Trust Company.
Learn more.
Schedule your Stewardship 101 Training Now!
As you're finalizing or launching your congregation's stewardship campaign for this year, you've probably discovered areas where your team could use some expert advice or creative new ideas for next year. Well Providence hath provided! HRP's Stewardship Team offers three-hour Stewardship 101 workshops to interested congregations, free of charge. These comprehensive workshops have been lauded nationally at the PC(USA) Kaleidoscope event and HRP's team of trainers has been invited across the country to equip congregations for effective and theologically grounded stewardship. And to think - they're right in your own back yard! So while these issues are at the forefront of your mind and others, why not reach out to schedule a workshop for this coming Winter. To learn more, just contact Charles Barton at
crb42mdiv1@comcast.net. P.S. They also offer workshops on Planned Giving!
Presbyterian Women Reaching out in Mission and Your Church Can Help 
In addition to the $1000 donation for a picnic table at Holmes, and the $3000 for the sewing project in India, Presbyterian Women of HRP have now sent $500 to PDA for the floods in Louisiana. And they have an exciting i
dea brewing on how PW could use several fall and holiday special offerings that are coming up soon to address critical issues of sustainability in the northeastern corner of India where the sewing cooperative is and where there are not traditional NGOs at work.
If several congregations contributed even $25 from one of the offerings -- whether or not the congregation has a PW -- HRP PW could start a program modeled on the Heifer project, and make a real difference in the lives of some extremely poor people. First up: chickens! Contact Judy Wason at
judypwhrp@gmail.com
to learn more about HRP PW and ways your congregation can support these and other mission projects.
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| Events in HRP Congregations |
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Take-out Chicken BBQ Dinner, Sept. 10
Are you in the Hortonville, NY area and looking for a quick and delicious take-out dinner? Hortonville Presbyterian Church has got you covered with their Take-out Chicken BBQ Dinner.
Each dinner is $11 and includes half a chicken, corn, bean salad, baked potato, roll and dessert. Pickup at the Hortonville Fire Dept. pavilion is between 4:00pm and 6:00pm on Sept. 10. Contact: Shirley Buddenhagen at 845-887-4214 to purchase dinners.
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Regional and National News
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Congregations Encouraged to donate 25% of Peace Offering to Funding PC(USA) GA Action to "Address the Worsening Plight of the African American Male"
The executive committee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted August 25 to direct designatable funds from its fall board meeting's
Peace & Global Witness offering to the "
On Taking Specific Action to Address the Worsening Plight of the African American Male" initiative. The move is in support of the overture approved by the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the PC(USA).
"This is an encouragement to the whole church to take the
 General Assembly's action seriously and to formulate a coherent and structured response on the part of our denomination to the needs of African American males," says Tony De La Rosa, interim executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. "This, I believe, is a form of denominational response to the Black Lives Matter movement, where we show our attempt to bring about fundamental change and exhibit the kingdom of God, as our Great Ends call us to do."
Congregations are encouraged to contribute the 25 percent of the Peace & Global Witness Offering they would normally retain for use in their settings to funds established by the Presbyterian Foundation through which monies will be disbursed equally to presbytery programs in each of the five pilot cities. The overture specifies a target goal of $5 million, $1 million for each of the cities, and support from PMA and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance resources. Read more.
Presbyterians Join with Lummi Nation to
Fight Fossil Fuel Projects 
Presbyterians in the Pacific Northwest have joined with the Lummi Nation, located in western Washington State, that has been battling proposed terminals, oil and coal trains, and pipelines arguing that such projects create a tremendous environmental threat to their homeland and the region.
On August 23, the group launched a 19-day, 5,000-mile journey across the western U.S. and Canada carrying a 22-foot long western red cedar totem pole, carved and donated by Master Carver Jewell Praying Wolf James of the Lummi Nation and the House of Tears Carvers. Organizers want to bring attention to the proposed terminals and transportation plans and the threat they bring to native communities in the northwest region. Read more.
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Regional and National Events
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Dr. William Barber of Moral Mondays to Hold Clergy Gathering in CT, Sept. 8
The Rev. Dr. William Barber will be holding a special clergy gathering in New Britain, CT on Thurs. Sept., 8 @ 4pm, as a part of a larger justice-organizing event.
Clergy in our area are welcome to register for this and the full event. Learn more and RSVP as seats are limited.
Altziemer Caregivers Retreat, Sept. 13 
This retreat is sponsored by the Altziemer's Association and will be held at Stony Point on Tues., Sept. 13 from 9:00-2:00. Wellness Retreats are for people with early- to middle-stage Alzheimer's or other dementia and their family caregivers. The retreats include respite care. Shared and separate activities are available for the people with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. Preregistration is required; call 800.272.3900 to RSVP. Read more.
Holmes Fall Family Festival, Sept. 17
Enjoy a wide variety of activities from hayrides to boating, a chili cook-off and more! 11:00am-8:00pm. Drop in or come for the whole day. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children (5-12). Learn more.
Generous Giving Stewardship Event, Sept. 17
Genesee Valley Presbytery is sponsoring a stewardship event at Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester, "Generous Giving: Real Tools for Real Churches." The 9:00am-3:00pm event on Sept. 17 will feature a keynote and workshop by the Rev. Rosemary Mitchell, Interim Senior Director of Funds Development for the Presbyterian Mission Agency as well as workshops from leaders at the Presbyterian Foundation, Auburn Theological Seminary, and First Presbyterian Church, Byron, NY. The cost will be $20 per participant for this exceptional learning opportunity, with a maximum per church of $100.
Learn more and register now.
Stony Point Gala,
Sept. 18 
Register now for Stony Point's Farm-to-Table Gala on iSunday evening, September 18, 2016. At this friendly, informal fundraising dinner event, SPC will be presenting its third annual Living Traditions Award to the
Ramapough Lunaape Nation. For decades, this Native American community has worked vigilantly to restore their traditional land after it was devastated by dumping. The event features great farm-to-table food fresh from our gardens, great music and fellowship.
Register today.
Just Food Conference, Sept. 22-24 
The JUST FOOD conference at Princeton Theological Seminary convenes church leaders for an essential conversation about food justice, sustainable agriculture, food insecurity, and innovative ways to change the way we relate to food.
Learn more and register.
Youth Group Team Building Retreat, Sept. 23-24
Bring your youth to Holmes Presbyterian Camp for this action packed day and overnight of team building and fellowship designed as a kick off for youth groups! From Friday at 7:00pm - Saturday at 5:00pm, you will join Junior and Senior High Youth from other Presbyteries and churches for fun, faith and fellowship. Spend most of the retreat developing community and working together with your home church youth group. $75.00 per participant. Breakfast and Lunch on Saturday are provided. Learn more.
Creative Writing Retreat, Sept. 25-27
Stony Point Center invites you to a Creative Writing as a Spiritual Practice Retreat led by HRP's own Rev. Dr. Debbie Bronkema, pastor of Pleasantville Presbyterian Church. Come away from the busyness of life to explore the power of words to open us up to the presence of God in our stories, our lives, our world. This retreat is interactive with lots of opportunities to write in community and on your own. Learn more.
1001 New Worshipping Communities Gathering, Oct. 15
Are you sensing God's call to start a new worshipping community? Join other NCW leaders and seekers at a one-day, free gathering in Philadelphia featuring PMA Director of Evangelism, Ray Jones.
Learn more.
Save the Date: Holmes 70th, Oct. 20 
This year Holmes Camp and Conference Center celebrates its 70th year of ministry. On Oct. 20, they will hold their annual fall benefit dinner and silent auction at Snug Harbor from 6:30-9:30pm which will feature a keynote on sustainability by Charles Garlow. Invitations will follow soon.
Shaping Solidarity in the Search for Social Justice, Oct. 22
On occasion religious leaders lift up calls for peace and justice. Here and there the steps of legislatures and courts are also forums for civil society and communities of faith to witness and resist. There are few opportunities for a purposeful gathering of scholars and activists to discuss their shared commitments and understanding. Not all who stand in solidarity with calls for social justice consider themselves "activists". Not all who seek a deeper grounding of their understanding of peace and social justice in scripture and research consider themselves scholars. The academy can seem like an ivory tower full of empty talk; the streets can seem full of noise and desperation without evidence of progress; the occasions for Multifaith exploration is still extremely rare. These topics and more will be explored as the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice convenes an international conference, Oct. 20-22 at the Stony Point Center. Learn more.
Middle Eastern Panel Discussion on Mission,
Oct. 28
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The Rev. Dr. Andrea Zaki the head of the Protestant community in Egypt and the General Manager of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services CEOSS
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On Friday, October 28, the PC(USA) Office of Middle Eastern Ministries will welcome a delegation of
24 Egyptian pastors visiting New York, led by the Rev. Dr. Andrea Zaki, the head of the Protestant community in Egypt and the General Manager of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS). The delegation will participate in a panel discussion: Mission in the 21st Century. The event which will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in New York City, will begin with a Middle Eastern lunch at 11:00am and the panel will commence at 1:00pm. Read more and RSVP.
Union Presbyterian Seminary Leadership Trainings
Union Presbyterian is offering a series of continuing education programs that would be of interest to clergy, church educators, treasurers and administrators, as well as a specific online course called Pathways to Ministry to deepen congregational leaders and train Commissioned Ruling Elders. Check out all these opportunities at the seminary's Leadership Institute website.
Courses and Resources from the Ecumenical Stewardship Center
From conferences, to videos, to online discussions with authors and online courses on many topics related to stewardship, the Ecumenical Stewardship Center is a clearinghouse for church-centered resources.
Check out all the Center's offerings.
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| Living Our Values |
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Joy: Commissioning and Supporting YAVs
We celebrate that at the end of August, a number of HRP congregations commissioned Young Adult Volunteers for service during their worship services. The Rev. Jeff Geary, pastor of White Plains Presbyterian, writes about the significance of that work for his congregation's connection to Christ and the wider church over the last four years, in light of the HRP value of "joy."
On Sunday morning, August 28, sixty-seven young adults were commissioned for mission and service across our country and throughout the world. They are all part of the Young Adult Volunteer Program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which provides one-year service opportunities to adults ages 19-30 years. Each had spent months, with the help of church leaders and peers, discerning God's call upon their life. And all have answered, "Here I am, send me!" Read more.
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| Take Action |
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Urge Congress to Oppose the TPP
The Presbyterian Hunger Program urges Presbyterians to call their members of Congress and urge them to vote against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). This trade agreement which was negotiated in secret. Its text was only recently released after global pressure. The TPP gives extraordinary rights to corporations and undermines democratic processes.
Help Incarcerated Individuals by Donating Calendars and Computers
This time of year many of us receive beautiful calendars in the mail. They are sent to thank us for donations to many worthy causes. If you have more calendars than you need, please donate them to men and women in prison. Presbytery Prison Partnership will be collecting calendars between now until November. Calendars may be
dropped off at Peekskill Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian (Ossining), Scarborough Presbyterian Church or the Presbytery office.
If you have an old laptop and don't know what to do with it, please consider donating it to Hudson Link. It will be wiped clean of all your information and refurbished for someone who has been released from prison. It can be old; it just needs to be able to access the Internet. And the computer donation is deductible up to $400. Contact Barbara Devir at barbdevir@gmail.com or 914-923-3517. Please take a moment to read
Barbara's full letter to understand the significance of these donations in the lives of our sisters and brothers who are incarcerated.
Help PDA Respond to Gulf Flooding 
Starting August 11, 2016, regions in Louisiana and Mississippi experienced 10-20 inches of rain. FEMA reports that there were 6 fatalities, over 8,000 people in shelters and over 10,000 residential and commercial structures affected.
PDA has reached out to the Presbytery of South Louisiana and the Presbytery of Mississippi to offer assistance. Six National Response Team members will deploy to the Presbytery of South Louisiana to do assessments, and two will deploy at the request of the American Red Cross to provide Disaster Spiritual Care. An initial grant and a church damage grant has been sent to the Presbytery of South Louisiana. Once Long Term Recovery Groups are organized on the ground, PDA will begin sending volunteers. Learn more about how you can give financially to assist in recovery and be put on the list to serve as a volunteer when the time is right.
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| Resources for Education, Liturgy, Justice and more! |
Theological Educational/Seminaries Emphasis Sunday, Sept. 18
The TEF is the only source of denomination-wide funding for PC(USA) seminaries.
It is a fund composed of monies contributed by Presbyterian congregations on an annual basis. The monies our seminaries raise are not enough to cover expenses and to offer scholarships. Our schools must be able to count on denomination-wide support to fulfill the ministries we Presbyterians require of them-educating transformational leaders who can preach, teach, pray, counsel, and serve in bearing witness to the Gospel. Learn more.
A Season of Peace and the Peace and Global Witness Offering
A Season of Peace is a four-week pilgrimage designed to deepen the pursuit of peace for congregations, small groups, families, and individuals. Through daily peace reflections, family activities, Bible studies, youth activities, an exciting intergenerational Peace Fair, and other online resources, you will be invited to enhance and expand your focus on your calling as a peacemaker. Expect encouragement, challenge, inspiration, and education.
These resources were created to culminate in the receiving of the Peacemaking and Global Witness Offering, traditionally taken on World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October. However, they are appropriate for any time. The Offering gives us a concrete way to contribute locally and nationally to the work of peace. It is the offering that funds the Peacemaking Program for our denomination, enabling us to bring in International Peacemakers, share conferences, advocate for active nonviolent solutions to conflicts, and provide resources like these for congregations.
New Resource On Calling An Educator
The revised On Calling An Educator manual from PC(USA) is now available online in downloadable format. The manual is designed to be a resource for churches who are considering calling an educator to be a part of the church staff. In addition, this is also a resource for Christian educators who are responding to a call from God to educational ministry in the church and are seeking a position. Congregations and educators will find guidance in these pages for their separate and mutual journeys toward providing the best leadership for the important task of education. Download the On Calling An Educator manual or read the PDF online.
Presbyterian World Mission Stories
Need a story for Sunday school? Looking for a sermon illustration? Find stories from PC(USA) mission workers. Missionary in residence, Nancy Dimmock, used letters and stories from mission co-workers to create links for each Sunday New Testament reading for the Revised Common Lectionary. Access the stories!
Recurso sobre discipulado cristiano disponible en agosto
En este tiempo en donde puede ser tan difícil organizar una clase para nuevos miembros en la iglesia, es bueno tener un material que sea fácil de adaptar y que pueda ser utilizado no solamente como material de estudio grupal, sino individual.
Te recordamos que
Nuevos/as miembros: un llamado al discipulado es un manual de trabajo que puede ser utilizado de diferentes maneras: como un auto estudio, como un recurso de estudio grupal, o como una referencia rápida para la reflexión personal. El material también ofrece planes de lecciones sugeridos para el estudio grupal. Podrás conseguir este estudio, en agosto en
pcusastore.com.
Guide for Young Adult Ministry
Presbyterian Today
's Guide for Young Adult Ministry
is a must-read for everyone who wants to better understand young adults and engage them in worship, education, and service. Learn more.
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| Seeking and Finding |
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Free Office Furniture
Holmes Camp is offering 4 office desks, cubicle partitions and some lateral file cabinets free to anyone who will come and take them away. Contact
Peter Surgenor if you are interested.
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| Employment Opportunities |
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Reformed Church of Bronxville Seeks Senior Minister/Head of Staff
Interim Stated Clerk, New York City Presbytery
The NYC Presbytery is a racially and culturally diverse presbytery seeking a qualified Ruling Elder or Teaching Elder to fill the position of Interim Stated Clerk. The position is part-time and comes with Board of Pension Benefits. Read the job description and application process. (N.B. though the link takes you to the New Brunswick presbytery, the description is for the NYC Presbytery).
South Church Dobbs Ferry Seeks Organist
South Church, a progressive congregation in Dobbs Ferry, NY is seeking a choir accompanist and supple musician capable of coaxing the best out of our well maintained and updated 1898 Austin Organ, as well as playing our Steinway piano. S/he should expect to work closely with our two Choir Directors who tag team alternating services. Musical styles are very eclectic ranging from the expected (Bach, Handel, Faure, Rutter, Hopson, etc.) to global music (South African justice songs, South American liberation theology songs, Taize and more),to traditional hymnody to the somewhat unexpected (Hank Williams, U2, Randy Newman, the Sherman Brothers, etc.) Read the job description.
South Church, Dobbs Ferry Seeks Sexton
The church is looking for someone to live on campus, and be responsible for the care of the campus. Housing is part of the compensation. Read the job description.
Rural Women's Assembly Assistant Coordinator
The Destiny Rural Women's Assembly and Rural Women's Network offer rural women the opportunity to gather together and work for change. This position with Rural and Migrant Ministry is part time (15 hours), with a flexible schedule. The Assistant Coordinator will need to be at the Assembly in Binghamton the first weekend in December. Salary commensurate with experience. Read more (scroll down after linking to the new page).
Rural and Migrant Ministry Long Island Outreach/Education Coordinator
Working hand in hand with the Long Island Coordinator, as well as the Executive Director, the Long Island Outreach/Education Coordinator (LIOE) will take the lead in establishing a new rural worker education center in Suffolk County. This is a full-time position with flexible hours and days. Read more.
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| Share Hudson Happenings |
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Did you hear? It's easy to share Hudson Happenings and let others know about our church's commitment to love that is strong, compassionate and courageous. HH is a tiny map to the plethora of events and opportunities in our presbytery to learn, connect, give, advocate, and heal.
Let your friends know that they can subscribe to Hudson Happenings and other HRP E-Updates, like those from the Presbytery Prison Partnership or the Food Justice Network.
Just share the photo (the link is embedded) or this URL
http://tinyurl.com/m2l9kpj Check "general interest" to subscribe to Hudson Happenings.
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