Young Adult Volunteers Shaping the Next Generation of Faithful Leaders

October 9, 2017

Inside this Edition

Per Capita 2018

2018 Winter Trip to Guatemala

Introduction to Systemic Racism Workshop

Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Baltimore Fall Gathering

Free Earth Forum: What's Next -- Next 20-yrs of Environmental Stewardship

First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis Hosts Lecture by South African Parliamentarian

First and Franklin PC presents Pianist Paul Bisaccia in a Concert of George Gershwin Music

Dickey Memorial PC Spaghetti Dinner and Auction

Brown Memorial Park Avenue Hosts Screening of Climate Change Documentary: Merchants of Doubt

Springfield PC Hosts Free Concert by the Wiswakarma Family

St. Andrews Theological Book Collection for Ethiopia

Catonsville PC seeks a Church Sexton

Dickey Memorial PC seeks a Music Director/Organist

St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute Hosts Free Lecture on Stress, Resiliency and Spirituality

More Church Leaders/ Strong Church Leaders Conference

Interfaith State Legislative Review

Conference: Reformed Institute Celebrates 500 Anniversary of Protestant Reformation

Meetings

Committee and Commission meetings will be held at the Presbytery's office (unless noted otherwise.)

Personnel Committee will meet at 11am on Tuesday, Oct. 10

Triennium Planning Team will meet at 12noon on Tuesday, Oct. 10

Nominating Committee will meet at 7pm on Tuesday, Oct. 10

Committee on Preparation for Ministry will meet at 3pm on Wednesday Oct. 18 at Catonsville PC

Steering Cabinet will meet at 1pm on Wednesday, Oct. 26

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Susquehanna Parish MG will offer a training entitled "Deepening Discipleship: An Inter-generational Approach" on Oct. 21 at First Presbyterian Church of Bel Air.

Click Susquehanna to learn more

West Side Story Ministry Group will meet from 9:30am to 12noon on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church in Columbia

In the Loop Ministry Group will meet 6pm on Tuesday, Oct. 24. Location TBA.

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Baltimore Dakota Partnership meets at 7:00pm on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at Catonsville PC

Committee on Preparation for Ministry meets at 3pm on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at Catonsville PC.

The Guatemala Team meets at 5pm on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1st of Annapolis PC.

The Interim Pastors Support Group will gather for a lunch meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Christ Our King PC in Bel Air.

Covenant Network National Conference - Nov. 8-10 in Baltimore

Young Adult Volunteers Shaping the Next Generation of Faithful Leaders

by Kathy Melvin, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE, KY - Applications are now being accepted for the 2018-2019 Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) class. This is the 25th anniversary of a program that is helping to shape the next generation of globally aware, faithful and passionate leaders.

The YAV program is a one-year service opportunity for young adults ages 19-30, offered through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). For the YAV, the benefits include a year of vocational discernment, the opportunity to live and work outside their comfort zone with the support of an intentional Christian community, time to explore their relationship with God and to live more simply in response to an unsustainable human demand for natural resources.

As a current YAV serving in Austin, TX, Elizabeth Welliver, wrote in a blog that she chose the program to learn about the world and her role within it. "YAV is a year of immersive education that turns our world upside down and reshapes the people we are becoming. In our retreats and

Application Dates for 2018/2019 YAV Year

Oct. 1, 2017 - Applications Open
Jan. 1, 2018 - Round 1- Early Placement
Mar. 1, 2018 - Round 2 - Most sites available, final date to apply for international sites
Jun. 1, 2018 - Round 3 - National sites only, limited availability

weekly meetings, my housemates and I will challenge and support one another as we develop our understanding of complex issues and examine our core beliefs."

About 92 percent of YAV alums say their YAV year directly influenced their current vocation. Seventy-nine percent of alums now regularly attend worship, 63 percent report additional participation in congregational life, and 32 percent go on to ordination or pastoral leadership. To date, there are more than 1,700 alums of the program. As well as putting their faith in action, YAVs also learn practical skills like developing healthy habits for budgeting, community living and self-care.

The program is open to all persons in the Christian tradition. About 70 percent of YAVs identify as Presbyterian. Other participants come from a wide variety of denominations, including other mainline Protestants, evangelical Protestants, Catholic and Anabaptist traditions.

In the 2017-18 YAV year, there are four international sites and 15 national sites where young adults walk alongside local people of faith confronting root causes of poverty, violence and injustice in their communities and witnessing to the gospel by word and deed. It costs about $22,000 to fully support a YAV for one year. YAV participants are asked to raise around 20 percent of this cost through their own fundraising efforts, and 80 percent is funded through individual donations and the annual Pentecost Offering.

The application requires basic personal and church information, as well as education and employment. Applicants are also asked to answer essay questions that include "why do you think you are a good fit for the YAV program and "describe an experience you have had with a person or group from another race, religion culture or country and what you learned from that experience. References are also required.

To learn more about the YAV program

click youngadultvolunteers.org or follow @yavprogram on social media.

Prayer & Praise

Please pray for the the Rev. Michael Moore (Knox Presbyterian Church) and his family as they mourn the death of his brother, Joseph Bruce Moore, who died last week. Services will be held at 11am on Wednesday at the church.

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Praise God for the ministry of TE Janna VanderWoude, who will be installed as pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Reisterstown at 4pm on Sunday, Oct. 22. All are welcome. Please RSVP: [email protected]

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Praise God for the ministry of TE Dorothy Boulton, who celebrated her 15th anniversary as Associate Pastor at Catonsville Presbyterian Church with family and friends yesterday.

taff Directory

Take Note/Act Now

Presbytery and Church-wide

2018 PER CAPITA Approved

($25.85 Presbytery; $7.73 GA; and .80 Synod = $34.38 Total)

The

For details, click here: Guatemala / Application.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Presbytery Women in the Presbytery of Baltimore will host its Fall Gathering entitled "For Your Prayerful Consideration" at Grace Presbyterian Church on Saturday , Oct. 14 at Grace Presbyterian Church. Registration begins at 9am; the fee is $12. Click Presbytidings to learn more.

Churches

The First Presbyterian Church of Howard County will host a free Earth Forum entitled "What's Next? Imagining the Next Twenty Years of Environmental Stewardship" a t 2pm on Sunday, Oct. 15. A panel will guide the discussion to explore ways to protect and restore the earth. For details, visit [email protected] of call 410.730.3545 (church office).

South African member of Parliament to lecture: The Honorable Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, a Gallaudet alumna who in 1999 became the first deaf person to be elected to the South African Parliament, will present a public lecture in the Sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis at 7pm on Sunday, Oct. 1 5. For details, click South Africa .

As part of the Spire Series, First and Franklin Presbyterian Church will host pianist Paul Bisaccia in a concert featuring the music of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" at 7:30pm on Friday, Oct. 20. General Admission is $20; students $10. Click Spire Series for details.

Dickey Memorial Presbyterian Church is hosting a Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction to b enefit the church's building fund from 6-9pm on Friday, Nov. 3 in its fellowship hall. All are welcome. Tickets for the dinner are $25 per person in advance and $35 at the door. For details, call 443.271.3183 or email

[email protected].

At 3pm on Sunday, Nov. 5 -- Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church will show a screening of the film "Merchants of Doubt," a 2014 documentary that exposes highly orchestrated PR efforts to debunk climate change in order to protect corporate profits. Click Climate Change to learn more.

Springfield Presbyterian Church is excited to present the Wiswakarma family in our next free concert at 3pm on Sunday, Oct. 8. This local family shares a talent for and love of music that is wonderful to see and experience. Admission is free; however, a free will be offered to support the concert series. Refreshments will be served following the concert. Click Wiswakarma for details or call Linda Caviglia at 410.746.1221.

Theological Book Collection for Ethiopia -- St. Andrews thanks all those who helped collect theological books for the Jordan Bible School of the Mekane Yesus Church of Ethiopia. While the response has been good, we still have not reached our goal of 7000 volumes. We will continue until mid-November to collect books for Bible studies, theology, church history, ethics, philosophy, missiology, leadership and Christian education. Additionally, v olunteers are needed to pack the books and c ontributions are welcome to help cover shipping costs. For details, contact Ed Pollock or call 301.831.7223.

Catonsville Presbyterian Church seeks a church sexton who will be responsible for on site operations and maintenance of its facilities. For details, click Catonsville Church Sexton .

Dickey Memorial Presbyterian Church is hiring a Community Music Director/Organist! This new position will work with both the church and community on all things musical, and it offers the opportunity for creative growth. It is a quarter-time position (10 hrs/week onsite). Click Music at Dickey to learn more about this position.

Other

Stress, Resiliency & Spirituality will be the topic for a free public lecture at 7:30pm on Wednesday, Oct. 25, as well as, a workshop for those in ministry from 9am to 12noon on Thursday, Oct. 26. Both events, made possible by a Science & Theology grant from the John Templeton Foundation, will be led by Patricia Fosarelli, M.D., DMin and are sponsored by St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute. To register, visit www.stmarys.edu/ei.

Saturday, November 4, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern

Interfaith State Legislative Preview , 5:30 - 8:00pm on Wednesday, Nov. 8 in Annapolis. For flier, click Interfaith State Legislative.

The Reformed Institute celebrates the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Join them Nov. 17-18 at Stone Hall on the campus of the National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016 for a fresh look at events of that era that reflects the current thinking of both
Reformed Protestants and Roman Catholics. Click Protestant Reformation to learn more.