A Friendly Reminder . . .
In an effort to help maintain social distancing to combat the coronavirus, the Presbytery office is currently closed to visitors. Most staff are working remotely and email will be monitored and answered in a timely manner. Emergency contact information can be found at the end of this communication. Stay safe!
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The Presbytery office will be closed Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day. In the event of an emergency, contact information can be found at the bottom of this communication for staff on call. We wish each of you a safe holiday!
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May the God of peace… give you peace at all times in all ways. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16.
This Sunday, September 6, marks the beginning of our season of Peace and Global Witness, which culminates on World Communion Sunday, October 4. During this time, you’re invited to supplement your daily devotions with daily reflections produced by the Presbyterian Mission Agency at: www.pcusaw.org/subscribe - under Advocacy and Social Justice.
Many congregations in our presbytery participate in the Peace & Global Witness Special Offering collected on World Communion Sunday, October 4. If your congregation hasn’t participated in the past, please consider doing so this year. Through the celebration of Communion with our global neighbors, and collecting this special offering, we celebrate Christ’s peace that extends throughout all creation. We celebrate that we are offered what we need to continue the work of being the beloved community of Christ, faithfully witnessing to God’s Kingdom of grace and peace, with active peacemakers here at home and around the world. Extending the peace of Christ is part of an active, engaged discipleship - and a witness to what it means for us to be the Church, together.
In keeping with our call to be peacemakers at home and around the globe, the Peace and Global Witness Offering is used in the following manner: 25% of the collected offering stays with the local congregation, 25% assists our presbytery in its peacemaking initiatives, and the remaining 50% supports peacemakers globally through the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
Whether you, or your congregation, participates in the special offering, we encourage you to examine your discipleship during the season. For the first week, September 6-12, contemplate Peace Within. For the second week, September 13-19, contemplate Peace in Relationships. For the third week, September 20-26, contemplate Peace in Community. For the fourth week, September 27-October 3, contemplate Peace in the World as preparation for World Communion Sunday.
Please feel free to contact Billy Robinson in the Presbytery Office for more information or direction towards additional resources.
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Church Leadership School
The Church Leadership School/Commissioned Pastor (CLS/CP) Training is a course of study designed to help you learn and grow in discipleship. The program offers 170+ hours of training and class work in a two-year cycle and begins with an orientation the first Saturday after Labor Day. The orientation provides an overview of the educational program, an opportunity to get to know one another, explore faith sharing and development, and obtain valuable information about how our classes are conducted, and our expectations for completion.
Many people take the course for their own personal enrichment or to strengthen their ability to serve their church. For others, the program is designed to meet some (but not all) of the requirements leading to commissioning as a Commissioned Pastor.
The CLS meets 6 Saturdays each in the Fall and Winter, and 5 Saturdays in the Spring. All classes are currently being held virtually via Zoom. Tuition is $75 each term and includes the costs for textbooks. Students are occasionally encouraged to purchase other texts and reference materials.
Interested in more information or enrolling? Contact Kerry L. Border, Dean, at 586-243-9362 or kerryborder@charter.net. The CLS/CP sub-committee of our Presbytery is excited about this opportunity. If you want to be more connected to God, your neighbor, church, and community, this dynamic program will make it happen!
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A Talk in the Woods: Conversations about Our Place in Creation
Thursday, September 10th, 7:00 p.m.
Those of us who live in the Presbytery of Western North Carolina appreciate its beauty and many blessings. How can we both enjoy and respect the natural world that is all around us?
If you have ever planted a garden, hiked a mountain trail, recycled, thought about a rain barrel, tried to save money on your utility bills, bought a new car, driven by a strip mine location, you have something to share. The Earth Care Team of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina invites you to a monthly Zoom gathering where we can talk, listen, and explore what it means to be a part of planet Earth in the 21st century.
Our first get-together will happen on Thursday, September 10th, 7:00 p.m. To join the conversation, please register in advance at this link:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
For more information about A Talk in the Woods or the Presbytery’s Earth Care Team contact Jane Laping at janelaping@sbcglobal.net.
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If you are due to take part in Sacred Boundaries training this year, the Sacred Boundaries team has developed the following schedule for 2020:
Thursday, September 24, 2020 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 15, 2020 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 7, 2020 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
All training will be conducted by use of Zoom meetings. We will need to balance the number of participants in each session, so choose your preferred option promptly.
The focus of the training this year will be on our recently adopted Child and Youth Protection Policy, giving special attention to issues that arise around it in the online environment into which we have all been thrust. Here is a link to the policy. Since our sessions are each scheduled for 1½ hours-rather than the typical 3 hours-you are expected to spend time in advance studying the policy and to come with questions about how best to implement in our work together.
To register for September 24th, click here.
To register for October 15th, click here.
To register for November 7th, click here.
If you need assistance in registering, please call the presbytery office (828) 438-4217.
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The Youth Rally scheduled for September 27th has been cancelled. The Youth Council members and our keynoter, Rev. Jennifer Fouse, are working on a resource that we will share with all the churches in the Presbytery in late September. Keep an eye out for this program that you and your youth will be able to do together when it is best for your group!
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Disc Golf Course at Camp!
A new, 9 hole disc golf course means more to do at Camp! Plan your visit and play a round or three!
Bring your own disc or use ours, but be sure to check out the new 9 hole course at Camp on your next visit! The course begins at the lake and winds its way through main camp. It's designed for beginners and advanced players alike and is fun in small or large groups.
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Don't forget Family Camp.
Schedule a change of scenery! We're booking family camp for the fall and the outdoors are THE place to be. Some weekends are full but spaces remain. Call our office to check availability at 828-668-7793.
For more information about Camp Grier, visit their website.
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The PWNC Nominating Committee is currently working to fill committee vacancies for the Presbytery in the class of 2023. If you know suitable folks to help on our committees, please complete this form and submit it to the Presbytery office ASAP. We thank you in advance!
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Sessional Records
Due to COVID-19, all face to face Sessional Records reviews have been suspended for 2020. Read how this process will be handled in the following communication from Cam Murchison, Stated Clerk/Acting GP: 2020 Sessional Records Review
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Wade Begins GP Responsibilities
Effective October 1st
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The new GP is coming! The office staff is preparing to welcome Dr. Byron Wade into our midst in the coming days. He officially begins his duties with us October 1st. As we eagerly anticipate his arrival, please join with us in praying for him, his family, and the Davie Street congregation as everyone transitions into a new season.
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Free Older Adult Ministry Planning Guides
Looking for ideas to boost your Older Adults Ministries? Here's a Helpful Resource!
The 2020 Older Adult Ministries Planning Guide, published and produced by POAMN, the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network, is now available for individuals, congregations, and faith communities free of charge. The 40 page Planning Guide is filled with a variety practical ideas and models to help you initiate, develop, evaluate, and build up your older adult programs, services, and activities.
More and more congregations are realizing that the graying of America represents new possibilities to fashion a vital and invigorating ministry. This Guide includes ideas for worship, building intergenerational programs, caregiving, , promoting mental health, better sleep, and more.
Contact Steve Aschmann, 919-455-6238 or se43aschmann@gmail.com if you would like one or more copies. These are free of charge!
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2019-2020 PW/Horizon's
Bible Study Available
First Presbyterian Church in Gastonia has 24 regular books and 8 large print books available of the 2019/2020 PW/Horizon's Bible Study called "Love Carved in Stone: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments".
If you are interested in securing these free resources for your church, please contact Mrs. Trip Stewart at (704) 864-2651 or email tstewart@fpcgastonia.org.
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Campus Ministry during a Pandemic
On Monday, August 17, classes resumed at Western Carolina University and UKirk was there to minister to students in all the many and myriad ways that we do.
Classes now are rarely in-person, often deploying a hybrid strategy with a mix of in-person and online. Even when in-person, single classes will be split into cohorts so that only a portion of the class gathers at a single time. Some classes feature a live Zoom during class time, others are pre-recorded.
All of this means that the regular foot-traffic on campus is significantly less... and so is the traffic in and out of our coffeehouse ministry. But that doesn't mean we're doing less ministry.
Though fewer in number, those students who are here tend to stay for longer. And the longer you sit in our ministry space, the more likely you are to get to know us. Our ministry thrives on a model of service and the students who need our space, our WiFi, and our coffee are recipients of our ministry - and some become participants in it. The second week of classes, we launched our small group gatherings. This semester we've decided to do a Bible study looking at Social Justice through the lens of Scripture and faith.
We've also been called into ecumenical ministry, especially for those ministries which relied on large group gatherings. Our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic ministry were desperate for a space to celebrate their weekly mass. Their space won't allow for social distancing and the University was unresponsive to reservation requests and so on Sundays, out front on the lawn of UKirk, they gather for mass. My colleague Deacon Matt has repeatedly assured me that our ministry is always featured in their prayers.
In these atypical times, our atypical ministry is thriving. We're reaching students in new and meaningful ways and building on the coffeehouse ministry model we've been honing. Please continue to pray for all the students: for safety during the pandemic, for success in their studies, and for the Gospel to be proclaimed to and through them.
Noah McIntee
UKirk WCU & Hillside Grind Coffeehouse
Presbyterian Campus Ministry at Western Carolina University
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Dear Friends,
William Black Lodge has welcomed individuals, families, and friends through the summer of 2020. With significantly fewer visitors in Montreat, along with appropriate Covid-19 social distancing protocols in place, all of our guests have enjoyed a very unique summer season in this wonderful mountain cove.
Though there are fewer conference options, Montreat's natural wonders continue to welcome and provide plentiful options for wonder, enjoyment, and adventure. This fall season in Montreat promises to be as beautiful as always, though much more still and quiet, with fewer visitors.
We invite you, your friends, or family to get away and come to the mountains this fall. Nature's colorful transition in these mountains is wonderful to experience. Make William Black Lodge your home base for hiking, biking, or exploring, for relaxation, reconnecting, or decompressing.
You're invited to discover a different season at William Black Lodge in Montreat.
We look forward to welcoming you,
Rev. Tommy Brown, Director
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To view the latest update from William Black Lodge click here.
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COVID-19 Information
A special section has been designated on Presbytery's website to share information relative to COVID-19. Click here to access material that has been pooled for our members and churches, and to find helpful resources for ministering in times like these.
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Information to Order Planning Calendars,
Books of Order and Books of Confession
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PWNC OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
Rev. Dr. Cameron Murchison, Jr. ~ 404/556-8041
Rev. Billy Robinson ~ 828/448-2153
Rev. Dr. Charles Davenport ~ 704/689-0296
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