Issue 144 | April 25, 2019
Click on an underlined title to go to the full article
Other than a shared dislike of broccoli, I don’t have much in common with former President George H.W. Bush. I am certainly not going to jump out of an airplane on my 90 th birthday – or any birthday – or any day of the week that ends in the letter “y.” However, in his 1989 inaugural address, President Bush spoke "of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the nation, doing good." I think the churches in this presbytery qualify as points of light.
By Rich Copley | Presbyterian News Service
One was a former school administrator who had instituted energy-saving measures at schools he oversaw and brought that same passion to his work with the church. Another was concerned with climate change and felt collective action was necessary to reverse the damaging effects of relying on fossil fuels.
Spencer Presbyterian Church just celebrated its first Earth Day on solar energy.
From your Resource Center
Here's a new book from Flyaway Publishing that has a matching song. Download and listen to Carrie Newcomer's song while you read The Story of AND . The song is a word-for-word rendition of the story.
Union Presbyterian Seminary has named the Rev. Dr. Dean K. Thompson its 2019 Distinguished Alum. He will be recognized at a reception held on the Richmond campus during the annual Sprunt Lectures May 6-8.
Westminster welcomes 10th campus ministry
Westminster Foundation welcomes Rev. David Johnston, United Methodist campus pastor at Concord University. Concord is the 10th campus supported by Westminster Foundation; its ecumenical student fellowship, Vine & Branches, is supported with funds for programming. David attends Westminster’s Board meetings, where interactions with other campus pastors enrich the goals of all campus ministry programs.
Information on:
How long you should keep tax returns
2019 Special Offering calendar
Join PWV staff for the final two 2019 listening events
This spring, Ed Thompson, Maureen Wright and Rocky Poole have been hosting listening events around the Presbytery. These free gatherings includes time for review of 2018 session minutes, treasurer talks, and an opportunity to share concerns with members of the Presbytery staff. There are two opportunities left.
  • 3 p.m. Sunday at Bradley Presbyterian Church
  • 3 p.m. May 5 at Church of Our Saviour in Clarksburg
All pastoral leaders who have not completed Healthy Boundary Training after 2014 must attend an event by June 15.  Registration slots are still open for the May 10 Huntington event.
In May, Synod will offer Into the Light webinar on opioid epidemic
For four consecutive Thursdays in May (9th through 30th) at 7 p.m., the Synod of the Trinity will host a webinar that will feature a discussion about the opioid epidemic. The conversation will revolve around a seven-session curriculum created by the Presbytery of Redstone's Addiction Ministry Network. Learn more about that curriculum and the webinar here, and email Mike Givler at mgivler@syntrinity to register.
By Mike Givler, Synod of the Trinity
Unfortunately, there has been plenty of disagreement in the church over the years. Everything from slavery to segregation to women’s equality to LGBTQIA+ rights and other social situations have caused separation in the pews. How a congregation can overcome these issues and actually flourish during a time of conflict was the focus of Brian McLaren’s keynote address that kicked off the  Presbytery of West Virginia ’s Festival of Faith in early April.
Brian McLaren gives his keynote address at the Festival of Faith on April 6.
Stewardship of Creation Ministry Team
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center
10 a.m. Sunday
at Teays Valley Presbyterian
This special worship service will feature guests who are in recovery from substance abuse, along with service providers and resources for those seeking information about recovery. Contact the church for more information.
Save the date! Small Church Conference - Sept. 7
The  6th Annual Small Church Conference  will return to  Fayetteville Presbyterian Church  and will feature keynote speaker  Judi Slater , whose “A New Day is Dawning: Small Church Partnerships” seminar at the 2018 Northeast Wee Kirk Conference focused on creative models of partnership ministry in smaller congregations that keep God's Spirit alive in new and exciting ways during these changing times. We hope to gain new insights into how to be more effective and faithful small churches for now and into God’s future.
We invite you to print and include this newsletter in your bulletins, share it with your congregation and distribute widely. We hope it is helpful for your congregation and community. Click for the APRIL newsletter in the format of your choice:  two-sided color,  two-sided black-and-white,  color booklet  or  black-and-white booklet.
Did you lose a water bottle at Festival of Faith?
We recovered a translucent blue water bottle from Festival of Faith. If this is yours, please contact Amy Robinson at 304-744-7634 or office@wvpresbytery.org and describe the design on it. We can then find a way to get it back to you. 
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program will present the Mosaic of Peace 2020, a 12-day peacemaking conference, March 15-28, 2020 in Israel and Palestine. Participants will experience this remarkable and troubled region, encounter its diverse people, explore its rich history and complex current situation, and engage with those who seek its peace. A printable brochure is available here. Application deadline is Oct. 15.
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Editor's Note: In order to keep PWV News fresh, articles will generally run for two consecutive issues. If you would like a piece to run longer, please update (with refreshed content, new wording and/or a different photo) and resubmit.