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In The Loop
Game Show Event & Economic Empowerment Training Support Church-Community Network
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"In the Loop's Apostles/ Disciples Ministry Group is sponsoring a Family Feud style gathering event in the fall. The Ministry Group will invite its (12) churches to partner and" face off" on Friday Sept. 28. The group is excited about bringing together our churches together in a fun competition to explore topics about Presbyterianism, church life, and ministry within our Baltimore City communities.
The game will work like this: questions will be posed randomly and our twelve churches will have the opportunity to test their group skills, communication skills as well as get to know each other in a format that promises to be filled with fun and laughter.
Invitations to participate will be sent to
Brown Memorial , Cherry Hill, Dickey Memorial, First & Franklin, Grace Memorial, Hunting Ridge, Kenwood, Knox , Light Street, Lochearn, Madison and Trinity Presbyterian churches.
Be sure to put this amazing event-to-come on your calendar.
The Ministry Group will also gather at 6pm on Tuesday, May 15 for a meal at Lochearn PC and explore the idea of sponsoring Economic Empowerment Boot Camps. The Ministry Group plans to facilitate a series of Economic Empowerment Boot Camps targeting women struggling to run single parent households. The group hopes that participants will make good use of knowledge and resources offered through the Ministry Group's to form their own economic pools of self-support known as "Susu's".
All are welcomed to both events, which will be wonderful opportunities for church fellowship.
Conveners:
TE Michael Moore
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West Side Story
Focusing on Community
This spring, the West Side Ministry Group sponsored a breakfast on Apr. 14 for Teaching and Ruling Elders of its member churches. Participants learned about the efforts of the Presbytery's Commission on Spiritual Leader Development and discussed how the Commission and WSSMG could work together to support congregational leaders.
WSSMG members met again, about two weeks later, with
Kate Foster Connors, Director of The Center to discuss a unique opportunity to get involved in PC(USA)'s Hands and Feet Initiative. The Center will be launching the program in the Baltimore area in anticipation of the 224th General Assembly, which meets in Baltimore in 2020.
Looking ahead, WSSMG will host a Community Organizing Workshop on Jun. 16; and, join Uptown Metro Ministry Group in co-sponsoring a training for elders on Sept. 22. WSSMG next
Steering Committee meeting is Jun. 4, details to be announced later.
Co-Conveners: TE Matthew Glasgow &
RE Guy Moody
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Wild, Wild West
Sharing God's Bounty Through Local Ministry
Our Ministry Group decided to distribute the Shared Ministry Funds in 2018 equally among our ten churches. Each church will determine how to apply the funds toward one of the five MG outcomes.
Barrelville, Covenant, Cumberland and Emmitsburg received their funds in the first quarter. Covenant will use the funds to build a prayer garden for the neighborhood including a labyrinth, prayer box, flowers and peace pole. This will be part of our outreach to the community and congregational development in Christian formation. They are participating in the Hands and Feet initiative from The Center to accomplish this missional project. The MG will meet at St. Andrew next October for a time of celebration as we share the ways God led each church to use the funds.
Our next Ministry Group meeting is May 30 from 11-1 pm at Frostburg PC.
Convener: TE Renee Mackey
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Susquehanna Parish
Making Greater Connections
Susquehanna Parish is in the middle of a grant program following up on our emphasis on congregational development for our churches in the following areas: hospitality, encouraging volunteers, making a greater connection with the immediate community, and developing deeper relationships with children, youth, and young adults. Each church has the opportunity to develop program ideas that will grow their congregation's capacity and connections, and then submit their plan for funding from the Ministry Group.
In March, the Parish Resource Center of Lancaster, PA presented three workshops for us, one on Recruiting and Appreciating Volunteers, one on Making Connections in the Community, and one on Hospitality and Welcome for Visitors. We had about 40 people in attendance learning how to encourage and assist their churches to reach out and to grow their ministries. It was a wonderful day!
We're getting ready for two Baltimore - Dakota Learning Camps this summer - Sisseton and Porcupine. With several of our churches participating, this is becoming more and more a team effort! We deeply appreciate the opportunity that ministry groups give us to become more connected as a body and to work together regularly.
Convener: TE Kimberly Secrist Ashby
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Bay Area Disciples
Supporting Our Ministry and Community
The Bay Area Disciples are hosting a Stewardship Training led by Olanda Carr of the Presbyterian Foundation. The event will take place at Harundale Presbyterian Church on June 2, 9 am to noon. Church leaders of the Presbytery are invited! Please contact Jon Nelson with any questions.
On
Tuesday, May 15 at 7pm
, Christ Our Anchor is hosting an event "Mental Health Support in Anne Arundel Count." The presenter will be Fred Delp, the Director of
Anne Arundel County NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Come if you are dealing with a diagnosis or if you are looking for better ways to help someone you love. Anyone is welcome--spread the word!
Please RSVP to the church office by emailing
[email protected] or calling 410.974.1713.
Ark and Dove will host an immigration forum on June 10, 2-4 pm. The forum will have speakers from the Esperanza Center, as well as others impacted by immigration policy. There will be food catered by a member of Comunidad Presbiteriana La Trinidad, a new worshiping community of the Presbytery. Please contact Jon Nelson with any questions.
Convener: TE Jonathan Nelson
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Uptown Metro
Supporting Woodbourne - McCabe and
2018 Summer Camp Project
The Uptown Metro Ministry Group met for our Annual Meeting on Monday, Apr. 29. Each church was asked to bring four representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to report on work done over the past year and look to the future.
Work done over the past year has featured the work of our the full-time York Road Corridor Community Builder we support through Strong City Baltimore. This includes community advocacy and building organizational capacity for positive change in the local neighborhoods. It also includes leadership in organizing our annual three week summer camp in the Woodbourne McCabe Neighborhood.
Five of our partner-churches have been meeting regularly since November to plan the camp progam. We are looking forward to our new Conservation Corp Intern who will support environmental stewardship initiatives in our congregations.
This intern is funded through a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Finally, in the fall, on Sept. 22 we are looking forward to partnering with the Wild West Ministry Group for our annual Church Leadership Training Event.
Convener: TE Tom Harris
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