Issue 143 | April 11, 2019
Click on an underlined title to go to the full article
Last month at a presbytery committee meeting, one of the members introduced themselves as a “learning elder.” I think they meant to say ruling elder; however, the more I think about it, the more I love this term. Would that all of us, teaching and ruling elders alike, become learning elders. I think there are probably at least four things that all elders, teaching as well as ruling, need to learn. 
Join PWV staff for the final two listening events of 2019
For the past month, 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. April 28 at Bradley Presbyterian Church
  • 3 p.m. May 5 at Church of Our Saviour in Clarksburg
Information on: Board of Pensions' Benefits Connect website
2019 Special Offering Calendar
2019 Shared Mission Request
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.
April 30 at the Presbytery office. Register by April 22.
Will Messer and Sky Kershner of the Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center will lead this Expanding Your Ministry Toolbox workshop, which focuses on communication, as well as the Enneagram and its 9 personality types. Cost is $60.
Stewardship of Creation Ministry Team
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 27 at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center


Holy Week events with Village Chapel Presbyterian
Click each image for a full-sized PDF.

In addition to the exhibit hours listed at left, the the stations in the Holy Week Art Project will also be integrated into the Maundy Thursday worship service at 7 p.m. April 18.
10 a.m. April 28 at Teays Valley Presbyterian
This special worship service will feature special guests who are in recovery from substance abuse, along with service providers and resources for those seeking information about recovery. Call 304- 757-6073 or email office@teaysvalleypresby.com .
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.
Neil Bays, a ruling elder, former Clerk of Session and organist at Trinity Presbyterian Church, passed away March 13 at home in Shady Spring at age 83. A dedicated member of Trinity Presbyterian for 30 years, he was a one-time delegate to General Assembly and active within the Presbytery. Click here to read his obituary.

Services were held March 16. In lieu of flowers, the family requested memorial donations be made to Trinity Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 370, Shady Spring, WV, 25918 or Hospice of Southern WV, P.O. Box 1472, Beckley, WV 25802-1472.
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. 
Bluestone spring events Click each graphic 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 , pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Duquesne, PA, and formerly on staff at the Pittsburgh Presbytery. At the 2018 Northeast Wee Kirk Conference, Rev. Slater offered the seminar “A New Day is Dawning: Small Church Partnerships,” which was described as “Times are changing for the church, but God’s Spirit is alive in some new and exciting ways with creative models of partnership ministry in smaller congregations.” As the Presbytery of WV, we hope to gain new insights into how to be more effective and faithful small churches for now and into God’s future.
All pastoral leaders who have not completed a Healthy Boundary Training workshop after 2014 must attend an event by June 15.  Remaining open dates are April 24 in Lewisburg and May 10 in Huntington.
The Westminster Foundation of West Virginia is entering a period of transition in Morgantown as current WVU Presbyterian Campus Pastor, Rev. Dr. Shelly Barrick Parsons, will relocate to Richmond this summer with her family.
Explore the Stewardship Navigator
The Stewardship Navigator is a new online tool from the Presbyterian Foundation that includes tools and resources to develop a creative and comprehensive annual stewardship program, along with customized materials for your congregation. For assistance setting up your account, contact 800-858-6127 or serving@presbyterianfoundation.org.
Volunteer at this summer's World Scout Jamboree
We know many of our churches sponsor scout troops, so we're sharing a volunteer opportunity for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve this summer. If you serve at least four hours July 24-31, you'll receive a free visitor's pass on the day of your choosing. Contact Carol McCarthy at 703-587-4453 or  designsbycarol@gmail.com, including your name, preferred date(s) and shift time(s).
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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.