Because Presbyterians love cleaning heroes:
At Hope Presbyterian Church, these guys have been hard at work sanitizing, cleaning, and safeguarding our church building and the preschool. Here’s to you Clark, Tim, and Jake. THANK YOU for the extra work (and enjoy the pizza)!
MISSION PRESBYTERY
WEEKLY NEWS
210-826-3296
March 19, 2020
Office Closure
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mission Presbytery office will be closed until further notice. We are working from home and will be accessible via email and telephone. You may continue to call us at 210-826-3296, and the phones will be forwarded to our cell phones to avoid any interruption in day to day activities. We continue to hold each of you and our congregations in our prayers. We are BETTER TOGETHER… even if it is virtually!
Resources - Tutorials - Letters - Programs for Pandemic Response
Weekly Zoom Check-In for Pastors and CPs
Because we are better together, we are doing all we can to stay connected and support one another.
 
Beginning the week of March 22, we will host weekly Zoom meetings for pastoral leaders by region. If you cannot attend your region’s call, you are welcome to join one of the other ones. The schedule is below. (And if you’re not sure how to use Zoom, please check out the tutorial by Tricia Tedrow below) An email will be sent with the link and phone numbers to use.
 
Austin Region – TBD (an email will be sent to the Austin region when its set)
Corpus Christi Region – Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m.  
Hill Country Region – Mondays at 9:00 a.m.
Rio Grande Valley Region – Mondays at 1:00 p.m.
San Antonio Region – Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.
Victoria Region – Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.
How to Live Stream, Hosted by Ed Sackett
For those that made it to the live-stream tutorial and discussion hosted by Ed Sackett, we are grateful for your participation! For those that missed it, please find links to the video of the Zoom call and the script with all of the links to help you navigate what should work best in your congregation.

If you have any questions, please call Ed Sackett at the Presbytery office at 210-826-3296.
A Message from the Offices of General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency
Please read this pastoral message regarding the coronavirus from Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, J. Herbert Nelson, II, and President/Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Diane Moffett.
Video Tutorial on How to Use ZOOM
Our own Tricia Tedrow has created a tutorial video on how to use ZOOM. This is a valuable tool for churches and programs to use to meet together remotely. Use the link below or go to the Mission Presbytery YouTube Channel.

And while you're on YouTube, be sure to hit the "Subscribe" button!
Resources from Presbyterian Foundation
Resources links from the Presbyterian Foundation that you may find helpful in the coming weeks, including information on livestreaming, online giving, and much more.
Resources From Mission Presbytery DPAC
As of March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 virus a pandemic.

Mission Presbytery’s Disaster Preparedness & Assistance Committee (DPAC) has compiled the following resources for churches to stay informed and prepare for a response to coronavirus.
Resources for Church Meetings, Including Authoritative Interpretation
To help you during this time, we’re providing some suggestion and resources regarding electronic meetings, church gatherings, administrative tasks and more. We will continue to provide more information as it becomes available.
 
For Session and Congregational meetings, and for information on communion, please see the Authoritative Interpretation from the Office of the General Assembly.
Message from the Board of Pensions
The Board of Pensions joins the prayers of others throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as we seek the faithfulness, strength, calm, and compassion to navigate the new coronavirus, COVID-19. We are reaching out to assure you that we are here to serve you and will continue to do so as we manage this crisis together.
Protocols for Electronic Meetings and E-Voting
The current situation with COVID-19 is leading some sessions to create a protocol regarding electronic meetings and e-voting. Here is some advice from your Stated Clerk.

There is no such thing as an email meeting! Here’s why:
  • There is no way to determine or maintain a quorum.
  • There is no way to provide opportunity for all voices to be heard in a way that allows for the debate and/or discussion.
 
Meetings using other electronic means such as conference calls or video conferencing (such as Zoom meetings) can be used as long as:
  • There is a method to determine and maintain a quorum.
  • There is an agreed upon protocol to ensure every member has opportunity to speak.
  • There is an agreed upon protocol for calculating the votes.
  • Every member of the council has access to whichever method is being used and knows how to use it.
 
Evotes should not be taken on any new business. If an evote is necessary the following needs to happen:
  • The motion request is sent to the moderator.
  • The moderator sends the email to the whole council with the following:
  1. The motion that is being voted on
  2. How a second will be determined (usually the first member to vote yes)
  3. A specific deadline for voting (normally 48-72 hours)
  4. A statement that the vote is sent solely to the moderator (No reply all!). This is because an evote is essentially a paper ballot.
  5. A statement reminding members that a vote should be “yes”, “no”, or “abstain”. If a member has a question or wishes to comment (as is their right), then the vote is suspended until such time as a meeting of the council is held.
  • The moderator shall notify the members of the council the decision and the clerk of session records the motion and vote in the minutes of the next meeting
 
Whatever method is used the following needs to be taken into account:
  • Every member of the council has the right to be present.
  • Every member of the council has the right to speak.
  • Every member of the council has a right to vote.
In The Know
Sallie's Ponderings
A stubborn fig tree in Sallie's yard gives her renewal and hope, reminding her of the words of the prophet Habakkuk. The tree reminds us all to "rejoice in the Lord" and "exult in the God of my salvation."

Pull up a spot under the tree and read this week's edition of Sallie's Ponderings.
Austin-area Presbyterian Adults!
Can't wait to see you on Zoom

We have a great line up for the rest of this young adult series on climate change, and like most of you in your work,  we are going to Zoom for this one!

Come listen to our wonderful guest speaker, abby mohaupt!
The Rev. abby mohaupt is a Presbyterian minister and a PhD student at Drew University in climate change and ecofeminist theology. She regularly blogs at www.featheology.org , and her writing on earth care has appeared in Sojourners, the Presbyterian Church USA’s Unbound, and Ecclesio.

Also, we would love for you to participate in a crowdsourcing project for ideas about how we can fight climate change. We would love to put this together for us to use and for our churches to use! Thanks for your contributions. Take a moment and instead of sharing that article on social media, share it here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yexDDOVLRjItWKTZSCKGGzwO2fu8f7m4MGGTiS4W5k4/edit?usp=sharing

We'd love to see you at our next gathering! Our next event for March can be found on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2340817856211555/

Meet us on Zoom:

March 23  at 6pm
April 27  at 6pm
June 1  at 6pm
Ordination Exams Readers Needed
Mission Presbytery has the opportunity to participate in the Spring 2020 cycle of PC(USA) Ordination Exams by providing exam readers. We have been requested to provide  3 ruling elders and 3 teaching elders . We can also name an alternate reader (either RE or TE) to stand ready if one of the designated readers needs to be replaced. Exams for this cycle will be read during the week of May 4-8, and readers are expected to allocate 10-12 hours to the process.
Ordination exams are given in four content areas: Theology, Worship and Sacraments, Polity, and Exegesis (in either Hebrew or Greek). Readers are provided with excellent general training for reading exams and also with specific materials for the exam to which they are assigned. 

If you would like to serve the larger church in this way, please contact Kathy Escandell, Chair of Mission Presbytery CPM at  cpm@missionpby.org . If you have would like more information before committing, get in touch with Kathy by e-mail or by phone at 956-682-2836.
Better Together in Guatemala
First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, Harper Presbyterian Church, and First Presbyterian Church in Junction received $4500 for a mission trip to Guatemala in January of this year. We sent two teams to the tiny village of Guayabales. The first week Team 1 demonstrated, instructed, and completed construction of a small concrete block building. The second week Team 2 installed solar power to purify drinking water for the village from rainwater collection tanks. Teams of three local men each learned how to maintain the water and the solar systems, and the village president made plans for distributing the clean water twice a week. From the project’s inception, including sending four people to Solar School, all equipment and travel costs, our total expenditure was over $29,000. Of this, in addition to the $4500 from Mission Presbytery we had grants of $7000 from other churches and Presbyterian organizations. The rest was donations (including $1000 raised by each participant). Praise the Lord!
Guatemala and the Holly Wreath Legend - Would I Be Enough?
By Margie Vockell, Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church (Austin)

Once I had the dates and my airline tickets for my mission trip to Guatemala, the realization set in that I was going all by myself. I would not have the team from Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church (SHPC) to accompany me and make it into an extraordinary mission trip like they had done the previous four trips. The excitement of going was replaced with worry and doubt. What would my time there look like from December 10th-15th? Would I be enough ? 
The Big Give Repurposed
The Source of Light Center at University Presbyterian Church of San Antonio announces that the Big Give platform is going to be re-purposed as an emergency donation site, in response to the COVID-19 emerging situation. The Big Give, then, will be postponed, in order to provide funds for folks facing crisis during this time. We will, therefore, not be gathering for chips and salsa on March 26. 
 
Thank you, as always, for the many ways you support and contribute to the SoL Center. When we have more information about rescheduling, we will share that with you all.

Registration is OPEN for SUMMER CAMP 2020 at  www.johnknoxranch.org.  Spend the night summer camp starting at $295. Week-long day camp starting at $265. Early bird discount until April 1.
See you this summer! 
Leadership Openings
Read more information about all of the postings on the "Leadership Openings" page of our website at: https://www.mission-presbytery.org/leadership-openings

Community Presbyterian Church of Port Aransas is looking for a Bookkeeper/Treasurer.

Kingsland Community Church is seeking a Pastor.

El Divino Salvador and Island Presbyterian Churches (IPC) in Corpus Christi, TX is seeking a “SHARED” pastor.

First Presbyterian Church of Rockport, Texas is seeking a full-time, solo Pastor.

New Braunfels Presbyterian Church is seeking an organist.

Gonzales Presbyterian Church is seeking a full time solo pastor. 

Schreiner University is seeking a Full-time University (Campus Minister).

First Presbyterian Churches in Uvalde and Del Rio are seeking a pastor to serve this yoked field.

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Positions at the National Offices of PCUSA

The national offices of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are currently looking for candidates to fill the following positions:
 
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer (ASG)
Director of History and Records/PHS Executive Director (OGA)
Associate Director for Theology, Formation, and Evangelism (PMA)
Associate for International Property (PMA)
Associate for African American Intercultural Congregational Support (PMA)
Associate for Interreligious Engagement (PMA)
Associate for Pastoral Formation (PMA)
Associate for Young Adult Volunteer Program (PMA)
Director of Administration (Stony Point Center)
 
Click the link below for a brief description for each job pass along with your constituents or share in your newsletter or bulletin board. 
 
Full details of the roles and responsibilities, position requirements, and to apply online, click HERE: https://www.pcusa.org/acorp/human-resources-links/
Resources and Links
We are Mission Presbytery, serving Christ in the World. In the Reformed Tradition, together we,
  • Establish and equip congregations and session to carry out their missions;
  • Recruit, receive, ordain, develop, and care for those called to service in the church;
  • Enable mission and witness to the Gospel that congregations cannot accomplish alone; and
  • Steward our resources faithfully and generously.
We are better together.
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