Salem Matters News of What Matters This Week
in Salem Presbytery
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September 15, 2021 | Volume VII Number 37 |
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Pleasant Grove Presbyterian - Yanceyville |
El Buen Pastor (NCD) - Winston-Salem |
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Get Your Church Ready for Giving Tuesday
Held on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and "Cyber Monday," Giving Tuesday reaffirms the joy of giving during a season of celebration. This year, Giving Tuesday is set for November 30, 2021.
Some congregations receive extra gifts on Giving Tuesday from members who want to express their appreciation for their church – and yours can be one of those!
Attend the Presbyterian Foundation’s Giving Tuesday webinar on Wednesday, September 22, to learn how your church can participate. You’ll hear from Rev. Philip Beck, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tarentum, Pa., who will share how his church has encouraged generosity from its members on Giving Tuesday. First Presbyterian has raised as much as $15,000 annually from Giving Tuesday.
You can earmark the funds you raise for your own church budget, help fund a special project, contribute to a community cause or collect funds for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Special Offerings – or all of the above. It is a day that invites extra generosity – in a season in which it is needed.
This FREE webinar is set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22. It will be short with plenty of time for questions!
If you take advantage of this webinar, you will also be provided with a checklist to help you plan and graphics to use for Giving Tuesday in your social media campaign.
Sign up for the webinar HERE.
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2022 PCUSA Youth Triennium July 24-27 in Indianapolis, IN!
Salem Presbytery is now accepting applications for our delegation to this wonderful gathering of high school students, youth leaders, and young adults from all over the PCUSA. The theme for this coming year will focus around Matthew 25 and is titled “When did we see you? Triennium is open to students ranging from rising freshmen through graduated seniors in the class of 2022, adult volunteers, and also college age young adults. Below you will find links to our online application and the Triennium homepage. The cost of the trip is $515/student and $535/adult. This cost is covered in equal parts by the participant, their church, and the Presbytery. Applications are due by November 1st for all participants. Please contact Rev. Taylor Barner via email (tbarner@fpcburlington.org) or via phone (412-613-0835) with any questions!
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Visiting Scholar Series at Rumple Memorial, Blowing Rock |
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Audio Tips for Hybrid Worship
The worship experience is still centered around audio, much more than the visual. After all, would you rather listen to a worship service that you could not see, or watch a service that you could not hear? As more churches provide hybrid worship, offering both online and in-person experiences, it is easy to overlook the importance of good audio both in the building and online.
For a few basic tips and terminology, click HERE for some great information. |
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Want to Learn More About Retirement Savings Tools? Ask Fidelity!
Participants in the Retirement Savings Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are invited to a 30-minute, interactive, virtual presentation filled with tips and a quick tour of NetBenefits, your online retirement resource from Fidelity Investments (Retirement Savings Plan recordkeeper).
Get to Know NetBenefits, hosted by Dan McCarthy, Fidelity Retirement Planner, is a free webinar designed to help you manage your NetBenefits account, review investment options and performance, access educational resources, and use calculators and other modeling tools as you plan for your financial goals with confidence. Following the presentation, Dan will answer your general questions. Participants can also schedule a complimentary, one-on-one consultation with Dan.
From creating an emergency savings fund and managing expenses, to improving your investing know-how and growing your savings, NetBenefits has the resources you need to take the next step on your financial wellness journey.
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Noon ET
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Select Attend a learning event.
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On the next page, enter The Board of Pensions of the PC(USA) as the employer, choose Virtual as the event type, and use the calendar icon to select October 5 as your event date.
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Click the green Register button, provide the requested information, and click the blue Schedule Event button to complete your registration.
Not in the Retirement Savings Plan?
If you do not currently participate in the Retirement Savings Plan, talk with your employer today about enrolling. All employees who work for a PC(USA) church or affiliated employer can participate if their employer offers the plan to them. If your employer does not offer the RSP, ask them to contact the Board of Pensions at 800-773-7752 (800-PRESPLAN).
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Opportunities to Partner With UKIRK Greensboro This Year
Good Morning Colleagues & Friends!
UKIRK Greensboro is off to a great start this year and we are excited about what we’re planning to learn and do this school year. As in the past, we’re inviting you to participate in what we’ve got going on! You’re always welcome to join us for the last Tuesday of the month when we have UWorship with Communion, but beyond that we’re looking for guest leaders and teachers every now and again. After all, the students do get tired of hearing just Katie’s voice for everything. ;)
This year our book study is: God, Improv & the Art of Living by MaryAnn McKibben Dana and we will spend the first Tuesday of the month covering different chapters. We welcome any of you to come and take a role in leading discussion, improv games, and reflection on some of our chapters throughout the year.
Does your congregation have a unique mission opportunity which our students could join or help with on a third-Tuesday evening of the month? Cards for shut-ins, organizing a food pantry, re-stocking worship bags, garden harvesting? If so, please let us know and we’d love to come participate and learn more about your congregation!
We gather on the front porch or the front lawn of the UKIRK House (409 S Mendenhall) on the last Tuesday each month for worship with communion. Do you have special musical talents or would you like to test-run a sermon/discussion with our college students? Do you have a special message you’d like to share with them as they head into exam week or for Holy Week? We’d love to have your voice and leadership for UWorship with us this school year.
Also, would you like to lead our students in a labyrinth walk at your church? Do you have a special topic you’d like to share? Is your congregation involved in anti-racism work? Does your church building reside on a historical site with a unique story to share? Are you a spiritual director who’d like to introduce our students to your ministry? Is your church doing something extra special and you think college students would benefit from learning about it, or make great partners in the ministry? UKIRK Greensboro is open to all sorts of ideas of ways we can partner with you and your congregation. If you have an idea, let us know!
If any of these sound like something you’d be interested in leading, here’s a link to claim a date for a Tuesday night at 7pm. Or, feel free to reply to this email and ask your questions of Katie and we’ll get them answered. Thanks for considering partnering with UKIRK Greensboro this school year. The students appreciate your time and energy spent with them, and the Board appreciates your partnership with our mission and ministry.
Peace,
Katie Barrett Todd
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Church Lease and Covenant Issues
PC(USA) General Counsel Mike Kirk has prepared advice on best practices when a church is considering allowing an outside group to use its building. This information should be shared with your Sessions and other interested parties.
You may find the document HERE.
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Presbytery Meeting Digest Now Available
A digest of the meeting of Salem Presbytery (virtually) on August 14th is now available to view or download HERE.
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Healthy Boundaries Coming
Healthy Boundaries Seminar via Zoom
Foundational Course: “Life Together in the Image of God”
Led by Dr. Jill Crainshaw of Wake Forest School of Divinity
Monday, October 11th
9:30 am – 12:00 noon
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How Do We Talk About Matthew 25?
On Tuesday, September 21 at 11 am the Reverend Frank Dew (Peace and Justice advocate) will present a conversation: How do we talk about Matthew 25? This will be a Bible study and theological reflection based on the PCUSA mission focus of Matthew 25. CLICK HERE for the Zoom link to this study. Our conversation will last one hour. Please share and join us!
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Union Presbyterian Seminary Webinar - Death and End of Life Issues
UPSem's Leadership Institute is partnering with the Interpretation Journal in order to produce this upcoming event.
Webinar Description:
Death and end of life of issues affect all of us, and yet we are often reluctant to address them honestly, even in churches. Rather than facing our mortality, we often talk about ways to prolong our days, surgeries that will restore youthful appearances, and how quickly we can “move on” from the loss of a loved one.
This webinar will address this topic openly by bringing together five experts known for their pastoral and theological insights. This webinar stems from the most recent themed issue of Union’s flagship journal, Interpretation. This journal is read by pastors, rabbis, academics, students, and interested laypersons all over the world. We will cover such matters as responding to a loved one with dementia, conducting a funeral, the content of Scripture on death, pastoral care with those who are dying and their families, and how to deal with the decline of a beloved family member. There will be time for audience interchange with our excellent panel.
The event is FREE, yet attendees must register. A webinar recording will be available for those that register as well.
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Elkin Presbyterian Sponsoring David Lamotte Workshop & Concert
JOIN US FOR THE DAVID LAMOTTE CONCERT AT THE REEVES THEATER OCTOBER 8, 2021, 7 – 9 PM
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DAVID LAMOTTE WORKSHOP AT THE ELKIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OCTOBER 9, 2021, 9 AM-2 PM
The Elkin Presbyterian Church is sponsoring the David LaMotte October 8th concert and the October 9th workshop. A special thanks to the Reeves Theater for assisting with the Friday night concert.
David LaMotte is a peace activist, award-winning songwriter, speaker, and author who lives in Black Mountain, NC.
David highlights his concerts & workshops with messages about how to: promote large scale positive change in communities; approach conflict resolution; and live our lives on purpose. Using a story-based style, LaMotte looks at questions of daily work, helping us to discover both our potential to have an impact and how we can get started. He is challenging, encouraging, inspiring, and motivational. Anyone who wants to move toward meaningful action in their lives will find something of value in David’s work.
Questions: Contact Sherry Burman 404-550-9461 sberman12661@gmail.com or Robin Chandler 336-902-2572 rchandler715@gmail.com. The October David LaMotte event in Elkin is sponsored by the Elkin Presbyterian Church. A special thanks to the Reeves Theater for their support.
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Responds to Hurricane Ida
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is mobilized and already delivering immediate aid to those impacted by Hurricane Ida. The initial assessment of the damage is staggering. The needs of those impacted is changing daily because of lack of access to power, refrigeration, water and housing. This will be a long-term commitment to the people impacted by this catastrophic destruction.
PDA will continue to work with Presbyterian leadership to respond to Hurricane Ida and remain engaged in the recovery efforts during the hurricane season of 2021, during which several named storms are expected to impact the region. After initial needs are addressed, PDA will remain — providing emotional and spiritual care and Long-Term Recovery to address unmet needs.
We invite you to join in this effort.
The needs for the response will be great. God’s people are called on to stand in the "GAP" — Give. Act. Pray.
GIVE. ACT. PRAY.
GIVE: Gifts can be made online, by phone at (800) 872-3283 or by check, which can be made payable and mailed to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700.
ACT:
PRAY: God of Compassion,
With sighs too deep for human words, we come to you again in prayer, lifting up the sorrow, the trouble and the weariness of so many of your peoples. For those whose homes and communities are torn and flooded by the winds of Hurricane Ida, for those who abide in darkness and in oppressive heat, trying to begin the work of rebuilding, especially for those whose resources and access to help are tenuous, hear our prayer.
Oh, God of all things: There is so much. May your Spirit expand our vision, sustain our attention, and deepen our compassion and commitment: For neighbors in Haiti, grieving loss, working to mend bodies and lives, moving rubble, hoping for help, weary and weighed down. For neighbors fleeing fire in western states, violence and fear in Afghanistan, for people everywhere who suffer loss of home, community, livelihood, hope. Help us to be part of your healing, your Wholeness, your hope. In the name of the Christ our justice and our life. Amen.
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Servant Leadership in the 21st Century
A 7-week Zoom Course
Facilitated by Rev. Frank Dew and Marilyn Wolf
"The emergence of servanthood as a way of leading represents a new hold on the old truth that greatness lies in serving."
Bennett J. Sims, Servanthood: Leadership for the Third Millennium
Servant Leadership is a paradox. It even seems like a contradiction in terms. "How does one lead through serving?" you might ask.
In this 7-week course, you will discover the answer to that question by exploring:
What it means to be "called"
The essential role that prayer plays
Why being in community is vital
What "being with the poor" means in our modern world
How we "engage the powers" of the Divine
This is an invitation for you to join a small community to learn what Servant Leadership might mean for you. Instruction, group discussion, and small group partnerships will be used to help us discern what Servant Leadership means in our lives as modeled by Jesus and other great servant leaders in the world.
REGISTRATION DETAILS
DATES: 7 Consecutive Thursdays, Sept. 16 - Oct. 28
TIME: 6:30 - 8:00 pm, EST
PLACE: Zoom
COST: $60 - $120 for all 7 sessions. Pay what you can in this range. To ask about financial assistance, please email The School at TheSchool.SCL@gmail.com
BOOK NEEDED: Improving Our Acoustics for Hearing the Gospel by Rev. Frank Dew with Jane Murden
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Presbyterian Foundation Program on Managing and Stewarding Church Property
The Presbyterian Foundation is pleased to offer a second Day of Learning with presentations focused on the stewardship of church property. There will be time for questions and answers and an opportunity to see colleagues from across the country.
Join us October 12 for this FREE learning opportunity.
Schedule
11:30 am EST/8:30 am PST - Maggie Harmon will discuss the importance of defining Mission, Vision and Values in Managing Real-Property Assets.
2:00 pm EST/11:00 am PST - Olanda Carr and Robert Hay will give a presentation on Considerations in Property Use, Re-Purposing, and Partnering.
5:30 pm EST/2:30 pm PST - Paul Grier will provide an Overview of Understanding Finances Related to Property.
For more information or to register, click HERE.
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The Persistent Pandemic
How we wish we didn't need this!
Some other Insurance Board pandemic resources can be found HERE.
The Wisconsin Council of Churches has been a trusted source of advice throughout the pandemic. Their latest resources can be found HERE. |
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Commissioner Nominations for the 225th General Assembly in 2022
The 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will convene on June 17, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky, and online. Each presbytery in the denomination will send commissioners to the assembly, include Young Adult Advisory Delegates, Ruling Elder Commissioners, and Teaching Elder Commissioners. Please see the attached documents for information and for nominations. Contact the Stated Clerk if you have any questions.
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Afghan Refugees Coming to Greensboro
Over the next few months, we anticipate resettling potentially hundreds of Afghan refugees who will undoubtedly need continued support from our community. Together, we can help these families find safety and home once again. These are the ways you can take action:
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Contact your Members of Congress - click here to email your members of Congress and tell them to urge the administration to evacuate vulnerable Afghans for as long as it takes, create safe pathways out of Afghanistan toward protection, and evacuate at-risk Afghans—including women and girls, religious and minority groups, people with disabilities, and others.
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Sponsor a family arriving to our community. If you are interested in sponsoring a family for 4-6 months, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Anne Louise Pass at apass@cwsglobal.org.
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Are you a landlord who has rental units that you are willing to rent to newly arriving Afghan families? If you would be willing to rent to a newly arrived refugee family, please contact our Case Management Coordinator, Fa Ri Dar Bi at Fbi@cwsglobal.org
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Make a monetary donation – give here in support of Afghan refugees and other refugees arriving to our community. Donations will help us respond to emergency situations by filling financial gaps for refugee newcomers and supporting life-saving services to new arrivals.
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Mid-Atlantic Black Caucus to Meet
The Mid Atlantic Black Caucus will hold its annual meeting virtually October 9, 2021, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Please clear your calendar for this time to be with us. There are many items we need to cover. To attend this meeting, you must register to receive an invitation by way of Zoom. This is our first announcement, another email will give you instructions how to register. For those without internet access, why not plan a gathering of church members to attend together. If you have questions, contact John Etheredge email, (snuffy977@aol.com) or leave a message at 202-977-6479.
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From the Salem Presbytery EQUIP Team |
Returning to Normal: What Is That?
As we began talking about returning to in person ministry, I heard many people say, "I just want to get back to normal." I wondered and sometimes asked out loud, "What is normal after all of this?"
I look around and everything I see, looks normal. The trees bloomed and turned green, causing my typical spring allergies. The weather is warm (and humid) again. The birds are nesting and singing in the morning. Our church building is still standing and still in need of maintenance. My office is still cluttered (a sign of a creative mind, I like to think) and my calendar is full.
So I wonder, is everything "normal?"
From the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) Website:
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The Presbytery mailing address remains the same at P.O. Box 1763, Clemmons, NC 27012, and the Presbytery phone number remains 336-766-3393. We no longer have an available fax number. |
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September Prayers for: Presbyterian Women and Presbyterian Youth Leadership Team |
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Please Hold the Following in Your Prayers |
- Bill Browder, recovering from a broken hip
- Carrie Tuttle and family, dealing with health issues with son Heath
- Wes Pitts' church secretary's son, Scott Martin
We will list these prayer requests for two weeks unless we are notified that they are to be continued. You may submit prayer requests through the link below.
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Are you hosting a special event *(concert, speaker, training, etc.) at a time OTHER than on Sunday morning worship? Submit your event through the link below to be included on our SPECIAL EVENTS Calendar.
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Mission Leaders in Salem Presbytery |
Salem Presbytery is compiling a list of "Mission Leaders" in each of our congregations. We seek contact information for mission committee chairs, mission coordinators (staff or volunteer), or those excited about the mission of the church. Click the link below to add your info.
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Become a Matthew 25 Church |
Become and Matthew 25 church! Let your Salem Presbytery Peace and Justice Task Force help, inspire, equip, and send you on a journey. Contact Frank Dew at the link below.
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Become a Hunger Action Congregation! Check the links below for more info.
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PCUSA Job Opportunities - Updated 08.31.21 |
Click below for Job Opportunities listed in Church Leadership Connection
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Click below for Board Bulletin - Summer 2021
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Board of Pensions Call to Health |
Click the link below to join the Board of Pensions Call to Health.
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PCUSA News and Announcements |
Click below for the latest news and announcements from the PCUSA.
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