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As odd as it might seem and in spite of some of the complaints I have made about it in the past, I am grateful for Zoom. On Wednesday, we had another of our weekly pastors' Zoom meetings. Seeing the faces and hearing the voices of our pastors also filled me with delight. I am grateful for them, for the work they are doing, for those who spent the holiday at home, and for those who, like my wife and I, took the risk to visit their families over Thanksgiving. Zoom allows us to make those connections. Maybe it’s not as good as being there in person and seeing each other face-to-face, but it’s still good. I need to appreciate that. It keeps us safe. It allows us to be comfortable...
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Many churches elect their officers between September and December. I encourage congregations not to postpone a Congregational Meeting to elect officers. Sessions should follow their normal nominating process and call a Congregational Meeting to elect officers. Congregational meetings may be held by conference call, video conference call using a platform like Zoom, or a blended format. (See this document.) Pre-pandemic practice following the election of officers should be respected; training may be offered through conference call, video conference call, or in person.
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Susan Sharp Campbell, Associate for Educational Ministry, will offer Officer Training again over two interconnected Sunday afternoons, Jan. 10 and 24, from 2-5 p.m. on Zoom. Registration deadline is Jan. 4 to give participants time to complete an advance assignment. All participants need a recent (2017-2019 or 2019-2021) copy of the Book of Order. Complete this registration form and return to susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com. Questions? Contact Susan by email or at 304-667-9428.
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Racial discrimination in the United States is a socially constructed system. Led by several folks from the Presbyterian Mission Agency, this day-long event, open to all, will explore the reality of racism and how we might work to address the system of racism that surrounds us. Registration deadline is Jan. 7; cost is $15 per person. Register at the link above or by using this form. For more information, contact Susan Sharp Campbell at 304-667-9428 or susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com. |
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- 2020 Year-end Benevolence Processing
- 2021 Per Capita
- 2021 Shared Mission Pledge Request
- Year-end tasks
- 2021 Festival of Faith
- New PILP loan program
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- Information from the Board of Pensions
- PPP Loan Forgiveness
- PDA Covid-19 Relief
- Special Offering calendar and news
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2021 Educator, Clergy, CP, ALP Retreat will be Feb. 15-16
Rabbi Victor Ureki of B’nai Jacob Synagogue in Charleston will be the presenter for this retreat, which will be held on Zoom. Complete information about this retreat will be sent to those for whom it is planned in mid-December so that those who wish to use 2020 continuing education funds toward this will be able to do so.
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Looking Ahead: Younger Youth Retreat Update & Changes
As part of the Presbytery Youth Council meeting on Nov. 22, the Younger Youth Retreat, originally scheduled for March, was discussed. It was decided to change the date, format, and place of this retreat, which will now be held 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15, at Coonskin Park, Charleston. More details will be forthcoming in the near future, but it is hoped that church leaders will share this information with their middle school youth and plan to participate.
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Friends of Bluestone News
If you or your congregation missed your chance to help Bluestone with our SaveAround Coupon Book fundraiser, you still have time. Online sales of the books are available into mid-2021. They will save you a lot of money through the end of 2021 and make great gifts for friends or family, even if they are out-of-state. Click the title link for details.
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Thank you for supporting our virtual 5K event Nov. 21
Friends of Bluestone would like to thank everyone for their generous support of Bluestone Camp through our first ever virtual 5K event! Your contributions are so appreciated, especially in a year as challenging as 2020 has been.
From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank
- the 126 participants,
- our 9 event sponsors,
- the more than 40 donors who helped raise more than $8,000 towards Bluestone's annual fund
Not only was this event our largest fundraiser ever, but also our widest reaching by far. We had participants ages 3-72, not just from West Virginia, but from six other states as well. This goes to show how diverse the Bluestone community is, and we hope to host more events in the future that can be inclusive of our entire community. Stay tuned in the new year to learn about new opportunities to support Bluestone!
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In 2019, former Huntington First Presbyterian pastor Skip Seibel came up with the idea for a joint effort to unite Huntington-area PWV churches for the benefit of the community. Among the group's first projects was a party (pictured) for the Golden Girl group home in Ceredo, and now, the young women of Golden Girl have joined the joint church effort, dubbed Project Presbyterian, to help with a holiday project aimed at bringing joy to the residents of two Wayne County senior citizen housing units.
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Job opening:
Secretary (part-time)
St. Albans First Presbyterian Church currently has an opening for a part-time secretary. Duties include, but are not limited to, preparation of the Sunday bulletin and the newsletter (The Presby Record), answering the phone, and updating records. If you are interested, please send a cover letter and your resume to First Presbyterian Church, 201 Kanawha Terrace, St Albans, WV 25177.
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Free food for food pantries!
Does your church have a food pantry or a relationship with a food pantry? Occasionally, the Presbytery gets information about truckloads of free food being distributed to food pantries. If you're are interested in free food for your pantry, please send your contact information to Barbara Chalfant, missions@wvpresbytery.org. |
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We invite you to print and include this newsletter in your bulletin or church newsletter, share it with members, and/or distribute it in your community. Click for the NOVEMBER newsletter in color or grayscale. |
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The Presbytery and Friends of Bluestone are AmazonSmile charities. |
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Got information on COVID-19? We do!
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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. |
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