October 12, 2022
Election Season is Here
With less than 4 weeks until Maryland’s General Election, voter education and engagement remain vitally important to our democratic process. In this age of disinformation and voter suppression, it is imperative that all of us exercise one of our greatest freedoms, and encourage our congregations and neighbors to do the same. The outcome will have far-ranging effects on each and every one of us, so every vote matters.

But you know this. That's why we’ve compiled some useful information to equip your congregations for this season’s electoral process.
Flyers - ITL created a letter-sized poster that may be printed or shared. Download pdf here
Buttons - To get FREE buttons for your church's civic engagement efforts, please contact In the Loop ministry group at cjordanmoore@gmail.com.
Voting Our Values: A Lecture and Discussion
Join the In the Loop ministry group for a webinar to discuss Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts and voter education on Monday, October 17 at 6:30 pm. Guest speakers include Rev. Kevin Johnson and Andrea Miller. Register and learn more at BaltimorePresbytery.org.
News From Our Dakota Partnership
It is with great excitement that the Baltimore Dakota Learning Camps (BDLC) Steering Committee (BDSC) wants to report on having two successful Learning Camps with our Dakota Presbytery partners this past summer. We held camps at the Yankton Sioux Reservation in Marty, SD (Ihanktonwan Learning Camp) and also at the Upper Sioux Community in Granite Falls. MN (Pejuhutazizi Family Learning Camp). The Ihanktonwan camp had 14 volunteers and hosted 28 children. The Pejuhutazizi camp had 15 volunteers and hosted 17 children. We are excited to announce that both of these camps will be held next summer in mid- July to early August.
In addition to the above named camps, there will also be a new camp on the Lake Traverse Reservation in Sisseton, SD (Sisseton Learning Camp) that will be led by members of the First and Franklin Church in partnership with the Dakota Presbytery churches in the Sisseton area. In addition, we are hoping to restart the Porcupine Bible Camp on the Pine Ridge Reservation. We have been asked to start a camp at the Spirit Lake Reservation (BdeCan) in North Dakota and are currently looking for a partner church in our Baltimore Presbytery to start a camp in 2024. There are so many ways that God is calling our Presbytery to partner with our Dakota Presbytery brothers and sisters in Christ!

At the November 12th Gathering, we will have an Open Space after lunch to provide an overview of our current camps and their schedules and ways that you and members of your church can become involved with BDLC. We will also be able to answer any questions that you may have concerning our mission. Please go to our website www.baltimoredakotalearningcamps.org if you are not familiar with our program. We hope to see you at our BDLC Open Space on November 12th.

Wopida Tanka (Thank You),

- Bob Steppling, Chair, BDLC Steering Committee
Learning Opportunities
St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute's 2022 Annual Dunning Lecture will feature Rev. Edgardo Colón-Emeric, Ph.D., Dean of Duke Divinity School, on the topic: "Romero and the Preferential Option for the Poor: An Ecumenical Praxis.” The lecture will be held on Thursday, November 10th at 7:30 p.m. in Laubacher Hall and will be broadcast by Zoom. Event is free to join in person or online, but registration is requested at 2022dunning.eventbrite.com.
St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute offers an exciting range of graduate-level courses and programs, including the CONNECT: Faith, Health & Medicine Graduate Certificate program, which will run again in 2023. This cohort-based program integrates faith traditions and medical practices into a holistic understanding of healthy persons, congregations, communities and institutions. Contact gzook@stmarys.edu for more information.
Upcoming Events
Last Chance to Register! On October 21st, the Presbytery is partnering with NEXT Church to lead this foundational workshop, rooted in an understanding of historical and systemic racism. It is intended to equip participants to lead and participate in constructive conversations within their congregations and the Presbytery that promote racial equity and begin dismantling racism within ourselves and our institutions.

The training is for Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders serving on the Commission on Ministry or Commission on Preparation for Ministry and Presbytery staff. It is open to others as space allows. More information
Transformative Leadership: Elder Training in a New Era. This day-long Presbytery-wide Elder Training retreat takes place on Saturday, October 29th and will include a variety of workshops. For a schedule of topics, and registration, visit our event page at BaltimorePresbytery.org
897th Gathering of Presbytery of Baltimore - The next stated meeting of Presbytery will take place at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church on November 12th at 10 am. Save the date and check our website for details as they emerge.
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