Salem Matters News of What Matters This Week
in Salem Presbytery
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January 26, 2022 | Volume VIII, Number 4 |
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Smyrna Presbyterian - Reidsville |
Pine Hall Presbyterian Church
Pine Hall, North Carolina
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Installations and Ordinations
- The Installation of Rev. Kathryn Harper (Cross Roads Presbyterian) will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2022.
- The Ordination/Installation of Rachel Fitch will be held at First Presbyterian, Greensboro on Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 3:00 pm.
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Deadlines for February Presbytery Meeting
01/31/2022 by NOON: DEADLINE: Packet reports due
02/07/2022 by 5pm: Packet online
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Registration for February Presbytery Meeting Now Open
Most of you should have already received a detailed email from our Stated Clerk, David Vaughan, with instructions for registering for our virtual meeting of Salem Presbytery on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 9:00 am. Please refer to that email for detailed instructions. Or, if you are ready, please use the link below to register.
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Upcoming Ordination Anniversaries!
Please Pass along congratulations to the following who are celebrating anniversaries of their ordinations:
- Wes Pitts - Ordained January 26, 2020
- Charles Carter - Ordained January 29, 1951
- Harold Fuller - Ordained January 29, 1956
- Phil Gehman - Ordained January 30, 1972 (50th Anniversary!)
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REGISTER FOR EITHER ONE OF THESE TWO OUTSTANDING WEBINARS TO FOLLOW OUR FEBRUARY MEETING OF SALEM PRESBYTERY! |
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Salem Presbytery is privileged to welcome Rev. Jimmie Hawkins as guest leader/facilitator for this webinar following our meeting of Salem Presbytery on Tuesday, February 15, 2021, from 1-2 pm. Rev. Hawkins is the Director of the Office of Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
This webinar, as well as the other offering on Hybrid Worship, is sponsored by the EQUIP Ministry team of the presbytery, co-sponsored by the Peace & JUSTICE Committee.
Rev. Hawkins will present via the Zoom platform. His topic will be "Advocacy and the Local Church: Faith, Politics, and Justice: Voting Rights."
These two options for webinars and workshops are part of an ongoing effort to make our presbytery meetings more than tending to the business of the presbytery, but to offer opportunities for conversation, education, and engaging discourse of important topics. See the registration link below.
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Following our presbytery meeting in November of 2021, we engaged in a Hybrid Worship workshop which explored the questions of why we do hybrid worship, and best practices for making our worship the best it can be. To continue and build on that discussion, I will look at the issues and questions that churches may have concerning wi-fi, software questions, hardware options, and looking at affordable options especially for smaller churches. But churches that may have the systems in place, may also benefit from this discussion.
The workshop will take place at 1:00 on Tuesday, February 15th, or immediately following the meeting of presbytery, if presbytery goes long. For this workshop, there is a separate registration (see link below).
I am looking forward to sharing this time with you on the 15th.
Blessings,
John W. Johnson
Salem Presbytery Communications Director
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To-Do List for Sessions: Information from the Office of the General Assembly
Attention Clergy, Clerks of Session, Church Administrators and administrative staff, Treasurers, Members of Sessions: The Office of Legal and Risk Management of the General Assembly has issued a list of matters that are worthy of annual consideration by church leadership. This document may be found HERE.
I commend this document for your review and consideration. Please let me know if you have any questions. David Vaughan, Stated Clerk
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First Presbyterian Greensboro Seeks Interim Associate Pastor
First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina is seeking an interim associate pastor with primary responsibilities for outreach and mission. Additionally, this person will participate in preaching, teaching and pastoral care as a key member of a dynamic and gifted staff. First Presbyterian is a large congregation with a history of commitment to mission. As a Matthew 25 and Earth Care Congregation, we want to expand and deepen our outreach ministries locally and beyond through possible new initiatives and by partnering with others already engaged in transformative work in our community. We are seeking a collaborative leader with a passion for Jesus Christ and His call to tend and feed His sheep. This position will fill an opening created by a pastor retiring 2/27/21. For more information and a complete job description please contact the transitionteam@fpcgreensboro.org. Click HERE to view the Job Description.
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News from our Resource Center and Some Great Lenten Resources
We are in our new location at 459 South Church Street, across the street from our old offices. The Resource Center is spread out but I will be glad to give anyone a tour. The Lenten Books like I am highlighting are located to the left after you enter the building and it is the door to the left that leads to conference room. Our seasonal displays will be around the big window in that room. Here are a couple of our new additions to the Lenten section. We kept many of the older resources for the seasons also. Our online library has a new format and if you click on the browse now tab, it will direct you to the online catalog with pictures of all the books. It is a little different and when you check one out, see Beth, Rebecca, or Heather and we will be glad to check it out or reserve it. You may email to have it waiting for you to pick up.
Borrow a Resource Today!
What can the Resource Center do for you? We have plenty of items available for your use! If you'd like to borrow a resource, please contact Beth Hayes at bhayes@mcsp.org. Or browse resources HERE.
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Highlighted New Additions to Our Lenten Library |
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"Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Ten Objects." - Jill Duffield. This uses ten objects that Jesus would have encountered on his way to Jerusalem and considers them through Scripture, prayer and reflection. This has been a popular book in our resource center authored by Rev. Jill Duffield, First Presbyterian Greensboro.
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"The Lord’s Prayer: The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught."
Adam Hamilton. This is the newest offering by our most checked out author in the Center. This resource takes the prayer line by line and illuminates what we ask of God and what we ask of ourselves in its words. A leaders guide and DVD accompany it.
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"Pauses for Lent: 40 Words for 40 Days." Trevor Hudson. This book offers 40 single words to accompany the 40 days of Lent offering a brief meditation and a simple, doable practice to go with it. |
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"Witness At The Cross: A Beginners Guide to Holy Friday." Amy Jill Levine. Again one of our more popular authors, in this book she shows how the people at the cross each have distinct roles to play in the Gospels. It also has a leaders guide and DVD. |
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Here's a Great Opportunity!
Continuing the legacy of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (PSCE), Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond is putting together the next cohorts for Presbyterians Supporting Christian Education (PSCE). The 2022 groups will be starting in late February.
For more information or to register, please see the website HERE. |
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Where Do We Go From Here
Click on the video link would hav below to view wise words from our Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson, as he shares some thoughts after two years of COVID.
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Bethesda Presbyterian (Statesville) Looking for Used Organ
The Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Statesville is in need of a used organ to purchase, as their's is beyond repair. If you know if one that might be available, please contact Bethesda through the presbytery office.
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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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Please take a few moments to read this news of what's going on in Parish B - specifically St. Paul Presbyterian in Greensboro, as shared by Rev. Jess Rigel, Engagement Pastor for Parish B, and Rev. Jay Lambeth, pastor at St. Paul. |
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A ministry that St. Paul has been developing and serving for some time now involves our work with the students at Murphey School here in Greensboro. Before the pandemic a number of our members visited the school weekly to be "reading buddies" and help the students in other ways. (Hope to be able to resume this soon - the response of the kids was a real blessing to us as well. They really looked forward to our coming). We continue to provide clothing, food, uniforms, school supplies and other needs to students as they are referred to us by school officials. This is not part of our operating budget. Our people support it with regular ear-marked donations. (Over $500 in December alone.) Our Evangelism Chair, John Miller, heads this project and does a lot of the work (buying and delivering food, clothes, etc.) and is ably assisted by several of our members. We feel that this is certainly a part of what Jesus meant when he said, "Feed my sheep."
Also, each quarter we take 5% of our pledge income and send it to support Greensboro Urban Ministry, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, The Shepherd's Center and the Presbyterian Counseling Center, all here in Greensboro.
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Each week in this space, we will highlight a video, website, or other content that is relevant to how we look at stewardship in the presbytery as well as in our local churches. Our focus this week is on Campus Ministry. |
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Click on the graphic or HERE to visit and/or subscribe to Salem Presbytery's YouTube Channel. |
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January Prayers for:
Budget & Finance Committee;
Campus Ministry Leadership
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Please Hold the Following in Your Prayers |
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Dr. Ron Shive, (First, Burlington) whose mother passed away on Sunday, January 23, 2022.
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Rev. Jess Rigel (Alamance Presbyterian) who underwent surgery for thyroid cancer on January 13th.
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Rev. Byron Wade, General Presbyter for Western Carolina Presbytery who will undergo surgery for prostate cancer on February 9th.
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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PCUSA Job Opportunities - Updated 11.22.21 |
Click below for Job Opportunities listed in Church Leadership Connection
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Click below for Board Bulletin - Fall 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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