• PRC COMES TO HUDSON RIVER PRESBYTERY. PRC (Practical Resources for Churches) is now available to member churches of the Presbytery. Recommended by an HRP pastor and affirmed by many, PRC provides a multitude of resources for congregations and leaders. This includes webinars, workshops, and online resources from Christian Education to Copyright Laws; from Stewardship to Small Church ministry; from Church Finance to Youth Ministry to Worship….and everything else under the sun. PRC will also provide consultants and answers to any questions you might have. Visit www.prcli.org and peruse the multitude of resources available to you at no cost to your church. Of particular note is the Sexual Harassment Training webinar for New York State employees that is required of everyone who works for a church. (This is not interchangeable with Boundary Training for Pastors). Here you can find and utilize the webinar for all employees. https://www.prcli.org/webinars-2/ We have contracted with PRC for one year. Give us your feedback – let us know if PRC works for you. Send comments to: deborah@hudrivpres.org

• Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services will premiere on the Presbytery’s Facebook page and YouTube channel at 6:30 p.m. You will be able to view the service by using the following links. fb.me/hudrivpres or tiny.cc/hudrivpres. If you'd like to download the video files for your own church, please download them from this Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Pp5oNmy-bqGqKZSBqeDYV1FnGJ7vQyB_?usp=sharing. Please email Rev. Casey Carbone if you have a question: casey@hudrivpres.org

• Brook Presbyterian Church in Hillburn, NY invites you to their Annual Lenten Breakfast (COVID-friendly Drive-thru) which will take place before worship on Palm Sunday and to their Native American Maundy Thursday service which will be on Facebook live. (https://www.facebook.com/brook.church.9/). Please see the attached flyer.

• Holmes Camp and Retreat Center welcomes your help at their upcoming Work Day. Please consider participating. Details here: https://conta.cc/3tKqk3x

• In consideration of the pandemic the Challenge to Change application deadline is extended to September 1, 2021. Application can be found here.

• Do you struggle with issues with food? Does it feel like food in some ways has an unhealthy hold on your life? Are you someone who has struggled with the question that you might be addicted to food? First Presbyterian Church, Montgomery is offering a virtually led group on the subject of food addiction starting May 2^nd. Details are here.

• Rural Migrant Ministry draws your attention to six month cohort it is offering to new clergy and lay leaders. Our focus will be on rural transformation, though we are also offering the program to suburban and urban clergy who wish to strengthen their relationship with the rural regions. See the flyer here. And mark your calendars for a 40th anniversary celebration of RMM's new home in Cornwall On Hudson. Hudson RIver will be honored as a founding Covenanting member. We will celebrate the weekend of October 9th. More to follow.

• You are invited to a Special AJC Westchester/Fairfield Virtual Interfaith/Intergroup Passover Seder and Inauguration of a Community of Conscience: Tuesday, March 30, 2021, 5:00-6:00 PM, Via Zoom. Register here

• HRPGreen is offering an on-line worship and educational experience—an Environmental Justice Death and Resurrection Tour of Newburgh, NY. Combining liturgy, music, photography, and an online exploration of environmental justice sites premieres Sunday, April 11^th at 9 am. If you’d prefer to download the video file and show the service on your own platform, we will also be providing a videolink. If you would like more information, please email hrpgreen40@gmail.com. Additionally the Presbytery will be offering Maundy Thursday and Good Friday worship opportunities. Details here.

• On Monday April 12^th at 10 a.m. the presbytery will host a zoom gathering for church-related food pantries and feeding programs. This will be an occasion to share information on what has worked as need and client numbers have grown and to brainstorm what might be done next.  If you are connected with a pantry and would like to be added to the list for this event, please let Susan DeGeorge (susandegeorge@hudrivpres.org) know.

• Nursery school and child care directors meet on Zoom at 4 pm on these dates:  4/26, and 5/24. If your congregation has a director who would like to be part of this group, please send their contact information to susandegeorge@hudrivpres.org

• Don't forget to Have Your Minutes Read  Each congregation is to exchange and read the minutes of another congregation with which they have been paired between now and April 18th. Pastors and Clerks of Session should have received an email detailing how minutes are being read. If your congregation didn’t receive the notice, would you please send an email to susandegeorge@hudrivpres.org for more information.

• Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Albany invite you to their Spring Zoom Gathering, Thursday, April 22, 10:00 am to noon: Creation Care - How Can We as a Church Respond to God's Call? Details here

•  HRPGreen and the Presbytery Committee on Representation with the support of 16 HRP congregations has been awarded a Legacy grant to provide training on systemic racism and environmental justice. The Racial Justice Team is planning a 3-year initiative which will include trainings, workshops, worship, and actions. More information will be available soon. In the meantime, we have attached information to some racial justice initiatives in the event your congregation would like to get involved now. 

• Another HRPGreen Initiative: Community Solar is Solar Made Easy - With No Installation and No Cost. Congregants in ConEd and NYSEG utility areas - homeowners and renters - can join a community solar farm and save up to 10% on your electric bills while caring for creation! Being part of the solar farm earns you solar credits that reduce your electric bills and you then pay a discounted amount for the credits, resulting in savings of 10%. Community Solar is compatible with your current electricity supplier, and there is no cost to join and flexibility to cancel anytime. Sustainable Westchester can also facilitate enrollment for churches in ConEd, NYSEG, Central Hudson and National Grid utility areas. Many members of the Hudson River Presbytery have enrolled in community solar through the Solarize Our Congregation initiative which is now being supported by Sustainable Westchester. Reach out to Claire Kokoska at communitysolar@sustainablewestchester.org or call 914.242.4725 ext. 112 to learn more. Sign up or check out how it works at SustainableWestchester.org/solar

• Rivers of Faith series - In this ongoing mini-series about grants in the Hudson River Presbytery, Casey sits down with Dorinda Violante. Watch Here

• Sessions and Trustees should remember that they are charged with safety and upkeep of all properties owned and used by the church, church programs and church staff. Please be sure to read this.