Expanding Your Ministry Toolbox: How to Be a Hybrid Church

9:30-4:30 Jan. 19, 2023 on Zoom

The pandemic taught churches and their congregations that we can worship, learn, pray, and gather virtually. Today, churches are faced with a new challenge as they consider how to minister both in person and online. Churches are beginning to build the bridge between what they did, what they’re doing now, and what they will do in the future. Discover why becoming a hybrid church is about more than the addition or maintenance of a virtual worship service. Learn how to honor both parts of your congregation equally and to engage those who worship primarily online. Presenter Christen Kinard is the creator of Digital Congregations, which sits at the intersection of her desire to do meaningful work, her belief in the importance of faith communities, and her talents and experience. The cost per person for this course is $40. Register by Jan. 12; registrants will receive the Zoom link on Jan. 17. Questions? Contact Susan Sharp Campbell at susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com or 304-667-9428.

2023 ECCA Retreat: Gift vs. Grasp with Richard Boyce

Feb. 20-21 at St. John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston

This retreat - led by Richard Boyce, Associate Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Pastoral Care at Union Presbyterian Seminary - will explore shifts in power throughout the church and society using stories from the Succession Narratives in the Hebrew scriptures as we think about getting and letting go of power and influence, and the ways these decisions reflect our experience and understanding of God. It will run from lunchtime Monday to lunchtime Tuesday. Register by Feb. 10. If you have questions, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell at 304-667-9428 or susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com.

News from the Presbytery's Treasurer

• 2023 PWV Budget
• Sending Benevolence to the Presbytery
• 2023 Per Capita
• 2023 Shared Mission pledge request
• Board of Pensions news

• That time of year...
• Finding a Church Insurance Broker
• Minister and staff Christmas gifts
• 2022 Special Offerings

Items free to a good home

As the PWV staff has been organizing our storage space, we have come across a few more things that we no longer need. The first is a cordless phone system that includes two handsets; the second is a small hutch desk. Interested? Please contact Amy Robinson at 304-744-7634 or office@wvpresbytery.org. 

Getting to Know Our Newer Pastors: Rev. Steve Peters

Perhaps it is easier to see the hand of God when things happen suddenly and unexpectantly. Yet, we can also see the hand of God when things are moving more slowly but surely. Steve became acquainted with Beechwood Presbyterian Church through his wife, Tina, who has served as their secretary for several years now. When the church found out Steve was ordained, they ask him to fill the pulpit while their pastor was on vacation. Over time, Steve became a regular pulpit supply for when the pastor was away. Shortly after the former pastor, Rev. Rick Johnson, retired, the church asked Steve to be their regular Sunday preacher. That was in May 2021. In April 2022, Steve was asked to be their Stated Supply Pastor. He agreed. This new relationship was officially recognized with a special service in July 2022.

Martha Cole Bane

Martha Cole Bane passed away at CAMC Memorial on Nov. 3. She was 87. The mother of Authorized Lay Preacher Robert Bane, Martha was the presbytery's administrative assistant for 27 years, retiring in 2000. She also edited The Catalyst. Click here for her obituary. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Heart & Hand of South Charleston or the Salvation Army.

Hope Village returns to Charleston First Presbyterian

Hope Village, a fair trade shopping boutique, is back at Charleston First Presbyterian Church this holiday season, starting today. Featuring 17 artisans from around the world, it will include kitchenware, unique jewelry, batiked textiles, African market baskets, stone carvings, ornaments, and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Saturday, Nov. 26, and Dec. 1-3, as well as from the end of worship through 3 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 27, and Dec. 4, plus a special appearance in the Black Sheep Burritos and Brews party room during the Charleston ArtWalk, noon to 8 p.m. Nov. 25. The church is located at 16 Leon Sullivan Way, and Hope Village will be in the Activities Building; Black Sheep is at 702 Quarrier St. This mission outreach features vendors who support subsistence farmers in Africa, rescue women and children from sex and human trafficking, support refugees, educate children, provide support to the only Christian college in Bethlehem, teach trades to otherwise unemployable folks, and provide living wages to the artisans.

Listening for Racial Understanding in Lewisburg through Dec. 10; more locations to follow

Working from the idea that personal experience may be the only thing that can open us from unconscious or conscious bias to a place of empathy and understanding, 23 people of color were paired with white partners for one-on-one conversations using active listening. Each conversation was recorded and portrayed by an artist. From there, an exhibit of these pieces is now traveling to venues across the state; it is at the Greenbrier Historical Society's North House in Lewisburg through Dec. 10. The project was developed by Morgantown First Presbyterian members Eve Faulkes and Susan Eason, a retired WVU Professor of Graphic Design and a former Christian Education Director respectively, with financial support from the church. Click here for more information.

Enslow Park conducts its 19th annual Kirkin o' the Tartans service on Reformation Sunday

On Oct. 30, Enslow Park Presbyterian Church in Huntington held its annual Kirkin o' the Tartans service. Photos below by Becky Lepanto. Click here to see several more photos.

Apply for a PHS Heritage Preservation Grant by Dec. 31

Each year, the Presbyterian Historical Society offers Heritage Preservation Grants to PC(USA) congregations for up to $500 of free digitization services. The deadline to apply for this year's grant is Dec. 31.

Presbyterian exhibit at 2023 Boy Scouts National Jamboree seeking volunteers

The 2023 Boy Scouts National Jamboree, held at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Fayette and Raleigh counties, is seeking Scouts and scouting leaders to help staff the Presbyterian exhibit that will be there July 18-23. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please contact the coordinator, Rev. Robert A. Hansen, a retired Presbyterian minister (who previously served in WV) and registered adult leader for the Boy Scouts. Reach him at rah.703@gmail.com or 571-325-6809.

FBI resource for those who work with minors

The FBI has a resource page titled Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers: Protecting Your Kids. It has information of value for parents, teachers, church leaders, and church staff who deal with minors. Resources include a link to the National Sex Offender Registry, which can be used when churches are conducting background checks on new hires, and the Safe Online Surfing Program, which teaches minors how to safely navigate the internet, as well as information on sextortion, human trafficking, kidnapping, and gangs.

Thanks to everyone who supported the Bluestone Fall Getaway. We had a lot of fun and can't wait to do it again in the spring! From Mark and Sarah, Bluestone Camp and Retreat 

2022 PC(USA) Advent Resource Guide

There are books and digital assets for study, devotion, preaching, worship planning, and more. Sample downloads of resource material are available for some books.