The next Mission Committee lunchtime speaker will be Dr. Theresa Poling, the Associate Professor of Nursing at West Virginia Wesleyan College, who will speak on Harm Reduction at noon July 22 on Zoom. Register here. Additional speakers have been announced through October. They are Joan Stewart in August, who is the Executive Director of WVMAW and will discuss what is happening with the organization; Jessica Maudlin Phelps in September, who is the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care Concerns and will speak about how and why churches should become Earth Care Congregations; and Rev. Stephen Baldwin of Ronceverte Presbyterian in October, who is a State Senator and will give a statehouse update.

As we move post-pandemic, with most, if not all, congregations returning to the sanctuary and building, we may find ourselves asking questions such as: What’s next? Where do we go from here? What needs to be left behind? What new opportunities do we have? The Association of Presbyterian Church Educators in partnership with the PCUSA Office of Christian Formation has created “Post-Pandemic Pondering & Planning: A Resource for Faith Re-Formation” to assist sessions, committees, church leadership, individuals, and others to consider and evaluate the ministry of faith formation, including Christian education, worship, and mission, as we begin to move beyond the pandemic. There are opportunities for brainstorming, reflection, and action around the themes of Identity, People, What’s Next, Self-Reflection, Capacity, and Program.

7-8:30 p.m. July 14. Register here by July 6.

This year has been designated the Year of Leader Formation by the PCUSA Office of the General Assembly, which has been developing new resources, articles, and other tools for preparing and equipping ruling elders and deacons for their roles in church leadership. This is the second of three free webinars to be offered; participants will learn more about the theological connections between parliamentary procedure and the Book of Order and gain skills to help them participate more confidently and effectively. PCUSA Associate Stated Clerk Tricia Dykers-Koenig, who served as parliamentarian for last year's 224th General Assembly, will be the leader.

Looking for new insights to the same old lectionary passages? Craving a pastoral community with which to read scripture? Join us each Monday for one hour of scripture and conversation about the scripture we all are preaching (both on & off lectionary). Questions? Contact Nancy Didway at 304-941-9659 or David Lee at 304-553-4969.

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/98308465207

Meeting ID: 983 0846 5207..........Passcode: 2020

Early bird registration through Aug. 6 is $300 for in-person and $115 for virtual; after that, in-person raises $25 and virtual $10.

The Nurture Committee and Youth Council are already making plans for the 2021 Older Youth Retreat, for 9th-12th graders and the adults who work with them, at Bluestone Nov. 19-21. Adrian Pratt, former pastor at Fayetteville and Beckley, will be the keynote presenter. Please share the date with high schoolers in your congregation. It promises to be a great weekend!

A newly revised Authorized Lay Preacher/Commissioned Pastor (ALP/CP) Preparation Program will begin with Presby Prep in January 2022. Some of the changes include that Presby Prep courses will meet on Zoom rather than in person, for approximately 3 hours once a month on Saturdays (and potentially on a different day for those not available on Saturdays); computer literacy is required. These courses are also suitable for those who would just like to know more about our Presbyterian beliefs, history, worship, polity, and more. Complete information about this program will be available in early fall. If you are interested in participating or you have any questions, please contact Susan Sharp Campbell at susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com.

The Presbyterian Youth Triennium for those in grades 8-12 this fall will be held in Indianapolis July 24-27, 2022. The theme, When Did We See You?, is from Matthew 25:31-46. The presbytery is planning to take a delegation of youth, along with the required number of adults. More information will be available in the fall, but start considering how you might help the youth of your congregation attend this potentially life-altering event.

A successful pop-up COVID Vaccine Clinic was held in the parking lot of St. Albans First Presbyterian Church on June 4. The clinic was sponsored by the St. Albans Ministry Alliance, First Presbyterian Church, and the City of St. Albans. Vice Mayor Walter Hall was on hand to pass out $20 gift certificates for various St. Albans merchants to everyone receiving a vaccine. Special thanks to church member Mark Curtis for setting the groundwork and bringing the clinic to fruition. Thanks to all volunteers and to the churches and agencies who publicized the event.

In keeping its commitment to provide a high-quality education at an affordable price and remaining attentive to economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis & Elkins College will freeze student tuition and fees for the 2021-2022 academic year. In addition, there will be more choices for academic fields of study available this fall, and there are scholarships specifically available to Presbyterian students from the state.

Many congregations have established ministries surrounding congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Matthew 25 invitation in 2019 was created in part to celebrate those initiatives while also hoping other congregations will join in these efforts. But with the coronavirus pandemic that followed a year later, many churches had to halt their missions due to the protocols that limited gathering, also curbing momentum for their programs in a time when they were needed most. The First Presbyterian Church of Dunbar, WV, is one of those congregations that felt the brunt of the pandemic. Already having ministries in place related to the three foci of the Matthew 25 invitation, First Dunbar became the first church in the Presbytery of West Virginia to answer the denomination’s call in 2019. (...) A year later, members of the First Dunbar Matthew 25 committee were asked to lead a workshop on the program at their presbytery’s annual Festival of Faith. There, other congregations were challenged by the conversation and reached out to First Dunbar for additional details. It has resulted in a new friendship that no one saw coming.