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Week of April 10, 2024
E-News
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For correspondence mailing/emailing please use the appropriate address: | |
Presbytery Calendar At-A-Glance |
- Apr 17-18, Pastors Retreat, Villa Maria Spirituality Conference Center
- Apr 18, COM, 5:30 p.m., Zoom
- Apr 24, Small Church Options presentation, 6-8 p.m., Heritage Presbyterian Church
- Apr 27, Reading of 2023 Session Minutes, 2:00 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, Warren
- Apr 30, Resource, 7:00 p.m., Zoom
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Just by Chance
Last week the Board of Pensions (BOP) announced the full details of how the medical coverage offered to minister members will change in 2025 (click here for more information). This announcement follows a year of meetings where the representative of the BOP shared some information about the challenge of providing care in the face of rising costs and the changing demographics of the church. While the BOP laid out the general shape of what was to come in meetings last spring, this week’s announcements contained what the previous announcements did not: the numbers. Over this last week, I have seen leaders from across our denomination react to these numbers with shock, outrage, and despair. While these changes understandably induce anxiety in pastors and congregations, I invite everyone to take a deep breath and say a prayer before our anxiety leads us to do or say something hurtful that we will regret later. Here are a few reminders as we figure out the way forward…
Continue Reading
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Small Church Options Presentation
All churches in the presbytery are invited to attend the next presentation "Small Church Options: Possibilities for the Future of Your Church" that our General Presbyter & Stated Clerk will be presenting. The presentation will explore the range of leadership and facilities-use options that congregations across the country are using to continue their ministries while they struggle with the realities of aging buildings and declining membership. The presentation is open to anyone who wishes to attend but ideally pastors and sessions will attend the presentation as a group so that they can learn together and have conversations with the leadership from neighboring churches that might be possible partners in ministry. The date and location is below and will involve a light meal:
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6pm-8pm on Wednesday, April 24 @ Heritage Presbyterian Church (Poland)
To help with meal and other preparations, please register for the presentation. If your session or church leaders are attending as a group, only one registration is needed.
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2023 Session Minutes Review
The next 2023 session minutes review will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, 2-4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Warren. Please bring the completed checklist and the session minutes book. The checklist can be found in the Clerks section on our website's Resources page in Word or PDF format.
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Presbytery-wide Free Workshop
May 21, 2024
This is a one-day workshop designed to equip faith community leaders to minister to those impacted by suicide. This includes the creation of worship resources, training of congregation members in suicide awareness and basic conversation skills, and how to extend the invitation to those who have been suicidal in the past to share their stories. This workshop engages the question of how to cultivate a soul-safe culture within your congregation. Watch the video below to learn more about Soul Shop!
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Soul Shop for Leaders - Mineral Ridge, Ohio | Eventbrite - Soul Shop Movement, LLC presents Soul Shop for Leaders - Mineral Ridge, Ohio - Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Mineral Ridge, OH. Click Read More to find details and to reserve your spot! | | | |
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Save the Date!
Board of Pensions Presentation
Luke Choi, our Board of Pensions representative, will be in Eastminster Presbytery on Wednesday, May 29, at Canfield Presbyterian Church, 10a-12p, to share information about the 2025 new benefits plan. This presentation is open to minister members, CREs, clerks of session, and office staff for an opportunity to learn and ask questions about next year's changes in benefits.
Click the link familiarize yourself with the Board of Pensions' Season of Rebuilding conversations before May 29 - https://seasonofrebuilding.pensions.org/resources.
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First Presbyterian Church, Hubbard
Simple Gifts Choir
Presents
Just Praise!
Sunday, May 19th, 2024
4:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church / 22 Westview Avenue / Hubbard, OH 44425
The hour-long program features the 55-voice choir singing contemporary Christian praise anthems accompanied by powerful orchestration. The music varies from traditional to light rock and gospel with opportunity for the audience to sing along with the choir, soloists and guest musicians.
A freewill offering will be taken to benefit Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in Israel & Palestine.
Admission is free and open to the public. All are invited for fellowship and light refreshments in the church hall following the program.
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Cultivating the Gift of Preaching Initiative | |
The aim of the Initiative is to cultivate these gifts through rigorous training in biblical interpretation, reformed theology, and sermon preparation. The Initiative aims to add 140 or more trained preachers across Synod over four 18-month training cycles, beginning in June of 2024 and through 2028.
Application deadline has been extended to April 19th; recommendation letters are due on the 26th. If additional time is needed to apply, please contact Dr. Matthew J. Aragon Bruce
matt@synodofthecovenant.org or 609-712-4258
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QuickSheets and Resources | The Office of Christian Formation seeks to honor the unique gifts, challenges and opportunities that come with every age and stage in a person's lifetime | | | |
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Presbytery Staff & Officers:
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