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Guided by the Holy Spirit, our mission is to equip, support, and connect our congregations as they faithfully serve Jesus Christ in a changing world.
June 22, 2009 Volume 5, Number 24
“A healthy church is one that moves forward, looking ahead through the windshield and occasionally checking the rearview mirror. It is aware of what is going around it.”
George Goodman, Executive Presbyter of Peaks Presbytery(VA)
at the Healthy Ministry Conference at the PC(USA) Big Tent last weekend in Atlanta.
Read the Presbyterian News Service article.
Please Keep in Your Prayers…
Bob Rea and his family. Bob’s mother passed away June 6th. Bob is the former exec of Providence Presbytery.
Plan Now to Attend the Spiritual Foundations for Fruitful Churches Workshop
Join us September 26 from 9:30AM-1PM for an exciting event. Joan Gray, author of Spiritual Leadership for Church Officers and moderator for the 217th General Assembly, will lead this important workshop for our churches. Pastors, Elders and other church leaders are encouraged to attend. The workshop will be held at Grace Presbyterian in Lancaster and will include lunch. Cost is $5 per participant. Registration will be available online in August.
Scholarship Money Available
Please remember the Education and Equipping Ministry Team has scholarship money available for anyone wishing to attend a conference or workshop that would help with work you do for your church, whether paid or volunteer. The ministry team requests that all scholarship recipients share the information they learn with the presbytery in some way. You may choose to write an article, create a power point, teach a class, or share the information in another way. Apply for the scholarship online.
Carmel and Uriel announce Joint Service to Celebrate Calvin
Carmel Presbyterian and Uriel Presbyterian, both of Chester, are planning a joint worship service on Sunday, July 12 at 10AM at Carmel Presbyterian to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth. Pastor Fred Powell, III will be the guest speaker. Join us for this exciting event!
Participate in Alban Institute Congregation Survey of Charitable Giving Trends
Many congregations are concerned about trends in charitable giving during economically challenging times. The Alban Institute and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University have partnered to study the challenges congregations have faced over the past year and learn lessons that will help inform changes in practices. In order to provide a national perspective, we need your help – please complete this short survey about your congregation.
Cool off this Summer at Bethelwoods Sunday Swims
Join us for Bethelwoods Sunday Swims in June, July and August. The camp pool will be open from 2-4PM on Sundays for members of Providence Presbytery churches.
Camp News: Donations Requested
If you have any of these items, the Bethelwoods camp staff would appreciate the donations: dress up clothes for theme days (the more outrageous the better!); paint that can be used for sets for Music art and drama camp (red, blue, green, yellow, brown); paint brushes (can be used or new!); any recreation equipment (kick balls, baseball bats, hula hoops, parachutes) ; a minivan in good working condition (our camp in a vans are growing in number and right now we are using staff cars for some). Please contact Kat Ward at 803-366-3722 if you have any of these items. Read the Bethelwoods Camp Week 1 Report online.
Youth Leaders: Mark Your Calendar
Mark your calendars NOW to bring the youth from your church to Providence Presbytery’s Youth events during the 2009-2010 school year. We will kick off the year with our annual Youth Rally, which will feature our brand new worship 4 YOUth at Bethelwoods. Three more youth worship services will be held on Sunday nights throughout the year. We will join other youth from across the presbytery in some hands on mission work at our second annual Youth Mission Retreat to be held March 26-27, 2010 at Bethelwoods. Contact Kathryn McGregor or Kat Ward for more info.
Apply Now for the Leadership Initiative
Clergy and lay persons who are interested in becoming transformational, missional leaders in their congregations should apply for the Leadership Initiative. Offered by Mark Tidsworth, leader of our recent Providence Leadership Seminars, the 9-month-long program will provide 1 group coaching session per month, 1 one-on-one coaching session each month, and reading targeted to the LI goals. LI runs from September 2009-May 2010. Read more about the program online.
Columbia Theological Seminary appoints New President.
Following a nationwide search for a successor to Laura S. Mendenhall, who served Columbia since 2000, the board turned to its own Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, Steve Hayner, to lead the school. Read More from Presbyterian Outlook.
Don’t Miss these Great Educational Opportunities!
THEOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, a PACE course, is being offered in July and August. Deadline to register is June 25. Attached is a registration flyer with all the needed info. Learn with Dr. Bryan Bibb, who is an assistant professor in the religion department at Furman and a member of John Knox Presbyterian Church. Please make note of the reading assignment prior to the first day of class.
Mary Mikhael Leads August PW Bible Study Training Course
Columbia Seminary offers a three-day Presbyterian Women’s Bible study training course with the author, Mary Mikhael, in early August. See the attached brochure (with a link for online registration). PW Moderators and Circle Leaders will not want to miss this great opportunity!
Mediation Skills Training Institute
How much of your time is invested in dealing with conflict in your churches? Do you have a judicatory level mediation team – people who are equipped to facilitate healing and reconciliation? The South Carolina United Methodist Conference has invited you to attend Lombard Mennonite Peace Center’s Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders on August 17-21, 2009, in Columbia, South Carolina at Fair Lawn United Methodist Church (see attached registration brochure for details). This would be a valuable leadership training event for clergy and lay leaders.
Around the Presbytery:
- First Presbyterian Church of Union welcomes the Reverend Clay Fouse on June 28th and the Reverend John O’Kain on July 5th to lead worship while the Reverend Robert Alexander and his family visit his sister and her family in Brazil. Robert’s sister (Julie) and brother-in-law (John) are serving for three years with Mennonite Central Committee in Monteiro, Brazil. Please keep them in your prayers.
- Hermon Presbyterian Church will be hosting its 140th Church Anniversary on Sunday, June 28, 2009 @ 3 pm. To help commemorate this 140 year milestone, you can advertise in our attractive booklet by including a congratulatory message, a business advertisement, an honorary or memorial message. The booklet will highlight the church’s accomplishments as well as its future endeavors. Full page, half page, quarter page and business card size pages are available. To advertise in the booklet and information on fees, contact Aletra Geddis or Jennifer Ancrum Horton by email at hermonpresbyterian@yahoo.com or jdancrum@yahoo.com.
Check out the events below on the Presbytery Calendar–for event details, click on the event!
This Week in Providence Presbytery
6/22 Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team 6PM (Grace Presbyterian, Lancaster)
6/23 Second Harvest Partners Mobile Food Pantry -9AM (Freedom Center, Rock Hill)
6/27 Prayer Fellowship-9:15AM (Presbytery Office)
Next Week
6/28 Hunger Action Team Meeting-6:30PM (Presbytery Office)
7/3 Presbytery Office Closed
7/4 Independence Day (Celebrate Your Freedom!)
Mark your Calendar!
7/11-15 Presbyterian Women Churchwide Gathering (Louisville)
7/12 Carmel and Uriel Joint Worship to Celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Calvin’s Birth -10AM (Carmel)
7/13 Bethelwoods Ministry Team-6PM (Bethelwoods)
7/30 Second Harvest Partners Mobile Food Pantry (Unity Presbyterian, Fort Mill)
8/25 Second Harvest Partners Mobile Food Pantry (Oakdale Presbyterian, Clover)
9/27 Youth Rally and first Youth Worship Event (Bethelwoods)
Please submit articles for In the Know to Jill Wilson by Friday at 5 PM for the following Monday’s issue. Submit articles to jill@providencepres.org with In the Know and the date you would like your article to run in the subject line.
Providence Presbytery 