| Board of Pensions Opportunities |
E-learning Expands on Pensions.org.
Led by our popular financial and retirement planning seminars, education is thriving at the Board of Pensions. As part of the growth, we are expanding our e-learning opportunities with two new presentation modules on community nature and effective salary.
These e-learning modules and future webinars will enable the wider Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to understand many facets of the Benefits Plan, as well as provide follow-up learning options to our seminar participants.
The first module, Community Nature: Caring for One Another, explores the history and significance of the Benefits Plan's community nature and how it applies to Plan members and the Board's mission to support them.
The next module, Effective Salary: Why It's So Important to Get It Right, defines effective salary, explains how it is calculated, and demonstrates the impact underreporting effective salary has on Plan members.
We hope that these easy-to-view presentations will be helpful to you and members of your church or employing organization. In the coming months, look for more e-learning resources on the Educational Resources section of Pensions.org. You can also view our full complement of multimedia presentations under Forms & Publications.
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| PDA Gulf Coast Seeking Volunteers |
Do you know someone with a heart for mission work? Do you know someone with excellent organizational skills who is passionate about serving their neighbor? Do you know someone who would be available from September-December 2008? If you do, spread the word that PDA Gulf Coast is actively recruiting long-term volunteers for the fall of 2008. PDA is seeking team players who are willing to come live on the Gulf Coast and manage volunteers in the Villages (pictured) or on the worksites.
Many one-week volunteers are scheduled, but the need is great for people who can sign on for long-term periods and who have good leadership skills. Applications are available online at www.pcusa.org/pda or by email at field.pda@pcusa.org We appreciate your help in helping us to help others.
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| Fair Trade Bible Study |
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Learn how your purchasing power can impact social and economic justice worldwide. Partners for Just Trade (PJT), a non-profit Christian organization related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that cultivates global partnerships between impoverished artisans and conscientious consumers, has developed a new six-part Bible study resource based on the principles of Fair Trade. The complete article is available here.
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| Upcoming Presbytery Events |
July 24 - 12:00 noon - Church Financial Officers Forum at Westminster Church
July 27 - 1:30 p.m. - Camp Fellowship celebrates 60 years of camping
August 8-9 - South Carolina Presbyterian Women Gathering at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church in Lexington, SC
August 19 - 9:30 a.m. - Foothills Presbytery Meeting at Seneca Presbyterian Church
August 23 - 9:00 a.m. - Teacher/Leader/Parent Event at Fountain Inn Presbyterian Church
August 30-September 1 - Family Camp at Camp Buc
October 25-26 - Middle School Retreat at Bonclarken
October 26-28 - Older Adult Retreat at Blue Ridge Assembly
November 2 - 2:30 p.m. - Presbytery Meeting
November 7-9 - Lay School of Theology at White Oak Conference Center
November 9 - Senior High Palooza
November 10-12 - SC5 Minister-Educator Retreat at White Oak Conference Center
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| Bits of News |
Fort Hill Presbyterian Church in Clemson has 200 red hymnals that they would like to give to any church or non-profit group. If interested, contact Lee Churchfield.
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church has a spinet style piano and a small organ that they would like to donate to someone. If interested, contact Emilie Clark.
Easley Presbyterian Church is giving away classroom chairs for adults. If interested, contact Christie Gravely.
REMINDER - Orders for the 2009 Mission Yearbook and 2009 Children's Mission Yearbook should be in the presbytery office with payment by August. 1. | |
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| Follow the Moderator |
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(New GA Moderator, Bruce Reyes-Chow, pictured with his family)
In his first letter to the church after being elected Moderator of the 218th General Assembly, Bruce Reyes-Chow encouraged us to pray for all, including those with whom we disagree. He wrote:
I have found great comfort from prayer, not only in mine lifted to God, but those lifted up to God on my behalf. I have found that, of all the gracious words or actions that people have directed my way, the most meaningful have been the prayers from those with whom there is some level of tension. When the words, "I will hold you and your family in prayer" follow a rational note, comment, or letter explaining why they may disagree with what I believe or how I have acted, I hold that with great care because, as we all know, it is hard to pray, truly pray, for those with whom we disagree.
In a second letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations, the Moderator, GA Council Executive Director, and Stated Clerk of G.A. write:
We hope that you will share with us a bold and unabashed hope, firmly grounded in the solid foundation of our faith, that is daily confirmed for us in seeing how God is at work in and through our PC(USA). Everywhere there is a new and growing hunger to hear and to tell the Good News. The commitment to "Grow Christ's Church Deep and Wide" - overwhelmingly approved by the assembly - grew out of that very hunger to say "no" to a climate of decline and say "yes" to declaring a church wide commitment to participate in God's activity in transforming the PC(USA).
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| Moderator's Blog |
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If you want to follow Bruce Reyes-Chow's schedule and read his thoughts on a variety of joys, issues, and concerns, go to www.mod.reyes-chow.com. Yes, he really does have a countdown to the next General Assembly there: *GA 2010 in Minneapolis, 4th of July Weekend, about 100 weeks away:-) |
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| Sara Covin Juengst Receives Honor |
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Sara Covin Juengst, a Columbia Theological Seminary graduate and a former member of the seminary's faculty and staff, received the 2008 Award for Excellence in Theological Education from the Committee on Theological Education for the Presbyterian Church (USA). She was recognized at the 218th General Assembly. In addition to serving on the Columbia Seminary staff, she has been a church educator, campus minister, missionary in Zaire, and mission board staff member. She has published six books and a PW Bible Study. She is now the temporary supply pastor at Lincolnton Presbyterian Church in Georgia and resides in McCormick.
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