I'm serving as Senior Pastor of First Congregational Church of Binghamton, with the Rev. Janet Abel as the Associate Pastor, a church of a different denomination.
Art Suggs
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A Calendar of Prayer for our Presbytery
March
1 - Doug Horne, Teaching Elder
8 - Garrett Vittorio Schindler, Teaching Elder
15- Lynn Shepard, Teaching Elder
22 - Art Suggs, Teaching Elder
29- JoAnnAymar, Ruling Elder
Prayer Joys and Concerns
Dear Friends, there are many in our hearts and in our prayers, may we hold in prayer colleagues and their families:
Prayers of healing
Please pray for Charles Bollinger, Cabinet member, who recently had knee surgery.
Prayers for Ina Cathy, mother of Judith Gage, Cabinet Chair,on going health issues.
Please contact Committee on Ministry co-chairs, Mark Montfort and Pat Raube if you have a pastoral care concern or need.
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Staff News
Christine Rogalski, office administrator, will be on vacation March 30th - April 2nd, 2015; and April 6th, 2015.
The presbytery staff will be off on April 2nd for Good Friday.
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Other News
Thank you! THANK YOU! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You . . . We give thanks to God for your faithfulness!
Thanks to our Deposit, Hamden, Hancock, Laurens, and Worcester congregations for paying 100% of their 2015 Per Capita . . . already! As you know, Per Capita supplies our higher governing bodies with the financial means to do their nuts-and-bolts work. We appreciate early payment as we pay our whole Synod Per Capita Apportionment ($16,595.00) at the beginning of the year to take advantage of an early payment discount! Committees have expenses for meeting, stamps need to be bought, and phone calls need to be made. Your Per Capita payments make these oft-forgotten but essential functions possible.
May your faithfulness be an inspiration to the rest of our congregations, pressing us all onward in our mutual dedication to Christ's work at all levels of the PC(USA).
In Christ with You,
emrystyler
Moderator 2015
Dave Johnson
Chair, Finance Committee
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Time to Register for a--
Hymn Festival on Saturday, April 18, 2015
10:00 AM to 12 Noon
12 Noon - Lunch (please RSVP below for count)
1:00 to 2:00 PM Church Musician Workshop
(Geared for Choir Directors, Organists, and Pianists)
At First Presbyterian, 3 Church St., Bainbridge, NY
Bill McConnell will lead a Hymn Festival using both The Presbyterian Hymnal (1990, the “blue” one) AND the Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (2013). We will have a “tour” of the hymnals -- learn some hymnody history -- discuss the role of music and hymns in worship -- and, of course, sing, sing, sing!
Bill, Executive Director of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, has a wealth of experience as a church musician and served as an ex officio member of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song that was charged with producing the new hymnal.
Join us with hymnal(s) that you regularly use for worship
Bring the pastor, choir members and anyone interested in church music!
Cost: $10 per person -- Pay at the door when you arrive…
(To cover morning refreshments, lunch, bottled water, and to defray Bill’s travel expenses)
There will be Glory to God materials on display -- with order forms to fill out
AND 221st GA Commemorative Editions of Glory to God to purchase.
For more info., contact Cynthia Walton-Leavitt at (607) 267-4333 or
Hymn Festival -- Hymn Festival - Time to Register
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PRESBYTERY-WIDE WORKSHOP WITH ERIN COX-HOLMES TO BE DELAYED
Dear disciples of Jesus Christ in the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley,
Just before last Saturday's Assembly, we learned from Rev. Erin Cox-Holmes, Executive Presbyter of Donegal Presbytery in Pennsylvania, who was scheduled to be with us and lead our time together on March 14, that due to health concerns posing serious challenges for her parents, along with separate issues facing another family member, she will need to journey to Ohio at the end of this week to help manage the situation.
With a very full week before she goes to Ohio, and then anticipating the time with family, Erin does not feel she would be in the best state of mind by March 14, and regretfully communicated her need to reschedule our time together, asking for our apologies and prayers.
We will be looking to reschedule to a Saturday between April and August, and will be in touch with churches and pastors when a new date has been selected. We want to be able to give everyone as much notice as possible, of course, as we realize how full the calendars already and how very busy you are.
Rev. Cox-Holmes will be sharing her enthusiasm, wisdom and experience as she offers guidance in our ongoing conversations as a presbytery around models of pastoral ministry, pastoral compensation, and the future of our churches. She is a nationally recognized leader within the PCUSA regarding the health and vitality of congregations.
Please continue to hold Erin, her family, our presbytery, and Christ's church everywhere in your hearts and prayers.
In His Service,
Mark Montfort
Pat Raube
Co-chairs, Committee on Ministry
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Family Table Food Ministries purchases Restaurant Quality Food which is packaged and shipped to our Host Sites for delivery to our customers.
The majority of our orders come from families who are simply looking to cut their food costs. For most families, food is very high on the list of financial demands that they struggle to satisfy each month. Our program is designed to provide food to reach those families that are simply trying to stretch their dollars, without sacrificing quality when it comes to what they put on their dinner table.
Our program is designed to assist people of ALL income levels. Many of our Host Sites accept payment from Food Stamp recipients.
Here is the MARCH MENU . Online ordering has opened on our webpage. Place your online order before 10 pm Wednesday, March 18th. Find a partner site near you by entering your zip code on our home page. Distribution will take place on Saturday, March 28th.
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Board Connections: March 2015
The newest edition of Board Connections, the Board of Pensions newsletter, is now available. Board Connections highlights recent Board news, important updates, and information and replaces many of the emails you previously received from the Board. In this month's edition, you'll find March newsletter a message from our President on joining the conversation, including via the Board's new Facebook page; articles on the new BoardLink, online Fidelity statements, National Colorectal Cancer Month, and National Nutrition Month;
Board University news on upcoming events, such as the Financial Well-Being Retreat and the launch of The Learning Connection.
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CONGREGATION-BASED CPE CLASS IN BINGHAMTON, NY
AUGUST TO DECEMBER 2015
Congregation-Based Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) teaches pastoral care, pastoral leadership, and systems theory for clergy, seminarians, and lay ministers in the church. It is designed for experienced pastors, lay workers, and seminarians new to pastoral work. Clergy and lay ministers strengthen pastoral and leadership skills, address tension and conflict in the church, and work on their own personal growth in ministry. The program focuses on in depth systemic change and leadership development that reduces pastoral and congregational anxiety and addresses long-term issues in the church.
CPE Class Location – Binghamton, NY – Broome County Council of Churches
Dates – August to December 2015 – Two days every other week.
The application form can be found on the CPE web site listed above.
Congregation-Based CPE includes three creative components:
• Focus on pastoral and leadership issues and use of self in ministry.
• Consultation on ministry and theological reflection using the case study CPE format.
• Application of Bowen Family Systems Theory to congregational life.
Participants use their current experience in the congregation and other settings as the “clinical material” for learning in the small group process of five to eight students under supervision. The program explores the dynamics of the congregation using the systems theory developed by Dr. Murray Bowen and applied to church leadership by Dr. Edwin Friedman. Participants explore how their position in their family of origin impacts their use of self in ministry, and they work to manage anxiety and maximize strengths.
The CPE program curriculum includes (1) case material from congregational ministry, (2) family of origin work, (3) presentations and discussions on systems theory, theology, and pastoral ministry, and (4) consultation with the supervisor and group reflection time designed to strengthen ministry. Contact Rev. Robert Spilman for further information.
The Rev. Robert C. Spilman
363 Darwin Drive, Amherst, NY 14226
(Tel.) 716-479-7933 (cell); 716-743-9117 (Samaritan Center office)
E-mail:
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Sight and Sound Millennium Theatre in Strasburg
It is with great pleasure that the Fellowship Committee of the First Presbyterian Church of Delhi extends the invitation to you and your congregations to join us on April 11 on a bus trip to see Moses. All details are below and we will take reservations on a first come basis. We have several seats to fill and hope that you can join us!
Saturday, April 11, 2015 a bus will be leaving the Delhi First Presbyterian Church parking lot at 6:15 am to head to Lancaster PA for lunch at Hershey Farms Restaurant and a show at Sight and Sound Millennium Theatre in Strasburg.
The cost of the trip is $155 per person and includes a bag breakfast on the bus, buffet lunch at Hershey Farms and the MOSES show at Sight and Sound Theatre. There will be a dinner stop on the way home that is not included in the price.
To make reservations fill out the bottom portion and return to the First Presbyterian Church office, attention Susie Little or call Susie Little at 607-746-2536 after 6 pm. $155 is due with reservation. Please make checks payable to Delhi FPC.
All are welcome! Bring a friend!
Name ______
Phone ______
Number of reservations for MOSES: ______
Paid Amount ______
Amount Due ______
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Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day - New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC
Register today to hear how Presbyterians are paving the way for justice!
On April 17th, Presbyterians from across the country will gather in Washington before the start of Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Together, through workshops and plenaries, we will look at issues of Mass Incarceration and Systems of Exploitation and learn how individuals and congregations can make an impact in their community and their nation.
With the Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day just around the corner, we're higlighting new workshops!
THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE
The inability to obtain decent housing and/or employment once released from prison are just two of the systemic issues of mass incarceration. This workshop will focus on initiatives from grassroots communities responding to mass incarceration, how it is impacting them and how they are addressing the issues.
EARTH CARE AND THE EXPLOITATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
How we care for the earth and its species influences how we care for other human beings. The way we interact with the world around us can be a model of exploitation (environmental racism, increasing poverty by lack of natural resources, climate change disasters affecting the most vulnerable). Or, our relationships and interactions can be healing and just, faithful to God's call to "serve and preserve" the earth (Genesis 2:15). Hear from a local Presbyterian Church on how being an Earth Care Congregation has transformed their congregation. Learn about current environmental legislation, the COP-21, and ways you can influence significant commitments on carbon reduction and climate change that will take place this year and have impact for years to come.
HOW TO BECOME A WELCOMING CHURCH TO RETURNING CITIZENS
What is a welcoming church? What is the role for churches in the lives of returning citizens and their families? When does this process start? How do you know if your church is being successful? These are just a few questions to open us up in dialog to continue into a discussion. We will build a tool box together.
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