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Presbytery of Philadelphia E-News December 23, 2011 Presbytery Calendar December 26th-30th - Presbytery Center Closed January 10th - Interim Pastor Collegium (12pm) January 11th - PMC3 Listening Leader Training (7pm) January 12th - PMC Spiritual Leaders Meeting Alpha and Cluster B (10am) January 12th - Congregational Strategy Team (1pm) January 14th - PMC Alpha Cluster Meeting (9:30am) For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:15-16 Please keep the congregations and leaders of the following churches in prayer this week: First African Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia First Presbyterian Church in Springfield Township (Flourtown) Forest Grove Presbyterian Church Memorial Presbyterian Church of Fox Chase (Fox Chase) Click here for the Presbytery Christmas card Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Office of the Presbytery of Philadelphia We hope that you have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year. This is the final e-newsletter of 2011. There will not be a newsletter published next week. It will resume with the Friday, January 6th edition. Please click on the link for our Presbytery staff Christmas card. Presbytery of Philadelphia News The Presbytery of Philadelphia Covenant Fund In 2008, the Presbytery of Philadelphia created The Covenant Fund from the proceeds of the sale of the property of the former Church of the Covenant in Bala Cynwyd. The purpose of this Fund, as it has been established, is to provide financial resources for ministry projects within the Presbytery of Philadelphia that creatively promote church development in the arenas of urban ministry, immigrant ministry, and missional partnerships. The 2011 Grant recipients are required to provide a progress report mid-year. Read about their work here. The 2012 grant applications will be available late January 2012. A Covenant Fund Grant writing workshop will be January 20 at 10 am at the Presbytery Center. Come with your ideas and plans. Click on the image for more information Important Information from the Rev. Bruce Barstow, Stated Clerk New Form of Government Workshop Rescheduled The New Form of Government workshop orginally scheduled for December has been rescheduled for Saturday February 25, 2012 from 9:30am – 12:30pm (the snow date will be Saturday, March 3rd at the same time). Please visit the website for more information. Moving from Christian Education to Faith Formation: A Conversation Have you noticed that there has been a shift in conversations about Christian Education? Following a movement over the past 50 years, the most recent books speak about Faith formation. More and more blogs are dedicated to Faith Formation. What does this mean for our Christian Education programs? Is this a superficial change in language or a real change in theological understanding? Should we be paying attention? Join other educators, pastors, elders and church volunteers who help frame education in large and small congregations in a conversation about this emerging shift toward Faith Formation. No fees or registrations are required, but your RSVP by noon the day before any particular event is appreciated; call Betsi Moise at the Presbytery Center (215.242.1400 or email databaseadministrator@presbyphl.org ). *Tuesday, January 31st, 7 to 9 p.m. at Princeton Presbyterian, 933 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, PA 19064 For more information contact: Jeanne Radak jradak@presbyphl.org, 215.242.1400 at the Presbytery Center Katy Yates Brungraber katyybdce@mpcusa.net, 215.295.4191 at Morrisville Presbyterian Irene Harris irenetharris@yahoo.com, 215.659.4634 Olivia Robertson ostewart@fpcpottstown.org, 610.326.0620 at Pottstown Presbyterian Click on the image for more information Hunger Action This Week This Week: December 23, 2011 New Year’s Resolutions: Together, We’ll Fight Hunger! “52 Ways towards a Just and Joy-Filled Food System” was originally published by Presbyterians Today in 2009 and is now available on the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s Food and Faith blog. One idea for each week of the year! Click on the image for more information Christmas Wish List REVISED and UPDATED There are a multitude of volunteer opportunities and other opportunities for you to share the peace, love, hope, and joy of Jesus Christ during the upcoming Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas season. The Rev. Schaunel Steinnagel, Hunger Action Enabler for the Presbytery of Philadelphia, has compiled a list of the volunteer needs and requests for Christmas gifts and donations of warm clothing for children and youth in the Philadelphia area. Warm the hearts of others in our neighborhoods and in our city this Thanksgiving and Christmas by sharing your time and resources with those who have less. To access the "Christmas Wish List" for more information, please click on the image. Click on the image for more information Kirkwood Annual Letter Dear Friends of Kirkwood, Kirkwood Camp celebrated 50 years of Christian camping in 2011. On March 26, 2011, current and former staff, campers, camper parents, and Board members joined together to celebrate 50 years of Christian ministry to youth and to honor the contributions of many. This celebration of the camp’s history has energized the board and our churches to take bold steps to preserve and strengthen the camp’s future To read more, please follow the link. Click on the image for more information Give the Gift of Christian Camping for Christmas Give the gift of Kirkwood Camp to a young person in your life! You can give a camping gift certificate to a special teen in your life this Christmas. Click on the image for a flyer that you can post in your church or include in your worship bulletin! Congregational News Arch Street Presbyterian Church Christmas Eve @ Arch Street Presbyterian Church A Service of Lessons and Carols 5:30pm Please join us in welcoming hope and possibility for a new world as we welcome the arrival of Emmanuel, God with Us on Christmas Eve. We will celebrate with song. We will wonder at the mystery of this event. We will offer prayers for healing and hope, and for the city of Philadelphia. We will hear a word from Rev. Bill Golderer that will comfort and inspire, and experience moving music led by Minister J. Donald Dumpson, choir, soloists, and special guest, including Patty Jackson, WDAS FM on air personality, and Brian Lenair, saxophonist. Please come for this special Christmas service. The Parable at Beacon Christmas Eve worship Join us at The Parable at Beacon for evening worship on Christmas Eve. Bring your stories and join our experiment in becoming church this Christmas. Saturday, December 24th, 9p.m. The Parable at Beacon is located at 2364 E Cumberland St (between Memphis & Cedar), downstairs. Free street parking available & easily accessible by public transit. More Questions? Find us at the following… thewordatbeacon.org @thewordatbeacon on facebook, thestudioatbeacon@gmail.com, 267.702.0804 Click on the image for more information Kwanzaa Festival at Calvin Presbyterian Church Calvin Presbyterian Church will hold a Kwanzaa Festival on Saturday, December 31st from 7pm to 10:30pm. There will be food and fun for all! They will also will host a Comedy Show and Gospel Fest on Saturday, January 14th from 2pm to 5pm. The event will feature Brother Howard Cupid and the Calvin Youth Choir. Come enjoy fun, food, laughter, and good fellowship! Tickets are $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door. You can visit the church website at www.calvinpresbychurch.org for more information on how to purchase tickets. Calvin Presbyterian is located at 5931 Master Street in Philadelphia. Upcoming Christmas events at Church on the Mall at the Plymouth Meeting Mall Saturday, December 24 Carols in the Courtyard at Boscov’s (Noon) Carols & Communion at Spring Mill PresbyHomes (3 & 4 pm) Candlelight Service (9 pm) Sunday, December 25 Christmas Day Celebration (10:30 am) Click on the image for more information Events at Doylestown Presbyterian Church There are a number of upcoming events and services at Doylestown Presbyterian Church. The dates are listed below, and a complete description is available by clicking on the link. Christmas Eve Services (Saturday, December 24--Nursery care available at 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. only) 4:00 p.m. Family Service (for families and children) 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Candlelight Service (w/ children’s message) 8:45 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. Pre-Service Carols 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Candlelight Communion Service Christmas Day (Sunday, December 25) and New Year’s Day (Sunday, January 1) 10:00 a.m. One Service Only — No Church School – No Nursery on 12/25 Doylestown Presbyterian Church is located at 127 East Court Street in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The church building is handicapped accessible at the Mechanics Street entrance. Parking is available in the church lot on Church Street and Selner Lane and in the county lots near the courthouse and there is limited street parking near the church. Concerts@First Breathing New Life On Sunday January 22nd at 7 pm, Andrew Senn will give the first recital on the recently refurbished chancel organ at First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. The gallery organ was rebuilt in 2000, and the chancel organ has now been given a much-needed facelift, with a thorough cleaning and some tonal changes. On the program are pieces chosen to highlight the solo and ensemble capabilities of each instrument, separately and together, including works by Bach, Franck, and Karg-Elert. Contact: Andrew Senn Director of Music First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia andrew@fpcphila.org 215-567-0532 OLPC Youth Group Christmas Play On Friday, December 23 at 7:00 PM the Youth Group of Oak Lane Presbyterian Church will perform the play “The Urban Snowman” in the church auditorium. The Youth Group has been working hard to learn their lines for the play. Come out and support them! Admission is free. Refreshments will be available following the performance. Advent and Christmas Worship at Old Pine Street Presbyterian December 24 Christmas Eve Worship Nativity Pageant Candlelight Come dressed as your favorite Nativity character Pets Welcome! December 25 10:30 Christmas Day Worship All Are Welcome Here Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church is located at 412 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215-925-8051; www.oldpine.org) Christmas Eve Services at Princeton and Chambers Saturday, December 24 Christmas Eve Services Family Worship with Pageant, 6:30 p.m. at Chambers Memorial Presbyterian Church Candlelight Lessons and Carols, 8:00 p.m. at Princeton Presbyterian Church Click on the image for more information Calling all College Juniors & Seniors Interested in Youth Ministry! Swarthmore Presbyterian Church (SPC) is offering a Summer Youth Ministry Internship, a nine-week position during the summer of 2012 for a current college junior or senior in the area of youth ministry. SPC is a congregation with a commitment to helping young people develop into faithful disciples of our triune God. The congregation is looking for an energetic, thoughtful and fun person of faith to work with our youth in all sorts of situations (on mission trip work sites, in quiet conversations and during playful games). This is a great position for those discerning a call to ordained or professional ministry. Click on this link to read more and for the application. Please pass this along to young adults you may know. Community News and Presbyterian Church (USA) News SAVE THE DATE!! April 19, 2012 “A Morning with Dr. Tony Campolo” will be held on April 19, 2012, from 9:00-12:00 noon at Church on the Mall, in Plymouth Meeting. The cost to attend it $10.00 This event is sponsored by the Presbytery Older Adult Mission Action Network Committee. Dr. Campolo will speak on two related topics: “Discerning God’s Will in Our Later Years,” and “The Church’s Role in Discerning God’s Will in Our Later Years.” Watch for further publicity and registration forms. Any further questions or for early registration, contact: Rev. Jerry Foote, Chaplain at Rosemont and Broomall Presbyterian Villages Jerry.foote@presbysinspiredlife.org Phone: 610-527-6500 Click here for more information Transforming Faith Communities for the 21st Century The Training Center for Innovative Church Leadership is a movement, in partnership with the PC (USA) General Assembly Office of Church Growth, to equip church leaders, presbyteries, and pastors for leadership towards vibrant new and transformed faith communities for the 21st century. We offer practical training events and resources to help you grow spiritually dynamic and relevant churches that can reach people who are desperate for the hope of the gospel. Check out their website by following the link! Click here for more information Hunger Conference There will be a conference on hunger issues on Friday, March 9th, 2012 at Widener University in Chester, PA. Click on the image to view the flyer for more information. News from the Board of Pensions: Regional Representative Review December, 2011 Benefits Connect Tip Church treasurers and business administrators can securely confirm or change their members’ salary information online. Just click on the “Register” button under the Benefits Connect logo on the Pensions.org home page. In Step 1 of the registration process, you must specify your role. Click on the button for “Authorized Web Representative.” Then just complete the rest of the registration information and establish your user ID and password. It’s that easy. Walgreens Plans To Exit Express Scripts Network on January 1 Beginning January 1, 2012, Walgreens will no longer participate in the Express Scripts network. As a result, all Medical Plan members, whether active or retired, who fill prescriptions at a Walgreens-owned pharmacy will have to pay full price up front. This announcement affects all Walgreens-owned pharmacies, including Duane Reade, Happy Harry’s, and Option Care — all of which will be nonparticipating as of January 1, 2012. If you have questions regarding the Walgreens matter, please visit Express-Scripts.com or call Express Scripts at 877-508-1379. For further information, please read the recent Pensions.org article. Learn about Healthcare Reform at Pensions.org The Board of Pensions has launched a new Web page about healthcare reform for plan members and church treasurers and business administrators. The page, Pensions.org/healthcarereform, summarizes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or federal healthcare reform, and explains its impact on the Medical Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and, in turn, on plan members and PC(USA) churches and employing organizations. The new page helps members and church treasurers and business administrators understand:the major provisions of the PPACA, by year of implementation what the PPACA requires of consumers and employers, and how the law affects coverage under the Medical Plan (Those provisions requiring employing organizations to take action are highlighted.) The Board will update the Healthcare Reform page as the law and its implications unfold. Please bookmark the page, Pensions.org/healthcarereform, in your Web browser so you can refer to it quickly.If you have any questions, please call Member Services at 800-773-7752 (800-PRESPLAN). Winter 2012 Issue of EducationTalk Published The winter 2012 issue of EducationTalk is now available on Pensions.org. This informative quarterly newsletter provides Board-specific and other information that helps support your Stewardship of Self efforts in the four components of life: spiritual, vocational, financial, and health. As your Regional Representative, I am available to work with your presbytery leadership by offering: Retiree Luncheons, Church Treasurers Workshops, Clergy Terms of Call Seminars, CPM/COM Consultations, Benefits Overview Workshops and Pre-Presbytery Workshops. I am currently scheduling events for 2012. If you want to schedule any of these events or something customized for your presbytery's needs, please contact me. Ernesto The Rev. Ernesto Badillo, Regional Representative The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church, (USA) Suite 20492000 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-3298 The Philadelphia Unemployment Project On Thursday, December 22nd, the Philadelphia Unemployment Project action was held at Arch Street United Methodist Church. The people gathered rallied to protest the House of Representatives not passing an extension of Extended Unemployment Benefits (as of that moment), when right now is right before Christmas and there is still high unemployment. There was also a giveaway of toys to children of the unemployed. Rev. Randy Barge and the Presbytery Hunger Action Enabler, the Rev. Schaunel Steinnagel, are both on the PUP board. The House of Representatives ultimately decided that it will approve a continuation of extended benefits and the pay roll tax cut. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending, at least for the short term, and over 125 children got toys for the holidays. Information about the Presbytery E-News This is our newest edition of the Presbytery E-news. We encourage you to invite your friends and colleagues to sign up for their own copy. When you sign up you can ask for a text only version (useful for our dial-up members) or a full graphics version with pictures and formatted text. We do encourage you to forward the E-News to others. Churches and other organizations within the Presbytery of Philadelphia: Please note that we publish on Friday afternoons (the publication date varies during the holidays). We do this so that by Monday morning all of our churches have access to the information. Please include items that you feel are important for your congregations in your own newsletters and bulletins for the week. Please send your information to be published by NOON ON THURSDAY. Anything received after this time may or may not be able to be published until the following week. We can include pictures but they must be in JPEG format. Other formats cannot be used. Please send article and announcement information in a WORD document. Please do not send your information in other formats such as WordPerfect or HTML. We would appreciate it if you sent the information as an attachment and not embedded in the email. We will accept hardcopies sent by mail. Please send announcements, special events, and other information for the newsletter to Rev. Michelle Grunseich at resources@presbyphl.org. Thank you! All announcements and articles are subject to editorial review and all decisions made by the editors are final. Click on our logo to visit our website This e-mail was sent from Presbytery of Philadelphia Immediate removal with PatronMail® SecureUnsubscribe. To forward this e-mail to a friend or colleague, use this link. To change your e-mail address or update preferences, use this link.