Midweek Musings Newsletter
May 28, 2009
Midweek Musings by Jackie Taylor, Associate Executive Presbyter
Embrace the Noodle!!!!!
On any given morning, the Presbytery staff greets one another and shares any event in their lives that happened over the weekend or the night before. Yesterday I was bemoaning the fact that my daughter has not yet learned to swim. After two rounds of lessons at the YMCA she is still holding on to her fear and will only stay really close to the side of the pool, in the shallow end. One of the parents loaned her a “noodle” so she could float. That helped some, but she and the noodle were never far from the ladder! I felt kind of bad. The other kids were splashing and diving and playing games and my daughter was limited in her participation in the frolicking.
From my beloved co-workers I received lots of encouragement and stories of how their kids struggled with skills and then one day “just got it”.
Of course you know where this is going!
Many of us have been struggling for a long time. We’ve struggled with personal issues, we’ve struggled professionally and many of our congregations are still hanging on to the side of the pool never venturing far from our comfort zones or our escape hatches.
The good news is God gives us a noodle. It’s called faith. With faith we can move away from the wall of anxiety and apoplexy and venture across the waters of our lives and our communities to see what good lies on the other side. With faith, we know we are upheld and sustained even though the pool is deep and our feet no longer touch the floor. We can splash; dive and even go on the waterslide that plunges us into the depths but helps us emerge laughing and joyous, ready to do it again.
“Why do we have to move”, you may ask? “It’s too hard”, you exclaim. I know you just want to “get it”. It would be so much easier if God would just make it happen. But it doesn’t always work that way. To get to that point, you’ve got to push away from the edge! Embrace the noodle!!!
Don’t miss out on the fun! Try it!!
- Jackie
Highlights of the 801st Stated Meeting of New Castle Presbytery –
Here are the highlights of the May 19 Presbytery meeting.
- Welcomed the moderator of the 218th PCUSA General Assembly, the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow. He conducted an open forum/town hall format meeting for one hour and then preached and celebrated communion. Rev. Reyes-Chow also participated in other events across the presbytery on May 17 and 18.
- Approved the recommendation of the West Presbyterian Church Administrative Commission for the management of the money remaining after closure of the church. This will result in the chair of Council appointing a task force to formulate a policy for distribution of the monies.
- Approved the recommendation of the Gunby Presbyterian Church Administrative Commission to merge it into Makemie Memorial church, with two campuses.
- Approved a recommendation from the Church Development Unit to approve the creation of the Ghanaian Immigrant Fellowship. This self-forming group worships at Limestone church currently.
- Received a Clergy Code of Ethics on first reading.
- Elected the following to presbytery positions:
- Presbytery Council, Joan English (Red Clay Creek) for Class of 2010.
- Speer Trust, Rev. Mary Jo Dean (at large) for class of 2011.
- Mission Unit, Irene Witoski (Lewes) for the Class of 2011.
- Trustees, Mark Olson, (West) Class of 2011.
- CPM, Rev. Emily Schwenker (at large), class of 2010.
- Approved shifting the Rev. Randall Otto from interim pastor to stated supply pastor at Green Hill church.
- Honored the Rev. Gary Baer on the occasion of his retirement after 31 years as pastor of Buckingham and Faith Chapel Churches in lower Eastern Shore, Maryland.
-- Reid K. Beveridge, stated clerk
CLP CliP
Tom Davis took some marvelous pictures at the Presbytery meeting last week. Included were a picture of Buzz and Judy Adams, and another of Lee Johnson, during the worship service.
Everyone was so excited to see one another that we decided it was time to plan another picnic for CLPs, families, faculty, etc. Sally Cordrey has graciously offered her home once more and we are working on a July date. More info will follow later.
Judy Adams (a CLP and Inquirer under the care of Presbytery) has received word that she has been accepted by Dubuque Seminary in the Online Program for September 2010. She will be taking courses for credit in the mean time. Judy has our prayers and best wishes as she begins this new phase of her journey with the Lord.
Meanwhile, we are keeping busy finishing up The Present Future course with the Rev. Hilary Livingston and preparing for the Worship and Sacraments course with the Rev. Billie Brightwell. Please keep us in prayer as we prepare to serve you and the Lord.
God bless!
- Carole Miles
The Bible and Peacemaking
Walter Wink and Tony Campolo will teach seminars on "Book of Peace, Book of Power: Rediscovering the Authority of the Bible" conference on June 3-4, 2009 at nearby Eastern University, Philadelphia, PA.
Ordination Services
The Presbytery of New Castle
and
Westminster Presbyterian Church
cordially invite you to celebrate the
service of worship and ordination of
Kimberly Brinckmeyer LeVert
to the
Ministry of Word and Sacrament
Saturday, June 6, 2009
3:00 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
301 King Charles Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971
Reception to follow in Fellowship Hall
Join us for a week of fun, Bible study, and fellowship
at Hanover Presbyterian Church
1801 West Jefferson Street
Wilmington, Delaware, 19802
302-658-5114
Vacation Bible School starts on Monday June 15th at 6:00 P.M. and continues until Friday evening, June 19th. All five evenings start with a light supper for all involved. There are classes for preschoolers through adults. This activity has hearty recommendations from people who attended last year. Bring the whole family. Music, Arts, Recreation and five great bible stories to explore.
The Russians are Coming!? June 17th at Limestone Presbyterian Church
You and your congregation are invited to Limestone Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, June 17th, at 7:00 p.m. to hear a report from recent travels (May-June) in Russia. Donald Marsden is an ordained minister of the PCUSA and an associate director of Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship. Several congregations in New Castle Presbytery sponsor his work. From 1997-2008 he and his wife Laurie served as mission co-workers with the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Russia. Donald and Laurie are good friends of Bruce and Carolyn Gillette (they were in each other's wedding parties). As an associate director of PFF Donald continues to be involved in efforts for the evangelization of the unreached people groups of northwestern Siberia. He is the founder of Narnia Educational Center in Moscow, Russia, an interdenominational non-profit organization dedicated to producing Russian language literature for Christian Education and for training Christian leaders and teachers. Before serving in Russia, Donald served from 1979-1981 as a youth worker in West Berlin, Germany, from 1984-1989 as pastor of Logan’s Ferry Presbyterian Church in New Kensington, PA and from 1989-1997 as associate pastor for Christian Education at Third Presbyterian Church in Richmond, VA. The Marsdens have three children. Hannah, age 23, is a graduate of Asbury College. Christiana, age 21, is a junior at Gordon College, now studying in Beijing. Jeremiah, 17, is a junior in high school at Freeman High School in Richmond, VA. If you would like to read more about Donald's work in Russia, please see http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/marsdend.htm
"Where do you want to go in life?"
- try Hanover Presbyterian Church's Youth Community Builders
Starting on July 6th youth will be gathering and having a great summer camp experience. Youth Community Builders are developing a passport this summer. "Where do you want to go in life"? is the theme. Exploring 1. Health and Nutrition, 2. Athletics and exercise, 3. Travel and vacations, 4. Vocations and money ( or other resources) 5. Life service and avocations, and 6. Esthetic areas of music, drama and art - the areas of our life that we want to think about and lay some planning into place. So be ready for enthusiasm, creativity, and lots of exploring of life values. Come and join us if you are a youth from 10 to 14 years of age.
Camp runs Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM until 5:00PM July 6th through August 14th. Call Pat Undercuffler 302-654-4040 for more information.
Featured Resource from the IRC
Tribal Church by Carol Howard Merritt is an award-winning examination of ministry to young adults and how it can either embrace or alienate this important age group. Using the metaphor of a tribe to describe the close bonds that form when people of all ages decide to walk together on their spiritual journeys, Merritt casts a vision of the church that embraces the gifts of all members while reaching out to those who might otherwise feel unwelcome or unneeded. This is a must-read for anyone engaged in ministry to young adults. Email the IRC at resource.ctr1@gmail.com or phone at 302.477.0910 or 800.336.6152.
Green Hill Church Turns 160!
Green Hill Church turns 160 in June, and on June 7 during the 10:30 AM worship service we will celebrate the milestone with some special activities, followed by a reception. The program will include some special music and a presentation by a speaker from Hagley Museum concerning the church's evolution from the Manufacturer's Sunday School.
All members of New Castle Presbytery are cordially invited to attend the occasion.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there.
Cordially,
Chick Reed, Worship Committee Chairman
HELP WANTED
HELP US TO FIND FAITHFUL PRESBYTERIANS
WHO WILL SERVE ON
◊Presbytery Council ◊Units ◊Mandated Committees
◊Speer Trust ◊Trustees
Click here for more detailed information: NOM letter 5-09.pdf
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