GREAT LAKES PRESBYTERY

Transcription

1 GREAT LAKES PRESBYTERY NEWSLETTER Inside this issue: Message from the Council November 2014 Gathering First Quarter 2015 Volume 2, Issue I GLP Church Connections Help for Discerning Churches Accountability Resources Job Postings Save the Dates Council Contact Information MESSAGE FROM THE PRESBYTERY COUNCIL How exciting it is to be part of a movement of linked Missional Communities in the Great Lakes Presbytery. As the Vice-Moderator of the Presbytery this past year, I have been honored to be a part of helping churches in Ohio and the Mid- West, as they have and are wrestling with their discernment processes, seeking to discover where God might be leading them. There is an enthusiasm, keen interest and heightened hunger to hear and understand ECO s new ways and thoughts about unleashing our covenant partners (members) for ministry. I am also constantly amazed by the eagerness of our churches and covenant partners as they ask what s next in order to achieve the goal of, building flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. In our high trust and low control environment, each church is able to do almost anything in expanding its church community, beginning a new church community and working hard and tirelessly in developing new ways of growing disciples in those church communities. In 2016, the GLP (Great Lakes Presbytery) will split into two smaller presbyteries to help us be more accountable to each other and to make it easier for area churches to work on local mission projects and local needs together. We will be looking for gifted individuals to step forward and assume responsibilities to help lead and support the new organizational needs as our two presbyteries evolve. It has been awesome working alongside like-minded and like-hearted brothers and sisters in the Lord who, before ECO, were not even on my radar. I want to encourage each pastor, church and missional community to be committed to our working in ministry together. It is vitally important for every congregation to be involved in a Mission Affinity Group (MAG), and for every pastor to be in an accountable relationship with other pastors as well. These are key to our commitment and understanding of being in mission together and will be incredibly helpful in reinvigorating our missional church communities. Looking forward to all that the Lord has for us and our presbyteries, Jerry Kasberg Pastor, Bethel Presbyterian Church Columbus, Ohio

2 NEWS FROM NOVEMBER S GREAT LAKES PRESBYTERY GATHERING Page 2 On November 22, 2014, approximately 125 pastors, elders, and covenant partners assembled in the Presbyterian Church of West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, for the Fall Gathering of the Great Lakes Presbytery. Attendees connected with friends during a day that also fostered new friendships and relational connections within the ECO community. The Gathering produced a day of meaningful worship, spiritual enrichment, information dissemination, and accessibility to leadership with the essential Presbytery meeting included. Great Lakes Presbytery Gatherings extend invitation to and encourage participation by all member church leaders. The pastors and elders elected to be delegates for their individual churches have the right of vote in the business meeting, with the training and enrichment designed as a forum for building our relationships with each other. The November Gathering was attended by representatives from churches inquiring about becoming an ECO congregation. Our Moderator Rev. Dr. Christina Hosler held a breakout session to answer questions for these inquirers. The worship message was given by Vice Moderator Rev. Dr. Jerry Kasberg. He reminded us of the Beautiful Feet of Christ and our call to carry His message into the world. ECO Director of Operations John Terech was present representing ECO. He hosted a session on elder leadership as well as bringing news and updates from Synod leadership. John focused further on our call to be missional and reach others in our discipleship. He emphasized be missional and engage the culture. He quoted the steps of BELLS as a systematic approach to making opportunities for each of us to engage the culture on our own: B Bless people with words of affirmation E Eat with people L Listen for the Spirit s leading L Learn from Christ through His Word S You are sent by Jesus Share His Word The church is a movement ; it moves to get to something. This movement to expand the Kingdom has been handed to us. Rev. Martin Williams In relationship building, John also talked about ECO s five shifts: 1. Move from clergy centered to unleashed laity 2. Engage the culture 3. Move toward the unchurched culture 4. Be purely attractional with missional acts don t be judgmental 5. Move to multiplicational get the congregation moving into the neighborhood culture The keynote address by Rev. Martin Williams from Four Mile Presbyterian Church in Beaver, Pennsylvania, highlighted that the church does matter in your neighborhood and in the world. The church is a movement ; it moves to get to something. This movement to expand the Kingdom has been handed to us. All churches have received the official minutes of the business segment of the day. If you were not able to attend the first Gathering in November, please make plans to attend the next one, scheduled for October 16 and 17, The Council s vision for future Gatherings is conference style events, so church and covenant relationships can flourish, where discipleship grows, and God is lifted in praise and worship.

3 MEMBER CHURCHES OF GREAT LAKES PRESBYTERY Page 3 Bethel Presbyterian Church Bethel Road Columbus, OH Bridgewater Presbyterian Church Bridge Street Beaver, PA Center Presbyterian Church Center Church Road New Castle, PA College Hill Presbyterian Church Hamilton Avenue Cincinnati, OH East Brook Presbyterian Church Old State Road New Castle, PA East Main Presbyterian Church East Main Street Grove City, PA First Presbyterian Church Oostburg South 8th Street Oostburg, WI First Presbyterian Waynesburg W. College Street Waynesburg, PA Four Mile Presbyterian Church Tuscarawas Road Beaver, PA Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church North Mill Street Fredericksburg, OH Grace West County Line Road Mequon, WI Greenfield First Presbyterian Church 457 Jefferson Street Greenfield, OH Irwin Presbyterian Church Georgetown Road Stoneboro, PA Leesburg Presbyterian Church Perry Highway Volant, PA McDonald Presbyterian Church Station Street McDonald, PA Mingo Creek Presbyterian Church Mingo Creek Road Finleyville, PA Neshannock Presbyterian Church Fairground Road New Castle, PA New Hope Church Cortez Drive Washington, PA Northminster Presbyterian Church North Knoxville Avenue Peoria, IL Paris Presbyterian Church Steubenville Pike Burgettstown, PA Plain Grove Presbyterian Church Plain Grove Road Slippery Rock, PA Presbyterian Church of West Middlesex Main Street West Middlesex, PA Princeton Memorial Presbyterian Church Church Road New Castle, PA River Valley Presbyterian Church Balbriggan Court Cincinnati, OH Tower Presbyterian Church South Broad Street Grove City, PA Westfield Presbyterian Church Mt. Jackson Road New Castle, PA These are the churches in the Great Lakes Presbytery through official registry in ECO from 2012 through April 15, There are numerous churches in the pipeline who are ECO / Great Lakes in practice and spirit whose paperwork was not finalized as of this publication. Look for those incoming churches in other newsletters and on the ECO website = 2013 or earlier

4 Page 4 GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER MEET FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GREENVILLE, PA One of our new churches whose paperwork is in the pipeline for membership is First Presbyterian Church of Greenvillle, Pennsylvania, a congregation of about 330, led by Rev. David Dobi. The Borough of Greenville has a population of just under 5,900 and is located in Western Pennsylvania, near the Ohio border about midway between Lake Erie and Pittsburgh. Rev. Dobi graciously shared his thoughts with us about First Presbyterian s discipleship and outreach and the congregation s assimilation into ECO. I asked Rev. Dobi to tell me about First Presbyterian s rich mission history. The church has a grand facility that has housed a pre school serving the community for 30 years. The school was established by the church and is run by a board of directors comprised of members of the congregation. There is a coffee house on Greenville s Main Street called Fresh Grounds, again founded and run by the church. Their Christian Fitness ministry is central to the backpack program which supplies children who depend on the school s food programs with a backpack containing food for the weekend. Along with other community churches they staff the Good Shepherd Center which distributes clothing, household goods, and houses and food pantry. Through their mission partnership with World Servants, they send aid and workers on short term missions in the Chestnut Ridge area of West Virginia south of Morgantown, providing workers for building projects as well as vacation bible school staffing. When I asked Rev. Dobi how First Presbyterian began their discernment process, he said it was a continuation of a 35 year old discussion. Their official discernment process spanned over 2 ½ years across 3 Session boards with elders whose terms ended and others whose terms began during the 2 ½ year span. They voted on withdrawal from PC USA without presenting a recommendation about which reformed body to join. Considering that the congregation had 190 years of mainline participation, it is understandable that their first vote to withdraw did not quite reach the required majority. At a 76% vote in favor of dismissal in the first round, the votes fell just short of the needed 80%. After more discussion and education, a second vote passed. The selection of where to land was a separate vote held after they researched multiple options and had additional conversation. Of course, the next question to Rev. Dobi was why was ECO determined to be a good fit for First Presbyterian. He said that while they were attracted to the lightweight bureaucracy, what made ECO a great fit was the confessional breadth and sound theology that is well expressed. He quoted one of the Session members as saying, It s not just easy reading, but good reading. Their Sunday School is studying Doorways using study guide download from the ECO website covering the essential tenets. I inquired if the decision to apply to ECO had effected changes within the congregation, either positive or negative. Rev. Dobi reported that they have taken in new covenant partners in a greater number than the few members who did not stay. Rev. Dobi assured me that their season of change has been constructive, not destructive. This body of disciples, soon to be officially ECO and part the Great Lakes Presbytery, is energized, enthused, exhilarated and ready for their next mission. Contributed by Bobbie Hunt ECO is committed to four priorities through Lift up the centrality of the gospel. 2. Grow with an emerging generation of leaders. 3. Prioritize a wave of church innovation. 4. Create an atmosphere of relational accountability.

5 ECO MISSIONAL AFFINITY GROUP - IS YOUR CONGREGATION CONNECTED? THE 10 QUESTIONS FOR CONGREGATIONS Page 5 As a way to connect, care for, and provide accountability for churches and leaders, every ECO congregation is required to be in a Missional Affinity Group (MAG). Each MAG consists of 3 4 congregations organized around similar ministry contexts (such as geography, demographics, or future ministry goals). MAGs may contain only ECO congregations, or a combination of both ECO and PC(USA) congregations. MAGs foster relationships between the Sessions of churches. Members of MAGs commit to meet at least once a year, for at least three years, and connect in other ways in between meetings. The focus of the Annual MAG Meeting is for each congregation to share their answers to the Narrative on the Health of Mission & Ministry. The Narrative consists of 10 questions (listed to the right) that enable a Session to evaluate and summarize their ministry health over the past year. As congregations share from their Narrative, the members of the MAG are able to learn from best practices, collaborate on mission, and be accountable to one another where correction is needed. (Excerpted from the ECO website) To learn more, a download is available on ECO.org ; see its Missional Affinity Group information packet If your congregation has not already done so, please complete your Missional Affinity Summary Form and send it to the Great Lakes Presbytery Clerk: Margaret Trent Margaret Trent@columbus.rr.com 5301 Hollister Street Columbus, Ohio The Presbytery s MAG Coordinator is: Lori Kasberg c/o Bethel Presbyterian Church 1735 Bethel Road Columbus, OH It is suggested the each Session discuss the Narrative Questions. Some Sessions complete one question per month or per Session meeting in preparation for MAG discussions. (See questions listed to the right) NARRATIVE ON HEALTH OF MISSION AND MINISTRY 1. How has the Holy Spirit been evident in your congregation in the past year; through conversions growth in the fruit of the Spirit, or other transformational experiences that make disciples of Jesus Christ? 2. How has your congregation extended itself beyond its bounds through the establishment of new communities of worship and discipleship, expanding the Kingdom of God? 3. In what ways is your congregation seeking the welfare of the community to which you have been called; devoting itself to the poor, seeking justice, and living out the whole of the Great Commission? 4. How are you encouraging people to allow God s Word to shape their priorities and actions, and to nurture constant learning and the life of the mind? 5. How are you helping children and others new to the Christian faith to discover Jesus and grow in their understanding and love of God s Word? 6. Describe the moral expression in your congregation are you more like the world or more like participants in the values of the Kingdom of God? 7. How is our congregation intentionally unleashing the ministries of women, men, and people of different ethnic groups who are experiencing God s call? 8. How is the idea of ministry as the joy and calling of every disciple evident in your congregation? How are you equipping people to represent Jesus more effectively in their respective professions? 9. Illustrate the commitment of your congregation to global evangelism and discipleship, including examples of where you are engaging and with whom you are partnering. 10. How does your congregation understand commitment to the larger church through our connectional relationships within the Body of Christ?

6 CHURCH TRANSITION TEAM NAMED: A RESOURCE FOR CHURCHES WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT ECO AFFILIATION Great Lakes Presbytery wants to provide answers and information about how other churches have maneuvered through the discernment process. Churches in discernment may also benefit from the experiences of other churches and what impact joining A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, as well as other reformed and Presbyterian denominations, has had on these churches. There are churches and pastors who are willing to share their experiences, both joyful and painful. Our Presbytery leadership feels this is such an important role that an additional resource has been formed that can address questions of inquiring churches You can connect to the Church Transition Team by contacting: Rev. Mike Shirey, Chair Associate Pastor Northminster Presbyterian Church N. Knoxville Ave. Peoria, IL x105 Mikes@northminster.us Molly Schepp, Secretary Covenant Partner Eastbrook PC, New Castle, PA mollyschepp@hotmail.com Jack McClelland, Pastor Fredericksburg PC, Fredericksburg, OH jack.mcclelland30@gmail.com Jack Watson, Pastor Emeritus Bethel PC, Columbus, OH jwatso2@columbus.rr.com PRESBYTERY WEB SITE Page 6 Great Lakes Presbytery now has a web site. This user friendly platform will share basic information about our Presbytery and provide resources to our member churches and pastors, as well as provide information for those unfamiliar with our denomination. We hope that it will be one of the web sites that members of prospective churches will visit in their discernment process. The web site was created and is currently managed by Rev. Justin Amsler of McDonald Presbyterian Church. VIDEO S NEEDED OF YOUR WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, AND WORK IN THE WORLD Keep the cameras and the cameras on your cell phone rolling to capture where and what is happening in your church. The Presbytery would like to make a video to help stimulate ideas and actions that will support a strong missional church discover who we are and what we do in the name of the Lord. More details will be forthcoming, but we wanted to give you notice so you don t miss recording significant events in the life of your church. Unleash creativity and watch for more details.

7 Page 7 UPCOMING GATHERING EVENTS SAVE THE DATES Presbytery Gathering and Business Meeting The next Great Lakes Presbytery Gathering will be October 16 and 17, 2015 Friday : 5:30 PM Registration Band, Worship, Speaker, Refreshments 9:00 PM Adjournment Saturday: 8:00 AM Registration Worship, Learning Sessions, Presbytery Business 3:00 PM Adjournment Dana Allin, Synod Executive will be presenting both days Friday Refreshments and Saturday Lunch will be included with registration fee Location: Tower Presbyterian Church, Grove City, PA Event Registration and Hotel lodging with group pricing will be available soon 2016 ECO NATIONAL GATHERING In Southern California January 26 28, 2016 Tuesday to Thursday St. Andrews PC, Newport Beach, CA Sending representation to both of these events is important to the life of our denomination as we build flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ.

8 JOB POSTING BOARD Page 8 Ministry Opportunities In Great Lakes Presbytery Senior Pastor // Head of Staff Full time Tower Presbyterian, Grove City, PA Senior Pastor Full time First Presbyterian, Hallstead, PA (Presbytery of Northeast) Senior Pastor Full time Neshannock Presbyterian, New Castle, PA Children s Ministries Director Full time Christian Life Center, New London, PA (Presbytery of Northeast) There is job posting information at eco pres.org covering all of the ECO footprint. If you would like to post a job opening relevant to churches of the Great Lakes Presbytery, please send the information to: bobbiehuntclp@roadrunner.com Please direct questions from churches in Western PA and Western NY to Dr. Hosler; those west of PA to Dr. Kasberg PRESBYTERY CONTACT INFORMATION Dr. Tina Hosler Moderator pastor2paris@yahoo.com Dr. Jerry Kasberg Vice Moderator jkasberg528@aol.com Margaret Trent Stated Clerk margaret trent@columbus.rr.com Mary Ann Jesse Treasurer maryjesse49@gmail.com Lori Kasberg MAG Coordinator Missional Affinity Groups Bethel Presbyterian Church 1735 Bethel Road Columbus, OH Rev. Thomas Bellhy Church Planting tbellhy@gmail.com Rev. Justin Amsler Nominating (and web site) justin.amsler@gmail.com Pastor Jason Schepp PMOT Pastoral Ministry Ordination Team jasonschepp@gmail.com Rev. Drew Smith MAT Ministry Assimilation Team dsmith@chpc.org Rev. Mike Shirey Church Transition Team x 105 Mikes@northminster.us Bobbie Hunt, CLP Newsletter Contributing Editor bobbiehuntclp@roadrunner.com