PEAKS POSTINGS. Great (and important) Reads for those Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

Transcription

1 PEAKS POSTINGS Great (and important) Reads for those Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer Slow Kingdom Coming: Practices for Doing Justice, Loving Mercy and Walking Humbly in the World By Kent Annan No one said pursuing justice would be easy. The road can be so challenging and the destination so distant that you may be discouraged by a lack of progress, compassion or commitment in your quest for justice. How do you stay committed to the journey when God's kingdom can seem so slow in coming? Kent Annan understands the struggle of working for justice over the long haul. He confesses, "Over the past twenty years, I've succumbed to various failed shortcuts instead of living the freedom of faithful practices." In this book, he shares practices he has learned that will encourage and help you to keep making a difference in the face of the world's challenging issues. All Christians are called to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly in the world. Slow Kingdom Coming will guide and strengthen you on this journey to persevere until God's kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. Food Movements Unite! Strategies to Transform Our Food System Edited by Eric Holt-Giménez, with Study Guide by Presbyterian Hunger Program Food Movements Unite! is a collection of essays by food movement leaders from around the world that all seek to answer the perennial political question: What is to be done? The answers from the multiple perspectives of community food security activists, peasants and family farm leaders, labor activists, and leading food systems analysts will lay out convergent strategies for the fair, sustainable, and democratic transformation of our food systems. Authors will address the corporate food regime head on, arguing persuasively not only for specific changes to the way our food is produced, processed, distributed and consumed, but specifying how these changes may come about, politically. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself By Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. But it looks ahead. It encourages us to see the dignity in everyone, to empower the materially poor, and to know that we are all uniquely needy and that God in the gospel is reconciling all things to himself. Focusing on both North American and Majority World contexts, When Helping Hurts provides proven strategies for effective poverty alleviation, catalyzing the idea that sustainable change comes not from the outside in, but from the inside out. ATTENTION TREASURERS: 2018 Board of Pensions Information is coming soon.

2 Peaks Postings, July 25, 2017 Page 2 2

3 Peaks Postings, July 25, 2017 Page 3 3 REMINDER TO ALL COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Presbytery Budget Requests are due to the Committee on Administration by August 1st! Forest Presbyterian Church needs a lead nursery worker who loves children and Jesus. Hours are 9:15-11:45 am on Sunday mornings. Pay to TBD. Contact Joan Austin at church ( ) or Melissa Johnson (m.wright.johnson@verizon.net). SESSION RECORDS REMINDER FOR CLERKS OF SESSION Session and Congregation Meeting Minutes are reviewed at the Presbytery meetings alphabetically by church name as they are listed in the Presbytery of the Peaks Directory. The 2016 minutes for churches beginning with the letters D-H are scheduled for review at the August 19 Presbytery meeting at Farmville Presbyterian Church, in Farmville, VA. The churches listed below have Session Minutes and/or Session Records Review Forms that can be picked up at the Session Records table in the registration area on August 19: Bluemont Buchanan Covenant, Roanoke Raleigh Court Campbell Memorial Cumberland and Guinea Minutes may be submitted for review at any Presbytery meeting. Please pick up minutes submitted for review at a Presbytery meeting at the end of the meeting. Picking up minutes saves the Presbytery the expense of mailing them. Copies of minutes (no binders please) may also be mailed to Dave Hayes, Session Records Review, Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, 701 Church St. SE, Blacksburg, VA Schedule of Review of 2016 Minutes at 2017 Presbytery Meetings Saturday August 19 Churches whose name begins with D-H Thursday November 16 Churches whose name begins with J-O Cooper House is offering two (2) parking spaces for use during Virginia Tech s six (6) home football games for a season fee of $ each. Cooper House is a very short walk to the stadium, and the backyard lawn area can be used for pre/post game activities. Spaces are available on a first come basis. For more information Terry McClellan at admin@pcusa-vt.org. The Next Presbytery Meeting: Farmville Presbyterian Church 200 W Third St., Farmville, VA :00-4:00 p.m. All reports for the Presbytery Packet are due into the office by Friday, July 28th. Online Registration for this meeting will open on Monday, July 31.

4 Peaks Postings, July 25, 2017 Page 4 4

5 Sch Peaks Postings, July 25, 2017 Page 5 5 Classes meet on Saturdays: Sept. 23 Sept. 9 Oct. 7 Sept. 23 Oct. 21 Oct. 7 Nov. 4 Oct. 21 Nov. 18 Nov. 4 Dec. 2 Nov. 18 Dec. 16 Dec. 2 Dec a.m. 3 p.m. TWO NEW COURSES BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 9 Pastoral Care and NewTestament Part of the Peaks Presbytery s Commissioned Lay Pastor (CLP) Preparation Program If you are a Ruling Elder and feel called to serve in ministry for one of the smaller churches in the, this program is for you. Courses in the program include Old Testament, New Testament, Biblical Interpretation, Reformed Theology, Preaching & Worship, Presbyterian Polity, Christian Life, Pastoral Care, among others. Courses are taught in the, as well as online through Union Presbyterian Seminary. To join either class, complete the online application form at peakspresbytery.org (Resources/Forms &Documents/CLP Forms). Information about course location and materials will be sent to you upon receiving your application. CLP Preparation Program 10 a.m. 3 p.m. Cost: $100 per course Cost: $100 Scholarships per course are Scholarships are available. Registration Deadline: August 15 Registration Deadline: August Floyd St. #A Lynchburg, VA office@peakspresbytery.org 1022 Floyd St. #A

6 Peaks Postings, July 25, 2017 Page 6 6 INTERIM PASTOR POSITION THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF RADFORD, VA The Presbyterian Church of Radford, Radford, VA, in the is seeking a full-time Interim Pastor with responsibilities for the spiritual leadership, pastoral care, administrative oversight and organizational direction of the congregation of 200 members. The Interim Pastor will participate in the leadership of the Session and congregation in its efforts to complete a Mission Study and search for a full-time permanent Pastor. The Radford Session seeks an Interim Pastor with these qualifications: Commitment to the Presbyterian Reformed Faith. Experience in providing pastoral leadership to other churches. Positive, affirming and encouraging attitude. Knowledge of processes for helping a congregation search for and call a new pastor. Flexibility, adaptability, and good sense of humor. Evidence of successful Interim Ministry Training. The mission of our church is to exhibit our belief in God s love for us by sharing and extending that love to all of our brothers and sisters. As a part of the body of believers we need to provide an environment that encourages spiritual development, growth, service, and fellowship. We are called to be the body of Christ, the hands, feet, eyes, and heart as we act in our community and beyond. As Christ taught us, we love and serve even the least of God s children as if we were loving and serving Christ in person. This mission includes: Dedicated involvement of a significant percentage of the congregation in the life of the church. A strong commitment to inclusion and diversity. The participation of church members of all ages in community outreach projects to benefit individuals and families in need of help and support. Among the specific continuing programs of the church are campus ministry with Radford University, women s circle, youth group, children s church, bell and adult choirs, ministry to older adults, visitation to shut-ins, the sick, or anyone else in need of care and service activities to the community. For more information about the position, the effective salary, and the city of Radford, VA, please contact: Lin Young or David Lyerly (Transition Team Co-Chairs) through the PCR Church Office Your call will be returned promptly at a good time for you. Or you may send a message to our address: PCRtransition@gmail.com

7 Peaks Postings, July 25, 2017 Page 7 7 PRESBYTERY CALENDAR Date Time Event Location 7/24-7/28 Camp Peaks Martinsville 7/25/17 3:00 p.m. AP Search Committee POP Office 7/31/17 12:00 p.m. Church Development Blue Ridge Lit. Office 8/1/17 3:00 p.m. AP Search Committee POP Office UPCOMING PRESBYTERY MEETING Saturday, August 19, 2017 Farmville Presbyterian Church, Farmville, VA 12:00-4:00 p.m. On-Line Calendar Peaks Postings is published each week on Tuesday. Please submit news, events, or prayer requests by noon on Mondays to Julie Dyke at julie.dyke@peakspresbytery.org for inclusion in the following issue. Guidelines for announcements or news items to be featured in Peaks Postings: Keep the information to one page or less. Use links to web sites rather than including lots of details. Please obtain permission from the people pictured in your photos before submitting them to Peaks Postings. Peaks Postings Editors reserve the right to feature or not feature an article. Our first priority is to feature activities within POP churches and the Presbytery. edit submitted articles/announcements. limit the number of weeks an article/announcement is featured. Past issues of Peaks Postings are archived for about six months on our website, Floyd Street, Suite A Lynchburg, VA Phone: Toll Free: Fax: office@peakspresbytery.org Web Site: peakspresbytery.org Julie Dyke, Administrative Support Steve Earl, Associate Presbyter for Ministry Robin Padgett, Office Manager Denise Pillow, Hunger Action Advocate John Wiederholt, Stated Clerk Carl Utley, Transitional General Presbyter To enhance, equip and empower congregations and leaders to become bold servants of transformation for the glory of the Triune God.