Happening Around the Presbytery

Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery

907 National Road

Wheeling, WV  26003

304-232-3490

www.uovpresby.org

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In an emergency after office hours: Call 740-359-1813

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PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS:

Mike Lenno Gene Toot Susan McMannis Linda Turner Vickie Whinnery Homer Harden

Karen Edwards Susan Lehosky Philip Keevil David Schoolcraft Gary Nylund Debbie Hale

Matt Camlin R. H. “Mac” McCuen Sharon Willits Cherilyn Bown Joe Hendricks Pam Reich

David Brocklehurst Dr. Lew & Ruth Stevens Dakota Partnership Melanie Blount Domasi Partnership All Service men & women

Pray for the survivors of the Tennessee tornadoes.Pray for our presbyters, family members, and friends hospitalized or in nursing homes.
Pray for peace and an end to violence and hatred.
Please keep us informed of any prayer concerns you may have.

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PRAYER FOR UOVP PASTORS. Select one of these pastors and remember him/her in your prayers this week: Frank Haas, Barry Hall, Homer Harden, Erica Harley, John Edward Harris.

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IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND your Sunday worship:

CADIZ Presbyterian Church will provide recorded videos of our Sunday sermons on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more info, contact the Rev. Alan Jeffries (740) 312-9224.

FIRST WESTMINSTER Presbyterian Church, Steubenville, broadcasts our Sunday morning worship services on Facebook Live at 10:45 a.m. Facebook Live allows for those watching to communicate with our Communications Director, Amy Parikakis. You may also leave prayer requests which are passed on to Pastor Jason. Click here https://www.facebook.com/First-Westminster-Presbyterian-Church. Once our Facebook page comes up, click on "like" and you will get all of the posts, including the Facebook Live posts and notifications.

VANCE Memorial Presbyterian Church’s Sunday worship service is broadcast at 10:00 a.m. on the radio at WKWK-FM 97.3. We will be live streamed at that same time on our Facebook page at vance presbyterian church, and the service will be archived on our YouTube page Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church.

GRACE Presbyterian Church, Martins Ferry, broadcasts our 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship live over the Internet. It is located at www.gracechurchmartinsferry.org. The second tab says, ‘grace live worship.’ This will bring you to our live broadcast. The worship bulletins for both services are located in the ‘worship bulletin’ tab. The page includes a chat room enabling worshippers to communicate with our producers. They can leave prayer requests that are passed on to Pastor Bill at the pulpit.

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PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE TO TENNESSEE. Donations can be designated to DR000015--Tennessee.

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ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: Information and an application for the Russell Scholarship can be found on our website www.uovpresby.org, on the homepage under “Items for Interest.” Deadline for applications is Monday, MAY 4, 2020. If you have questions concerning the application, please call Cindy Foster 740-359-2750.

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From the PEACEMAKING sub-committee regarding videos and letters to detainees:

TO ACESS VIDEOS, Locked In a Box (22 minutes) and Genesis of Exodus (1 hour), go to PDA.pcusa.org, then click on resources.

Information about how to write and send cards and letters of support to detainees at the Eloy Detention Center: These are difficult times, especially for vulnerable populations in prison and immigration detention. ICE, the law enforcement agency in charge of detention, has stopped all "social visits,” so letter writing and sending cards is all the more important to counter the isolation that immigrants in detention feel. Writing cards can be simple, even children can participate. Instructions are:

You cannot put anything inside the letter or card. Simple cards are best~~no adornments that can be pulled off.

The best way we can break the isolation during this time is by sending even MORE letters--and books.

Stuck at home and wanting to help others? Please join us in breaking the isolation.

Donations will support the purchase of stamps and books. donorbox.org/cmvisitation

To begin, introduce yourself. You can tell your writing friend a bit about where you live, what work you do, family make up, etc. Share with them that you are writing as a volunteer after learning about US immigration detention system. You might include stories about your family, education & hobbies. Your writing friend will be very interested to know what people do. Try to keep the letter simple and your writing as clear as possible. There will be someone to assist them, so don’t worry that your letter will not be read. Keep it cheerful! Your writing friend needs reasons for hope and a short respite from their stressful environment. Use this opportunity to make them smile.

Please refrain from asking about their case or the status of their visa applications (already a source of great stress). Bear in mind that many have seen a lot of sadness in their lives. You can draw a smile or doodles on the envelope!

You might use Scriptures from Lamentations 3:19-38 and 55-60 also 5:15-16a, 17, 19-21a or any of your own favorites for comfort in suffering and isolation. These don’t have to be eloquent letters. Just speak from your heart and soul. Ask the Lord to move the pen for you.

Put letter inside its envelope and then a larger envelope with address and mail to
St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, c/o CMDVP, 3809 E. Third Street, Tucson, AZ 85716

You may notice this facility is not in Texas. Right now we do not have contact info for facilities in Texas. That may come later.

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CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance resource, Preparedness for Pandemics can help congregations plan a response for worship and ministry continuation should the need arise. Download the PDF (3 pages).

Synod of the Trinity: http://www.syntrinity.org/coronavirus-resources/.

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GRACE SURVIVOR. Larry Kline began his life ignored and unloved. Neglected by his parents, bullied by his peers, and rejected by teachers and coaches, he felt like nothing. When he was a young adult, two members of a local Presbyterian church asked him, “If you died tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven?” The answer was no. God spoke to Larry that night. In a powerful moment, he knew he was loved and forgiven by God. Yet it would take years to transform a selfish 18 year old into a caring, loving person who would ultimately become a Presbyterian minister. Larry shares that story of transformation, the good and bad times of life, and the lessons learned along the way. He seeks to share the Good News of Jesus with you and invites you to open yourself to the grace our loving God wants to bestow on you. The book, Grace Survivor, can be purchased at Amazon in paper back or Kindle. Or call Larry at 304-281-3196 for a copy.

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FROM SYNOD. All three of our April events, including the COM/CPM gathering April 23 and 24, the Stated Clerk, Executive, and Staff gathering April 29 and 30, and GA Commissioner training April 25, will not be held face to face, but held on ZOOM. Please hold the dates and allow us some time to reframe the gatherings.

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FELLOWSHIP COMMUNITY. We are postponing the 2020 National Gathering until October 20-22, 2020. We’ll still gather at Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC, and we’ll keep our theme of “Leadership for Real Church.” We hope to maintain our same slate of speakers, as well. What does this mean for you? If the April time slot was inconvenient for you, you have a second chance to join us! Block off October 20-22 on your calendar now, and we’ll let you know as soon as our new registration site is up and running! If you’ve already registered, look for an email from Julie McGowan in the next few days outlining the next steps. If you have any other questions or concerns, email us at office@fellowship.community and we’ll respond as quickly as we can.

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WORLD MISSION SURVEY OF CONGREGATIONS. Two weeks ago, congregations for whom we have emails began receiving invitations to participate in a short new “Church on the Corner” survey about their mission involvement and mission interests. Summaries of responses will go to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) World Mission and other PC(USA) ministries and will help these ministries tailor their programs for these congregations. The email invitations went to a mix of church email addresses, clerk of session email addresses, and pastor email addresses. According to our web survey software, the survey takes about six minutes to complete. Here is a link to the survey: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5452189/Church-on-the-Corner-World-Mission. The participation of every congregation in the survey is critical for strengthening mission partnership among congregations, presbyteries, and PC(USA) national ministries. We appreciate your support during what I know is a busy time, with Lent, public health concerns, and so on. Perry Chang, PhD, Research Analyst, Research Services, PC(USA), 502-569-5139 (direct), 800-728-7228 ext. 5139, perry.chang@pcusa.org.

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PITTSBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. The impact of COVID-19 has caused the Seminary to take unprecedented steps to balance our educational mission with the duty to protect the health and well-being of the Seminary community, our neighbors, and vulnerable populations. While there is no confirmed case of COVID-19 on our campus, we feel that we should do everything we can to limit the spread of the virus as well as protect the health of our Seminary community and our neighborhood. To this end, we will implement new policies based on social distancing strategies that health experts recommend. What does this mean for Continuing Education? Until May 31, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has suspended all its public face-to-face events. The decision regarding Henderson Summer Leadership is pending. If you have already registered for a program, we will be processing your refund as soon as we are able. We do have a couple of online offerings that will proceed as planned, and we are trying to determine what (if anything) can be adapted to an online environment. We are also discerning how else we can support our faithful community leaders in the hard space they are called to occupy. Numerous judicatories and denominational bodies have provided online resources to help with the logistics of worship, pastoral care, and other responsibilities. How is God calling us to broaden our pastoral imagination in these times? This is neither the time to be lost in lament for what is missing nor to be asserting the way we always do things. There are beloved children of God who are at risk! This is, however, the time to wash our hands, engage spiritual practices that help us be less anxious and more wise, and explore with holy curiosity new ways of (prudently!) accompanying each other in isolating times. Be gentle with each other, friends. We join you in prayer and compassion for those who are sick and scared.

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LOUISVILLE SEMINARY. We have closed our campus through April 6, recognizing this is a fluid situation and that an extended closure may be necessary; the remainder of Spring Term classes will be conducted online for faculty and students; all in-person events on Louisville Seminary's campus have been canceled; and Baccalaureate and Commencement will be "virtual events" rather than celebrated in-person.

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