Synod of the Trinity Enews: New COVID mandate, David Oyler retires

	July 16, 2020 The Synod of the Trinity Being More Together Find the latest COVID-19 resources on the Synod website here. Coronavirus 'Viruses do not care about the first amendment' This week, the states of West Virginia and Pennsylvania began to roll back some of the reopening plans for their states. The state of Pennsylvania released a mandate limiting indoor gatherings to 25 or less. While churches are not specifically mentioned as having to abide by this guideline, it is strongly suggested that church leadership consider returning to online worship only. Here is a statement from Synod of the Trinity Transitional Executive Susan Faye Wonderland: "I believe the voices telling us how crucial mask-wearing and distancing are to successful mediation of the COVID spread, and I think how easy those two actions seem in the face of full hospitals and new deaths. For me, to embrace those two practices is an action of faithful living for now and the foreseeable future." Check out Part One and Part Two of Susan's vacation blog here. Lake Erie For four decades, David Oyler has been a buoy in Lake Erie Since 1979, the Rev. Dr. David Oyler has been a staple in the Presbytery of Lake Erie. A pastor in the region for 24 years, he became the presbytery's general presbyter in 2003 and has successfully navigated Lake Erie through various ups and downs. David will leave his post at the presbytery at the end of July. To read his reflections on his time and accomplishments in Lake Erie, click here. Synod of the Trinity 'Through My Eyes'The 224th General Assembly The second in a series titled "Through My Eyes" features George Lilley (West Virginia) reflecting on his time as a General Assembly commissioner at the 224th meeting in June. "The 224th General Assembly’s theme was 'From Lament to Hope' taken from Lamentations 5:20-21. Worship, prayers and Bible study echoed this scripture during the course of the proceedings. In a small-group discussion, I was asked what I lamented and hoped for. My lament was not being physically in the community in Baltimore and my hope was for a successful digital Assembly." To read George's entire firsthand account of the online General Assembly, click here.                                About the series During this time when the pandemics of both the coronavirus and our culture of racism cannot be ignored, the Synod of the Trinity has started a series titled “Through My Eyes,” which allows for those in the Synod’s bounds to share openly what they are experiencing on a regular basis. This is not meant to be a political forum, but instead a chance for people to express their personal feelings about what they are seeing and feeling during this unique time. If you have something to share, email Synod Communications Coordinator Mike Givler (mgivler@syntrinity.org) and your reflection will be considered for use in this series. Northumberland Benton Church perseveres with help of neighbors in Raven Creek Benton Presbyterian Church has been through floods, tornadoes and fires. So for them, the coronavirus pandemic is just another blip on the radar. And through it all, the congregation has remained committed to its ministry and been able to survive, thanks in large part to their neighbors at Raven Creek Presbyterian Church. To read more about the resiliency of this congregation, click here. PCUSA Churches can take steps to bring about racial justice Presbyterian News Service The Matthew 25 invitation continues to be embraced by congregations and mid councils, even through a pandemic and times of social unrest. Or, just maybe, because of those things. The three focuses of the Matthew 25 vision are to build congregational vitality, eradicate systemic poverty and dismantle structural racism. In view of the current unrest and protest in our nation, the call to be a Matthew 25 church is more compelling than ever. The first Matthew 25 event was held on June 10, with over 500 churches registering. The event facilitated sharing and dialogue that was so well received, more events were requested. With this in mind, the next online event — Matthew 25: Dismantling Racism — is scheduled for July 29 from 2-3 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom. To read more, click here. Synod of the Trinity Live Streaming for the Long Haul With congregations considering returning to in-person worship but still wanting to provide an online presence, questions remain about the best equipment available to accomplish that. Rev. Brian Wallace, the associate minister to Pittsburgh Presbytery, hosted a webinar on “Live Streaming for the Long Haul” recently. This webinar explored the five technical components required for live streaming a typical worship gathering. It provided a topic of discussion so that you and your congregation are ready to “go live” as we move into the future. The recording and other helpful links are available here.
UPDATE Tax Exempt Certificates The Synod of the Trinity is beginning to receive renewed tax exempt certificates for the churches and presbyteries in our region. It is estimated that it will take another 2-4 weeks before we have all of the renewed certificates from the Department of Revenue. Once they have been received, we will email them to our presbyteries, which will be in charge of forwarding them to their congregations. Reminder that the tax exempt certificates have been extended to Sept. 30 and that an extension letter is available here. What if? Food for thought Recently a conversation began on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mid council enews list that is surely food for thought, perhaps even in places in the Synod of the Trinity: How can we better utilize our church buildings and help out the community at the same time? What if our churches volunteered to become remote locations to support schools and provide spaces in which districts could expanded if needed? It could be as a remote spot for schools whose districts are asking families to choose a hybrid approach such as two days onsite, three days offsite? It could be simply as additional space to allow for adequate social distancing and even lower numbers in one building. Perhaps it could involve space for a screen and socially-distanced online gathering in a fellowship hall. What if adults with clearance were able to support with needed supervision? Surely there are logistics and staffing to consider… but perhaps the idea, put out there, could allow something benefiting the socialization of students and the larger community to emerge. What might it look like? We don’t know until we wonder… and wonder with others. Carlisle offers pre-recorded summer series The Presbytery of Carlisle is assembling pre-recorded sermons that congregations can use this summer. Follow this link to the presbytery website where you’ll find a handful of sermons from which to choose. The presbytery will add to the collection over the summer. The sermons are done by retired pastors of the presbytery. Anyone is welcome to take advantage of this win-win opportunity: preachers get a break and congregations continue to be nourished through God’s Word and Spirit. Weekly sermons available in Donegal Join congregations all across the Presbytery of Donegal this summer for its online Summer Festival of Worship. Running until Sept. 13, one of Donegal’s congregations will host online worship for the presbytery. All other congregations are invited to join that church for worship that week. It’s a great way to become more connected as we join together in worship. And it’s a terrific way to handle the Sundays when a pastor is off for vacation or study leave. Or weeks when it would benefit the congregation for the pastor to devote time to other projects rather than worship/sermon preparation. Click here to find the schedule. New Wilmington Mission Conf. this weekend The annual New Wilmington Mission Conference has scheduled a three-day online conference for July 17-19. There is no cost to attend the digital gathering, but registration is necessary to receive links, schedules and other content. More information is available here. Pittsburgh Seminary offers weekly conversations on race Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is offering "A Weekly Conversation on Race" on Wednesdays until Aug. 26. This is a series of conversations led by members of the PTS community to help faith and community leaders navigate a way of responding to the persistence of racial injustice and white privilege. More information is available here. Wee Kirk canceled for 2020 The Wee Kirk Planning Team has voted to postpone the 2020 Wee Kirk retreat. Dates and speakers are set for Oct. 11-13, 2021 at Laurelville. A letter has been sent with some additional information and plans for connecting regular Wee Kirk attenders (and even those who aren’t so regular) through a digital platform. Conversations about Life, Race & Faith In response to the killing of George Floyd, Pittsburgh Presbytery staff members Ralph Lowe and Brian Wallace are recording a series of conversations you are welcome to use with your congregation in whatever format you find appropriate. Recently recorded is a five-minute conversation about one thing people can do to seek reconciliation with those around them. It is available both on YouTube as well as a downloadable file that can easily be included in a pre-recorded worship service or a live Zoom meeting. As a follow-up, Ralph and Brian have also recorded a 35-minute conversation where they seek to model honest and thoughtful ways of talking about the realities of race. Find links to the recordings here. PCUSA offers racial justice resources A listing of resources to help bring about racial justice in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the wider world is now available. The list of resources will grow as more resources are developed. Resources are arranged in six categories: Statements from the PC(USA) Worship Resources Policy Statements Recommended Books Study, Training and Discussion Materials Articles. Click here to view what’s currently offered. Find helpful resources on Synod website The Synod of the Trinity continues to be a resource hub for the region. On the Synod's website, you can find helpful links to the following categories: Non-Presbyterian Denominational maps Ruling Elder Training Communications Tools and Resources Continuing Education Employment Financial Resources Church Safety PCUSA-Related Online Readings If you have something to contribute to these sections, or have an idea for a resource page, contact Synod Communications Coordinator Mike Givler at mgivler@syntrinity.org. Subscribe to the Synod's enews today! If you or someone you know would benefit from receiving the Synod of the Trinity's e-newsletter, simply send that person's email address to Synod Communications Coordinator Mike Givler at mgivler@syntrinity.org and he'll get you signed up!
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