September 4, 2024 | Volume IX, Number 36

• Jodi will be on vacation September 16-30

First Presbyterian Greensboro Pilgrimage to Scotland

First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro is sponsoring a Presbyterian Heritage and Reformed Tradition Pilgrimage to Scotland April 29-May 10, 2025. Click the link below for more information. There are a limited number of spots available.

Prospect Presbyterian Mooresville Celebrates Bicentennial

Click the link below for a wonderful recent article in the Salisbury Post regarding the upcoming celebration of Prospect Presbyterian's bicentennial in September.

Worship Resources During Election Season

Stephen Fearing (Guilford Park Presbyterian, Greensboro) has recently written a four-week sermon series called “Loving Your Neighbor in an Election Season” with liturgy, hymn suggestions, and sermon prompts. He has made this resource in preparation for his D.Min. project as well as in coordination with the Wisconsin Council of Churches. Stephen would like to share this resource with the presbytery. Even if a church is not doing a dedicated sermon series to the topic, the prayers can be adapted and used in any context/service. Follow the link below for the entire resource.

Announcement on Welcome Corps

The Biden-Harris Administration successfully rebuilt the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Now it needs your help!

Thousands of refugees overseas have been fully vetted and approved and are waiting to travel to the United States. To help welcome them, the Administration launched the Welcome Corps to enable Americans from all walks of life to sponsor refugees and Afghan SIVs. The Welcome Corps expands our nation’s ability to welcome refugees and strengthens the bonds within communities.

Through the Welcome Corps, groups of five or more Americans join together to sponsor a refugee family for their first few months in the United States, welcoming them at the airport and helping them find housing, access refugee benefits, and apply for jobs. Each sponsor group is paired with an expert in refugee resettlement who guides them through the entire process.

We’re asking you to please share this program with your networks, and we have resources to help. Thanks to private funding from the Sponsor Fund, any group who signs up to participate in the Welcome Corps by August 31 can receive a grant to cover the cost of sponsoring a refugee or Afghan SIV family that they do not already know.

Contact organizations@welcomecorps.org for tailored assistance with getting the word out to your community. If you have questions, please reach out to Margaret.M.O'Herron@who.eop.gov or Madalene.Smith-Huemer@nsc.eop.gov.

Sign Up for Peace & Justice Newsletter

The Peace and Justice Task Force invites you to sign up for their monthly newsletter addressing Peace and Justice issues and events. Click the link below to sign up.

Thinking Differently About Church School

10 out-of-the-box ideas

Traditional Sunday morning Sunday School attendance down? Teacher recruitment stalled?

Think about one of these alternatives for your Faith Formation curriculum.

*Sunday school by Zoom. If you try Sunday mornings make sure families can still get to worship. Or pick a day or time other than Sunday morning. We had a pizza delivered each Friday evening during Lent to families and then Zoomed our lesson working our way through Holy Week. Attendance was great.

*Breakfast and the Bible. Before worship provide a light continental breakfast and let families gather and visit. Then have a simple Bible story and song.

*Bring back the car parade. Make take home lesson bags you can send home with families. Include some things they bring back to church for a display. Create large colorful welcome signs as they arrive to pick up their bags.

*Incorporate your learning into your weeknight church meal. There are lots of curriculum written for this situation. I even attended a church that picked up kids from school in the church van. The kids played, worked on homework, had choir practice and church school before meeting up with their parents for dinner.

*Digital learning. Send out playlists of music, Bible stories, podcasts, etc. Then start a discussion group online, virtual, or in person to check in and offer support, encouragement, and resources.

*Prayer partners. There are many ways to match prayer partners. Just make sure expectations are clear. For example: how long will partners communicate? (hopefully relationships built will last longer than expectations, but an achievable timeline helps you get started) How often will partners communicate? Permission required to share prayers with others in the prayer ministry?

*Learning through art. When you have the Bible concept or story you want to teach send each family home with a copy of the story and an assigned piece to illustrate through a drawing, poem, lego build, bulletin cover, etc. Display at church when you are done.

*Teach through service. Have a family service project and connect a Bible story or verse. Serve a meal, collect toiletries or food, make blankets, hand out water, participate in the CROP Walk, etc.

*Christmas pageant and more. A Christmas pageant (impromptu pageants are great) is a great way to learn a Bible story, buy why stop there? Several Bible stories lend themselves to great drama. Again, there are many curriculums written for these plays/dramas. They can be performed in worship or filmed at home and posted online for church members to enjoy.

*A Scavenger Hunt. Just Google ‘Bible Scavenger Hunt’ and pick the one that works for you. Choose from outside, inside, in the Bible, themed, etc. A silly prize is always good motivation to complete the hunt!

Submitted by Kim Row. All comments, ideas, and questions are welcome. You can contact her at krow@guilfordpark.org

ATTENTION ALL:

• Ministers of Word and Sacrament actively serving as pastors to congregations or otherwise engaged in a validated ministry within the bounds of Salem Presbytery;

• Commissioned Ruling Elders actively serving a congregation;

• Certified Christian Educators;

• Salem Presbytery Members-At-Large; and

• Presbytery Staff

In order to maintain good standing with Salem Presbytery (which is necessary to access and share your PDP on the new Church Leadership Connection system), completion of Racial Equity Equipping Training is mandatory.

Folks have until September 2025 to complete this training to remain in good standing, OR you must gain approval for an alternative training from the Peace and Justice Task Force.

Our next equipping event will be Tuesday, October 8th from 9-3:30 at North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church

Registration for the October event is now live at our Presbytery’s Racial Equity website here:https://www.salemracialequity.org/register

If you have questions, our facilitator contact information can be found on the Presbytery’s Racial Equity website (https://www.salemracialequity.org/home).

Position Opening at Unity Presbyterian Church - Woodleaf

Unity Presbyterian Church is seeking a full-time pastor. The person chosen would work with the church Session to provide programs that spread God’s word, support mission work in the community and the world, and provide pastoral care for member families including all age groups. For additional information, contact Pastor Nominating Committee members at:

bectwet@yahoo.com or mperrell@twc.com.

Position Opening at Bethel Presbyterian Church - McLeansville

Bethel Presbyterian Church is seeking a Transitional Minister or CRE.  Click HERE for more information.

Position Opening at New Creation Community Church - Greensboro

New Creation Community Church is seeking a part-time Pastor/CRE. Click HERE for more information and a job description

Position Opening at First Presbyterian Salisbury

First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury is advertising an open position for a Contemporary Worship Team Leader. See the link below for job description and information.

Installation of Rev. Dr. James Lunde

Salem Presbytery will install the Rev. Dr. James Lunde as Pastor of First Burlington Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 22nd at 4:00 pm at First Burlington Church in Burlington. Since the installation of a new pastor is an act of the Presbytery, members of Salem are cordially invited and encouraged to attend this service of worship.

Catawba College is pleased to invite all clergy to join us for Catawba Clergy Days, September 26 and 27.

Cole Arthur Riley is our keynote speaker on the 26th. The President of Livingstone College is our worship service preacher on the 27th. Between these events will be informative and helpful workshops, delicious meals and opportunities for fellowship and re-creation.

Catawba College is also seeking to fill the part-time position of Director of the Catawba Clergy Network. Interested persons should click HERE.

Ordination Anniversaries

Please pass along congratulations to the following who are celebrating anniversaries of their ordinations:

• Phanta Lansden ordained September 10, 2017
• Vicki Jones-Johnson ordained September 11, 1988
• Susan Dobyns ordained September 14, 1986
• Paul Sink ordained September 16, 2001
• Alicia Wilson ordained September 21, 2014 (10th in 2024)
• Jon Martin ordained September 22, 1996
• Patricia Greene ordained September 22, 2013
• Mark Sinnett ordained September 25, 1994 (30th in 2024)
• R.C. Griffin, III ordained September 28, 2014 (10th in 2024)