“…why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky?…”

EVANGELISM AND CHURCH GROWTH’S 2012 CONFERENCE
JULY 29 – AUGUST 2, 2012 at ST. PETE BEACH, FLORIDA

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2012 Evangelism and Church Growth Conference Registration Book

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INFLUENCE CULTURE. LIVE OUT YOUR MISSION. DEVELOP DISCIPLES. GROW SPIRITUALLY. 

The 2012 Evangelism and Church Growth Conference will be held July 30^th – August 2^nd, 2012 in St. Pete Beach, Fla. Five of the ministries of the Evangelism and Church Growth area will host their individual conferences, while sharing group meals, worship, and plenary speakers with the other conferences.

 The five conferences include:

• Youth Worker Conference:  Participants in the Youth Worker Conference will explore the work of youth ministry by examining the call to love, as lived and issued, by Jesus.  Mark Yaconelli will provide small group presentations and exercises, including spiritual direction, prayer, and meditation time.  Come and enjoy this retreat within a conference.  (NO TRACK OR ELECTIVE SELECTION REQUIRED) Download a flier
• Collegiate Ministries Conference:  This conference will provide a comprehensive look at how all congregations, no matter their size or location, can be actively involved in ministry on campus and to college students.  You will examine transitions in and out of college, how congregations can fit into the culture surrounding campuses, how to start and sustain a college ministry, and how to understand and reach emerging adults.  Come share best practices and ideas, and engage with members of the National Collegiate Ministries Task Force.  (NO TRACK OR ELECTIVE SELECTION REQUIRED) Download a flier
• Church Transformation Conference:  This conference is for people working to grow the vitality and ministry capacity of congregations, or those supporting them.  Need inspiration?   Hope?  Tools?  New Ideas?  You will find it here.  For this conference you will rotate through five workshops, but there is no need to pick; you will experience them all!   (NO TRACK OR ELECTIVE SELECTION REQUIRED) Download a flier
• Evangelism Conference:  Participants will choose one of three tracks to follow for the entire conference.  Tracks selections include Faith Sharing, Disciple Making Church, or Joining God in the Neighborhood.  Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to choose two electives during the conference.   (REQUIRES TRACK AND ELECTIVE SELECTION) Download a flier
• New Church Development Conference:  This conference will offer a variety of tracks and electives to provide tools and information for church planters and their leaders.  Participants will choose one track and follow it throughout the conference and will also have the opportunity to gather around topics of interest with electives.  There will also be “Rapid Fire” sessions which will provide the opportunity for you to hear multiple, brief presentations which will be followed by stimulating round table conversations.  Great ideas are coming your way with this conference!  (REQUIRES TRACK AND ELECTIVE SELECTION) Download a flier

There is a discounted fee if three or more people from the same presbytery or church register for the same conference.  So gather your friends for what promises to be an educational, inspirational, Spirit-filled conference! (Early bird registration rate, $250)

Download the “What Are You Waiting For” Registration book.

Featured speakers include:

Len Sweet
Highly influential in social media, best-selling author

Linnea Nilsen Capshaw
Empowering leaders discern and live out mission

Jo Saxton
Helping churches live into a discipling and missional way of being

Mark Yaconelli
Exploring ground breaking spiritual direction and practice in Youth Ministry

The Spring Gathering for the POV Presbyterian Women will be at Charlestown Community Church on Saturday, April 28, 2012.

• Registration begins at 9:30 am EST and the program begins at 10 am.
• Lunch will be $6 and meeting will be adjourned at 1:30 pm following communion.

Pre-registration is encouraged.

Contact Donna McCreary-Brown:
812-256-2370
moc.liamtohnull@nlocniltm

Visit the Presbyterian Women page on Facebook!

On Jan. 11, the Rev. Murray Thompson, pastor of the Bloomfield First Presbyterian Church, served as “Chaplain of the Day” and Greene County health officer and veteran Linton medical doctor, Dr. Fred Ridge, M.D. was “Physician of the Day” at the statehouse.

For the entire story, click on the article title above.

Journey Through the Old Testament
Led by the Rev. Dr. Alan Finnan

This course is for YOU if you’d like to…

• increase your appreciation of the spiritual value of the Old Testament
• become more aware of the story and faith of Israel in its development as a nation
• master a large daunting task by breaking it into smaller manageable segment
• grow in your individual walk of faith.

April 27-29, 2012 at CampPyoca in Brownstown, Indiana.

Registration forms are available on the POV website,
or from Barbara Snyder
1820 Wheeler Road
Vincennes, IN 47591

The Synod of Lincoln Trails is offering continued education to commissioned ruling elders. The Rev. Dr. Laura Reason, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Highland, Ind. will lead participants through the sacred seasons of the luturgical year. Dr. Reason is a eight-time teacher of preaching and worship leadership to Synod of Lincoln Trails ruling elders.

CRE ConEd Dates:

February 11, 2012 – Lent and Easter – Year B – Registration

May 18-19, 2012 – N-Fog Interpretation and Pentecost I – Year B

August 18, 2012 – Preaching and Worship, Pentecost II – Year B

Nov. 2-3, 2012 - “What I Want to Know Is…” and Preaching &

Worship, Advent/Christmas/Epiphany – Year C

More…

“The Art of Transitional Ministry”

Interim Pastor Training

May 7-11, 2012

Mercy Center

St. Louis, MO

Registration deadline: April 9

Interim/Transitional Ministry Education is intended for those presently engaged in interim or transitional ministry and those inquiring about this ministry. Committee on Ministry members and presbytery staff persons with responsibility for contregations in transition will also find the education helpful.

Read the brochure or download the registration form (registration requires signature from your Executive Presbyter or Committee on Ministry moderator).

Registration will begin at 9:00am.

Reports for the Packet must be submitted via email by noon on Monday, February 27th to Stephanie Worden.

The packet, driving directions, and the minutes from the December meeting will be available for download from the assembly webpage after 4:00pm (EST) on Thursday, March 1st.

Coming to the meeting? Let us know by registering!

We are blest to be partnered with work in Bethlehem.  We can celebrate this award, with all those around the world who support this work. To date the Presbytery of Ohio Valley congregations, individuals, foundations and the POV have provided nine scholarships, 23 people have traveled there, seven batches of used hearing aids have been sent, 87 formal presentations have been made, $125,000.00 has been sent for the work there, and prayer is offered daily for the work in Bethlehem and in Indiana.

The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb of Bethlehem is announced as a winner of the International Award “Deutscher Medienpreis” for 2011.

The official announcement of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb as recipient of the 2011 prestigious international award “Deutscher Medienpreis” was made in Germany today Friday, January 13, 2012. Launched in 1992, the award was mainly granted to Heads of States, including …the German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2009), the Dali Lama (2008), King Juan Carlos of Spain (2006), Kofi Anan (2003), Queen Rania of Jordan (2002), , Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (2000), Bill Clinton (1999), Nelson Mandela (1998), King Hussein of Jordan (1997), Boris Yeltsin (1996), President Arafat (1995), Yitshak Rabin (1995), Francois Mitterrand (1994), Chancellor Helmut Cole (1993), in addition to few and selected personalities such as Sir Richard Branson (2010), Steffi Graf (2007), Bono (2005) and Rudolph Giuliani (2002).

Aside from Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, the award is given to the Russian Stanislaw Petrow, who prevented a potential third world nuclear war in 1983; the Afghani Dr. Sakena Yacoobi who worked diligently on empowering women in Afghanistan; and to Dr. Denis Mukwege from Congo, who assisted thousands of rape victims in the Congo war.

The decision of the jury to give the award to Rev. Dr. Raheb was based on his tireless work in creating room for hope for his people, who are living under Israeli Occupation, through founding and building institutions of excellence in education, culture and health. He was also recognized due to his strong position and stance on the Culture of Life and Dialogue.

The official ceremony will be held in the city of Baden-Baden in Germany on February 14, 2012. The keynote speaker during the celebration will be the previous German Chancellor Professor Roman Herzog.

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb expressed his delight to receive this prestigious award, since it is indicative of the international appreciation and recognition of his efforts that are made on the local, regional and international levels.  He is pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, and founder and director of the Diyar Consortium, a group of educational, healing, and cultural ministries.
For more information, go to:
www.diyar.ps
www.deutscher-medienpreis.de
www.brightstarsbethlehem.org

Position Description:  Director of Music Ministries

St. John Presbyterian Church, located at 1307 E. Elm Street near downtown New Albany, is searching for a Director of Music Ministries.

The part-time position will be responsible for providing quality leadership for the church’s music ministries, including choral and handbell groups.  Additionally, the director of Music Ministries must demonstrate a vibrant Christian faith and the ability to articulate a faith-based vision for the purpose and practice of church music.

The director should have experience working within a church community with various ages and disciplines, including organ, vocal, and handbells.

Review of applicants will begin the week of January 16, 2012.  Candidates should be prepared for an interview, audition, and to lead a choir rehearsal.  Selections for the audition should include worship music for both organ and piano from traditional and contemporary genres.

A detailed job description can be obtained by request or at www.stjohnpres.org.

Applications should be sent via mail to the attention of Rev. C. Allen Colwell at 1307 E. Elm St., New Albany IN 47150.

Alternatively, resumes can be faxed to pastor Allen’s attention at 812-945-5787, or by e-mail.

Deadline for submission is January 16, 2012.

Recognition of New Covenant Church’s Ministry—There has been an Administrative Commission in place for several months charged with assisting in the dissolution of the Monroe City/New Covenant Church.  A frequent story in the close of a congregation is that in the last decade the church has a total focus internally and abandons external mission.

The celebration of New Covenant’s ministry is that for the last decade the congregation has become external mission completely.  The congregation is a thing of the past, but the ministry to the community through the Lord’s Warehouse continues.  That program meets the basic needs of the community and moves into the future as a community ministry.

Sexual Misconduct Policy – The Presbytery adopted a new policy on Sexual Ethics and Boundaries.  This policy marks change in several areas.  Importantly, the policy is focused on the presbytery and is not written for congregations.  Every session is charged, through the current Book of Order to develop its own policy.  Assistance is available to help congregations do this important work.  An addition to the policy are provisions for training and orientation.

Lay Pastor Committee becomes the POV Academy Committee—This is much more than a change of name.  In the past the mission of the committee has been to train people to be Commissioned Lay Pastors.  That last name has also changed.  However, the new committee is now focused on a much larger goal of providing training and education to all people in the presbytery.

Nomination and Election of Officers and Leadership for the Presbytery—We elected members of committees and officers for 2012.  Commissioned Ruling ElderMike Beaver was installed as Moderator and Rev. Scott Hill was installed as Vice Moderator for next year.

End of Year Reporting Changes—It was reported that General Assembly Statistical Reporting is going to be completely “online” this year.  It is important to note that there is no need to have the contents of these reports approved before they are submitted to the General Assembly.