June 6, 2005

The Vision Committee and

The Council

At our last meeting of Presbytery, former Moderator Bill Starke asked us a question about how Council business would be conducted given the changes we approved to the Presbytery Manual.

Here is the answer: In the months when a regular meeting of Presbytery is scheduled, the Council of the Presbytery will meet on the second Monday of that month (either 10 or 17 days before the Presbytery meeting). The Council will continue to be a clearing house for information and a coordinating body for the mission of the Presbytery.

The Vision Committee of our Presbytery is a part of Council and will meet every second Monday of the month (except July and August). The Vision Committee is comprised of six elected at-large members, the Moderator, the Vice Moderator, the immediate past Moderator, the Executive Presbyter, and the Stated Clerk. The role of the Vision Committee, as I see it, is to help move the Council above, beyond, and past merely being a clearing and coordinating level of bureaucracy. The role of the Vision Committee is to help the Council become more than the place where, if you are a member, "you get the scoop on what's really going." The role of the Vision Committee will be to evaluate ministry, cast vision, provide leadership, and coordinate the necessary details of being a Presbytery. The Vision Committee will help move the leadership of Presbytery into becoming a coordinated, forward thinking proactive body.

The first meeting of the Vision Committee Meeting occurred last week. We met for four hours at the First Presbyterian Church of Howard County. It was an extra kick off meeting, and our goal was to meet each other and begin mapping out how we are going to accomplish the vision that has been designed. The Nominating Committee is still searching for two elders to serve on the Vision Committee. To date, the members are Moderator Florence Henderson, Vice Moderator Anita Hendrix, immediate past Moderator Tim Stern, Ministers Terry Schoener from Woods Memorial, George Antonakos from Central, Sue Lowcock Harris from 1st of Howard, Elder Ann Kellermeyer from Cumberland, Executive Presbyter Peter Nord, and Stated Clerk Charles Forbes.

In months when there is no regularly scheduled Presbytery Meeting, the Vision Committee will meet for extended sessions. The COGOS report and its amendments include the following Goals: Resourcing Congregations, Christian Education and Youth, Evangelism, Support of Clergy, Inclusivity, Mission, Reliable Financial Strength, and working for Justice. The intent of the new Vision Committee is to keep the Presbytery and its agencies focused on these Goals. This year we will develop a system of evaluation and accountability. We also will attempt to enliven Presbytery Meetings. The Vision Committee will meet in extended Session in October, December, February, and May and also possibly April. In October and December, we will focus on the goal of Resourcing Congregations. In February we will focus on Inclusivity, and in May we will focus on Evangelism.

That is the plan as it stands. I hope this begins to answer Bill Starke’s question!

Tim Stern

Chair of Council

Inside this issue

Take Note/Act Now

§ New Staff Members

§ Final Report of P.U.P.

§ New Local Church Announcements

§ Job Opportunities Online

Prayer Concerns

§ Emmitsburg PC

§ Light Street PC

People

Prayers for Ron Martin-Minnich (Roland Park) who will be deployed to Guantanamo Bay in December.

Prayers for George Antonakos installed as Associate Pastor at Central PC on Sunday, August 28.

Best wishes to Julie Helms, who will complete 24 years of service to the Presbytery of Baltimore on Wednesday, August 31.

Prayer Concerns

Emmitsburg PC asks for prayers:

§ For the health and well being of the current congregation.

§ For reasonable growth in the size of the congregation.

§ For more growth and responsibilities in the community.

§ For the continued success of the endowment to help Mount Saint Mary’s University students.

§ For the development of the lay ministry program to share the pastoral responsibilities.

Light Street PC asks for prayers:

§ As the congregation celebrates 150 years of ministry in Federal Hill.

§ That God would guide their search for new ways to serve a changing neighborhood.

§ That the congregation would grow and thrive in the years to come.

Take Note/Act Now

The Presbytery of Baltimore is looking for new staff members: Associate for Mission and Justice, Coordinator of Communications, Director of Development, Public Policy Advocate, and Associate Stated Clerk. Please encourage people you know to apply. More information can be found on the web at: www.baltimorepresbytery.org.

The Final Report of the Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church has been issued and is available for you to read. This report, four years in the making, seeks to chart a course for how our beloved Church will move into the future. A Special meeting of the Presbytery of Baltimore has been called for October 4, 2005 at 4 PM at Govans Presbyterian Church. Two members of the Task Force will discuss their report and answer questions. A retreat for clergy is planned for November 9-10 at Bon Secours for the purpose of dialogue. These are important times in the church and we are encouraged to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit through the work of the Task Force.

http://www.pcusa.org/peaceunitypurity/resources/finalreport.pdf

Don’t miss all the new Local Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/announcements.html.

Also on our website

The Presbytery of Baltimore posts job opportunities: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/opportunitycalls.html.

Past Issues of Tidings are available at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/midweekmail.html

Presbytery Yearly Calendar

Contact Us

Presbytery of Baltimore

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Baltimore, MD 21239

Office: 410-433-2012 or 800-511-0087 Fax: 410-433-2066

Online: www.baltimorepresbytery.org