January 22, 2008

Farewell to Alice 20 Years of Dedication to the Presbytery of Baltimore A very long time ago – sometime around 1988 – a young woman was hired by the Presbytery of Baltimore. A lot of things have changed over the years – not the least of which was this woman. Since then, the Presbytery office and its operations have evolved greatly. At first there was little more than DOS computers; a printer that was wheeled from office to office; and, email down-loaded from one computer connected to the internet. We have come a long way since then and one person has presided over the amazing technological changes through all these years. She knows more than the computer techs that troubleshoot for us or the ACS support staff that is supposed to answer our software questions. Her technological skills are awesome. But they do not compare to the person herself. Alice McGee has become the voice of the Presbytery. For years, her cheerful voice was the one that greeted those who called or walked into these offices. Other staff delighted in hearing her sing as she walked through the halls. Her concern for the Presbytery and her loyalty to the people it serves has been beyond measure. For the twenty or so people who have had the opportunity to work at the Presbytery with Alice, she has been a genuine gift. And the same can be said by all those on committees and in churches that have had the pleasure of working with her, as well. We have walked these years with her through crises; hip replacements; the birth of her daughter, Gabrielle; and, most recently, the development of a graphic design business that she has been nurturing. We have watched her grow and develop into the senior staff member of this Presbytery – the glue that has held us together as well as connected us with the past. We are immensely grateful for her 20 years of dedication. We are thrilled that she is now able to follow her dream of starting her own business and having more time for Gabrielle; and, we thank God for the time we have had with her. If you attend Thursday’s Presbytery meeting, I hope you will join in applauding her for work well done! Blessings, Peter Nord		Inside this issue 827^th Stated Meeting – 1pm. Jan. 24^th Havenwood Presbyterian Church REGISTER ON-LINE NOW for The BIG EVENT! (If submitting registration by mail, please write workshop selections on form.) Take Note/Act Now § VBS Meeting § Annapolis Day § The Big Event & Scholarships! § Katrina Rebuilding Efforts § General Assembly Applicants § Form of Government Task Force § Middle East Task Group § Developmental Disability Day § Human Rights Dinner § Guatemala Agreement § Bryn Mawr Endowment Conference § Wanted: administrative assistant
Contact Information The Presbytery of Baltimore: Phone: 410-433-2012 or 800-511-0087 Office E-mail: office@baltimorepresbytery.org Website: www.baltimorepresbytery.org To Unsubscribe: Call or email Alice McGee	Take Note/Act Now Baltimore Presbytery Items Presbytery of Baltimore’s 827^th Stated Meeting will be held 1pm on Jan. 24^th at Havenwood Presbyterian Church. Church educators are invited to attend a preview of the Presbytery’s new summer vacation bible school curriculum kits. The 1-hour review will be held at noon on Jan. 24^th, before the Stated Meeting. Save the Date! Presbytery of Baltimore in Annapolis Day. On Monday, Feb. 4^th, the Presbytery will sponsor Annapolis Day in Rm. 170 of the House of Delegates building. Everyone, including youth -- is welcomed to participate in this event to witness state government in action. [more] Save the Date! The Big Event will be held Saturday, Feb. 23^rd at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park. The Education and Nurture Committee will offer 10 (ten) scholarships to the Big Event. For more information, contact, jjohnson@baltimorepresbytery.org Church Notices First Presbyterian Church of Howard County will be going to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Volunteer Village in Pearlington Miss. Mar.2^nd-8^th to help with post-Katrina rebuilding. Anyone interested in joining us should contact Dave Dittman @ 410-465-5610 or Kris Holmes at 410-730-3545 ex. 24. Synod and General Assembly Items The National Committee on the Self-Development of People and other General Assembly level entities are looking for qualified applicants to serve.  The deadline date for completing the process is January 25, 2008.  The list of entity descriptions is online at www.pcusa.org/nominations under resources. The General Assembly’s Form of Government Task Force is proposing changes to the Book of Order. Pastors and Clerks of Sessions are encouraged to review the Task Force report by clicking link below and referring their comments and questions to vbrown@baltimorepresbytery.org. The Middle East Task Group offers an extensive resource list of speakers and groups supporting peace in the Middle East. To review the list, click [Middle East Peace Organization] Join the Presbytery in supporting Developmental Disabilities Day in Annapolis on February 26^th. The agenda includes a legislative reception and briefing as well as several hours of constituent meetings with legislators. For more information, click: http://www.md-council.org/resources/PDF/DDDay_Flyer08.pdf Other Items and Events United Workers organization is sponsoring a Human Rights Dinner at 5pm on Sunday January 27^th at Faith Presbyterian Church, 5400 Loch Raven Boulevard. Proceeds from the dinner will help sustain the organization’s community work. [more] The Baltimore and Kaqchikel Presbyteries will renew their partnership agreement during the upcoming trip to Guatemala. The new agreement offers the Kaqchikel Presbytery an opportunity to respond to the long-term needs of its indigenous people. [more] Growing Ministries through Growing Funds: A Regional Conference of the Presbyterian Endowment Education & Resource Network will be held January 26^th at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania. To purchase a ticket for this informative event see driving directions or click [more] Ashland Presbyterian Church is praying for a new office administrator!   YOU could be the answer to our prayers! For details, call the church at 410-527-1844 or send resumes to: Personnel Committee, Ashland Presbyterian Church, 116 Ashland Rd., Cockeysville, MD 21030 or FAX to 410-771-9113. Also on the Presbytery of Baltimore website Find past issues of Tidings at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/midweekmail.html. See new Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/announcements.html
Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter pnord@baltimorepresbytery.org	Bill Millen, Associate Executive bmillen@baltimorepresbytery.org	Vaughn L. Brown Jr., Stated Clerk vbrown@baltimorepresbytery.org
Deb Milcarek Associate of Mission and Justice dmilcarek@baltimorepresbytery.org	Jane Johnson Associate for Leadership Development, Education and Youth jjohnson@baltimorepresbytery.org	Rita Walters Director of Development rwalters@baltimorepresbytery.org
Julie Erickson Director of Public Policy jerickson@baltimorepresbytery.org	Judi Forrester Coordinator of Financial Services jforrester@baltimorepresbytery.org	Alice McGee Coordinator of Information Services amcgee@baltimorepresbytery.org
Wanda Morgan Coordinator of Resources wmorgan@baltimorepresbytery.org	Deborah I. Greene Coordinator of Communications dgreene@baltimorepresbytery.org	Questions? Comments? E-mail office@baltimorepresbytery.org