November 28, 2005

Happy Spring…

I am once again behind in my reading for my book club, this month we are reading While I Was Gone by Sue Miller. While it is interesting enough, what really struck me is how art imitates life. One of the characters in the book, a pastor, laments about having to meet with the fundraising committee. In real life, many pastors can sympathize with this fictional character. They too are weary, having spent so much time preaching, “You’ve got to give. You’ve got to give.” I am suggesting a new paradigm, “You GET to give. You GET to give.” You get to give your time, your talent, your financial resources; these are holy gifts that please God. John Wray of Church Financial Campaign Service sums it up nicely, “These gifts that we offer God are symbols of our covenant love with Jesus Christ, made in response to our understanding of Christ’s great love, which was offered first for us.”

I remain convinced now more than ever, that as children of God we can claim abundance. There is enough. We need only petition God for our daily bread. It is then that we are asking God to provide all our needs and we pray to use these resources wisely holding special remembrance for the poor, needy and those unjustly treated (mission giving). God who is the source of our generosity continues to bless and nourish us.

While I Was Gone never revisits the outcome of that meeting between the Pastor and Fundraising committee but I hope he did not spend time talking about budgets but instead opportunities-to give, to love, to live.

You GET to give, you GET to love, you GET to live...and live life more abundantly.

Rita Walters

Director of Development

Inside this issue

Event of the Week

Presbytery Meeting:

March 23^rdat 1:00pm at

Cherry Hill Community PC

Take Note/Act Now

§ Katrina Work Trip Training Postponed

§ March 23^rd Presbytery Meeting

§ Youth Rally

§ Annual Clerk of Session Meetings

§ Nonviolence Training Retreat

§ Committee Members Needed

§ Presbytery of Baltimore Membership

§ Harry Belafonte – Nonviolence

§ CPM/COM training

§ Young Adult Ministry

§ One Great Hour of Sharing Materials

§ PCUSA Worldwide Mission

§ Pastors: Spiritual Development

§ Interfaith Panel Discussion

§ Immigration Bill

§ David Rusk – Affordable Housing

§ Election-related Legal Issues

Prayer Concerns

Ashland PC

Woods Memorial PC

People

Harry Holfelder has returned home and is recovering from his surgery.

Donna Lea’s sister has lung cancer.

Alison Halsey recently had her shoulder dislocated by an over anxious canine.

Presbytery Staff will be away from the office much of Tuesday, evaluating the results of their Church Road Trips.

Prayer Concerns

Ashland PC

asks for prayers:

· for their on-going ministries of worship, education and spiritual formation

· for their mission projects and partners at home and abroad

Woods Memorial PC

asks for prayers:

· for the transition process surrounding Terry Schoener’s upcoming retirement.

· for the congregation of Woods Memorial Church and the Pastor Nominating Committee as we search for a senior pastor who will be called to lead Woods Church.

Take Note/Act Now

Hurricane Katrina work trips & training:

The Saturday, March 25^th training workshop for those who want to organize such workgroups has been postponed due to insufficient registration. More details coming soon. Inquiries may be directed to Deb Milcarek: 410.433.2012 or dmilcarek@baltimorepresbytery.org.

Reminder: the March Presbytery meeting will be this Thursday, the 23^rd, at 1:00pm at Cherry Hill Community PC, 819 Cherry Hill Road, Baltimore, 21225, church: 410.355.6860.

The annual Baltimore Presbytery Youth Rally will take place on April 29^th at 1^st PC of Howard County. Registration forms are available from the Presbytery home page calendar. Registrations are due to Marla Youkers by April 17^th.

Annual Clerk of Session Meetings for Reading Minutes This year we will follow our pattern of holding regional meetings; three remain: north on April 1 at Perry Hall PC, south on April 22 at Harundale PC, and Baltimore on April 29 at Govans PC.

Registration and information forms for the Baltimore Presbytery Nonviolence Training Retreat on May 5-7, 2006 are available off of the calendar on the Presbytery home page.

Council is looking for three elders to serve on Personnel Committee and five people to serve on Nominating Committee. Please contact Ken Kovacs if you have questions, suggestions, or wish to serve, kkovacs498@aol.com or 410.747.6180 (Catonsville PC).

As of December 31, 2005, the Presbytery Of Baltimore reported a total membership of 17,981, down from 18,537 the year before. Thirty-one churches increased, six churches remained the same, and thirty-three churches declined in membership (six by the loss of one member). The church with the largest percentage increase in membership was Mt. Paran with a fifty-percent increase. Six churches increased by more than twenty-members: First of Annapolis, Brown Memorial Park Avenue, First of Bel Air, Prince of Peace, Chestnut Grove, and Mt. Paran. Congratulations! Four churches accounted for a loss of 412 members.

Harry Belafonte will be speaking about life, race, and nonviolence on Sunday April 9^th at 3pm at Brown Memorial Park Avenue PC (flyer).

COM/CPM Training is available on April 1 in Wilmington, DE. Call 302.366.0595 for details.

Mienda Uriarte, GA Mission Associate for Young Adult Ministry will be leading a discussion about young adult ministry and presenting resources Saturday, April 1, 2006 in DE (more).

The Presbytery has acquired a four minute DVD as well as a PowerPoint presentation which are ideal for introducing the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. They may be used for worship services, as an offertory, as a call to worship, or for small or large groups of all ages. Contact Deb Milcarek at dmilcarek@baltimorepresbytery.org for information.

Mission committee members, elders, pastors, Christian educators, and newsletter editors who would like to keep up-to-date about PCUSA mission may subscribe to the PCUSA Worldwide email list at http://www.pcusa.org/wmd/list.htm.

Alban Institute has an article on Pastors assessing their own Spiritual Development - http://www.alban.org/weekly/2006/060320_AssessingSpiritDev.asp

Peter Nord will be speaking at an interfaith panel discussion, “Israel and the Peace Process: Different Perspectives, Possible Solutions” on Wednesday, March 22 from 12-1:30pm (more).

Peter Nord spoke on Sunday at a BUILD Action against the current immigration bill that would criminalize acts of charity that churches might give to undocumented immigrants.

David Rusk will be the featured speaker during an evening discussion about affordable housing in Baltimore at Grace Methodist Church on April 6^th (more). RSVP. Space limited.

The MD Assoc. of Nonprofit Organizations is hosting an instructional seminar on election-related legal issues on March 28^th in Baltimore, “What Churches, Charities or Other Nonprofits Can Do During this Election Year…and, What They MUST Avoid!” (read flyer)

Also on our website

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

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

Presbytery Yearly Calendar

Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter

pnord@baltimorepresbytery.org

Bill Millen, Associate Executive

bmillen@baltimorepresbytery.org

Deb Milcarek

Associate of Mission and Justice

dmilcarek@baltimorepresbytery.org

Charles Forbes, Stated Clerk