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SOUND BYTES
The newsletter that preceeded Agape Herald

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SOUND BYTES
News Notes from the Interim General Presbyter
The Presbytery of Huntingdon

April 2002

Greetings:

Greetings from the Presbytery Office! I trust that your journey through the Lenten Season was one of mystery and introspection and the Easter Season will bring you renewal and new resolve.
Frederick Buechner, in his book, Listening to Your Life writes this about the risen Christ: ìAs you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. Just as Jesus appeared at his birth as a helpless child that the world was free to care for or destroy, so now he appears in his resurrection as the pauper, the prisoners, the stranger: appears in every form of human need that the world is free to serve or ignore. The risen Christ is Christ risen to his glory and enthroned in all this glorious canvas, stained glass, mosaic as Redeemer and Judge. But he is also Christ risen in the shabby hearts of those who, although they have never touched the marks of the nails, have been themselves so touched by him that they believe anyway. However faded and threadbare, what they have seen of him is at least enough to get their bearings by.î

Presbyterian Communicators Introduced!

Wow! What a joy! We now have under the convener, Peggy Kendall, a group of 39 communicators who have agreed on a position description. Thanks to Stu Carlson, Huntingdon, who put the thinking of the group in written form, this mode of operation will be tested and, I am sure, will be improved over time. Keith Smith, member of the Administrative Umbrella Team, will have oversight and will coordinate the work of the group with the overall Communication Strategy of the Presbytery. The 39 Presbyterian Communicators represent 36 of our 54 churches. The goal is to have every church in the Presbytery with a communicator.
Role
ìThe role of the Presbyterian Communicator is to facilitate communication within the Presbytery of Huntingdon. The Presbyterian communicator will work to improve communication: * from Presbytery to its congregations, * from the congregations to the Presbytery, * between the individual congregations within the Presbyteryî.
Expectations
ìThe output expected from implementing this role are: * to achieve a spiritual community which is relational and communal, * share best practices to enhance each congregationís effectiveness, * help advance the Mission/Vision of the Presbytery and * develop and strengthen ties between the Huntingdon Presbytery Churches.î

Practical Application
In a practical way, these communicators, working with the pastor and other appropriate persons within the congregation, will be the ones who are to be contacted when we want to get ì the word out and aboutî on any issue, project, meeting, workshop, training event, celebration or concern.

Note: Attached to the Sound Bytes is a listing of the Presbyterian Communicators and the churches they represent. Please use them in a helpful and winsome way.

Snow Shoe Presbyterian Church Damaged

At staff meeting, Jean Haynes reported on the extensive damage to the Snow Shoe Church due to frozen water pipes in a hot water heating system that failed. The water damage was enormous and hardwood floors, plaster, ceiling tiles, carpeting, etc., were damaged beyond repair. Even though the insurance will cover some of the loss, the defective heating system and other things will not be covered. Even tables were destroyed. The cost of the damage was extensive. Members of the church and community have started the ìclean up processî, the obtaining of estimates for repairs, working with the insurance company and members and friends have started to contribute money to cover expenses.
If any church or individual would like to contribute to this endeavor, please make checks payable to The Presbytery of Huntingdon and make sure that you designate the purpose of the check is for the Snow Shoe Fund. Send checks to the Presbytery Office. Our treasurer, Bruce Brower, will place the money in a ìpass through accountî and the money will go directly to the church. Also, please pray for the congregants of this church. They feel even more distraught over the fact that much of the damage was done to the recently renovated section of the church that other churches of the Presbytery helped to redo.

Attention Church Musicians

The Presbyterian Association of Musicians is presenting ìGathered By Grace ÖThe Community at Worshipî Conference at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 2002 Albuquerque Conference on worship and music will be held for July 14-19. It is for Pastors, Musicians, Educators, and Worship Committees from all size churches. For copies of the brochure, please contact the Presbytery Office and we will copy the one that we have. Contact: Janine Barony
814-684-2803.

Attention College Students

The 2002 National Presbyterian Student Forum will focus on ìThe Six Great Ends of the Church ÖBringing Them All Togetherî. This is a place and a time when college students gather to think and reflect theologically about the mission of the church and their place in it. The Presbyterian Collegiate Connection of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is sponsoring this conference. It will be held at Denison University in Granville, Ohio from June 12-16, 2002. If you have questions e-mail returner@ctr.pcusa.org or call 1-888-728-7228 ext.5765. We have one brochure in our office and could copy that for you.

The Annual Conference on ìCritical Issues in Higher Educationî sponsored by the Higher Education Program Area of the PCUSA will take place Monday through Sunday, July 15-21, 2002 at Ghost Ranch Conference Center, New Mexico. The theme is ìCan We Believe and Think At The Same Time? The Integration of Faith and Knowledge.î For additional information contact: http://www.ghostranch.org or call 505-685-4333. The conference is for students, faculty, administrators, trustees, chaplains, and those who minister to them. We have a brochure and can copy one or more for you. Just call the Presbytery Office.

Frontier Mission Project of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Kay Lewis is a person with whom you must speak about mission projects; of course she is not the only one. I will have something to say about others next. Kay can talk about Outreach in Thailand or the Global Day of Prayer for Burma or why there is suffering in Burma. Call her if you or your congregation wants to explore mission projects. She is also very involved in the New Wilmington Missionary Conference and would be happy to present a program on that conference as well. Dr. Kay Lewis can be reached by calling: 814-684-3761.

Thailand Mission Trip

One of the most exciting meetings that I have been a part of was the last meeting of the Discipleship Umbrella Team when the Bepplers introduced Judy Black from the Sinking Valley Church to talk about her impressions of the mission trip to Pahk 5 Nan. Judy, in a very short period of time made me feel that I had been with the group and experienced the incredible experience myself. The mission trip was deeply moving for all the people from our Presbytery that traveled to Thailand. This trip is a deeply significant time for people who are on a faith journey and most are. Attached also is a list of the ìThai Travelersî. Invite one or more to present a power point presentation or speak at your church or community gathering. You can live part of the experience through them.
Why was the DUT meeting so wonderful for me? Not only because of the fine reporting of Judy Black and David and Marcia Beppler, but also because of the DUT memberís enthusiasm about the Covenant-Relationship between the Presbytery of Huntingdon and Pahk 5 Nan. The desire that this relationship be deepened and broadened and a desire to explore the possibilities for doing this were exciting to witness.
A List of Thai Travelers is also attached to the end of the Sound Bytes. This attachment is not available electronically.
 

A New Journal

The Christian Networks Journal is a new quarterly magazine that has quickly earned a reputation among Christian leaders for it bold commitment to unbiased reporting and in-depth Biblical analysis of todayís most important and theologically difficult issues.
Dr. Thomas Tewell, Senior Pastor, Fifth Avenue Networks Journal is fantastic! ìI especially appreciate your interviews with some of my very favorite Christian authors including Fred Rogers, Lloyd Ogilvie, Tony Campolo and Walter Brueggemann. The layout is wonderful and the interviews and the articles are excellent. I particularly like this journal because it not only provides an opportunity for understanding a global issue but also provides revenue for global missions and emergency relief. What a great idea! I believe that it will help many peopleÖincluding me.î The subscription cost is $15.00 per year. Contact: Christian Networks Org at 1000 W.Wilshire Ste. 342, Oklahoma City, OK 73116-9726. I have not read the journal yet but it has had great endorsements.

Muslims-Jews-Christians In Open Dialogue

Thursday, April 11, 2002 at the Edith Davis Eve Chapel on the Penn State, Altoona Campus at 7 p.m. you have an opportunity to experience: Presentations on The Concept of God, The Concept of Salvation and the role of the community, inter-panel discussions, audience participation and enjoy refreshments. This program is offered in order to: encourage opportunities for dialogue, renewal and personal growth, celebrate and understand our differences and learn to respect other belief systems and share concepts and commonalties through public forums and study opportunities. Among the distinguished panel of presenters is our own Reverend Kathy Colebank, First Presbyterian Church, Altoona. This should be a very informative and inspirational event. Why donít you encourage car pooling and take a number of persons from your church.

Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church

This Task Force, commissioned by the laying on of hands by three moderators who appointed them has twenty members and was established bye the 213th General Assembly (2001). It is trying to model ways for the church to deal with fundamental and difficult issues. It has had two meetings.
The charge to the Task Force is to ìlead the Presbyterian Church (USA) in spiritual identity of our Christian identity in and for the 21st century, seeking peace, purity and the unity of the churchî.
There will be a ìwhole church discernment processî. There will be focus groups at the 214th General Assembly (2002). More details of the work of the task force can be found on the website at: www.pcusa.org/oga/theo-task-force and in the church press. There has been and will be regional consultations where the Stated Clerk and the Executive Director of the General Assembly will pursue questions being asked by the Task Force.
Attached to the Sound Bytes, as a third attachment, is a covenant. Governing bodies including sessions are ask to use it as a model for working together. This attachment is not available electronically.

Interim Executive Training

MALT Interim Executive Training sponsored by the Synods of Mid-America and Lincoln Trails is offering this training from October 31 to November 3, 2002 at the Mercy Center in St. Louis, MO. If you have been "recommended by your governing bodyî or if you have served as an Interim Executive or if you are in serving in an executive position now," you are eligible for such training. Our COM would be the entity in this Presbytery that would recommend to the Presbytery your name. The brochure about this can be copied and sent to you upon request.

McCormick Theological Seminary Offer Dynamic Conference

ìfor such a time as thisÖî is the theme of the April 27-29, 2002 conference in Chicago, Illinois. The presenters are a dynamic trio: Frederick Buechner, Ann Weems, and J. Barrie Shepherd. All three of these have touched the hearts of many Presbyterians and others. There will also be a drama presentation by the Thuma Mina Mission Theatre Company: ìWalk with Me-Camina Conmigoî. Thuma Mina means, ìSend me, Lordî in Zulu. Three McCormick students are in the cast. In addition to the above, there will be a fellowship cruise on ìThe Odysseyî on Lake Michigan and Cliff Kirkpatrick, State Clerk of the General Assembly, will be awarded the ìDistinguished Alumnus for 2002 Awardî. Each moment there are opportunities for growth and fellowship. If you have questions, call, Grayson Van Camp at 773-256-0781 or email her art gvancamp@mccormick.edu
A great opportunity for continuing education!!

Thank You

As I leave you at the end of April, I leave with such good feelings and experiences. The leadership and people of this Presbytery are the ìsalt of the earth.î I will miss you all very much. Thank you for your gracious support and your willingness to work hard and accomplish so much in nineteen months. You are a ìspecial people!î
Thomas of Celano, writes about Saint Francis, ìOn one occasion the brothers entreated Francis to teach them how to prayî Öthe following is one of the prayers he taught: ìWe adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, in all our churches of the whole world, we bless you, for by means of your holy cross you have redeemed the world.î

May adoration and praise sound loudly in word and deed from all of the churches in the Presbytery of Huntingdon!
 

Peace through Love,
 

Judson C. McConnell
Interim General Presbyter