1 IT’S TIME TO MAKE YOUR PLANS! It has been a busy Spring here at PW in the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. We are welcoming new leadership in our Coordinang Team and communicang with our churches as we plan a bit of a siesta for the summer. I say a bit because we are going to be doing a lot this summer: • Holding training sessions for our new church Moderators and Treasurers. We are also welcoming those of you who may have served before but are ready for a refresh! • Holding two Coordinang Team meengs to plan for future events. • Planning and thinking about our Fall Workshop. What topics do we think our women want? What topics are relevant that we all need to hear? How can we improve what we are currently doing? • Surveying our member churches to determine what, where, and how we hold our Spring Retreat. • Communicang about these important upcoming events: • Synod Gathering in October at Epworth by the Sea. • 2019-2020 Horizons Bible Study Class, Carved in Stone with the author at Columbia Theological Seminary, in August. I wish for our members to remain grateful for what our Lord is doing in their lives and the lives of women everywhere. Gwynne Mesimer, your grateful Moderator PathWays ************************* Summer 2019 Volume 32 Issue 1 ************************* Please read and share this informaon with all Presbyterian Women ************************* Editor: Mary Marn 404-345-8597—cell [email protected]Featuring: Moderator’s Message Page 1 District Reports Pages 2—7 Commiee Reports Pages 7-12 Honorary Life Memberships Page 8 PW Calendar Page 12 Synod Gathering Page 13—14 PWP CT List Page 15—16 Moderator: Gwynne Mesimer—678-787-8239, [email protected]2019 Synod PW Gathering Epworth By the Sea October 25—27, 2019 See PathWays page 13 for details
Transcript
1
IT’S TIME TO MAKE YOUR PLANS!
It has been a busy Spring here at PW in the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. We are welcoming new leadership in our Coordinating Team and communicating with our churches as we plan a bit of a siesta for the summer. I say a bit because we are going to be doing a lot this summer:
• Holding training sessions for our new church Moderators and Treasurers. We are also welcoming those of you who may have
served before but are ready for a refresh!
• Holding two Coordinating Team meetings to plan for future events.
• Planning and thinking about our Fall Workshop. What topics do we think our women want? What topics are relevant that we all need to hear? How can we improve what we are currently doing?
• Surveying our member churches to determine what, where, and how we hold our Spring Retreat.
• Communicating about these important upcoming events:
• Synod Gathering in October at Epworth by the Sea.
• 2019-2020 Horizons Bible Study Class, Carved in Stone with the author at Columbia Theological Seminary, in August.
I wish for our members to remain grateful for what our Lord is doing in their lives and the lives of women everywhere.
Cristiano (NWC) Covenant Ebenezer Brazilian Mount Vernon Northminster Northwest Peachtree Roswell Saint Luke’s Trinity - Atlanta
District
1
Alpharetta: • Our four circles held their last meetings in May,
concluding our year-long Horizons study. • Preparing for our Women’s Gathering which will be
held on Saturday morning, June 29th at the church. The theme for the event is “Centering Prayer”. This is a method of silent prayer which prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. The facilitator will be Rev. Dr. Katie Crowe, Senior Pastor of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church of Durham, NC.
• One of the very beloved women of our church, Peggy Turner, passed away very unexpectedly on May 17th. Peggy was one of three women who founded our Esther Circle.
Mount Vernon: • Community Missions sponsored a neighborhood
Children’s Easter Party. Families from our church and the neighborhood were invited. Collected gas cards for the Drake House, which provides short-term crisis housing for homeless single mothers, and sponsored clothing donations for Becca’s Closet, where donations go to teenage girls who cannot afford a party/prom dress.
• Received the PW Birthday Offering at a special speaker event on May 5th. The speaker for this event was Daphne Reiley, co-author of A Tapestry of Love. In April our interim minister spoke on “Issues That Unite and Divide Us” and shared survey results from Presbyterian leaders on measuring a church’s vitality.
• Our Summer Salad Supper was held on June 11th with installation of leaders and presentation of the Honorary Life Membership.
• In May, our Book Circle reviewed the book The Women in the Castle, by Jessica Shattuck.
Peachtree: • Honored the 80+ staff members with a catered
barbeque lunch. PW provided dessert, and enjoyed mingling with our guests.
• Continued support for the church’s Malawi mission by donating funds for training and “Days for Girls” hygiene kits. Members wrote notes of encouragement for the girls.
• Received generous donations of much-needed cleaning supplies and spring and summer clothing for men, women and children for Mission Haven. Donations were unloaded, clothes and supplies sorted, then everything was loaded up and transported to Decatur, all in one day!
• Each Saturday of Peachtree’s 155th Habitat for Humanity build, PW picked up and delivered the lunch order. We also hosted the final Saturday’s dedication day on May 11th.
Roswell: • Donated theme baskets and jewelry for the church
mission auction which raised $50,000. • Donated a “Date Night” auction basket to the
fundraising efforts of Homestretch, a non-profit serving at-risk families facing homelessness.
• Prepared and delivered a meal to Drake House each month to feed 45 residents. The Drake House provides crisis housing and empowerment programs for homeless mothers and their children.
• PW hosted four luncheons for teachers at Independence High School.
• The PW birthday celebration and spring ; luncheon was held in May in conjunction with RPC's 2nd Mile for Mission Reimagine Charity Seminar. We recognized our Honorary Life Memberhip recipient, Glenda Thomson. The Birthday Offering was collected and leaders were installed.
Saint Luke’s: • The May event was a potluck dinner and worship
service. Women who currently do not participate in PW were invited as our guests—perhaps they will choose to join PW in the coming year. We collected the Birthday Offering.
• Collected school supplies. Easter candy, and gift cards for CHRIS 180.
• We shared an exciting three-day retreat in the mountains of north Georgia. The speaker was Rev. Julie Bailey, Director of Alumni and Church Relations at Columbia Seminary.
• On Easter morning, PW served breakfast for our staff and choir between worship services.
Buford: In March PW collected items – jewelry, small knick-knacks, cheese crackers, socks, change purses, lotion, and stuffed animals for BINGO at Willow Wood Nursing Center. On Sunday, March 24th circles hosted a fundraiser luncheon to replace the church’s kitchen stove. Pastor Carrie led the Bead & Prayer Class. Studied history and the art of beads in prayer and learned to make prayer beads. Fairview: Continues to collect food and volunteer at Lawrenceville Co-op. The May Book Club discussed Britt Mare Was Here by Fredrick Backman at Good Word Restaurant. The June Book Club will review Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer. Lawrenceville: In February, PW attended the presbytery PW Winter Retreat at Camp Calvin. PW cleaned and organized their storage area. In March, PW delivered gently used purses to Mission Haven and donated items to St. Vincent de Paul. On March 17th five PW attended the PW Annual Gathering where LPC’s Jo Ann Nelson was installed as PWP Moderator-Elect. Her passion for PW will serve her well as a wonderful moderator. On April 14th PW celebrated the Birthday Offering at a Spring Fling Luncheon where over $200 was collected. On Mother’s Day PW celebrated Gifts of Women in worship. Nancy Dimmock, Presbyterian mission co-worker, gave a presentation during Sunday School about Mission Haven and what it has meant to her family and other mission co-workers. PW conducted the worship service with Nancy Dimmock preaching on “The Faithfulness of God.” Nancy and her family are so inspiring and were sent home with a load of paper goods to share with other Mission Haven residents. On May 26th PW cleaned the freezer and refridgerator in church kitchen. Norcross: The PW Moderator attended the PW Annual Gathering on March 17th at Trinity, Atlanta. Thanks to Carol Macgregor for her service as PWP Secretary 2017-2019.
Oglethorpe: In May an underwear drive was held for Mercy Community Church, a ministry for homeless people in midtown Atlanta. Participated in OPC’s annual Habitat build with other area churches to build house in SE Atlanta for a single mom and her two young children. The church book club discussed Temple Bombing by Melissa Fay Greene.
Shallowford: In February, the circles collected for Mission Haven, and in March, the collection was for the PW Birthday Offering. The offering in April was for Columbia Friendship Circle. On April 18th an outing to the Delta Flight Museum with lunch at Café’ at the Corner was held. During May, PW finished the Bible study. A donation was made to support to Nell Herring. Each month, collections are taken for the Food Pantry and Least Coin.
Pleasant Hill: Collected toiletries and clothing donations for Clifton Night Shelter residents. Collected food for Hands of Christ Co-op and volunteered working at the Co-op Food Pantry. Continue bi-monthly Saturday breakfasts and programs.
Eastminster: • PW enjoyed “A Walk Through Psalms” fellowship on
March 2nd with our Columbia Seminary intern Jeanine Fulton as our fellowship leader. Our mission project was to collect paper products for Mission Haven. After enjoying a salad potluck luncheon and our retreat closing, we presented a PW Honorary Life Membership to Jennifer Streich.
• EPC celebrated their PW Birthday Offering on April 7th with a salad luncheon, Thank Offering presentation, and speakers Rick Adle and Ken McMillan. Their program was about their dental mission trip to Haiti last year taking dental students and volunteer dentists to spend a week in Haiti providing dental services.
• Hosted a dinner/book review and discussed The Baker’s Secret by Stephen Kiernan.
• Provided a lunch for teachers and staff of the church’s preschool to show our appreciation of all their hard work! Presented each person with a plant representing how they are helping the children bloom and grow.
• Ended the year with a luncheon. The manager of the Lilburn Farmers Market was the speaker.
First Presbyterian, Monroe • Led by two members of PW, the church conducted a
“Quilts of Valor” presentation on May 19th. Seventeen military veterans in the congregation each received a specially designed quilt and a certificate detailing its history.
• PW helped field a team for Relay for Life this spring. They surpassed their stated fund raising goal.
St. Andrews: • After the May Bible study, the circle went to a
member's home for a covered dish lunch using one of our mother's recipes.
• Attended Senior Day at Calvin Center in April. • Continue to serve the community by providing a
meal and making sandwiches for Clifton Ministries, making lap robes, and “yarn” from old t-shirts for weavers at REloom.
Atlanta Mizo (NWC) Clairmont Columbia Decatur Emory Hillside North Decatur Oakhurst Trinity – Decatur The Well (NWC)
Clairmont: • In May, a speaker from Days For Girls, described
that program and $1,370 was raised. Volunteers signed up to sew items needed by this organization.
• In late April, focused on the La Gonave Goat Project. A member family owns a goat farm and they brought two baby goats to be viewed and petted following Sunday worship. The church donated $4,130 to La Gonave for goat replacement in Haiti.
When you purchase items from Amazon, you can simultaneously donate to PW. Just use Amazon Smile! Visit smile.Amazon.com and select Presbyterian Women as your favorite charitable organization. Shop as you normally would and a portion of the purchase of eligible items is donated to PW.
PathWays—Summer 2019
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Calling for Baskets Galore!
Presbyterian Homes of Georgia
will once again host a Ceilidh
Auction to raise funds for the
Caring Hands Fund. PW groups
are encouraged to donate fun and festive baskets.
Pick a theme, fill a container with goodies, wrap it
with beautiful decorations, and it will be ready for
bidding! By September 1st, please let Becky Loftis
Loyd: • A PW Birthday Party was celebrated on March 10th
with a covered dish lunch after church. • A mission dinner was held on April 11th with
speakers from the Talladega Alabama Children’s Home.
• Mother’s Day Banquet was held on Sunday, May 5th. • The Noon Circle is already working on plans for the
Boston Butt Sale in the fall and will be selling slaw and baked beans. Monetary gifts for the area food closet and the local women’s shelter, Harmony House, are planned. The Mollie Darden Circle held a yard sale on May 3rd-4th. They are continuing to make casseroles to stock the kitchen freezer for the Nurture and Outreach Committee. Both circles prepared the dinner for our Maundy Thursday Service on April 18th.
Peachtree City: • In March, donated food and non-food items to
Fayette Samaritans. • Held a St. Patrick’s Day party for Capernaum Young
Life Special Needs group, providing dinner. Music, games, green decorations, hats, and necklaces were enjoyed by all.
• In April, we helped clean up the church grounds and put down pine straw in preparation for Easter.
• In May, a group of women attended “The Bridges of Madison County” play at the Legacy Theatre.
• In May, Cathy Olson was presented with an Honorary Life Membership certificate and pin.
• Members volunteer on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the summer to make sandwiches and deliver lunches for the county-wide summer lunch program.
• Many women volunteered in June for Vacation Bible School with the theme “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.”
• Members donated food and money to Loaves and Fishes to help feed chili and salad to about 80 homeless men at St. John the Wonderworker Church in Atlanta.
Central: • Circles are completing Horizons “God’s Promise: I
Am with You” Bible Study. • Women’s Retreat on February 5th-8th at Calvin
Center was a great success.
Druid Hills: • PW provided financial support to the Giving Kitchen,
located at 513 Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta, which provides emergency assistance to food service workers in the community.
• The Circles held their wonderful Salad Super on June 11th at 6:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian, Atlanta: • PW continues to help serve in the church’s Venable
Food Pantry which is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons from 1:00—3:00 p.m. The pantry is stocked with food secured from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and donated by church and community members and local vendors.
• PW continues to publish a newsletter for PW members at First Presbyterian.
• The women are involved in planning for the church family retreat to be held on August 30th- to September 3rd in Montreat, North Carolina.
Kairos: • The church picnic was held on May 19th. A good
time was held by all. • Women’s Bible Study continues.
Morningside: • The women are involved with Sunday FUNday @
Morningside. It is a fun and energetic Sunday School program which enables children to develop their faith and strengthen their relationships with Christ. Classes for all ages are at 9:45 a.m. every Sunday.
• The women are helping with Vacation Bible School 2019 from June 24th-27th. The theme is “To Mars and Beyond,” discovering wonders of God’s universe.
North Avenue:
• On April 13th, PW invited moms and children from Solomon's Temple to join the Easter Egg Hunt. They provided transportation and extra food for the potluck picnic. The weather was great, and everyone had a fun time.
• North Avenue PW ended our study, “Walking in Jesus' Footsteps,” on May 14th with a birthday cake and contributions to the PW Birthday Offering. Next season, Associate Pastor Megan Johnson plans to lead us as we explore various spiritual disciplines.
• On May 19th PW joined with other church ministries to sponsor a reception in honor of our retiring Senior Pastor Scott Weimer.
Rock Spring:
• On April 10th, three representatives from Rock Spring PW participated in an Atlanta Regional Commission civic dinner to discuss affordable housing. ARC sponsors civic dinners to provide an opportunity for metro-Atlanta residents to sit down together and break bread, while having focused, meaningful conversations about issues that matter. Feedback from these meetings is provided to ARC to assist them as they address housing issues in Metro Atlanta. Presbyterian
• PW plans to continue these conversations with a summer civic dinner to discuss “Reimagine Aging.” PW also plans to become involved with affordable housing initiatives.
• PW also plans to become involved with affordable housing initiatives.
• PW assists in providing snack lunches, clothing, and personal hygiene items to homeless men and women who come to our door. Twice a week, members from Rock Spring hand out bottled water and sack lunches to those in need.
• PW are also involved in connecting homeless people to resources provided by other churches, including transportation to grocery pantries such as Toco Hills Cooperative Ministry, Druid Hills Presbyterian Church to connect with Mercy Care medical services, as well as First Presbyterian Church to facilitate obtaining identification needed to apply for services.
• Members remain active in Open Hands, packing and delivering nutritious meals to ill and/or homebound persons in the greater Atlanta area.
• The circle continues to read and study Horizons “God’s Promise: I Am with You”.
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District
11 Atlanta Korean Canaan Korean Good News Garden Hanbit Korean Central Korean Community New Presbyterian
Were you at the Villa international Mothers’ Day Tea on May 11th this year? If you were, you already know what a lovely time all guests had at this traditional celebration established in 2002, some 17 years ago! If you weren’t in attendance, let me paint a picture for you to see what you missed:
Upon entering the reception area on Clifton Road, you would immediately see a grand collection of beautifully set tables, highlighted by beautiful fresh greenery and flower centerpieces.
When all 72 guests were seated, servers entered bearing a myriad of tea pots for each table, followed by plated savories on matching china for that table. The delicious food was all prepared by Villa volunteers.
Welcome messages from Executive Director Camille Gaffron and Social Committee Chair Helen Fredrick made everyone feel special while reminding the guests of Villa’s ministry with its ecumenical partners.
Near the end of the first course, guests were treated to a short piano concert by Neil Thompson, a graduate of Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee. Neil taught in the Atlanta Public School System some thirty years and is associated with Decatur First United Methodist Church as Children’s Choir Director.
Then, again the brigade of teapots launched the second course—several types of sweets and nuts, served from lovely silver trays.
And that’s not all! After enjoying all the wonderful food, about a dozen interesting door prizes were drawn and centerpieces awarded to surprised attendees.
See what you missed? Don’t be left out next year! When you get your 2020 calendars, go ahead and mark the Saturday before Mothers’ Day to buy a ticket to have a lovely experience and help support the ministry of hospitality provided by Villa International.
Contact District Leader Keziah Kamau with questions.
Korean Community: • PW Churchwide Moderator JyungIn Lee spoke at the
DID YOU KNOW? Missionaries are now being called Mission Co-workers. We love to hear about them, but did you know your church can connect with them by having a mission co-worker come speak about their missionary experience or preach God’s word? Nancy Dimmock, one of our mission co-workers, has joined our monthly Mission Haven Management Team. She will be such an asset. Recently a church wanting to invite a mission co-worker, connected with Nancy Dimmock. She spoke during the Sunday School hour about what Mission Haven has meant to her family and other mission co-workers and preached about the Faithfulness of God in the Sunday Service. (Read District 2’s report. Can you find which church she attended? Email me your answer.) To invite a mission co-worker to your church contact Glenice Johnson, resident manager, [email protected]. RENOVATION NEWS: YAHOO! The bathroom for apartment 2D has been beautifully updated. It was great to have churches send gift cards to help with its furnishings. The bathroom and kitchen for apartment 2B have been demolished and are in the process of being wonderfully reconstructed. You can be part of 2B’s renovation by sending a Home Depot gift card.
PRAYERS & BLESSINGS: Jim McGill, our mission co-worker in Niger, had a ruptured appendix in February. After surgery in Niger, he was flown for further treatment to Paris. He returned to Mission Haven (his home away from home) for a couple of months to recuperate. In May, he was able to return to his family in Niger.
Mission Haven is blessed to be full during the remainder of 2019, and we pray it will continue to be full in 2020. Visit us at www.missionhaven.net and “like” us on Facebook!
Thornwell is pleased to introduce a new Advancement team member, Buddy Ferguson, who will serve Thornwell as Senior Church Relations Manager.
Buddy served 13 years in higher education alumni affairs and advancement, most recently as Vice-President for Alumni and Advancement at Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. Previously, Buddy was a math teacher in Gaston County, North Carolina. He was also a beloved football and soccer coach who led the school as Athletic Director. Buddy is a graduate of Erskine College with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and Belmont Abbey College with a Master's degree in middle school math.
Buddy and his wife, Kim, have been married for 34 years and have two children. Even better, they are loving life as grandparents to two beautiful grandchildren! Kim and Buddy are thrilled to be joining Thornwell, and the Clinton, South Carolina community.
In his role at Thornwell, Buddy will leverage his experience and broad network of relationships to strengthen church recruitment, retention, and growth. More specifically, he will begin working closely with church PW groups, mission and outreach committees to increase financial support and personal involvement with Thornwell’s many and varied ministries.
In his introductory letter Buddy described his work at Thornwell this way: “I want to hear more about your hopes and dreams for children and families of your community and the community of Thornwell.” Buddy welcomes your calls about how your PW group can connect with Thornwell. 864.938.2100, [email protected].
Exciting news at Thornwell!
The long-awaited Charter School will open in August with grades Kindergarten through 6th, sponsored by the Charter Institute at Erskine. Facility renovations will be complete in early July. It is an exciting opportunity for Thornwell to offer an individualized learning environment for children living on Thornwell’s campus and throughout upstate South Carolina.
When I was a little girl in the 1950's, the library was one of my favorite places to go on summer afternoons. It was close by so and it was air-conditioned! Most importantly the children's reading room was filled with wonderful books which brought new ideas and adventures to life for me.
Books are still an important way to entertain and educate a child. Here is a short list of titles and authors of books that support conversations on race and racism. Perhaps your PW would consider purchasing some of the books for the children in your congregation.
Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X, by Ilyasah Shabazz, (for ages 6—10). Written by Malcolm X's daughter.
Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, by Andrea Davis Pinckney, (for ages 6—9). Tells the stories of ten black women activists.
Unstoppable: How Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Defeated Army, by Art Coulson, (ages 6—10). In 1912, the team from Carlisle Indian Industrial School defeated the U.S. Military Academy.
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation, by Sylvia Tonatiah, (ages 6—8). About ending segregation in California.
Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock, by Asland and Kelly Tudor, (ages 3—8). An 8-year-old helps stop a pipeline in North Dakota.
The Day You Begin, by Jaqueline Woodson, (ages 4—7). Finding courage to connect when you feel scared and alone.
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library, by Carole Boston Weatherford, (ages 9—12). Story of a Harlem resident, an Afro-Puerto Rican law clerk, who collected books, letters, music and art from Africa to show the achievements of people of African descent.
Something Happened in Our Town, by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins and Ann Hazard, (ages 4—8). Follows two families - one white, one black—as they discuss a police shooting in their community.
The Whispering Town, by Jennifer Elvgren, (ages 7—11). Story of neighbors in a small Danish fishing village who, in 1943 during the Holocaust, shelter a Jewish family waiting to be ferried to Sweden.
This spring, AMIS relocated their office to North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. We had a ribbon-cutting and office blessing at AMIS Day on February 24th.
There is a new logo and website too.
www.amis-inc.org
Executive Director Irene Wong commented on the new logo, “I like how the globe represents our international student outreach and the dove points to the peace between nations that we are working to achieve.”
What difference do the AMIS programs make?
Recently AMIS intern Ebenezer Alonge conducted some interviews with current international students in Atlanta and here is a response from a student - Emmanuel, from Ghana, is a student at Columbia Theological Seminary. Emmanual left his young wife and three children in Ghana to come to Atlanta to study at Columbia Theological Seminary. Here are his comments:
“My encounter with AMIS gave me a lot to think about, with the topmost being why should people think about and make provision for those they do not know?' and why would someone want to create a home for another he/she does not know, one who may be perplexed because he/she is out of home or comfort zone?
This ministry by AMIS has informed my thinking about always making room and home for the 'others,' welcoming and accommodating anybody no matter the cost and by this we might be entertaining 'angels' unaware. This kind of hospitality is profound. I pray God gives me capacity to replicate it in a special way wherever I find myself. Every program of AMIS that I attended also reminded me that I was not alone, there were a host of others like me who have also left all to be here. And that gave me strength to forge on.”
You and others in your congregations can make a difference as a volunteer with AMIS. Visit our website - www.amis-inc.org and explore the volunteer opportunities.
As Presbyterian Women, we have the opportunity to be part of an organization that puts women and children first, and tries to make a difference wherever we serve. This year, the theme for the Presbyterian Women’s stewardship initiative is “Cultivating Presbyterian Women . . . Love Grows by Giving.” This campaign reminds us that the work of PW does not happen in a vacuum. We celebrate God’s love by responding to the needs of God’s creation. Over time, those responses led to the creation of the PW Celebration Giving Program—a program made up of five components that meet vital needs in the world as well as in our own local communities but only possible because of the generous financial support from Presbyterian Women.
• Celebration of Mission thru women’s pledges (the PW Mission Pledge/PW’s Annual Fund) • Celebration of Believers (honorary life memberships/recognition gifts) • Celebration of Creative Ministries (two offerings –the Birthday Offering and the Thank Offering • Celebration of Christian Community (ecumenical giving – World Day of Prayer and the Fellowship of the
Least Coin) • Together in Service (hands on mission service).
The chart below illustrates the robust participation from the churches within the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta in Celebration Giving, as well as in our partner ministry organizations in 2018:
Available on the PW website (https://www.presbyterianwomen.org/shop/) is an array of literature and tools to help promote a stewardship campaign for your PW group including “Love Grows by Giving” bookmark (free); a “Cultivating PW Toolkit” to provide inspiration for presenting the various components of Celebration Giving; and a “Cultivating PW” placemat that helps present a visual of the campaign. You can also view and share “Cultivating PW” video available on PW’s YouTube channel. The challenge for us is to continue to grow these numbers! Please direct questions and/or payments to Barbara Wilson, PW Treasurer for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. Her contact information is as follows: Barbara Wilson email: [email protected] 6447 Sycamore Drive Hoschton, Georgia 30548 telephone: 770-377-3587
Birthday Offering $11,795.65 Childspring International $50.00
Honorary Life Pin $1,345.00 Church Women United $545.00
Least Coin $1,887.43 Columbia Friendship Circle $1,244.18
Mission Pledge $7,001.75 Haiti Missions $100.00
Thank Offering $10,118.59 Johnson C Smith $250.00
Mission Haven $2,195.00
Presbyterian Homes $625.00
Thornwell $1,675.00
Villa International $260.00
PW CELEBRATION GIVING $32,148.42 TOTAL PARTNERSHIP GIVING $6,944.18
On June 7th, Church Women United in Atlanta celebrated “Everybody’s Birthday” at their meeting at the Peachtree Christian Church. The women enjoyed games, prizes, and food and were encouraged to donate 50 cents for every birthday each has celebrated. Special recognition was given for Kathleen Eidson’s 100th Birthday! To honor Kathleen, a cheerleading group, “Stayin' Alive Crew” joined the festivities and entertained. The picture below shows Kathleen with the cheerleading group.
2019—2020 Horizons
Bible Study
Love Carved in Stone:
A Fresh Look at the Ten
Commandments
by Eugenia Anne Gamble
What would it mean to consider the Ten
Commandments not as a harsh list of what not
to do but, instead, as a “love letter” from a
loving God? A fresh embrace of the Ten
Commandments (or Words), author Eugenia
Gamble suggests, may ultimately contribute to
the restoration of ourselves and our
communities and the furthering of the gospel in
the world. Moral behavior matters, not simply
because immoral actions can anger or
disappoint God, but because principled
behavior is how love becomes real, both
toward God and in community.” Love Carved
in Stone is a Bible study that helps us reframe
the way we look at and live in the world.
Look for ordering information and more
resources on the PW website:
https://www.presbyterianwomen.org/bible-
study/love-carved-in-stone/
PathWays—Summer 2019
13
2019 PW Synod Gathering
October 25-27, 2019
Epworth By The Sea, St. Simons Island, GA
Save the date, make plans to attend, and invite your friends.
Details and helpful resource links:
Learn more about what is New This Year.
See Exploration Descriptions for topics which will be presented.
Print and share the Informational Brochure with others.
Poster to advertise in your church. (Plain background option)
Download a Registration Form (an online version will be available soon)
Make onsite Lodging Reservations at Epworth or pre-pay selected meals if you will stay offsite. A variety of housing
options are available.
Remember to purchase or borrow a copy of Jodi Picoult’s novel Small Great Things and read prior to the gathering.
Attendees will assemble PDA hygiene “Gift of the Heart” kits on Saturday evening. Contact your District Leader to
donate items for this hands-on mission project.
If you want to connect with other women interested in the PW Synod Gathering, join our Facebook page: https://
www.facebook.com/groups/PWSOSA.2019Gathering/. Post your questions and your ideas. Share your excitement and
photos.
To contact the Planning Team directly, send an email to [email protected].
Scholarships are available. See page 14 for scholarship applications. Deadline is September 15th. c
