JUNE 2014Rome Presbyterian ChurchP O Box 189939 Main StreetRome, PA 18837

When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry.

William Shakespeare

Thank you all, once again, for the time away for study and renewal. In brief, I’ll try to share what I did:

Week 1: I stayed around home and read a book for the upcoming conference. I also had several pastoral meetings with folks, some on purpose and some by surprise.

Week 2: Attended the Exponential East Church Planting Conference in Orlando. Peggy Hughes also attended. It was us and several thousand others on the campus of this huge Baptist Church. It was all

pretty new to me, but John Terech, (the Director of Operations & Moderator, ECO Presbytery of the East) had encouraged us to go. Wow! I feel like I learned a whole new language in a week and was able to listen to some of the great preachers of the day. It was very exciting and motivating and it will take awhile to unpack all of the information that was crammed into my brain!

Week 3: I spent most of the week in New York City where I went to worship in three different environments and to try to sort out the prior week with the help of my friend and spiritual mentor, Gayle. We had a gracious host in my childhood friend, Michael. I was able to worship at the following places and if you’re interested you can probably Google them to find out more.

Brooklyn Tabernacle – Amazing place with an amazing gospel choir! Redeemer Church – The head pastor is Tim Keller. They have one church but

three congregations. We went to the Sunday evening contemporary jazz service on the West Side.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral – Beautiful even in the midst of reconstruction. Gayle participated in Mass (I sort of did from the side, where I mostly prayed).

At the end of the week I drove to Philly to pack Kirstyn up to move her home. My sainted husband drove down on Friday to load up her stuff and then drove straight back home while Kirstyn and I stayed in the city. We were able to see Sylvia Abram’s son, Allen Radway, in a play. On Mother’s Day I had the

privilege of going to my daughter’s church, Tenth Presbyterian. Wow! Of all the churches I visited, this one felt like home – totally traditional with a pipe organ, men’s chorus, and a Scottish preacher!

Week 4: At home again, I kept reading about the church and sorting through my notes and began to prepare for re-entry into daily ministry. On Friday of the week we welcomed David and Jody Taualofai into our homes and talked with them to prepare for the Ministry Accounability Group (MAG) meeting they would lead with our session and the elders from Halstead, Endicott and Stevensville. We really enjoyed our time together.

And now I am back and happy for it. A time away like that doesn’t really have sense and meaning until you can come back and use what you learned.

Once again, I want to thank you for that time and space to re-group and hear God’s voice anew.

Pastor Karen

And here is the next installment of our new Polity:

This attempts to explain the move from “member” to “covenant partner”.

1.0305 The Congregation’s Expectations of Covenantal Partnership

Each covenant partner (member) shall strive to be faithful to Christ by participating in the congregation’s worship, fellowship, and service on an ongoing basis.

This has been the expectation of members all along, so nothing new here.

Faithfulness in Christ involves each covenant partner’s dedication of time and talents for the congregation’s mission and ministry, in accordance to the gifts that God has bestowed upon him or her. Faithfulness also involves the stewardship of finances. As each covenant partner grows in the grace of giving, financial support of the congregation’s mission and ministry should grow, along with tangible support for other ministries that advance God’s Kingdom.

Nothing new here either. We have always been expected to be gracious givers for the glory of God!

Faithfulness to Christ also involves each covenant partner’s dedication of time and talents for the congregation’s mission and ministry. Those who are invited to take significant leadership roles in the congregation shall be spiritually mature, agree with the Essential Tenets of ECO, be carefully selected, be trained and/or mentored, and be supervised, and should ordinarily be members for at least a year.

I hope the Nominating Committee is reading this! As we seek for leaders to serve as Elders, Deacons and Trustees, we are looking for these things to be evident in their lives. And each covenant partner should ask God if they are being called to serve at this time.

Covenant partners (members) of the congregation have differing abilities, varied spiritual gifts, and various levels of commitment. The session shall strive to create an effective disciple-making, ministry- discernment process, and equip covenant partners (members) to be missional Christians, being faithful to nurture covenant partners (members) into spiritual maturity and significant ministry.Ooo! We are all over this one. At least we are aspiring to be. Much of what I learned on the aforementioned study leave had to do with this exact point. Each of you is gifted by God. The Session’s task is to get to know you and invite you to use your gifts to build the kingdom of God! YOU! Yes, YOU! Have abilities that God wants to use to build his kingdom here! Will you let him use you?

There will be no newsletter for July. We will resume with the August 1st issue. Have a great summer.

Peggy

Session Meeting Summary

Elders met on May 22, 2014, at Rome Presbyterian Church at 6:30pm. Pastor Ballard opened with prayer and led devotions with the scripture reading, Ephesians 4:1-16. (Paul telling the church how to live…) In verses 11-13 Paul describes a new way of being a church. Pastor and elders reflected and discussed: What do you hear God saying to you? and What will you do about it?

Elders then continued by discussing the following:

6 Shut-ins - Reuben and Jenny Brimmer, Marion Jones, Ethel Parks, Charlotte Sandor, and Virginia Wilson – please keep them in your prayers.

8 new Covenant Partners Received notification RPC is now included under ECO federal tax code 501 (c) (3) exemption Received and reviewed trustees, mission, and treasurer’s report Men’s breakfast will be June 14th with the men from New Beginnings as invited guests Approved the use of CEB and for Moms on a Mission (MOM) group starting in the fall Rome United Methodist Church sent a $158 donation to VBS Gathering this year for ECO is in Dallas, August 18-20th - Pastor Karen and Peggy Hughes will

attend Discussed responses to questions 7 & 8 from the Health of the Church Document: 7) How is your

congregation intentionally unleashing the ministries of women, men, and people of different ethnic groups who are experiencing God’s call? 8) How is the idea of ministry as the joy and calling of every disciple evident in your congregation? How are you equipping people to represent Jesus more effectively in their respective professions?

Elders expressed the joy they felt when meeting with the other churches in our Mission Affinity Group (Hallstead, Stevensville, and Endicott) on May 17 at RPC. Jody and David Taualofai facilitated this informal get-together by leading in worship and sharing personal testimonies. All look forward to working together

Watched a TEDtalk conference video as a springboard to discussion on answering the questions “Why” do we exist as a church? Why do we worship together?

Next Session meeting: June 16th @6:30 @ Judy and Mark Madill’s home

Respectfully submitted,

Sylvia Abrams, Clerk of Session

Helping the world see Jesus

The church’s role isn’t only to “take Christ to the world,” thus fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, but to recognize Christ already at work in the world and help others see him, too. God is visible through his handiwork, but easily seen? Not always. So the church is called to direct the world’s gaze past mere “human decency” or “good fortune” to God as the ultimate Source of goodness.

When someone professes atheism but also awe at nature, we might gently share our conviction that God designed such beauty. When medical care yields a cure, we can thank Jesus openly for healing. When community volunteers deliver toys to foster children; when counselors help families communicate; when neighbors welcome newcomers … there is Jesus.

Christ doesn’t hole up in church buildings until church members “take him” to the world; he works in the world, through churched and unchurched alike. But the church is key to helping people recognize him.

Bible Quiz

Which of the following is an accurate father-child match from Scripture?

A. Saul and David B. Zechariah and Joseph C. Abram and Ishmael

D. David and Boaz Answer: C (See Genesis 16:15.)

6/1 HARRY COLE 6/9 MARGARET CHAPMAN 6/17 CHRIS COWLES6/3 MICHELE COWLES 6/10 LEX CRAGLE 6/20 DOREEN LENGEMANN6/4 PHIL HUGHES 6/11 JOE MIHALEK 6/28 PEGGY HUGHES6/8 WESLEY BALLARD 6/13 MICKEY MORRIS

June 3 Chris/Michele CowlesJune 14 Harry/Mary Cole

6/20Rick/Doreen Lengemann

JUNE 15, 2014

THOUGHT: He didn’t tell me how to live’ he lived, and let me watch him do it. -Clarence Budington Kelland

A FATHER’S DAY PRAYER

Let up praise those fathers who have been striven to balance the demands of work, marriage and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice. Let us praise those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to become a good father.

Let us praise those fathers who, by their own account, were not always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support. Let us pray for those fathers who have been wounded by the neglect and hostility of their children.

Let us praise those fathers who, despite divorce, have remained in their children’s lives. Let us praise those fathers whose children are adopted, and whose love and support has offered healing.

Let us praise those fathers who, as stepfathers, freely choose the obligation of fatherhood and earned their stepchildren’s love and respect. Let us praise those fathers who have lost a child to death, and continue to hold the child in their heart.

Let us praise those men who have no children, but cherish the next generation as it they were their own.

Let us praise those men who have “fathered” us in their role as mentors and guides.

Let us praise those men who are about to become fathers; may they openly delight in their children.

And let us praise those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and whose love continues to nurture us.

-Kirk Loadman

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for caring fathers. Thank you for caring for me in all my days. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Dear Church Family,When the beautiful floral arrangement was delivered to me, it came as a complete surprise. I’m well on the road to recovery, but the flowers have made me feel even better! It’s amazing what flowers and sunshine can do for one’s morale.Thank you so very much for your thoughtfulness and kindness.

With My love and God’s Blessings. Again, thank you,

Jo Lengemann

Joan Cowles Barney Lisa Lewis Lisa Saxe Billy Robinson Kristi, JessicaTom & Carol Shay Leith & Carol Fuji Nichole Rought June Duff and Sandy MorrisPeople struggling Cancer patients

WILDERNESS ESCAPEWHEN: JULY 21-JULY 25, 2014TIME: 9:00-NOONWHERE: ROME PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH