If you like to see things tallied and organized, and you're curious how the votes are coming in regard to General Assembly's 08-B amendment, see http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pz4ZcEBLpqZuM9uHsVdKKWw.
This is a spreadsheet showing the current running tally of presbytery votes on Amendment 08-B (see blog post below for more on that Amendment) AND a tally of the shift in presbyteries from earlier votes on similar measures.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Amendments to the Book of Order Proposed
The Presbyterian Church USA’s 218th General Assembly sent ten amendments and four ecumenical statements to all 173 Presbyteries for prayerful consideration and yes/no votes. The changes include a proposed amendment that would delete the current paragraph G-6.0106b in the Book of Order — which requires church officers to live in “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness”—and replace it with a new G-6.0106b (see below). The proposed new G-6.0106b ties ordination decisions more closely to assent to the ordination vows currently in the church’s Book of Order without singling out a sexual conduct standard.
The Pittsburgh Presbytery will hold its vote on these amendments and statements on Saturday, March 14th at Northmont Presbyterian. Please keep the Presbytery and Sixth’s voting elders and ministers in your prayers.
Proposed New Language in Amendment 08-B:
The full text of all of the amendments and statements is available at www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/amend/proposed-amendments-2008.pdf . The current vote tally for the amendments is also available online at www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/vote08.htm .
The Pittsburgh Presbytery will hold its vote on these amendments and statements on Saturday, March 14th at Northmont Presbyterian. Please keep the Presbytery and Sixth’s voting elders and ministers in your prayers.
Proposed New Language in Amendment 08-B:
Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate’s sincere efforts to adhere to these standards.
The full text of all of the amendments and statements is available at www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/amend/proposed-amendments-2008.pdf . The current vote tally for the amendments is also available online at www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/vote08.htm .
Friday, February 6, 2009
Lazarus Fund Accepting Applications
Good news! Thanks to many who contributed so generously, the Lazarus Fund has raised enough money to again accept applications for emergency-need grants of up to $200.
For more information, see Presbytery's Lazarus Fund site:
http://www.pghpresbyteryorg/justice/lazarus_fund.htm.
For more information, see Presbytery's Lazarus Fund site:
http://www.pghpresbyteryorg/justice/lazarus_fund.htm.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A New Era of Responsibility: Faith & Determination
From President Obama's Inaugural Address:
"... For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task...."
"... For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task...."
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Next Meeting: February 15, 2009
Please mark Sunday, February 15th, as the date of our next Church and Community Committee meeting. We'll meet in the Ridinger Room around 12:15 PM (however long it takes us to grab a cookie and a cup of coffee after worship and make it down the steps!).
By the time of this meeting, we should have an approved budget for 2009 and can begin to prioritize our work and funding for the year. In addition to deciding which organizations we want to give funding to and how much, we also need to start setting some priorities around volunteer efforts.
The Neighborhood Academy (lunches, study halls), Global Links (packing supplies), and the CROP Walk (walking, collecting sponsors) will continue to be areas of focused attention for volunteer efforts. What about key projects for the Muscles & Mops group? For More Light?
By the time of this meeting, we should have an approved budget for 2009 and can begin to prioritize our work and funding for the year. In addition to deciding which organizations we want to give funding to and how much, we also need to start setting some priorities around volunteer efforts.
The Neighborhood Academy (lunches, study halls), Global Links (packing supplies), and the CROP Walk (walking, collecting sponsors) will continue to be areas of focused attention for volunteer efforts. What about key projects for the Muscles & Mops group? For More Light?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
GA Amendments & Ecumenical Statements
The 218th General Assembly sent ten amendments and four ecumenical statements to all Presbyteries for prayerful consideration and yes/no votes. They affect the life and ministry of our churches and merit our full attention. Click here to read the full text of these amendments and statements.
The section, "On Amending G-6.0106b, G-14.0240, and G-14.0450 (Item 05-09)", addresses the elimination of some exclusionary language regarding ordination and installation, which is particularly of interest to Sixth Church and other More Light churches.
As Pittsburgh Presbytery considers the proposed amendments to the Book of Order and Ecumenical Statements, six listening and discussion sessions have been arranged by an Advisory Committee of Pittsburgh Presbytery. Members of the Advisory Committee will attend each session to facilitate discussion, record questions and summarize comments shared. It is hoped that church members, officers and ministers will participate in these sessions as preparation for the Presbytery vote on these pending matters in spring 2009.
Wednesday, January 14
10:00 -11:30 am at Lebanon PC (2800 Old Elizabeth Road, West Mifflin)
Saturday, January 17
10:00 -11:30 am at Cross Roads PC (2310 Haymaker Road, Monroeville)
Thursday, January 22
7:00 - 8:30 pm at Northmont UPC (8169 Perry Highway)
Saturday, January 24
10:00 - 11:30 am at Southminster PC (799 Washington Road)
Monday, January 26
10:00 - 11:30 am at Fox Chapel PC (384 Fox Chapel Road)
Wednesday, January 28
7:00 - 8:30 pm at East Liberty PC (116 S. Highland Avenue)
The section, "On Amending G-6.0106b, G-14.0240, and G-14.0450 (Item 05-09)", addresses the elimination of some exclusionary language regarding ordination and installation, which is particularly of interest to Sixth Church and other More Light churches.
As Pittsburgh Presbytery considers the proposed amendments to the Book of Order and Ecumenical Statements, six listening and discussion sessions have been arranged by an Advisory Committee of Pittsburgh Presbytery. Members of the Advisory Committee will attend each session to facilitate discussion, record questions and summarize comments shared. It is hoped that church members, officers and ministers will participate in these sessions as preparation for the Presbytery vote on these pending matters in spring 2009.
Wednesday, January 14
10:00 -11:30 am at Lebanon PC (2800 Old Elizabeth Road, West Mifflin)
Saturday, January 17
10:00 -11:30 am at Cross Roads PC (2310 Haymaker Road, Monroeville)
Thursday, January 22
7:00 - 8:30 pm at Northmont UPC (8169 Perry Highway)
Saturday, January 24
10:00 - 11:30 am at Southminster PC (799 Washington Road)
Monday, January 26
10:00 - 11:30 am at Fox Chapel PC (384 Fox Chapel Road)
Wednesday, January 28
7:00 - 8:30 pm at East Liberty PC (116 S. Highland Avenue)
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
EECM’s 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Sunday, January 18, at 3:30 pm
Eastminster Presbyterian Church
This January marks the 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration to be held by EECM and the Council of Congregations. It is the only time each year when all of the congregations come together in an interfaith worship service.
The service will be held on Sun., Jan. 18, at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 North Highland Ave. Music performed by several groups and individuals will begin at 3:30 pm. The Worship Service will begin with a Congregational Role Call at 4 pm. Bishop David Zubic, of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese, will speak.
Prior to the worship service, Bill Wharton, ‘the Sauce Boss’, will play and sing spicy Florida blues, while cooking gumbo for all. Lunch will begin at 1:30 pm, in Eastminster Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall. There’ll also be a vegetarian soup. The suggested donation for the lunch is $8/ person over 12 years of age.
A reception will follow the worship service. Please come for the afternoon, and help us celebrate at this year’s very special event! For questions or more information, call 412.361.5549 x411.
Sunday, January 18, at 3:30 pm
Eastminster Presbyterian Church
This January marks the 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration to be held by EECM and the Council of Congregations. It is the only time each year when all of the congregations come together in an interfaith worship service.
The service will be held on Sun., Jan. 18, at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 North Highland Ave. Music performed by several groups and individuals will begin at 3:30 pm. The Worship Service will begin with a Congregational Role Call at 4 pm. Bishop David Zubic, of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese, will speak.
Prior to the worship service, Bill Wharton, ‘the Sauce Boss’, will play and sing spicy Florida blues, while cooking gumbo for all. Lunch will begin at 1:30 pm, in Eastminster Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall. There’ll also be a vegetarian soup. The suggested donation for the lunch is $8/ person over 12 years of age.
A reception will follow the worship service. Please come for the afternoon, and help us celebrate at this year’s very special event! For questions or more information, call 412.361.5549 x411.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)