The Presbytery of Muskingum Valley
Ohio
Children enjoy the Godly Play ministry of First Presbyterian Church, Newcomerstown.
In the Presbytery of Muskingum Valley (MVP) small is strong! With sixty of ninety-three congregations having fewer than one hundred members, Presbyterians are honoring the fact that strength comes in all sizes and to seek God’s call accordingly. Leaders and members alike celebrate that missional is defined not by size, but by an outward focus made real through mission and service.
For First Presbyterian of Newcomerstown, its congregation of twenty-two reaches out through a children’s choir of twenty-seven. When challenged by a stranger to move beyond worries over a leaking roof and congregational survival to serving their community’s needs, they stepped out in faith. Now each week children gather and are fed in body, mind, and soul through nutritious snacks, Godly Play ministry, and music.
Warsaw Presbyterian Church has undergone a radical change in its Sunday school ministry. It started with a Web site that explains the dilemma of the traditional Sunday school and declining attendance. Since it implemented a monthly rotation, Sunday school has grown from an average attendance of twenty-five to an average of fifty-eight as neighborhood children are welcomed.
MVP’s Presbyterians are guided by a rule born of Acts 2:42: deep immersion in the Word, unceasing prayer, frequent breaking of bread, and service in the name of Jesus. They look to the Word to remember who and whose they are. The presbytery’s 93 congregations have 11,302 members. MVP is blessed to have the College of Wooster and Muskingum College in its bounds.
Elder Cathryn C. Piekarski, member, GAC
Presbytery Staff
Erin Shilling, administrative assistant
Barb Schie, financial assistant
Jim Spain, business administrator
Marty Radcliff, stated clerk
Debbie Rundlett, general presbyter
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
David Dobson, PPC
Elder Jean G. Dodds, CFCS
Stephen Dominski, BOP
God, help us to change — not change for the sake of change but for the sake of the gospel — that our communities might be transformed. Help us to surrender all that holds us apart from your will that we might reflect your love in all that we say and do. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Ps. 43, 149 Ps. 31, 143
Jer. 5:20–31
Rom. 3:19–31; John 7:1–13
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