Quarterly mailing for PW moderators, leadership coordinators, CCT and staff
Download this newsletter 
April-July 2009
PW exploring incorporation
Partners for Just Trade
Birthday Offering meets new challenges
Lydia Kim called as ministry specialist in Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries area
Big Tent coming up in Atlanta, June 11–13, 2009!
Blessings without Boundaries Envelope
A rich resource among you!
Mission Experience travels to the Dakotas in 2010
PW study tours begin in 2010
PW joins hands with PDA for work trips
Together in Service (TIS) web pages soon to be updated
A reflection on “feminism”
PW water bottles
Justice and Peace Links
Peace Notes
2009 justice and peace calendar
World Mission Challenge — September–October 2009
Human trafficking
Attention, current Horizons reps!
Event planners and Global Exchange participants
Horizons news
New PW vertical tote
Gathering Details
PW exploring incorporation
Learn about the proposal for Presbyterian Women to become a corporation.
Partners for Just Trade
Presbyterian Women chose to support Peruvian artisans when it awarded a Birthday Offering grant to Bridge of Hope in 2005. You can celebrate the immense advances these artisans have made since receiving the Offering by hosting a partnership sale through Partners for Just Trade. With free shipping and a 25 percent discount on all items you order for your sale, a partnership sale is an excellent way to raise funds for your own mission projects. Share a wide variety of beautiful, handmade Peruvian products with your congregation, and show what a profound impact Presbyterian women have had on other women’s lives around the world. Learn more, including how to host your own sale.
In May, two of these Peruvian artisans will take a tour of the United States sponsored by Green America and Partners for Just Trade. You are invited to meet artisans Evangelina Pizarro and Ayde Riveros, who will give firsthand accounts of how the purchase of fair trade products directly improved their lives and the lives of farmers and artisans in the global south. They will travel throughout Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois during the first three weeks of May 2009. Evangelina and Ayde’s stories represent those of many women around the world. Both were forced to relocate in search of a better life where they could earn more money and escape violence. Despite their move, they still found life difficult. By exporting jewelry and hand-knit products, their quality of life has increased dramatically. Learn more.
Birthday Offering meets new challenges
The Thank Offering and the Birthday Offering are the two special offerings of Presbyterian Women. They are separate from our support for PW and the church through the Mission Pledge. The Thank Offering is an expression of our thanksgiving to the Lord. It supports mission projects, with at least 40 percent going to hospitals and other health ministries that provide services for women and children throughout the world. Many projects receive awards of less than $50,000. The Birthday Offering also goes to mission projects, but two or three specific programs receive larger amounts of money. Last year the Birthday Offering did not meet its fundraising goal, and the Creative Ministries Offering Committee was not able to fully fund what we had promised to our 2008 recipients. PW had to reduce the challenge goal for 2009. We encourage each Presbyterian woman to promote the Birthday and Thank Offerings to her congregation so that we can continue our mission work, which has such a strong historical connection. Order materials to promote the 2009 Birthday Offering.
Recipients have been chosen for the 2009 Thank Offering. Check your July/August 2009 issue of Horizons for more information on the 2009 Thank Offering. Materials will be available at the Gathering in July and mailed to leadership following the Gathering. Additional promotional materials will be available in mid-July.
Lydia Kim called as ministry specialist in Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries area
Lydia Kim has joined the staff of the Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women ministry area of the GAMC as ministry specialist for Women’s Leadership, the National Network of Presbyterian College Women and Racial Ethnic Young Women Together. Learn more.
Big Tent coming up in Atlanta, June 11–13, 2009!
Ten PC(USA) partner conferences will occur concurrently in June. All participants will worship together, eat together and attend a Saturday night celebration.
Participants will learn how to further proclaim the liberation gospel of Jesus Christ for justice and reconciliation in their home communities. Contact Hector Rodriguez. with questions.
Participants will attend workshops, hear national speakers and worship with local PC(USA) congregations. Time will be set aside for new immigrant groups’ leaders to meet. Contact Angel Suarez-Valera.
Blessings without Boundaries envelope
You will notice a Blessings without Boundaries Mission Pledge envelope in your Joshua Bible study. The envelope does not replace the Blessings without Boundaries packet, but is for individuals who may not have an opportunity to make a pledge through their PWC, or who wish to make contributions over and above their pledge. It is an extra effort on the part of the Funds Development committee to boost the Mission Pledge. There are no changes in the way the Mission Pledge is collected in PW groups.
A rich resource among you!
Look around your congregation. Look at the membership roll, check out the church directory and find gifts God can God can provide through newly retired women. Newly retired women have valuable skills that can enrich Presbyterian Women. Look around and find women looking for ways to contribute, who are just waiting for an invitation to participate, to be needed. Try these ideas:
- Bring out the party hats and celebrate at her retirement.
- Send a card of congratulations.
- Create an opportunity for newly retired women to meet other women who have recently retired to share experiences and to network.
- Plan a day to express appreciation for all retired women.
- Send out the call to newly retired women whom you know and assure them they have gifts God and Presbyterian Women can use.
The Newly Retired Women’s Task Force has completed its work, and its recommendations to the Churchwide Coordinating Team are in the process of implementation. At the recommendation of the Leadership Enhancement Committee, the Churchwide Coordinating Team is recommending that PW adopt “Newly Retired Women” as its emphasis for 2009–2012 by focusing on identifying and welcoming newly retired women to PW, recognizing their gifts and serving their needs. The task force further recommends that leaders encourage learning opportunities at presbytery and synod gatherings specifically aimed at newly retired women — for example, programs on spirituality, grief, health, finance and the particular challenges of the sandwich generation.
Mission Experience travels to the Dakotas in 2010
The second U.S.A. Mission Experience of Presbyterian Women will travel to the Dakotas in September 2010. Participants will meet Native American sisters and visit reservations, schools, churches and tribal colleges as well as historical sites. One to two days will be spent on food and farming issues. Since each synod may send one delegate, they are encouraged to begin thinking of women whom they would like to sponsor for the tour. Watch for further news in the next few months.
PW study tours begin in 2010
Pack your bag and join PW on study tours in 2010 and 2011. These are for all women (at their own expense) to travel, fellowship and learn together. Trips planned:
- Global Exchange 2008 Rerun: Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine (14-15 days)
- Russia: Moscow and St. Petersburg (10 days)
- Women of the French Reformation: Geneva and Southern France (8 days)
- USAME 2008 Return: U.S./Mexico Border (8 days)
- Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise (Aswan to Luxor), Sinai Peninsula (15 days)
- Democratic Republic of Congo: Kinshasa, Mbuji Mayi, Kananga/Tshikagi (10 days)
Brochures will be available at the Churchwide Gathering, Great Room Patio Area in the Mission booth.
Additional information will be on the Together in Service Web pages immediately following the Churchwide Gathering.
PW joins hands with PDA for work trips
Three PW Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Work Trips are being planned for Presbyterian women across the nation to join hands in disaster relief. This will be the fourth year for a work trip to New Orleans, May 17- 23, 2009. Registration ended March 5, 2009, but two additional trips are being planned: one to the Texas Gulf Coast assisting with recovery from hurricanes in this area and another to Iowa to assist with recovery from flooding. All ages are welcome and job assignments will be made according to ability. Brochures will be available at the Churchwide Gathering, Great Room Patio Area in the Mission booth. Information will be on the Together in Service Web pages following the Churchwide Gathering.
Together in Service (TIS) Web pages soon to be updated
Look for exciting new stories with project ideas on the Together in Service web pages by the end of May. These stories are from the Synods of Rocky Mountains, Northwest and Sun. The Together in Service Guide Book will have revisions to pages 8, 9 and 10. These revisions will be available for download on the TIS web site.
A reflection on “feminism”
An excerpt from May/June Horizons by Noha Khoury
Recently I had the privilege of expanding my understanding of feminism when I attended the United Nations’ 53rd Annual Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). I learned how feminist ideas can be applied to national and international policy. A delegation of 15, made up of members of Racial Ethnic Young Women Together (REYWT), NNPCW and PW attended the event, which took place March 2–13, 2009, in New York. This year’s theme — “equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS” — spoke to me.
At a concert for International Women’s Day, two young women from Africa shared heartbreaking stories of abuse and hardship. I realized that it has been easy for me to ignore the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These women aren’t able to enjoy that luxury as they sacrifice themselves for the care of others because they are women and it is expected of them. The fight for justice for women is well-established in North America, but knowing that women are still treated unjustly in the rest of the world makes justice for women seem an impossible feat. Standing alongside sisters from REYWT, NNPCW, Presbyterian Women and Ecumenical Women empowered me and gave me hope that women’s status will change.
Noha Khoury is the young adult intern for Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women.
PW water bottles
To support PW’s desire to discourage the use of plastic water bottles that pollute the environment and to encourage the use of tap water, the Justice and Peace Committee will make available metal water bottles with the PW logo and web address. These will be available for purchase at the PW Resource Center at the Gathering. Visit the PW Patio in the Great Room to sign the Think Outside the Bottle pledge and get a discount coupon before you shop!
Justice and Peace Links
Recent editions of the Justice and Peace Committee’s online newsletter include information about the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals and Water. These may be read online or downloaded.
Peace Notes
Read Peace Notes, the quarterly newsletter published by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program that is devoted entirely to peacemaking issues.
2009 Justice and Peace calendar
June 11–13 PC(USA) Big Tent
July 11–15 Churchwide Gathering
October Domestic Violence Awareness Month
See Rutgers University’s Web pages for a 16-day plan of activism.
October 18 Children’s Sabbath
November 15–20 United Nations Advocacy Week
World Mission Challenge — September–October 2009
Presbyterian women are invited to support World Mission Challenge 2009. Be sure your presbytery is on board! Similar to Mission Challenge ’07, the event will provide opportunities for congregations and presbyteries to hear stories of how God is at work in and through our mission workers and global partners. Contact Ellen Dozier for more information.
Human trafficking
Presbyterian Women has been concerned about trafficking in women and children since the Global Exchange to Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. This horrendous human rights violation has grown to be the second largest illegal trade in the world. The General Assembly (2008) passed two pieces of business dealing with this. The first was a resolution challenging presbyteries and churches to look for ways to identify trafficked individuals and to advocate for and minister to them.1 The second was an overture calling for action by our government and our church to address this human rights violation with appropriate service and legislation.2 The U.N. Commission on Human Rights also published the report of a special rapporteur on trafficking.3 Become informed and find ways to take action in your community, because this country is not immune!
- A Resolution to Expand the Church’s Ministry with and Advocacy Against Human Trafficking
- On Preventing the Trafficking of Women, Internationally and Nationally
- Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
Attention, current Horizons reps!
We certainly hope your summer destination includes the Churchwide Gathering! If so, you should know that Monday, July 13, is Horizons rep day at the Horizons space in the Great Room (the place to wander and wonder, visit and shop!). Stop by the Horizons space in the Great Room any time on Monday (Great Room hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and receive a special “thank you!” from your Horizons staff and supporters! We can’t wait to see you! Also, two one-half hour Horizons rep workshops will be offered as well. One begins at 10:30, the other begins at 1:15 (the same workshop, offered twice!). We do ask that you sign up for your favorite workshop (only because of space issues). Sign up at the Horizons booth at the Churchwide Gathering or by contacting Carissa Herold or Jung Ju Winner.
Event planners and Global Exchange participants
Please note that the March/April 2009 issue of Horizons is available for events at the special discounted rate of $3 each, plus shipping, in quantities of 10 or more. The issue provides attendees with a helpful resource for more in-depth understanding of Eastern Europe, its challenges in the post-Soviet era, the special needs of the Roma and PW’s call to action. Contact Jung Ju Winner to order with this special rate.
Horizons News
Order your copy of the 2009–2010 Horizons Bible study, Joshua: A Journey of Faith in one of these versions
English; $6.00 plus shipping
Ecumenical; $6.00 plus shipping
Large print; $10.00 plus shipping
Korean, Spanish and audio editions will be available in June 2009.
Challenging economic times have given Horizons an opportunity to offer Mary Elva Smith’s supplement, Listening for God: Reflecting on the Book of Joshua, as a free download. The retreat model, based on selected themes from Joshua: A Journey of Faith, gives participants the opportunity to reflect on Joshua in community and to examine it in an honest and loving communal space. Download from the Horizons Web site after May 31.
With stories of war, exclusion, justice and covenant, the book of Joshua is one of the most challenging in all of scripture. In this supplement to the 2009–2010 Horizons Bible study, Joshua: A Journey of Faith, Tammy Wiens-Sorge invites participants to keep a prayer journal to learn more about God, themselves and the community of faith.
$5.00 plus shipping
Subscribers will receive additional Bible study resources in five consecutive issues of Horizons, beginning with the July/August 2009, issue. Subscribe now.
Subscribers will receive additional Bible study resources in ten consecutive issues of The Presbyterian Outlook, beginning with the August 10, 2009, issue. To subscribe, call (800) 446-6008.
Does your church school class or PW group enjoy time spent in God’s word? Are you already getting excited about the 2011–2012 Horizons Bible study on the Beatitudes? Are you interested in providing feedback to author Margaret Aymer, as she creates the study? Now is your chance! We are looking for field testers. As field testers, your PW group (circle, church school class, small group) will read the first draft of the study, then record your thoughts, reactions and suggestions on evaluation forms. PW staff and the Bible study author rely on those evaluations to make the study as useful to PW as possible. Field testing is coming a bit early this year, between August and December 2009. Applications will only be accepted until May 15, so apply today!
New PW vertical tote
We have a nifty new PW bag to offer. It’s called a vertical tote and includes such (shall we say it again?) nifty features, such as generously padded shoulder straps, a contoured rubber grip handle (ergonomically friendly) and water bottle holder. Its size is 16" h x 12" w with a 4" gusset. It bears both the PW logo and the PW Purpose! All for just $15.00 + shipping (10% of order total, $5.25 minimum, $65.00 maximum). Order through Carissa Herold or Jung Ju Winner .
Gathering Details
Registration is now open! You may also register using the registration booklet that was enclosed with the last Quarterly Mailing. Additional copies are available from PDS. Use the booklet as a tool to promote attendance at the Gathering. The Gathering Planning Team is counting on PW leaders to promote the Gathering, and the promotional packet has lots of good ideas for doing so.
Wonder-ful Kids: For children ages 6 months to 5 years old, $250; register by June 15, $190.
Kids Among Us: For children ages 6–12 years old, off-site day camp, $250; register by June 15, $190
UrbanSpirit: For young people ages 13–18, $350; register by June 15, $290.
Give the gift of genuine transformation to young people in your family, congregation or presbytery by registering youths ages 13–18 for UrbanSpirit, the youth-in-mission experience that transforms young hearts and minds. UrbanSpirit is a cutting-edge immersion program offering an intense simulation of life at minimum wage in America. Churchwide Gathering attendees can sponsor a young person (including their own!) for $350. This one-time fee includes all meals, program and off-site housing at UrbanSpirit in Louisville. (Transportation to Louisville is not included.) Learn more about UrbanSpirit.
Anyone who has ever planned a gathering of any size — at home, at the church, or on a national or international scale — learns quickly that solid attendance is essential for a successful event. Just as important, solid attendance ensures that future Gatherings can be as robust and spiritually uplifting as Gatherings past. Unfortunately, the bottom line for event planning is the bottom line. Renting space and media equipment is not inexpensive, and future Gatherings are planned on resources available and anticipated attendance. Please continue to encourage attendance! Other reasons to attend: nurture faith, be in community with other women, learn new skills as a PW leader, meet international participants, learn about mission opportunities, participate in Bible study, broaden your PW involvement.
Here are a few ways to save dollars and still attend CWG!
- Early-bird registration! Save $50 on Churchwide Gathering registration! Register before May 16, 2009.
- Go green and save green! Carpool! For PWs who live close to Louisville, carpooling makes sense!
- Share a room! Only one person per room should send in the reservation form, listing the names of others who are to occupy the same room.
- Make Louisville your vacation destination. Bring your families! Programs for children and youth, plus golf outings and other Louisville-area attractions can make this a truly memorable time for the whole family.
Would you like to share a little bit of your hometown with the Global Partners (international participants) who will be attending the PW Churchwide Gathering in July 2009? All you need to do is buy five (or fewer) postcards from your area, put them in a business-size envelope (with first-class postage) and send them to Roberta Mansfield, 19 Williams Way, Cranston, RI 02921-2235. The postcards will be among the souvenirs that will be given to the Global Partners. You may send them blank, or you may write a short message. You could also write “DO NOT BEND” on the outside of the envelope. And moderators, please encourage women in your areas to participate. Thank you for helping us to welcome our international guests.
Each synod and presbytery is invited to bring one item of special significance to be placed in a time capsule at the Churchwide Gathering. Look ahead 20 years to when the capsule will be opened, revealing a snapshot of the last 20 years. The item should represent a special celebration, an honored person or a significant project that took place since Presbyterian Women in the PC(USA) came into existence in 1988. The items will be sealed and stored until the 40th anniversary celebration of Presbyterian Women.
Help your sisters celebrate 20 years as PW in mission. Use an 8½" x 11" or 12" x 12" scrapbook page, piece of card stock or poster board to tell the story of a successful mission project with which your PW has been involved in the last 20 years. Write a brief description, add photos and share how God has been working through your group to help others! Mail your poster by June 1, 2009, to Patricia Longfellow, PW Program Assistant, 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202-1396. Posters will be displayed at the 2009 Churchwide Gathering; they may be picked up after the Tuesday evening plenary session. They will not be mailed back to you.
Don’t forget to promote the purchase of $20 gift cards to be collected at the Gathering and donated to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Bellewood Presbyterian Homes for Children. Those not able to attend are encouraged to mail them to the PW Business Office (attn: Theresa Slaiman), 100 Witherspoon St, Louisville, KY 40202-1396.
The International AIDS Ministry office of the PC(USA), in partnership with the CPK (Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa), is developing a fabric wrap (two meters in length) that tells the story of what a child in Africa needs to be healthy in body, mind and spirit. Joy Raatz of the AIDS Ministry office explains that, while all children need nurture, guidance, good food and clean water, health care and education, in sub-Saharan Africa, children's access to the sustenance and nurture needed for healthy development is limited. Factors include poverty and the AIDS pandemic, which results in family and social instability and the loss of adult caregivers in an already difficult economy. The wrap is meant to increase awareness of those issues, and to raise money to address children's needs. The wrap bears seven colorful scenes depicting a healthy life for children. It will be available at the Gathering for a donation of $50. For additional information, contact Joy Raatz. "We need people of faith to help create the healthy communities that we envision for children in areas of critical need," she says. She adds that wraps can be used as clothing, table covers, wall hangings and more. |
