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Presbyterian Women of Genesee Valley

  • Moderator, Historian, Cluster Leader 5-6-7: Gloria Hall
  • Co-Moderator, Editor of Valley Star, Cluster Leader 1: Barb Sceusa
  • Secretary / Cluster Leader 3: Janice Lewis
  • Treasurer: Peggy Miller
  • Sewing / Mission Opportunities / Cluster Leader 2: Edna Wenhold
  • Search Committee, Council Rep, Cluster Leader 4: Ruth Stewart
  • Mission / Church Women United: Eleanor Pope

The PW Purpose

Forgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves

  • to nurture our faith through prayer and Bible study,
  • to support the mission of the church worldwide,
  • to work for justice and peace,
  • and to build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and witnesses to the promise of God’s kingdom.

More PW Resources

Presbyterian Women of Genesee Valley

News From Your PWCT

Spring approaches and it comes with excitement of longer brighter days that will renew our spirits, after a long cold winter.

Our next meeting is Wednesday April 2, 9:30–11:30am at the Stone Church Bergen in Bergen.

The PWCT met at York United church Feb. 25th, and we had a full agenda. We distributed the interest from the Blossom, Beale, Nicholson, and Special Fund. These funds were given to PW as a gift of money which we have invested and yearly give the interest to missions.

The Blossom Fund is for overseas mission and this year we are sending $200 to “Water for the Sudan and to “Mission Challenge”. Mission Challenge supports our missionaries in the field.

The Beale Fund is for local medical mission. This year we are giving $200 to the Geneseo Parish outreach program and the same to the Rose Mount House at South Presbyterian Church. The Parish outreach helps people with medical follow-up who cannot afford it. The Rose Mount House provides housing for people who have loved ones in Rochester hospitals.

The Nicholson Fund is reserved for training expenses for PWCT. The Special fund monies were divided between the Wyoming, Genesee and Orleans county shelters for battered women. We feel blessed that we have these monies from the past to help the missions of the future. We honor these women by giving to the missions every year.

I know our Genesee Valley PWP’s are strong in mission giving. Mission work comes in all forms. Take a look at “around our valley” and you will see what some churches have been up to. Drop me an email and let me know what your church is doing. It is great to share ideas.

The Mission Pledge sheet was sent out in the last Valley Star but if you did not receive one please contact your cluster leader. I have accepted a request to serve on the Together in Service committee for SYNOD so I will become very familiar with that program. (This program replaced Mission Opportunities).

The SYNOD has divided us up into a PPG (Presbytery Partnership Group). We are working closely with our neighboring presbytery’s to share our expertise where needed.

On May 3, Geneva and our PW will provide training for moderators and or officers, at Batavia Presbyterian Church. It will be held from 9am till 3pm. We will share current information concerning changes and updates from SYNOD. We will have PW manuals and other important materials for your PW group. We need a RSVP before 04/28/08 so training packets can be arranged. Call me at 585-658-2733 or email me at gloriahall44@yahoo.com Perhaps churches could car pool, contact your neighboring church and encourage each other to participate.

PWCT and SYNOD are sending our newsletters (Valley Star/Lighthouse) via email. It will save the SYNOD $2500 a year if they can do this. Please look to your church office or pastor for the copy of the Lighthouse as it was sent out the week of 03/01/08. If you do not have email we will wrap the Lighthouse with this Valley Star. If you have a personal email you would like to receive this at please contact your cluster leader.

I am sure you have heard how important the Horizons can be to your PW group. It does contain the up to date Bible Study and mission information. It also keeps you informed of what is happening at the SYNOD and Churchwide levels. The Jan/Feb issue has information on the 20th year anniversary. In 1988, UPW (United Presbyterian Women and WOC (Women of the Church) became PW (Presbyterian Women).

This is a time to celebrate and time to stress the preservation of PW history. Please send your Histories of your PW to the PWCT so we can have a complete history of Genesee Valley History. If you have already, great but if you are unsure contact your cluster leader for more details. There will be time at July Synod, at Stony Point to provide a display and it would be great if Genesee Valley had one there. Any volunteers to help with this project would be appreciated??

If you need ideas, bulletins, or flyers for your project, please let us know. We have a CD and a video from PW to help you plan your PW anniversary event. Give a call or email us.

Please save October 18th 2008 9:30-3pm for the Fall Gathering at the Canandaigua Presbyterian Church. Again we are joining with Geneva Presbytery. Lunch will be provided by reservation. Louise Davidson from Churchwide Justice and Peace will be the keynote speaker. Ann Reynolds former SYNOD Moderator will also speak on diversity. Please let’s have a good showing from Genesee Valley. I know both of these women and you won’t be disappointed.

I said we were excited and had a full agenda. We would love to have you join our Co-coordinating team. We meet every other month and try to keep it to two hours. Sallyanne Rice has recently become the cluster leader from the northeast corner of our Presbytery but we need a person to help out for the downtown churches. We could also use someone’s expertise in computer skills. This newsletter is a challenge for someone like me with sad pc skills. Please join us – it is a good thing.

Our next meeting is Wednesday April 2, 9:30–11:30am at the Stone Church Bergen in Bergen.

For further information:

Message Board

April 1–May 2
Truck loaded for Church World Service 9am–noon at Downtown PC, Contact Dan Holland 585-325-4000, OR Geneseo PC April 21-25 9am-noon,call Michelle Jacobs 585-243-0669 (school, hygiene, and baby kits all welcome.) Sheets for mission too.
May 2–4
“I wish I had more Time with God” Sprig Spiritual Retreat at Christ the King Retreat House, Syracuse, NY sponsored by PWSNE. See Lighthouse or call Gloria Hall for details
May 2–5
Healing Retreat-Water of Life. St. Josephs by the sea South Mantoloking NJ, lighthouse has details or email Jane MacDonald
May 3
PPG training for moderators and officers, Batavia PC 9-3pm bring own lunch
May 16–18
Jubilee! Luke’s Gospel for the poor. A workshop for the Horizon’s Bible Study 2008/2009 Stony Point Center. See Lighthouse for details
July 18–20
“Daily walk with God-Power for Living” Stony Point Conference Center. See Lighthouse for details
July 18–20
Synod gathering at Stony Point. Bring 20th year anniversary displays
July 11–15, 2009
Churchwide Gathering, Louisville Kentucky
2012
PW Churchwide Gathering will be at the Gaylord Palms, Orlando Fla.

Together In Service

Edna Wenhold is the PWCT mission co-coordinator and can be reached at 585-344-0352, if you need mission ideas. She recently heard from Althea Meade our Together in Service chairman from SYNOD. Althea writes that sheets are still needed for overseas hospitals and Church World Service is having a truck load pick up at Rochester Downtown and Geneseo coming up in April. Pleas refer to the message board for further information.

Read about the Palm Oil Project in Horizons or find out about this and other missions. There are many Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) programs. Mosquito Nets for Africa is a $10 donation that provides malaria prevention, education materials and at least one mosquito net. Networkers Malaria Prevention Program thru CWS

Many of our churches send Direct Mission Support to individual mission workers all over the world. They send cards, letters, and pictures, little gifts at Christmas or birthdays. Most churches have a mission book they receive from Presbytery, which has information about our missionary’s in the field.

As we think about networking it is good to know we have a National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW). NNPCW is a network of young women (18-25) who are connected by a shared belief in God, seeking to understand what it means to Claim a Christian faith that empowers women. Please forward this information to your college women and for more information contact Noelle Tennis Gulden, 888-728-7228, ext. 5848

Your PWCT is always available for further information. We would love to hear what you PW is up to so drop us a line.

Around Our Valley

The women of Caledonia First PC have resumed their Wednesday night dinners. They are served most months and are free to the community. The menus vary to keep it interesting. In April they will pack boxes of clothing for a mission in Maine. They send needed clothing to Maine twice a year. The congregation raised 8200$ to drill a well f in Sudan. Their pastor is currently in Sudan to dedicate the well.

East Avon women have restated their craft group and will be hard at work preparing for their annual bazaar in November. During Lent they share individual weeks with other community groups to host Tuesday luncheons housed at Avon Central Church.

The ladies of Stone Church PC will host the ladies of North Bergen at their June meeting, when the program will feature “Women of the Bible.

The Tuscarora ladies aid gave items to the Mt. Morris skilled nursing facility this past December. The church also had a mitten tree which we divided between three school districts. They helped to give Christmas gifts to a family in need. They are putting items together for a layette they will give to the local Catholic Charities. (See the message board for the date of their rummage and Bake Sale)

Elma First PW donated profits from a December turkey dinner to many missions. They are presently working on the “Prayers of the Bible for a Faithful Journey”, Bible study. They invite everyone to join their meetings held the first Thursdays of the month at 10am in the fellowship hall.

Batavia First PC will be providing a dinner for photographers group in March and in April they will be attending a prayer breakfast in Corfu PC

The PW of Mumford is putting a cookbook together to be published at Christmas time. They will participate in World Day of Prayer service in conjunction with the Baptist Church and the Caledonia PC.

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The February 2008 edition of The Lighthouse news is online here. This issue contains: