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A LETTER FROM THE GENERAL MINISTER TO PITTSBURGH PRESBYTERY

In this week's pastoral letter, Loving God by Loving God's People, the Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge, General Minister to Pittsburgh Presbytery, continues to unpack the promises we make upon ordination to service in the church. Today he writes about our promise to attend to God's people in the very ways we commit ourselves to attend to God.

COLEMAN/PATRICK SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION NOW AVAILABLE

The 2013-2014 Robert Coleman/Leroy Patrick Scholarship application is now available online. This scholarship is named in honor of two outstanding African American leaders of the Presbyterian Church and is awarded annually to racial-ethnic undergraduate students who are recommended by their church pastor or the director of a validated mission agency of Pittsburgh Presbytery. The awards are distributed through the National Black Presbyterian Caucus, Pittsburgh Chapter, and funded by members of Pittsburgh Presbytery. Eligibility requirements are listed on the cover sheet. The complete application package must be received by June 3, 2013.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE PRESBYTERY NIGHT AT THE PIRATES GAME!

Mark your calendars now for Friday, June 14, at 7:05 PM when the Pirates take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. All fans will receive a free T-shirt. This would be a great all-church fellowship, branch, or youth group event. A portion of the sales will go to support the mission of the presbytery. We have also been invited to sing the National Anthem that evening and are hoping to have a combined choir of up to 150 singers from the churches of Pittsburgh Presbytery again this year (details below)! More information available online.

CHURCH CHOIR TO SING AT PIRATE GAME -- ALL SINGERS WELCOME!

Join the Pittsburgh Presbytery Church Choir to sing the national anthem at the Pirate game on Friday, June 14. The choir will be made up of all singers from the presbytery who want to participate - we are hoping to have a combined choir of up to 150 singers, the maximum allowed! Please let the Director of Music or Choir Director of your congregation know if you would like to participate. More information available online.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL DONATIONS FOR OUTREACH

Crestfield Camp & Conference Center is Pittsburgh Presbytery's camp -- it belongs to all the churches and members of Pittsburgh Presbytery! Coins for Crestfield is a unique way you can partner with the camp as they move toward their goal of new lodging, worship, and recreational spaces for children and adults. Children could pool their spare change to help them raise the $15,000 needed for a new outdoor climbing wall. The Coins for Crestfield mission outreach has, to date, resulted in almost $4,000.  Children and youth who attended local church community Vacation Bible School or residential summer camp have loved bringing in coins and are excited to be supporting a mission site that was familiar and understandable. Parents have loved the simplicity of the collection as they do not have to go out and buy anything for the outreach mission. In addition, many of the parents have shared the impact that summer camp has had on their own faith development and were pleased to learn there is a thriving Christian camp and conference center so close to Pittsburgh. Visit the camp website for more information about the retreat facilities, programs, and special events that nurture others in their experience with God.

PRESBYTERIAN YOUTH TRIENNIUM 2013

The Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Churches are centered around the worship of and the trust in God as lived and taught by Jesus Christ and carried on by the power of the Holy Spirit. This includes the daily invitation to all of us to pray, serve, and “Go into the world!” For young people it helps to spend dedicated time discerning what these invitations mean, what they look like, and how they connect to their lives. At the Presbyterian Youth Triennium, July 16-20, through the presentations, studies, recreational events and mission experiences we strive to connect youth and adults with activities that inspire them to be alert, active and seek ways to connect their lives with their growing faith.  Registration closes May 31.

COMING EVENTS & LECTURES AT PTS

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) will offer a number of events and public lectures this month. Following is a listing with more information available on the PTS website.

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will host the annual Summer Leadership Conference, June 9-12. Participants will explore the theme “Spiritual and Emotional Growth through Life: Insights from the Ministry of Fred Rogers” while attending daily workshops and worship services. Keynote speakers include Amy Hollingsworth, psychologist, college professor, and author of The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers; Martha A. Robbins, Joan Marshall Associate Professor of Pastoral Care; and Steven S. Tuell, James S. Kelso Associate Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament. On Monday, the program focuses on the work of Fred Rogers in relation to children, spirituality, and healthy human growth, thus offering an exciting opportunity for a variety of professionals to share insights with each other.

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has received a worship renewal grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The grant will fund a year-long project in which the Pittsburgh Seminary chapel program will recruit and train worship teams, each with a faculty or clergy mentor, who will meet regularly over the course of the academic year to plan a monthly chapel service, engage in theological and practical reflection on previous services, and study broader issues related to worship via book discussions and workshops by experts in the field. This is one of 28 grants totaling more than $300,000 awarded for 2013 by the CICW to churches, schools, and seminaries across North America.

The Seminary will present “Where to Belong, If Anywhere?” Monday evenings, May 6, 13, and 20 from 7:00-8:30 PM. Susan Kendall, director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at PTS, will lead the course.The attendees will focus on the terms “spiritual but not religious” and “spirituality,” the category of post-denominational affiliation, and identifying as a “none of the above.” Together participants will explore what remains, what always has been, and what always will be using that center to reflect on what all of this might mean for each of us.

The Seminary will celebrate its 217th commencement activities Friday, May 31, at 7:00 PM at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. The Service of Thanksgiving will be held Thursday, May 30, at 6:00 PM in the Hicks Memorial Chapel.

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