A Day with Bruce Reyes-Chow
Using Social Media as a Powerful Tool for Faith Communities

Is anything on social media beyond Facebook a mystery to you? Do you know what a tweet is but haven’t quite mastered the format – or wonder why you should? Do you wish you could put together one of those snazzy quotation blocks that make inspiring words look cool? Are you eager to harness the power of social media to improve communication and raise the visibility of your church?

Bruce Reyes-Chow is a Teaching Elder in the PC(USA), served as moderator of the 218th General Assembly, and is the author of The Definitive-ish Guide to Social Media. Come gain hands-on experience using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Buffer, and Canva. Learn benefits and pitfalls and be inspired to use these 21st-century tools to tell your story and expand your ministry.

Bring your fully-charged tablets, laptops, or smart phones and prepare to be equipped, engaged, and inspired. If time allows, we may also delve into YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Periscope.

Thursday, September 29
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Spring Branch Presbyterian Church
1215 Campbell Road
Houston, TX 77055

Register here! $16 includes a full day of teaching and learning, continental breakfast, and lunch.

For more information, please contact Mary Marcotte at mmarcotte@pbyofnewcovenant.org.

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LOVING GOD & LOVING NEIGHBOR: What Christianity and Islam Have in Common

Sponsors:  St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Brenham Presbyterian Church, Salem Lutheran Church, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church  

Christian/Muslim relationships in the world, our nation, and our communities has become an ever-increasing topic of importance. To facilitate increased communal dialogue, we would like to offer an event that elevates the conversation and invites people into responsible, critical thinking.  We would especially like to uplift voices from various communities—including the Muslim faith communities—which decry the use of violence as a means to an end: religious, political, or social. 

Date:  October 2, 2016  Time: 4:00-600 p.m.  Place: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at 305 West Third St, Brenham, TX 77833

Format: Keynote speakers; Panel Discussion with Q & A; followed by a common meal

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Registration in advance is requested - by phone, 979-836-5522 or by email to pastorphil@stpaulsbrenham.org.

DisGRACE: Seeking God’s Grace Amid the Disgrace of Racism
October 10 - 13, 2016

The DisGRACE conference will be a faithful response to the embedded and structural racism in church and culture, but it can’t happen without you. Grounded in worship, truth-telling, confession, and collaboration, we move from disgrace toward solidarity.

Together we tackle the hidden histories, unaddressed discomforts, divisions between people and communities, with a diverse community committed to journeying through these difficult but necessary and potentially life-giving conversations.

When this conference ends, our true response to systemic racism begins.

Montreat Conference Center
401 Assembly Drive
Montreat, NC 28757

Read more and register at www.montreat.org/disgrace. Early, discounted registration ends August 15.

      An event co-sponsored by the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s Education Beyond the Walls program and the South Central Region of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (SCRAPCE)

      The church is one of the few places in American life where generations gather. How can people find common ground across the generations and experience what it means to be the people of God? Learn from proven models and experiences of worship, mission, education, and fellowship to discover how we can reach beyond the usual boundaries. Explore practices that encourage cross-generational communication and interaction. Consider ways to change your own congregation’s patterns (from teaching/ministry teams to ministry events) to better reflect what it means to be the “Beloved Community.”

      This event will be at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary on October 17 through 19, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Monday and ending at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The cost is $175/ person; $75 for those with Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) membership.

Synod of the Sun IMAGINE Mission Connection

October 21-22, 2016

Begins Friday, October 21 at 5 p.m. with worship and dinner
Closes at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 22

Woodhaven Presbyterian Church
3650 N O'Connor Blvd, Irving TX 75062

A gathering around common mission of all kinds to share, connect with and learn from one another.

Discover mission that is happening in our congregations and presbyteries; share visions of congregation and presbytery mission; generate excitement for mission and enthusiasm for mission connections; experience the breadth of mission within the synod.

All are welcome!
Registration cost is $75 per person(includes Friday dinner and Saturday lunch) and the deadline for registration is Oct. 7.  Register online at synodsun.org.​

REV. JAN EDMISTON, CO-MODERATOR OF THE 222ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL PREACH AND PRESENT! Also presenting: Rev. Patti Snyder of University Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge, LA

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Connect with Montreat - Presbytery of New Covenant Retreat

October 25-28, 2016

Plan to join women and men from churches across our presbytery for a retreat at one of the national conference centers for the PC(USA). What a perfect time of year to encounter God through relationships, renewal, recreation, and rest in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina.

Not only will we learn about Montreat Conference Center, we will have the opportunity for Bible study using the St. John’s Illuminated Bible. A caravan along the Blue Ridge Parkway has also been scheduled. Everyone will be responsible for his or her own transportation to Montreat. Housing and meals will be in the newly renovated Assembly Inn. Costs and registration information are available at http://tinyurl.com/jam2jo3.

 Questions? Contact Anne Wilson at anne.aiko.wilson@gmail.com or Sara Jean Jackson at sjj10223@gmail.com.

October 2016 Events

Immediate Response Volunteer Opportunites in Hammond, Louisiana

Although it is hard to know exactly what the timeline is going to be, we are hopeful that the muck-out phase will be finished within the next two or three weeks.  If you are able to travel within that time frame, volunteers are needed to help remove personal belongings from homes, remove cabinetry, doors, floors, trim, drywall, and insulation.  Teams interested in volunteering during the rebuilding phase will use the same registration process as the early response muck-out teams.

This is a two-step process.  Please call one of the lodging options below to check availability.  Once you have secured housing, please email the PDA Call Center to secure your work assignment: pda.callcenter@pcusa.org. Read More

Tuesday Connect

Tuesday Connect is presbytery’s weekly e-newsletter sent to all who subscribe to it. You may subscribe to it on the home page of this site. Its purpose is to build community within the presbytery by keeping our congregations and partner organizations informed in a very timely manner. Deadline is noon Mondays.

Connections

New Covenant Connections is the presbytery’s newsletter that publishes reports and articles about the mission and ministry of the presbytery and its congregations. It reaches 1,800 ministers, church professionals, elders, and presbytery committee members, as well as countless others who read it on the presbytery website. Deadline is the second Tuesday of the month before the issue date.

Sept/Oct 2016 | July/August 2016 | May/June 2016 | Mar/Apr 2016 | Jan/Feb 2016

Postlude

Postlude is publication published after each presbytery meeting and sent to all Commissioners at the meeting, all pastors, and all clerks of session. Its purpose is to help Commissioners report to their session what occurred at the presbytery meeting.