PNNe-Connections February 18

Dear (pastor),

Greetings in the name of God our Father and Christ His Risen Son.

In the days before COVID, it was generally accepted that the Moderator of Presbytery would plan to visit as many churches as possible over the course of his or her term. Obviously, in-person meetings are ill advised at this time, though there is hope on the horizon. Despite the hardship imposed on us, we are blessed to have the ability to meet across great distances. This imposition has actually opened new doors for ministry and mission.

As your moderator for the year, my hope is to take advantage of technology to meet with you, your sessions, and your congregations. My preference, and I hope the day will come, is to visit you in your community and church. I love driving in New England, and will travel anywhere if invited. But in the mean time, I hope to become remotely acquainted with you (pun intended.) I want to learn about the work you are doing in and with your worshiping community, I want to share stories from around the presbytery with you, and I want to explore how we might be supportive of our shared and common ministries.

Of course, you might like some background – you wouldn’t want a complete stranger showing up in your Zoom room, so, a little about me. I’ve had experience ranging from common laborer to retail management, industrial sales, teaching, and for the last decade as an RN working with psychiatric patients. I’ve been ordained as a deacon and a ruling elder and am currently the clerk of session in my home church. I chaired the board of directors at Camp Wilmot for six years and currently am in my final semester at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary where I’m studying to become a Commissioned Ruling Elder.

The Presbytery of Northern New England is made up of a broad spectrum of faithful Christian brothers and sisters. My hope is to learn just how wide and broad we are, and to explore how we can lift each other up even as we continue our missions at home.

Please feel free to contact me anytime to schedule a meeting, or just to say hello and chat about the weather.

In Service,
Rob Heinze
Moderator
Presbytery of Northern New England

New! Calendar on PNNE Website
There is an error with the way the calendar page on our website is displaying scheduled events for February. If you change the calendar to a weekly view instead of a monthly view, scheduled meetings will appear. If you look ahead to March, the monthly view appears as normal. Please view the calendar by clicking the weekly view (the small calendar icon with a 7 on it in the top right corner) until the issue is resolved.

New! Contact for Communication Re: Finances

Rev. Sally Newhall will be our presbytery contact person for questions about presbytery finances while we are looking to fill the treasurer position.

You can reach Sally by e-mail at: revnewhall@aol.com or by phone at: (774) 239 - 4340

COVID-19 Vaccine and Imagining What Comes Next

Join Rev. Meagan Manas, Pastor of the Clinton Presbyterian Church in Clinton, MA, and her colleague Sean McHugh, RN for a webinar on the vaccine and imagining a return to gathering in person on Wednesday, March 3 from 11-12. Meagan and Sean work for an organization called MassSupport Network that is providing support in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Sean and Meagan will present the science of the vaccine and how it will impact the risk of gathering in person, and help us think about a values-based process for "re-gathering."

Click here to register in advance for this meeting

Guidelines on Reopening
New Castle Presbytery has provided guidelines on reopening churches as we move through phases of distributing COVID-19 vaccines. You can find them on our website under COVID-19 Resources or access them directly here.

Update! New England Glow

NE Glow now has a website where information about all events can be found: www.newenglandglow.org

Movie Night: Sunday February 21 at 7 PM. The movie will be Soul. Register for Zoom link here.

Blood Drive: NE GLOW has been in touch with the Red Cross about hosting a blood drive across the region (in late spring - a date will be chosen that works for the churches that sign up). If you are interested in offering your space for a blood drive please fill out this form. Gift cards/scholarships available to youth who host a blood drive through The Red Cross. The Red Cross needs 1,500 square feet of space and a ramp in order to move the beds and other equipment for a blood drive. Tables and chairs are also needed. Your job will be to promote the event, get people to sign up and provide a juice and snack for each donor!

New! Seminary Course: Reformed Worship and Sacraments

Online, 10 weeks on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 - 9:30 PM, beginning March 24. Offered by Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Detroit, MI, for audit or 4 credit hours.

Instructor: The Rev. Allen D. Timm, M. Div., MATS, D. Min., Adjunct Professor, ETS, and retired Presbyterian Clergy, living in Andover, Massachusetts.

Students will explore the background and content of Reformed Worship and Sacraments. Main texts: Peter Bower’s The Companion to the Book of Common Worship, and The Book of Common Worship. The class will explore typical and occasional services. Students who take this class will be able to articulate the meaning of the elements of Reformed Worship, and design worship services. The course is open to M.Div. students, CRE’s, Christian Educators, or elders who design worship.

Cost: $600 for audit (go to etseminary.edu to register) and $2200 for 4 credits (contact Aarti Ahuja at the seminary, aahuja@etseminary.org). You can read the full syllabus here.

Solo pastor, 3/5 Job with Full Benefits
Christ Church is a family-size congregation. PC/USA. More Light, Matthew 25, strong mission, Progressive Christianity-affiliated. Near UVM in downtown Burlington, Vermont. View our Beloved Community website: christchurchburlington.org; MIF #05021.

A Beautiful Rural Community Awaits the Right Pastor
The Barnet Presbyterian Church is in search of a full-time pastor. They are a rural church in Northern Vermont in a town of about 1700 residents. They have a healthy congregation looking to be led with enthusiasm into the next chapter in the life of their church. They offer housing and a salary commensurate with experience. Please visit their website or click here to access a copy of their MIF, or you can apply on the Presbyterian Church Leadership Connection website.