Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery’s traveling labyrinth is shown at the First Presbyterian Church of Wheeling, WV.
In January 2023, Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery was awarded an Innovation Grant from the Synod of the Trinity. What follows is a recap from the Rev. John Harris on how the presbytery is using the funds.
The grant resulted in the creation of a new mission we are calling “UOV Labyrinth Ministries.” The largest expenditure listed in the grant application and in the creation of this new project was for a custom-made modified medieval seven-circuit 24-foot octagonal canvas labyrinth. We received, dedicated and first officially used this labyrinth in May 2023.
Our application stated that we hoped to bring the labyrinth to at least 10 congregations of the presbytery. So far, we have brought the labyrinth to only six of the presbytery’s churches: Bethlehem, Toronto, Wellsburg, Vance, First Wheeling and Bellaire, some multiple times. We also made the labyrinth available for walking at a presbytery meeting and were reimbursed for providing a workshop and walk associated with Rising Up Yoga held at St. Mark Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Wheeling. We are scheduled to present a reimbursed workshop and walk for the officers at Fairhill Manor Christian Church, a Disciples of Christ congregation in Washington, PA.
We wish more congregations within the presbytery would have taken advantage of the opportunity to learn about and experience the labyrinth by hosting a no-cost Labyrinth Workshop and Walk, but they have not. We continue to solicit invitations to provide no-cost facilitated workshops. We remain hopeful that more congregations will host workshops and walks.
Beginning in July 2023 we began emailing a one-page OUV Ministries Update to interested parties, Presbyterian as well as non-Presbyterian, including Synod Communications Coordinator Mike Givler. We would welcome the opportunity to include other entities in this monthly update if they express interest by sending us their email at uovlabyrinthministries@gmail.com.
So far, we have been able to raise an additional $900 from churches within the presbytery to expand and solidify this new project, all three churches having chosen to financially support this new mission after having hosted a workshop and walk.
On behalf of Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery and the six other project partners, I, the Rev. John Edward Harris, thank the Synod for this grant and the Synod’s continued prayers for the project’s work.