Synod’s Governing Commission ready to lead
There were many highlights at the Synod of the Trinity’s Assembly Meeting in State College, PA, in late June, from discussions about civil unrest and race relations to roundtable talks among commissioners to times of communion and listening to spiritually-moving sermons and devotions. Another key component to the two-day meeting was the formation of the…
Five congregations call Ruffner Memorial PC home in Charleston, WV
“Be careful what you pray for.” That could very easily be the slogan for Ruffner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charleston, WV, these days. A once overflowing congregation that had some 800 worshipers on a given Sunday morning in the 1960s has seen that number dwindle to around 40 in 2015, leaving a vast church building…
Prayer Shawl Ministry getting job done anonymously
Susan Remely will admit she doesn’t know how it’s getting done. But through the grace of God, it is. “It” is the Prayer Shawl Ministry that has been thriving at Southminster Presbyterian Church near Pittsburgh. For over a decade, the Prayer Shawl Ministry has been creating knitted comfort shawls for people with illnesses or those…
Rev. Fred Milligan has found a new home in Chile
The Rev. Fred Milligan Jr. is a bit of a nomad. Moving from place to place, he has lived in eight states, spending time in anywhere from Portland, OR, to the Caribbean Island of St. Croix preaching the gospel and serving the church of Jesus Christ. So it seems fitting that after 37 years of…
Synod Transitional Executive Susan Wonderland responds to Charleston tragedy
When the news surrounding the events in Charleston, S.C., broke last week, many took to the internet to share their pain, their outrage, their disbelief and their solidarity with those affected most deeply. Posts by entities in the church ran the gamut of calling us a broken society to a need for prayer to declaring…
Synod Assembly Meeting for October 2015
The Synod of the Trinity Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Synod of the Trinity Assembly Meeting October 5, 2015 (convenes at 10 a.m.) – October 6, 2015 (adjourns by noon) The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel – 215 Innovation Blvd., State College, PA 16803 Docket Dated: September 25, 2015 DOWNLOAD DOCKET HERE (All paperwork will be available…
Moderator Barbara Chaapel offers challenge following gun violence in Charleston
What follows are the opening remarks made by Synod of the Trinity Moderator Barbara Chaapel at the Synod’s Assembly Meeting on June 22. We come today with heavy hearts and disturbed minds in the wake of the violence and death in Charleston. That violent act, a sign of the conflict and hatred in our society,…
Small Church Leadership Development helping Synod’s congregations
A common situation affecting many religious denominations is shrinking memberships in their churches. A lack of people sitting in the pews on Sunday mornings normally means less money in the offering baskets and, in turn, less funds for programs in a church. Among the programming that smaller churches sometimes don’t have the funds for is…
June 2015 Rhythm of the Synod
Rhythm of the Synod Faith Notes from the Synod of the Trinity Assembly Meeting Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel State College, PA June 22-23, 2015 It’s a common response for non-Christians to look at a catastrophe and ask, “If God is all-powerful, why would God allow something like that to happen?” Christians will respond to…
First Mobile Church allows anyone to get ‘dialed in’ on Sunday mornings
If no one attends a Sunday morning worship service, does anyone really hear the message? If you ask Pastor Charlie Gross, his answer is a resounding “Yes!” Charlie is the mastermind behind the First Mobile Church, a weekly service that is conducted through his laptop and cell phone from the comforts of his own office…