“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven .” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Week of July 27, 2020

Presbytery of

Cincinnati

4309 Cooper

Road

Cincinnati,

Ohio 45242

The Cincinnati Sampler MORE PRESBYTERIANS—MORE ENGAGED

Let’s Make the Table Bigger

Springdale Presbyterian 1792-2020

In 1792 a group of settlers left Fort Washington on the banks of the Ohio River and established settlements to the north. In Indian Territory between Fort Washington and Fort Hamilton, and during ongoing Indian Wars in the region, a stockade was erected in what became Pleasant Valley Station. The settlers brought their families up from the river and soon began standing under the nearby trees to worship their God. This became the beginnings of the church known as the Springfield Congregation. Encouraged by the Reverend James A. Kemper, in 1796 the Presbyterian Society helped raise funds for a meetinghouse and cemetery, built between 1801-1803. The “meetinghouses” have gone through transformations over the centuries, and the Old St. Mary cemetery is now owned by the Boro of Springdale. And while the Springdale Presbyterian Church held its last worship service this past Sunday, July 26, 2020, the work of those saints—past and present—will forever live on.

For wherever you go, God is sending you. Wherever you are, God has put you there.

The very Christ who fills you has something He wants to do through you

wherever you are. Well done, good and faithful servants!

Connecting and equipping

congregations to bear

witness to the

overwhelming hope,

audacious joy,

and contagious love

of Jesus Christ

PRESBYTERY STAFF AND OFFICERS

Lisa Allgood, Executive Presbyter— lisa@cpresby.org

Rev. Erwin Goedicke, Stated Clerk—erwin@cpresby.org

Margaret Heidenreich, Office Manager—secretary@cpresby.org

Barbara Jean Havens, Coordinator Eastern Area Council

Bill Maney, Treasurer—finance@cpresby.org

Bill Bogdan, Moderator

Rev. Carol Ferguson, Vice Moderator

Rev. Adam Fronczek, Council Chair

PRESBYTERY OFFICE HOURS ARE 9AM-2PM Monday through Thursday

Presbyterian Planning Calendar 2020-2021

This 16-month calendar (September, 2020-December, 2021) contains many planning aids for pastors and other church leaders. Includes lectionary for Sundays and special days, liturgical days, liturgical colors, resource information for PC(USA) programmatic emphases, updated synod, presbytery and Presbyterian Mission Agency staff directories, color foldout synod/presbytery and world maps.

Cost per calendar is $10.00 and all orders must be pre-paid. Payment is needed by July 29, 2020. Unfortunately, there are no cancellations after this date.

You will be notified when the calendars have arrived (expected around mid-August) and arrangements for pick up or delivery can be made at that time.

Please use the order form below and send to

secretary@cpresby.org

Please pay by check made payable to the Presbytery of Cincinnati.

Contact Margaret Heidenreich at secretary@cpresby.org or 513-221-4805 with any questions.

Calendar Order

Name of Person _________________________________________

Email _________________________________________

Phone Number _________________________________________

Congregation _________________________________________

Number of Copies _________________________________________

JULY 2020

CALENDAR

PRESBYTERY OF

CINCINNATI

Tuesday 28 July

9:30AM Bible Study for

Pastors and Preachers, by

Zoom (Rev. Stacey Midge)

Tuesday 28 July

10:00 AM Youth Preaching

Institute, by Zoom

Thursday 30 July

10:00 AM COM Lead

Team, by Zoom

Thursday 30 July

11:00 AM Personnel meet-

ing, by Zoom

Tuesday 4 August

9:30AM Bible Study for

Pastors and Preachers, by

Zoom (Rev. Stacey Midge)

Wednesday 5 August

6:00 PM COM Meeting, by

Zoom

Thursday 6 August

4:00 PM Trustees Meeting,

by Zoom

Please remember to send in per capita and Shared Mission giving so we can continue the ministry

of the Presbytery!

Great article on the hazards of using air-conditioning during the pandemic:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/07/15/covid-air-conditioning-could-facilitate-coronavirus-airborne-spread/5429919002/

PC(USA) Missions Agency declares Mask Wearing and Distancing as Spiritual Practices:

https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/pt-0720-spiritual/

Board of Pension changes can be found on the website, and let the Presbytery know if you need to speak with our BoP representative, Rev. Ed Thompson:

https://pcusa.pensions.org

Presbytery of Cincinnati Mission: Always Serving!

Winton Hills Presbyterian featured on Channel 12 for their summer feeding mission program! https://local12.com/news/childhood-poverty-a-cincinnati-crisis/summer-feeding-program-serves-more-in-1-month-than-all-of-2019-cincinnati

Crestview Presbyterian continues to honor and support West Chester Hospital! Last week the 5th Floor, ICU/Stepdown, and Environmental Services Departments of West Chester Hospital received a third wave of care packages from Crestview, and the congregation spent the day covering staff and patients in prayer throughout the day.

Mt. Washington Presbyterian Mobile Food Pantry Supports the Freestore Foodbank! School Supply drives at Knox and Indian Hill!

Under the Portico at Sycamore Presbyterian!

West Cincinnati Summer Program

Did you know the Matthew 25 Website offers online courses?

Each module of our new Matthew 25 curriculum consists of a biblical foundation, theological reflection and practical tools to help you adapt and apply the content to your own ministry. Courses will be available for each of the three Matthew 25 focuses: nurturing vital congregations and communities of faith, dismantling structural racism and working to end systemic poverty.

Each series consists of 4 two-hour, highly-participatory online classes. You may take the class in a small group or as a self-paced, individual study.

We have partnered with Stony Point Center and Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary to develop these courses.

First course coming August 10: “Awakening to Structural Racism”

This course is for people interested in learning more about structural racism and how to resist and deconstruct its destructive power in our own lives, our churches, our communities and the broader culture.

Learn more today or register

Lakeside Presbyterian

Virtual VBS!

COVID-19 UPDATE Some things to think about and work through with your Sessions as you move through the next few weeks of most of us being subject to mask orders and rising numbers:

In Ohio, consider keeping the church building closed while we are red or purple and consider opening, and what needs to be true from a communications and logistics standpoint, when we get to orange and/or yellow. These are outside objective assessments of risk that are data-driven, valid, mandated, and easier to defend.

Masks are mandatory in Ohio and Indiana, even with social distancing. Kentucky has now limited gatherings to 10 people. We should be in compliance with all governor’s orders whenever they are in place and whatever they say with regards to COVID.

Make sure your communication of “policy” is really clear, both for closing/opening decisions and for what must be true in a sanctuary if you are open.

You must close and contact the Health Department (to permit contact tracing) if any of the following is true:

Anyone who has active COVID and has been in the church building/in contact with church staff and/or someone in the congregation within the previous week

Anyone who has symptoms of COVID (fever, child, cough, loss of taste/smell, etc.) and has been in the church building/in contact with church staff and/or someone in the congregation within the previous week

Anyone who has been told they’ve come into contact with someone positively diagnosed and has been in the church building/in contact with church staff and/or someone in the congregation within the previous week

Governor begins to re-order public closures (restaurants, bars, gyms, etc.) You should consider closing if there is a significant localized outbreak to the church or staff (or

key volunteers) home locations

Don’t be afraid to think in stages—not everything needs to happen at once. Different churches will make different decisions about meetings, worship, Bible study, children’s activities, and youth ministry. Not everything needs to happen at the same time.

Be aware that some of our churches have already notified us that they may not be able to resume in-person worship and activities until there is a vaccine or it is safe for large groups to gather. Do not feel pressured to resume in-person gatherings if you do not believe you can make safe arrangements. Your plan could be to continue your present arrangements in accordance with the state mandates, and Presbytery guidance.

Make shorter term plans – for the next month or two. Review this plan weekly and make adjustments as you go. Communicate that you will be making adjustments. Ask for input and advice and take into account the level of risk people are prepared to assume for themselves and others, as well as what medical professionals say is safe.

Make sure Session understands that they will have to monitor this on an ongoing basis – there is not “one-and-done” on these decisions while the situation is this fluid.

Make longer term plans over the next several months. These plans will take into account what you have learned in the short term and assess what to continue, modify, and discontinue.

Know that these are all likely to change: CDC has noted that we are “just beginning” the pandemic in the US and that the US does not have a handle on this. More than 25 states have paused on re-opening plans. Total US known infections have topped 3 million, with more than 60,000 a day now being reported; part of that is increased testing but most of it is simple community spread and about half are people under 40 (many under 5). New consequences are being reported every day. There is no vaccine, no real treatment, and no real immunity. It’s estimated that as many as 35% of infections are asymptomatic and therefore unreported.

One more—once infected, it’s possible you can get infected again. New observations include sustained / permanent organ damage in some cases—only 12% are fully recovered after 2 months.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL!

Presbytery of Cincinnati

Pandemic Action Plan at Re-Opening

Level 1: Monitoring the situation (likely June)

Presbytery office open

Increased sanitation and safe distancing practices throughout the building

Update all personal contact information of staff and members

Increase food handling precautions (in the local church this includes Communion Elements)

Encourage those who are ill, medically vulnerable, and those who have travelled to infected areas to stay home

Work with local congregations, Pastors, and other leaders to care for their faith communities in a time of increased anxiety, illness, and isolation.

Encourage local congregations, Pastors, and other leaders in safe practices (Consult the Questions docu-ment on the Presbytery Website for ideas)

Encourage continual giving of pledges and offerings so ministry is not hampered; consider online giving

Encourage congregations with a preschool to continue working the Pandemic Action plan

Continue alternate meeting technologies where feasible

Communicate plans and updated information through the Presbytery communication channels: Sampler, Presbytery Facebook page, Presbytery website

Level 2: Limiting and Watching (current)

Presbytery office open for essential functions

Rigorous sanitation practices

Consult the Questions to Consider document for specifics to think through, including music

All non-essential meetings and gatherings should continue to be cancelled or scheduled virtually

Encourage Pastors, Elders, and Deacons (the spiritual leaders of the congregation) to create worship liturgy, prayers, devotions, etc. that can be shared with congregation members who self-isolate and for widespread use as slow re-openings occur

Consider continuing online worship even as you begin to meet in the Sanctuary

Work with congregations, Pastors, and local leaders as they open the building for only worship and essential leadership functions.

Continue to use technology resources to gather as a faith community

Encourage safe distancing in all gatherings

Level 3: Closing (if local spikes in infection occur)

Presbytery office closed

Work with the congregations, Pastors and local leaders as local churches close for worship and all activities

Presbytery staff work from home

Implement use of technology for essential leadership functions

Communicate with local congregations, Pastors, and other leaders to offer updated information, encouragement