the cincinnati sampler · waking up white and finding myself in the story of race by debby irving ....
TRANSCRIPT
“And the Lord will be King over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—His name alone will be worshipped.”
Zechariah 14:9
Presbytery of
Cincinnati
4309 Cooper
Road
Cincinnati,
Ohio 45242
The Cincinnati Sampler MORE PRESBYTERIANS—MORE ENGAGED
Let’s Make the Table Bigger
COVID-19 UPDATE
As you are by now no doubt aware, our region is beginning to spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU visits again. Hamilton County and Butler County are “Red” (3 out of 4 high-risk state categories, meeting 5 out of 7 criteria of concern). Kentucky cases are rising; Indiana cases are sporadically rising.
Some of you have asked how you can track your area specifically.
Data for the Greater Cincinnati COVID-19 area is now available on the CCTST website (https://www.cctst.org/covid19) The data is sourced from The Health Collaborative Situational Dashboard and will be updated every weekday.
Data depend on the time of posting and the relative sources, so don’t try to “verify” across sites—stick with a reliable one (CDC or your state) and just use those numbers. The CCTST website tends to lag by a few days but it is pretty consistent. Featured data includes: Daily number of positive cases in local counties
Estimates of R by county Daily number of tests and percent positive
Weekly positive testing rates by county
Click here to view The Health Collaborative Situational Dashboard data on the CCTST website.
Stay Safe, Presbytery!
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— [email protected]
Rev. Erwin Goedicke, Stated Clerk—[email protected]
Margaret Heidenreich, Office Manager—[email protected]
Barbara Jean Havens, Coordinator Eastern Area Council
Bill Maney, Treasurer—[email protected]
Bill Bogdan, Moderator
Rev. Carol Ferguson, Vice Moderator
Rev. Adam Fronczek, Council Chair
PRESBYTERY OFFICE HOURS ARE 9AM-2PM Monday through Thursday
JULY 2020
CALENDAR
PRESBYTERY OF
CINCINNATI
Tuesday 7 July
9:30AM Bible Study for
Pastors and Preachers, by
Zoom (Rev. Stacey Midge)
Tuesday 7 July
6:00 PM REPI
Presbytery Office
Thursday 9 June
4:00 PM Youth Preaching
Institute, by Zoom
Tuesday 14 June
9:30AM Bible Study for
Pastors and Preachers, by
Zoom (Rev. Stacey Midge)
Tuesday 14 June
6:00 PM REPI
Presbytery Office
Tuesday 14 June
7:00 PM GA
Commissioners meeting,
by Zoom
Thursday 16 June
10:00 AM Pastor’s Zoom
Thursday 16 June
4:00 PM Youth Preaching
Institute, by Zoom
Presbytery Opportunity for Learning: Parents Raising Anti-Racist Kids Tina Hubert (Knox) and Rev. Louisa Umphres (Lakeside) are putting together a training opportunity for parents based on Jennifer Harvey’s course Raising Antiracist White Kids. Real challenges exist when it comes to raising white children in a society that is full of racial injustice. Should we teach white kids to be “colorblind”? Or, to notice race? What roles do we want them to play in addressing acism when they encounter it? How do we best do that? In this course you will learn to: recognize the impact of “white silence” and develop skills to
interrupt it; talk about race with white children with curiosity and confidence; go beyond “equality” or “colorblindness” and toward race-
conscious and justice-conscious ways of engaging children and youth;
nurture habits in your parenting and caregiving that support anti-racist development in the lives of the white children and youth in your life;
recognize the importance of finding a community of accountability to support your own antiracist commitment as we work together to create a future where all of us can flourish.
Here is the information about the course: https://jenniferharvey.org/raising-antiracist-white-kids-course/ Contact Tina ([email protected]) or Louisa([email protected]) if you’re interested!
Youth Preaching Institute We are putting the final touches on our first-ever Youth Preaching Institute. Classes will be held by Zoom over 4 weeks, with active participation of our youth in preparing and getting to deliver a sermon.
Our dynamic faculty: the Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick (Synod of the Covenant Executive), the Rev. Dr. Ed Goode, the Rev. Amy Snow, the Rev. David Annett, and Ruling Elder David Paulik. The first class will be held this Thursday! More to come!
Prayer Request Requesting prayers from the Presbytery for the Rev. Bill Westmoreland, a long-time pastor and member of the Presbytery until his retirement. He will be undergoing open heart surgery for a triple by-pass this week.
Knowing How to Livestream Worship is Just the Beginning
Join Ryan Panzer, author, instructional designer, consultant, former member of
Google's digital marketing team, and minister, for a four-week journey into the culture,
theology, and practices of effective ministry in a digital age.
You'll learn...
Skills to help you reflect theological on your experiences of online church during COVID-19.
What a "tech-shaped culture" means and how digital technology is changing the way we know, learn, and believe.
How to create experiments, practices, lessons, and curriculum to reach Christian learners.
Ways to evolve your outreach efforts to engage the whole person both online and offline.
And much more!
Whether the pandemic was your first foray into digital ministry and you want to build on what you've started, or you're an experienced digital minister and want to evolve your practices, Ministry in a Digital Age will offer you a fresh perspective and an engaged community of ministry peers.
Registration is just $55 for the entire course, which begins July 13, 2020. Your registra-
tion includes: the course curriculum, four live-online workshops with Ryan, on-demand access
to the course materials and call recordings, and a private online group where you can make
connections, ask questions, and forge meaningful friendships.
https://faithlead.luthersem.edu/class-catalog/ministry-in-a-digital-age/
Summer Study Opportunities
SUMMER ONLINE CLASSES AT CALVIN INSTITUTE OF CHRISTIANITY
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is pleased to promote a robust list of timely online summer courses on how Christians in every area of society and ministry can faithfully respond to the global COVID-19 pan-demic. They are offered through Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary. The academic courses are designed for pastors, teachers, worship leaders, and other lay leaders seeking continuing education, including those seeking undergraduate credit, seminary credit, CEU credit, as well as life-long learners of any age. Each course will feature a mix of on-line lectures, interviews with leading experts, discussions with fellow learners, and interactions with faculty. Each are offered asynchronously; you can engage with course materi-als when convenient for you. None have required prerequisites. More Info & Registration
STEWARDSHIP KALEIDOSCOPE
This year Kaleidoscope will offer learning over three weeks in the fall to help you respond to
the needs of your community, adapt to change, and think about how to engage as church in new ways. We
hope you can join us on three consecutive Tuesdays: September 22, September 29, and October 6 at
11:30am eastern/8:30am pacific.
On September 22nd hear from Eric Barreto of Princeton Theological Seminary on the Acts of the Apostles in
the 21st century - imagination, vision, and creativity in responding to our call;
September 29th we will learn with consultant Bonnie Ives Marden about the ways in which
faith shapes our financial health, and get practical tools for church financial management;
October 6th Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow will provide perspectives on engaging congregations
across generations, cultures, and ethnicity to imagine building the church for forward thinking
funding and functioning.
Registration will be open soon. See more at StewardshipKaleidoscope.org
LOMBARD MENNONITE PEACE CENTER https://lmpeacecenter.org/
Opportunities to Proclaim Justice: Ten Starting Points for Engaging Race Issues
1. Test yourself for hidden or unconscious biases. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/agg/blindspot/indexrk.htm
Hidden Bias Tests measure unconscious, or automatic, biases. Your willingness to examine your own possible biases is an important step in understanding the roots of stereotypes and prejudice in our society. For more information: https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/test- yourself-for-hidden-bias
2. Read this book to Understand Basic Racial Issues & Engage in Productive Conversations on Racism: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
3. Read this book to Understand White Privilege: Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving
4. Watch this movie to learn more about systemic racism: Just Mercy is based on a true story in Alabama in the last 1980s-early 1990s. (www.justmercyfilm.com)
5. Watch this YouTube Video to learn more about privilege: An Interview and conversation about white privilege on CBS This Morning (6:30) “How to become aware of privilege” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dteOQPzc_so
Robin DiAngelo (author of White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism) and Ibram X. Kendi (CBS News contributor & author of How to Be Anti-Racist) discuss what it is, why it persists, and how it impacts African Americans. Both authors offer ways to encourage honest conversations about racism in America.
6. Resource to Discuss Racism with Older Youth, Teens, and Adults: National Museum of African American History & Culture https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics
7. Resource to Discuss Racism with Children: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/06/app-news-section/cnn-sesame-street-race-town-hall-app-june -6-2020-app/index.html
CNN and Sesame Street Racism Town Hall: CNN's Van Jones and Erica Hill partner with "Sesame Street" for Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, a town hall for kids and families.
8. Racial Equity Challenge: https://myersparkpres.org/project/better-when-were-back-together/
Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC, has a Racial Equity Challenge, challenging members to a “21day racial equity challenge of reading, listening, and noticing issues we must not hide from.” There are articles, videos, and podcasts to choose your engagement by watching, reading, listening, and noticing.
9. Resources from Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery’s social action: page https://glpby.org/social-action/ • Blog of Presbytery Leader, The Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard (updated weekly) https://glpby.org/e- newsletter/blog/ • “The Apology,” voted into policy by our Presbytery on February 6, 2020. It outlines the history of white privilege and how it has directly affected the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy. https://tinyurl.com/yclstqtf • “What is White Privilege, Really?” from Teaching Tolerance https://tinyurl.com/ybpj2eg4 • Facing Racism: PC(USA) Policy and Study Guide https://tinyurl.com/ya4z2nx7 • “6 Ways White People Can Dismantle White Supremacy” from Unbound https://tinyurl.com/y95uoevf • PCUSA Advocacy and Social Justice https://tinyurl.com/yb5ec859
10. Resources from Presbyterian Church (USA) Racial Justice Resources (updated daily): https://www.pcusa.org/racial-justice-resources/ Articles, statements from PC(USA) leaders, policy statements, recommended books, discussion materials
A Sabbath Sunday: Opportunities for Pastors and Worship Planners
1. The Synod of the Covenant Interim Synod Executive Chip Hardwick is coordinating a service based on Romans 6:12-23, one of the lectionary passages for June 28th. You'll be able to download the worship service after June 25th, either as the whole service (which will involve 30 liturgists from throughout the Synod), or just the Scripture and sermon, from the Synod website https://synodofthecovenant.org/
It is available for download or for viewing on youtube, and feel free to use it on any Sunday!
2. There is a 10-minute video “sermon” on Liminal Times that Lisa put
together, already used by several churches, open for you to use if you wish. Let Lisa know if you’re interested.
3. Cindy Kohlman, past moderator of GA and Presbyter for the Presbytery
of Boston, is also putting a service together for July 5 and beyond. The links are here :
https://www.presbyteryofboston.org/Resources/COVID-19-Resources/Worship-Services
HEAP Summer Crisis Program begins July 1
The Home Energy Assistance Program's (HEAP) Summer Crisis Program begins accepting applications on July 1. The program
helps eligible Ohioans pay an electric bill, purchase an air conditioning unit or fan, or pay for central air conditioning repairs. Low-income older adults or those who can provide
physician documentation that cooling assistance is needed for their health may apply. Get program details, application
directions and learn what's new this year for PIPP enrollees.
Lakeside Presbyterian Church Opportunity
Check this out!
Knox Presbyterian Church INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATION Come be a part of the installation at Knox’s Observatory Avenue entrance. Racial injustice
divides the children of God, and COVID-19 disrupts all lives, especially the vulnerable.
Knox laments these lost lives and livelihoods and stands in solidarity with the suffering.
By attaching a prayer ribbon to the Prayer Tree, you are making a commitment to partici-
pate in the hard work ahead toward justice for the oppressed here in our city, our state
and our country.
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