Welcome to the
Presbytery of New Harmony
The Mission of the Presbytery of New Harmony is to strengthen, nurture, and sustain its congregations and ministers, and to participate in the wider mission of the church through its higher governing bodies.
The Presbytery of New Harmony, a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is situated along the northeastern coast of South Carolina. We have 7,534 members across 12 counties in South Carolina. The presbytery office, located in Florence, supports 65 congregations and 80 resident ministers.
Please feel free to browse our website to find out more about us.
If you cannot find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us at the addresses listed below.
Presbytery of New Harmony
2352 Presbyterian Road
Florence, SC 29501
Phone 843-662-8411
Email us.
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| Building Community Through Information |
July 29, 2020
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| Upcoming Presbytery Meetings
August 18, 2020
ZOOM Meeting
November 14, 2020
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Dalzell.
February 20, 2021
First Presbyterian Church, Myrtle Beach.
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Prayers for...
Churches of New Harmony and elsewhere as they endeavor to stay in touch with members.
Wisdom, guidance, and good health in this era of Covid-19.
Wisdom and Guidance in striving to find a path to equality for all.
Our two churches for the week:
Trinity Presbyterian Church, Surfside,
Tony Larson, Pastor.
Wedgefield Presbyterian Church,
Jody Foster,
Temporary Supply.
Candidate
Marcy B. Carl (Georgetown) Dubuque Theological Seminary.
Inquirers
Caitlyn Hathaway
(First, Hartsville)
Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond.
Joseph Jumper
(First Myrtle Beach)
Columbia Theological Seminary
Darren Wilson
(Friendship)
Union Presbyterian Seminary-Charlotte.
Flury Wilson
(Friendship)
Union Presbyterian Seminary-Charlotte.
Randolph Green (Congruity Presbyterian Church)
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Local Church Information
If your congregation is planning an event you would like to advertise, please submit information, to Avery Dickson by Monday of the week you want it published.
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Local Church Mission Information
If your congregation has participated in a mission project or trip recently, we would like to share it with our presbytery. Please submit the information to Avery Dickson.
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Presbytery Office Info
Address
2352 Presbyterian Road, Florence, SC 29501
Phone
(843) 662-8411
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Happening In New Harmony Presbytery
(Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be by ZOOM.)
Vital Congregations Initiative
Coordinating Team
July 29, 6:30 pm.
New Harmony Pastoral Leaders
July 30, 2:30 pm.
Zoom Orientation and Training for Commissioners to August 18 Presbytery Meeting
July 30, 6 pm
August 1, 8 am
August 3, 4 pm
August 5, 8:30 am
August 12, 9 am
August 13, 11 am
Presbyterian Women Helpshops
August 1, 9 am. CANCELLED
Vital Congregation Initiative Grand Strand Cohorts
August 4, 2 pm.
Synod of South Atlantic
August 6 & 7, Zoom.
Black Caucus Workshop
August 8, 10 am.
Committee on Preparation for Ministry
August 10, 9:45 am.
Committee on Ministry
August 11, 2 pm.
Self Development of People Re-certification
Training
August 15, 10 am.
**All future meetings of committees will be by
ZOOM until you are notified otherwise**
New Harmony Presbytery's
Office Hours Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 5 pm.
Presbytery Staff is working from home. You may contact them through the Presbytery phones and choosing the extension of the person you are trying to reach or by email.
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Instructions for Stated Presbytery Meeting
As you know well, our NHP Stated Meeting, Tuesday, August 18, will be by ZOOM.
We ask that your Session be extra discerning in its selection/ appointment/election of the Ruling Elder it commissions as we need that person to be able to fully participate by ZOOM. This doesn't require that they be fully versed in ZOOM, though that would be great, but they do need the ability and willingness to be taught, oriented and trained as well as a computer equipped with a camera and microphone. We will require ALL to attend at least one of the sessions for orientation and training.
Instructions have been sent to minister members, commissioned pastors, guiding council, corresponding members, and invited guests for the online pre-registration. These folks will need to forward the information to Session's Ruling Elder commissioner; it will also be the link used by all New Harmony Presbytery minister members, Commission Pastors and leaders. There is a registration deadline of Tuesday, August 11!
Required Zoom Orientation and Training for those participating in the meeting will be held on July 30, 6 pm; August 1, 8 am; August 3, 4 pm; August 5, 8:30 am; August 12, 9 am; and August 13, 11 am.
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Invite a Mission Co-Worker for a Virtual Visit to Your Church
Until in-person visits can resume safely, there has never been a better time to invite mission co-workers to visit your congregation virtually. "Mission co-workers are connecting with congregations intentionally and intensively when they are on virtual interpretation assignments," said Mary Nebelsick, mission specialist for mission interpretation in Presbyterian World Mission. "Mission co-workers who are not on interpretation assignments are connecting virtually with their supporters as well."
Through technology, mission co-workers can visit congregations in various ways, such as online worship services, mission committee or session meetings, Sunday school or Vacation Bible School. Congregations in the U.S. and abroad may want to develop a mutual service project and share respective progress reports via a private Facebook page.
A mission co-worker can participate by:
- Sharing stories about how they are involved in the Matthew 25 invitation
- Bringing a minute for mission or sermon
- Participating through a musical selection
- Leading or helping lead a Bible study or communion service
- Preparing a joint liturgy combining elements from U.S. and international cultures
- Sharing a ministry video from their country of service
- Teaching children and youth a song or a simple craft
- Providing an update on COVID-19 and the partner churches' response
- Giving the benediction.
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The Rev. Doug Oldenburg
 The Rev. Dr. Doug Oldenburg, a pastor,R Moderator of the 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) held in 1998 and the seventh president of Columbia Theological Seminary, died Tuesday at the age of 85.In a 2018 film honoring Oldenburg as a distinguished leader in theological education, Valerie Izumi, manager of General Assembly Nominations, remembered how responsible Oldenburg was for the stewardship of the Moderator's Cross during the year it was entrusted to him. He was so afraid of losing the cross that whenever he mowed his lawn, he wore the cross - or stuffed it into his shirt pocket, if he was wearing a shirt with a pocket that day, Izumi said. [ more]
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Mission Opportunity
Do you have unused space during the week? Are there children in your community doing virtual learning this year? Check out this article about a church offering remote learning space. Is this something your church can do? Could you partner with other neighborhood churches to provide a service in your community? |
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Now is an Ideal Time to Do Inventory
"The hallways, Sunday school rooms, and sanctuaries of many churches nationwide are empty for now. Eventually life will return to normal, but until then why not benefit from the downtime your church building is experiencing." As we are in the middle of hurricane season with potential losses, this could be something to consider. Read more from Church Law and Tax HERE. |
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It is Time!
It is almost time for review of your Employer Agreement on Benefits Connect and make benefits selections for 2021. You may make changes for 2021 from July 20 - October 9.
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Board of Pension Medical Plan Update
Board of Pensions Medical Plan's total maximum out-of-pocket limits dramatically reduced. For 2021, the total maximum out-of-pocket for the Medical Plan's PPO, EPO, and HDHP is $5,000 for members and $10,000 for families. Currently, these annual limits are $7,900 and $15,800 for the PPO and EPO and $6,750 and $13,500 for the HDHP. Read more of BOP News.
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Covid Church Tax Changes
Do you need information about Churches and tax in Pandemic?
Jody Foster, our Wedgefield Pastor, shared this link to a very informative video presentation by two Sumter folks, a pastor and a tax expert. It is entitled Covid Church Tax Changes 2.0. Thanks, Jody!
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Relevant Resources for Today
Here's a good article, The Coming Pastoral Crash, that also has some very helpful resources for you to utilize. Please read it.
Don't forget these relevant resources:
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SCDHEC Resources for Your Church
SCDHEC Covid-19 Communication and Resources for Your Church. As SCDHEC continues its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our state, we recognize the importance of the faith-based community in reaching out to the residents of South Carolina. We're requesting your assistance to share messaging aimed at helping to stop the spread of this virus. Find Resources for Communication and Gathering. Included in this document is a CDC webpage specifically designed for faith communities. |
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Presbyterian Planning Calendar
This 16-month, official PC(USA) calendar (September 2020 - December 2021) is an outstanding and well-loved resource for pastors, church leaders and members interested in the life and mission of the church. It features monthly planning and worship suggestions, lectionary readings, a liturgical color guide, fold-out synod, presbytery and world maps, plus directories of PC(USA) staff, offices, synods and presbyteries. The wirebound calendar measures 81/2 x 11" and is punched to fit a standard binder or hang on a wall.
Order copies today!
Single calendars are $16.95; 10-49, $14.50 each; 50+, $9.75 each. Shipping is additional. When ordering, please ask for ISBN 978-1-7328467-0-8. Order online or call the PC(USA) Church Store at 1-800-533-4371.
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PCUSA Weekly News Briefing
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Presbyterian Justice & Peace Email
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Information from
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center Offerings
Please join us for one of the many events that we have planned from July through December of this year, including traditional events that we haven't presented for a while, as well as brand new webinars on timely topics. A sampling of a few imminent events is listed below (some events will be repeated in future months):
Meditation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (August 3-7, 2020): This intensive 5-day event helps clergy and other church leaders deal more effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict.
Breaking Free: Finding Resilience in an Era of Collective Trauma (July 16 and July 30): Grounded in Family Systems Theory, and offered in the context of COVID-19 and the aftermath of George Floyd's tragic death, Breaking Free will help participants identify the impact of trauma on themselves and others, discuss strategies to break free from trauma, and find resilience.
Further details and registration information for these events and others will be made available on BrownPaperTickets (some events still pending). We also encourage you to visit https://lmpeacecenter.org/ from time to time for the latest updates, call the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center at 630-627-0507, or email us at Admin@LMPeaceCenter.org.
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Opportunities to Serve the Church
Has General Assembly gotten you interested in serving on the national level? There are many opportunities to serve the church. Check out this link to find out more
http://oga.pcusa.org/ section/committees/nominations/. |
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PC(USA) shelves plans for Big Tent in 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with major budgeting issues have prompted leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to cancel plans for Big Tent in 2021. The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), and the Reverend Dr. Diane Moffett, President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, made the decision last week. "These are uncertain times in the life of our denomination. While we believe that God has placed us here at this particular moment, we recognize that presbyteries, churches, and the national office are facing huge financial challenges," said Nelson. "We are continuing to look for new and innovative ways to be the church in the 21st century."
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SC 5 Ministers and Educators Retreat
The South Carolina 5 Ministers and Educators Retreat at this point will be at Montreat, October 26-28. The theme for this year's retreat is "A Word In Its Season": Effective Speech in the Bible and Our Fractured Political Moment" The leadership for the retreat will be Samuel L. Adams, the Mary Jane and John F. McNair Chair in Biblical Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary. The retreat will examine the speech of the Bible from prophets to the sages to Jesus himself. The link for registration is https://montreat.org/events/south-carolinapresbyteries. |
New Harmony Chapter of National Black Presbyterian Caucus to Sponsor Workshop
The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, Director of the Office of Public Witness, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., will lead a workshop that is being sponsored by the New Harmony Chapter National Black Presbyterian Caucus on Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The workshop will be by zoom/conference call and will last approximately one hour.
The following topics will be discussed:
1. The 2020 Election: Keeping a Watchful Eye
2. Justice, the Church and Politics (advocacy n Capital Hill)
Instructions on how one can access the workshop will be posted later.
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Latest COVID-19 Info on
New Harmony Website
Visit www.newharmonypres.org and click on the COVID-19 tab for more information. You will find helpful links, including churches with online worship services. |
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Guiding Council Continues to Recommend Not Resuming In-Person Activities
Your Guiding Council met Thursday, June 27. With the rising cases of the Coronavirus, they continue to strongly advise that in-person worship and activities NOT resume at this time. They know that resuming in-person worship and activities is a decision of the Session and not the presbytery or its council; they affirm this in our Presbyterian polity and Constitution. They also know that there are Sessions that have either resumed in-person worship and/or activities or have decided to do so in the near future, utilizing the Guidelines recently distributed; they would, of course, urge err on the side of more, rather than less, precautions and safeguards. Please let them know if there are ways that they can be of assistance and support.
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Weekly Coronvirus Update from PCUSA
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Camp Pee Dee Retreat Center's Gift Opportunity List
The list is set up as a bulletin insert. Please download the list and place it in your bulletin/newsletter to help Camp Pee Dee Retreat Center with some of its needs.
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If you have the need to advertise a job position, please send the relevant information to presbyeducator@gmail.com. Click on the links below for descriptions of positions. Once you fill or stop searching for the position, please notify presbyeducator@gmail.com.
First Presbyterian Church, Hartsville, is seeking a part-time Financial Secretary. If you are interested, contact Rev. Ashley Cheek at 213 Home Ave., Hartsville, SC 29550.
Part-Time Christian Educator/Youth Director, Kingston Presbyterian Church, Conway. Contact Jim Burton (843)248-4200.
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