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Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 2

Chatham PC Celebrating

170 Years of Ministry

Mildred Jane and Landon Worsham Honored Submitted by Mikel Pugh, Pastor, Chatham PC

On May 1st, 2016, Chatham Presbyterian Church

celebrated 170 years of service and ministry to Chat-

ham and Pittsylvania County by celebrating the life

and ministry of Mildred Jane and Landon Worsham,

two long-time, faithful servants of the church and gos-

pel of Christ Jesus.

Mildred Jane Worsham’s honors included being one

of the first two women elected to the Board of Dea-

cons at Chatham Presbyterian, a ministry of compas-

sion and care to the fellowship, community and the

world. Mildred Jane was also the first woman to be

elected to the Board of Session of Chatham Presby-

terian. One of her many ministries as Ruling elder

has been to serve as the Clerk of Session of Chat-

ham Presbyterian Church for twenty years. Over the

years she also served on a variety of committees with

the Presbytery of the Peaks and its predecessor, the

Blue Ridge Presbytery. In 1978, she was elected by

the Blue Ridge Presbytery to serve as a commis-

sioner to the 118th General Assembly for the Presby-

terian Church in the United States which met in

Shreveport, Louisiana. Closer to home, Mildred Jane

served as Sunday School Teacher, Women’s Circle

and many other functions as the church needed and

the Spirit led.

However, Mildred Jane’s most prominent

contribution is her commitment to the music of the

congregation. Due to an illness which prevented an

organist from playing one Sunday in 1945, the minis-

ter at the time, the Rev. William R. Smith, came to the

then 16 year old Mildred Jane asking her to play.

Though she did not feel qualified, the minister’s insis-

tence prevailed and Mildred Jane has now led the

congregation in music and song for 70 plus years as

organist and choir director.

Landon Worsham was recognized for his service to

the church as deacon, long-time elder, church treas-

urer and for his role as the Sunday School Superin-

tendent through which he has overseen the educa-

tional program of the church from 1965 to the pre-

sent. But Landon’s most significant contribution was

highlighted by the comments of George Groom, who

restored and maintains the church’s historic Moller

pipe organ. George mentioned that when he would

call to arrange to tune the organ, he would always

ask that the sanctuary be at the temperature which it

would be at on Sunday morning. George commented

that Mildred Jane would reply, “I will have Landon

take care of it.” George said that for years, he thought

Landon was the sexton of the church and only later

discovered that he was Mildred Jane’s husband.

Landon did more than merely oversee the educa-

tional program of the church. He tended to the church

family and building. Every weekend, he saw that the

temperature in the sanctuary was ready for worship.

He unlocked doors, turned on lights and PA system.

Along with caring for the educational program of the

church, Landon made sure the church was ready for

worship. He even made the coffee and set out cook-

ies, so everyone could enjoy their morning and praise

God.

Click here to read the entire article.

Photo: Mildred Jane and Landon Worsham being honored

Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 3

Washington Report to

Presbyterians

From the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of

Public Witness

An Update on the Fate of the Trans Pacific Partner-

ship

Historically, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has

opposed the current trade model that put the rights

of corporations above the rights of citizens and gov-

ernments to determine policy. Now we are facing

another large trade agreement: the Trans Pacific

Partnership (TPP) which will be voted on by Con-

gress this year. The TPP is a binding pact that

poses significant threats to jobs and wages, the en-

vironment, food safety, public health, access to

medicines, human rights and democracy around the

world. If enacted, the TPP would set rules govern-

ing approximately 40% of the global economy, and

includes a “docking” mechanism through which not

only Pacific Rim nations, but any country in the

world, could join over time.

The absence of provisions within the TPP to protect

workers, the environment, and the human rights of

citizens across the globe is the direct result of a se-

cretive negotiating process in which hundreds of

corporate advisors had privileged access to negoti-

ating texts, while the public was barred from even

reviewing what was being proposed in its name.

If we do not speak up in this season, the moral fail-

ure is ours. We cannot wait until this agreement

has already been implemented to see how it will im-

pact lives. The moral test of this globalizing econ-

omy is how it treats living, breathing people and

how well it tends the health of creation. Please con-

tact your members of congress today and tell them

to say NO to the TPP!

Go to the link below to send a mes-

sage today.

http://capwiz.com/pcusa/issues/alert/?alertid=68852626

TWO CENTS-A-MEAL:

YOUR PENNIES AT WORK

Submitted by Denise Pillow, Hunger Action Advocate

Elijah’s Backpack, operating from St. Philip Lu-

theran Church in Roanoke, provides healthy meals

and snacks to elementary school children on the

weekends. Initiated in February 2011, the program

now serves 59 elementary school children weekly.

Elijah’s Backpack receives support from several

Roanoke area churches, including Green Ridge

Presbyterian. Green Ridge provides financial and

volunteer support, including representation on the

program’s Board of Directors. Elijah’s Backpack,

through the endorsement

of Green Ridge PC, was

recently awarded a Two

Cents-a-Meal grant. Your

pennies at work!

The Old Testament Class of the Presbytery of the Peaks CRE Program posed for a picture having just completed their final exam. The class met for 10 sessions January-April. The CRE Program will be offering a New Testament course beginning in Sep-tember.

Back row: Robert Morris (Radford), Scott Jackson (Pulaski), Dale VanOsten (Williamson Memorial), Don Miller (First Lynchburg), Ray Williams (Fifth Avenue), Ernie Wallace (Pulaski), Erik Koroneos (First Lynchburg). Front Row: Pam Claterbaugh, Roberta Morris (First Lynchburg), Cynthia Erb (Altavista), Kathy Buck (Chatham)

Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 4

Virginia Tech Football

Parking Available Cooper House is offering two (2) parking spaces

for use during Virginia Tech’s six (6) home football

games for a season fee of $175.00 each. Cooper

House is a very short walk to the stadium, and the

backyard lawn area can be used for pre/post game

activities. Spaces are available on a first come ba-

sis; deadline: August 22, 2016. For more informa-

tion email Terry McClellan at admin@pcusa-vt.org.

Job Opportunity

Youth Pastor Wanted Buchanan Presbyterian Church is offering a part time position of YOUTH PASTOR. This person does not need to be ordained, but motivated with a love of the Lord Jesus and a call for intro-ducing youth to a relationship with Christ. This special per-son will create a Christ-honoring pathway for our youth to bring their friends to the church during the week as well as Sunday morning for Sunday School and wor-ship. Should the Lord be nudging you, please call Ma-rina Gopadze, pastor, at 540-254-1320.

Better Late than Never:

Electrical Safety Submitted by your Disaster Preparedness Committee: Lisa Klingenfus, Barbara Posie, Donald Nugent & JoAnn Scott

May is Electrical Safety month. Everyone should be aware of the dangers that can be attributed to un-safe electrical sources. This is especially true if you live in older homes where wiring inside the walls may become brittle and/or fayed. Be aware of the safety hazards if you have young children in your house.

OUTLETS: Check for outlets that have loose fitting plugs, which can overheat and lead to fire. Make sure there are safety covers on all unused outlets that are accessible to children. CORDS: Make sure cords are in good condition -- not frayed or cracked. Do not place cords under carpets or rugs or rest furniture on them. PLUGS: Make sure the plug fits the outlet. Plugs should fit securely into outlets. Avoid overloading outlets with too many appliances. LIGHT BULBS: Check the wattage of all bulbs in lighting fixtures to make sure they are the correct wattage for the fixture size. WATER AND ELECTRICITY DON’T MIX: Don’t leave plugged in appliances where they might fall in contact with water. If the appliance falls into water, NEVER reach in to pull it out – even if it’s turned off. Turn off the power source at the circuit breaker and then unplug the appliance. APPLIANCES/COMPUTER & ENTERTAINMENT EQUIPMENT: If an appliance repeatedly blows or trips a circuit breaker, unplug it and have it repaired or replaced. Use a surge protector with certification seal. OUTDOOR SAFETY: Electric-powered mowers and power tools should not be used in the rain, on wet grass or in damp conditions. Always. Since metal ladders conduct electricity, watch out for overhead wires and power lines.

Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 5

2016 Summer Camp Schedule

for Camp Peaks & Middle/High

School Adventure Camp

DATE LOCATION

June 6-10 PCC (Roanoke)

June 13-17 Fellowship (Ararat)

June 20-24 Floyd

June 26-July 1 Middle & High School

Adventure Camp

July 4-8 New Dublin

July 11-15 Altavista

July 18-22 Northminster

(Roanoke)

July 25-29 First (Martinsville)

August 1-5 Mallow (Covington)

Click here for more Camp Peaks info.!

What does evangelical

fervor look like in the

PC(USA)?

Submitted by NEXT CHURCH

This month on the blog we featured reflections on

evangelism in the church. We heard from pastors,

nonprofit leaders, writers and others on how they

see evangelism at work in their own context.

Here is some of what this month's blog contributors

had to say:

"Reclaiming Evangelism and Living Audacious

Faith" - the post that started it all - the first in our

series! "Evangelism as Repair" - how evangelism requires us to live in dissonance: proclaiming good news and working to repair the damage we've caused

"Experiments in Public Prayer: Restaurant Edition" - a challenge to pray in public turns into unexpected encounters with God

"Come and See" - what if we stopped trying to ex-plain and invited people to see for themselves?

"Evangelicalism as Community Problem Solving" - re-evaluating outputs vs. outcomes - both in the church and the nonprofit sector

Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 6

HUNGER NEWS & NOTES Submitted by Denise Pillow, Hunger Action Advocate

Haiti Learning Opportunity!

Wondering how your congregation can connect

to PC(USA) efforts in Haiti? Read on….

The Presbytery of the Peaks has been involved with the Joining Hands (JH) Food & Land campaign, in Haiti, which support efforts that promote the right of people to produce and consume food in accordance with their cultural traditions and through ecologically sustainable methods, as well as the right of people to access land to produce food and provide hous-ing, particularly with indigenous communities whose traditional rights are threatened. The campaign fo-cus is on food sovereignty, agro-ecology, protect-ing and saving traditional seeds and working for land reform while fighting land grabs. Our PC(USA) Mission Co-worker in Haiti, Cindy Corell, will be in the U.S. May through August. Cindy is eager to share more about her important work and welcomes the opportunity to visit with con-gregations. For additional information, contact De-nise Pillow,

denisepillow@gmail.com or 540-968-0025.

More about Joining Hands (JH): The JH Initiative of the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) is a proven way to mobilize people in focused cam-paigns to tackle systemic causes of hunger both in the United States and abroad. Rather than repli-cate project-based mission, presbyteries, congrega-tions, organizations and individuals are invited to partner with civil society networks in eight countries to organize in both the northern and southern hemi-spheres to campaign for change in a globalized world. Most of the issues identified by global part-ners as contributing to poverty abroad are also rele-vant in the United States. We look together at the immense troubles we all face on a small planet and pull together in prayer, research, repentance, and in a process of mutual transformation that reflects our shared commitment to global peace and justice. https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/joininghands/foodandland/

Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 7

Become an

Earth Care

Congregation Earth Day follow-up…prepare to make a lasting difference…

Submitted by Denise Pillow, Hunger Action Advo-cate

Is your church active in earth care or interested in

becoming more involved in being stewards of

God’s earth? Use “Earth Care Congregations: A

Guide to Greening Presbyterian Churches” to find

ideas for earth care projects.

To become certified as Earth Care Congrega-

tions churches take the “Earth Care Pledge” and

complete activities and projects in the fields of

worship, education, facilities and outreach. Sub-

mit your application (see below "getting started")

January 1-February 15 of the calendar year in

which you'd like to be certified.

Read about churches doing earth care ministry

on our blog.

Colloquy for Mid-Career Clergy 2016-

17 Accepting Applications through May 15

Aug 15-17, 2016 and January 23-25, 2017 are

the dates for the second Colloquy for Mid-

Career Clergy, part of the Pastoral Excellence Pro-

gram of the Center for Lifelong Learning. The Collo-

quy designed for mid-career clergy (ten to twenty

years into full time ministry) who are seeking to par-

ticipate in a professional formative conversation or

to reflect on their vocational experience, and assess

their ability to meet the leadership demands/needs

of their organization. This event is by application

only. For additional information, including the link to

the application, visit http://www.ctsnet.edu/colloquy-

for-mid-career-clergy.

Blessing of the Animals

Service

Colonial Presbyterian Church Pavilion 3550 Poplar Dr., Roanoke, VA 24018 Sunday, May 15, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. For further information, contact Sarah Martin at whiskers@cox.net or 540-7746176.

Emotional

Intelligence

by Rev. Roy

Oswald

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

This workshop begins to help the participant ex-plore and put into place healthy practices that en-hance Emotional Intelligence or increasing how in tune the participant is with their own emotional

state (EQ self) and the emotional state of disciples (EQ others) which promotes the spiritual health within the community.

REGISTER NOW

Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 8

The Congregation of

Fifth Avenue

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Cordially Invites you to its Service of

Renewal & Thanksgiving

“Celebrating 125 years of Our Faith’s Harvest”

May 15, 2016 @3pm

First Evangelical Presbyterian Church

(2101 S. Jefferson Street, Roanoke, Virginia)

Keynote Speaker:

Rev. Dr. Brian K. Blount,

President, Union

Presbyterian Seminary

Click here for more info!

UKirk Update

UKirk Virginia Tech students traveled to beautiful Camp Alta Mons in Montgomery County for their annual

spring retreat. Here’s how one student describes his experience:

“During our retreat at Camp Alta Mons, we all had the opportunity to get away from school, enjoy the out-

doors, and get to know each other a little better through conversation and fellowship. The time we spent

away from campus to connect with God and with one another was needed by all, and was greatly refresh-

ing."

Many students mentioned how freeing it was

to not have cell phone or internet access.

They are never able to be truly "unplugged"

and it was a welcomed break.

Do you have a student headed to Virginia

Tech next fall? Be sure to contact

Ginny Taylor-Troutman, Campus Minister:

campusminister@pcusa-vt.org ;

(540) 552-2473

Peaks Postings, May 10 2016 Page 9

“To enhance, equip and empower congregations and leaders to become bold servants of

transformation for the glory of the Triune God.”

PRESBYTERY CALENDAR

Date Time Event Location

May 11 10:30AM PoP Staff Meeting PoP Office

May 12 9:30AM Committee on Ministry PoP Office

May 18 9:30AM Examinations Committee Peace PC, Roanoke

May 30 Presbytery Office Closed for Holiday

June 1 10:30AM PoP Staff Meeting PoP Office

June 2 6PM Camps Workgroup Covenant PC, Roanoke

June 9 9:30AM Committee on Ministry TBD

UPCOMING PRESBYTERY MEETINGS

August 20, 2016 (Saturday) 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Covenant PC in Roanoke

November 17, 2016 (Thursday) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Christiansburg PC in Christiansburg.

On-Line Calendar

Peaks Postings is published each week on Tuesday. Please submit news, events, or prayer requests by noon on Mon-

days to Jeff Binder at rev.binder@gmail.com for inclusion in the following issue.

Guidelines for announcements or news items to be featured in Peaks Postings:

Keep the information to one page or less. Use links to web sites rather than including lots of details. Please obtain permission from the people pictured in your photos before submitting them to Peaks Postings. Peaks Postings Editors reserve the right to feature or not feature an article. Our first priority is to feature activities within POP churches and the Presbytery.

edit submitted articles/announcements. limit the number of weeks an article/announcement is featured. Past issues of Peaks Postings are archived for about six months on our website, Presbytery of the Peaks.

Presbytery of the Peaks

1022 Floyd Street, Suite A

Lynchburg, VA 24501 Phone: 434-845-1754

Toll Free: 1-888-557-3257

Fax: 434-845-7829

e-mail: office@peakspresbytery.org

Web Site: peakspresbytery.org

Jeff Binder, Associate Presbyter, Youth & Young Adults

Nancy Dawson, General Presbyter

Steve Earl, Associate Presbyter for Ministry

Rita Fleet, Executive Administrative Assistant

Robin Padgett, Office Manager

Denise Pillow, Hunger Action Advocate

Hugh Springer, Stated Clerk