WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

(Important Dates & Information)

UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS

Kiskiminetas Presbytery will be hosting a Presbytery Retreat Friday, September 10th through Saturday, September 11th at the Antiochian Village in Bolivar, PA. We will hear three short talks from revered author and speaker Rev. N. Graham Standish while we relax and reflect. Each talk will be followed up by breaking into smaller fellowship groups to dig deeper and discuss what we just heard.
Between talks, there will be time for exploring outdoors, fellowshipping and touring the retreat center bookstore and museum. A short business meeting will be held on Saturday afternoon before we depart to return home. The room rates are $150 for a single and $110 per person if you wish to share a room.
The price per room includes your meals while at the retreat. Couples are welcome and scholarships are available where financial challenges would prevent attendance.

If you are interested in attending please RSVP by August 19th. Register by going to bit.ly/kiski2021 and scroll to the bottom of the page, click on the blue button and complete the fields.

Additional information on Antiochian Village, along with a link to directions, can be found at https://www.antiochianvillage.org. Please contact the Presbytery office at (724) 783-7196 or email us at kiski@kiskipby.org with any questions.

PARTNERSHIP SUNDAY LITURGY

PARTNERSHIP SUNDAY
September 19, 2021

We Gather in God’s Name

WORDS OF WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRELUDE (Instrumental music)

INTRODUCTION TO PARTNERSHIP SUNDAY
       Today we celebrate and give thanks for what God has done and is doing in our midst. We give great thanks for God bringing together the people of Eglise Persbyterienne au Rwanda (EPR), Gitarama Region, and the people of the Presbytery of Kiskiminetas. We the people, the Church, the Body of Christ, were called into partnership by God in 2006, with a delegation commissioned by the Presbytery of Kiskiminetas to travel to Rwanda that September.
       The main purpose of this partnership is mutual help between both presbyteries, spiritually, socially, culturally, and economically. It is in that perspective that the partnership committees of both sides who met in Rwanda on Tuesday, August 12, 2014 decided to launch an annual partnership Sunday which is to take place the third Sunday of each September.
       Part of what makes this day special is that we bear witness to the unity we have in Christ. Our brothers and sisters in Rwanda will be celebrating our partnership today using the same liturgy, sermon texts, prayers, and songs. Though many, we are one body!

*CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 66)
Leader:     Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing your praise to the
glory of God’s name.
People:   Great and awesome are the works of God. The whole
  universe sings of God’s power.
Leader:     Gather to remember all that God has revealed. Come to discover
what God is doing among us.
People:   God is faithful and just in all things. The promises of God
are trustworthy and true.
Leader:     Come, let us worship God.

*HYMN                           “Holy, Holy, Holy”

CALL TO CONFESSION**
         Our God, who called us into covenant, invites us to examine our faithfulness. We who have known God’s healing touch are recalled to a life of gratitude. Challenged to be builders and planters, we are faced with our destructive, unproductive habits. Together, we seek a better way.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION** (unison) Forgiving God, once more we seek your pardon and protection. We find ourselves in exile from the best we know. We have focused so much of our attention on our own concerns that we have neglected the welfare of our community. We see our own hardships more readily than we feel the vast suffering around us. We forget the mercy we have received. We are angry when we should be grateful. Restore us to covenant faithfulness, we pray in Christ’s name. Amen (Silent Confession)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON**
Leader:     We are healed and forgiven by a trustworthy God whose righteousness endures forever. Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth. Remember the resurrection of Jesus and accept the opportunity to be raised to new life in Christ. This is the good news:
People:    In Jesus Christ we are loved, forgiven, and set free.
Thanks be to God!

*GLORIA PATRI

*SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Leader:     “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:13) Let us share the peace of Christ. Just as Christ has forgiven us, let us forgive one another. The peace of Christ be with you!
People:    And also with you!

We Listen to God’s Word

CHILDREN’S TIME

CHOIR ANTHEM

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
          Holy God, this is your time to speak. Awaken us to hear your word. Help us to understand your word as it applies to our lives. Then, strengthen us to live by your word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

SCRIPTURE READING     Isaiah 43:14-21

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

We Respond to God’s Word

*HYMN                 “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – Apostles’ Creed

JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & LORD’S PRAYER

TITHES AND OFFERINGS
          Offertory (instrumental music)
          *Doxology
          *Prayer of Dedication
         O God, with faith and hope, we offer these gifts. Use them, even as you use us, to accomplish your purposes in Jesus Christ, the head of the church and the Lord of our lives. Amen

We Go Forth to Serve

*HYMN                 “Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine!”

*BENEDICTION (1 Cor 16:13; 2 Tim 2:1; Eph 6:10; 1 Thess 5:13-22; 1 Peter 2:17)
          Go out into the world in peace;
          Have courage;
          Hold on to what is good;
          Return to no one evil for evil;
          Strengthen the fainthearted;
          Support the weak, and help the suffering;
          Honor all people;
          Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.

          Go with the blessing of God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

*POSTLUDE (instrumental music)
          *Please stand in body or spirit

**from Lavon Bayler’s Gathered by Love, 1994, p. 146

Other music: “God Is So Good”

WHAT'S GOOD TO KNOW
(Presbytery Wide News)

2021 - 2022 KISKIMINETAS CALENDARS
Calendars are in!
If you ordered calendars for your church please remember to pick them up from the Presbytery Office. If you can not make it into the office please contact us to make arrangements.

PASTORS TIME TO TALK
Great News! Pastors Time to Talk will be resuming on August 31st. Join the discussion Tuesdays at 1pm.

PASTORS BOOK STUDY
Pastor Book Study will resume on Monday, September 13th at 3pm and will continue to meet every Monday at 3pm.
The group will be continuing with Oneing: The Future of Christianity with editor Richard Rohr.

PDA & CWS CLEAN-UP BUCKET KITS NEEDED
The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) and Church World Service (CWS) have put out an emergency request stating:
"We are CRITICALLY LOW on cleanup buckets! As we prepare for what is forecast to be a busy hurricane season, WE NEED YOUR HELP building up the inventory so kits can deploy as soon as they are needed."
Kiskiminetas Presbytery has a wonderful disaster response ministry resource in your back yard. The Plum Creek Presbyterian Church is a drop-off site for Church World Service for Clean-Up Buckets, School Kits and Hygiene Kits. The church will be available to receive kits on Tuesdays from 1-3pm September 1st through September 30th. Plum Creek Church is located at 7214 Five Points Road, Creekside, PA 15732.
If you have any questions, please contact Donna Rankin at 724-397-2540 or email your questions to rotc1974@gmail.com.
A list of kits supplies can be found here: https://pda.pcusa.org/page/kits/
Bulletin inserts are available here: https://pda.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/pda/pdfs/gift_of_the_heart_kits_2_up-jan2017.pdf

**Please Note**
Please purchase all liquids in plastic bottles. Send only new, unopened materials. Put all items in the plastic bucket, packed securely to avoid damage during shipment, and seal lid with packing tape.

Some local fast-food restaurants are willing to give pickle buckets (or other 5-gallon buckets with re-sealable lids) or offer them for a small fee. These can be washed out and used for the cleanup buckets.

If you have 36 or more buckets and are looking for transportation options, Ferncliff has a discount with Fed Ex Freight. You can email Rebecca Roetzel (rebecca@ferncliff.org) to see how your church might get their discount on to your shipment

HAS THE SHUTDOWN, PANDEMIC AND TRYING TO "RETURN TO NORMAL" LEFT YOU DRAINED?

Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation invites you to a time of renewal, prayer, skill sharing and fellowship with other women in ministry.

This event is open to all Women Clergy and Christian Educators!

The Revs. Kathy Noble and Suzanne Gorhau will lead workshops on giving voice to the stress of the pandemic, sabbath and sabbath styles of rest, God care (not self-care) and prayer forms. The Rev. Sara Tonje will lead experiential worship services. Time will also be available for story sharing, enjoying nature, naps and a night of creativity.

Registration is now open.
Click here:
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ei7o2xz805585823&oseq=&c=&ch=

Rooms are available at Camp Calvin Crest and Holiday Inn Express on first come basis.
Registration deadline August 31, 2021

You can learn more about Suzanne and Kathy at https://comeawaymybeloved.org/
and Sara at http://www.underwoodchurch.com/staff/.

RWANDA CORNER

LESSON 32:
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLING

OBJECTIVE:
The benefits of teaching children the Christian way

SCRIPTURE:
Deuteronomy 11: 18-21

SUMMARY OF THE LESSON:
The Bible clearly describes how a child is an inheritance from the Lord (Psalm 127: 3), which is why he deserves special attention and is given a Christian upbringing and also taught to obey his Creator. It is the responsibility of every parent (husband and wife) to start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it (Proverbs 22: 6). While children are not trained in a Christian way, the present and future church will have a serious problem; as a Rwandan said: "Cows that are about to disappear start from the fold,"

In the passage we read, it shows us how Moses reminded Israelites to obey the commandments of the Lord and to place them in a clear place (Tying them on their hands, placing them on foreheads, in the middle of the eyes, on doorframes of houses and on gates) so that they would not forget and draw the danger of the curse in place of blessing.

Moses also reminded the Israelites that they must teach their children about God's laws and memorize them until they can repeat the while sitting at home, on the road, in bed and when they wake up.

The benefits of teaching children Christian way from an early age are many, but we can say the following:

 It makes God bless us in the right way. (Rain in its time which gives
adequate yields (Verse 14)
 It help us to avoid straying from the ways of God which increase the wrath
of the Lord (Verse 16)
 Helps to keep in hearts and understand the word of God (Verse 8)
 It allows the child to be trained in the right way before he gets bad
behaviors (Verse 19)
 Causes longevity. (Verse 21)
 Prevents and helps defeat enemy attacks (Verses 22-25)

In short, every Christian has a responsibility to give to their child Christian teachings. If we fulfil this responsibility, we will be able to build better families for the future, and a great Church in every way and with good behaviors.

QUESTIONS DISCUSSION:
1. As members of your grass root church, how do you teach your children the Christian way?
2. Are there other advantages of teaching children the Christian way? Discuss about it.
3. What else have you learned from this lesson?

VERSE OF MEDITATION:
Deuteronomy 11:19