Prayer List

• Barbara Bailey, Dudley Beall, Lucy Clark, Cole Correo, Kathy Davidson, Danny Ferguson, H. R. (Randy) Garner, Robert Gladney, Olivia Fitch, Bobby Hays, Mike Kelly, Jr., J. T. Ketchum, Andy Kozain, Kay Long, Bebe Lyon, Carole Martin, Kayla Massey, Hazel McBride, Jim Minor, Ericia Neyenn, Delaney Perry, Mike Turner, Johnny Walters, Sue Wooten.

PYF 6/25/06

• This Sunday PYF will meet at the Whitten house from 6:00-8:00 P.M. Fred Henry will lead the group in making their very own piece of pottery.

July Preaching Schedule

We are pleased to welcome several good preachers to our pulpit during the month of July while Dr. Burnham is on vacation. Here is the preaching schedule for July:

• July 2^nd – Elder John White preaches at both the 8:30 & 11:00 A.M. services.
• July 9^th – Elder David Honnoll preaches at the 8:30 A.M. service and Rev. David Snellgrove preaches at the 11:00 A.M. service.
• July 16^th – Elder Erik Broome preaches at both the 8:30 & 11:00 A.M. services.
• July 23^rd – Elder Mike Goree from Starkville preaches at both the 8:30 & 11:00 A.M. services.
• July 30^th – Rev. Barbara McKee from Osburn preaches at both the 8:30 & 11:00 A.M. services.

July Vacation Schedule

• Mrs. Marilyn Elliott will attend a tech conference on June 22^nd and has scheduled vacation days on July 3^rd, 10^th, and 14^th. Mrs. Billie Garner and Mrs. Claire Sanders will be in the church office on these days.
• Dr. Jon Burnham will be away for continuing education from June 26^th – July 3^rd attending a centering prayer retreat in Cullman, Alabama, and will be on vacation from July 4^th – 31^st.

Worship Leaders 6/25/06

• Anne Avery, Amanda Lee
• Wee Worship – Colleen Clark, Brad Clark
• 8:30 A.M. Usher – Margaret Nix
• 11:00 A.M. Ushers – Janie Ginn, Don Kilgore, Tommy Brooks, Ira Gail White
• Greeters – Missy Baker, Gaines Baker, Claire Sanders, Billie Garner
• Acolytes – Canice Nickle, Charley Ann Nix

Welcome Visitors

We welcome these who visited in our church on Sunday, June 18^th:

Will Dickins, Amanda Wolfe, Brooke

Vance, Meredith Carlson, Josh Patton,

Calvin Patton, Roxann Patton, Gayle

Spencer.

Happy Birthday Stuart

• Happy Birthday to Stuart Risner whose birthday was on June 11^th. We hope you had a happy one, Stuart!

Snellgrove Golf Scramble this Saturday

• The 3^rd Annual Snellgrove Golf Scramble will be held on Saturday, June 24^th, at the Panola Country Club. There will be a shot-gun start at 8:00 A.M. The format is a three person scramble. The cost is $35 each. Contact Ben Graves, 563-8334, if you need additional details.

VBS Program on Friday

• Parents, grandparents, and guests are invited to attend the Children’s Vacation Bible School Program on Friday, June 23^rd, at 11:00 A.M. in the sanctuary. A hot dog lunch will be provided after the program.

Youth Advisory Delegates (YADs)

Meredith Carlson sent this photo of the YADs at this year's General Assembly in Birmingham. Our own Ginnie Monteith is towards the top in the center.
 

Seeking a Sunday Night Live Director

Batesville Presbyterian Church seeks a Director for the Sunday Night Live program for children ages 4-12 years that meets weekly on Sunday evenings during the school year. This position is currently paid a stipend per program. Here is the job description.

1. The Pastor acts as Head of staff.

2. The Sunday Night Live Director will work with other church staff and members as needed to fulfill his/her responsibilities and to ensure the overall success of the church's ministry. The Sunday Night Live Director will work directly with the Christian Education Committee and/or their sub-committees in planning and implementing the various programs.

3. Recruit volunteers to host activities at their homes.

4. Plan activities for September through the first of March; this will also include the planning of who will provide meals.

5. Mail out calendar of activities to parents.

6. Recruit leaders for each activity.

7. Attend activities or recruit a substitute.

8. Provide materials needed for each activity.

9. Provide information about Sunday Night Live programs for the weekly church newsletter.

Anyone interested in learning more about this position may speak to Pastor Jon Burnham or Elder Kenny Hopper, Moderator of the Administration Committee of the Session.

PC(USA) receives historic $150 million gift for church growth

Surprise announcement electrifies Assembly

PC(USA) receives historic $150 million gift for church growth

by Evan Silverstein

Anderson

BIRMINGHAM, June 15 — A Colorado businessman and elder has contributed a historic $150 million gift to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) aimed at helping presbyteries start new churches, transform struggling congregations and develop new racial-ethnic congregations.

The money from Stanley W. Anderson of Denver, Colo., for the new Loaves and Fishes Church Growth Fund will be distributed to presbyteries through grants ranging from $250,000 to $1 million each.

Presbyteries will be required to apply for the grants and will have to match a portion of it.

Word of the money came through a surprise announcement Thursday that electrified those attending the opening of the PC(USA)’s 217th General Assembly here, prompting commissioners to stand and cheer.

Presbytery mission causes and Presbyterian seminaries will also benefit from the money.

"It is my privilege today to introduce what surely may be a historic event in the life of the Presbyterian Church," said John Detterick, executive director of the General Assembly Council (GAC). "An event which I pray will set the tone for our worship and work this week and in the years to come."

John Detterick thanks Stanley W. Anderson of Denver, Colo. who contributed a historic $150 million gift to the PC(USA) for the new Loaves and Fishes Church Growth Fund. Photo by Danny Bolin.

Detterick estimated during a news conference later that each Presbyterian seminary will likely receive up to $1 million.

Anderson, whose family spent time on welfare when he was young, is a third-generation member of Central Presbyterian Church in Denver.

The Colorado resident said he decided to contribute the money because he was frustrated by the continuing decline of the PC(USA), saying that we are "God’s children" who must "reenergize ourselves, use our talents and what he gives us" to reverse all negative trends and to grow the church.

"I share with you that I am tired of seeing the annual report of our denomination that shows a net loss of membership, the decrease in mission giving and a struggle to balance the books," said Anderson, who is a University of Colorado alumnus.

Anderson is a veteran of more than three decades in the banking and financial services industry. He has been called the "Godfather" of the procurement card after he designed one for the federal government in 1986.

"My fellow Presbyterians, we can do more," said Anderson, who is married with two children and two grandchildren. "We can stretch. We can push ourselves. We can be that little boy who gave all that he had to Jesus … who multiplied the gift and fed the followers with abundance leftover. We can do no less."

Anderson’s gift will be applied toward the PC(USA)’s Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands campaign, an effort to raise $40 million for church growth and international mission personnel. The campaign has already raised $25 million.

The Rev. Tim Hart-Andersen of Minneapolis, Minn., a member of the Mission Initiative steering committee, thanked Anderson for the gift.

"It’s a remarkable witness to your faith and to what the church can do when it leans into a challenge," Hart-Andersen said during the news conference. "Of late the church has felt like the wind has gone out of its sails. Suddenly, the winds are back in the sails in some new ways and the ship is beginning to move."

Each presbytery may receive one three-year grant, said Detterick, who plans to retire following the Assembly. He said multiple presbyteries could seek a single grant through a joint application. The grant must incorporate the three stated purposes of the fund: congregational transformation, racial-ethnic congregations, and new church development.

The Fund is expected to be established and ready for operation by the end of November. Disbursements will begin during the first quarter of 2007. All grant applications must be processed and determined by the end of 2009.

"I strongly urge all presbyteries to look seriously at this opportunity, use their creative talents and resources and determine how they can best respond," Anderson said.

The gift is designed to leverage a mission funding capacity across the denomination. Presbyteries who receive a grant must agree to several conditions: 10 percent of the grant must go to approved presbytery mission causes, including support for national and international missions within the PC(USA). The 10 percent must be matched by the presbytery.

In addition, 1 percent of the grant must go to the Theological Education Fund in support of seminaries, which must also be matched by the presbytery.

This means that for a grant of $500,000, the presbytery would have to raise $55,000. Then, the presbytery’s membership growth project would receive $445,000, the presbytery approved mission cause would receive $100,000, and the Theological Education Fund would receive $10,000.

In 1988, Anderson founded Anderson and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in commercial card products, advanced technologies and electronic commerce. In 1989, he also founded ProCard, Inc., a technology firm designed to support supplemental data capture and reporting for the commercial card marketplace.

Most recently he co-founded Trinity Foundation, Inc., which is focused on providing funding to multiple causes within the United States and globally. A strong emphasis is placed on first funds being used for Christian causes. The Loaves and Fishes Church Growth Fund will receive funding through the Trinity Foundation.

During his years of service to Central Presbyterian Church, Anderson chaired many committees, taught Sunday school, and has been a leader in property development, restoration and expansion.

He has also served as chair of New Church Development for Denver Presbytery as well as serving for nine years as a director and vice chair of the PC(USA) Board of Pensions (BOP).

While on BOP, Anderson chaired the audit committee, served on the investment committee, and was vice chair of the executive committee.

Blogged with Flock

Volleyball in Whitten House backyard

BPC Spring Picnic volleyball game on June 4, 2006 

Church Staff Update

Our own Haley and Jay Williams have done a remarkable job of building a strong youth program at our church and for that we shall be forever grateful to them. Now with two small children of their own and with Jay’s full-time job requiring more travel, Jay and Haley have informed the youth and the Session of their desire for the church to find other leaders for this important work. In response to this request, the Administration Committee has suggested and the Session has approved a search for a full-time Director of Christian Education (DCE). This person will fulfill the role of youth director and also work full-time with the children and older adults of our congregation. The Session has approved a job description which you may view on our website at bpc.blogspot.com.

The Session realizes the search for a full-time Director of Christian Education may take more than a few months. Therefore, in the meantime, the Session has directed the Administration Committee to search for a Part-Time Interim Youth Director who may begin as early as the beginning of the school year. This person will work with our youth as we continue to search for a full-time DCE. The Session has approved the following job description for the Part-Time Interim Youth Director.

Job Description for

Interim Youth Director

Approved by the Session on June 12, 2006

A. Working Relationships

1. The Pastor acts as Head of staff.
2. The Interim Youth Director will work with other church staff and members as needed to fulfill his/her responsibilities and to ensure the overall success of the church’s ministry. The Interim Youth Director will work directly with the Christian Education Committee and/or their sub-committees in planning and implementing the various programs and will serve as staff advisor to those committees.
3. The Interim Youth Director is under the supervision of the Session and responsible to the Session through the Chairperson of the Christian Education Committee.
4. Annual review and personal support for the Director will be the responsibility of the Administration Committee of the Session.
5. Members of the Session and Deacons will be willing to assist in any way in the programs provided for all our youth leadership including meals, transportation, chaperone, etc.

B. Primary Responsibilities

1. To provide meals and activities each Sunday for the youth 6^th – 12^th grade.
2. To provide weekly information to the church secretary about upcoming events to be published in the Newsletter/Bulletin.
3. To encourage the use of Presbyterian camps by publicizing camps and administering scholarship fund for participants.
4. To maintain the Youth House, reporting any concerns to the Property Committee.
5. To recruit youth participation in all activities sponsored by the church.
6. To provide a program presented by the Youth during the Sunday morning church hour on Youth Sunday.
7. To organize and chaperone the youth to the Montreat Youth Conference each year.
8. To organize and chaperone the youth to any presbytery retreats at Camp Hopewell.
9. To provide Bible study or other activities with youth on Wednesday nights during the school year.
   

Bring a friend!

Vacation

Bible School

June 19^th-23^rd

9:00 A.M. – Noon

Children ages 4 through 5^th grade are invited to come be a part of the excitement at our Vacation Bible School, Adventure of the Treasure Seekers: Exploring God’s Promises. Each day they will dig into the Word of God to discover one of God’s most precious promises: God Loves You, God Knows You, God Treasures You, God Forgives You, and God Is With You.

Each day the children are asked to wear a different color:

• Monday ~ wear red
• Tuesday ~ wear blue
• Wednesday ~ wear gold or yellow
• Thursday ~ wear purple
• Friday ~ wear green

We will begin every day at 9:00 A.M. and we will meet in the sanctuary.

Welcome Visitors

We welcome these who visited in our church on Sunday, June 4^th:

Kyle Foshee, Connie Baker, Graves

Baker, Nicholas Roberson, Noah

Roberson, Jennifer Westerfield,

F. F. Wilkerson, Callie Brandon, Sara

Mitchell, Bobby Epps, Austin Smith.

Christian Sympathy

• Our Christian sympathy is with the family of David Snellgrove in the death of his aunt, Martha Clark, in Enterprise, Alabama and in the death of another aunt, Nell Daughterty, in Dothan, Alabama.
• Our Christian sympathy is also with the family of David McKee in the death of his aunt, Wanda Morrison.

PYF 6/17/06

• This weekend PYF is on Saturday night, June 17^th. We will meet at the church at 5:30 P.M. to go to the Desoto Civic Center to an Xplorers arena football game. You will only need to bring money for snacks and dinner.

Worship Leaders 6/18/06

• Nursery – Debi Honnoll, Susan Hardy

• Wee Worship – Meg Woods, Sally Nickle
• 8:30 A.M. Usher – Margaret Nix
• 11:00 A.M. Ushers – Janie Ginn, Don Kilgore, Howard Hawkins, Kenneth Brasell
• Greeters – Nancy Spencer, Johnny Spencer, Debbie Robison, Bill Robison
• Acolytes – Jennifer Burnham, Emily Appleton

Prayer List

• Barbara Bailey, Dudley Beall, Lucy Clark, Kathy Davidson, Danny Ferguson, H. R. (Randy) Garner, Robert Gladney, Olivia Fitch, Bobby Hays, Mike Kelly, Jr., J. T. Ketchum, Andy Kozain, Kay Long, Bebe Lyon, Carole Martin, Kayla Massey, Hazel McBride, Allison McCord, Jim Minor, Family of Wanda Morrison, Ericia Neyenn, Delaney Perry, Mike Turner, Jane Wade, Johnny Walters, Sue Wooten.