We Extend a Welcome To You at
Lexington Presbyterian Church
120 S. Main Street
Lexington, VA 24450
William M. Klein, Pastor
Phone: 540-463-3873 Fax: 540-463-1885
Lexington Presbyterian Service -
Through the Presbyterian Church in the USA "PC(USA)"
As a congregation of the PC(USA) Lexington Presbyterian supports a
selection of programs and educational
organizations. Click on the links below for more information.
Elizabeth Klein, daughter of Bill & Deb Klein, is serving as a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer for a year in Nashville, Tennessee. She works with Nations Ministry, refugee center for education and advocacy, which provides preschool, middle school tutoring, and adult English classes. Elizabeth is living in community with several other "YAVs" in Nashville, and worshipping with Westminster Presbyterian Church. For status information, check her blog. Thank you for all your prayers and support!
4¢-a-meal
Most
members of our church are well acquainted with the "4¢-a-meal"
collections which occur at both worship services on the first Sunday
of each month, but many of us may have only vague ideas about how
this program originated and how the money collected is distributed
and used. "4¢-a-meal" programs are grassroots efforts of
congregations which originated in 1975 as a response to starvation
in Bangladesh. The idea is that everyone can give a little,
regardless of income, and collectively over the years the little can
make a big difference.
At Lexington Presbyterian Church, we typically collect an average of $475 each month for this offering. 75% is contributed to the PC(USA) Hunger Program and 25% is distributed locally at the end of the year. For the past two years, this local distribution has been 50% to RARA Food Pantry, 25% to Meals on Wheels, and 25% to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
Here in Lexington we are surrounded with abundance: friends, beauty, jobs and a hearty dinner every evening. We need to look a little deeper to notice need, but it can be seen in the sheer numbers of food requests at the local food bank. The RARA Food Pantry fed 2770 more people in 2008 through November than it did in 2007, an increase of 40% in one year.
There are many members of our congregation who faithfully contribute to this offering each month, while others are more forgetful. How can we become more mindful of this important ministry in difficult economic times? Some families find that a physical collection of coins at mealtimes is a wonderful way to remember those in need. Perhaps you have a dish for the spare change that you empty from your pockets each evening. Or you may wish to write a check designated to the program. Whatever your strategy, we ask you to prayerfully consider how you can participate in this offering each month to help those who have little.
This program is a small first step in the battle against hunger and poverty. Our congregation invites everyone - of all ages - to contribute a few cents at every meal. This simple act is an expression of thanks for what we have received. It is also a commitment to share with others in response to Jesus' command: "You give them something to eat." When we bring our offerings to church on the first Sunday of the month, those coins truly "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" as they are received and dedicated.
For more information visit Cents-ability.
iCare
At the request of Illubabor Bethel Synod, in the Illubabor region of Ethiopia, the Shenandoah Presbytery seeks sponsors for children who are in dire straights in Ethiopia. The children, many of whom are orphans, come to the Gore Children's Home in the town of Gore, where they receive reliable nutrition, clothing, access to the local public school, a spiritual lifestyle and a modicum of health care.
Visit ICare for more details.
Joy Offering
The Joy Offering has been a Presbyterian tradition for almost seventy years. The Board of Pensions receives fifty percent of the receipts to fund assistance programs that provide support to retired and active church workers and their spouses and families. The other fifty percent supports Presbyterian-related racial/ethnic education through the National Ministries Division of the General Assembly Council.
We make this offering during the Christmas season.
See pcusa.org/cjoffering for more info.
Living Waters for the World
Living Waters for the World (LWW), the mission resource of the
Synod of Living
Waters of the Presbyterian Church (USA), trains and equips mission teams
to share the gift of clean water with communities in need. LWW water
systems and related educational programs address a critical niche of the
world water crisis - communities with available but contaminated water.
The need for clean water is overwhelming. According to the World Health Organization and other sources, approximately three million people die each year from water-related illnesses, most of them children. Living Waters for the World is a clear example of the church being involved in people's lives in a real, tangible way. LWW programs save children from certain illness and deadly complications that come from dirty water, which has been the only kind of water available to them and their parents. Living Waters for the World and its partners are delivering the water of life and sowing God's word to those who thirst.
For additional details, see LivingWatersfortheWorld.org.
One Great Hour of Sharing
Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God's love with people experiencing need. Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and work together to strengthen their families and communities.
Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future.
OGHS funds are used for the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Self-Development of People. For more information, visit http://www.pcusa.org/oghs.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance enables congregations and mission
partners of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to witness to the healing love
of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis
and catastrophic events.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Its core budget, including staff and administrative costs, is funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing, and its program work is additionally funded through designated gifts.
You may find information on current response teams at www.pcusa.org/pda.
Davis & Elkins
Henry Gassaway Davis and Stephen Benton Elkins were instrumental in establishing Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia. They were United States Senators and were responsible for building the first railroad into the area. In 1901, the Senators donated land and money to establish a college and academy associated with the Presbyterian Church. Donations from the citizens of Randolph County and the Presbyteries of Lexington and Winchester, Virginia, matched their gift. In 1902, the College's Board of Trustees met for the first time. Students attended their first classes on September 21, 1904.
The college does not rest on its laurels, however, and is the highest ranked West Virginia institution in the 2008 U.S.News & World Report ranking.
For more information, visit the web site at DavisAndElkins.edu.
Hampden-Sydney
Hampden-Sydney College, founded in 1775, is one of the oldest colleges in the
United States. It is a four-year private college for men and is
affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The campus is located 60
miles southwest of Richmond, VA.
The mission of Hampden-Sydney throughout its existence has been: "forming good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning."
Visit the web site at hsc.edu for additional information.
Mary Baldwin College
MBC is a private four-year women's liberal arts college founded in 1842
with coeducational graduate and adult degree programs. It is located
in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley on 54 acres of rolling hills
in Staunton, Virginia. It is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a
top-tier master's level university in the South.
The mission of Mary Baldwin College is to provide undergraduate and graduate education consistent with the institution's rich heritage as a private liberal arts college primarily for women, which affirms its Christian roots while welcoming a broad diversity of views. This mission is implemented in the residential programs for women and the nonresidential programs for men and women over 21 through focus on teaching and learning; concern for the individual; commitment to the liberal arts as preparation for life, for careers, for graduate and professional studies, and for leadership; and emphasis on high ethical standards.
Visit mbc.edu for more information.
Massanetta Springs Camp & Conference Center
Since 1922 Massanetta Springs, outside Harrisonburg, VA, has been providing God's people with welcoming hospitality and a beautiful place for rest, reflection, spiritual growth and renewal. Nestled on 200 acres of woodlands and meadows, our campus and facilities are an idyllic setting for a wide variety of events.
Massanetta is a ministry of the PC(USA) Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, which serves churches located in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia's panhandle, D.C. Maryland and Delaware.
For details on camp, conferences and schedules, see MassanettaSprings.org.
Montreat Conference Center
The Montreat Conference Center, as a mission center of the Presbyterian
Church (USA), seeks to glorify God by serving the whole Church of
Jesus Christ by calling all God's people to a place set apart for
spiritual commitment and renewal, to grow in discipleship, to build
relationships, and to prepare one another for Christ's ministry in
the world.
A pleasant, scenic 20 minute drive east from Asheville, NC, Montreat Conference Center offers guests a time-honored tradition of friendly, gracious hospitality in a warm and casual setting. A wide variety of meeting, housing, dining, and recreational facilities comfortably accommodates individuals as well as gatherings ranging in size from large conferences to private retreats and reunions.
Click Montreat.org for additional information.
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education offers graduate-level theological education as an institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Founded in 1812, Union-PSCE has campuses in Richmond, VA, and Charlotte, NC. Students may also pursue the M.A.C.E. degree through the unique Extended Campus Program where most of the learning takes place at home. The seminary offers nine degrees for those preparing for a wide variety of callings in ministry.
Details are available at Union-PSCE.edu.