Lehigh Presbytery

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710 N. Cedar Crest Blvd.
Allentown, PA 18104
(610) 391-9020

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Thank you for your Generous Support & Prayers

April 25, 2022 · Church News, Mission News, Presbytery News

The Lehigh Presbytery and our covenant partners in Romania, The Hungarian Reformed Church, thank you for your generous support!

With the initial response to the need we were able to send a little over eight thousand dollars to help support the ministry and mission of our covenant partner to the refugees from Ukraine.  They have been able to provide food, shelter, medicine and spiritual support to all those who have crossed the border into Romania.  Our financial support has also allowed them to collect and transport the much needed supplies into Ukraine (ie. adult and baby diapers, hygiene products, diabetes monitors and strips, soap, food, etc.).

 

 

 

 

 

Since then we have received additional donations and will be transferring the funds to support the need of the refugees and those still in Ukraine.

If you would like to help you can give through the Lehigh Presbytery’ online giving platform here, and designate your gift for Ukraine; OR you can send your check to Lehigh Presbytery, 710 N. Cedar Crest Blvd, Allentown, PA 18104 (Please note UKRAINE-HRC in the memo line).  Every cent we receive is transferred directly the Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania for this ministry.

The need is great and on-going.  We thank you for your prayers and support!

 

Thank from the Reformed Church-Kiralyhagomellek District

April 25, 2022 · Church News, Mission News, Presbytery News

April 5, 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I would like to thank you for your prayers for peace and instant help to ease the sorrow of those who are suffering in or fleeing our neighboring Ukraine as the was is escalating.

More than 4 million have already left Ukraine, mostly women with children, and elderly people. Men aging between 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave, Ukraine banned all male citizens aging 18-60 from leaving the country.

Ukraine is one hundred miles away from Oradea. Tens of thousands have escaped towards the Romanian border to Oradea.

Our Church reacted immediately: we have been collecting food, medicine, hygienic items and money to help those in need. Our Church has been transporting aid into Ukraine, and we are also accommodating hundreds of refugees. The emergency aid by Lehigh Presbytery amounting USD 4,310.00 was deeply appreciated. This substantial gift is making our common mission stronger, for His glory.

Mau God bless this donation of our American Sisters and Brothers in faith!

In Christ,

Istvan Csury, Bishop
Reformed Church in Romania
Kiralyhagomellek District
Nagyvarad/Oradea

What Assets Can Your Congregation Leverage?

April 25, 2022 · Church News, Presbytery News

There was once a congregation in another presbytery that resulted from a merger of two declining churches whose buildings were just a few blocks apart. Reluctantly, they both admitted they needed to merge and sell one of the buildings, which they did, providing quite a lot of money in the bank. Their young, energetic pastor convinced them to use some of the funds to do long-deferred maintenance and remodeling so they could more effectively use the building for ministry. Then she tried to help them discern how God might be calling them to serve the needs in their community. Unfortunately, while she was doing that, the congregation was busy developing opposing factions and actively resisting every new idea that was suggested.

Frustrated, the pastor invited me to come and work with congregational leaders in a process called Asset Mapping, an activity in which a group is led to recognize and name all the assets available for their ministry; to make a sort of inventory. I asked them to write on sticky paper everything they could think of in different categories: physical assets (building, location, furniture, dishes, pews, the different rooms, musical instruments, etc.); individual assets (talents, gifts knowledge, or skills of members and friends, and things they could create); associations (people and groups they have connections with in the community); institutions (agencies, businesses, or organizations they might partner with); and, of course, economic assets (money, rental income, things they could potential sell).

The group covered an entire wall with sticky notes, and they were amazed and excited by how many resources were available to the. Alas, it proved to be just and exercise, for when the time came in the process for them to connect those resources into a way to minister to the community, they stopped working collaboratively, divided back into factions, and came up with reasons why anything that was suggest wouldn’t work. All they really wanted to talk about, it seemed, was how to attract new members. Less than a year later, it became clear that all they were ever going to do was spend down their money and close in a few years. And so, their pastor, one of their greatest assets, left to take another call.

When congregations consider their assets, they often only consider money and property, and get stuck thinking about what they don’t have instead of creatively using the resources they do have available to serve their community as Jesus’ hands and feet. In this article, a pastor describes how one congregation leveraged its assets to secure funds needed for ministry. One of those assets was property, but they also utilized intangible assets such as the specialized skills of members, the church’s good reputation in the community, and relationships with other groups. The pastor explains, “…when I say leveraging assets, it’s not just about the four corners of the building around you or what you own. It’s also the people in your church, the people in the community, the organizations you can team with, and other churches.”

Please contact me if you’d like help making an inventory of your assets. Your church may have more resources than you think!

Grace & Peace,

Rhonda Kruse, Transitional Leader

Ukraine Update from our partners, The Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania

March 23, 2022 · Presbytery News

A letter from the Transcarpathian Reformed Church in Ukraine ……

Dear Friends,

With this letter, I would like to share with you some information and some pictures from our daily life here in our region and in our congregations. We are amazed by a lot of friendly letters, messages and offers from our partners, friends, and church connections. It is really amazing. In the last few days we always said that Transcarpathia is the island of peace, but yesterday and before yesterday we also had an air-raid alarm here too and it was at night or very early in the morning.

So many refugees reached our region. The capital city of Transcarpathia, Uzhgorod, accommodated more than thirty thousand refugees and cannot receive more. The city is filled. The governing of Transcarpathia asked for help from the neighboring villages. Nearly the same situation in Beregovo as well.

Our reformed congregation also has refugees from different parts of central Ukraine, mainly from Kiev and Harkov. Our pastors, elders and volunteers try to accommodate them in different ways as comfortably as they can. Mainly mothers with little kids, even with little babies.

Thanks to foreign partners, congregations and different natural support, we can give them help to maintain social kitchens and prepare hot meals for refugees. We also have to buy washing machines, refrigerators, boilers, etc. These are necessary tools for refugee shelters.

Last Sunday, we organized a church service for Ukrainian refugees.  We had a nice worship, sang Ukrainian songs, and prayed together with the. Our mission has started: they were afraid a little, but at the end of the worship they said that it was the first day after their long journey that they could smile and take a real rest. Bless the Lord.

Blessings,

Kristina
Transcarpathian Reformed Church

Support Our Romania Partner in Ministry with the Ukrainian Refugees

March 22, 2022 · Church News, Mission News, Other News, Presbytery News, Synod News

Dear Friends,

Many of you continue to ask how individuals and congregations can help the people of Ukraine, particularly those who have become refugees in other countries.

1. Support the Hungarian Reformed Church’s Ukrainian Refugee Relief Efforts

Some of you may know that Lehigh  Presbytery, through Worldwide Ministries, has a long-standing covenantal relationship with the Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania. Our partners there have reached out to ask for help in addressing the need for food, shelter, and clothing for a quickly growing number of refugees; those staying for a while, and those pass through on their way to their countries.

In response, the Presbytery’s Administrative Board has voted to send $5,000 in support of the Hungarian Reformed Church’s important ministry with refugees, and we encourage you to join us!

To participate, you can give through the Presbytery’s online giving platform HERE, designating your gift for Ukraine Refugee Relief. You can also send a check, made out to Lehigh Presbytery with Ukraine-HRC on the memo line, to the Presbytery Office, 710 N. Cedar Crest Blvd., Allentown, PA  18104.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Support the Ukrainian Refugee Relief Efforts through PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance)

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is another reliable way to support Ukrainian people fleeing the effects of war. In the weeks and months ahead, PDA’s response will include both financial and technical assistance through trusted partner organizations on the ground, as well as a growing network of faith communities providing humanitarian assistance in the region.

Individuals can support PDA by giving online HERE, or sending checks with Ukraine/Fund DR0000156 on the memo line to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700.

Thank you for your generous support and your prayers.

Deborah Prince, Chair of the Administrative Board
Bill Brugger, Moderator or Lehigh Presbytery

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Recent News

  • Thank you for your Generous Support & Prayers
  • Thank from the Reformed Church-Kiralyhagomellek District
  • What Assets Can Your Congregation Leverage?
  • Ukraine Update from our partners, The Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania
  • Support Our Romania Partner in Ministry with the Ukrainian Refugees

Lehigh Presbytery is called by God to nurture its congregations as they grow in every way into communities whose head is Jesus Christ, so that they will go out to make disciples, baptizing and teaching in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to witness, through their actions, to the love of God. cf. Ephesians 4:15 and Matthew 28:18-21

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