Presbyterian Women of Tres Rios Presbytery made PW history this spring when they held their annual Spring Gathering is two locations so no one would have to travel more than four hours to attend the meeting.  The April 25^th meeting in Big Spring was attended by 50 people from 11 churches, and the May 9 meeting in El Paso was attended by 49 people from 6 churches.  Over $800 was given to Project Vida, the Justice and Peace offering recipient for the year.

            Key note speakers – Marj Carpenter, former Moderator of General Assembly, Patti Nance, Mission Interpreter of PW Synod of the Sun, and Rev. Amy Robinson, representative of Pasos de Fe in Juarez, Mexico – spoke on the subject of Presbyterian Women in mission. 

            Marj traced women’s influence in Presbyterian missions and in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in our country.  She told of foreign churches where today Christians risk their lives daily to worship and serve their Lord.  The women were asked to pray especially for the churches of China , North Korea , and Africa .

            Patti presented numerous mission opportunities for Presbyterian women in the world today.  Each church’s group of women may choose mission projects that best fit their church.

            Amy described the work of Pasos de Fe and her ministry in Juarez .  A contingent of 5 members of her church in Juarez attended the meeting.       The meetings were opened with a bilingual worship and communion service led by Bea Torres, CLP of Nazareth Church , and Linda Martinez, CLP of Divine Savior Church .  The Big Spring gathering featured an officers’ workshop led by Helen Glass and a film, “Touch of Faith” by Nicole Johnson.  The El Paso meeting was highlighted by a tour of the El Paso recipient of the PW May Birthday Offering, which will be divided between La Mujer Obrera, Centro Mayapán  ( El Paso , Texas ) and His Kids, Too! Children’s Home for Orphans ( Dzerzhinsk , Ukraine ).  I believe this is the first time Tres Rios Presbytery has received money from the PW Birthday Offering.

            In April 2010 the annual Spring Gatherings will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Midland and Trinity Presbyterian Church of El Paso .

            Special thanks goes to the pastors and their staffs of the Presbytery for getting information to your churches about the Spring Gatherings.  Whether or not there is an organized PW, there are women in each church who can benefit from available activities of Presbyterian women.  Thank you for your continued support of the work of women in your churches.

Joyce Bronaugh
Moderator, Tres Rios Presbyterian Women

Dates Dates Dates 

Presbyterian Women's Giving in 2008

Global Exchange Program - $700
Presidio Flood Relief - $1,272
Alberque Casa Hogar - $400
Presbyterian Children's Home in Waxahachie - $838

Total Amount Given $3,200

First Presbyterian Church of Big Spring
701 Runnels Street , Big Spring ,
Invites the women of the church to the

2009 Spring Gathering of
Presbyterian Women of
Tres Rios Presbytery

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Big Spring , Texas

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN IN MISSIONS – 
200 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG

With Marj Carpenter, Past Moderator of General Assembly, PC( USA )
 and  
Patti Nance, Synod Mission Interpreter

Registration form for Spring Gathering

Moderator - Joyce Bronaugh
Vice Moderator -Cecilia Casal
Secretary - Monika Robinson
Treasurer - Mona Rood
Historian - Starling Edwards
Mission Opportunities - Susan Ohlenburg
Willie Hall Black Scholarship - Helen Shive
Cultural Diversity - Open

Cluster Coordinators

Desert Rose - Karen Boozer
Creation - JoAnn Laird
Crossroads - Carolyn Beall
Concho Valley - Bea Torres
Mountain - Sara Pierce

Search Team

Desert Rose - Joyce Burkholder
Creation - Open
Crossroads - JoDell Myrick
Concho Valley - Roberta James
Mountain - Louadah Waggoner

Presbyterian Women of Tres Rios Presbytery Joyce Bronaugh, Moderator

Report to PW Coordinating Team Friday, January 29, 2009

 Since we last met, I have attended Bible studies and meetings at Ballinger Presbyterian Church, Big Spring Presbyterian Church, Coahoma Presbyterian Church, and Grace Presbyterian Church of Odessa. I represented our Presbytery at Synod PWCT meeting in Dallas February of 2008. Plans have been made to attend the Synod PWCT meeting in Oklahoma City in February 27 - 29 of this year and the Churchwide Gathering in Louisville in July.   I have also represented our PW at the Presbytery of Tres Rios meetings of both the council and the presbytery in June 2008, October of 2008, and January 2009.   One of my greatest joys was attending the four Fall Cluster Meetings in 2008 in Odessa , El Paso , Marfa, and Sonora . I attended every PW social to which I was invited.

The Triennial Churchwide Gathering with the theme "God Will Do Wonders Among You" in July is one exciting event ahead of us. Cecilia Casal, Moderator in Training, and I will represent you as voting delegates. For me it will be my first Churchwide Gathering.

Registration has opened. Our Presbytery PW offers scholarships. I encourage you and members of your PW to go. I will encourage pastors at Presbytery in February to offer financial help to women willing to attend. I will also tell them that you are a source for the registration booklets. The registration form can be found under the PW emblem on both the PC (USA) website and the Tres Rios Presbytery website.   They are also available from Distribution Center and are listed on the Resource List. I will have copies for you too.

The second exciting event is the Spring Gathering in Big Spring . We have great plans. Please encourage all of the PW you contact to plan to attend on April 25. The Mission theme will be used with piper Dr. Flynn Long, Marj Carpenter, former Moderator of General Assembly, and Synod mission opportunities coordinator. We will have a CT meeting before the Spring Gathering.

Forms

Mission Pledge Form

Thank Offering Grant Application Form

Thank Offering Order Form

Honorary Life Membership Form

Memorial and Recognition Gifts Form

Annual Statistical Report Form

Historian Information Sheet

Recommendation Form

Willie Hall Black-Barstow Scholarship

Willie Hall Black-Barstow Brochure

Willie Hall Black-Barstow Rules Governing Scholarship

Willie Hall Black-Barstow Application Form

Willie Hall Black-Barstow Scholarship Recipients

Faces of Children

www.pcusa.org/horizons