Shenandoah Presbytery
 the NEWs
 April 2008
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Calls for Clean Up Buckets

March 26, 2008
   A storm system boasting heavy rains and some snow has swelled creeks and rivers across much of the central United States — especially affected are Missouri and Arkansas.  Rivers in Missouri have been cresting well above flood level and in many areas have exceeded the severe floods of 1993.  Arkansas has experienced its worst flooding in 25 years.
   As floodwaters recede, families face the daunting task of clean up and debris removal from the muddy waters.
    Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided  $10,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing funds to the help families in their clean up efforts.  Materials to fill Gift of the Heart clean-up buckets are being purchased, and the Ferncliff Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, is coordinating volunteers to assemble the buckets. Ferncliff — a Church World Service warehouse and distribution center — will distribute the buckets as needed.
     All the information you need to build a Clean Up Bucket is available online at www.pcusa.org/pda/help/goh.htm#clean
                                                                                       

April Session of FrontPage Class Completed
   It was 2:30pm on Saturday afternoon, April 5 and people were walking out!!!! No, it was not from frustration or disappointment! They had posted the first draft of their church's new website online!
    Patrick Lanaghan, a student at Union-PSCE and member of the Communications Committee, told the Communications Committee in January that he wanted to offer every church in Shenandoah Presbytery the opportunity to have a website. The committee went to work and a the end, they had a plan to make it happen.
    On Saturday, April 5th, the first group of students - from 7 churches -
arrived, having done their homework of gathering together information and pictures about their churches.  Using the excellent facilities in the large conference room at the presbytery office, everyone watched as Patrick showed them how to do it, and then they tried in on their own laptop computers. Patrick, with Doug's help, would circulate through the students affirming their work or helping were needed.

    At the end of the day, all but one new website had been uploaded to the web. Everyone went home with the know-how to finish fine-tuning their websites with their own information and graphics.
    None of these students will claim to be "web-wizards," but they have the resources to help expand their church's mission and ministry through their website.
    The May 3rd FrontPage class session is fully subscribed and there are 6 other churches on a waiting list for training. Those classes will be scheduled for the upcoming months.
   Thanks to the Communications committee and to Patrick, Shenandoah Presbytery may soon have a web presence for over 100 of our churches.
                                                     

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