October 14-15, 2022
Greetings to the 35 women who participated in the PWSNE Fall Gathering on Oct. 14-15, 2022. Following are “notes” about the program and additional information requested.
The minutes of the CT meeting will come next and be sent to the CT members.
The minutes of the Business Meeting will come third and be sent to the CT members and PWP Moderators/Voting Delegates.
Fourth will be updated CT and PWP rosters sent to the CT members and PWP Moderators/Contact Persons.
Friday October 14 – The Gathering opened on Friday at 1 PM with the Coordinating Team meeting. (minutes will follow separately for CT members)
The program started at 3:30 PM with the Lighting of the Christ Candle by Moderator Adebisi Shofu. Lorraine Cuffie opened the Gathering with Prayer.
An introductory program “Rejoice in Hope: Moving Forward in Diversity” led by Adebisi Shofu followed, with contributions from various women participating in the Gathering.
Hsiu-Fen Lin, MAL representing Asian American Women, began her report on domestic violence.
Joanne Tunison gave a presentation “Matthew 25 in Action: A Story of Faith, Hope and Love” about her involvement with a community in Puerto Rico that was devastated by hurricane Maria 5 years ago and again by hurricane Fiona a few weeks ago. She, and a group from her Elmira church, have been traveling to Puerto Rico for 5 years helping to rebuild peoples’ homes and their community. She told of applying for a Birthday Offering Grant, with Linda Werts who is Moderator of Geneva PWP, and receiving a grant of over $100,000 to build a kitchen in a church that serves as a sanctuary during these storms and after. Contact Joanne at lalocat@aol.com for more information and how you and your PW can help this ministry.
Moderator Adebisi Shofu closed the day’s gathering with prayer and the extinguishing of the Christ Candle.
Saturday, October 15 – began at 9 AM with Moderator Adebisi Shofu lighting the Christ Candle and Lorraine Cuffie offering the Opening Prayer.
Reports by CT Leaders continued with Joanne Schnaudt giving the Together In Service report (see page 20) followed by Lorraine Cuffie giving the Justice and Peace report sent by Hanna Cho (see page 21).
Hsiu-Fen Lin continued her report by showing a video (click here) she created to promote DVAM, Domestic Violence Awareness Month. She asked the women attending to quickly get and put on something in orange or purple, and a group photo was taken. This was sent out previously to the women. Contact Hsiu-Fen at jaslin825@gmail.com for additional information and how you and your local church women can help with this ministry.
Lisa Gray, our Synod Rep to the Churchwide Coordinating Team, told about events and programs being planned by the CCT. (Her report is on pp 24-25.)
Magdalene Lewis said the deadline to apply to be a representative to the Committee on the Status of Women conference held at the UN, March 6 -17, is December 12th. Contact Maggie at MaggieLewis2@verizon.net for more information.
Lori Evans, our Matthew 25 Coordinator, reported that it is the 10th Anniversary of churches participating in Matt. 25 progams and ministries. Hands On projects are preferred to monetary contributions. One popular project is the Prayer Square. This is a small knitted or crocheted colorful square, about 3 inches, with a prayer tag attached to be given out at hospitals and nursing homes, or by local churches delivering flowers to shut-ins, etc. The prayer on the tag is:
PRAYER SQUARE
Within each stitch we’ve enfolded a prayer, For comfort, encouragement, love and care.
When you feel heartache, loneliness, or pain, This square is your link to our stitching chain.
Reach for me in your pocket, book, or car, And know that you’re not alone or afar.
God and our prayers are with you each day; For your safety, well-being, and peace, we pray.
Knitting instructions are: Use size 9 Needles. Cast on 13 stitches. Knit 18 rows of garter stitch. Cast off leaving a tail to attach the prayer card.
For additional information about Matthew 25 ministry contact Debbie Gardner at debbiegardner@pcusa.org
A brief overview of the Horizons Bible Study,” Celebrating Sabbath: Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight” was given by Joanne Schnaudt (page 23). [See also the Celebration Giving page 22]
The Business Meeting was led by Moderator Adebisi Shofu (minutes will follow separately for CT members and PWP Moderators/Voting Delegates.) The minutes of the Oct. 2021 Business Meeting were approved (pages 6 – 8), the treasurer’s report to Sept. 2022 and the proposed budget for 2023 were approved (pages 27-28), the nominees from the Search Committee were elected (page 26), the offering to go to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (page 10) was approved, the proposed additions to the By Laws regarding E-meetings and E-voting were approved (pages 12-17), a proposed program to keep women in local churches in disbanded PWP’s in communication with PWSNE and CCT was approved (pages 18-19), scholarship guidelines were approved (will be on PWSNE web page), the creation of an Operations Manual was approved, and a task group to review the structure and members of the CT was approved.
Your offering for the PDA is to be sent to Treasurer Nancy Lack, 15 Lincoln Avenue, Florham Park, NJ 07932 by November 15th.
The Gathering ended with worship “IOU – Inward, Outward, and Upward” led by Adebisi Shofu, and Installation of the CT and Communion led by The Rev. Jyungin “Jenny” Lee.
Moderator Adebisi Shofu closed the Gathering with Prayer and the Extinguishing of the Christ Candle.
Presbyterian Women in the Synod of the Northeast 
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