Tag Archives: Dale

Mission Opportunity at Dale Presbyterian Church

It is said that one of the most powerful experiences a Christian can have is to go on a mission trip, experience a different culture and work among the poor.

We at Dale Presbyterian Church invite your church to consider a Mission Trip to Dale, Indiana to work with our Summer Community Adventure Program.

Summer Community Adventure is a free program for children in the North Spencer area who are living in poverty or below poverty.  The children are invited through the local school at the end of the school year.  Usually 40-60 children, K-6th grade, attend.  About 75% are Latino/Hispanic ESL (English as Second Language) students.  All funding for this program comes from donors and foundations.

This program provides experiences–educational, religious, social, physical–for these children.  The children meet at the Micah Center of Dale Presbyterian Church every Thursday in June from 12:00-3:30 where, besides having a wonderful program, are fed a meal and given a bag of non-perishable food to tide them through the week.

This year, we are excited to not only offer the afternoon program on Thursdays, but will be partnering with PYOCA to have an entire week of Summer Day Camp (9:00-3:30) for our students!

Our theme for the summer is POWERED BY LOVE.  Our students will be memorizing 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.  Here is our schedule for this summer:

June 2:  Orientation/2 hour Sexual Misconduct workshop for volunteers

June 9:  Brain Powered by Love:  Math skill taught through fun and games taught and led by Dr. Janet Tassel from Western Kentucky University and her education students

June 13-17: Faith Powered by Love: Summer Day Camp with the PYOCA counselors  ALL-IN-ONE FEARLESS FAITH

June 23:  Friendship Powered by Love: Boom Squad, an African-American Drum Team from Evansville, Indiana, share music, faith, self-discipline and teamwork

June 30: Creative Expression Powered by Love: Art and Movement featuring instruction from artists Corie Eckerle and Rosemary Chamberlain and physical education instructors from the school.

Why your church might want to consider a day or the week experience:

  • Dale Presbyterian Church is within driving distance from every church in our presbytery
  • This is a less expensive opportunity for people wanting a “missional” experience
  • This is a cross cultural experience
  • This gives an opportunity to put Christ’s love in action and share the good news of Jesus Christ with children
  • This is an opportunity for anyone 16 to 150!  Our building is fully accessible and the level of “work” can be tailored to any individual
  • This work will change your life!

What Dale Presbyterian provides for you

  • free lunch with Summer Community Adventure and supper at Community Table
  • instruction and orientation
  • housing/lodging can be a possibility
  • prayer
  • a great experience!
  • there is no cost to you or your team

We invite and would welcome your participation.  Please contact Rev. Dr. Martha FrizLanger if you are interested or need more information by email or calling 812.937.2560.

2015 Presbyterian Women – Spring Gathering

2015 SPRING GATHERING

Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Ohio Valley invites all women of the Church to attend the 26th Annual Gathering on:

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
Hosted by: DALE PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN

Micah Center
6 North Main Street
Dale, IN 46172
812-957-2560

Luncheon Cost is $8 per person.
Registration begins at 9:30 am Central time.

ONE HEART, ONE LOVE, ONE COMMUNITY
Bevin Snyder, PW Global Exchange to the Caribbean participant, who represented the Synod of Lincoln Trails will be the guest speaker. Bevin will share her story of the partnerships formed from the November 2014 Global Exchange

Download Flyer

What Happened at POV Assembly 9/13/14

September 13, 2014

Gradye Parsons, the Stated Clerk of General Assembly, was our guest at the Assembly and the preacher for the opening of the meeting. Gradye spoke in his warm and winsome manner focusing on the ways in which we can truly know and be known to each other. It was a great sermon.

Dedication of the Micah Center—Our host church (Dale Presbyterian) has just finished the construction of an expansion of the Church building to house and more significantly serve the needs of the Dale community. This church is an outward focused mission oriented group. The assembly was part of an entire weekend of work to dedicate this new ministry and focus.

Presentation of the Commissioners to the 221st General Assembly was offered. Alan Finnan gave a verbal report and Phil Newton presented his information in written form due to a schedule conflict.

The Olivet Administrative Commission reported. The legal issue with the Olivet Presbyterian Church has been settled. The Commission was dissolved with the gratitude of the Presbytery. The details of this settlement will be available online. There was no absolute resolution of some issues.

Various Committees reported on their work.

A Refinement of Presbytery Structure was adopted along with revised bylaws. This has been the result of much work on the part of a task group. Committees have been somewhat redefined and formed in such a way as to offer more responsibility and accountability.

Susan McGhee is initiating her 6th year as our Presbytery Executive.

L. Jackman, Stated Clerk

Dale PC Working to Build Micah Center

Humbled in the Midst of Justice and Kindness: An Update on the Dale PC Micah Center Project

Dale PC is in the middle of a capital campaign to build the Micah Center. Two years ago, we became aware of the hunger issues in our small town. With $1,000 used to prime the pump, so to speak, we began to weekly provide a hot meal and a take home bag of food to anyone who walked into our church on Thursday evenings. What surprised us was the number of volunteers from other churches and organizations who immediately came to join us. Presently, we feed 50-80 people a week, send home about 20 bags of non-perishable foods with the help of over 70 volunteers. Donations of food and money have kept this program going without any further financial support from our church. The social justice piece was obvious, but we didn’t realize how we ourselves would grow to love our neighbors. God truly humbled us in awe.

Realizing the financial and social needs, God opened the door for us to join Purdue University in providing a program called The Benefit Bank. Six volunteers from our church attended the two day training and we were able to set up the necessary technology in our church to help people apply for federal and state programming all at one time and in one place.

Soon, we became very aware of the children in our neighborhood who were wandering the streets, especially during the summer months, with nothing to do. By partnering with the school, we began a Summer Adventure program which targeted the 150+ children on the free and reduced lunch program (50% of the children attending!) Because of our small building, we were only able to enroll 40 children last year. Volunteers came out of the woodwork and gave us courage to host the program again this year. Before registration even opened, 60 children were requesting to be a part of this summer mentoring program which included food, evangelism, tutoring and programming. Though spatially bursting at the seams, all 60 were accepted. Forty-eight percent of our students were Hispanic/Latino.

This ministry opened our eyes to the language challenges of our neighbors. Once again, God provided us the opportunity to house yet another program: The English as Second Language (ESL) classes from Vincennes University. Our church is now the center for learning English.

As these partnerships developed, more followed and continue to pursue us. The local hospital and the YMCA are partnering with us to bring health services to our impoverished county. Local groups continue to supply our needs financially and with human resources. We keep expanding and yet we have not put the first shovel in the ground for our new Micah Center.

With an eye on stewardship, our session and congregation decided we would not begin to build until we had $460,000 in cash. Our goal was not only unbelievable for our small congregation, but the time frame we have set for ourselves seems impossible. Still, the congregation and friends have pledged $375,000 by May 2012!!! We are also writing grant applications to help us with the other monies we will need.

It all started with prayer. We began praying for our neighbors and have been surprised all along the way. We are surprised that from our small loaves and fish, Christ is providing. We are surprised by the unity of the Holy Spirit who continues to draw volunteers from our community who come along side us to help. We are surprised how God is opening door after door of partnerships. As one elder in our church stated, “Being in the midst of what God is doing at our church is like trying to change a tire while the car is driving down the road!” It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Kingdom of God.

Rev. Martha FrizLanger