My name is Parrish L. Bridges and I have lived in Owego, NY for the past ten years. I am a Teaching Elder and pastor of the First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego. I began my ministry in Owego on January 15, 2005 and it is my second call as an installed pastor. Prior to coming to Owego, my first call was in Wilmington, NC.
I was born in Bakersfield and raised primarily in Ventura, a few miles west and on the southern coast of California, along with my 4 brothers and 1 sister. However, a few of my high school years were spent living with my dad who had moved back to his hometown in northwest Arkansas for his retirement. So, much of my childhood was spent going back and forth between California and Arkansas because my parents divorced shortly after I was born. I guess I learned at an early age how to adjust to two very different cultures and a way of life.
Following my high school graduation I sensed the call to go into pastoral ministry and I attended Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tn. Having been raised in the Baptist tradition it just made sense to enroll in one of its universities. I completed my Bachelor of Religious Education Degree four years later and received my first call into ministry at age 22 in my dad’s hometown. I was a pastor there for 1 year before personally realizing that I needed more educational training in seminary. It was during this transition that I started attending a Presbyterian church in Memphis, Tn. Consequently, God began to work on my heart to seek ordination in the PCUSA.
I am grateful to be serving as a pastor in parish ministry and I have enjoyed my ministry in Owego for the past ten years. I have two children and I am very proud to be their father. AshLeigh is 25 years of age and a graduate of Broome Community College. Parrish is 18 years of age and will be graduating from high school in June. He plans to go to Mansfield University in Mansfield, Pa. on an athletic scholarship and his degree will be in Criminal Justice.
As a member of the Susquehanna Valley Presbytery, I have served in various capacities through the years (TEF Representative, Transformation Ministry Team, Healthy Congregations Facilitator, and as a Synod Commissioner). I currently serve as a commissioner to the Synod of the Northeast and I have been working with the Network Group over the past year to help in implementing the New Way Forward that the Synod adopted a couple of years ago.
Grace and peace,
Parrish
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A Calendar of Prayer for our Presbytery
January
4 - Emrys Tyler, Teaching Elder
11 - Missy Goetz, Ruling Elder
18 - Parrish Bridges, Teaching Elder
25 - Carol Wilson, Teaching Elder
Prayer Joys and Concerns
Dear Friends, there are many in our hearts and in our prayers, may we hold in prayer colleagues and their families:
Prayers of healing
Please contact Committee on Ministry co-chairs, Mark Montfort and Pat Raube if you have a pastoral care concern or need.
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Staff News
The presbytery office / mobile office will be closed on January 19th, 2015.
The finance office has a new address:
Bookkeeper of Susquehanna Valley Presbytery
c/o Synod of the Northeast
5811 Heritage Landing Drive, 2nd Floor
East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315)307-2024
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Other News
Board Connections: January 2015
The newest edition of Board Connections, the Board of Pensions newsletter, is now available. Board Connections highlights recent Board news, important updates, and information and replaces many of the emails you previously received from the Board. In this month's edition, you'll find
a message from our president on the future of the Benefits Plan;
articles on the new Roth option for the Retirement Savings Plan, online account statements from Fidelity, Call to Health in 2015, updated Board resources, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Board University news and resources, including a Web module on effective salary.
Read the January Board Connections to find all this and more!
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2015 Liturgy and Preaching courses
2015 Liturgy and Preaching courses are for anyone interested in learning more about worship and/or preaching.
“Planning the Party: Elements of Reformed Worship (Liturgy)” will be taught by Doug Hatch, Pat Raube and Cynthia Walton-Leavitt. Using the 2014 proposed draft revision of the Directory of Worship sent to the Church for comment and study (only 17,000 words as opposed to 27,000 words!) we will explore all aspects of worship (except the Sacraments).
For more info, contact Cynthia Walton-Leavitt at (607) 267-4333 or
“Preaching Out Your Salvation without Fear and Trembling” will be taught by Bob Heinle and Emrys Tyler. The morning session is for seasoned preachers. The afternoon session will be geared for those new to preaching. Text for both groups: A Sermon Workbook: Exercises in the Art and Craft of Preaching (Troeger & Tisdale, Abingdon Press, 2013). For more info, contact Bob Heinle at (607) 692-2564 or
Class Meeting Dates (third Saturday of the month): January 17, February 21, March 21, April 18, and May 16th. These dates are subject to change by mutual agreement between the instructors and participants.
Schedule:
9:00 AM to 12 Noon -- 1) Liturgy in classroom AND 2) Seasoned Preachers in sanctuary
12 Noon to 1:00 PM -- Lunch break
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM -- Beginning Preachers in sanctuary
Place: First PC, Bainbridge -- on the square at 3 Church Street; Phone: (607) 967-8021
Cost: $50 per course (or $10 per single class; scholarships available)
Checks made payable to “Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley”
Send to Registrar Patty Wolff at P.O. Box 147, Sidney, NY 13838
For full description please click here
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Mission to HIV Victims in South Africa
The Nineveh Presbyterian Church has a relationship with missionaries who work with the Ethembeni "Place of Hope" ministry in South Africa: Ethembeni offers the gospel and home medical care to individuals and families in a very poor South African city which is ravaged by HIV.
One of those missionaries, Doug Linscott, will be visiting our area from February 7-10. He will be speaking in worship at Nineveh on the 8th, but on Saturday and Monday his schedule is wide open. Doug would love to come and speak to your congregation, small group, PW group, men's breakfast, youth group, or other saintly gathering. There would be no cost to you except a love offering for the Ethembeni ministry.
I personally know Doug and his wife Wendy, and their passion both for Jesus Christ and the betterment of all aspects of human life. Taking time to meet and listen to Doug would be a blessing to you and your congregation. Please take this opportunity to engage the Lord's work and encourage your group or congregation to support, at least in prayer, a vital mission in God's hurting world.
For questions or scheduling, contact Emrys Tyler: or 607.621.2204.
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Webinar: Building an Economy of Inclusion Through Fair Trade Tuesday, January 20th, 3:00-4:00pm (EST)
Join the Office of Public Witness and the Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment for a webinar just hours before the President’s State of the Union Address to get a sneak peak at what President Obama will say about his 2015 trade agenda and what role the new Congress will play. Hear how corporate interests influence trade agreements and harm the lives of our partners on the ground in developing countries. Faith advocates will leave with ideas on how they can help build an economy of inclusion through education and action in 2015. Register here:
Past trade agreements carry unwanted consequences such as displacement of rural farmers in the Global South, the off-shoring of jobs from the U.S. in exchange for dangerous, low wage jobs abroad, and increased environmental degradation from mining and other extractive industries. With November’s elections behind us, our elected officials are poised to tackle trade issues with renewed fervor in the New Year. With several deals on the table, 2015 has the potential to shape the global economic landscape for years to come.
Register here: to learn how to ensure trade justice for God’s people in 2015.
Presenters:
Lori Wallach- Public Citizen Global Trade Watch
Rev. Jed Koball - Presbyterian Hunger Program, Joining Hands in Peru
Catherine Gordon – Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (Moderator)
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General Assembly
More to share on General Assembly…
1) Proposed Amendments to Constitution - Book of Confession and Book of Order
2) What Really Happened at the 2014 General Assembly
3) Assembly in Brief – from PCUSA website
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