April 30: New Castle Presbytery

New Approaches Bring New Meaning to Ministry

April 30, 2016

God’s Spirit has been at work in new and creative ways in the Presbytery of New Castle. Two of these expressions are a new worshiping community in the city of Wilmington, Delaware, and an effort to reimagine the Presbyterian presence in the fastest-growing town in the state, Middletown.

Led by Rev. Edwin Estevez, Riverfront Church meets for its Weekly Wednesday Prayer Dinner at Veritas, a craft beer and wine shop in Wilmington. Eclectic folks gather with wildly different stories; musicians lead us, we pray, read Scripture, converse, and share in the Lord’s Supper, which leads into dinner. We partner in local service projects, to witness to Christ’s love rather than simply doing it our way. We don’t have members, but we cultivate a community of belonging. We’ve partnered with two international organizations for service in Guatemala and beyond, and we continue to partner with local churches to help form a cooperative parish. What’s next? Launching a Creperie Café that employs and empowers under-served people, especially youth, sources its ingredients locally and is eco-friendly, and provides a communal space of hospitality for rest, reflection and redirection.

Although there has always been a Presbyterian presence in Middletown, the church on Main Street in the historical district had been dwindling. In an agreement between the congregation and the presbytery, Rev. Fernando Rodríguez was called to lead a new worshiping community out of the old Main Street church. The vision for the church is to gather people from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to openly explore faith, celebrate and worship God, and partner with people and organizations to live into the radical hospitality of Jesus Christ.

Donna L. Scully, Office Manager, New Castle Presbytery

Let us join in prayer for:

Presbytery Staff:

Rev. James L. Moseley, Executive Presbyter
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline E. Taylor, Associate Executive Presbyter
Bob Schminkey, Stated Clerk
Donna Scully, Office Manager
Bruce Gillette, Moderator
Winnie Wagner, Vice Moderator
Julius Jackson, Chair of Council
Rev. Tom Davis, Interfaith Peacemaker
Pam Ruarke, Disaster Recovery Coordinator
Terry Dykstra, Mission Advocate
Rev. Nona Holy, Campus Ministry Pastor
Rev. Laurie Hiller, Parliamentarian
Rev. Doug Gerdts, Treasurer
Emma Blair, Bookkeeper

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Laura Olliges, PILP
Scott O’Neill, PMA
Rita Ostwalt-Whitfield, PMA

Let us pray

O Holy God, always present and leading, you are gracious to show us the path of friendship and the way of fellowship which opens us to the heart of Jesus. In his name we celebrate your gifts to us of work, worship and play for the sake of the Gospel. Amen.