Developing, Nurturing
& Supporting Leaders
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Mark Your Calendar!
Here I Stand
Lombard Mennonite
Peace Center
August 18-20
Hinsdale, Ill.
Preaching Ordinary Time
Synod Workshop for CLPs
August 29
Champaign, Ill.
Continuing Education for CLPs & Preachers
Montreat Conference Center
October 21-23
Montreat, N.C.
World Mission
Celebration '09
October 22-24
Cincinnatti
Synod Meeting
Oct. 30, 2009
Urbana, Ill.
The Art of Transitional Ministry
Training for Interim Pastors
November 2-6
St. Louis
Check our website or contact the synod office for details!
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Preaching Ordinary Time:
The Home Stretch - September through November
A Synod Workshop for Commissioned Lay Pastors
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Ill.
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Christian Vocation Sunday is September 6
How fitting that the programmatic emphasis established by the General Assembly Mission Council for the Sunday before Labor Day is Christian Vocation. Please consider planning Labor Day weekend worship around that theme. Discover creative ways of incorporating a Christian Vocation emphasis in congregational worship and activities, including liturgical helps, a bulletin insert and more.
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Three Lincoln Trails Presbyteries Are Honored by PC(USA)The presbyteries of Chicago, Southeastern Illinois and Whitewater Valley made PC(USA)'s top ten lists of presbyteries who have supported the denomination in total giving, basic mission support, special offerings, and other appeals. "Presbyterians feel passionate about mission on a local, national and global scale," said Linda Valentine, executive director of the PC(USA) General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC). "The money donated by presbyteries each year means we can continue to engage in mission and ministry across the country and around the world." More... |
Don Mason, Longtime Lincoln Trails Pastor, Dies in New Mexico
The Rev. Don Mason, 66, a Presbyterian minister in Urbana, Ill. and area ecumenical leader for 17 years, has died from a fall during a hike in northern New Mexico.
He and his wife, Donna, had been volunteering at Ghost Ranch, an education and retreat center owned by the Presbyterian Church USA, since April. It is located at Abiquiu, north of Santa Fe and Los Alamos.
The Rev. Mason was at First Presbyterian Church, Urbana, for 17 years before retiring from the active ministry in January 2008. More...
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Learn Who Your Neighbors Are With MissionInsite
By Robert Shaw, Pastor, Christ Winfield Presbyterian Church
Imagine you were the Samaritan traveling the dangerous road from Jerusalem down to Jericho. Who might you meet along the way? What needs might they have? What should you carry with you so that you might minister with them? Or so they might minister with you?
Now think about the people who live within a few miles of your church. What needs do they have? What ministries should you start or enhance to effectively convey the good news of Jesus Christ? You can quickly obtain demographic information about your community through MissionInsite. The cost of this excellent resource is paid through your mission support of presbytery, synod, and PC(USA) General Assembly.
Visit the Links and Resources page of the synod website to learn more about MissionInsite, obtain a quick look at the breath of data available through an executive Insite report, and download a worksheet to help you analyze and apply the information in that report. You can create customized demographic reports to help you discover why past programs were not successful (although they may have been very successful in other communities) and discover needs in your community that you could address with future programs. Using demographics of your community, you will understand the trends in income, age, marital status, and other key metrics which will assist you in developing programs which are truly a blessing to your neighbors. More information...
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Synod Meets July 25 in Philo, Ill.Synod commissioners and committee members held their regular quarterly meeting last Friday. Check the Synod Synopsis on the synod website for a summary of the activities, or read the meeting minutes for more details. Marcia Myers, director of the Office of Leadership and Vocation, PC(USA), discussed recent and future trends for pastoral leadership and church growth. See her presentation on the synod website Links and Resources page. The next regular synod meeting is Oct. 30 in Urbana, Ill. and will feature a celebration of John Calvin. Synod meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend. Contact Judy Lucas at the synod office for details. |
Presbyterian Volunteer Villages Lower Minimum Age
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has changed the minimum age for volunteers to stay in their volunteer facilities to 16.
Organizers believe that the intensity of the effort in areas where the villages are located has changed and that younger volunteers can be safely accommodated.
Texas - especially the Port Neches
area - is in desperate need of volunteers to
help with recovery efforts from last year's
Hurricane Ike. More...
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World Mission Celebration '09/World
Mission Challenge
Hundreds of Presbyterians
will gather in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 22-24,
for World Mission Celebration '09: Branches of the Same Vine, a conference for
people passionate about mission. Attendees
will connect with people who share their mission
interests, learn about mission and share wisdom
from their mission experiences, and be sent
forth to embrace God's call to mission service
and support. Online registration is available. The event follows World Mission Challenge, which
will send mission speakers to more than 150
presbyteries in September and October. Most of
the mission personnel
participating in World Mission Challenge will
attend World Mission Celebration '09.
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What's Up With
Your Ministry?We'd love to
share the news! Contact Marta at the synod
with updates from your presbytery, congregation,
camp, or other organization. We'll spread the
word! |
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