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Bi-Weekly Brief
Presbytery of Lake Huron
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April 28, 2010
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Spring Prayer
For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
For blue of stream and blue of sky;
For pleasant shade of branches high;
For fragrant air and cooling breeze;
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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For Your Prayers
For Elder Roger Terrill, Fenton-First and Coordinating Team Member who had a heart attack this week and was scheduled to have surgery today.
For Elder Gloria Watson, CLP at Twining-Maple Ridge, whose two-year-old great-granddaughter has a tumor on her brain stem.
For Peter Russell (Honorably Retired) and wife, Verna
as they adjust to Peter's severe eyesight problems. His eyes have
finally stabilized and he is not scheduled to return to the doctor
until November but he is unable to drive and reading
is greatly reduced.
For Elder Steve Asher, Midland-Memorial and COM Chair who is anticipating the arrival of his first grandchild within the next week or two. His daughter has had some complications during the pregnancy.
For Congregations currently in Pastoral Leadership Transition Breckenridge-Emerson,
Holly, Linden, Ithaca-First, Midland-Chapel Lane, Harbor Beach, Grand
Blanc-Korean American Bible Church and Sandusky.
For Congregations who will soon be experiencing Pastoral Leadership Changes
Deckerville, Flint-Trinity United, Mt. Pleasant-First, Vassar, Bay
City-Westminster (they are searching for an Associate Pastor.)
Contact information for anyone on this list may be obtained by calling
the presbytery office at 800-621-6905 or 989-799-7481.
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Bruce Reyes-Chow Visiting LHPMay 2-4 The Presbytery of Lake Huron is privileged to have a visit by the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the PC(USA), May 2-4. Not only will he be speaking and preaching at the May 4th presbytery meeting at Saginaw-Korean American, he will be at several other locations within LHP during his visit.There will be a town hall meeting featuring Bruce on May 3rd at 7pm at Bay City-Westminster. Click here for details.Please check out our homepage for details on where and when you can have the unique opportunity to meet our denomination's leader. |
Upcoming Meetings
All meetings are at the Presbytery Office unless otherwise noted
Committee on Ministry
April 27
12:00pm
Presbytery Meeting
May 4
9:30am
Saginaw-Korean American (Presbytery Office)
Special Guest: GA Moderator, the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow
Coordinating Team
May 12
10:00am
CLP Class
May 15
9:00am
Committee on Ministry May 25
12:00pm
Memorial Day
May 31
Presbytery Office Closed
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2010-2011 Planning Calendars
"Grow Christ's Church Deep and Wide" This
19-month calendar that begins with June 2010 contains many planning aids
for pastors and other church leaders.
Building on the theme, "Growing Christ's Church Deep and Wide," the
calendar calls Presbyterians to our life together. Photos,
scripture, and other reflections express our joy and common purpose: to
share the love of God in Jesus Christ in word and deed.
The
Presbytery Office placed a bulk order for the 2010-2011 Presbyterian
Planning Calendar for individuals and churches who submitted a form by April 21st. If the calendars arrive in time, they will be available for pick-up at
the May 4th Presbytery meeting at the Korean Church in Saginaw. Otherwise, they can be picked up at the
Presbytery office once they arrive.
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Health Kit Drop-Off Information
 Please bring any health kits that your congregation has assembled to the May 4th Presbytery Meeting at Saginaw-Korean American. This is the preferred drop off site. However, you may also drop off kits at one of the following locations prior to June 4th:
Flint-First
746 S. Saginaw Street
Mt. Pleasant-First
1250 Watson Road
Sandusky
104 Lexington Street
Presbytery Office-Saginaw
5560 McCarty Road
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Birch Run-Taymouth to be the next "Cool Church"
Sunday, May 2nd on TV-5 WNEM
Each week, WNEM TV-5 features churches in the area that are "cool churches". A couple of weeks ago Bay City-First was highlighted. This Sunday, May 2nd, another LHP church, Birch Run-Taymouth will be featured. Tune in or set your DVRs to see what makes another one of our awesome churches so "cool".
If you would like to nominate your church, click here to complete an online form on the TV-5 website. Maybe we'll be seeing you on the small screen, too!
(To see videos of other churches - including Bay City-First - just click here.)
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New Resources Available
 Just in time for Spring, we have new resources about Christian faith, science
and the environment. Click here to see the list.
New
DVD-based programs that are excellent for group study:
first
light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God (Living the Questions)
Why did
Jesus happen when he happened? What were the priorities of Jesus' proclamation
of the Kingdom? This 12-session DVD study of the historical Jesus and the
Kingdom of God addresses these and many other questions with John Dominic
Crossan and Marcus Borg, two of the world's leading Jesus scholars. Shot on
location throughout the Galilee and Jerusalem. Includes leader guide and 50 page
participant guide.
The
Ten: 1-5 and The Ten: 6-10
Part of the series Liquid:
God's Word flowing through your life, this is a DVD study of the Ten
Commandments that translates each commandment into the language of today's
culture. Each 10-minute segment begins with a view of the thousands of drivers
on Freeway 10 in Los Angeles and explores a story in one driver's life that is
relevant to the particular commandment. Each segment concludes with Biblical
commentary and teaching. Includes leaders' and participants' guide.
To search our catalog from the comfort of your home or office, just click here. When you find items that you would like to borrow, call the presbytery
office at 800-621-6905 or 989-799-7481 to make arrangements for picking
them up. If you have any questions about the Resource Center, please contact Valerie Fargo.
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Lee Strobel at Flint-First
Wednesday, May 19th at 6:30pm
 Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune,
is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty books and
has been interviewed on numerous national television programs,
including ABC, Fox, PBS, and CNN. His free e-newsletter, "Investigating
Faith," is available at LeeStrobel.com. Described by the Washington Post as "one of the evangelical
community's most popular apologists," Lee shared the Christian Book of
the Year award in 2005 for a curriculum he co-authored about the movie The Passion of the Christ. He also has won Gold Medallions for his books The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary. His latest book, The Case for the Real Jesus, was published in 2007. Lee was educated at the University of Missouri (Bachelor of
Journalism degree, 1974) and Yale Law School (Master of Studies in Law
degree, 1979). He was a professional journalist for 14 years at The Chicago Tribune
and other newspapers, winning Illinois' top honors for investigative
reporting (which he shared with a team he led) and public service
journalism from United Press International. After a nearly two-year investigation of the evidence for Jesus, Lee
received Christ as his forgiver and leader in 1981. He joined the staff
of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, in 1987, and
later became a teaching pastor there. He joined Saddleback Valley
Community Church in Lake Forest, CA, as a teaching pastor in 2000. He
left Saddleback's staff in mid-2002 to focus on writing. He is also a
contributing editor and columnist for Outreach magazine. For more information, visit Flint-First's website.
For a printable flier, please visit the Upcoming Events page of the Presbytery's website.
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Youth Triennium Registration Deadline Nearing
 Youth Triennium 2010 will be held July 20-24, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
Since this is open only to high school youth every three years, this
is generally a once-in-a-lifetime event for young people.There are still some spaces available - but hurry, deadline to register is less than two weeks away. Information may be found on our website on the Documents page.
All registration forms and fees (total of $337) are due by May 15h to Andrea Drapp at the Presbytery Office.
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The
Heart Is Not a Size
Young Adult novel inspired by Presbyterian misston trip to U.S./Mexico border
 by Bethany Furkin
Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - Beth Kephart made her
first trip to the U.S./Mexican border in 2005. Five years later, the
experience that moved her so much is the basis for her newest young
adult novel.
The Heart Is Not a Size (HarperTeen,
$16.99) was released last month. But the story really began in 2005,
when Kephart went to the Mexican border town of Juárez with St. John's Presbyterian Church in Devon, Penn.
While in Juárez, the group had two goals: to help build a community
bathroom and to spend time with the children of the town. The trip was
organized by Pasos de Fe, a site of Presbyterian Border Ministry.
"We didn't know what to expect, but we knew we wanted to be there," Kephart said.
When she returned from the week-long trip, Kephart kept thinking about
Juárez. Although she published two photo essays from the trip, the
novel didn't come until later.
The Heart Is Not a Size tells the
story of Georgia and Riley, two high school friends who, along with
other teens, take a trip to Juárez with a non-profit organization. Each
girl is dealing with secret demons, and the book shows how the trip to
Juárez forces the girls to question their certainties, test their
friendship and see their world from a different perspective.
With the escalation of the drug war...continue reading online
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Alma College High School Leadership Academy
July 10-16, 2010
 High
School juniors are invited to take the challenge to create positive change in
their communities. Academy participants will explore local issues that affect
our local, state, national and global communities. While working with Alma
College faculty, participants will produce a documentary video. The academy incorporates
scholarship, stewardship and leadership to prepare the next generation of
leaders for a changing world. This residential program is sponsored by the
Center for Responsible Leadership at Alma College and made is possible
through a generous gift from the Dow Chemical Company. More information and
applications are available on line: www.alma.edu/leadacademy
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The Board of Pensions offers personal health record and $100 health stewardship incentive
 The
Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) announced that it is now
offering an online Personal Health Record (PHR) capability to active members of
the Medical Plan and their enrolled family members. To promote its use, a
Health Stewardship Incentive is being offered to the primary Medical Plan
member.
The
PHR is available on MyActiveHealth,
which launched on Monday, April 12, 2010. The site provides a multitude of
health management tools to active members of the Medical Plan (Highmark Blue
Cross Blue Shield participants).
One
of the most important tools on the site is the secure and confidential PHR,
which organizes and stores members' health histories. Each PHR is populated
with claims data provided by Highmark and Express Scripts. Also, members can
complete an online Health Assessment to help fill in their PHR with information
only they know. This makes it easy for them to keep track of immunizations,
medications, doctor visits, and more, and can improve the effectiveness and
safety of the care they receive.
The
Board encourages qualified members to take advantage of the PHR and the Health
Assessment, so it is offering them a Health Stewardship Incentive. The
incentive is a $100 prepaid debit card for IRS tax-qualified healthcare
expenses. To be eligible, members must launch their PHR, take the Health
Assessment, and sign in to MyActiveHealth
two more times (on different days) before July 31, 2010.
"The
Board continues to investigate and implement new ways to help members improve
their health, allowing them to better care for themselves, their families, and
the entire Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) community," states Pat Haines,
senior vice president, Benefits. "Offering MyActiveHealth, the PHR, and
the Health Assessment reinforces the Board's commitment to the well-being of
our members."
Members
can visit the Board
of Pensions Web site for more information about how they can launch their
PHR and qualify for the Health Stewardship Incentive.
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Sweat-Free Ts
 Is your congregation, youth group or Vacation Bible School planning to print T-shirts? Please consider using Sweat-Free Ts - shirts made by a cooperative,
not a sweatshop - available from the PC(USA).Sweat-Free
Ts come from the Nueva Vida sewing cooperative in Nicaragua,
which began as an economic development initiative in the wake of Hurricane
Mitch. In 1998 the Presbyterian Hunger Program provided seed money, and
in 2003 was proud to come full circle with our support by also becoming a
customer. Since that time, support from groups across the church has made
it possible for us to purchase over 133,000 T-shirts from the cooperative! (And
this figure does not include special orders for Presbyterian Women,
Presbyterian Youth Triennium and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance!) Shirts
can be ordered from Presbyterian Distribution Service online or by phone. They come blank with
only the Sweat-Free T logo printed in black on the sleeve; groups are free to
screen print, tie-dye or otherwise creatively imprint the shirts with their own
logo or design. Shirts
are available in 100% organic cotton that feels great. Colors
are White, Natural and Presbyterian Blue. Sizes range from Child Small to
Adult 3XL. Get educational materials.
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The Boat is Gone
Wade says this is 'not your mother and father's church anymore'
 The Rev. Byron Wade, vice moderator of the 218th (2008) General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), looked out on his
audience at the Clearwater 2010 conference here, and asked for a show
of hands from the "boomers." He told them, "You are the last generation that goes to church on a regular basis."In
an April 17 address on change in church, Wade spoke about a church in a
foreign land. The conference had the theme, "Finding Our Way in the
Wilderness.""We're going
through something in the church," Wade said. "Our current church is in
a foreign culture. ... You can't put the same old thing in a new
culture and expect it to survive."Wade
used the example of the cruise-ship captain who advises travelers to
take their cameras with them when they leave the ship in port. Why? So
they can look at the pictures and remember what it was like if they
miss the boat when it leaves."This is not your mother and father's church anymore. The boat is gone," Wade said.A
minister's Sunday sermon is now only one of many ways, enhanced by
modern technology, that a pastor interacts with his or her
congregation, Wade said. The library is being replaced by Google. He
asked his audience to remember their years in college, a time of
receiving letters in the mail and paying someone to type class papers."Those days are gone forever," he said.He
contrasted the "modern era" characterized by....continue reading.
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U.S. Social Forum
Another World Is Possible! Another United States is Necessary!
June 22-26, 2010 · Detroit, Michigan
 The U.S. Social Forum (USSF) will take place
June 22-26, 2010, at Cobo Hall and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.
Other workshops and community art and culture programs will take place
across the city. The USSF will convene social movements from across the
United States and globally. Organizers are reaching out to young
people, people of color, unionists, laid off and unorganized workers,
welfare recipients, veterans, persons with disabilities, indigenous
people, freedom fighters, collectives and many others.
For more information, please visit the U.S. Social Forum Web site
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Presbytery of Lake Huron
"Rediscovering our mutual partnership in Jesus Christ"
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Contact Info
Staci Percy
Communications Manager/Recording Clerk
Presbytery of Lake Huron
P.O. Box 6129
Saginaw, MI 48608-6129
989-799-7481 or 800-621-6905
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