Bi-Weekly Brief for 5-25-11

Presbytery of Lake Huron Bi-Weekly Brief

Rediscovering our mutual partnership in Jesus Christ.

May 25, 2011

A Prayer for Memorial Day

Holy God, your love is stronger than death,
and your life-giving power has no end.
We commend to your eternal care
all who have died in the service of others,
even as we lament the violence of war.
Comfort and sustain all those who mourn.
Heal the wounded body, mind, and spirit.
Bring justice, freedom, and dignity to all people
and bring an end to war throughout the earth
so that all may know your promised peace;
through Christ, the resurrection and the life.

The Rev. David Gambrell, Associate for Worship,

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

is the author of this prayer. It appears in

Justice and Peace Shall Kiss,

a worship resource produced by the

Presbyterian Peacemaking Program

In Our Prayers

Cassie Jackson Todd (Candidate Under Care of the Presbytery and member at Holly) and her family as they prepare for Cassie's Ordination as Minister of Word and Sacrament on June 19th at 4:00pm at Holly.

Elder Gloria Watson (CLP as Swartz Creek-Mundy) and her husband Duane as they mourn the passing of Duane's brother earlier this week.

Midland-Chapel Lane as they welcome their new Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Rhonda Myers, who will begin her service on June 1st.

Midland-Memorial as they welcome their new Interim Pastor, the Rev. David Robertson, who will begin his service on June 1st.

We lift up the following congregations and their pastoral leadership:

Midland-Chapel Lane The Rev. Cathy Chang, Moderator (as of June 1st, the Rev. Dr. Rhonda Myers, Pastor)
Midland-Memorial The Rev. Dr. George Baird, Moderator; The Rev. Wally Mayton, Associate Pastor; The Rev. Cathy Chang, Associate Pastor (as of June 1st, the Rev. David Robertson, Interim Pastor)
Mt. Pleasant-First The Rev. Sandra Hanna, Interim Pastor
Rosebush Elder Charles Moerdyk, CLP

We encourage everyone to send a card or e-mail or make a phone call to those listed. Sometimes a small gesture creates a big smile.

Contact information for anyone on this list may be obtained by calling the presbytery office at 800-621-6905 or 989-799-7482.

June 7th Presbytery Meeting Documents Ready

Join us at Alma-First

The docket and other meeting materials are available now on the Presbytery Meetings page of our website.

Please note that the site has changed. The June 7th presbytery meeting will be held at Alma-First.

The church is located at:
495 Charles Road
Alma, MI 48801

Health Kit Deadline Fast Approaching

Bring them to the presbytery meeting in Alma

The preferred drop off for the Health Kits is at the presbytery meeting on June 7th at Alma-First. If at all possible, please bring them to the meeting with you. For additional drop off sites and instructions on how to assemble a health kit, please visit the Health Fairs 2011 page on our website.

Planning Calendars Have Arrived

Available for pick up at the June 7th Presbytery Meeting or at the Presbytery Office

The 2011-12 Planning Calendars have arrived. If you ordered calendars for your church through the Presbytery Office they are now available for pick up. You may either stop by the Presbytery Office or pick them up at the June 7th Presbytery Meeting at Alma-First.

Just a reminder that the Presbytery Office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 4:30pm. The office is closed on Fridays.

You Are Invited

To celebrate the Ordination of Cassie Jackson Todd

Come celebrate the wonderful event of ordaining a new Minster of Word and Sacrament. Cassie Jackson Todd is a Candidate Under Care of our presbytery and has received a call to Williston Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. Join Cassie, her family, friends and the congregation of Holly Presbyterian Church on Sunday, June 19th at 4:00pm at Holly as she becomes Ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament. The church is located at 207 East Maple Street, Holly 48442.

Clergy are asked to please wear their robes.

Give. Act. Pray.

Ground Zero: Joplin, Missouri...Alabama, Texas, Carolinas too

A powerful F-4 tornado leveled parts of Joplin, Missouri, this week. It's the latest in a series of weather-related disasters that have left families across the United States devastated by the immense loss and unsure of how to begin again.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is equipping congregations to respond to this incredible need by providing tools, technology and training. Join us in our mission to help our neighbors and church family who are suffering. Read more →

Give to Presbyterian response

Visit the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance website or call (800) 872-3283

Faith Singers

Performing at Saginaw-Warren Avenue June 5th

We are delighted to welcome "Faith Singers" from the Countryside Community Church in Omaha to our worship on Sunday, June 5th. This 26 voice youth choir will be in concert at the First Congregational Church on June 4th singing in our worship service on June 5th. "Faith Singers" are a committed group of youth who go on tour each June "spreading the message of God's love through their music".

Special request: I hope we can find several families wishing to host two or more of these teenagers the evening of June 4th. Please give me a call (ASAP) if you are able to help out. There are 26 teens and 4 adults in need of housing!

Rev. Tom Cundiff

752-6474 or 793-3102

Presbyterian Women Gathering

June event features LHP's own Chris Wolf

The Presbyterian Women in the Synod of the Covenant will hold their annual gathering on June 24-26 in Findlay, OH. The keynote speaker will be Lake Huron's own Elder Chris Wolf. For more details, please click here.

Are You Going To The Big Tent?

Let us know

The first Big Tent in Atlanta in 2009 was only attended by 3 or 4 people from the presbytery. This summer, the Big Tent is being pitched in Indianapolis, IN. Because of the closer proximity and the fact that scholarships have been given by the presbytery, there are numerous people representing the Presbytery of Lake Huron this year.

We would like to compile a list of attendees and their contact information so that we may gather together during the weekend.

Please send the following information to Staci Percy at spercy@presbylh.org:

Your name
Your church (including the city)
Conference you are attending
E-Mail address
Cell phone

This information will only be given to other LHP attendees for the purpose of contacting each other during the conference.

Want a FREE ride to the Big Tent? The presbytery will have vans to ride in available for anyone who is attending the Big Tent in Indianapolis free of charge. All you have to do is contact Mary Anne Evans-Justin who is coordinating the transportation no later than June 15th. Please e-mail Mary Anne at: majustin.justin479@gmail.com or call her at 989-463-5035 and provide your name and phone number. She will contact you with further details such as: where the vans will be departing from and the times they are leaving and returning.

If you would like to join other LHP members for the opening dinner on Thursday night, please meet just outside of the entrance to the Whitewater Ballroom and we will find a table(s) together.

Getting To The Presbytery Office

I-675 Detour 2011

For the third summer in a row, construction has closed most or all of I-675. For a suggested alternate route to the Presbytery Office if you are coming here from the south, please visit the Detour 2011 page on our website.

Free Pews Available

Flint-Trinity United has free pews available for pick up

Flint-Trinity United has two storage units of pews available similar to the ones shown here. Most are 9'-12' long and in good condition. Must be able to pick them up. Contact the church directly for more information at (810) 720-5152.

Synod Communications Position Available

Temporary position available

Synod Logo The synod is searching a qualified individual who will develop a plan for synod communications. This individual would design tools and a strategy for effective communication.

How to apply

'A Conversation Among Presbyterian Leaders '

Free Leading Voices Essay from The Presbyterian Leader

In this month's new Leading Voices essay, "A Conversation among Presbyterian Leaders," our very own editor, David Maxwell, compiles thoughts that evolved from a meeting in Dallas, TX, that was organized to discuss the leadership needs of the denomination.

Don't Forget! All of our Leading Voices essays are FREE to all visitors of our site. Feel free to forward them to friends, students, and colleagues. And after you're finished reading, be sure to let us know your leadership stories on our Facebook page.

Peace,

www.ThePresbyterianLeader.com Team

Let your friends on Facebook know you like this month's new Leading Voices essay.

What Will You Do When an iPad is $40?

And what has that got to do with how your church communicates now?

Interesting article from Yvon Prehn, church communications specialist and owner of Effective Church Communications.

Yesterday, a wise friend of mine, Bev M., asked me this question, "What will you do when an iPad costs $40?"

He went on to remind me that you can get a case of paper for about $40.Obviously today, for most churches it costs much less to print on paper. Everyone has access to paper and every church has a way to print and get it out there. But that could change.

What will we do in our church communication programs when an iPad or any other portable, digital communication tools becomes that cheap and widely available?

Think about it.

CLICK here to go to the rest of the article for suggestions and links to resources about multi-channel communication.

Visit Yvon Prehn's website at: www.effectivechurchcom.com for more great ideas on how be more effective with your communications with your congregation and community.

Presbytery of Detroit Work Exchange Program

Members looking to work on projects in LHP and invite LHP members to work in Detroit Presbytery