Those traveling to the PW Synod Gathering in Ohio this week.

Those traveling to the Big Tent in Indianapolis next week.

All who are assisting with the Health Fairs early next month.

The Rev. Cassie Jackson Todd who was Ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament on June 19th at Holly.

Lucy Waechter Webb (Candidate Under Care of the Presbytery) as she prepares to be Ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament later this summer.

Rebecca Cole Francek (Candidate Under Care of the Presbytery) who continues to experience serious health issues.  Her husband has returned from his deployment to Afghanistan.

The Rev Tom Brackbill and his wife Pam (Alma-First) on Pam's recent diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.

The Rev. Dr. Rhonda Myers, her husband, the Rev. Dave Myers and the congregation of Midland-Chapel Lane.  Rhonda began as Pastor at Chapel Lane on June 1st.

The Rev. David Robertson and the congregation of Midland-Memorial who began their Interim Pastoral relationship on June 1st.

Elder Charles Richter (Saginaw-First and COM Member) as he continues to experience serious health issues.

We lift up the following congregations and their pastoral leadership: 

 

Sandusky The Rev. Mike Wilson, Temporary Supply; The Rev. Ken Hetzel, Moderator of Session

Swartz Creek-Mundy Elder Gloria Watson, CLP

Tawas The Rev. Dr. Rick Vogeley, Pastor; The Rev. Jan Chambers, Pastor Emerita 

Twining-Maple Ridge The Rev. Dr. Rick Vogeley, Moderator of Session 

 

 

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

 

 

Presenting the Rev. Cassie Jackson Todd.  Cassie was ordained on Sunday, June 19th as a Minister of Word and Sacrament at Holly Presbyterian.  She is serving a congregation in Williston, SC.  Congratulations Cassie!

 

An updated 2011 Directory for the Presbytery is now available.  Please click here to access your copy.

 

(If you are reading this on our website, the link has been disabled due to privacy issues; please contact the Presbytery Office for a copy.) 

 

Please review your information in any spot that it may appear and let Vanessa Scott know if you need anything changed.  She can be reached at 989-799-7481 x6 or 800-621-6905 x6 or at vscott@presbylh.org. 

 

We will not be distributing copies like we have in the past.  By not printing copies of the directory we not only save money and resources but are able to update this on a more regular basis for you.  In fact, this is the second directory we have made available this year already. 

 

If you are unable to print a copy of this, please contact the Presbytery Office at 989-799-7481 or 800-621-6905.  Due to privacy issues we will not be posting this on our website.

 

If you are unable to view this document you may need to download the most current version of Adobe Reader.  Click here for the FREE download.

 

The Resource Center has some great new resources available for you to use free of charge.  Please visit the Resource Center page of our website for more information and to search our online catalog.  If you are interested in any of these items or any item in our Resource Center, please contact the Presbytery Office at 989-799-7481 or 800-621-6905.

New DVDs include:

Boundaries with Kids by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

An 8-session DVD based program that looks at tools for parents to raise kids to take responsibility for their actions, attitudes and emotions. The sessions focus on how healthy boundaries lead to healthy children. Includes DVD, leader guide, participant guide and paperback book.

 

Desmond Tutu by Ecufilm

An interview with Desmond Tutu in which he discusses topics including what is God like, why were we created, what about prayer, and how can worship be vital and meaningful today.

 

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase

This is a DVD-based congregational program based on the author's book of the same title. The Five Practices focuses on practices that shape and sustain vibrant, growing, fruitful congregations. Includes 5 DVD's plus leader DVD, detailed planning materials, and workbooks.

 

New Books include:

 

Fragments of Your Ancient Name by Joyce Rupp

This devotional book provides 365 names of God from a variety of faith traditions around the world, with poetic reflections for each day of the year as well as a simple sentence to serve as a reminder of the name of God throughout the day.

 

Love Wins by Rob Bell

The subtitle of this book, A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, summarizes the book's theme: how do we understand God's love and God's judgment. The author presents a deeply biblical vision for rediscovering what Jesus meant when he talked about heaven, hell, and salvation.

 

For a short time, the new 2011-2013 Book of Order can be ordered through the Presbytery Office at a lower bulk rate of $8 plus shipping.  Please e-mail Andrea Drapp with your church name and address and how many copies you would like to order no later than June 30th.  Churches will be billed after the order is placed when shipping costs are available.

 

A few months ago in the Bi-Weekly Brief there was an article about collecting items for a trip to Africa by Elder CJ Merriman (Lapeer-First) and his wife Alice.  CJ has written a summary of their experiences.

 

Africa...My wife Alice and I were warned before we made our first hunting trip to South Africa in 2008 that we would likely be planning a return trip during our flight home.  Actually, that was not quite true for us.  We began anticipating another visit to Africa well before that.  Traveling into the bush and seeing the many animals in their native habitat was wonderful.  Seeing zebras grazing across the savannah or watching Wildebeests playing was amazing.  The sight of giraffes feeding on the tops of thorn trees or with front legs splayed so they can drink meant that we took photo after photo.   It was awesome to see giant elephants magically disappear into the bush.  How can something that large seemingly vanish?  We saw lions in the wild and came to realize why they are called the "king of the beasts".  Yes, for someone who enjoys the outdoors the country of South Africa is a marvelous place.

 

While traveling between hunting locations or lodges we also saw some of the parts of South Africa that are not so nice.  From a distance we saw the townships and a few of the native schools.  From what we observed if you are among the 8% white population life is probably very good.  However, if you are black, life is probably not so good and chances are that you live in or very near to poverty.  One needs to actually see some of the townships to appreciate how awful they really are.  Many families live in an 8 x 8 or 8 x 10 shack with a corrugated roof that may or may not have a door.  Large numbers live without electricity and water for many is only available some distance away.  It brings new awareness to the many things that we take for granted that so many others cannot access.  While we enjoyed our visit to South Africa immensely, seeing the disparity of lifestyles was painful.  We concluded that we should explore opportunities to help during our return trip in April of 2011.

Being a member of Safari Club International, I discovered the SafariCare "Blue Bag Program".  In this program hunters are encouraged to take a SCI blue bag with them as luggage.  The idea is that this bag is filled with humanitarian supplies for those less fortunate.  This seemed like the perfect mechanism for us to do what we wanted, and we set about investigating and making it happen.  We contacted Eva Wilson, SCI Humanitarian Services Manager and Keith Estes the SafariCare Coordinator for the Flint Chapter.  They were able to get us pointed in the right direction.

Click here to continue reading this wonderful story.
Click here to see some pictures from their trip.

 

Midland-Memorial has chartered a bus to Comerica Park to see the Tigers play the Chicago White Sox on Friday, July 15. The bus will depart Memorial Presbyterian Church at 3:45pm. The cost is $63 per person.  They can't reserve a seat until the fee is paid.  For more information, please contact the church at 989-835-6759.

 

All Women in the Church offers online resources, a forum to interact with others, updates on projects for sharing your stories and much more. Learn more.

 

Due to overwhelming demand an extra week of Grandparent/Grandchild Camp has been added for June 28 - 30.  The cost is only $100 for meals, lodging, programming and much, much more.   Greenwood also has openings in its other camps, so sign up today at www.campgreenwood.org.  See you this summer!

We want to hear from you!  Please post updates on the Presbytery of Lake Huron's Facebook page.  Just 'like' us if you haven't already and you can start posting.  We are also looking for short articles from attendees to include in future Bi-Weekly Briefs about your experiences and what you learned.  Share what you learned with other congregations.

If you aren't able to attend this year's Big Tent in Indianapolis, follow us on Facebook to find out what attendees are learning that you can use in your congregation, too.  Twitter users use hashtag: #LakeHuronBT to post and/or follow updates of LHP members attending.

 

Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently approved a new Form of Government (nFOG).  Click on the following links to learn more.  Read Release and FAQs regarding new Form of Government.

The 2011-12 Planning Calendars have arrived.  If you would like one, we have a few available to be purchased for $8 per calendar.  They may be picked up at the Presbytery Office.

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

If you use the Presbyterian Planning Calendar, you can now receive a FREE copy of the 2011 electronic planning calendar. Simply register here and you can download the e-calendar.

Fast and easy to install, this free e-calendar-spanning June 1 through December 31, 2011-features Sunday lectionary readings; suggested dates for baptism and the Lord's Supper; and helpful links to valuable resources and information associated with special emphases days, liturgical colors, and more.

 

By Lynette Hawkins
Church Communication Specialist and owner of Beyond Marketing Group, Inc.: Practical Communications Insights for Leaders

Are you wondering how many congregations are reaching out and welcoming friends and friends of church members to attend summer events? It's time to take a look at some of the newer social tools. With more than 600 million users on Facebook, you may want to see how your ministry can capture the attention of people who may not know the Gospel or your ministry.

Recently, I met a woman at Bible study who found that congregation through a Facebook fan page. She had been invited by a member who had her listed as a "friend" among her 300 friends. Now can you imagine what would happen if each of your members on Facebook invited their friends to a summer event?

Join my BMG Awesome Insight Facebook Page to see 5 Tips to invite on Facebook. 

 

Let's talk on our Facebook page.

 

This week's youth study from The Thoughtful Christian is titled: "Tattoos: A Good Idea?" Tattoos have been used by various cultures and religions for thousands of years. They appear everywhere today and are frequently seen on models, singers, and yes, even preachers. How should Christians evaluate this practice, especially if considering getting tattooed themselves?

The one-session study leads youth in looking at Scripture passages that might speak for and against the practice and sets up a debate where they elaborate the pros and cons. It is a very engaging study that encourages teens to decide if this is a good way to treat our bodies, which are a gift from God.

 

MI House Bill 4305 on immigration may threaten Detroit's ability to host the 2014 General Assembly meeting of the PC(USA).

 

Click here for details. 

The Presbytery has a Facebook page and would like you to join us.  Get updates and information faster. Connect with others to share ideas and to post information about events happening in your congregation.  Join us today!