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Autumn Prayer
O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.
As we embrace these autumn months,
May the earlier setting of the sun
remind us to take time to rest.
May the crunch of the leaves beneath our feet
remind us of the brevity of this earthly life.
May the steam of our breath in the cool air
remind us that it is you who give us your breath of life.
May the scurrying of the squirrels and
the migration of the birds
remind us that you call us to follow your will.
We praise you for your goodness forever and ever.
Amen.
-- From the Catholic Family Faith Blog
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 In Our Prayers
The Rev. Cathy Chang (Midland-Memorial) and husband Juan who are expecting their first child in May.
The Rev. Dr. George Baird (Honorably Retired) who will retire soon as the Synod Stated Clerk. (See article below)
The Rev. Ken Hetzel (Croswell-First) and wife Margaret on the recent loss of Ken's mother and the continuous care of Margaret's mother.
Len Brokaw and wife Shirley, brother and sister-in-law of Louise Brokaw (Presbytery Staff) as they work through health issues, the most recent being heart problems for Len.
For those Ministers of Word and Sacrament and Commissioned Ruling Elders who celebrated an Ordination or Commissioning Anniversary during the month of October:
The Rev. Marjorie Ackerman (10/10), Pastor, Deckerville-First
The Rev. Joungnam Lee (10/12), Pastor, Flint-Unity
The Rev. Wally Mayton (10/1), Associate Pastor, Midland-Memorial
The Rev. Carol Miller (10/8), Honorably Retired
Elder Charles Moerdyk (10/1), Commissioned Ruling Elder, Rosebush
Ithaca-First, Elder Peggy Ronk, Commissioned Ruling Elder
Ithaca-Lafayette, The Rev. Tom Brackbill, Moderator of Session
Kinde-First, Elder Kathy Grimes, Commissioned Ruling Elder
Lapeer-First, The Rev. Todd Smith, Pastor; Elder Sam McKim, Commissioned Ruling Elder
Linden, The Rev. Seth Normington, Pastor
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 |
George Baird To Retire...Again
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 George Baird To Retire As Synod Stated Clerk
The Rev. Dr. George William Baird grew up in Middletown, Ohio, and graduated from Lemon-Monroe High School in Monroe, Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from The Ohio State University, his Master of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary, and his Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Following graduation from McCormick, he served on the staff of Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati for nine years and as pastor of Chapel Lane Presbyterian Church in Midland for 29 years. During much of the time he was pastor at Chapel Lane he also served as the stated clerk of Lake Huron Presbytery. After retirement from serving Chapel Lane he continued as stated clerk of the presbytery for another six years, serving as presbytery stated clerk for a total of thirty-three years. After a year and a half of retirement he was elected the stated clerk of the Synod of the Covenant. He will complete his third three-year term as synod stated clerk on November 5, 2011, and retire again. Dr. Baird has also served as an adjunct member of the staff of the office of Constitutional Service in Louisville. He has served as a parliamentarian at every meeting of GA since 1995. Dr. Baird has many interests. He enjoys traveling and has been in all 50 states and many foreign countries. He likes cruises - both ocean and river cruises - and has a number of friends with whom he cruises regularly. He enjoys music, reading, golf, exercising, concerts and plays at the Midland Center for the Arts, and sports of all sorts. But most of all he likes, he likes to spend time with, friends. He is deeply grateful for all the friends he has been fortunate enough to make at all levels of the church through his many years of involvement in the church. He is also deeply grateful for his family, and always enjoys the time he is able to spend with them. His wife, Ann is deceased. He has three children - Joseph, a doctoral candidate at Western Michigan University, Michael, a computer programmer who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Phyllis, who is a speech therapist at Bristol Hospital, Bristol, Tennessee. Dr. Baird has no specific plans as he looks forward to retirement (except for looking forward to more reading, more traveling, and more time with family and friends). But he does not plan to be inactive. He is simply waiting and looking forward to God's next call.
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 Advent Worship Planning Event
The Thumb Ministry Group would like to invite Elders to be a part of The Worship Resource Group gathering on Saturday, November 5, 2011 from 9:00am to 1:00pm in the First Presbyterian Church of Deckerville. Resourcing churches for worship throughout the Advent Season is the goal of this half-day event. Lunch will be served at the close of the workshop. For more information, please contact Rev. Marjorie Ackerman at (989) 225-6773. |
 Parish Paper Now Online
Normally at the presbytery meetings you receive in your packet copies of the previous 2-3 editions of the Parish Paper. We now have permission to post them on our website so we can share them with our congregations on a regular basis instead of just four times a year.
Please check out the Parish Paper page on our website under the Resources tab for the November and December issues.
We will post future editions on the Parish Paper page as soon as we receive them. We will also let you know via our Facebook page and the Bi-Weekly Brief when new ones are available.
Please be sure to read the copyright notice on the Parish Paper page prior to distributing copies.
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 Change The World Without Leaving Home
If you ordered copies of the 2012 Mission Yearbook through the presbytery to get the bulk rate, they are now available for pick up at the office. They will also be available for pick up at the December 6th presbytery meeting at Midland-Memorial.
All across America, readers of the Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study learn about, and pray for, our denomination's vital mission work. Every day of the year, the Mission Yearbook lifts up the inspiring work being done in the Lord's name through our churches and presbyteries at home and around the world. We know that God hears these prayers and graciously blesses the work done in God's name.
That's why the Presbyterian Mission Yearbook should be a part of your ministry. Its inspiring, easy-to-read stories are sure to instill a love of mission in your members - connect them to the mission work of the wider church - and hearten them to support your own mission efforts and outreach, no matter how modest or ambitious. This wonderful resource may indeed be the "seed that falls on good soil and bears fruit a hundredfold."
If you have not already ordered your copy through the presbytery office, you may visit the church store online or call (800) 524-2612 and request ISBN 978-157153-100-1. You can also sign up to get a free daily e-mail on the Mission Yearbook page of the PC(USA)s website.
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 Attend a Bible Study In Your Pajamas
Do you really want to attend a bible study but having a hard time working it into your schedule? Now you can participate anytime that you want. Grand Blanc-Kirkridge has set up an online study of Luke and Acts. To participate all you have to do is click here and go to their blog. Read the brief introduction and go to the bottom of the page click on "Responses" This will take you to the discussion. You do not have to "Join" or register, you may post your comments as a guest. There is also an option for you to receive e-mail messages with new postings.
For more information, please contact the Rev. Glenn Grant at kirkridgepastor@sbcglobal.net or 810-694-3321.
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 Real Christianity and Real Ministry in a Virtual World
This time in our society is unlike any other. People communicate daily without ever having to speak face-to-face; news breaks around the world in a matter of seconds and favorite TV shows can be viewed at our convenience. We are, simultaneously, a people of connection and isolation. As Christians, how do we view our faith and personal ministry in this culture? How do we navigate this (dis)connected world and minister effectively to those we may not even physically see or touch?
Two new books from Abingdon Press will both help Christians to become real and authentic believers in this virtual world and church leaders to increase their ministries' effectiveness using the web and social media.
 Digital Disciple by Adam Thomas. This time in our society is unlike any other. People communicate daily without ever having to speak face to face, news breaks around the world in a matter of seconds, and favorite TV shows can be viewed at our convenience. We are, simultaneously, a people of connection and isolation. As Christians, how do we view our faith and personal ministry in this culture?
Adam Thomas invites you to explore this question using his unique, personal, and often humorous insight. Thomas notes, "[The Internet] has added a new dimension to our lives; we are physical, emotional, spiritual, and now virtual people. But I believe that God continues to move through every facet of our existence, and that makes us new kinds of followers. We are digital disciples."
I gain renewed hope for the future by looking at a new generation of emerging Christian leaders like Adam Thomas. -Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity
Digital Disciple is a new kind of pastor's sermon to a new kind of flock. Go ahead and tweet your friends: GOT 2 READ THIS.-Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, author, speaker and new monastic.
Click here to order Digital Disciple.
Let Web-Empowered Ministry be your comprehensive guide along your unique journey toward building a powerful internet ministry in the virtual world. You will learn the practical steps, techniques, and ideas needed to develop an excellent and effective web ministry. You will also learn how to apply the many tools the internet has to offer including websites, smart phones, social networking, media, instant messaging, and more to extend and multiply your ministry impact.
Mark's engaging style makes technology accessible as he offers firsthand advice on every aspect of building an internet ministry: from assembling a team to designing and maintaining your website to developing a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and more.
People are coming to know Jesus. Lives are being transformed. It comes from God's power and our use of the internet to share, teach, and connect.
Click here to order Web-Empowered Ministry.
They are both on sale at The Thoughtful Christian for 40% OFF through November 15, 2011!
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 Free Webinars From The Insurance Board
The Insurance Board is the company that the Presbytery of Lake Huron (and some of the churches in this presbytery) is insured with. They are offering free webinars that are available to any of the churches in the presbytery regardless of whether they are insured through them or not. Below is a listing four relevant and timely webinars that you can sign up for. Our Treasurer/Business Manager, Andrea Drapp would appreciate any feedback you might have to pass on to the Board of Trustees.
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Abuse Prevention 2.0 - Making SafeConduct™ Your Goal
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Nov 2
11AM E &
3PM E
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Your policy should nurture SafeConduct™, rather than complying and reacting. Learn how to create leadership policy to prevent exploitation of children and vulnerable adults. Discussion covers essential components: screening, interaction guidelines, monitoring, security, reporting & training.
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Church Tenants - Sharing Your Church and Managing Risk
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Nov 16
11AM E &
3PM E
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Sharing your space and developing sources of income requires understanding methods of risk transfer. The session will review how to lend and lease your property while minimizing risk to your church. Here's how to manage common tenants: Daycare; Weight Watches; non-profits; wedding parties.
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Social Media - Plan, Prepare, Protect
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Nov 30
11AM E &
3PM E
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Social media is "child's play" for children, but not for churches. A review of the many considerations around church use of social media, including management controls and oversight, copyright, libel, privacy and security.
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Make sure you visit our website often for a list of upcoming webinars. You can register for any of our webinars by clicking here. You can also access our website for other valuable information. |
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 Students 'See Green' in Sustainable Living Experiment
Some Alma College students in the Carey-Bonbright residence halls are "seeing green" as they participate in a project to practice environmental sustainability. Ten student volunteers live in environmentally friendly rooms while continuing to find new ideas to make them a greener place to live.
Sean Mo, assistant professor of chemistry, and Energy Management Engineer Brandon Smith organized the project to conserve energy on Alma's campus.
"There are many exciting projects planned for the green residence halls for the 2011-12 academic year," says Mo. "One project will take a look at the energy usage in Carey-Bonbright and Nisbet-Brazell halls. The objective is to compare the electricity and gas usage in two structurally identical buildings."
Though the structures are identical, Carey-Bonbright is set up with energy-saving equipment, and the students in those halls are aware of this project, explains Mo.
"We hope to find that there will be noticeable differences between the residence halls during the course of the year," he says.
Benjamin King, Cheboygan sophomore, is a student who is participating in the sustainability study. For him, energy conservation is a critical part of life.
"It is vital to the future of the planet that students begin to think critically about what they can do to help," he says. "It is no longer a matter of just aiding the environment; when one partakes in sustainability one helps him or herself."
Though he has been living in the eco-friendly hall since the start of the semester, there are still many things he looks forward to in the future.
"I want to see how much of a difference the Eco Dorms have on energy and water consumption," he says. "I am certain that we will see positive numbers; it will be nice to know that making a difference can be as easy as unplugging a cell phone charger."
Continue reading...
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Presbyterian News Service
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 Connect With Other Churches In The Lake Huron Presbytery
There are so many wonderful things going on in all of our congregations. Several of our churches have set up Facebook pages to help spread the good news not only to their members but to all who may be interested. Liking other church Facebook pages is a great way to connect with others in the presbytery and to share ideas with each other. Here are some of the churches that have Facebook pages:
Alma-First
Bay City-Westminster
Caro-First
Flint-First
Lapeer-First
Linden
Midland-Memorial
Saginaw-Second
Saginaw-Warren Avenue
Others have group pages that you have to request to join. Those include:
Holly
Mt. Pleasant-First
If your congregation has a page and it is not listed here, please contact Staci Percy at spercy@presbylh.org. |
 'Like' Us On Facebook
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! |
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Staci Percy
Communications Manager/Recording Clerk
spercy@presbylh.org
989-799-7481 x2
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Upcoming Meetings
and Events
(All meetings are at the Presbytery Office unless otherwise noted)
Committee on Ministry October 26 12:00pm Commissioned Ruling Elders (CRE) Class October 29 9:00am Trustees November 3 9:30am Coordinating Team November 9 10:00am Committee on Ministry November 16 12:00pm Presbytery Office Closed For Thanksgiving November 24-25 Personnel Team December 5 10:30am Presbytery Meeting December 6 9:30am Midland-Memorial Coordinating Team December 14 10:00am Presbytery Office Closed December 26-30 | |
Details on these meetings can be found on the presbytery's website on the calendar.
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