A To Start A New Year      

For our congregations and their leaders:

Alma-Eastminster The Rev. Dr. Brian Stratton, Moderator of Session

Alma-First The Rev. Tom Brackbill, Pastor

Bay City-First The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Weenink, Pastor

Bay City-Memorial Elder Jon Essex, Commissioned Ruling Elder

Bay City-Westminster The Rev. Matt Schramm, Pastor; The Rev. Isaac Chung, Associate Pastor

Beaverton-First  The Rev. Karen Blatt, Pastor

Birch Run-Taymouth The Rev. Ted McCulloch, Pastor

Breckenridge-Emerson The Rev. Chris Moody, Moderator of Session 

For those Teaching Elders (Ministers of Word and Sacrament) and Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) who are celebrating Ordination or Commissioning Anniversaries in January:

The Rev. Robert Fox (1/26) Honorably Retired

The Rev. Dr. Rhashell Hunter (1/8) Member-At-Large, General Assembly Staff

The Rev. Rich Lawther (1/4) Pastor, Fairgrove

Elder Sam McKim (1/1) Commissioned Ruling Elder, Lapeer-First 

The Rev. Dr. John Musgrave (1/1), Pastor, Flint-First and Presbytery Moderator 

Elder Gloria Watson (1/9) Commissioned Ruling Elder, Swartz Creek-Mundy 

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 

Congress has finally resolved the question of whether or not to extend the payroll tax holiday that was enacted in 2011. From now until at least February 29, 2012 the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 has been extended. This extends the two percentage point payroll tax cut for employees, continuing the reduction of their Social Security tax withholding rate from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent of wages paid through Feb. 29, 2012. This reduced SS withholding will have no effect on employees' future Social Security benefits.

Church Treasurers should implement the new payroll tax rate as soon as possible in 2012 but not later than January 31, 2012. For any Social Security tax over-withheld during January, treasurers should make an offsetting adjustment in employees' pay as soon as possible but not later than March 31, 2012.

A copy of this notice has been sent to clergy serving churches and Commissioned Ruling Elders.

The standard business mileage rate for 2012 remains at 55.5 cents per mile (excludes commuting miles).  The medical and moving rate has changed to 23 cents per mile. The charitable rate remains at 14 cents per mile. This information can also be found on the Forms and Brochures page of our website in the Financial Information section. 

In cooperation with the Presbyterian Church in Costa Rica (IEPC) and the Latin American Biblical University (UBL) we invite you to study, dialogue and travel in Costa Rica.

This encounter is an opportunity to enrich your connections with the church world-wide. This will occur through fellowship and dialogue with Christian brothers and sisters who are doing the work of Christ in their communities. The group will learn about various aspects of culture and gain understanding of the history of the Christian church and its various communities of faith in Costa Rica.

Participants will learn about the ministries of the churches and the University, a leading protestant seminary in Latin America. Participants will be seeing how the money raised through the "Two Coins a Meal" program is put into action, while visiting various IEPC sponsored feeding programs. There will also be an opportunity to learn how the Presbyterian Church is supporting the University as it works to train people for Christian ministries.

The trip is sponsored by Flushing Presbyterian Church and

First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant.

The trip is scheduled for July 28 through August 6, 2012.

The cost of the trip is estimated at $550 plus airfare.

For more information please contact:

Flushing Presbyterian Church

Phone: (810) 659-5831- with office hours from 9am to 3pm

• Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
• Rev. Dr. Carol Bechtel
• Rev. Dr. Claudio Carvalhaes
• Ms. Shari LeMonnier

Your storytelling is powerful.

It can call others to participate in our ministries, bringing them closer to God and inspiring them to give to mission. As communicators, our role is to lift up what is happening throughout the church. It is a ministry, but one you do not have to do alone.  

Invite others to tell the story of their congregation and call to mission through writing, pictures and video. Share those stories with those outside the church, within your synod and throughout PC (USA) by utilizing Presbyterians Today magazine, the Presbyterian Mission Yearbook and the News and Announcements on www.pcusa.org.

It is through your witness that the stories of Christmas and of all God's good works are shared. May you and your family be blessed this Christmas season and have a happy New Year.

For years, churches have frequently appointed a missions advocate (by whatever name) to be a channel for information and challenge to the fellowship about worldwide missions. Coordinators for other areas of ministry are also commonplace.  

There is now surely the same opportunity for churches to appoint someone to be the church advocate for the use of digital media in evangelism and discipleship.

Mavens needed?

Such a person would obviously need to be a web maven - a networker who knows a wide variety of online Christian resources/strategies and loves sharing them. They might function like this:  

• be available to consult about ideas and resources
• write about digital opportunities and resources in the church newsletter
• share resources in a short focus spot from time to time during meetings
• explain how church members can use Facebook effectively, especially in relation to sharing the good news appropriately, including how to use the video-clip sharing resource YesHEIs.com 
• encourage people to load online bibles and other resources on their smartphones
• suggest to those with the appropriate gifts that they consider volunteering as e-mentors with big outreach teams such as TruthMedia.com and GMO
• point people to, for example, the best online study or youth discipleship resources
• help the leadership team consider ways the fellowship can develop online strategies

This is a role very distinct from that of an existing missions coordinator or church webmaster, and there should be no automatic assumption that this is something extra that should be placed on them.

A digital advocate should surely not be perceived as a representative for a single website or organization. However, if you produce web content, then it this is surely an ideal opportunity to increase your effectiveness. You could ask your friends and supporters to consider the potential to become an advocate in their own churches, with your content as one of the many resources they might highlight.

Staci Percy

Communications Manager/Recording Clerk

spercy@presbylh.org 

989-799-7481 x2

Upcoming Meetings 

and Events 

(All meetings are at the Presbytery Office unless otherwise noted)