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A Prayer In Spring
By Robert Frost
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.
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 In Our Prayers
Rebecca Francek, Inquirer Under Care of the Presbytery continues to experience significant health issues.
Karen Banaszak, Certified Christian Educator, who is experiencing significant health issues.
Cynthia Bolbach, Moderator of the 219th General Assembly who has cancer.
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 989-799-7481 For those Teaching Elders (Ministers of Word and Sacrament) and Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) who are celebrating Ordination or Commissioning Anniversaries in April and May: The Rev. Dr. Daniel Ahn (5/18) - Honorably Retired The Rev. Kenneth Anderson (4/30) - 55 years - Honorably Retired The Rev. Alec Brooks (5/1) - Honorably Retired The Rev. George Gillette (4/27) Honorably Retired The Rev. Andrew Miller (4/4) Pastor, Mt. Pleasant-First The Rev. Dong Won Park (4/15) Honorably Retired The Rev. Dr. Brian Stratton (4/2) - 35 years - Alma College The Rev. Dale Swihart (5/16) - Pastor,Fenton-First The Rev. Dr. Joseph Walser (5/22) - Honorably Retired The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Weenink (5/18) - Pastor, Bay City-First
For our congregations and their leaders: Rosebush Elder Chuck Moerdyk, CRE
Saginaw-Countryside Trinity The Rev. Ken Parker, Pastor
Saginaw-First The Rev. Dr. Robert Emrich, Pastor
Saginaw-Korean The Rev. David Hoon-Koo Lee, Pastor
Saginaw-Second The Rev. Jim Neumann, Pastor
Saginaw-Warren Avenue The Rev. Tom Cundiff, Pastor; The Rev. Dr. Rod Shoemaker, Parish Associate
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 Free Copyright Compliance Class
PLEASE NOTE: The Presbytery Office will be closed on Monday, April 16th as the staff will be attending and assisting with this event.
There are still about 10 spaces available for this free event. To register, please click here.
Trying to stay in compliance with copyright laws can be very confusing. That is why the Presbytery of Lake Huron is sponsoring a FREE day long training class on Monday, April 16th at Flint-First.
Topics covered will include:
- Copyright basics - Basic Building Blocks 101 for understanding the relevance and application of US copyright law principles pertaining to church activities
- Blanket licenses - What they do and do not cover
- Audio and visual projects - Creating CDs, DVDs and videos; Streamed and downloaded audio and video
- Print projects - Sheet music and lyrics, Derivative works, handouts, mailings, copyrighted text on websites and other publications
- Public gatherings -Song performances, Using images and video in worship services, Lyric displays,Consent and release forms
- Internet and Webcasting - Specific legal issues related to church websites & webcasting
- Planning compliance - Policies, procedures, planning and budgeting for copyright compliance
- Plenty of time for Q & A
Training will be led by Susan Fontaine Godwin, President and Founder of
Christian Copyright Solutions in Alabama. She has been working with and training church personnel in copyright compliance for over 16 years. She is also a professor of Copyright Law and the Church and Intellectual Property at the University of Mobile and author of Solving the Puzzle of Copyright Compliance: Why & How We Honor Copyrights.
Lunch will be provided and will include vegetarian options. |
 New Call Forms and Contracts To Be Used
Due to changes with the new Form of Government, all the forms for Presbytery calls and contracts have been updated. For called and installed positions, the changes are minimal. But Commissioned Ruling Elder contracts have been updated in several spots. As those contracts come up for renewal during the course of the year, please use the new form found on the Presbytery website on the Committee on Ministry page. The biggest changes are in regard to contracts between Sessions and those serving as interims and other temporary contracts. Those positions are either Interim or Supply positions (the terms "Stated Supply" and/or "Temporary Supply" are no longer used). All interim and supply contracts now use the same form, just fill out the appropriate sections. As renewals come up, please use the new form. If the old form is used for a contract, we will ask you to re-submit the contract using the new form. All forms are on the Presbytery website on the Committee on Ministry page. As always, please feel free to contact the Stated Clerk, Ted McCulloch, or the Recording Clerk, Staci Percy with any questions.
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 New Parish Papers Available
The Parish Papers for May and June are now available on our website.
The May 2012 topic is: How to Turn Bystanders Into Active Disciples
The June 2012 topic is: Mission Possible More Men in the Pews
Please be sure to read the copyright information on our Parish Paper page prior to distributing them to your congregation either in print form or electronically.
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 Health Fairs Need You
Did you know that over 20 years ago the Presbytery of Lake Huron began holding five-day Health Fairs each summer for the hundreds of migrant workers who came to the area to work on local farms? With professionals and volunteers they gave medical exams to migrant families. We still do that, discovering various problems especially with diabetes, high blood pressure, eye and dental problems. Such people are referred to local clinics. Migrant families are still our main emphasis, but with the decline of migrants coming to the state we have added health fairs for needy inner city children. Each person is given a "health kit" and a booklet on basic health care. All leftover kits (each worth about $25) are distributed to women's and men's shelters. You can help meet this critical need by putting together a health kit.
Visit our Health Fairs 2012 page under the Around LHP tab on our website for details on how to make a health kit.
You may bring kits to the following locations: Preferred Drop Off Site: By Thursday, May 31: By Monday, June 11 |
 Saginaw-Warren Avenue Seeks Part-Time Administrative Assistant
Saginaw-Warren Avenue's Administrative Assistant will be leaving the position soon and they are seeking an experienced assistant to the pastor, part-time secretary and bookkeeper with computer skills. Send resumes to wapc612@att.net. Please feel free to pass this information to anyone who may be interested. |
 Alma-First Member Selected as a YAV
We are please to announce that Anthony "T.J." Piccolo of Alma-First has been selected by the General Assembly Mission Council of the PC(USA) as one of their Young Adult Volunteers (YAV). TJ will be serving in Northern Ireland. The Young Adult Volunteer program offers opportunities in Christian service and learning for young adults (19 to 30 years of age) in eleven sites within the United States and five sites around the world. The job descriptions for the volunteers depends both on the needs of the partner and the skills of the Young Adult Volunteer. In each placement, the volunteer works with a church or organization, develops Christian community, and meets for prayer and Bible study with other Young Adult Volunteers. Congratulation TJ Piccolo! We are very proud of you and know you will be a great representative for Alma-First and the Presbytery of Lake Huron. Read the letter to the presbytery from the YAV coordinator about TJ. |
Life Planning Seminar Offered
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 Midland Chapel Lane Offers Life Planning Seminar
Chapel Lane Presbyterian Church in Midland, will host two life-planning seminars for informational purposes and to encourage life planning by members. Topics will include wills and estate planning and funeral and end-of-life planning. There will be two separate seminars, one to be held on Sunday, April 29, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm, and the second on Monday, April 30, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the church, 5501 Jefferson Ave., Midland, MI 48640.
The first evening, Sunday, April 29, will cover Wills and Estate Planning and will be led by Steve Keizer from the Presbyterian Foundation and Midland attorney Todd Gambrell.
The second evening, Monday, April 30, will cover End of Life and Funeral Planning and will be led by David Smith from Smith-Miner Funeral Home in Midland and the Rev. Dr. Rhonda Myers, Pastor of Chapel Lane Presbyterian Church.
General topic areas will include the basics of wills, charitable giving options, personal data worksheets, funeral service elements, grief management, and legal considerations. You are welcome to attend either one or both seminars.
There is no charge for the seminars. Light refreshments will be served. Please respond that you plan to attend by calling the church office, 989-631-2081, leaving your name, telephone number, number of persons attending, and, if there is a need for child-care, the ages of the children.
For further information, please contact Blaine (Sandy) Miller at SMiller7200@yahoo.com or 989-631-5611 or Linda Langrill at LLangrill@chartermi.net or 989-631-4530.
We hope you can join us for these informative seminars.
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Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2013
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 Presbyterian Youth Triennium Announces Theme For 2013 Event
"I AM" will focus on Jesus' illustrations and instruction to his disciples.
Ministries with Youth, in the Office of Evangelism of the General Assembly Mission Council, is pleased to announce the theme for the 2013 Presbyterian Youth Triennium: "I AM." Event participants will consider and explore the "I AM" statements of Jesus, as shared with the disciples and the early followers of Jesus, as well as the Hebrew understandings of God known simply as "I AM."
The deep connections between the divine "I AM" and the human "I am . . ." will carry the 2013 theme through the five-day event and back home with the youth who attend." We are being called to help our youth and our congregations think about who we are as people of God, who is as reachable as a vine, as necessary as bread, and as longing for our presence as a good shepherd, says Gina Yeager-Buckley, Ministries with Youth associate and Triennium team leader.
More than 4,000 youth are expected to attend the largest gathering in the in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Young people will experience the "I AM" theme in worship, small group Bible study, guided conversation, recreational gatherings, and creative expression opportunities. "We want young Christians to explore the nature of God through Jesus Christ," says Bill Buchanan, co-coordinator for the Triennium worship team. "As they wrestle with their sense of God and self in today's world, we hope they will hear God calling, 'I AM with you, preparing a place and path for you to be my eyes, hands, and feet in the world.'"
Triennium 2013 will be held at Purdue University July 16-20. Registration and event information will be sent to all PC(USA) congregations and presbytery offices this spring and will be available on the Triennium website in May. Registration for Triennium, open to those entering their freshman year in high school through graduated seniors, begins January 2013.
Registration is by groups, which are managed by a volunteer registrar from a congregation or appointed by a presbytery. Triennium registrars will be recruited beginning this April, through the Office of Ministries with Youth.
Preachers for the Triennium will include the Rev. Michelle Thomas-Bush, Charlotte, N.C.; the Rev. Stan Wood, Huntsville, Ala./Memphis, Tenn.; the Rev. Jay Earhart-Brown, Memphis, Tenn.; well-known Lutheran blogger, preacher, and author Nadia Bolz-Weber, Denver, Colo.; and the Rev. Claudio Carvahlaes, Philadelphia, Pa.
Recreation will be led by Omayra Gonzalez, Puerto Rico; Neil Myer, Solon, Ohio; Joanna Bellis, Nashville, Tenn.; and Perryn Rice, Cookesville, Tenn.
The Triennium house band will be led by Jeffrey Harper, Nashville, Tenn., and Jorge Gonzalez, Louisville, Ky.
The Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2013 is ministry of the Office of Ministries with Youth, in partnership with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. The staff, production team, and leadership for the event come from congregations and ministries from all three sponsoring denominations.
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 Pinterest Now Ranks 3rd, Trailing Facebook and Twitter
So what does that mean to your congregation? It is a great way to summarize the "personality" of your church. Pinterest is an online bulletin board that has virtually endless possibilities for sharing links and information. You can post to any number of boards that you set up such as: favorite Bible quotes, inspirational pictures, church activities, VBS ideas, craft ideas for Sunday School, etc.
Pinterest Now Ranks 3rd, Trailing Facebook and Twitter
Article from AllFacebook.com
That didn't take long:Pinterest is now comfortably in third place in terms of traffic for social networks, trailing Facebook and Twitter.
Experian said Pinterest saw its traffic jump 50 percent in February compared with January, vaulting it past more entrenched social networks such as LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Google Plus. Facebook not only held onto the top spot, but retained dominance in average minutes per month, clocking 405, compared with 89 for Pinterest, according to comScore. Perhaps helping Pinterest's leapfrogging over Google Plus to take the number three spot is connecting to Facebook. The search giant remains frozen out of that due to AdSense not yet complying with Facebook's advertising rules, among other issues. Pinterest seems to be gaining many users from virality on Facebook, where users see news feed stories about their friends activating accounts on the pinning site. But so far the demographics are still skewed on the number three site, according to our sibling blog Social Times, which said: The image bookmarking site has grown exponentially since the site launched in March 2010. There were 21.5 million total visits to the site during the week ending January 28, 2012, which is nearly 30 times the number of total visits that Pinterest had received six months earlier. From January 2012 to February 2012, traffic went up 50 percent. The crowd is 60 percent female (which is a different number than we've reported previously) and 55 percent of them are between the ages of 25 and 44. California and Texas provide the most traffic, but Pinterest has more visitors from the midwest, northwest, and southeast than sites like Facebook and YouTube. Home decor, fashion, and food are all popular categories on the site, but "hobbies and crafts" in particular is the category to watch. Pinterest users outnumbered visitors to other hobbies and crafts sites in 19 states. The baby boom and boomerang generations were most likely to spend time in this category, with Pinterest capturing 10 percent of this audience. Experian's analysts say that social media communities are becoming less about friendships and more about common interests: a new facet of the overall movement toward social personalization. Pinterest hits both targets with a Facebook integration as well as an open community where users can explore and share images with people outside their networks. Continue reading...
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 Free Webinar From Institute For Youth Ministry At Princeton Theology Seminary
Register for the free webinar "Thriving Youth Ministry in Small Churches"
Join Stephanie Caro April 16, 2012 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (e.s.t) for this online workshop. Stephanie is a youth ministry veteran and author of Thriving Youth Ministry in Smaller Churches and 99 Thoughts for the Smaller Church Youth Worker. Stephanie is a lead consultant for Youth Ministry Architects and the Director for their new division, Small Church Ministry Architects. She is also serving as a mentor in our Certificate in Youth and Theology program. This online workshop will provide practical tips for overcoming the challenges of youth ministry in a smaller church (defined as 150 or less in weekly worship).
Register now.
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 Favorite Recipes From The The Wild Hogs
Sandusky Presbyterian Church's Wild Hog's Men Association is selling church cookbooks. They are fundraising in hopes to sponsor another concert this summer.
The cookbook is a compilation of delicious recipes from our own congregation and others. These recipes have been field tested and approved by some of our best eaters, you won't be disappointed. Ingredients sold separately. Pricing: 1-3 Books - $10 each 4-5 Book - $9 each 7 or more books - $8 each For more information: Call 810-648-3335 or e-mail spc104@sbcglobal.net Please make checks payable to: Sandusky Presbyterian Men's Association Click here for a printable version. |
 National Model UN Winning Streak Reaches 16 Years
For the 16th consecutive year, Alma College students captured the highest awards at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York City. Competing April 3-7, Alma College teams representing the countries of The Gambia, a small, country in West Africa, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small Caribbean nation, received "outstanding delegation" recognition, the highest award at the conference. It is the 16th consecutive year in which Alma College teams have received one or more of the top awards. Alma College has won 30 "outstanding delegation" awards - the most of any college or university in the 90-year history of the conference. "This was a spectacular performance by our students," says Derick Hulme, Alma's Model UN faculty adviser. "This was our youngest team ever, with 14 first-year Model UN students. It was an extremely competitive conference, but our students, from the start of the conference to the end, were on top of their game." The national conference in New York is the largest and most prestigious collegiate Model UN competition in the world, with more than 5,500 students competing from five continents. Model UN simulates actual UN bodies addressing the most diverse range of current international issues. Teams of college students take on identities of countries, and delegates from each country meet in committee to propose, discuss and debate topics. Once resolutions are completed in committee, they are presented to the Model UN replication of the UN General Assembly to be further debated before the assembly votes on resolutions. Materials produced by the students are forwarded to the actual UN organization for their consideration. Members of "Outstanding Delegation" Teams Representing the Delegation of The Gambia:
Christopher Bilski, Lowell junior
Morgan Beeler, Fremont sophomore
Brayden Fischer, Ortonville freshman
Lisa Folkmire, Warren freshman
Scott Grant, Grand Blanc freshman Katie Gordon, Muskegon junior
Nicole Howe, Greenville senior
Grant Isley, Midland junior
Kasie Jacobs, Plainwell freshman
Emily Johnson, Commerce sophomore
Karalyn Nic, Vicksburg freshman
Maggie Peacock, Batavia, IL, freshman
Chloe Secor, Davison sophomore
Elizabeth Wayne, St. Clair junior
Matthew Yettaw, Ortonville freshman
Ashley Yuill, Midland junior
Joshua Zeitler, Eaton Rapids sophomore
Representing the Delegation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines:
Caroline Asiala, Bay City freshman
Isaac Burrell, McBain freshman
Alaina Dague, Lake junior
Lauren Engels, Livonia freshman
Jonathon Haley, Harrison junior
Riley Kult, Phoenix, AZ, freshman
Michelle Jerezano, Tegucigalpa sophomore
Aleia McKessey, Charlotte freshman
Rebekah Miller, Saginaw sophomore
Madeleine Randolet, Midland senior
Raymond Visser, Wyoming freshman
Ryan Zavacky, St. Joseph sophomore
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The Presbyterian Hymnal Project
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 Contents of Glory To God Released
The 2013 Presbyterian Hymnal, Glory to God, will be available next summer but the list of contents has just been released.The Presbyterian Hymnal Project has been in the works for nearly eight years and is now in the final stages prior to publication. The new hymnal will be available in two colors; Red and purple. Each congregation can choose between two subtitles, The Presbyterian Hymnal (with a PC(U.S.A.) seal on the spine) or Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs. Both subtitles are available in both cover colors. Three different electronic editions will be published: an online hymnal, a projection edition, and an eBook edition. For the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions click here. For information on pre-ordering hymnals for your congregations click here. To view videos of some selections being sung click here. The Rev. Dr. Nancy Young is featured in several of them. |
 Scholarship Opportunity For SVSU and Delta College Students
Deadline to apply is just 4 days away!
Applications are now being accepted for the McCabe Charitable Foundation. This scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management Services®, a division of Scholarship America®. Scholarship Management Services is the nation's largest designer and manager of scholarship programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals.
Applicants must:
- Be Jewish or Presbyterian students from Bay, Saginaw or Midland County, MI
- Show financial need
- Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at Delta Community College or Saginaw Valley State University for the entire 2012-2013 academic year
Application deadline is April 15th.
For more information, please click here or call 507-931-1682 or e-mail shintz@scholarshipamerica.org.
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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
Deckerville-First
Flint-First
Holly (New open page; they still have a private group page)
Lapeer-First
Linden
Midland-Memorial
Saginaw-Second
Saginaw-Warren Avenue
Sandusky
Vassar-First
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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