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| News around the Synod of Lakes and Prairies | |
SYNOD MEETING PLANNED MAY 2-4: The next stated meeting of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies runs May 2-4 at the Mount Olivet Retreat Center, Farmington, Minn. Synod staff, commissioners and guests gather for dinner Sunday evening, May 2, and the meeting commences at 7 p.m. The meeting is scheduled to adjourn Tuesday, May 4, at 11:30 a.m.
 WADE SAYS CHURCH MUST DISCERN GOD'S CALL IN CHANGING WORLD: Byron Wade (at left), vice moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), looked out on his audience at the Clearwater 2010 conference at Presbyterian Clearwater Forest in Deerwood, Minn., and asked for a show of hands from the "boomers." He told them, "You are the last generation that goes to church on a regular basis." The complete Presbyterian Neighbor News story can be found at "Wade."
 MERRITT CALLS ON CHURCH TO RECOGNIZE CHALLENGES OF YOUNG ADULTS: As church goers we should "begin to imagine our churches a little differently," said Carol Howard Merritt (at left), author and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister, who spoke April 17 at the Clearwater 2010 conference at Presbyterian Clearwater Forest in Deerwood, Minn. The complete Presbyterian Neighbor News story is at "Merritt."
 WORTHINGTON CHURCH NEWSLETTER HAS CAST OF CHARACTERS: Church newsletters are sometimes described as boring and there are times they quickly end up in trash, but when the newsletter of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Worthington, Minn., arrives there's always "the cartoon." The complete Presbyterian Neighbor News story is at "Cartoon."
MONROE CHURCH PUTS SHOES IN THE AISLE FOR HOPE MINISTRIES: For the last few weeks Monroe (Iowa) Presbyterian Church has been the drop-off point for the "Share A Pair" project for Hope Ministries of Des Moines, Iowa. This unique project allows the church to give both new and not-so-new shoes to Hope Ministries, which whill distribute the shoes in three ways. The complete Presbyterian Neighbor News story is at "Shoes for Hope."
 MINNEAPOLIS
WESTMINSTER DEVELOPS VIDEO FOR ymiLIVE CHALLENGE: When the youth group at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis heard about the ymiLIVE Video Challenge sponsored by the Presbyterian Foundation they  knew the contest would be a good fit. Marion Tucker (upper left), one of the members of group, said she knew she wanted to be involved in the project as soon as Erin Swenson, director of high school-college ministries at Westminster, described it. The ymiLIVE Video Challenge "is dedicated to providing a voice to the youth members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)," according to the Web site devoted to the contest. "The Video Challenge was created to tap into the creativity of youth members by providing a means to explore and express their faith," the site states. Michaela Tucker (lower left) is developing interviews and Mary Thomas (right) is handling the camera work. The complete Presbyterian Neighbor News story is at "ymiLIVE."
CRAWFORDSVILLE CHURCH RESPONDS TO DISASTER CALL: The following story appeared in the April 13 edition of "Out & About," the newsletter of the Presbytery of East Iowa. "After the flood of 2008 the word was out, flood buckets and help was needed. The easy way out was filling flood buckets or giving money to purchase the items. The mission committee at United Church of Crawfordsville met and decided we should do more, but what and where. There was an article in the Cedar Rapids newspaper about adopting a home, but oh the travel time! So, we journeyed to Oakville and visited with Tonya Lanz, the coordinator for rebuilding Oakville. We were shown one big house, mostly cleaned and ready to redo." The complete story can be found at "Crawfordsville response."
SYMPOSIUM ON REDEFINING COMMUNITIES SLATED IN MORRIS IN JUNE: In tough economic times, the importance of connecting with people and ideas outside of local situations becomes vital. This summer the University of Minnesota, Morris, Center for Small towns and Minnesota Rural Partners Inc. are co-hosts of the 2010 Symposium on Small Towns and Rural-Urban Gathering titled "Finding Solutions and Redefining Communities." The event runs Wednesday evening, June 9, through Thursday, June 10, in Morris, Minn. Additional information can be found on the university's website.
CAMP OKOBOJI SEEKS NURSES: The Presbyterian Camp on Okoboji is looking for nurses, doctors, EMTs, or any person with equivalent certifications who would enjoy spending a week at the camp. An email from the camp noted, "If you're interested in spending a Sunday through Saturday at camp dispensing meds, administering first aid and simply having a great week with campers and staff, then this is the volunteer job for you." Anyone interested is invited to contact Heather Stanek at 712.337.3313 or by email at heather.stanek@presbycamp.org. |
| News about the 219th General Assembly | |
 500 VOICES SOUGHT FOR OPENING WORSHIP CHOIR: More than a few good voices - that's what the Committee on Local Arrangements (COLA) is seeking for the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Minneapolis in July. The complete Presbyterian Neighbor News story is at "500 voices."
COLA LOOKS FOR VOLUNTEERS TO BE PRAYER PARTNERS: This July several thousand Presbyterians will attend the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Minneapolis. Many more would like to be at the Assembly, but can't attend because of other commitments, time, and distance. There is, however, a way for all to participate. The complete Presbyterian Neighbor News story is a "Prayer Partners."
MODERATORS, VICE-MODERATORS CHOSEN FOR 18 GA COMMITTEES: The moderators and vice-moderators of the 18 committees of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have been named. The leadership was chosen from the 712 commissioners to this year's assembly, to be held July 3-10 in Minneapolis. Marcia Rich, an elder from the Presbytery of North Central Iowa, was chosen as vice moderator of the Church Polity Committee, and Bonnie Brown, an elder from the Presbytery of Missouri River Valley, was chosen as vice moderator of the Health Issues Committee. The complete Presbyterian News Service story is at "Committee Selections."
 PRESBYTERIAN LEADER PLANS SPECIAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY 'READERS:'
The Presbyterian Leader, an online resource for leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), will launch its first Special Edition Leader Reader April 28. According to its promotional material, the Reader "will give you all the information you need to know about General Assembly and ensure that your experience at GA is a rich one." The Reader will be the first in a series of five that will be released between now and July. The Presbyterian Leader is a Web-based resource that provides tools and research materials for worship, for practical and spiritual aspects of leadership in the church, and for a deeper understanding of basic Presbyterian beliefs and doctrines.
TEXAS CONGREGATION'S PROPOSED OVERTURE HITS A SOUR NOTE: Three months from now, more than 102 overtures will be considered during the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which opens July 3 in Minneapolis. Among them is one of the two proposed overtures that Presbyterian News Service began tracking last fall as part of its "Project Overture" series. This Overture is now officially known as "Ovt 009 - On Establishing an Annual General Convocation meeting and Moving Meetings of the General Assembly to Every Six Years - From the Presbytery of Foothills." The complete Presbyterian News Service story is at "Texas Overture."
SYNOD IS HOST TO PHYLLIS TICKLE WORKSHOP AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Office of Governing Body Relations, with the Synod of Lakes and Prairies as host, author Phyllis Tickle will lead a free workshop Monday, July 5, during the 219th General Assembly in Minneapolis. Called simply "A Workshop with Phyllis Tickle," the workshop in Ballroom C of the Convention Center is open to the public and runs from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tickle wrote "The Great Emergence," a look at the current church and the changes in society that affect the church now and in the future. She will discuss ideas from that book and present ideas that will be in a new book scheduled for publication this year. |
| Conferences, books, resources | |
 IRMS OFFERS THREE RESOURCES FOR WOMEN'S STUDIES: A variety of resources in women's studies are available through Iowa Religious Media Services in Urbandale. Featured authorsw are Beth Moore, Liz Curtis Higgs and Anita Renfroe. The resources include Moore's "Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman," Higgs' "Bad Girls of the Bible and What We Can Learn From Them" and Renfroe's "Thinking Out Loud," a resource that IRMS says will "intrigue senior highs." Additional information about any of the resources can be obtained by contacting IRMS at 800.777.8661 or 515.277.2920.
SECOND EDITION OF ANDERSON BOOK SLATED FOR MAY 1 RELEASE: A second of edition of Bill Anderson's book, "A Journey Through Christian Theology," published by Augsburg Fortress Press, will be released May 1. The comprehensive volume contains introductions, primary sources, commentary and other substantial data. Anderson is a retired minister from the Presbytery of Northern Waters and is also professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of Dayton, Ohio.
NEW PPC BOOKS FOCUS ON GREAT ENDS, CONTEXTUAL PREACHING: Two new products from the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation provide helpful tools for pastors. "Proclaiming the Great Ends of the Church: Mission and Ministry for Presbyterians," edited by Joseph Small, director of the theology, worship and education unit of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), consists of sermons from prominent Presbyterian pastors and leaders that address each of the great ends of the church. Another new resource, "Preaching in an Age of Globalization," by Eunjoo Mary Kim, addresses preaching that promotes solidarity across differences in culture, race, gender or economic status in a congregation. The complete story is at "Presbyterian Publishing." |
| Seminary, college news | | |
SYNOD COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES CITED IN APCU UPDATE: Several Presbyterian colleges and universities were cited in the most recent edition of "Update," a newsletter of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. The articles are below.
This month marked the 10th anniversary of Buena Vista University's Cultural Leadership Conference. The conference is designed to offer high school juniors and seniors from diverse populations a firsthand look at college life.
Carroll University and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science will partner in a dual-degree program to meet the demand for pharmacists in Wisconsin. The "3+4" program will lead to a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Carroll and a doctorate in pharmacy from Rosalind Franklin.
The Coe College Habitat for Humanity Chapter recently held its annual "Shack-A-Thon" to raise awareness of substandard housing conditions around the world. Participants raise money by sitting for 24 hours in cardboard boxes on the quad in front of the library.
Hastings College will host the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation's 54th annual School for Pastors in June.
For the second year in a row, a Jamestown College student (see item dated 1-28-10 at the website) has written North Dakota's entry in the annual John Lennon Scholarship Competition. A song written Murika Bauer of Dickinson, N.D., has been selected as North Dakota's entry in the 2010 competition. Bauer's song, "Anymore," was chosen by the adjudication committee of the North Dakota Music Educators Association to go on to the national level.
For the fifth year in a row Macalester College made the Peace Corps' list of top colleges producing Peace Corps volunteers. A total of 326 Macalester alums have served since the Peace Corps was started in 1961.
The University of Dubuque was one of Iowa's top three college fundraisers in 2009. Its $11.5 million yield put it third behind the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. |
| News around the PC(USA) | | |
BOP ANNOUNCES NEW HEALTH MANAGEMENT WEBSITE: The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has announced a new health management website that offers useful tools and information for members to improve their health. The site also includes a confidential health assessment that provides an objective evaluation of members' health strengths and any self-reported issues or potential causes for concern. The website is at http://www.myactivehealth.com/pcusa.
DERMODY SELECTED AS GAMC DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR MISSION: General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director Linda Valentine announced that the Rev. Roger Dermody has agreed to accept the position of deputy executive director for mission. In this position, Dermody will oversee the council's mission activities. Dermody has served as a pastor for 13 years, including the past nine years as executive pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church, a 3,000-member congregation in Los Angeles, Calif. The complete story can be found at "Dermody." |
| And just one more | | |
 'NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER' FACES CHALLENGE: As Rep. Randy Forbes sees it, the decision by a Wisconsin federal judge that the law creating a National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional is little more than one person's opinion. Millions of Americans, Forbes said, think otherwise. "That's not what the Constitution says," the Virginia Republican declared April 21, surrounded by other members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus. "That's what one unelected judge says the Constitution says." On April 22, the Justice Department said it would appeal the decision, capping a week of political uproar from conservatives after Judge Barbara Crabb of Madison, Wis., issued her April 15 ruling. The complete story can be found on the Pew Forum website.
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