SYNOD RECOGNIZED IN DAKOTA WICOHAN LANGUAGE PROJECT: The 2010 annual report of Dakota Wicohan recognized the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for assisting in its Dakota Language Project. Elona Street-Stewart, the synod's associate for racial ethnic ministries and community empowerment, worked with Dakota Wicohan, making historical documents available in Dakota language for preparing and developing certified Dakota language instructors for professional service and cultural programming. The Project recognizes the immediate crisis of language extinction caused by the aging fluent-speaker population in Minnesota. Elder Dean Blue, Pejuhutazzizi Church in Granite Falls, Minn., also provided significant assistance. Additional information is available at "Dakota Wicohan."

KNAPP BEGINS SERVING AS INTERIM IN NORTHERN WATERS: The Presbytery of Northern Waters has named the Rev. Dana Knapp, left, to be its interim executive presbyter and he began serving in the call March 7. "I am excited about the opportunity to serve the Presbytery of Northern Waters in this interim time. I look forward to journeying with them as together we discern God's plan for the presbytery in the days ahead," Knapp said. Knapp had been serving as executive presbyter in the Presbytery of Scioto Valley, Columbus, Ohio, a position he had filled since 1998. Ordained in 1976, Knapp first pastored Nankin Federated Church in Nankin, Ohio. He served as head of staff at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Joppa, Md., before being called to executive leadership as interim executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Great Rivers, Peoria, Ill., in 1996.

BOOTS CALLED TO TRANSITIONAL POST IN MINNESOTA VALLEYS: The Rev. Steven Boots, left, who served most recently as the interim pastor of Union Presbyterian Church, St. Peter, Minn., began serving March 1 as the transitional executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys. Boots, ordained in 1973, has also served churches in Minneapolis, Kirkwood, Mo., and Bloomington, Minn. He has served on the General Assembly staff in the area of evangelism and church development. Writing in the presbytery's newsletter, Valley Bridge, Boots noted, "I am grateful and energized by the call to serve the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys. I know many of you through the work of the presbytery."

'ALL MY RELATIVES' COME TO SYNOD SCHOOL IN JULY: The 2011 version of Synod School, a learning and personal enrichment experience for people of all ages, takes place Sunday through Friday, July 24-29, at Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa. The theme for this year's event is "All My Relatives." Anna Carter Florence, associate professor of preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Ga., is this year's convocation speaker. Hans Peterson, an elementary music teacher with a master's degree in theology, is slated to be the youth convocation speaker. Worship leaders this year are Susan Phillips, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Shawano, Wis., and Mara Liz Rivera, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Winneconne, Wis. A team of pastoral colleagues from the Omaha, Neb., area will lead morning worship - they're calling it "Morning Psalms with Three Psara(h)s." The three are Sarah Dickinson, Sara Dingman-Lavigne and Sara Tonje. Additional information is available at "Synod School."

PASTOR CALLED TO MULTIPLE CHURCHES, STATES, PRESBYTERIES, SYNODS: The March 11 newsletter of Winnebago Presbytery reported a rather unique case in ministerial calls, noting Pioneer Presbyterian Church, Marinette, Wis., and First Presbyterian Church, Menominee, Mich., have called the Rev. Jon Nelson, Bellevue, Wash., to become their designated pastor on May 1. Nelson was officially received into membership of Winnebago Presbytery by the presbytery's Committee on Ministry. The situation is unique in that the call is to two churches in two cities, two states, two presbyteries and two synods. The Marinette church is part of Winnebago Presbytery in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, and the Menominee church, just across the river, is part of Mackinac Presbytery in the Synod of the Covenant.

SYNOD ADMINISTERS LOAN FUND FOR PRESBYTERIES, CHURCHES: The Synod of Lakes and Prairies administers a $5.5 million loan fund in support of congregation capital and major renovation projects including down-payment assistance to relocating presbytery staff. Congregations are invited to contact the synod when it's time to borrow for a new capital project. The synod relies on the loan application form of the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program. The loan application can be found on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) website. For additional information, contact J. Jay Wilkinson, stated clerk and treasurer of the synod, at jwilkinson@lakesandprairies.org or 651.357.1140 (ext. 205). 

SYNOD'S NARRATIVE BUDGET CAN BE FOUND ONLINE: For those who may wonder where the Synod of Lakes and Prairies expends the funds it receives, the synod's narrative budget for 2011 can be found on the synod's website. The synod anticipates spending $939,000 on ministries in partnership and $201,000 on ecumenical and institutional ministries.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) staff are working to respond to the massive earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan March 10, killing unknown numbers of people and sending tsunami waves across the Pacific. The PC(USA) has 10 mission co-workers in various cities across Japan. None of the mission workers are based close to the northern coastal city of Sendai, which has taken the brunt of the impact. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Earthquake." The complete story also contains links to response efforts of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.