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| News around the Synod of Lakes and Prairies | | |
'REFLECTIONS' APPROVES SYNOD'S APPLICATION TO DIGITIZE DAKOTA WORK: The Minnesota Reflections selection committee, a part of the Minnesota Digital Library, has approved the Synod of Lakes and Prairies' application to digitize "Iapi Oaye," (The Word Carrier) a 19th century work in Dakota language. In a note to Elona Street-Stewart, associate for racial ethnic ministries and community empowerment for the synod, Marian Rengel, outreach coordinator of the Minnesota Digital Library, wrote, "It is time to arrange delivery of the five volumes. Your project will, once again, be going to the Digital Collections Unit at the University of Minnesota's Andersen Library." The Minnesota Digital Library is at "Minnesota Digital."
NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL RAISES QUORUM ISSUE: Several presbyteries in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies published the following information regarding action necessary if the new Form of Government of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is passed. The announcement states, "Although it is not yet clear that the proposed new Form of Government will receive a majority vote among the presbyteries, there is one issue that needs your immediate attention, the matter of quorum requirements for meetings of session and the congregation. If the new Form of Government passes, it will be important to have dealt with this before July 10, 2011." It adds, "The current "Book of Order" (G-7.0305 and G-10.0202) sets minimal quorum levels. These stipulations are not included in the new Form of Government. Local churches will have to set their own quorum levels. If a church has not set quorum levels prior to July 10 the default reverts to the standard of "Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised," which is a majority of membership. This means that every meeting of the session and congregation would have to have a majority present to conduct any business, including changing the quorum requirements." Questions regarding these changes should be addressed to presbytery stated clerks.
OLTHOFF WRITES OF 'SOUL OF A CONGREGATION:' Harry Olthoff, general presbyter for the Presbytery of East Iowa, writing in the March 19 issue of "Reading between the Times," a presbytery newsletter, notes, "It must have seemed a bit strange to the shoe repairman, a.k.a. cobbler, that a 10-year-old would regularly enter his shop and just watch him deftly cut leather, stitch on new soles, hammer new heels in place and repair all sorts of leather goods. I was fascinated by how his fingers would work magic on old worn shoes until they were placed on the finished shelf looking 'good as new.' I decided I wanted to be just like him so I asked this gruff and largely silent man if he would teach me his skills." Olthoff's column and the complete newsletter can be found at "Cobbler."
 HILLCREST BOARD VOTES TO CONSTRUCT CHAPEL, RECREATION CENTER: Meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, March 31 the board of directors of Hillcrest Family Services voted to begin construction of a chapel and a recreation center on its Dubuque campus. Hillcrest, in covenant with the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and the United Methodist Church, notes on its website, "We believe that God desires our commitment to corporate and individual worship, prayer and reflection." The website also states the chapel "will be a visible sign of Hillcrest's long-standing relationship as a faith-connected agency [and] will be a gathering place for all Hillcrest clients, staff and community. The [chapel] will assist the Hillcrest chaplain in providing worship services for residential clients, as well as staff." According to its annual report, Hillcrest provided services "to individuals in 73 Iowa counties [and] 26 states ... for a total of 22,236 people served."
 OSHKOSH 'LAUGHTER NIGHT' DRAWS 9 FAITH TRADITIONS: How many United Methodists does it take to change a light bulb? Those who attended Interfaith Laughter Night (at left) at The New Moon Café in downtown Oshkosh, Wis., on April Fools' Day know. Tom Willadsen, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Oshkosh, who organized the event, wrote "The coffee house was filled with people from nine different faith traditions." He pointed out that joke tellers ranged in age from 5 to older than 80. "They learned," he added, "that it takes 10 United Methodists to change a light bulb: one to change it and nine to attack the pastor for replacing a bulb that someone's grandmother gave to the church 70 years ago."
 2011 SYNOD SCHOOL CATALOG, REGISTRATION MATERIALS ONLINE: The 2011 Synod School catalog is now online and so are all the materials needed to register for the Sunday through Friday event, July 24-29, on the Buena Vista University campus in Storm Lake, Iowa. This year's theme is "All My Relatives." Everything can be found at "Synod School."
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| Conferences, camps and other resources | | |
 KENNALY TO LEAVE CLEARWATER FOREST TO PASTOR IDAHO CHURCH: The Rev. Andy Kennaly, who has been the program director of Presbyterian Clearwater Forest, Deerwood, Minn., for several years, has been called to serve as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Sandpoint, Idaho. His last day at Clearwater Forest will be April 27 and he begins serving May 2 in Sandpoint. He writes, "I am so thankful, as is my family, to have worked with and met so many wonderful people through the program of Clearwater Forest. Our life by the lake in Minnesota has been great, and we will miss you." (Kennaly and his family are in the photo above.)
 IRMS OFFERS RESOURCE ON ABBEY'S BIBLE PROJECT: Iowa Religious Media Services, a ministry supported by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, announced the availability of "The Illuminator and a Bible for the 21st Century," a BBC documentary that follows the work of master calligrapher Donald Jackson as he and other artists use age-old calligraphic techniques to create the first illuminated Bible in nearly 500 years. The resource can be used to experience the process of making of the Illuminated Bible, as commissioned by St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn. The resource can be found at "Illuminated Bible."
CONGREGATION RESOURCE GUIDE OFFERS MANY, VARIETY OF LINKS: The Congregational Resource Guide helps congregational leaders connect with resources that will help them face challenges and foster vitality in their communities, according the Guide's website. One recent resource offers a link to 100 good blogs dealing with children and congregational life.
PRESBYTERIAN BLOGGER SHOWS WAY TO CONDUCT FREE ONLINE MEETINGS: Tom Davis, a member of the Presbyterian Communicators Network, recently blogged about a way to conduct free online meetings. He wrote, "Using Skype and Join.Me your organization can save time and travel expense by holding absolutely free meetings online. Skype provides the free audio conferencing; and with Join.Me a presenter can show his desktop and cursor movements to all participants." Directions to use the technology can be found on his blog at "CyberKen."
'TREAD LIGHTLY FOR LENT' WORTH FOLLOWING THROUGHOUT YEAR:Environmental Ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been offering ways during Lent to lessen environmental footprints. The suggestions, however, can be followed throughout the year. One way is to stop unwanted catalogs by using the Catalog Choice website. Other options for treating God's creation in a more friendly manner can be found at the Environmental Ministries website.
'FEASTING ON THE WORD' CURRICULUM OFFERED ONLINE: Encouraging feedback continues to pour in as nearly 2,000 churches from all mainline denominations share their experiences with the new "Feasting on the Word Curriculum: Teaching the Revised Common Lectionary." Churches were asked to replace their regular classroom materials with this new online lectionary curriculum one Sunday in March. One who commented was Janell Agan of First Presbyterian Church in Lead, S.D., who said, "It was really good to be teaching on the same theme that was used in the sermon. Activities were fun and allowed ways for the various ages to adapt." Published by Westminster John Knox Press in collaboration with Congregational Ministries Publishing, the curriculum is designed for classroom use in the church among various age levels, including children, youth and adult. The complete story can be found at "Feasting on the Word."
 PROFESSOR EXLORES ROLE OF CHRISTIANITY IN NATION'S ORIGIN: Was America created to be an explicitly Christian nation? That's the question John Fea, associate professor of American history at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., examines from both sides in his book, "Was America Founded as Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction." Writing in the preface, Fea notes, "We live in a sound-bite culture that makes it difficult to have any sustained dialogue on these historical issues." The complete story can be found at "Christian Nation." |
| Colleges, universities and seminaries | | |
DUBUQUE SEMINARY WILL BE HOST FOR NATIONAL CLP CONFERENCE:The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary will be the host for a national conference for Commissioned Lay Pastors and CLP candidates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The 2011 National CLP Conference, planned June 9-11, will feature Thomas Gillespie, emeritus president and professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary as the keynote speaker. The complete story can be found at "CLP Conference." |
| News around the PC(USA) | |
 LOCATION OF 'BIG TEN' UP IN AIR OVER PROPOSED INDIANA LAW: Despite concerns about a proposed Indiana immigration law that may necessitate a change of location, plans are underway for this year's Big Tent event, scheduled to meet June 30-July 2 in Indianapolis. Organizers are urging Presbyterians to register for the event but to delay making travel arrangements until May 2, when the final location will be determined. The Indiana legislature is considering Senate Bill 590, which many describe as "Arizona-type" legislation. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Indiana."
GAMC INCREASES 2011, 2012 MISSION BUDGETS: Buoyed by better than expected financial results in 2010, the General Assembly Mission Council increased the 2011 and 2012 General Assembly Mission Budgets. The complete Presbyterian News Service article can be found at "Mission Increase."
PEACE DISCERNMENT STEERING TEAM INCLUDES ST. PAUL LECTURER: The Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry area and the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy have announced the selection of the Peace Discernment Steering Team. The group was jointly selected to help guide the churchwide exploration of next steps in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s peacemaking witness that was approved by last year's 219th General Assembly. Among those named to the team was Shaheen Amjad-Ali, lecturer in world religions at Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minn., where she is also a researcher in Islamic studies and the role of Christian minorities. A member of the Church of Pakistan and raised in that country, Amjad-Ali received her bachelor and master's degrees at Durham University in Great Britain. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Peace Discernment Team."
NEW RESEARCH EXAMINES HOW PRESBYTERIANS ARE CHANGING: Remember the spring of 2001? George W. Bush was the new president, the Sept. 11 attacks were months away, and iTunes had just been introduced. The world has changed in unforeseen ways since then. Have Presbyterian congregations and their worshipers experienced remarkable changes, too? Responses from 40,000 worshipers in a national study of Presbyterian congregations help answer that important question. The complete story from Research Services of the General Assembly Mission Council can be found at "Changes."
PHEWA CAN RESPOND WHEN PROBLEMS GO BEYOND MINISTER'S CAPACITY: The Rev. Doug Mitchell, associate pastor for faith in action at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, wrote recently about the services of the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association, stating, "Frequently in our church ministry, members and staff come into contact with people who have problems that go beyond their capacity to respond with caring and effectiveness. It is always our desire to respond to those who need our help with the utmost compassion, but on occasion we are faced with situations that are beyond our personal expertise. The Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association provides the link between presbyteries, congregations, ministers and others with specialized, professional expertise at no cost to those asking for assistance." Mitchell serves on the association's board of directors. The complete column can be found at "PHEWA."
STONY POINT, GHOST RANCH CENTERS FACE CHALLENGES, TRANSITIONS: Representatives of two financially troubled conference centers dependent on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) spoke March 31 about their centers' strengths, challenges and viability before members of the General Assembly Mission Council. Rick and Kitty Ufford-Chase, co-directors of New York's Stony Point Center, and Debra Hepler, executive director of Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, presented to the GAMC's Evangelism and Stewardship committees. In 2010, Stony Point lost about $377,000 and Ghost Ranch lost about $739,000, according to reports supplied by the centers. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Conference Centers."
MODERATOR OFFERS 'IN OUR MIDST' APRIL COLUMN: "It's the first day of April as I record this video," Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) stated, "and there are weather forecasts calling for snow in the Northeast. Nevertheless, it is unmistakably spring, and as proof I offer two words: Opening Day - the time when all major league teams start off with perfect records, hoping to capitalize on off-season changes." The complete video can be found at "In Our Midst." The text version of her column is at "Bolbach."
GAMC SEEKS TO FOSTER CROSS-CULTURAL GROWTH: Growing the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) church cross-culturally will take partnership between the national offices and middle governing bodies, the Discipleship committee of the General Assembly Mission Council learned March 31. Sterling Morse, coordinator for Cross Cultural Ministries and Congregational Support, Mei-Hui Chen Lai, associate for Asian Congregational Support, Lonnie Oliver, associate for African American Congregational Support, and Martha Sadongei, church specialist for Native American Congregational Support, outlined a vision and strategy for growing what Martin Luther King Jr. called "the World House." The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Cross-Cultural."
PJC IN SYNOD OF PACIFIC UPHOLDS SPAHR CONVICTION: The Synod of the Pacific's Permanent Judicial Commission has upheld the Redwoods Presbytery Permanent Judicial Commission's decision to rebuke the Rev. Janie Spahr for performing state-sanctioned same-sex marriages in California. The synod court's decision was issued March 25. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Spahr."
PRESBYTERIAN COMMUNICATORS WIN 18 RCC AWARDS: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) communicators won 18 awards in the 2011 Religion Communicators Council's DeRose-Hinkhouse Awards competition, including four as "Best of Class. The Presbyterian winners came from Creative Services, Mission Resources, Presbyterians Today and HORIZONS magazines and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. The awards are given annually to active RCC members who demonstrated excellence in religious communication and public relations. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Communicators." |
| And just one more | | | FACEBOOK, TWITTER REQUIRE SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY: Socialbrite, a social media consulting resource for non-profits, includes suggestions that are appropriate for churches. Its website can be found at Socialbrite. The site states it will "help you add social media to your organization's marketing outreach, programs and fundraising campaigns, whether you're a nonprofit, foundation, university or government agency. You don't just need a Facebook or Twitter presence; you need a social media strategy." |
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