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| News around the Synod of Lakes and Prairies | | |
 TWIN CITIES AREA CASTS 87TH YES VOTE TO CHANGE CONSTITUTION: A majority of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s 173 presbyteries have ratified an amendment to the church's constitution that removes a provision flatly prohibiting the ordination of sexually active unmarried Presbyterians as church officers. The 87th vote in favor of the measure - dubbed Amendment 10-A after it was approved by the PC(USA)'s 219th General Assembly last summer - was cast May 10 by the Presbytery of Twin Cities Area. The complete Presbyterian News Service story is at "Ratified." A separate release from the Office of General Assembly includes a letter to congregations from church leaders and also includes links to other resources for congregations. It can be found at "Resources."
GREGG NEEL ANNOUNCES HE WILL LEAVE MILWAUKEE: In a letter May 11 to the members and friends of the Presbytery of Milwaukee, the Rev. Gregg Neel, presbytery executive, announced that he will likely be leaving his position in June. He and his wife, Beth, are candidating at a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation to serve as co-pastors sharing one position. He wrote, "It is unusual to announce leaving a position before a congregational vote, but I wanted to give the Presbytery Council and the Personnel Work Group time to initiate the transition work that needs to begin." He also noted, "I have cherished and have enjoyed the ministry that you and I do together in the name of Jesus Christ." Neel's complete letter can be found at "Members and Friends."
JOHN KNOX MINISTER NAMED INTERIM EXEC OF COVENANT NETWORK: The Rev. Nancy Hutchison Enderle has been named interim executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. She will begin her service in June, following the retirement of Pam Byers, founding executive. A minister member of John Knox Presbytery, Enderle has chaired that presbytery's Committee on Preparation for Ministry. A McCormick Theological Seminary graduate, she currently serves as vice-chair of McCormick's board of trustees and is also a member of the board of directors of Pres House Campus Ministry in Madison, Wis.
EAST IOWA PRESBYTERY RECEIVES CALVIN WORSHIP RENEWAL GRANT: The Presbytery of East Iowa has been named as a recipient of a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids, Mich. The presbytery will use the grant "to engage youth in leadership training that will help congregations throughout the presbytery understand that worship is meaningful to people of all ages and encourage congregations to include youth in planning and leading worship," according to the May 3 edition of the presbytery's newsletter, Out & About. The youth leadership program is known as DiG - Discipleship in God. Additional information about the grant program can be found at "Worship Renewal Grants."
 SERVICES HELD IN IOWA FOR WILLIAM 'BILL' SKINNER: The Rev. William "Bill" Skinner II, 78, of Williamsburg, Iowa, and formerly of Sioux City, Iowa, died April 21 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Memorial services were held April 27 at First Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg. Skinner, who served his congregation, community and the broader church in many capacities, was born in Marburg, Germany, and was a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. A complete obituary can be found at "Bill Skinner."
 'LIGHT ON THE LAKESHORE' PLANNED JUNE 10-12: The 2011 "Light on the Lakeshore" conference, scheduled Friday through Sunday, June 10-12, features the Rev. Carol Howard Merritt and takes place in Manitowoc, Wis. This year's conference, sponsored by Manitowoc's First Presbyterian Church, is titled "Being the Multi-Generational Church." Merritt is author of "Tribal Church" and "Reframing Hope." Details and registration information can be found through the website of First Presbyterian Manitowoc. There is also a blog associated with the conference at "Light on the Lakeshore."
NEWSLETTERS OFFER 'BEST YOUTH MINISTRY FUNDRAISER EVER:' At least two presbytery newsletters in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies reprinted a portion of the Rev. Adam Walker-Cleveland's Pomomusings blog titled "The Best Youth Ministry Fundraiser Ever: The Wall-O-Money." The blog starts, "Fundraising. Ugh. That's what I think every fall when I realize that we have some awesome mission trip opportunities, but that we're going to need to raise some money. So, if you're like me, you start to make a list of all the 'standards' when it comes to fundraising: pancake breakfasts, car washes, rummage sales ... ." Cleveland checked with his network and discovered the "Wall-O-Money." The story can be found on Page 3 of the April 26 edition of The Wider Circle, the newsletter of the Presbytery of Des Moines.
 HILLCREST WILL CONTINUE ACCREDITATION BY JCAHO: Gary Gansemer, president and chief executive of Hillcrest Family Services, Dubuque, Iowa, informed Hillcrest's board of directors that the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations completed a favorable visit of Hillcrest in April. Gansemer wrote, "The ... survey team left Hillcrest a short time ago. At their exit conference they were extremely complimentary about all the programs they reviewed and the staff that they met during their four days at Hillcrest. ... Congratulations to all of you in helping us achieve this major accomplishment. It is very clear that we will continue our accreditation by JCAHO which started in 1992." The Rev. Nancy Hutchison Enderle has been named interim executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. She will begin her service in June, following the retirement of Pam Byers, founding executive. A minister member of John Knox Presbytery, Enderle has chaired that presbytery's Committee on Preparation for Ministry. A McCormick Theological Seminary graduate, she currently serves as vice-chair of McCormick's board of trustees and is also a member of the board of directors of Pres House Campus Ministry in Madison, Wis. |
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance | | |
PDA CONTINUES RESPONSE TO TORNADOES: A situation report from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance reads, "An unprecedented number of severe storms, including tornadoes and high winds, have battered parts of the United States, causing widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. More than 600 tornadoes have been reported during the month of April with more than 300 of those being confirmed. Especially hard hit were states in the South. Tornadoes in Alabama on April 27 caused more than 200 deaths in that state alone." Additional information can be found at "Storms." |
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Conferences, camps and other resources | | |
RESOURCE CENTER FOR CHURCHES OFFERS FALL CURRICULUM: The most recent edition of the newsletter of the Resource Center for Churches in Minneapolis opens, "... We found out it is not too early to talk about fall curriculum. The Resource Center has several different curriculums that can be checked out for preview. We also have DVD studies that can be rented." Information about fall curriculum and other resources can be found at "Resource Center."
 IOWA RELIGIOUS MEDIA SERVICES OFFERS RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT: A news release from Iowa Religious Media Services noted, "If you missed the conflict management workshop at Ankeny (Iowa) Presbyterian Church on May 3 or if your church would like to use the materials on which the workshop was based, Iowa Religious Media Services has two resources from Dr. Peter Steinke available for checkout. The Ankeny workshop leader, Lola Peters, focused on Steinke's work, which was developed to help churches and congregational leaders deal with transition, conflict and other challenges. The resources can be scheduled for use by emailing questions@irms.org or calling 515.277.2920 or 800.777.8661. Iowa Religious Media Services is an ecumenical media library supported in part by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and five other denominations and their subscriber churches. It has more than 15,000 resources available for lending.
'SOUL SEARCHING' PROVIDES A TEEN LOOK AT FAITH AND INNER LIFE: What do American teens really think about "God and stuff?" That's what Christian Smith and Melinda Denton wanted to know when they conducted their 7-year study, "Soul Searching." There's now a DVD based on the study. The documentary, shown to members of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies' Ecclesiastical Relations Committee when the synod met May 1-3, features interviews with the authors, youth pastors and teenagers to reveal findings about the faith and inner life of the next generation. The video can be found at "Soul Searching."
 'BIG TENT' WILL STAY IN INDIANAPOLIS: The Big Tent - the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s biennial celebration of ministry and mission - will be pitched in Indianapolis June 30-July 2. The decision to keep the Big Tent event in Indianapolis this summer was made after church leaders examined the final text of the newly passed Indiana immigration bill and confirmed that it does not contain elements that would have necessitated a change of venue. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Big Tent."
 CONGREGATIONAL MINISTRIES PUBLISHING OFFERS SUMMER CURRICULUM: Congregational Ministries Publishing is offering summer curriculum options, from preschool to adult, for continuing Christian education programs. One such program, titled "Awesome Adventures," packed with kid friendly lessons, take home comics and activities. The curriculum encourages children to explore Old and New Testament stories of God's people. This curriculum and others can be found at "Congregational Ministries."
PRESBYTERIAN MEDIA MISSION OFFERS WAY TO USE MEDIA: The Presbyterian Media Mission offers a variety of uses of technology. It's mission statement reads: "In a world of confusing and competing messages, the Presbyterian Media Mission communicates a creative and compelling witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through media." It can be found at "Media Mission."
MULTICULTURAL CHURCH SUNDAY IS MAY 15: Multicultural Church Sunday, May 15, offers congregations across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) an opportunity to celebrate the biblical vision of a united community that welcomes, celebrates and incorporates God's people of all cultures and languages in one place. Tools and ideas for celebrating Multicultural Church Sunday can be found at "Multicultural." |
| Colleges, universities and seminaries | | |
 DUBUQUE SEMINARY IS HOST TO CLP NATIONAL CONFERENCE: The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary will host the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) National Conference for Commissioned Lay Pastors and CLP candidates June 9-11. The conference feature the Rev. Thomas Gillespie, emeritus president and professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, as the keynote speaker. Registration materials can be found at "CLP."
 YAMADA NAMED PRESIDENT OF MCCORMICK SEMINARY: The McCormick Theological Seminary board of trustees has elected the Rev. Frank Yamada as the school's 10th president. He assumes office July 1. Yamada succeeds the Rev. Cynthia M. Campbell, who is retiring. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "McCormick." |
| News around the PC(USA) | |
PC(USA) MINISTRIES OFFER REFLECTION IN WAKE OF BIN LADEN'S DEATH: In light of Osama bin Laden's death on May 1, Presbyterian ministries here have had reason to reflect anew on denominational statements and studies on terrorism, war and the continuing call for peace. The Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), encouraged the offices of Theology and Worship and Compassion, Peace and Justice and the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy to share resources for prayer and reflection. The complete Presbyterian News Service story, including reflections, can be found at "Reflections."
INTERFAITH BROADCASTING COMMISSION ANNOUNCES NBC-TV SPECIALS: The Interfaith Broadcasting Commission - whose partners include the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - has announced the four television specials that will comprise NBC-Television's "Horizons of the Spirit" series this year. In addition to the four specials, IBC will produce a Christmas special for NBC, to air on the evening of Dec. 24. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "TV Specials."
PUB GATHERING CULTIVATES QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION, COMMUNITY: A pub is not necessarily the first place you'd expect to find a Southern Baptist pastor and a Presbyterian minister leading a conversation about faith and spirituality. But every Thursday night in Bellaire, Mich., you'll find the Revs. Corey Lecureux of First Baptist Church and Andrew Pomerville of the (Presbyterian) Church in the Hills convening just such a group at Short's Brewing Company. The complete Presbyterian News Service story can be found at "Pub Gathering." |
| And just one more | | |
PALINDROME VIDEO CAPTURING WIDE AUDIENCE: The following email founds its way to the editor's inbox last week. It reads in part, "A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward." According to the email, the video was submitted in an AARP contest - u @ 50 - by a 20-year-old. The video is titled "Lost Generation." |
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