PRESBYTERIES IN SYNOD CONTINUE TO STRIVE AGAINST DISASTERS: From tornadoes to floods, presbyteries in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, with the help of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, are engaged in disaster relief this summer. Tornadoes struck earlier this spring in the presbyteries of Prospect Hill, Twin Cities Area and Winnebago. (All three presbyteries have received initial $10,000 grants from PDA to assist in relief efforts.) Floodwaters from the Missouri River and other tributaries are forcing residents from their homes in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska, affecting the presbyteries of Northern Plains, South Dakota, Missouri River Valley, Prospect Hill and Homestead. PDA and Church World Service are seeking "cleanup buckets," and instructions to make and contribute the buckets can be found at "Buckets." Due to the extent of disasters this spring, contributions are needed. Contributions can be made online and directed to U.S. disasters. Google is an excellent resource for learning more about flooding and tornadoes. A simple search would be "(name of city) flooding." Some other sources for current flood information include sources in Minot, N.D.; Omaha, Neb.; Pierre, S.D.; and Sioux City, Iowa.

Regarding the Minot flooding, the Minot Daily News carried the following announcement at 1 p.m. June 22: "The sirens have sounded in the city of Minot at 12:57 p.m. Everyone in the evacuation zones must leave immediately. The sirens mean that the water has breached the dikes in the city." Details of the Minot flood can also be found at "Live News."

FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNT RELEASED OF MINNEAPOLIS TORNADO: "It had been raining all week.  I thought the rain on May 22  was just another rainy day like the others that week. But I was wrong; the rain turned into a raging tempest with a funnel cloud that roared through my North Minneapolis community, causing destruction at every turn." That's the way Tara Parrish, director of communications for Kwanzaa Community Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis and a student at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, opened a first-person account of the tornado's destruction. The story appeared in "InPrint," a newsletter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and was also published by Presbyterian News Service. Parrish continued, "After it was over, I received a call from one of my pastors, asking if we were all right. Others were not so lucky, she relayed, and told me of reports of damage she received from other church members." The complete story can be found at "Minneapolis Tornado."

HILLCREST FAMILY SERVICES BREAKS GROUND FOR CHAPEL, ED-REC CENTER: Hillcrest Family Services, Dubuque, Iowa, broke ground for a new chapel and educational/recreation center June 17, feting students, board members, staff and other friends to an old-fashioned ice cream social after leaders took shovels and turned the earth for the two construction projects. The ground-breakers in the photo are, left to right, Gary Gansemer, Hillcrest president and chief executive officer; Mary Jo Pancratz, Hillcrest School principal; a representative of the Hillcrest student body; Len Hadley, member of the Hillcrest board of trustees; and Mel Miller, president of the board of trustees. Construction on the two projects, for which Hillcrest is actively seeking support, is expected to begin later this summer.

STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR SYNOD SCHOOL: Synod School, a summer vacation that's sometimes called a learning and personal enrichment program of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, runs July 24-29 at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, and there's still time to register. Synod School details can be found at "School."

NATIONAL SDOP GRANTS INCLUDE ONE FROM SYNOD: The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People has approved grants totaling $150,430 to nine self-help projects in the United States, including The Kurdish Youth of America in Fargo, N.D., which will receive $20,000 to assist this 50-family member group, ranging in age from 15-65, in addressing the challenges Kurdish immigrants face in legal status, higher education, business training and housing. The money comes from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. The grants were approved at SDOP's national committee meeting in Detroit in May. The complete Presbyterian News Service story is at "Kurdish Youth."

FELTMAN REFLECTS ON CHANGE IN PC(USA): Writing in the June 16 issue of the newsletter of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa, the Rev. David Feltman, presbytery executive, noted, "Much change is upon us. You have heard amendment 10A (ordination standards) has passed; last week the New Form of Government has reached 50 percent plus as well." He added, "This article is about change - to be clear, it is not about the content of the most recent changes, ... but ... because I am grieving the church I once knew; the church which was full of youth, and children. The church where the pews were packed and there was much health. I grieve the loss, the changes." Feltman's complete column can be found at "Change," Page 2.