General Presbyter's Holy Week Reflections
You will be receiving this e-bulletin
on April 1 st, Maundy Thursday, Holy Week. Not a day and week that I suspect you are
very interested in reading about the Presbytery.
On the contrary, after 24 years of pastoral ministry, Holy Week is a
time I miss parish ministry the most and am thinking of you and holding you in prayer!
With the absence of a pulpit, I have written and posted a blog of my reflections
this Holy Week. I address the drama and passion of the recent historic
Health Care Bill, and the violent reactions of the crowd. It reminds
me so much of the Passion narrative, our Sacred Story. I remind us of
the gift we have in our Presbyterian principles of governance and call
upon you my colleagues to exercise some leadership by helping to tone
done the rhetoric and challenge personal slurs and acts of violence. I
also share a personal passion for healthy choices in food choices and
diet and commend a new reality TV series of all things. Check it out.
Finally, I share the meaning of Resurrection for me and tell an Easter
story from when I was a missionary in Brazil. To read my blog go to http://jbestblog.blogspot.com/ I welcome your comments. On behalf of all the Presbytery, have a blessed Easter. Yours in Christ John Best
|
World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC)
Host Churches Needed!
In the
flurry of Eastertide, it is easy to get focused on your own
congregation and your own community. It is often easy to forget the
rest of the world in the flurry of emails and deadlines. --But this
summer you and your church have an unbelievable once in a lifetime
opportunity. 1000 people from all over the world are coming to West
Michigan, and they want to meet YOU! From June 18th - June 27th, the
World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council
will be merging into a brand new organization, the World Communion of
Reformed Churches. Your congregation is needed to represent the entire
PC (USA) as we host our guests. Every church in the presbytery needs
to be involved in some way in order to make this work. Please sign up
for the Welcome Weekend to invite international participates to
worship with you on Sunday June 20th; or get them involved even more
with your community on the Share and Host Weekend, June 26th -
27th. For more information,
please read the online brochure, and to sign up, contact your Lake
Michigan Presbytery liaison, Rev. Karen Fitz La Barge at
kflabarge@gmail.com
This e-mail address is being
protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Thanks so much for your hospitality to the world!
---- Women's Pre-ConferenceAll women in area
CRCNA, RCA, PCUSA and UCC churches are invited to register for a Women's
Pre-Council which will be held at Calvin College from June 14-17, 2010.
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed
Ecumenical Council (REC) will merge into the World Communion of Reformed
Churches (WCRC) at the Uniting General Council (UGC) from June 18-28, also at
Calvin College. Women from North American members of the WARC and REC are
hosting this women's pre-council gathering in order to strengthen connections
among women from various regions, reflect on key issues for women in the
global Reformed family, prepare women for maximum participation, and organize
a collective voice of Reformed women as input to the formation of the WCRC.
www.reformedchurches.org. Contact Claire Elgersma at
616-881-9878, email: chelgersma@sbcglobal.net or Dustyn Keepers, tel. 616-399-1578 or email:
dustyn@opensoul.org,for more info and registration. Cost: $25.
(Additional $24./day for meals and $22-$28 for lodging if needed)
Deadline May 1, 2010.
|
|
Do you have plans for Spring Break?
If not consider this! With the nice weather coming early we are offering 3 days and 2 nights of FREE lodging and
food at Camp Greenwood. Its not a cruise, but you may cruise on over.
All you have
to do is bring a rake and paint brush for entry. On Wednesda, April 7 - 9 camp
wil be open.
Want to try out your camper or stay in the retreat center email Greg at
campgreenwood@gmail.com
Support Camp Greenwood through Meijer Rewards. Click here to learn how!
|
Presbyterian Foundation
In 2008, Presbyterian congregations received $136,701,856 in bequests
from their members. It has been estimated that the Greatest Generation
and their Baby Boomer children will pass on some $14 trillion by 2052.
Click here to learn more about the Presbyterian Foundation's Will Emphasis program.
|
|
Board of Pensions Seminar
Lake Michigan Presbytery is sponsoring a Board of Pensions Seminar for ministers who have retired. The First Presbyterian Church, Lansing will host it on Friday, April 16, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The
only cost is $7 for lunch. There is room for 30 participants, 15 are
presently registered. You may still register past the March 12th
deadline as long as there is room. The deadline is for the preparation
of the right number of printed materials.
In order to register, go to the Board of Pensions on line registration site.
|
Guest from Ghana
The Rev Kwadwo Sarpong from Ghana, Africa will be with John Sterner (Albion) for 3
weeks in
June -
His itinerary is beginning to fill up. He is an excellent speaker, and
will teach on Ghana, or Biblical issues anyone wishing to have him speak
or teach please respond - his English
is very good - He has 2 Sundays open, contact John Sterner to arrange a visit, pastorjs@sbcglobal.net
|
|
Background check for all
volunteers working with children in your
church!
|
CONNECTIONAL and CONNECTED!
Thanks to technology we have the ability to not only be a
connectional denomination, but also to be connected! The staff of the
Presbytery of Lake Michigan wants to ensure that members in every
congregation are included when we send out news about the things you need to know. We especially want
to reach out to the leaders in the congregations -- pastors, elders and
deacons, key office personnel, Christian Educators, Clerks of Session and Treasurers often
need to receive directed communications. Please say "YES" when invited
to be on our "Constant Contact" lists! Our lists are private, never
shared, and you will notice with "Constant Contact" that there is no
lengthy list of other email addresses when you receive something from
the presbytery.
|
|
About Us
Presbytery of Lake Michigan is a middle governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA) serving over 70 churches . If you wish to have something included in the newsletter, please read our Electronic Communication Policythen use our online form. Deadline for this newsletter is the 12th and 27th of each month.
Presbytery of Lake Michigan
1511 Helen Avenue
Portage, Michigan 49002
888.271.6567
|
|
|
Reminder - Friday, April 23 is Administrative Professionals Day
|
|
Older Adults Resource
May 2 is Older Adult Sunday. Click
here to download the 2010 Planning Guide, provided by Presbyterian
Older Adult Ministries Network. It will provide you with much of what
you will need to structure a worship experience for that Sunday as
well as a number of other suggestions as to how to make the month of
May a collective experience of older adult activities.
|
|
Online Resources
The Presbyterian Leader newsletter
One in the Spirit, GA Mission Council newsletter
Presbyterian Communicators Newsletter
Synod of the Covenant Newsletter
|
|
Patio Projects
Click here to view the updated Nicaragua Partnership web page and learn about how 2 cents a meal and Patio Projects are making a difference.
|
|
April is Autism Awareness Month
Take Part in a FREE Webinar, "A Place Called Acceptance"
On
April 8 at 2:00 p.m. Kathy Bolduc will be joined by Bill Gaventa and
Ginny Thornburgh for a webinar on the topic of autism and disability
ministries. Register here for this free event.
|
|
Church Happenings
Ionia First - Thursdays @ Sozo's Coffee House: Go local @ Sozo's! Each
Thursday @ 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Join Rev. Huddelson for a 'cuppa joe' &
fellowship.
Tell us what is happening in your congregation. Email news@lakemichiganpresbytery.org
|
|
Prayer Concerns
Did you know the presbytery maintains a special prayer concerns email list? If you would like to receive prayer concerns, please contact Leslie at the office, lkeusch@lakemichiganpresbytery.org
|
The March 24 Mission Yearbook focus was on our Presbytery. Click here to read it.
You can now have the mission yearbook delivered to your inbox, click here to subscribe
|
 Are you on Facebook?
Join our Group!
|
|
