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| Lake Michigan Newsletter | August 15, 2011 |
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Give and Take - Lift Chair, Choir robes, pews, laserjet cartridge, look here
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General Presbyter's Note -
I officially report my work to the Staff Services Committee and the Leadership Team. Here I'd like to share a log of my visits around the Presbytery in the past weeks.
Sunday, July 10, First Presbyterian Church, Grand Haven: Worship, shared a Minute for Mission. They have two services, the first traditional, the second contemporary. Both well attended.
Sunday, July 17, Pine Island Presbyterian Church, Special Worship under tent on Presbytery property, 6 baptisms of three
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Provided by Circle Photo - Leslie Lance
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Sunday, July 24, First Presbyterian Church, Coldwater, Worship/Preached in place of Karen Haak on medical leave due to pneumonia. To continue
children in two Cameron Families. (See photo) The two families presented the church their thank offering in traditional Cameroon' style.
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Note from Janet -
WIN A NOTEBOOK TO JUMPSTART YOUR CONGREGATION'S OPERATIONS MANUAL
It will be a "Janet x 2" presentation of TOP 10 THINGS TO DO SOONER RATHER THAN LATER at the September 13th stated meeting of the presbytery. Noted _____ player Janet VanLear will join with newbie player Janet Magennis to offer a video on how to bring your session in line with the new Book of Order.
Then, Janet M. will draw two lucky winners of notebooks all set up with sections to gather the items you already have to put together your newly-required Operations Manual. Must be present to win!
HAVE YOU ORDERED NEW BOOKS OF ORDER FOR YOUR SESSION YET? The order goes in mid-August so don't delay. This IS the year to get some new books! |
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Reminders from the Presbytery Office...
Presbytery Meetings
Please encourage the church commissioners to register online for the presbytery meeting. Our host churches rely on the number of registrations to know how much food they need for the lunch. The last two meetings we have had over 25 people show up that did not register and the churches have been short on food! Please be considerate and register. |
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 John Dau, One of The "Lost Boys of Sudan" Comes to Alma College
At the end of September, Alma College is hosting Mr. John Dau, one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan". Dau arrived in the United States in 2001 after experiencing the horrors of genocide in the Sudan. He has used his hardship to transform his own life and that of others in profound ways and now is an inspiration to many. In addition, Dau has founded a non-profit in order to improve the lives of the residents of South Sudan. See http://johndaufoundation.org/
On Wednesday, September 28, 2011 he is offering two events at Alma College that are open to the public.
- An afternoon workshop, 2-4 pm in Jones Auditorium for community and religious leaders on "Working for Change"
- An evening lecture, 8 pm in the Heritage Center for the general public on "Journey to Leadership"
Please consider attending and invite your congregation to do the same.
Click here for information on the afternoon workshop. Click here for information on the evening lecture. |
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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day Concert - Westminster, Grand Rapids
Interestingly, the first child ever diagnosed with FAS is now an adult member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. His adoptive parents openly speak about their struggles and joys in raising their son, and are available for interviews.
September 9th - Concert by John McAndrew (Nashville, Tennesee Singer/songwriter)
Presented by - Westminster Peace and Justice Committee.
For details |
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Innovative Ministry??? Is your congregation or a congregation in your presbytery doing innovative ministry? Each year UPSem awards congregations for innovative ministry. Since 1991, 94 churches in 28 states have received these awards. Each of the eight awards carries a $1,000 prize to support the to complete article |
 Remembering September 11
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear." -- Psalm 46:1-2a
The PC(USA) has compiled a website of materials and information to use with your congregation to remember and honor the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001 and recommit to working for peace and justice in resistance to the violence in the world. Click here to visit their site. They have also set up a Facebook page to share and read stories of remembrance. Click here to go to their page. |
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 Presbyterians Today Offers Digital Subscriptions For Congregations
The best way to go green - and save!
Presbyterians Today's Digital Subscription Plan is a great way to live out your congregation's commitment to the environment.
And best of all, the savings are substantial! You can pay as little as $1.95 for each subscription -92 percent off the regular print edition cost! Pricing is based on your membership size.
Introducing Presbyterians Today's Digital Subscription Plan for Congregations |
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Click here to enjoy Jeff Garrison's blog - traveling in Vietnam and China.
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Facebook Guidelines for Youth Ministries
A question that surfaces frequently in the youth ministry world is that of facebook etiquette. Here's a link to an article written by Jeff Dunn-Rankin, one of my colleaguesat YMA. click here Lynn Barger Elliott |
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Parish Paper has arrived!!
Parish Paper September 2011 - Why Do People connect with Christ and a Congregation?
Parish Paper October 2011 - Why Do Smart Churches Make Dumb Decisions?
Lake Michigan Presbytery's purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES
1. Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: E-mail, Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our Web site.
2. Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its Web site, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs |
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Faith Re-Formation: Making our Practices Reformed
Noted author, Dr. Donald McKim, will be the leader for the GLAPCE Fall Event on October 25 to 27 at the Geneva Center in Rochester, IN. Dr. McKim will explore the reformed basis for educational ministry, looking at ways in which our tradition has emphasized the intellectual, affectional, and active (or head, heart, and hands) dimensions of the Christian faith.
More information and registration for the conference can be found in the latest issue of the GLAPCE Breeze newsletter at https://www.apcenet.org/events/great-lakes/home .
Anyone involved in educational ministry--clergy, educators, or lay people--will find this conference helpful. Please contact Eileen Best at the presbytery office if you have any questions. |
| Scholarships
Have you found a class/conference/event that would help you do your job better, but you don't have quite enough money to go? The Presbytery of Lake Michigan supports their clergy, elders, and support staff with scholarships. To learn more or apply, click here:
http://dev.lakemichiganpresbytery.org/index.php/financial-matters/grant-sources |
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Opening Doors to Discipleship Both new teachers and leaders and experienced ones can benefit from education and training but that can be difficult to fit into busy schedules. The "Opening Doors to Discipleship" program can help. This free, online, innovative educational program is provided to our churches to continue |
New in the Resource Center
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Confirmation Retreat 2012
The Presbytery of Lake Michigan hosted another successful Confirmation Retreat last March with Sarah Arthur, a well-known speaker and author as the Presenter. Six congregations sent their confirmation classes and leaders. It was so successful that we have been asked to host this event annually.
We are writing now to get a sense of how many churches might consider participating in this opportunity. We have tentatively set the date for January 20-21, 2012. If you think you might take advantage of this retreat, would you please contact Lynn Barger Elliott lbe2504@comcast.net at your earliest opportunity?
Youth Events -
For complete information or to download a flyer click here - www.lakemichiganpresbytery.org/youth Urban Plunge - October 28-30, 2011 - Camp Greenwood - Watch here for updates.
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"Hope Builders"
We are looking for "Hope Builders"! The Administration Team and interested parties at the General Assembly level are looking for churches who have used the stewardship curriculum "Building Hope." We are looking for feedback from people in your churches on how it worked for you. Please direct any comments to jvanlear@hotmail.com of the Administration Team. |
Communication Corner -
5 Things to Do to Get your Church Website Ready for Fall! Adapted from http://churchwebsites.org/5-things-to-do-to-get-your-website-ready-for-fall/
1. Fall kickoff! - Guests will be looking at your website before entering your building - tell them what you have available. Remove ALL outdated information. If you don't have updated information then remove the link from your site. It is better to have a small relevant site than a large outdated one. Don't include a calendar if you don't have activities listed on it.
2. Can you be found? - Use Google and other search engines to search for churches in your zip code. Make sure your church is at the top of the list by updating keywords and meta data at your site. Back links also
Click here for 3, 4 and 5.
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The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church
The Board Bullertin - Summer 2011
click here |
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Opportunities
There are two ministry opportunities in Lake Michigan Presbytery which are NOT posted on the Congregational Leadership Connection site yet. If you are interested, or know of someone interested in knowing more about these positions, please contact John Best, General Presbyter.
- Children's Music Ministry Director - Holt - Details
- Director of Music - Portage - details
- Director of Music - Muskegon - details
- Accompanist and Choir Director -Dimondale - details
- Youth Ministry Director - Hope Church RCA - Holland - more details
- Designated Pastor Postion at First Presbyterian Church in Dimondale - more
Volunteer Positions - click here
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