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| Lake Michigan Newsletter | October 30, 2011 |
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2012 Presbytery
Meeting Dates
Sat., Feb 11, 2012
Sat., April 14, 2012
Tues., June 12, 2012
Tues., Sept 11, 2012
Tues., Nov 13, 2012 |
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Give and Take -
Hard Hats - Lyons-Muir Church, Phone 989-855-2247
Choir Robes - First Presbyterian Church, Battle Creek, MI. |
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General Presbyter's Note -
One of our Presbytery's four ministry goals is spiritual formation for church leaders. As a result those persons certified in providing spiritual direction were convened as a group for support and encouragement. This group has pulled together a retreat for us "Drawing Near to the Heart of God, for November 4-5 with retreat leader Judy Hahn, at the Transformation Spirituality Center in Kalamazoo. Retreat information and registration is available at our web site lakemichiganpresbytery.org. Others have organized theological conversations on historic writings during lunch at Presbytery meetings. The topic at the upcoming November 12th meeting will be generosity/thanksgiving.
Steve and Jean Doughty announce that their house in Otsego is under contract to be sold. This frees them to move to Greenville, South Carolina, where they will be closer to their family. Steve served Lake Michigan Presbytery with distinction for many years as Executive Presbyter, concluding that service in 2002. Since then he has written a couple of books, offered spiritual direction, and participated in the life of the North Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo. Steve plans to be present at our upcoming Presbytery Meeting on Saturday, November 12th. Please take the opportunity to share your best wishes.
Grace and Peace
John |
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From the Office -
Please return books and other items to the Resource Center if they are no longer being used by bringing them to the November 12th Presbytery Meeting. Thank you.
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See - Church Happenings -
ARTSBRIDGE!! - Benton Harbor First Pesbyterian - to see poster click here
Alternative Christmas Fair - Portage Westminster - to see poster click here
Bazaar - First Presbyterian Dimondale .
50th Year Jubilee - Battle Creek Pennfield Presbyterian
Don Gordon's 50 Year Celebration - "Kirking of the Tartans"
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November Pastor Birthdays
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Nicaragua visitors to Lake Michigan Presbytery, September 13-16, 2011
Following a brief stay in the Niles area, and attending the Lake Michigan Presbytery meeting in East Lansing, three members of the group from Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua came to the Kalamazoo area. Hosted by Rev. Linda MacDonald and the John & Helen Coates families, Pastor Boanerges Antonio Flores, Bryan Jose Somaribba, and Luis Antonio Pinida were toured through the community and churches of this area.
Various sites (and host persons) were Portage Westminster (Jerry Duggin/ Bible study group), Lake Michigan Presbytery office, First Presbyterian Martha's circle (Carol Parfitt) and Celebrate the Vision (Pat Stromsta), MRC vocational rehab center, El Sol school (Kelly Alvarez), North Presbyterian Togetherness Group, Tiller's International farm (Dick Rossenberg), ISSAC community organizing, and Migrant Workers in Van Buren County (Guiermo Martinez).
Beyond those mentioned above, my deepest appreciation to these who assisted in various ways: Linda MacDonald, for being the backbone of our hosting group; Laurie Tupper, Al Garcia, and Scott Wilson for transportation and various supportive help.
This visit was a routine part of the Mission Partnership of CEPAD/Nueva Guinea and the Lake Michigan Presbytery, September 9-21, 2011.
Larry Boutelle, point guy for the Kalamazoo area hosting team. |
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 Rev Don Gordon's 50 years in Ministry
"Kirking of the Tartan"
In celebration, recognition, and honor of Rev. Don Gordon's 50 years in ministry and his upcoming retirement on Dec. 31, 2011, the congregation of Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, cordially invites you to attend a Kirking of the Tartan service of worship on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. With great joy, we will gather to worship our good and gracious God, remember our Scottish heritage, and celebate Don's faithful service to God and God's people! Please join us for this unique worship service ~ complete with bagpipes, blessings, and benediction!
For more information on "Kirking of the Tartan" - 
http://www.scottishtartans.org/ or http://churchmousec.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/the-custom-of-kirking-of-the-tartan/ |
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ARTSBRIDGE!!
Benton Harbor First
ARTSBRIDGE!! The First Presbyterian Church in Benton Harbor invites you to celebrate the gifts in our neighborhood. We are hosting free monthly concerts featuring talent from our city and lifting up art from our burgeoning 'Arts District.' Join with us as we create space for the diversity in our community to come together around jazz, gospel music, classical music, good dramatic readings and local glassworks. Click here for details about date, time, etc. |
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A Pilgrimage to Iona
Plans for a pilgrimage to the Iona Abbey are coming together. We will stay in the ancient Abbey for a week sharing routines of life together, as well as conversations of faith and worship at least twice per day. The Iona Abbey is an ancient center of faith and life, and the locus of contemporary renewal for the Christian church. Following six days on the island, we expect to tour Scotland for four days before returning home. We will leave the evening of May 10, 2012 and return May 22. The cost will be around $2500 - though we continue trying to make it more reasonable. We may explore earlier options to return home for those individuals who may prefer a more limited cost and time frame. If you are interested, please contact Seth Weeldreyer (seth.weeldreyer@kalamazoofirstpres.org / 269.344.0119), as soon as possible. |
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Labyrinth - Battle Creek Pennfield
As a part of Pennfield Presbyterian Church's year-long celebration of our fiftieth anniversary, our congregation decided to establish an outdoor labyrinth as a meditative space in the area we call our Celebrat ion Garden. It seemed like an ideal complement to the already simple beauty of the church grounds and a perfect symbol of our congregation's focus on being stewards of God's creation, even as we look back to our beginnings 50 years ago.
So, what exactly is a labyrinth? It is an ancient geometric pattern, found in many cultures, extending back into pre-history. A labyrinth is not a maze. It is a direct (though curving) path into the Center and back out again. Some people walk the path simply to relax. Others use it as a form of walking meditation. The early Christian Church used labyrinths as a read more |
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Alternative Christmas Fair
Portage Westminster
Come Join Us!! Saturday, Nov 19 & Sunday Nov 20 - Fair Trade Goods, International Handcrafted Items, Beeswax Candles, Heifer International, Habitat for Humanity, Youth Bake Sale - AND MORE!!!
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Parish Paper - See link below
November 2011 - Should We Unleash the Power of Congregational Planning
December 2011 - How Do We Successfully Launch a New Project |
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2011 Michigan Festival of Sacred Music
Where cultural connections are made
It's just one month away.
The Michigan Festival of Sacred Music is 10 days full of sonic wonder from the new music of MusicAEterna, to a hymn fest led by Richard Webster to a collaboration by a member of the Indigo Girls and her father.
As group festival-goers have come to love, Tapestry, offers a piece that celebrates the power of individual acts of compassion through the retelling of a Tibetan folktale.
An exploration of Indian Ragas, traditional American hymns and the music of the Romanian Jewish worship service of the '30s are all part of the 2011 Michigan Festival of Sacred Music.
And that's just a sample of what's coming up. Please, check out our website for tickets and details on each upcoming event throughout the festival. http://www.mfsm.us/
From Nov. 10 through Nov. 20 at various Kalamazoo venues.
The Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, celebrating the music of many faiths. |
New in the Resource Center
- Preaching and Stewardship--Proclaiming God's Invitation to Grow by Craig A. Satterlee (AL32003)
- Ministry and Money--A Guide for Clergy and Their Friends by Dan Hotchkiss (AL32004)
- Four Seasons of Ministry--Gathering a Harvest of Righteousness by Bruce G. Epperly and Katherine Gould Epperly (AL30308)
- Called for Life--Finding Meaning in Retirement by Paul C. Clayton (AL30409)
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Scholarship - APCE Annual Event
A regional scholarship is available for someone attending an APCE Annual Event for the first time and pays for the registration and a one year membership ($396). The application can be found at www.apcenet.org.
Retired church educators who have been members of APCE for at least 10 years are eligible for a scholarship of up to $1000. Contact Eileen Best (ebest@lakemichiganpresbytery.org) for more information.
Applications can be mailed to Charlotte McGowan, 3559 Birch Tree Path, Cleveland Heights, OH 44121 and must be received by November 15. |
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"has kept me coming back since I was 5, for 11 years now."
"There has to be something really special about Camp Greenwood that has kept me coming back since I was 5, for 11 years now. All through my younger years I saw that "something" as the fun I had there and the love I felt from all of the people around me; from campers to counselors. Now that I have grown, 
I realize that while the fun and love is what I felt, that it was God's love all along that I was experiencing. And now after completing my first year on camp staff, I can say with confidence that I will never be the same person again. The campers as well as the amazing staff exposed me to experiences I would never encounter otherwise that made me grow so much mentally and spiritually. When I'm at Greenwood, it truly feels like home, I am so full of purpose and am always so happy and feel lucky to just be there in the presence of God and his amazing creations.  Camp Greenwood is a magical place for so many people I know, and being able to make it that place this summer for my campers was a great blessing."
Luna Anna Archey |
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The Pursuit of Joy
 New Orleans, Louisiana.
And it starts...
After a week of orientation in NY, I returned "home" to New
Orleans yesterday full of enthusiasm and thought. This year is going to be a journey of discovery. Not only for me, but hopefully for you as well. What are we discovering? I believe we are discovering happiness joy.
Here's where this can be confusing.
Joy does not always equal happiness.
For me, when I had committed to mission work for a year I had initially considered myself happy. Why? Because this is where my heart is. This is where God is leading me. I finally had an answer as to what direction my life was heading. I was happy.
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Youth Events -
For complete information or to download a flyer click here - www.lakemichiganpresbytery.org/youth Confirmation Retreat, January 20 & 21, 2012. If interested in attending, contact Lynn Barger Elliott ( lbe2504@comcast.net) ASAP Mid High Youth Mix at FPC, Hastings, February 2012 (dates to be announced).Alma Youth Mix, March 9-11, 2012. Visit the AYM website (www.almayouthmix.com) for updates. |
Communication Corner
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Email Etiquette Dos and Don'ts
- Don't write a novel.
- Do communicate clearly and concisely.
- Don't use ALL CAPS!
- Do make sure you have the correct recipient.
- Don't use too many images.
- Don't hesitate to say thank you.
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New Study: "The Approved Presbyterian New Form of Government"
Dear Presbyterian Leaders,
The new form of government in the PC(USA) has generated a lot of discussion and some confusion. Our new study, "The Approved Presbyterian New Form of Government," provides an overview of the the new form of government and highlights what has changed and what has not. It is ideal for use at your church or session meeting. To order
This study replaces our previous study, "New Form of Government: A Look Inside." If you purchased this previous study, then you will automatically have access to our new study. After logging into your account on The Presbyterian Leader.com, click on "My Account" to view your purchases and download the new study.
Keep watching The Presbyterian Leader for more resources about adjusting to the new Form of Government and other changes occurring in our denomination.
Peace, The Presbyterian Leader Team |
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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.
- Director Christian Education - Benton Harbor Fairplain - details
- Children's Music Ministry Director - Holt - Details
- Designated Pastor Postion at First Presbyterian Church in Dimondale - more
Volunteer Positions - click here |
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New Orleans, Louisiana.
