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| February 2014 | Vol 3, Issue 1 |
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Bridging the Gap
A Publication of Mackinac Presbytery |
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| Greetings! |
Please visit our web site, www.presbymac.org for more information about the Presbytery of Mackinac.
The Presbytery of Mackinac will hold its Stated Meeting on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Church of the Straits in Mackinaw City. Please visit our web site for more information.
Since our last newsletter we have said "good-bye" to:
Elder Bob Money, Sault Ste. Marie
Ole Sarto, Mackinaw City
Elizabeth Armstrong, Omena
And said "hello" to:
Rev. Elizabeth Broschart, new pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Boyne City.
Elizabeth (Beth) Broschart comes to Mackinac Presbytery from Pittsburgh Presbytery where she served as pastor of Gladden UP for five years. She is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary where she received a Lilly Foundation Scholarship administered by the Religion News Writer's Association. . . . . more
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Come Holy Spirit, Come...
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Pat Megregian |
This past week, I have been in DeWitt, Mi on the staff of the "Pastors In Transition", (commonly known as the PIT crew) a workshop given for new pastors coming into the Michigan presbyteries. This is a joint effort of the leadership of the four presbyteries to foster education, networking and a chance for pastors coming into new calls to take a moment and ask questions and reflect. We had four pastors attend the workshop, a good representation from our north country.
We learned in workshops, had dialogue, participated in challenging conversations and shared insights about ministry. We had a simple but profound worship experience at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day. I found it to be one of the most important experiences of the workshop. The time for welcoming the Spirit into our lives put all conversations and experiences of the three days in the context of the faith community. Even though we came from very different expressions of the church, worship tied us together. Worship was the center not the "add on". . . .more
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Mid-Council Commission Approves Enabling Recommendations | |
Presbyterian News Service
Jerry L. Van Marter
DALLAS
In October, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Mid-Council Commission, recommended the elimination of synods as ecclesiastical units of the church's governing structure by 2016.
Today (Feb. 2), the commission approved recommendations to the upcoming 220th General Assembly to implement that goal.
The proposal seeks appointment by the GA moderator of two special committees:
- To come up with needed changes in the Manual of the General Assembly and the Book of Order to create regional administrative commissions "to facilitate churches and presbyteries to fulfill their missional objectives" and "to continue to facilitate and support the racial ethnic ministries that have historically been supported by the Synods."
- To come up with needed changes to create regional judicial commissions to replace current synod Permanent Judicial Commissions.
The group,appointed by authority of the 219th General Assembly (2010), is also recommending that another GA commission be appointed to deal with any realignment of existing presbyteries and synods between 2012 and 2016, when the proposed phase-out of synods is scheduled to be completed.
"This process is modeled after what we did in 2002 when we voted to go to biennial General Assemblies," said General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons. "At that time we went down a whole bunch of rabbit holes to see what tweaks we had to make to implement biennials. We took that experience to help you [the commission] get where you want to go."
Parsons said three key questions need to be answered in the creation of the proposed regional administrative and judicial commissions:
- How are they peopled?
- How are they staffed?
- How will they be paid for?
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| Special Offerings | 
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Hi there!
We hope you're enjoying a great start to 2012. If you're wondering why the PC(USA) Special Offerings team has decided to create this brand-new newsletter, let us fill you in.
We aim to accomplish three things:
- Inform on where your gifts go and how they are making a difference
- Provide great examples of how you use Special Offerings funds in your own community
- Increase Special Offerings participation levels across the denomination
Let's get to it then! | |
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2011 Christmas Joy Offering
First and foremost, THANK YOU to everyone who gave to the Christmas Joy Offering a few weeks ago-each gift really makes a difference. If you're not entirely sure what ministries are supported by this offering, this link should give you all the info you need.
What's new ?
A few things, including a new member of staff, our commitment to social media and a few new ways for you to give to the offerings.
Toward the end of 2011 we added Jordan, our new promotions specialist, to help us "spread the word" about all the great things your Special Offerings gifts were accomplishing across the PC(USA). Jordan primarily works with things like our website, our Twitter and Facebook accounts, the newsletter you're reading now and all of our "advertising" efforts. Needless to say, he spends a lot of his time on the computer.
This past year we also added the ability to donate via cell phone text messaging and started adding QR codes (barcode Internet links you can scan with a smartphone) to our bulletin inserts and other printed pieces. These are not meant to divert donations normally given at church on Sundays; they are just alternate methods of giving for those who might need them.
What is practical generosity?
Some churches have faced confusion about how to utilize their share of the Pentecost and Peacemaking Offerings. In some cases, this has led churches not to receive those offerings at all. So, in order to get ideas flowing across the denomination, we asked our social media followers for examples of how they were utilizing these funds to make a difference in their own communities.
The first example of "practical generosity" comes from Mary Charlotte Elia of Royster Memorial Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Virginia, regarding their Apple-a-Day program: |
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Special Offerings dates
for 2012
April 8, 2012:
One Great Hour of Sharing
May 27, 2012:
Pentecost
October 7, 2012:
Peacemaking
December 23, 2012:
Christmas Joy
Contact the Special Offerings team
Margaret Hall Boone
Project Manager
Sam Locke
Manager, Relationship and Development Operations
Teresa Mader
Production and Materials
Jordan Whitt
Promotions and Communications
Where do you remit
your gifts?
Remit your gifts through your congregation's normal receiving site, which is usually the presbytery. On the memo line of your check, note the Offering for which it is intended. If your presbytery does not have a receiving site-almost all do-checks may be sent to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700 |
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One Great Hour of Sharing
The next Special Offering to be received is One Great Hour of Sharing, which supports Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program and the Self-Development of People. You will be hearing a lot about this offering for the next couple of months, but if you'd like some more information, you can go to the One Great Hour of Sharing website. | |
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Check the Presbytery calendar on our web site, www.presbymac.org, for upcoming dates for Coordinating Council, Presbytery meetings and committee meetings.
Sincerely,
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