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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.
Save The Date!The Presbytery of Mackinac will hold its next Stated Meeting on Saturday, August 25, 2012 at The Presbyterian Church in Traverse City, MI. Please visit our web site for more information.
Keep in your prayers: CRE Jim Ramelis (Munising) as he recovers from surgery
Retired Rev. Clayton Parcels as he recovers from surgery after a fall
Retired Rev. Bob Brown as he recovers from hip replacement Rev. Al Valentine (Manistique/Gould City) as he recovers from heart issues The family of former Presbytery Treasurer, Herb Edwards. Herb died in Grand Rapids on May 12 Those serving in the military __________________________________
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day the Presbytery Staff is off on Mondays. |
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| Long Time Church Staff Begin New Chapter |
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Addie Marceau, FPCAIII |
Addie Marceau, Office Administrator at First Presbyterian Church in Marquette, and Emily Stratton, Administrative Assistant of First Presbyterian Church in
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Emily Stratton |
Petoskey will retire by the end of May.
Kay Morrill, Church Secretary of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rogers City resigned her position in April. Among Addie, Kay and Emily they have over 85 years of service to the church.
We wish them well. Emily will be honored by her church after services on May 27 and Addie's church will honor her after services on June 10. Kay's church honored her on April 22.
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Kay Morrill |
Congratulations to Addie, Kay and
Emily as you begin a new chapter in your life
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| Excerpt from the Archives | |
Throughout their history, American Presbyterians have often taken up the question of presbytery organization in an attempt to mediate conflict. Three years before the Old School-New School split, commissioners meeting in Pittsburgh at the 1835 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. sought to address mounting conflicts within the church by passing a resolution on non-geographic presbyteries:
Resolved, that the erection of church courts, and especially of Presbyteries and Synods on the principle of "elective affinity," that is, judicatories not bounded by geographical limits, but having a chief region in their erection to diversities of doctrinal belief, and of ecclesiastical policy; - is contrary both to the letter and the spirit of our constitution; and opens a wide door for mischiefs and abuses of the most serious kind. One such Presbytery, if so disposed might, in process of time, fill the whole church with unsound and schismatic ministers, especially if the principle were adopted that regular testimonials must of course secure the admission of those who bore them into any other Presbytery. Such a Presbytery, moreover, being without geographical bounds, might enter the limits, and disturb the repose of any church into which it might think proper to intrude; - and thus divide churches; stir up strife; and promote party spirit and schism with all their deplorable consequences.
- Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (1835). Philadelphia: printed by Wm. F. Geddes, 1836, p.28 |
| Checked Your Web Page Lately? |  Each church in Mackinac Presbytery has its own page on the presbytery web site, www.presbymac.org. Have you checked your page recently to make sure all the information is up-to-date? Do you have different worship times during the summer? All your church information can be viewed by anyone searching the web so make sure it's current. Your church page is password protected. If you need to make changes and forgotten your username and password, send Lindy an email ( lindy@presbymac.org) and she will provide you with that information. |
| Microfilming Grants |  The Presbyterian Historical Society established the Heritage Microfilming Grant program in 2001. Awarded annually and funded by Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Illinois, the $300 grants cover most or all of the cost of microfilming the congregations' vital records, including session minutes and church registers. The grants encourage and support the preservation and microfilming of congregations' official records. The grants go to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations that have fewer than 250 members, are at least 50 years old, and demonstrate both preservation and financial need. Visit www.history.pcusa.org for more information. |
| Download Baptism and Confirmation Certificates |
Need a Baptism Certificate, or a Confirmation Certificate? Download a copy by clicking on the document. (Courtesy of Rev. Scott Hill) |
| Together In One Place |
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To the pastors and congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),
As we prepare to celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we-like those early believers who were gathered in Jerusalem-anticipate being filled not only with wonder but also with a multitude of questions.
Just as the first Pentecost gave rise to many questions among the early disciples-especially, "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:12b)-we might well ask ourselves what it would mean in 2012 and beyond if the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) were to truly embody communities of all God's people "together in one place" (Acts 2:1b).
It might mean the National Multicultural Conference, recently held in Charlotte, N.C. Marcia Mount Shoop-Presbyterian author, theologian, and a member of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA), who served as the conference's co-chair-wrote on her blog, "Multicultural conferences are my favorite denominational events to attend. They are like a booster shot of Holy Spirit power and vision. We catch a glimpse of the redemptive possibilities for us as Church in all its joy and in all its pain."
It might mean 1001 New Worshiping Communities. Like Pentecost, the 1001 movement-which seeks to create conditions that will give birth to over 1,001 new worshiping communities in the next 10 years while allowing existing communities to flourish-is about being open to a truly new thing. "I believe we need openness to fresh movements of God's Holy Spirit, where people are gathering in sushi bars, tattoo parlors, dorm rooms, living rooms, and boardrooms," says Roger Dermody, deputy executive director for mission for the GAMC.
The most recent 1001 video, which tells the story of East End Fellowship, resonates powerfully with the experience of Pentecost. Out of diverse people sharing a common neighborhood in Richmond, Va., God built a worshiping community that attests to the power of the Holy Spirit to transcend divisions of race, ethnicity, and language among us.
It might mean the 220th General Assembly (2012). As we draw nearer to our biennial gathering this summer in Pittsburgh, it is our Pentecost prayer that God's Spirit-like a mighty wind-will indeed draw us together as one people, helping us to comprehend what God is doing in the world, and empowering us to proclaim, in word and in deed, God's plan of reconciling all people in the name of Christ (Ephesians 1:10).
Faithfully yours,
Linda Valentine, Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council
Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly | |
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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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