Each week we pray for a ministry or ministers in the PTCA.    Click on the button below to find who we are praying for this week.

• We pray for Teaching Elders Dan Graham who suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack earlier this week as well as a broken leg as a result.  Dan is back home recuperating.  We pray for Dan and his wife.
• We pray for Teaching Elder Ray Fenton who also had a fall last week.  
• We pray for Ruling Elder Cindy Hanson (Edgcumbe Presbyterian, St. Paul) as she battles cancer.    
• We continue to pray for those who are experiencing illness at this time including Dan Johnson (Teaching Elder, Honorably Retired), Joy Smith (Teaching Elder, Church of the Apostles) and Tim Held (Teaching Elder, Honorably Retired).  

The Presbytery Packet for the July Meeting is available by going to the Presbytery Packets page of the PTCA website. 

So, if you are part of such a community and need help with a project for self-improvement for that community, this grant may be for you.  We encourage you to inform others who might benefit from and qualify for these grants.

To find out more about the Self-Development of People Grants, please go to the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area website at www.presbyterytwincities.org/sdop.  You find additional information on the Grant, applications, as well as a flyer for distribution.

If you have any questions,  please feel free to contact Communications Specialist Dennis Sanders or Karen Kennerly, the SDOP chair by phone at (651) 735-9691 or email at sdop@ptcaweb.org.

Ministry In A Changing World is an initiative of our Presbytery sponsored by the Church Development Team. Its purpose is to assist our churches in doing ministry in a changing world, and it is directly related to the Presbytery's vision, "We fearlessly follow the Holy Spirit into a Changing World." The main components of this initiative are one-day plenary sessions for all churches - the first of which was held on April 28, 2012 - and cohorts groups of four churches which will go through an assessment, visioning, and implementation process with the assistance of trained coaches with leadership from TAG Consulting. If your church is interested in taking part in a Cohort Group, please check out the Initiative's webpage. Churches taking part in Cohort Group 1 should also check the page for updated information concerning your group. 

Teaching Elder Retreat:  The PTCA is hosting a retreat for teaching elders on September 24-25 at Cragun's Resort in Northern Minnesota.  The retreat is a chance to relax, spend a couple of days away from the church office, and get to know your
colleagues in ministry. The purpose of the retreat
is to care for the Teaching Elders of this Presbytery.For more information, please download the retreat brochure. 

Health Care Reform and You: In the wake of the recent Supreme Court Ruling, Affordable Care Act will likely become a part of American life come 2014.  How will this affect clergy and lay employees?  The Presbyterian Board of Pensions wrote a press release about the ACA and the health plan for Presbyterian Church (USA).  They have also provided a link to a video made by the Kaiser Family Foundation to help explain the law (using cartoons!).  Feel free to share this with your congregation as a way explain what the proposed law will do.  

End-of-Life Conversations: Is your faith community interested in being part of Minnesota Council of Churches'  End-of-Life Project? Would you like to host a conversation as part of this project that will create a safe place for talking about difficult, but important, issues? They are especially looking for congregations located in one of  six pilot-site locations including Stillwater and the Twin Cities metro.Please contact the MCC of your interest, and they will be in touch about how you can become involved in this important work.   

Westminster Town Hall Forum Cancelled:  For medical reasons, Sr. Joan Chittister has canceled her July 12 appearance at the Town Hall Forum at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. A new date is being considered for Fall 2012.    

Westminster Provides Affordable Housing in Downtown Minneapolis: Westminster Presbyterian in Downtown Minneapolis has purchased a nearby building that will provide low-cost, quality housing for people right in downtown.  In a letter to the congregation, Senior Pastor Tim Hart-Andersen explained that because of a generous gift, the congregation was able to buy the century old Marimark building located next door to the church.  The church will tear down the existing building to make way for 150 units of affordable housing in the heart of Minneapolis.  You can learn more about this undertaking by reading the letter sent to the congregation and in an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  

The Olympics Come to Edina: The 2012 London Olympic Games are only days away and Christ Presbyterian in Edina is getting into olympic spirit.  On July 18, kids will participate in the "Zany Olympics" against their parents.  

Pastor to Be Installed at First, Hastings:  First Presbyterian Church of Hastings and The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area Joyfully invite you to a Service of Worship and the Installation Of  The Reverend April M. Davis Campbell as Pastor on July 29, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. Reception following the Service.   

Find out about other events taking place in our presbytery by going to www.presbyterytwincities.org/calendar.