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 ask prayer for Teaching Elder Ethel Kay Livingston who had a heart attack  last week.  Please prayer for her and her husband, Teaching Elder William Livingston.
• We pray for Ruling Elder Pat Milloy mourning the loss of her mother on Wednesday. 
• 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).  

Congregations in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Wisconsin have indicated a desire to be part of the pilot effort of Just.Good.Food., a mission initiative of the synods of Lakes and Prairies, Lincoln Trails and Mid-America. Sarah Moore-Nokes, associate executive presbyter in Winnebago Presbytery, is leading the pilot effort. She noted that congregations participating in the pilot program will be committing to the following:

(1) Receive curriculum. There will be two sets of curriculum - one in the fall consisting of stewardship/creation/theology of abundance themes as well as information about connecting in the community, and one in the spring consisting of how to/hands-on information about planning and planting gardens, and distributing food. (2) Plant a garden. Or use a garden or part of a garden that is already planted to grow food for people who need it. (3)Distribute the food locally. Through food pantries, community suppers, giving gardens or some other similar community effort. (4)Report what you did. The reporting will be minimal. We hope to know how many people participated. How many pounds of food you grew and to whom it was distributed. We'll make it easy with either online reporting or easy forms.

Congregations that would like to participate in this developing mission should contact Moore-Nokes at sarah@winnebagopresbytery.org, or Duane Sweep, associate for communications in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, at dsweep@lakesandprairies.org. The project rationale and additional project description can be found at http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102873944196-282/JGFNARRATIVE(3).pdf.  

The 2012 Mission and Witness Grants are still  available to help congregations in the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area engage in ministries of justice and care.

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.

Teaching Elders in the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area are invited to attend a Teaching Elder Retreat, September 24-25 at Cragun's resort on Gull Lake. The event is designed as a chance to relax, spend a couple of days away from the church office, and get to know colleagues in ministry. PTCA Teaching Elder Deb DeMeester will present a workshop called The Power of Image in Leadership exploring how how images can either hamper or energize ministry. The cost is $50 for a double room and $119 for a single room. The cost includes lodging and meals. For those interested, there will be time to golf immediately before and after the event. The cost is $40 and can be paid at Cragun's.

To register for the retreat and to get more information, download the Teaching Elder Retreat Brochure. 

On October 14-16, 2012 there will be  a Sabbath Retreat at Presbyterian Clearwater Forest for Educators, Youth Directors, and Pastors in educational ministry.  The retreat will be a time for rest, relaxation, fellowship, discussion, and worship.  Activities will not begin until early evening on the 14th so educators don't have to miss a Sunday morning (unless you want to).

For more information, please contact Martha Rockenstein at martha.rockenstein@gmail.com.

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.   

Senior Retreat at Clearwater:  Clearwater Forest is hosting a retreat for Mature Presbyterians August 27-30 at Clearwater Forest in Deerwood,MN.  PTCA Teaching Elder Anita Cummings will lead a small group study. For more information, please download the  retreat brochure.  

Lake Nokomis Celebrates 90 Years: The South Minneapolis Congregation will host a 90th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, September 16. In preparation for the event, the church is collecting stories of people connected to Lake Nokomis over the years.  To share your story, please to the Lake Nokomis Church website.  

A Church Grows in Uptown: Not long ago, Grace-Trinity Community Church, a PTCA congregation in Uptown Minneapolis considered closing its door.  With the help of Westminster Presbyterian in downtown Minneapolis and an energetic leader in Daniel Vigilante, the church has a second chance on life.  The Southwest Journal did a story on what's going on in Uptown.  Read on to find out more.  

Let The Sun (and Son) Shine In:  Cherokee Park United Church in St. Paul will dedicate its new solar panels on August 19 at 3:30pm.  You can read about how the church came to make their roof a small power plant by going to the PTCA website. 

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.   

Revamped Forms Page:  Looking for Presbytery forms.  Please go to the Presbytery Forms page, which has been recently updated.  You will find forms such as Skill Bank Forms, Expense Forms and forms from the Committee on Ministry, Committee on Preparation for Ministry, Commissioned Ruling Elders Committee, the Stated Clerk and the Board of Trustees. Look for a revamped Presbytery Policies Page soon. 

• Installation of April Davis Campbell, First Presbyterian, Hastings 
• Summer Carillon Recital Series, The House of Hope Presbyterian, St. Paul

• Common Prayer, Presbytery Office, Minneapolis

• Lunchtime Organ Concert, Dayton Avenue Presbyterian, St. Paul
• Lectionary Bible Study , First Presbyterian, Belle Plaine
• Sundaes on Wednesday, Chain of Lakes, Lino Lakes
• Midweek Bible Study: Exploring Theology Through Dylan and U2, First Presbyterian, South St. Paul
• Worship on Wednesdays, First Presbyterian, Hastings 

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