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The Weekly E-Newsletter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
| August 17, 2012
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Greetings!
As you can see, there have been a few changes in the EMerge format. We hope this will make our newsletter easier to read..and share. We have information on upcoming retreats, an ordination and a celebration for a new church development. Happy reading!
Sincerely,
Dennis Sanders
Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
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Prayer Requests
For the Week of August 13, 2012
 Each week we pray for a ministry or ministers in the PTCA. Click the link below to find who we are praying for this week. - We pray for Ruling Elder Cindy Hanson (Edgcumbe Presbyterian, St. Paul) as she battles cancer.
- We pray for former Stated Clerk Nancy Grittman (Buffalo Presbyterian, Buffalo) and her husband Ron Grittman as Ron deals with health issues.
- We pray for Teaching Elder Barbara Anne Keeley, who broke her leg earlier in the week. She is currently recovering from surgery.
- We pray for the family of Teaching Elder Edna Mae Carlson, who died in June. A memorial service for Carlson will take place on Friday, August 17.
- 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).
Pray for the PTCA: Find out what church, person or ministry we are lifting up in prayer this week by clicking here.
If you have a prayer concern you'd like to share with the wider Presbytery, please contact us by email at communications@ptcaweb.org .
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Focus: Keeping Sabbath
Christian Educators and Teaching Elders Plan for Retreats in the Fall. How are you keeping Sabbath?
 "I just don't have the time."
How many of us say this during our busy days? We live in a culture that has become 24/7. The "blue laws" of old, where stores were closed on Sundays, is a thing of the past. The rise of smartphones and email means that we can be always at work.
This all makes the practice of Sabbath-keeping as somewhat quaint. To have a certain amount of time set aside for rest seems so...unproductive.
But even God rested after creating the world. We are called to engage in the world we live in, but we are also called to take time to relax and recharge.
In light of this, there are three opportunities for PTCA church leaders to take time away from their work and rest. First off is a retreat for "Mature" Presbyterians at Clearwater Forest August 27-30. PTCA Teaching Elder Anita Cummings will be leading small group studies. Click here to find out more information. Teaching Elders are invited to signup for the Teaching Elder Retreat on September 24-25 at Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake. Click here for more information and to register. For Church Educators, there is a Sabbath Retreat October 14-16 at Presbyterian Clearwater Forest. To register for this event, please click here. For the rest of us, let us all remember to take time to pray and rest. For a good perspective on Sabbath-keeping, consider reading a 1997 Christian Century article by Dorothy C. Bass. In 2011 PTCA Teaching Elder Kara Root talked about Sabbath-keeping individually and communally. Read " The Sabbath Experiment" by Root to find out how Lake Nokomis Presbyterian in Minneapolis took time off and " From Slavery to Freedom" to talk about the basics of Sabbath-keeping. And after reading all that, take a walk.
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Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow...
The Presbytery's newest congregation now has place to call home.
 At the November 2011 Presbytery Meeting, the PTCA approved a request to purchase land in the Blaine/Lino Lakes area for Chain of Lakes Church, the Presbytery's new church development in the North Metro. After the approval, the gathering broke into an uplifting version of the Doxology led by Chain of Lakes' organizing pastor, Paul Moore.
In July, the dreams of having land to build a permanent home for Chain of Lake drew one step closer to reality with the purchase of property. On August 22, we might hear "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow" again as Chain of Lakes invites the Presbytery and the wider community to celebrate the purchase of land for the church and the future ministry that will take place there.
Keep reading to find out more about the event and how you (and your church) can take part. .
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Presbybriefs
News Taking Place in the Presbytery and the wider Church.
 2012 Mission and Witness Grants
Does your congregation have an idea for a mission or ministry, but can't do it for lack of money?
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. You can find out more about this year's grants or fill out the grant application by going to the Grants Page at the PTCA website.
Any questions should be directed to committee chair, Rev. Teresa Roberts at mission@ptcaweb.org.
Self-Development of People Grants Application Deadline is August 24
 Every year the Self-Development of People Committee of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area gives grants to organizations that are initiated by and for the people in the geographic boundaries of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. The Committee for the Self-Development of People is eager to establish partnerships with groups who are oppressed by poverty or social systems and want to take charge and decide what to do to create systemic change.
The deadline for applications for 2012 is August 24, 2012. You can download an application form either in Microsoft Word or in a PDF and email it to sdop@ptcaweb.org or mail it to the Presbytery office to the following address:
Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
122 W. Franklin Ave. Suite 508
Minneapolis, MN 55404
re: SDOP Grants
Questions? Please call Karen Kennerly at (651) 735-9691 or email the committee at sdop@ptcaweb.org. You can find out more about SDOP and to download the application by going to www.presbyterytwincities.org/sdop .
Ordination and Installation of Sara Berry Hein
 The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and the Presbyterian Church of Le Sueur in Le Sueur, Minnesota invites you to a Service of Ordination and Installation of Sara Berry Hein. The service will take place on Sunday, September 9 at 3PM at the Presbyterian Church of Le Sueur, 404 Turril St., Le Sueur, MN 56058. Refreshments will follow the service. Ordinations of pastors are events of the whole presbytery. You are welcome and encouraged to attend this event. Such times answers to much prayer and a cause for great celebration. Come share the joy!
Find out what's going on in the larger world of the Presbyterian Church (USA) by reading the latest stories from Presbyterian News Service. Click here to read new and recent articles. |
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News of the Kirks
What's Happening in PTCA Churches.
Fall 2012 Town Hall Forum Dates Set at Westminster-Minneapolis ( more) PTCA Candidate for Ministry Leads "Triple-Duo" Bible Study at Dayton Avenue Presbyterian ( more) Cherokee Park Dedicates Solar Panels on August 19 ( more) South African Priest Headlines Havel Symposium at House of Hope ( more) | Looking for a job or open pulpit? Visit our employment page to see our job listings. | Find out what events are taking place in our presbytery by going to the Presbytery Calendar. |
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 EMerge is a weekly publication from the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area (PTCA). Recipients include congregations, teaching elders, ruling elders, church members, committees, and friends. Please send submissions and e-mail corrections to Dennis Sanders, editor, at communications@ptcaweb.org . Usual distribution: Thursdays. You can find out more at the PTCA website: www.presbyterytwincities.org
122 W. Franklin Ave.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
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