The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
~ John 1:14 (NIV) ~
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We Lift Up In Prayer...
Ongoing:
Elder Sally Pomeroy (Croswell-First) who had surgery for cancer on December 1st. The prognosis is very positive. Sally is the Clerk of Session for Croswell-First, very involved in the Thumb Ministry Group and has served on presbytery committees including time as the COM Moderator.
Ben Offrink, son of the Rev. Jim Offrink and Elder Sally Offrink who is doing well in is battle with cancer. It is still a challenging time for the entire family however, so continued prayers are appreciated. The Offrinks are very grateful for the support and love shown to them.
The Rev. Tom Brackbill (Alma-First) and wife Pam as they deal with all that encompasses Pam's diagnosis of Younger Onset Alzheimer's Disease. Pam is under the care of Masonic Pathways.
The Rev. Cathy Chang and family as they continue training as Mission Co-Workers in the Philippines.
Michael and Rachel Ludwig, our Mission Co-Workers who are serving in Niger.
For those Teaching Elders (Ministers of Word and Sacrament) and Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) who are celebrating Ordination or Commissioning Anniversaries in December and January:
The Rev. Robert Fox (1/26) - Honorably Retired
Elder Kathy Grimes (12/5) - 5 years - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Elkton-Chandler and Kinde-First
The Rev. Dr. Rhashell Hunter (1/8) - General Assembly Staff; Director of Racial Ethnic and Women's Ministries
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Though it routinely ranks among the five favorite films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption is not usually regarded as a Christmas movie. The film stars Tim Robbins as a man named Andy Dufresne who is sent to Shawshank Prison having been wrongly convicted of killing his wife. The horrors of prison life are almost beyond belief. But Andy makes friends with another inmate named "Red" played by Morgan Freeman. Red is the voice of wisdom and experience who guides Andy through prison life.
In a famous scene, Andy commandeers the prison PA system to play a soaring duet from a Mozart opera recording. The prisoners are transfixed by its beauty. Later, an inmate asks him if his stunt was worth the price of two weeks in solitary. Andy answers, "Yes. Prison is the only place where the music makes sense," because it is important never to lose hope. Red protests that "Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane." But Andy is unfazed. "Hope is a good thing," he insists. "Maybe the best of things, and a good thing never dies."
Christmas is God's story of hope - both good and dangerous. It is easy to miss it amid the schmaltzy sentiment of secular celebrations, but it is the very inbreaking of God into our imprisoned world. Frederick Buechner put it best:
Christmas is full of the wildness and strangeness of divine grace. The Word became flesh. It is not tame, it is not touching. It is not beautiful. It is uninhabitable terror. It is unthinkable darkness riven with unbearable light. Agonized laboring led to it, vast upheavals of intergalactic space, time split apart, a wrenching and tearing of the very sinews of reality itself. [Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized, p. 29]
In the dim, starlit manger, the Word became flesh; hope became real. The rulers of this world, the wardens of our prison, tried to kill it. But a good thing never dies.
Andy Dufresne ("A.D.") was an apostle of hope in a prison that could not hold him in spirit or in body. He is an image of Jesus, whose birth was announced with angelic melodies, and who transforms our despair into unquenchable joy and invincible hope. Where Christ is born, hope lives, even in the most dismal circumstances, even when the darkness seems overwhelming. The walls of the old order have been breached. The angels are singing. The light has come. Reality has been torn apart. Nothing will ever be the same again.
Dan Saperstein Executive Presbyter
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Presbytery Minutes Available
The minutes of the December stated meeting are now available on the Presbytery Meetings page of our website along with the feedback responses and the Charge To The Presbytery. To see photos from the meeting please visit our Facebook page.
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Jesus is the light of the world. Let his light shine through us!
"And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." John 1:5
The Presbytery staff extend our wishes that the joy, the hope, & the peace that this holiday season brings be yours throughout the New Year.
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As a reminder, the presbytery office will be closed Thursday, December 24th to Friday, January 1st in observance of Christmas and New Year.
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Presbyterian Youth Triennium is a gathering for high school age youth from the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church that occurs every three years. The 2016 event is July 19-23, 2016 at Purdue University. The theme for the 2016 event is "GO".
We are coordinating a group from Lake Huron Presbytery to attend this event. It has always been a very popular and rewarding experience for the youth and the adult leaders.
PLEASE NOTE: We need an estimate of the number of youth from the Presbytery of Lake Huron who plan to attend PYT no later than tomorrow, Thursday, December 17th. At this time we do not need names just numbers. Contact Andrew Miller ASAP.
Click here for more information about Presbyterian Youth Triennium or contact the Rev. Andrew Miller at [email protected] or 989-954-3297
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Regarding Ruling Elders: Ruling Elders and Treasurers
The latest article in the popular Regarding Ruling Elders series from the PC(USA) is written by our very own Stated Clerk, the Rev. Ted McCulloch.
Click here to read about the roles of Ruling Elders and Treasurers in our congregations.
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High school students are invited to spend the weekend on campus at Alma College with youth from multiple churches around the state. Share your time and your faith. Enjoy discussion, fellowship, worship, recreation, entertainment and food!
Mark your calendars for March 4 - 6, 2016. We gather on Friday night and depart for home after worship on Sunday morning.
The 2016 Keynote Team includes The Rev. Dr. Charles (Chip) Hardwick and Alma College Alumni and Rev. Troy Hauser Brydon.
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Friends of the Midland-Memorial congregation wish to donate an heirloom circa 1963 family Baldwin 48 electronic organ to a congregation or household. It is equipped with two keyboards and 24 foot pedals. In excellent condition. Mahogany cabinet. For more information, please contact the church at 989-835-6759.
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Here are links to articles that we hope you will enjoy and perhaps spend some time discussing them with others:
You've probably heard by now that the newest film in the Star Wars saga is set to release this month. For Star Wars fans everywhere, this latest installment is a long-time coming. Since The Force Awakens was confirmed, we've been frantically rewatching the first six films, rehashing some juicy fan theories, salivating over the movie trailers and restlessly counting down the days to the film's release. But what do these movies mean to the church? Why should Christians care about one of the most popular science fiction franchises of all-time? How is Star Wars relevant to church communicators?
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Your volunteer culture is the values, beliefs and practices shared by your volunteer team. It is shaped not just by what you do, but by how you do it as well. Volunteer culture is extremely important and will make or break your team. Volunteer teams with a great culture thrive and ones that are unhealthy struggle. Cultures don't just happen...they are created. Here are three steps that will help you create a great volunteer culture.
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There was hesitation before hitting the "send" key. Was I really about to become "that kind of pastor?" The kind of pastor who would send a prayer by text? It's not like I woke up one day and it happened. The move to that place was a slippery slope. It happened bit by bit.
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There is an abundance of copyright myths spinning in church circles, and the Christmas season is not lacking in these false beliefs. One of the most common myths is that ALL Christmas songs, carols or hymns are in the public domain and don't require licensing or permission. It's a misconception that could prove costly for churches unless they understand that many Christmas tunes are copyrighted and owned by secular music publishers. For example, churches often sing, record, stream, print songs like "White Christmas," "Frosty the Snowman," "Mary Did You Know," and don't realize they need licensing or permission to do so. In addition, most of these secular songs are not included in the song programs of most church blanket licenses.
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So your church doesn't have the money to spend on a website or a person who wants to monitor a Facebook page. How can you get information out to the public in an easy, inexpensive way? What's the best way to get things like your location, phone number and worship times on the Internet for free? Try using Google, says Chris Reidenbaugh, a contractor for the global technology company. "Google can be used in conjunction with Facebook and a website," Chris said. "It's good to be found online. Facebook would be a good alternative for a website if they cannot afford one."
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NOTE: The articles listed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of or intended to be an endorsement by the Presbytery of Lake Huron but are shared to encourage discussion of various topics.
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Connect With Other Churches In The Lake Huron Presbytery
There are so many wonderful things going on in all of our congregations. Several of our churches have set up Facebook pages to help spread the good news not only to their members but to all who may be interested. Liking other church Facebook pages is a great way to connect with others in the presbytery and to share ideas with each other. Here are some of the churches that have Facebook pages:
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'Like' Us On Facebook
The presbytery has a Facebook page and would like you to join us. Get updates and information faster. Connect with others to share ideas and to post information about events happening in your congregation. Join us today!
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Staci Percy
Communications Manager/Recording Clerk
[email protected]
989-799-7481 x2
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About the
Bi-Weekly Brief
Hundreds of elders, educators, and church leaders read the Presbytery of Lake Huron's email sent out every other week.
You can reissue or modify this content for your own church bulletin or newsletter, without crediting the Bi-Weekly Brief, but please credit any organizations, photographers, etc, that we credited.
NOTE: The Presbytery of Lake Huron retains permission to modify submissions for clarity and length. Inclusion of an item in the Bi-Weekly Brief means that we think it's interesting and/or important, and does not constitute an endorsement of its point of view or its journalistic accuracy.
Presbytery Office Closed for Christmas
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Details on these meetings can be found on the presbytery's website on the calendar.
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