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The Weekly E-Newsletter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
| February 14, 2013
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Prayer RequestsFebruary 17, 2013
 We now have a new weekly prayer email that arrives in your inbox on Tuesdays. Click here to find out this week's prayer concerns or go to Presbytery website to get a monthly printable version of the prayer calendar.
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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Wear Your PDA Shirt to Church on February 17Help Support the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.
The following was written by Pamela Burdine for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
LOUISVILLE --
We are thankful for the tens of thousands of volunteers who have offered themselves in service helping to clean, repair and rebuild homes of families affected by numerous disasters throughout the United States.
While it has been three months since Hurricane Sandy struck New Jersey and New York; thousands of families are still homeless and the recovery - like Hurricane Katrina - will take years. As with Hurricane Katrina, many families will need the faithful witness and service of volunteers to help rebuild their homes.
 Therefore, as an act of solidarity with families affected by Hurricane Sandy and other disasters throughout the United States, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is asking that you designate February 17, 2013 - the first Sunday in Lent (and beginning of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering promotion) - as "wear your blue PDA T-shirt Sunday". We know there are thousands of you who have 'earned' a PDA T-shirt through your faithful service of ministering to survivors of other disasters.
PDA is working with churches that have volunteered to host and with ecumenical partners to ensure that volunteer service best meets the needs of families who were most impacted and provides a meaningful witness for you. We are also confirming that hosting sites have the ability to provide facilities that are clean, safe and have a welcoming atmosphere.
The PDA Call Center is taking the names and contact information for teams wanting to volunteer for Hurricane Sandy rebuilding efforts. As opportunities are identified, you will be notified of when and where those opportunities exist.
While Hurricane Sandy is the most visible need, we encourage you to remember that ongoing needs still exist in many other parts of the country and ask that you prayerfully also consider serving in some of these communities still struggling to recover.
Some locations that have particularly requested additional volunteer work teams are Nashville, Tennessee, Little Rock, Arkansas and Alabama.
Other work sites needing assistance can be found on the PDA volunteer opportunity web site.
Please contact the PDA Call Center or call 866-732-6121 to discuss your team's interest in Hurricane Sandy volunteer opportunities or to register to work at one of the sites in need of volunteers now and in the future.
One more thing; please broadly share this note and take photos of your congregation wearing their PDA t-shirts so that we can make a collage of congregations participating in this initiative. Thank you.
Texas, Mississippi Congregations Lose Buildings
A tornado damages Westminster PC in Hattiesburg, MS; a fire burns a Honey Grove, TX Church to the Ground. Please pray for two Presbyterian congregations whose church buildings were damaged/destroyed this past weekend.  The Westminster Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MN suffered severe damage, and the Presbytery of Mississippi offices were virtually destroyed. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has been in touch with the Presbytery and stands ready to provide all appropriate assistance to the affected community of Hattiesburg in collaboration with the Presbytery. Members of the PDA National Response Team (NRT) may be sent to Hattiesburg to help provide support to church leaders, connection to denominational resources, and assistance in planning the assessment of next steps. The historic (1901) Main Street Presbyterian Church in Honey Grove, Texas, burned to the ground in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 10, 2013. It is believed that the fire is the result of a lightning strike. PDA is attempting to contact leadership in Grace Presbytery to determine how best to respond. For more information on both congregations, please click here.
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Presbytery Office Closed February 18
For President's Day.
The Presbytery offices will be closed on Monday, February 18 in recognition of President's Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, February 19.
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Informational Gathering on Proposed Amendments
Find Out About all the Proposed changes to the PC(USA) Constitution including the Heidelberg Catechism.
On Saturday, February 16, Bills and Overtures will host a gathering at The House of Hope Presbyterian Church from 9 am to 11 am. The purpose of this gathering is for the Committee to listen to those wishing to speak on the amendments and the Heidelberg translation, and answer their questions. The material presented at the January Presbytery meeting will be available.
At the March meeting, the Presbytery will vote on the Heidelberg Confession translation and all other amendments.
The Bills and Overtures Committee have materials to help you and your congregation as we prepare for the upcoming votes on the amendments. You can go to the Bills and Overtures Page to download the documents or you can click here.
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Resource Update February Recommendations from Resource Center for Churches; Cokesbury Twin Cities location to set to close.
Lillian Daniel makes a case for church-based spirituality in When Spiritual But Not Religious Is Not Enough: Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even in Church(Jericho Books, 2013). A video clip and interview with Daniel is here.
In Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self (Jossey-Bass, 2013), Richard Rohr provides tools to uncover the True Self. A short video of Rohr on Prayer as Communion is here.
You learn about more of RCCs February choices by clicking here.
United Theological Seminary Closes Cokesbury Store on March 15, 2013
Cokesbury Christian Resources will continue to be available through our Call Center at 800-672-1789, our website Cokesbury.com, plus a Cokesbury Sales Representative will soon be hired for the Minneapolis/Saint Paul market.
Come by and take advantage of our 30% off inventory liquidation sale.
Shop early for best selection. Click here for a map to our store
3000 Fifth Street, NW New Brighton, Minnesota
*In-Stock Items Only *While Supplies Last *All Sales Final *Excludes VBS and Dated Curriculum *Some exclusions apply.
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Transformation, One Thursday at a Time
Webinars Each Thursday in February.
"Transforming Ourselves and The World One Thursday at a Time" NextChurch and The Ecclesia Project are offering FREE webinars each Thursday in February. Webinars and online conversations can't replace the power of face-to-face interaction with its embodied intimacy, but they can facilitate real connections between people and provide an engaging forum for sharing thoughts and ideas. These conversation venues are one of the emerging tools for harnessing the power of social movements, cultivating collaborative networks and making critical connections.
2013 Day on the Hill
The Annual Interfaith Lobby Day is February 21.
 Minnesota's Joint Religious Legislative Coalition is unique. Established in 1971, it was the nation's first state interfaith public interest lobby group, bringing persons of faith together to advocate for social justice. The sponsoring members are the Minnesota Council of Churches, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Islamic Center of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Catholic Conference. Together, persons from these multiple faiths find their common voice advocating in public policy areas of housing, hunger, health care, human rights, criminal justice, gambling, economic justice, etc. JRLC's Day on the Hill on Thursday, February 21st, is the annual policy briefing and lobby day.Clergy and lay people from across the state attend Day on the Hill to show their interfaith commitment to social justice and to participate in the lawmaking process.
Participants gather in the morning at RiverCentre in downtown St. Paul for inspiration and issue briefings on portions of the JRLC agenda that are being debated and voted on at our State Capitol. Buses then transport attendees to the Capitol for a short rally. Meetings are held with legislators in the afternoon, after which buses bring everyone back to RiverCentre. The day is from ~9:00 am to ~3:00 pm.
Register at www.jrlc.org or call 612-870-3670. Cost is $40, including breakfast and lunch; $15 student and low-income; $45 at the door.
Save the Date #1
PTCA Forum on Sex Trafficking in April.
 The Kwanzaa Task Force of the Mission and Witness Committee will hostCritical Conversations: the local mission effort to deal with sex trafficking and the prostitution of children in the Twin Cities on Tuesday April 2, 6-8PM at Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Golden Valley. Speakers will include Rev. Alika Galloway of the Northside Women's Project and Dr. Lauren Martin from the University of Minnesota. For more information, please read this article by Teaching Elder Bebe Baldwin.
Save the Date #2
Presbyterian Women Spring Gathering in Rochester. 
The Spring Gathering of the Presbyterian Women of the Greater Twin Cities Area will be held on April 13 in Rochester, MN at the First Presbyterian Church. The event starts at 9:00 a.m. with check-in, coffee and conversation. Registration forms will be available in the next
Connections publication.
The speaker this year will be Linda Hora, a Synod Representative from Boone, IA. She participated in the 2011 Global Exchange to India and will reflect on projects, people and experiences she had while there.
Mark your calendars and plan to attend this special event which has been prepared just for you as women of faith. It is a great experience to meet people from other churches in our presbytery and share with them the missions we support, the accomplishments we have made, and the impact we have had on our own community in the name of Jesus Christ.
Save the Date #3
Communication and Technology Workshop on April 13.
 Are you responsible for the church website or run the media and sound for worship? Come to the Communications and Technology Workshop which will be held Saturday, April 13 at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis from 9AM-Noon. More information will follow.
Eco-Palms for Sale
Use Sustainable Palms this Palm Sunday.
 Palm Sunday is March 24. Many churches use palm branches for the day. In 2007 the Presbyterian Church (USA) teamed up with Lutheran World Relief, Catholic Relief Services and the University of Minnesota to offer congregations the option of purchasing responsibly harvested Eco-Palm branches for Palm Sunday. The palms come from communities in Mexico and Guatemala where workers are paid fairly and engage in sustainable harvesting in order to protect the local ecosystem. Learn more about the benefits of Eco-Palms. Congregations should consider ordering Eco-Palms right away to make sure your palms arrive on time. Order online or by phone at 612-624-7418. ORDERING DEADLINES FOR PAYMENT BY CHECK: March 1, 2013 FOR PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD: March 8, 2013 Eco-Palms will arrive the week of March 18-22, 2013. Congregations that ordered Eco-Palms You will receive a confirmation email with a FedEx delivery tracking information after placing your order.
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.
Conference for Mainline Christian Educators Set for October ( more)
Plymouth PC to Host Seminar on Congregational Spirituality February 23 ( more)
Lenten Art Exhibit at First-South St. Paul ( more) Kwanzaa Task Force to Host Conference on Sex Trafficking in April ( more) Board of Pensions Postpones Medical Care Dues Recommendation to June ( 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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