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The Weekly E-Newsletter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
| March 21, 2013
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Prayer RequestsMarch 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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The Winter of Our LivesHow can the Church help people age and die with grace?
 While we have all had enough of the season of winter, it is important for the Church to start talking about how to care for those in the "winter" of their lives and how to help them not only age well, but also die well.
There are two opportunities to help faith communities and individuals as they face aging. Westminster Presbyterian in Minneapolis is sponsoring a series of meetings talking about aging and preparing for the end. On April 7 the discussion will focus on practical matters such estate planning and medical directives. On April 14, the main topic will be planning a memorial service. To learn more or to register, please go the Westminster's website.
Graceful Journey is a project of the Minnesota Council of Churches in partnership with Honoring Choices Minnesota. It is designed to help people think about the decisions that need to be made at end of life, to offer the tools necessary to talk about and make those decisions, and to encourage congregations to provide the care needed to make the end of life a graceful journey.
Minnesota Council of Churches has trained Graceful Journey Faith Ambassadors who are certified Advance Care Planning Facilitators. Faith Ambassadors are available to deliver two 90-minute presentations or four 45-minute adult education sessions, and can coach your church as it becomes a Congregation of Care. Are you interested in a presentation, or in learning more about becoming a Congregation of Care? Fill in this interest form. Please contact Helen Jackson Lockett-El at (612) 230-3345 or helen.jacksonlockett-el@mnchurches.org with any questions.
Thoughts on AgingWise Words from a PTCA Pastor. In 2011, Bill Chadwick, the Senoir Pastor of Oak Grove Presbyterian in Bloomington wrote a piece for the congregational newsletter giving advice to his aging members. We used it in the November 2011 edition of InPrint and posted it on the website. You can read his thought-provoking essay by clicking here.
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InPrint Returns!
The PTCA's journal of mission and ministry focuses on new and renewing congregations.
InPrint, the Journal of Mission and Ministry in the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area is now available. You can either read the magazine online or download it for reading or sharing. Please click on the links below to start the download.
This issues includes:
- Stories on Chain of Lakes New Church Development and the Revival of Grace-Trinity
- Making Presbytery Meetings Millennial-Friendly
- Mission taking place in Austin, Albert Lea and St. Paul
- Lenten Thoughts
- and much more.
Have a story to share? We are looking for stories of mission and ministry taking place in the PTCA. Please send your stories ideas and completed copy to communications@ptcaweb.org. The due date for copy for the June 2013 issue is at the close of business on May 15, 2013.
Please let us know what you think of InPrint and how it fits into the media ministry of the PTCA. Feel free to send an email to communication@ptcaweb.org
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Healthy Boundaries Training
April 4 at Church of the Apostles in Burnsville.
The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area will host a Level One Boundaries Training Event on Thursday, April 4 at Presbyterian Church of the Apostles
in Burnsville from 8:30am to 2pm. Lunch will be provided and the cost for the event is $30 which will cover materials and lunch.
This training is presented two times a year, April and October, by Advocates for Integrity in Ministry (AIM). All clergy are required to take the training. New incoming pastors have a year from their reception to fulfill the requirement. Churches are encouraged to send elders, deacons, all staff, lay and clergy, and any other persons engaged in any form of ministry in or on behalf of the church.
1. All youth leaders who wish to attend Triennium are required to take this training.
2. All participants are required to attend the entire day of training, from opening welcome and worship through closing, or no credit will be given.
You must sign-up for the event online before the close of business on Tuesday, April 2.
If you have any questions, please contact the Sandra Stuart Gray or Peter Soulen, co-chairs of the Advocates for Integrity Committee at aim@ptcaweb.org.
Click here to register for the event.
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2013-14 Presbyterian Planning Calendars Order them now through the Presbytery Office.
 It's time to order your 2013-2014 Presbyterian Planning Calendars. Each year, the Presbytery offers to consolidate orders in order to give you a better price. We receive a price break with an order of at least 50 calendars then pass the savings on to you.
Calendar features include:
- Monthly calendar pages from June 2013 through December 2014
- Lectionary for the Lord's Day and special liturgical days
- Colors for the liturgical seasons
- Liturgical days, programmatic emphases and secular holidays
- Monthly planning suggestions and resources
- Synod, presbytery and GA staff directories
- Foldout synod/presbytery and world maps in color
The new calendars will be available in May 2013. The price will be about $8.75 per calendar. Your order will need to be picked up at the Presbytery office with payment due at that time. Sorry, no exceptions.
Please let me know how many calendars you wish to order through the Presbytery no later than April 19, 2013. I can be reached by email at office@ptcaweb.org, by phone at 612-871-7281 or you can send a note to me at Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, 122 W. Franklin Ave., Suite 508, Minneapolis, MN 55404.
Thank you,
Risa Anderson
Office Manager
A Note About Mission and Witness Congregational and Scholarship Grants
Send those applications in early.
A note about 2013 Congregational and Scholarship Grant requests:
Please plan ahead!
The M&W Committee has determined that it can only consider church or scholarship grant applications that arrive prior to the date of an event. Requests made through the online applications should be submitted with proper approvals at least 6 weeks prior to the date of the event. The next meeting of M&W is March 21st, regular meetings are the 4th Thursday of every month.
Also, the deadline for Congregational Grants has changed. The date to turn in your application is September 1, 2013.
To apply for either grant online, please click here.
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Presbyterian Health Care FAQs
Board of Pensions Launches new website on Healthcare.
 The Board of Pensions has launched a new website dedicated to information about healthcare, including medical dues considerations, at healthcare.pensions.org. The website features news, questions and answers, resources, and facts about the Medical Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It also features a feedback function through which you can share your thoughts and opinions on the medical dues considerations or other areas related to overall healthcare coverage with the Board of Pensions.
Take a few moments to explore this new resource and visit often for new and updated information about healthcare benefits!
Bossman Scholarship
Deadline is April 1.
Each year, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area provides assistance to future pastors through the Carl H. Bossman Scholarships. Applicants must be currently under care of PTCA, enrolled in seminary to be eligible, and scholarships are paid directly to the seminary. Preference is given to those willing to serve in small churches, and in Wisconsin. The due date for the application is Monday, April 1 and should be mailed or emailed into the Presbytery office. For more information or to apply, please go to the PTCA Forms page and look for the forms for the Committee on Preparation for Ministry.
CPM Summer Gathering
June 24 in South St. Paul.
 The Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM) is hosting a Summer Gathering for individuals exploring a sense of call to Teaching Elder in the PC(USA), including Seekers, Inquirers, Candidates, Pastors and Session Liaisons . The event will take place Monday, June 24, 2013 4:00pm to 9:00pm at First Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul, MN.
If you are a pastor or church member who has been in conversation with a member of your church who has expressed an interest in becoming a Teaching Elder, or if you know of someone in your congregation that you believe may have gifts and skills for ministry as a Teaching Elder, please share this invitation with them and encourage them to register for this event. For more information or to register, please click here.
Splash!
Energize Your Congregation's Children's Ministry.
Featuring speaker Mark Burrows, the theme will be children and family ministry--more specifically, including children in worship. Christian educators as well as pastors are encouraged to attend.
Critical Conversations
PTCA Forum on Sex Trafficking in April.
 The Kwanzaa Task Force of the Mission and Witness Committee will host Critical 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.
"God's People Crying Out for Justice"
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.
The cost for the event is $15. For more information and also to register for the event, download the Spring 2013 issue of Connections, the Newsletter of Presbyterian Women in the PTCA.
The Wired Church
Communication and Technology Forum on April 13.
 Are you in charge of the audio/video for Sunday morning service? Or maybe you put together the church newsletter or website? Do you have questions on how to do your job better or do you have tips to share with others. If you are involved in either technology or communication in your church, we hope you will take time to come to the Wired Church, a forum on the role of technology and communication in congregations. It's a time to come with questions or tips on how to improve your ministry. Join us April 13 at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis from 9AM-Noon. The event is free, but we would like you to register. Registration for the event is now available! Please click here to register.
Shampoo and Toothpaste Needed
For Refugees coming to Minnesota.
Imagine (if you can) flying internationally without any money or even a credit card, only to find out your hotel doesn't have any toiletries like shampoo or toothpaste. MCC Refugee Services prepares apartments for newly arriving refugee families with all the basics to give families a warm welcome to Minnesota and give them a chance to settle in without having to worry about basic necessities. We are in need of full-sized shampoo and toothpaste to share with the many new arrivals that we're expecting. For a full list of accepted items, visitthe Minnesota Council of Churches-Refugee Ministries website. Donations can be delivered to the MN Church Center (122 Franklin Ave W, Minneapolis) during business hours.
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. You can also read the latest goings on in the Presbyterian Church by going to our Storify Page.
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News of the Kirks
What's Happening in PTCA Churches.
Conference for Mainline Christian Educators Set for October ( more)
Two PTCA Congregations Granted "Green" Seal of Approval ( 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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