Recently I looked back to see what I had written about bringing in the New Year. Several articles deal with turning over a new leaf. Suggestions for having the power to lose weight, stop smoking or working on your relationships with family and friends. All thoughts for the betterment of mankind including yourself can be beneficial to you and to everyone with whom you come in contact.

Before we engage in a list of promises for the future, let's take a look at this past year. Did you see the good that came your way because you cared for a loved one, or maybe even a pet? Did your caring provide you with happiness? Was what you were doing based on love? Did you have a time this past year that was filled with despair? How did you overcome the sadness with which you were dealt?  

If we realize we are sometimes entering a speed zone where we are directed to "slow down," do we follow the directions or does a flagman have to step in front of us and wave his command flag back and forth in a feverish manner to get us to reduce our speed? Sometimes we have warnings regarding our friendships and our health.    

 

If we are warned, remember in the New Year that a setback is but a speed bump. Perhaps you took on too much and you just needed to be less rigid, less demanding of yourself. Your expectations from your closest friends and family need to be less structured but with a continuance of love for the core values in life.

Listen to what God tells you as you lay awake at night. You may want to listen to your inner voices, by weighing all of the choices your thoughts convey. It is like looking at the stars, and witnessing all of the formations that make up our endless galaxy.   

 

As you contemplate your very existence, do not spend you're waking moments on regrets. If you can learn by your mistakes, continue to spend the energy if your life can be improved, or with the relationships of family and neighbors.    

 

Don't let others define who you are. Judgmental criticism will bring us to a halt, stun us. By knowing who we are, we can be positive, loving, caring, creative, and opportunistic. By surrounding ourselves with positive, individuals who care about us, we live normally and faithfully. Be a person who dreams, and wishes for the best from everyone, for those are the kind of people who demonstrate love and a fullness of valuable character.   

 

In this New Year, let's be even kinder than in the past, to everyone. Let's look for the good rather than the distasteful. Make sure that what you are saying and thinking are positive thoughts and pure, persuasive actions.    

   

Happy New Year!     

 

Don Myers, CRE

Presbytery Moderator

 

 

 

 

 

Click on links below to read newsletters from some of our congregation that send their publications to the presbytery office electronically. (If your church newsletter is not linked here, contact the presbytery office to ask how you may be included)

  

Alpena

Bellaire 

Beulah 

Big Bay

Escanaba 
Florence 

Gaylord

Harbor Springs

Houghton

Marquette 
Northern Lakes Community Church

Petoskey
Pickford

Rogers City 

Sault Ste. Marie

 

 Administrative Personnel Association of the PCUSA web site

If you see a YouTube link you'd like to share, please send it.  

Ultimate motivational Christian video: God uses little things An Interview with God

At the Coordinating Council meeting on January 21, 2014 the Council approved the recommendation by the Personnel Committee to hire Rev. David Henderson, H.R. as Associate for Pastoral Care.   The Committee on Ministry will be responsible for this position.

Rev. Dave Henderson has been a member of Mackinac Presbytery for 25 years. In his 40+ years of ministry, he has served 4 churches and recently retired from the First Presbyterian Church in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He has served and chaired the Presbytery Point Camp Board, the Committee on Ministry and the Campus Ministry Committee. 

 

Moving was a way of life before retirement. Eight times the family moved before I went to Yale and eight times after graduating from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Perhaps you can share with me if you lived in Garrett, IN, Newark Oh, Massillon, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Wheeling, WV, and Cumberland, MD. I served churches in New Carlisle, OH, Ithaca, NY, Alliance, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Cincinnati, OH, Fairbanks, AK, Taylorville, IL and an interim in Roger City, MI.

 

Most summers during those years I spent time at the family cottage on Old Mission Peninsula. So it seemed natural to retire here in a family cottage. This is the place where Florence and my five children could call home.

 

The parish on the North Side of Pittsburgh was the most exciting. It was in the 60's during the racial struggles when the National Guard was present in my parish area. It is good to look back and see that I was part of the interesting fact that there were no racial riots in the area of cities in the US where Presbyterians had an active church. From there I went to Cincinnati where the church was on the "red line" [black and white].

 

Being called to Fairbanks was a marked change. There were three Sunday services: the traditional eleven o'clock service followed by afternoon services led by Koreans and Eskimos. It was here that my awareness of God exploded from a white, middle class, comfortable God to the Almighty God that truly "had the whole world in his hands". In the celebrations of Easter and Christmas the best known hymns were sung in the three languages of the parish. And where but in the vastness of Alaska does one have a parish where active members are as much as 300 miles away.

                  

I have been blessed in parish ministry and continue to be blessed the life of the Traverse City congregation and Mackinac Presbytery [where I hope all churches will be giving to the Theological Education Fund].

 

 

PURPOSE:  

Our gathering of all Ruling,/Teaching Elders and Ordained Deacons meet regularly to foster strength in communication and support throughout the Presbytery. We explore ways to support one another through  the liturgical year. At each gathering we offer fellowship, prayer, support by engaging in confidential, small group discussions, set in the  in the context of breaking bread together.

There are no leaders, just full participants. The ideal group size is 12 so as to facilitate full participation. Each gathering determines the next meeting time and location. The theme or topics for future discussions are decided by the group. One singular element to be part of each gathering is that we offer opportunities to read Scripture and share our responses.

A representative from the Leadership Development Committee attends & helps facilitate the groups in their formatting and launching.  

Upcoming meeting dates:

March 24, 2014.   In Boyne City District Library 12:00 Noon  [Bring a bag lunch]

May 2014.    TBD

August 2014.  TBD

November 2014.  TBD

Congregations that have participated thus far:

Gaylord

Elk Rapids

Petoskey

Boyne City

Rogers City

East Jordan

Suggested Web sites & daily devotionals:

365

Daily Prayer Lectionary  [PC USA]

The Company of Pastors  [PC USA]

Suggested Books:

"A prayer guide for ministers and other servants"

 "The continuing conversion of the church" by Darrell Guder.

"Why nobody wants to go  to church any More"by Tom Schultz

Group Sunday Literature

'Life tree cafe' by  Tom Schultz

"The Way of Jesus"  & "The Gospel according to Rock" By Toby Jones

"Midwives of A Unnamed Future"

"The Sanctuary of Women" by Jan Richardson

  

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	March 21-24 Advocacy Training Weekend Washington DC Join us to address the causes of violence and to seek hopeful solutions.  Visit the Office of Public Witness website for more information and registration materials.
	August 11-15 Evangelism and Church Growth Conference (ECG2014) Go. Disciple.Live. TradeWinds Resort, St. Pete Beach, Florida