Festival of Homiletics takes place
in Minneapolis May 19-23
The Festival of Homiletics, a weeklong conference that brings together a variety of preachers and professors of homiletics for a discourse about preaching, worship and culture, runs Monday through Friday, May 19-23, in Minneapolis. According to the Festival's website, "Individual preachers are invited to consider various styles and methodologies of preaching in the hopes that they will renew their faith and refresh their spirits through engaging worship, lectures and workshops. Throughout the week we aim to inspire preachers in their roles of proclaiming the gospel." Details about the event can be found at "Homiletics."
Administrative Personnel Association
sets regional conference in July
The Administrative Personnel Association Greater Midwest Region will conduct its 2014 conference July 27-29 at First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Ill. Vicki Thordsen of Waterloo, Iowa, is president of the Greater Midwest Region. APA classes will be available to all members. Event details can be found in the brochure at "Greater Midwest Region."
Camps across synod gear up for summer sessions
There are five Presbyterian camps in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies - actually six, if one counts the two camps of the Presbytery of South Dakota - Rimrock and Pioneer. And all of them are getting ready for summer. Camp Wyoming of Wyoming, Iowa, also uses a variety of social media. Calvin Crest Camp, Conference & Retreat Center is just outside Fremont, Neb., and it has a Facebook presence. Then, of course, there is Clearwater Forest near Deer River, Minn., a multi-presbytery and synod camp. It's on Facebook at Clearwater. And on Lake Okoboji in Iowa, there is the newly renamed Lakeshore Center at Okoboji and it's on Facebook, too. Speaking of those two camps in South Dakota, both are in the beautiful Black Hills region and both can be found in the same location online.
Church Administration Institute
offered this summer through OPSF
The fourth annual Church Administration Institute, a collaborative project of the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation and the School of Public Affairs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, will be offered as a distance education program July 23 through Aug. 29. It is designed to address church leaders' needs in key administration areas, including leadership, human resource management, grant writing, legal issues, and financial reporting and controls. Details can be found at "Administration."
Theocademy: Forming faith anytime, anywhere
For those who might be looking for a way to train ruling elders or those who are looking for new-member class material, Theocademy might have some answers. According to its Web site, Theocademy "wants to provide members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with the finest theological education they can get short of attending one of our 10 seminaries. Currently, we are working on two sets of video lessons, one for use in new-member classes and a second for helping ruling elders and deacons better understand the ministry they have been called to. It's a project of the Synod of Mid-America, with help from the partner synods of Lakes and Prairies, and Lincoln Trails, and more - Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation, Heartland Center, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, Louisville Theological Seminary and McCormick Theological Seminary. It's all at "Theocademy."
Everyday prayer practices
are subject of 1-day retreat
Sponsored by the Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing (MICAH), Oak Grove Lutheran Church in Richfield, Minn., will be the site of a one-day retreat Saturday, June 14, titled "Prayer Practices for Everyday Life." The retreat runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The MICAH Web site notes, "Many of us long for a deeper relationship with God but aren't sure how to get there. We are busy, stressed, often unfocused. Where is God in the midst of our everyday life? This one day retreat will help equip you to continue on your deepening journey of faith." Details are at "Everyday Prayer."
Presbyterians Today publishes
special edition on young adult ministry
Including an article that questions the traditional format of Sunday school, Presbyterians Today magazine has published a special edition that addresses youth ministry. Addressing millennials, the article notes, "They also are on track to be the most educated generation in history. Millennials no longer need (or believe they need) experts - including those in the church - to pass on information from on high. They can listen to a TED talk for cutting-edge information on a wide variety of topics. Christian education, therefore, has to offer something that no YouTube video can: whole-life transformation. Regrettably, many congregations continue to employ the traditional Sunday school model - designed to transmit information that millennials no longer seek." The complete story, and others in the special issue, can be found at "Not Interested in Sunday School."
Western National Leadership
Training event set this fall
The Western National Leadership Training event this fall - "Grieving Loss, Embracing Hope" - runs Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Jackson Hole (Wyo.) Presbyterian Church. Ken McFayden, professor of ministry and leadership development at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va., will be the plenary speaker. The complete event brochure, which contains registration information, can be found at "Western National Leadership Training."
IRMS resources have a definite spring sound
Iowa Religious Media Services, an ecumenical resource center in Urbandale, Iowa, supported in part by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, has a number of resources that evoke the thought of spring - maybe summer. They write, "Just in time for spring, a new series sprouts. 'Seed Pack' is a six-part exploration of planting seeds for spiritual practices such as Enough, Control, Armor, and more." There is also "Seeds Dirt Fruit," an inter-generational resource that raises the questions of nurturing seeds and bearing fruit. And there's more. "Planting the Seeds of Peace" is designed for lower elementary through junior high students and includes mini-dramas, cartoons and on-the-street interviews about getting along with those who are not like one's self. And, too, there's "Growing Seeds of Faith: 26 Children's Sermons," 10-minute lessons that focus on scripture and how to apply it to life.
McFayden to lead leadership webinar
Ken McFayden, dean of the Leadership Institute and professor of ministry and leadership development at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va., will lead a webinar Tuesday, May 20, on new perspectives of leadership grounded in discipleship. The webinar, planned at 1 p.m. CDT, will also be made available in on-demand replay or DVD. The website of The Presbyterian Outlook, host to the webinar, notes, "For years, we have participated in conversations about leadership-a desire for better leaders, more entrepreneurial leaders, adaptive leaders. Too often, our conversations have espoused cultural values about leadership and have forgotten the identity of Christian leaders as disciples of Jesus, as people who first are followers." Details can be found at "Leadership."
Congregational Ministries
Publishing seeks partners
Congregational Ministries Publishing, the denominational curriculum publisher of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is asking presbyteries and synods planning leadership events if they would be interested in a workshop in the fall of this year or the spring and summer of 2015 to introduce its new children's curriculum, "Growing in Grace & Gratitude." If there is interest, event leaders are invited to contact CMP with the dates and location of the event. CMP acknowledges that it cannot guarantee acceptance of every invitation, but all will be considered. CMP can be found online at "Publishing." Additional resources, including tools to help congregations evaluate curriculum and plan educational ministry, can be found at "2014 POINT Ministry Guide."
Foundation's Stewardship Resource
Center is partner for congregations
In a recent newsletter, the Presbyterian Foundation pointed to its Stewardship Resource Center, where it notes, "The Presbyterian Foundation is your partner for congregational stewardship. ... This site is your starting point for training, discussion, tools and resources, and ongoing support as you work to build a culture of generous giving in your congregation." The online material is at "Stewardship Resource Center."
Foundation newsletter looks
at 'odd' worship element: the offering
The May 1 edition of The Pastor's Life, a newsletter of the Presbyterian Foundation, "'The Offering' in our order of worship has long been an odd element. ... It is a bit like baseball's 'seventh inning stretch,' a time to relax and listen to the choir while ushers silently pass plates from row to row. It is a particularly odd element in an age of monthly or even annual giving, on-line giving, and automatic bank withdrawals. Is there any way to rescue the offering?" The complete blog post quoted in the newsletter can be found at "Offering."