Presbytery of Lake Huron
Bi-Weekly Brief 
 
"The mission of the Presbytery of Lake Huron is to partner with congregations, helping people to know, grow, share and serve as disciples of Jesus Christ." 
 

July 5, 2017 



God, awaken us to our complicity
in the problems of our world.
Make us aware of needs and
injustices far and near,
and show us how to use
the gifts you've given us
to address those issues.
In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.


From today's Mission Yearbook entry
  
We Pray For 

We Lift Up In Prayer...  

New:
The Rev. Robert (Bob) Lakey, Honorably Retired,  is now under hospice care at the Cartwright Center in Saginaw. Brief visits are welcome.

Ongoing:
The Rev. Dr. Tom Schacher, Pastor of Midland-Memorial and his family and congregation  as they deal with his recent diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease.

Pam Brackbill and the Rev. Tom Brackbill, Pastor of Alma-First as they deal with all that encompasses Pam's diagnosis of Younger Onset Alzheimer's Disease. Pam is under the care of Masonic Pathways. 

Mission Co-Workers:
The Rev. Cathy Chang and family who are serving 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 July and August:

The Rev. David Blackburn (7/1) - 45 years - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Tom Brackbill (8/31) - Pastor of Alma-First
The Rev. Lindsey Carnes (7/29) - 10 years - Co-Pastor of Fenton-First
The Rev. Robert Carnes (7/29) - 10 years - Co-Pastor of Fenton-First
The Rev. Annie Duncan (7/27) - Temporary Supply of Swartz Creek-Mundy
The Rev. David Eshleman (8/3) - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Glenn Grant (8/15) - Pastor of Grand Blanc-Kirkridge
Elder Shaun Hardimon (8/11) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Holly and Swartz Creek-Mundy
The Rev. Ken Hetzel (8/16) - 30 years - Pastor of Croswell-First
The Rev. Charles Marquardt (8/29) - Member-At-Large
The Rev. Ted McCulloch (8/20) - Pastor of Saginaw-First and Presbytery Stated Clerk
The Rev. Dr. Rhonda Myers (7/28) - Pastor of Midland-Chapel Lane
The Rev. James Neumann (7/1) - 35 years - Pastor of Saginaw-Second
The Rev. James Offrink (7/25) - Honorably Retired
Elder Kathleen Rowe (8/1) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Tawas-Tawas Area
The Rev. Dr. Tom Schacher (7/17) - Pastor of Midland-Memorial
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Shugart (8/1) - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Dr. Noel Snyder (7/31) - Member-At-Large
  
Presbytery Office
Dan Saperstein
From the Lions' Den

"Sticky Mission" - Part 2
In my last column, I expounded on the need for churches to shift from "Teflon" mission - that is, mission which leaves the giver unchanged - to "Velcro" mission, which picks up people and changes the church by developing relationships with those we serve. At our stewardship workshop on June 24, I defined it a form of "missional stewardship" which engages personally, directly, and sacrificially in the mission of God, builds relationships with those being served, and invites them to share in the mission.

The aspects of "sticky mission" that distinguish it from other forms of mission are in boldface type. The surprising twist is in the last word. Sticky mission does not invite people to church. It doesn't end with an evangelistic pitch. But it does create ways for the beneficiaries of our mission to join with us in its ongoing work. The theology behind this is that it is not "our" mission - it is God's. We join the work God is already doing in the world, so that what matters is not us, or the church, but the mission - and the people being served.

Here are some examples of how traditional church mission can be transformed from Teflon to Velcro:

         "TEFLON" MISSION
        "VELCRO" MISSION
  • Giving money to a local charity
  • Making school supply kits
  • Hosting community VBS in church
  • Sending money to PDA
  • Offering funeral meals for members
  • Volunteering to work with the charity
  • Tutoring students
  • Providing VBS in family homeless shelter
  • Organizing PDA field teams
  • Offering community bereavement  support
As I was writing this piece, a story came across my desk which illustrates sticky mission. It was related by General Assembly Co-moderator Jan Edmiston in her blog. It is the story of an Episcopal church in a Colorado ski community which consisted almost entirely of retirees. They prayed for young people to join the church, but the young people in town were mostly "ski bums" or in the service industry underclass. Church just wasn't on their radar.

One day, while sipping coffee in a local coffee shop, the parish priest - who was wearing a clerical collar - was approached by a couple of heavily-tattooed young men who asked if he was part of a church that "let's people get together when somebody dies." They explained that a friend had died of an overdose, his parents had flown the body back home and they hadn't had time to say goodbye. The priest said that - if they wanted - they could have a funeral in the church building where he worked. They accepted.

In making the usual arrangements with the congregation, the priest added that, although it might not be easy, they were to refrain from staring at or judging their guests.  "They don't look like church people," he said. Edmiston writes,

The priest relinquished control over the "service." There were no bulletins, no prayers, no hymns. The Friends of the Deceased took turns telling stories. And after, the guests enjoyed a homecooked dinner in the reception hall served by the church ladies and gentlemen. Eating his first homecooked dinner in a while, one guest said, " This is like eating at my Grandmother's house. I wish we could do this every Sunday." And without missing a beat, one of the casserole bakers blurted out, " We can. We'll be here next Sunday too, so come for dinner and bring some more friends."

Edmiston concludes with this reflection:

Ministry - for any age - is not about "getting people to join". It's about loving our neighbors and addressing their needs. I have no doubt that congregations will thrive if we are living out the message of Jesus. Focusing on "increasing membership" instead of following Jesus is the sure fire way to kill a church. The by-product, however, of doing healthy ministry is church growth.

So maybe you don't live in a resort community with skiers. But chances are you live in a community with kids who need you. Maybe they struggle with hunger or addiction or bullying or struggles speaking English or substandard housing or unemployment or homelessness or unplanned pregnancy or neglect or overwhelming social pressures or gangs or physical abuse or basic human loneliness. How would you know? Talk to your local police officers, school guidance counselors, emergency room workers. Do your research. And then pray that God will make ministry happen.

That's sticky mission - mission that joins God's mission in the world, builds relationships, and invites others to share in the mission.
   
Faithfully,

Dan Saperstein,  Executive Presbyter
 
Special Called Meeting
of Presbytery

There will be a Special Called Meeting of Presbytery on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 10:00am at the Presbytery Office/Saginaw-Korean regarding Fairgrove Presbyterian Church.
 
Details are available on our website on the Presbytery Meetings page.


NOTE: The report of the Response Team has been added to the Presbytery Meetings page since the original notice was sent out last week. Please bring a copy with you as only a limited number of copies will be available at the meeting.
 
Stewardship Workshop Materials
Stephen Keizer,
The Presbyterian Foundation
New Visions of Stewardship: A Workshop for Ruling Elders and Other Leaders

How do we encourage greater financial support for our church's ministry and mission?

How has the shift to a check-less and cash-less society changed the Sunday offering?

How can we integrate financial stewardship with a larger vision of faithfulness and mission?

These questions and much more were answered at the  New Visions of Stewardship workshop that was held on June 24th  at First Presbyterian Church, Flint

We welcomed the Rev. Stephen Keizer of the Presbyterian Foundation as our keynoter. In addition, workshops were offered on timely topics such as "Introducing E-giving," "Stewardship Strategies for the Small  Church," "Growing Missional Stewardship," and more.

Copies of the book Not Your Parents' Offering Plate are still available for $10 each with NO shipping costs. Contact Rose Onan at ronan@presbylh.org or 989-799-7481 x6

Click here to view and download the presentations from the event. They have been converted from PowerPoint to PDF so that they may be viewed with Adobe.
 
Communications Corner
Headlines of Interest
   
Here are links to articles that we hope you will enjoy and perhaps spend some time discussing them with others. Click on the title to read the entire article.
   
 
Pastors are, in my judgment, amazing people. They faithfully serve Sunday after Sunday, often with no desire for recognition or fame. In faith, they can do a lot-but here are several things they can't do. .. continue reading.
 
Back in October 2014, I attended the Lifelong Faith Associates symposium on intergenerational faith formation. About 100 practitioners from a variety of churches and denominations gathered to discuss intergenerational models of teaching and sharing the Christian faith. The following article summarizes much of what I learned at this outstanding conference. The three models described below are not the only ways to do intergenerational ministry, and this is by no means an exhaustive or authoritative list.. .. continue reading .
 
 
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.
Connections
FB2
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:

Tawas
Vassar-First
Yale-First

If your congregation has a page and it is not listed here, please contact Staci Percy at spercy@presbylh.org

'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! 

Contact Information

Staci Percy

Communications Manager/Recording Clerk

spercy@presbylh.org 

989-799-7481 x2

In This Edition
In Our Prayers
From The Lions' Den
Special Called Meeting
Stewardship Workshop Materials
Get Talkin'
Connect With LHP Churches
Join Us On Facebook


Who We Are
 
 
 
 
 
About the
Bi-Weekly Brief

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Coordinating Team
July 12
10:00 am


Vision Task Force
July 12
2:00 pm


Staff Development Day - Office Closed
July 17


Special Called Meeting of Presbytery
July 18
10:00 am


Commission on Preparation for Ministry
July 19
10:00 am


Commission on Ministry - Outreach and Administration Team
July 26
11:00 am


Coordinating Team
August 9
10:00 am


Commission on Preparation for Ministry
August 16
10:00 am


Commission on Ministry - Full Team
August 24
11:00 am


Personnel Team
August 28
10:00 am 
 

Details on these meetings can be found on the presbytery's website on the calendar.