EMerge is a newsletter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. Through most of the year it is published weekly and distributed to congregations, teaching elders, ruling elders, church members, committees and friends of the presbytery. Please send submissions and address corrections to [email protected].
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Committee on Congregational Vitality plans retreat on 'Good News'
The presbytery's Committee on Congregational Vitality is asking, "How would you like to spend a  Friday and part of Saturday at the beautiful Clearwater Forest at the peak of the fall-color season reflecting on 'Good News?' Does the 'Good News' look different as seasons change? Do we proclaim a message that is 'Good News' to the world we now inhabit, or are we propping up a church built to address the needs of a world that no longer exists?" The committee is sponsoring a retreat, beginning Friday, Sept. 28, that will reflect on the proclamation of the "Good News" in a world that remains divided and filled with inequality. Registration details can be found at "Good News." Additional details are available on request by sending e-mail to [email protected].
Boundary training offered
in October at Oak Grove
The presbytery's Committee on Ethics will be host to a Level 1 boundaries training Oct. 8 from 8:30 a.m.  to 3 p.m. at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington. This training is required for all teaching elders in the presbytery, and is also appropriate for youth directors, Christian education staff, music staff, ministry volunteers, and people serving on church personnel committees. The training provides basic foundations and frameworks for healthy and safe Christian communities in terms of ministry relationships, finance, social media and confidentiality. Registration can be completed at "Boundaries Training."
Jeff's Jottings
Put this on your calendar!
By Jeff Japinga
Executive Presbyter
 Hi, I'm Jeff ... remember me?
With Synod School and vacation (both my own and that of EMerge editor Duane Sweep), it's been more than a month since my last Jottings. Let's call that a good summer respite, space to think and wonder about and experience God in new ways. I know that's been true for me; I hope it has been for you as well. Sometimes, it really is best just to be quiet.
But only for a while, which is why I want to point forward to September, and to the September meeting of the Presbytery. The Presbytery Leadership Team has been working with the question, How can our Presbytery live out its primary commitments to serve congregations and equip leaders? They've asked themselves that question, and they've asked you that question, taking time at the January meeting to let you talk about what you need and expect from Presbytery.
Here's one impact of these conversations: our five Presbytery meetings. It's always been clear the important work that we do together at Presbytery meetings; we're a connectional church, and we live by and through these commitments.
The complete Jottings are at "Mark Your Calendar."
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Forum on hunger issues
planned Aug. 28 in Burnsville
Hunger is a growing problem in the Twin Cities area, striking children and youth, seniors and families. A  forum on local hunger issues and solutions will take place Tuesday, Aug. 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Burnhaven Library Community Room, 1101 West County Road 42, in Burnsville. The event, open to the public, is being presented by the steering committee for the sixth annual South of the River CROP Hunger Walk. The forum will feature four panelists who will speak from different aspects addressing hunger in the area. Complete details about this forum and the upcoming Crop Hunger Walk can be found at "Hunger Issues."
Retired ministers
plan September gathering
The fall gathering of retired ministers, spouses and guests is planned at The House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Avenue, in St. Paul from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25. Additional details will be forthcoming.
Israel as ancient symbol, contemporary reality is focus of preaching seminar
 A seminar, designed to help preachers understand and challenge biblical interpretation that benefits one group at the expense of another, is planned at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul Sept. 26. It is, according to the seminar announcement, "at the theological heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict." Reading materials will be provided prior to the seminar. The seminar is a Hosanna Preaching Seminar sponsored by the Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). To register, contact John Anderson by e-mail at [email protected], including name, e-mail address, and mailing address. Additional seminar details are at "Hosanna Seminars."
Mediation skills workshop planned
in October in Minnetonka
 Minnetonka United Methodist Church in Minnetonka will be host to a "Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders," a program of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, that runs Oct. 1-5. The workshop is designed to equip pastors and other church leaders with the skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal, congregational and other forms of group conflict. The daily sessions emphasize hands-on skills training and real-life role-plays based on the kinds of conflicts faced by participants. Details about the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center mediation training and upcoming session can be found at "Mediation Skills."
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Resources, conferences ...
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Regarding Ruling Elders: The creative tension of spiritual leadership
 The Rev. Joan S. Gray, who has served as teaching elder in 12 congregations and as the moderator of the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), writes the current installment of Regarding Ruling Elders, a resource published by the Office of the General Assembly. She notes, "
Those who partner with God in the spiritual leadership of the church live between two important truths. The first of these we hear from Jesus on the occasion of his last gathering with his disciples: "Without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). "Nothing" is a very hard word. It must have been hard for the first disciples to hear. First, Jesus talks about his going away from them and then they hear that without him they can do nothing." Gray's complete column can be found at "Spiritual Leadership."
'Just Worship' conference will explore crossroads of worship, justice
 An upcoming conference, "Just Worship,"
at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta Sept. 13-15 will bring together pastors, musicians, activists and scholars to explore how God might be leading the church toward a more faithful and vibrant future through worship. The conference is sponsored by three Presbyterian seminaries: Columbia, Austin and Johnson C. Smith -- the Office of Theology and Worship, and the Presbyterian Association of Musicians. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Paul Seebeck can be found at "Just Worship."
Stewardship Kaleidoscope planned
in St. Louis in September
 This year's Stewardship Kaleidoscope, an annual conference offering speakers, workshops and networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and generosity, is planned Sept. 24-26 in St. Louis. Diana Butler Bass, an award-winning author and internationally known public speaker, and Chick Lane, pastor for stewardship and generosity at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Maple Grove, Minnesota, will be the keynote speakers. Details about the conference can be found at "Stewardship Kaleidoscope."
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Service opportunities ...
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Valley Community Presbyterian Church
in Golden Valley is seeking a full-time office administrator. The complete job description, which includes responsibilities in administrative support, communications, finance and leadership, can be found at "Office Administrator." Applications can be submitted by e-mail to the Rev. Richard Buller at [email protected], and additional details are available by calling the church office at 763.588.0831. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 22.
Central Presbyterian Church
in Saint Paul is seeking a children and youth ministry coordinator to help create and oversee a program for children and youth that is dynamic, age-appropriate, multi-cultural, connected to worship and mission, and supportive of the church's goal to grow our membership. This is a part-time (10-20 hours per week, average) position that requires an energetic presence on Sundays from at least 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Other hours are flexible depending upon the varying weekly needs of the church program. Interested individuals are asked to contact the Rev. David Colby at [email protected].
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Katie Geneva Cannon dies; first woman of color ordained minister in PC(USA)
 The Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon, a pioneer and legend in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), died Wednesday, Aug. 8. The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson II, stated clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), issued the following official statement: "The Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon represented the best of contemporary scholarship through her use of 'down home' southern African American culture shaped by a strong sense of connections to contemporary womanist and movement theology." The complete statement can be found at "Katie Geneva Cannon."
Lakes and Prairies week-long
Synod School draws more than 600
Marking its 65th year, this year's iteration of Synod School, the midsummer ministry of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, drew more than 600 for a week of  worship, classes, fun and fellowship on the campus of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Synod School 2018, which ran July 21-27, featured more than 70 classes, convocation addresses by Jason Brian Santos, worship services led by Jana Childers, and the music leadership of Hans Peterson and Nelson Morlock. While participation in Synod School is usually measured by the number of participants from a presbytery, this year a single church contributed 29 attendees. "There were 29 of us, counting me," noted Lance Loveall, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Duane Sweep can be found at "Synod School."
Faith-based protesters stand up
to counter white supremacists
When white supremacist groups announced plans to hold a demonstration in the nation's capital to mark the one-year anniversary of the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, many were concerned the day would descend into violence as it did in 2017, when one woman was killed and many more injured after a man who had marched with racists allegedly plowed his car into a group of counter-protesters. But by Aug. 12, Washington, D.C., had hosted far more anti-racist Methodists, Baptists and other religious demonstrators than white supremacists, and the thousands of other counter-protesters spread across the city suggested white nationalists had inadvertently done more to unite people across religious and racial differences than bolster the ranks of racists. The complete story by Jack Jenkins of the Religion News Service can be found at "Standing United."
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