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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A call for prayers
for presbytery's mission team
 Our PTCA Mission Trip team has done remarkable work this week in Louisiana. (Visit the presbytery's Facebook page for daily reflections and reports.) Now they are traveling home through terrible weather and storms. Please pray for traveling mercies: for their safety and safety of all whom they encounter along the way.
Webinar on gun violence prevention to be presented at 2 PTCA congregations
 Co-sponsored by Presbyterian Outlook, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, a 90-minute webinar Monday, April 16, will address "engaging in the holy work of gun violence prevention," offering practical resources for congregations and their leaders for education and action. The workshop is scheduled at 1 p.m.
Presbytery Committees Need Members
Committees of the presbytery are to have equal numbers of clergy and of church members and/or  ruling elders. We need more church members and elders. At the annual meeting in May, the Presbytery will elect persons to fill about 70 positions on a variety of committees. While some of these positions will be filled by persons who have agreed to serve a second term, most need new people to fill them. Details are available by contacting Manley Olson, chair of the Nominating Committee, by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 651.644.2848. The complete announcement is at "Committee Members Needed."
News begets news
A March for Our Lives update
"Sometimes, the mere appearance of a news item in EMerge or on our Presbytery Facebook page prompts additional learnings about that same event," Jeff Japinga, executive presbyter, wrote this week. He continued: "On March 24, I posted the following on my own and on the Presbytery's Facebook page:  Proud of the representation from the congregations of Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area today at the capitol in Saint Paul. Well done. #marchforourlives #enoughisenough
"What I didn't know is how extensive that involvement really was. I received [a note] this week from a member of The House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul."
The note stated, in part, "House of Hope was pleased to support the March for Our Lives event by offering a free park-and-ride bus service for HOH members, their friends and other Presbyterian Churches in the St. Paul area."
The story of House of Hope's participation, and another picture, can be found at "March for Our Lives."
PTCA Congregational Development
Grant applications due May 18
Congregational Development Grant applications are available for churches and worshiping communities to encourage or expand ministry supporting innovative, and perhaps risky, initiatives at the congregational level. Anyone in a congregation who may have an idea for making use of such a grant is invited to complete the application process. Applications will be accepted until the May 18 deadline. Applications require session approval. Cooperative projects among and between congregations and worshiping communities can be submitted. The application form is at "Congregational Development." Once complete, the application can be mailed to the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, 2115 Cliff Drive, Eagan, MN 55122. Applications can also be submitted online at "Congregational Vitality." Questions can be addressed to Mike Quady, chair of the Committee on Congregational Vitality, at [email protected] or Jeff Japinga, executive presbyter, at [email protected].
Jeff's Jottings
Good afternoon, Church
 By Jeff Japinga
Executive Presbyter
We have so many incredible thinkers and writers in this Presbytery. Sometimes, the very best thing I can write is directions to what they have written. When I read the following Thursday afternoon, by Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church pastor the Rev. Kara Root, I knew it was one of those times. Thank you, Kara, for permission to share this more widely, and for its deep resonance to life. Oh, and be safe this weekend in the anticipated bad weather.
Good morning Church!
As we enter this gorgeous, sun-drenched day that is predicted to be in the 50s (50s!!), I am reminded of something important to remember in this season of contemplating resurrection.
Today will feel for all the world like we are finished with winter.
Spring has come!
New life prevails!
But thanks to the technology of modern forecasting, we know that tomorrow will start out rainy, then freeze and turn snowy, then coat the world in thick ice and mounds of snow, and finally wrap it all in gusting, blustery wind.
Kara's reflection continues at "Good morning Church."
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Kate Ester Johnston creates
artistic interpretation of Scripture
Throughout Lent, the Rev. Kate Ester Johnston, member-at-large in the Presbytery who worships at First Presbyterian Church in Hayfield (where spouse Kirk is pastor), created a weekly artistic interpretation of one of the week's Scripture texts. In words and photos, she describes what inspired her to engage a Lenten project of creativity, what she learned in doing it, and what we might learn for our own  congregational life. Thanks, Kate. She begins:
Art has always been an important part of my life. I grew up begging for my own Easel at Christmas and woke up early every Saturday morning for art classes planned especially for children at the University. However, even after attending a large Presbyterian church for most of my life, it never occurred to me to combine my faith and art until seminary.
Rev'd Up plans luncheon
gathering
in Minneapolis April 17
Rev'd Up, a gathering of retired Presbyterian clergy, their guests and others who are a part of our retired Presbyterian community, has planned a luncheon gathering Tuesday, April 17, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. A tour is planned of the church's recently opened expansion, and after lunch, the program, "I'm Retired. Now What?" will address the life of being retired. The lunch and program are $12. Registration information can be completed at "Now What?" The complete announcement is at "Luncheon Gathering."
Women clergy in presbytery
invited to April 17 potluck
Inspired by the autumn conversation with Co-Moderator Denise Anderson, the Revs. Heidi Bolt and Dr. Karin Craven are inviting women clergy of the Presbytery to a potluck at Craven's home on the evening of April 17 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Her address is 1539 Blackhawk Lake Drive in Eagan, Minnesota. The invitation notes, "We conspired because we sensed the need to hear one another's voices and stories. We envision an evening where the mutual telling and listening create a shared breathing space where the particularity of our leadership experiences may be received with care and understanding." RSVPs requested to Heidi Bolt at [email protected]. The complete invitation is at "Women Clergy Invitation."
Synod plans Leadership Summit
on mental health, ministry
The Synod of Lakes and Prairies' annual Leadership Summit, formerly known as the COM/CPM  training conference, will take place Tuesday through Thursday, April 24-26, at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, Minnesota. This year's conference theme is "Mental Health and Ministry." Keynote speakers are Mark Sundby, executive director of LeaderWise, and Caroline Burke, staff psychologist at LeaderWise. Heidi Bolt, co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Red Wing, Minnesota, will lead worship. In addition, numerous workshops, led by church leaders throughout the synod and the broader church, will address a variety of topics related to church leadership. Details, and a link to online registration, can be found at "Leadership Summit."
Luther Seminary is host to event
on challenges to women in ministry
A one-day event, featuring a diverse line-up of pastors, scholars and activists, will address  the unique challenges women face, both theologically and culturally, in ministry. The event is planned Friday, April 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Chapel of the Incarnation, Olson Campus Center, of Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Speakers and panelists include Dr. Cameron Howard, assistant professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, Dr. Mary Streufert, director for Justice for Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Rev. Denise Dunbar-Perkins, retired Abbott Northwestern Hospital chaplain and one of the founding members of Liberty Community Church in north Minneapolis. Details can be found at "Empowering Women."
Rochester First Presbyterian
will be host to 'Soul Shop' workshop
 First Presbyterian Church of Rochester will be host Saturday, April 28, to the "Soul Shop" workshop that provides training and support for faith communities to help prevent suicidal outcomes for people experiencing suicidal desperation. The Soul Shop Movement addresses the need of desperately hurting people to be heard, noticed and seen within their faith communities. The workshop, sponsored by the Southeast Minnesota Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, begins with check-in at 8:30 a.m. A light breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be served. Event registration is at "Suicide Prevention."
Healing Minnesota Stories
sets
next sacred-site tour April 28
Healing Minnesota Stories, an initiative of the St. Paul Interfaith Network, is offering Sacred Sites Tours through the coming spring, summer and fall  months. The next open tour is planned Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tours center around the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, what the Dakota refer to as Bdote, or "meeting place of rivers." The tour stops include Fort Snelling, the site of the Dakota internment camp following the Dakota-U.S. War, and Pilot Knob Hill, a traditional burial ground. Tours meet at the Church of St. Peter in Mendota, and proceed to sites from there by auto caravan. A donation is requested. Additional information, along with registration information, is at "Sacred Sites."
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Resources, conferences ...
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Applications still sought
for Young Adult Volunteer Program
 Applications are still be sought for the Presbyterian Mission Agency's Young Adult Volunteer Program, an ecumenical, faith-based year of service for young people, ages 19-30. The final round of applications is open until June 1 and only national sites are available. Program benefits include a regular stipend, housing, transportation and student-loan repayment options throughout the duration of the service year. Details can be found at "Young Adult Volunteers."
Great Plains Wee Kirk Conference
begins April 30 in Nebraska
 The 2018 Great Plains Wee Kirk Conference is planned Monday through Wednesday, April 30-May 2, at Calvin Crest Camp, Conference and Retreat Center near Fremont, Nebraska. The conference includes worship, communion, workshops fellowship, relaxation and renewal. This year's plenary speaker is the Rev. Chris Walker, teacher, coach, pastor and principle writer for Evangelism Coach. Conference details are at "Great Plains Wee Kirk."
Synod School registration
continues to climb; still room
 While registration numbers continue to climb for this summer's Synod School, the midsummer ministry of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, there's always room for more. Described as "a learning and personal enrichment experience for people of all ages," Synod School runs July 22-27 on the campus of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. This year's program features Jason Brian Santos, mission coordinator for Christian formation at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, as convocation speaker. Jana Childers, dean of the seminary and vice president of academic affairs at San Francisco Theological Seminary, will lead evening worship. The complete catalog and a link to online registration can be found at "Synod School."
Older adult ministry conference
takes place June 5-8 at Zephyr Point
The 2018 conference of the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network is planned June 5-8 at Zephyr Point Conference Center in Zephyr Cove, Nevada. Keynote speakers are John Holton, visiting associate professor of gerontology and director of the Center for Gerontology at Concordia University of Chicago, and Lawrence P. Greenslit, who retired as a captain in the U.S. Navy chaplain corps, and is the former director of the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel. A complete conference brochure is at "POAMN Details." Online registration is at "POAMN."
Washington Island Forum
planned in June in Wisconsin
 The 2018 Washington Island Forum, a 40-year tradition sponsored by the Wisconsin Council of Churches and The Christian Century magazine, features Anna Carter Florence, a former convocation speaker at the Synod of Lakes and Prairies' Synod School, as its primary speaker. Florence, who will speak on the theme, "Reading the Verbs: Finding the Script in the Scripture," is professor of preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. The Forum takes place Monday through Friday, June 25-29, on Washington Island, just north of Door County, Wisconsin. Details are at "Washington Island Forum."
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Service opportunities ...
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Central Presbyterian Church
of St. Paul is seeking a custodian/sexton. Primary responsibilities include keeping a large, historic church facility clean, secure and set up for an active program schedule. Averaging 23 hours per week, including Sunday mornings. Flexibility in scheduling needed. Must be able to lift up to 75 pounds. Background check will be conducted.
Open to and interested in possibility of job-sharing with another area church.
To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter in person or by email to [email protected], with the subject line "Custodian/Sexton." The complete job description is at "Custodian/Sexton."
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Presbyterian Church of the Way
in Shoreview is seeking a set of the "Six Great Ends of the Church" banners. The Rev. Dr. David Parker noted, "I was thinking of preaching on those this year and I know that at one time patterns for these banners went around the country and many presbyteries [and churches] made some." Those who have a set they would be willing to lend are invited to contact the church at [email protected].
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Debate continues on PC(USA)
corporate identity recommendations
Groups with competing proposals for reforming the corporate structure of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), known as the "A Corp.", continued the  discussion this week on the content and intention of the proposals leading up to General Assembly 223 in St. Louis this summer. A joint recommendation of the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review Committee proposes a separation of the A Corp. from the exclusive control of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, allowing input and decision making from other agencies in regard to corporate functions and oversight of shared services utilized by several agencies. The Governance Task Force of the PMAB, formed in February 2016, has proposed its own recommendation and has expressed concern over several of the joint recommendation's finer points. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Gregg Brekke can be found at "A Corp."
'Here's my Heart' named 2019 theme
for Presbyterian Youth Triennium
Presbyterian Youth Triennium director Gina Yeager-Buckley loves the juxtaposition of the recently unveiled "Here's my Heart" Triennium theme. From  lyrics in the hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," it is a bit of a departure from past themes that have traditionally been based on Scripture. But the seemingly more internal focused theme is rich theologically for this moment in time when some young people are marching, demonstrating and speaking out. "Students' hearts -- full of passion, will, mystery and love -- are crying out to each other, to the world around them and to the church," says Yeager-Buckley. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Paul Seebeck can be found at "Youth Triennium."
US churches wrestle
with issues of race, religion
Defying gathering clouds, "Act Now to End Racism" rally attendees joined rousing choruses of Gospel  standards and pledged to recommit to the cause of racial equality during the recent three-day event in Washington, D.C. They grappled with a stubborn and pernicious reality amid a tense and uncertain political environment. A remarkable feature of the rally and "Act Now" initiative, initiated by the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and 50 U.S. churches and partner agencies, is the frank admission of the churches' complicity in systemic racial injustice in the United States and its wide-ranging effects. The complete story can be found at "Act Now."
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