Presbyterians Today says it's time

to order its Lenten Devotional

Presbyterians Today says that it's time to make that step and order its Lenten Devotional. Writing about its new devotional, it notes, " The season of Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and contemplation of the power and promise of the paschal mystery. Perhaps there are no better models of how to live Lent than the prophets." The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, pastor and director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C., has assembled a collection of challenging daily reflections, Scripture and prayers for the Lenten journey. The Lenten Devotional features oil paintings by Steven Burgess, an artist from upstate New York who is a member of First United Presbyterian Church in Salem. The complete announcement can be found at "Lenten Devotional."

 

Regarding ruling elders:

The gift of the present

The Rev. Dr. Diana Nishita Cheifetz, a spiritual director serving lay leaders and clergy in the San Francisco Bay area, the United States, and internationally, writes, " Every Christmas day of my growing-up years was spent at my grandparents' house in San Juan Bautista, California. Imagine 30 or so relatives laughing, eating, joking and hugging in a little two-bedroom, wood-frame home. The kids rambled from the living room, with its stately, boxy television, to the dining area, to the always-busy kitchen, presided over by my grandmother, out the enclosed back porch, across the driveway, through the barn, and into the back field where my grandfather was keeping watch over the smoked pork, with my dad and uncles keeping him company." The complete column can be found at "Gift of the Present."

APCE plans 2018

annual event in Louisville

The 2018 annual event of the Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators is planned Jan. 31 through Feb. 3 at the Galt House in Louisville. The event promises interactive plenary sessions that will engage and challenge attendees, mini-plenaries, resource-filled workshops, and worship with spirit and imagination. Complete details can be found at "Annual APCE Event."

 

Winter Pastors School set

in February; now in new location

The 2018 version of Winter Pastors School, the annual winter education event of Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation , is slated Feb. 5-8, and this year takes place at Calvin Crest Retreat Center near Fremont, Nebraska. The featured speaker is Gene T. Fowler, a pastoral theologian and church pastor who currently serves the Irondequoit Presbyterian Church in Rochester, New York. More complete details can be found at " Winter Pastors School ."

 

Griner, Wuflestad will lead young adult ministry retreat at Clearwater

Lyle Griner, youth ministry instructor at Augsburg College and Concordia University in Twin Cities, and Lee Wuflestad, music ministry coordinator at Timberwood Church in Nisswa, Minnesota, will lead a two-day young adult ministry retreat at Clearwater Forest, a Presbyterian camp, conference and retreat center near Deerwood, Minnesota. The retreat is scheduled Friday evening and Saturday, Feb. 9-10. The retreat, according to its flyer, "is about people skills -- how to listen, care, welcome, guide and affirm in all life situations." The complete flyer can be found at "Young Adult Ministry Retreat."

 

Clearwater Chrysalis planned  at Clearwater Forest in February

The Rev. Denise Dunbar-Perkins, a member of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area who  has  been a local, national and international speaker, teacher, preacher, and workshop and retreat leader, will be the keynote speaker at Clearwater Chrysalis, when the women's winter retreat takes place at Clearwater Forest Friday through Sunday, Feb. 23-25. Chrysalis is a balanced, faith-building program of Clearwater Forest, a Presbyterian camp and conference center in the heart of Minnesota lake country. The vision of Chrysalis is to nourish and support the body, mind and spirit in community with other women. Details can be found in the flyer at "Clearwater Chrysalis."

 

NEXT Church gathering slated Feb. 26-28

Registration for the 2018 NEXT Church national gathering is open. Titled "The Desert in Bloom," the event takes place Feb. 26-28 in Baltimore. The gathering features church leaders, both pastors and lay people, sharing stories of their experiences of ministry, new ideas, and conversations about ministry in today's environment. Creative worship centers us around God's presence. Complete details and registration information can be found at "NEXT Church 2018."

 

Presbyterian

Clergywomen plan

conference at Montreat

The National Association of Presbyterian Clergywomen will conduct their triennial conference at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina, April 23-26. Conference details and registration information can be found at "Triennial Conference."

 

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

to address 'A World Uprooted'

The website for next spring's Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) in the nation's capital notes, "We live in a time of upheaval and uprootedness -- a world  in which each year millions of people cross borders in search of more secure and sustainable lives, while white supremacist ideologies continue to impede the fight for justice and peace for all of God's people." EAD, the website notes, "is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Our goal, through worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues." EAD is planned Friday, April 20, through Monday, April 23. Details can be found at "Ecumenical Advocacy Days."

 

Young Adult Volunteers program

notes the connections of program

The recent newsletter of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Young Adult Volunteer program addresses the many connections of its participants. It notes, If we could take one big snapshot of everyone who is connected to the Young Adult Volunteer program, you would see a picture with thousands of faithful, committed individuals making a difference all over the world. With Christmas upon us and the end of the year next week, I would like to take a moment to reflect upon 2017 and thank you for helping the YAV program continue to be a beacon of light in a world where hope is needed." The complete newsletter is at " Young Adult Volunteers."