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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 office@ptcaweb.org.
September 7 , 2018
  
Presbytery news  
 
Presbytery's next stated meeting
planned Sept. 11 in Buffalo
The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area will conduct its next stated meeting Tuesday, Sept. 11, at Buffalo Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. Registration and fellowship begins at 3:30; the meeting follows at 4 p.m.
 
presbytery meeting The presbytery welcomes Jessica Tate, executive director of NEXT Church, and Shavon Starling-Lewis, co-chair of the NEXT Church strategy team, who will help the presbytery imagine its call to a missional understanding of its ministry (see story elsewhere in EMerge). Tyler Holm, co-mission worker in Malawi, will also be present for dinner conversations and fellowship.
 
The Committee on the Preparation for Ministry will present inquirer Madeline Hart-Andersen for examination to become a candidate under the care of the presbytery.
 
The presbytery will also recognize Risa Anderson, office manager of the presbytery, for her service. Anderson is retiring at the end of the month.
 
The complete meeting call is at "Presbytery Meeting."
 
Painting Your Own Landscape:
A Missional Workshop
from  NEXT Church and the PTCA
This year, our Presbytery meetings will carry a renewed intentionality around four unique elements: worship, fellowship, required business, and education/inspiration under the theme, "Nurturing thoughtful expressions of God's mission in the world." You'll hear more about that plan on Sept. 11 in a joint report to Presbytery from the moderator and the executive presbyter.
 
Tate Starling For the September meeting, the moderator, Rocky Rockenstein, has invited the Rev. Jessica Tate, top photo, director of the dynamic Presbyterian organization Next Church, and the Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis, co-chair of the NEXT Church Strategy Team and pastor of a Presbyterian church in Rhode Island, to help us explore a deeper missional understanding of ministry.
 
Then, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, from 9:30-to-1 at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Jessica and Shavon will follow-up on their spoken challenge at Presbytery meeting with some hands-on teaching, conversation, and coaching for teaching and ruling elders.
 
You can sign up for the workshop at "Painting Your Own Landscape." There is no charge. Lunch will be provided.  The complete announcement is at "A Missional Workshop."

Presbytery names
new office administrator
The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area has named Jennifer Schultz as its new office administrator. Jennifer will replace long-time office administrator Risa Anderson, who will retire from the position at Jennifer Schultz the end of September.
 
Jennifer comes to the Presbytery with over a decade of experience as congregational and operations administrator, program manager and food shelf manager for Grace Lutheran Church of Northeast Minneapolis, and Little Kitchen Food Shelf. She will begin on Sept. 10, working with Risa during the following two weeks. She will be formally introduced at the September 11 Presbytery meeting.
 
The Presbytery will honor Risa for her decade-plus of outstanding service at the Presbytery meeting. Please join us there. You may also send Risa a note of thanks to office@ptcaweb.org.
 
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  Good News 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 ccv.ptca.program@gmail.com.
 
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 Boundaries 1 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
Happy New Year
 
By Jeff Japinga
Executive Presbyter
Jeff Japinga  
Whatever the calendar or the lectionary might say, this Sunday is, for many of our congregations, the beginning of a new church year.
 
At Oak Grove and House of Hope and Associated in Owatonna, this Sunday is Rally Sunday. At St. Luke, it's Come Together Sunday. At First, South Saint Paul, it's Coming Home Sunday. It's Kickoff Sunday at First in Rochester (and for the Vikings and Packers, but that's a whole different kind of church).
 
By whatever name we give it, this first Sunday after Labor Day traditionally marks a new beginning: a return to "regular" worship hours and Christian education classes and choir practices and all manner of ministries that take a hiatus for the summer.
 
But it's also a different kind of new beginning.
 
The complete Jottings are at "Happy New Year."
Around the presbytery   
 
'Rev'd Up' gathering planned
Sept. 25 at House of Hope
Whether retired for two weeks or 20 years, there's always something new that's taking place or something that's been learned. That's the message of the group of retired ministers, aptly called "Rev'd Up," in the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. The next group event -- an opportunity to renew friendships and make new ones -- is planned Tuesday, Sept. 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul. Additional information and registration details are at "Retired Presbyterian Ministers."
 
Northside Healing Space offers hope
for those who live with trauma
No one is turned away from the Northside Healing Space (NHS). Located at 2100 Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis, NHS is a ministry of Liberty Community Church (formerly known as Kwanzaa). "We invite victims of sexual exploitation, persons suffering from longtime untreated trauma, and those whose lives have been ravaged by historic trauma," said the Rev. Dr. Alika Galloway, co-pastor of Liberty Community. "We provide gathering spaces where rest and remembering lead to healing, where persons can resist society's treatment of them as objects. People come to be revived emotionally and spiritually." The need for this ministry is critical. Extensive research has shown the lifelong emotional and physical effects of untreated trauma. The complete story by Bebe L. Baldwin can be found at "Northside Healing Space."
 
Spirit of Life Apple Valley Fall activities kick off
Sept. 9 at Spirit of Life
Sept. 9 will be Kickoff Sunday at Spirit of Life Presbyterian Church in Apple Valley. The day begins with an outdoor worship service at 10 a.m. featuring the church's jazz band. Children will meet their Sunday school teachers, and all members and visitors will enjoy a cookout after the service. There will be games, a bounce-house and other activities for children. Fall activities begin Wednesday, Sept. 12, when the congregation's "Meet in the Middle" - M&M - begins at 4:30 p.m. Sunday school begins Sunday, Sept. 16, at 11:10 a.m. following the 10 a.m. worship service. The complete story is at "Apple Valley Sets Kickoff."
 
Middle East scholar will speak at Westminster on Sept. 17
Yitzhak Reiter, a professor of Islam, Middle East and Israel studies Ashkelon Academic College in  Yitzhak Reiter Israel, will speak Monday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Reiter chairs the department of Israel studies and is the head of the Research Authority at Ashkelon. His presentation is titled "Sharing Sacred Spaces in Jerusalem: Between Contestation and Tolerance." As a location of different ethnic, religious and national groups, Jerusalem has become a hub of conflicts, especially after 1967, as it contains many sacred sites shared by more than one religious group. Reiter is the author of 13 books, in addition to five edited books, and numerous articles. Reiter is active in track-two diplomacy meetings regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict and his expertise has been sought by members of the media. Additional details are available at "Sharing Sacred Spaces." Free and open to the public, parking information at Westminster is available at "Getting There."
 
Disability Concerns Ministry urges participation in NAMI Walk
It's a relatively short message from the presbytery's Disability Concerns Ministry: "We Need Presbyterians to join the NAMI Walk on Sept. 22."  NAMI is  NAMI the short version of National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the NAMI Walk raises awareness about mental illnesses. More than 4,000 people from around the state are expected to join in NAMI Walks Minnesota. Last year, NAMI Minnesota served more than 180,000 people through programs of education, suicide prevention and family support. The 5K walk begins at 1 p.m., at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. There will be live music, picnics and food trucks, speakers, resource tables, a kids' tent, a tree of hope, a t-shirt contest and more. Registration, including forming or joining a walk team, can be completed at "NAMI Walk" or by calling 651.645.2948.
 
Arlington Hills plans reunion
Arlington fall potluck potluck gathering
in October
The alumni of the former Arlington Hills Presbyterian Church plan to gather Oct. 21 for their annual potluck meal at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Woodbury. The event runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The meal will be served at 5 p.m. The complete announcement is at "Arlington Hills Potluck."
 
Israel as ancient symbol, contemporary reality is focus of preaching seminar
hosanna preaching 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 janderson.stjohns@gmail.com, 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 mennonites 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."
Resources, conferences ... 

 

Resources available
for Theological Education Sunday
The Rev. Emily Zeig Lindsey, a Pennsylvania pastor, summed up the importance of theological education beautifully in a video the Theological Education Fund shared in late 2017. "There are people waiting in our pews and in our communities, hungry to learn, and be fed, and waiting for a leader to come alongside them and help with that journey," Lindsey says. "Seminary prepares you to do exactly that, in many ways, and teaches you to be receptive to the lessons you will learn during ministry." This year the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) celebrates Theological Education Sunday, Sept. 16, and resources have been prepared to observe the day. The complete story, and the resources, can be found through "Theological Education Sunday."
 
Interim Ministry Training
Institute runs October-May
Change is a fact of life in the world, and churches are facing transition of many kinds. The Interim Ministry Training Institute will provide the tools and  interim ministry techniques needed for addressing transitions. The program is designed for working ministers who are interested in interim or transitional work, or work within their settled position. The class is limited in size to encourage interaction and each of the sessions has advance readings, lecture style presentations, discussion, case studies, and assignments to integrate the training. The class is planned for the second Thursday of each month from October through May in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Classes meet from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Details are available from the Rev. Dr. Marlea Gilbert at Streams of Wisdom by sending an e-mail to mgilbert.iim@gmail.com or by calling 608.514.3290. Applications are due by Sept. 17. A brochure is available at "Interim Ministry Training Institute."
 
Resources for Evangelism Sunday offered in Grace, Gratitude newsletter
Ray Jones, director of theology, formation and evangelism for the Presbyterian Mission Agency,  Grace Gratitude News writing in the current edition of the Grace and Gratitude newsletter, noted, "As our ministries respond to our work coming out of General Assembly, we will be addressing what it means to 'reclaim Jesus.' From our reformed foundation we'll look at what it means to follow Jesus and obey him above all earthly powers." The newsletter also includes links to resources for Evangelism Sunday, Sept. 23. The newsletter is at "Grace and Gratitude."
Service opportunities ...
 
The House of Hope Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is seeking a transitional associate pastor for church life and adult ministries. The transitional associate pastor will work with the transitional pastor/head of staff, a strong staff and dedicated congregation. It is anticipated that this position will begin this fall and will be in place until the congregation calls a new pastor/head of staff. Additional information and application information can be found at "Transitional Associate Pastor."
 
The Synod of Lakes and Prairies is seeking an office coordinator. The synod seeks a diverse pool of qualified applicants with strong office, technical and interpersonal skills to provide administrative support to a staff team delivering mission support and ministry services. The complete position description, along with the application procedure, can be found at "Office Coordinator."
News of the wider church  

 

Reconfigured PC(USA) A Corp.
convenes for first meeting
The newly-reconfigured board of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corp., is up and running -- and the list of questions or issues it may need to take on in the  PCUSA logo months to come is considerable. That new board conducted its first meeting Sept. 4-5 in Louisville. The first day's discussion demonstrated in broad strokes some of the issues the A Corp. board likely is to consider going forward, including questions of how better to explain to Presbyterians how the denomination spends its money, and how to fund the services the A Corp. will be expected to provide. Several board members voiced concern about financial transparency. The complete story by Leslie Scanlon of The Presbyterian Outlook can be found at "Reconfigured."
 

PC(USA) provides 'witness

to our faith' in halls of power

Faith is not just personal; it's political. Our leaders pass laws about how we treat one another, laws about  Presbyterians Today magazine money and finances, laws about how our resources are allocated and more. The Bible addresses these issues as well in Scripture like the Ten Commandments, the parable of the sheep and the goats, Sabbath rules and Jesus' advice to the rich young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor. To say the Bible and Jesus are not political is to deny their influence and relevance to our lives in the 21st century. The complete article by Sue Washburn, originally published in Presbyterians Today, can be found at "Witness to Power."
 
'Glory to God' hymnal
reaches  its 5th anniversary
It's hard to believe that it has been five years since the release of the "Glory to God" hymnal to the  Glory to God Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Ever since its release in 2013, the "new hymnal" has become very popular across the denomination. "In just five years, 'Glory to God' has made remarkable contributions" to worship throughout the denomination, said the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, associate for worship in the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship, and a member of the hymnal committee. The complete announcement from Presbyterian Publishing Corp. can be found at "Glory to God."