Presbyterian Today 's Guide for Young Adult Ministry is a must-read for everyone who wants to better understand young adults and engage them in worship, education, and service. Order now! 
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The Milwaukee Bucks are offering a "Faith & Family Night" on February 20th at 7:30 pm. Reduced tickets are available. Groups are encouraged. Please click for more information. |
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Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 10th at 4 pm for a special called meeting of the Presbytery for the purpose of dealing with the results of the Oostburg, First mediation which happens on January 30th. The official call and location will be announced soon.
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Teaching Elder Bob Jensen, Delafield Presbyterian Church, and Moderator of Council, had knee replacement surgery last week. Please keep him in your prayers as he begins rehabilitation.
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"4 PM"- FOUR PRESBYTERIES MEETING
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Our May Presbytery meeting will be in Wisconsin Dells!
Please mark your calendars for a special event that will involve the 4 Wisconsin presbyteries (John Knox, Northern Waters, Winnebago, and Milwaukee) on May 3 & 4 at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Ken McFayden, author of "Strategic Leadership For a Change - Facing Our Losses, Finding Our Future". We will have opportunities to meet, worship and dine with other Presbyterians from around the state, gather as individual presbyteries for individual presbytery meetings, and enjoy the Kalahari Resort. Watch for registration details in the coming weeks. Click for flier. You won't want to miss it!
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- ONE WEEK LEFT...The Session Annual Statistical report is due by February 5th. Please enter your 2014 statistics by this date. All necessary information for going online is in the blue clerk letter found in the November church packet handed out at the November presbytery meeting or mailed to the church. Call Chris 414-292-2740 or email if you have any questions.
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First Presbyterian Church of Niles, MI is looking for homes for their l990 blue Presbyterian Hymnals. They are in good condition. They will be sent or delivered at no cost. If interested please email them with shipping address and quantity needed.
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Hands-on Mission at Grace Presbyterian's ministry "Graced Saturday Mornings". Join us providing critical daytime care to the homeless of Milwaukee who are evening Guests of Divine Intervention Ministry to the Homeless. Ministry hours are 8am-noon, needed each Saturday through the end of March. Two Hosts are sought for each morning. Training provided. To find out more and/or to sign up please email: [email protected].
Also, Larry Under The Bridge is looking for more communities to help make bagged dinners delivered to campers in the greater BayView area 52 Sundays a year. Need is increasing! To find out more and be in ministry with us, contact Larry at [email protected].
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DISCOVERY DAY / PRESBYTERY MEETING
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The Milwaukee Presbytery's 2015 Discovery Day will be held on Saturday, February 21st at Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Mequon from 9:00am to 4:00pm in conjunction with the February Presbytery Meeting. The theme for the day will be "Communicating Faith in the 21st Century." To read about Workshops and Presenters, and to Register, go to the Discovery Day button on the Presbytery website, or click here:
Setup help - This year, we are asking churches in the Milwaukee Presbytery, especially those in closer proximity to Crossroads Presbyterian Church, to help with the setup for Discovery Day. Our brothers and sisters at Crossroads graciously provide their facility for the event, but we need help during the event as well as both preparing for and cleaning up after the event. Setup will begin on Friday, February 20th at 9:00am and will end when setup is complete. We ask that all those who are able to help come in the morning at a time that works best for you. Following the event, help is also needed to restore the building ahead of Sunday worship. Many hands make light work! Click here to volunteer
Common Mission Offering - The 2015 Discovery Day Common Mission Offering will support Presbyterian Disaster Assistance gifts of the heart kits - specifically, the School Kits. Items needed for each kit include:
1 - pair of blunt scissors (rounded tip)
3 - 70-count spiral notebooks or notebooks
(total 200-210 pages/no loose-leaf or filler paper.)
1 - 30-centimeter ruler (12")
1 - hand-held pencil sharpener
6 - new pencils with erasers
1 - large eraser
1 - box of 24 crayons
1 - cloth bag, 12" x 14" to 14" x 17" finished size, cotton or lightweight canvas, cloth handles Instructions
All items must be packed into the cloth bag. The value of the kit is approximately $15. Please encourage your congregations to begin collecting items for the Common Mission Offering. Cash donations will also be accepted. For a printable half sheet bulletin insert click here.
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SHARING THE MINISTRY
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Knitting and Weaving Relationships
During COM (Commission on Ministry) meetings, there is a teaching elder who knits. I'm not going to mention his name (his initials are BH and he serves at Carroll!) but you may know him. His knitting allows the creative juices of his mind to flow while listening and participating in the business of the meeting. I am writing today from the COM/CPM conference in Farmington MN. I am learning that COM is about knitting and weaving relationships together. The presbytery is often viewed as COM. Most congregations will only have contact with the presbytery through COM. This is why their role in the life of the presbytery is so important.
When Bill (oops!) knits, he often uses the same ball of yarn. My youngest daughter is also a knitter. One day she dragged me to the knitting store. (It seems like she is constantly dragging me into life.) There I discovered yarn of different colors, textures, and materials. I never knew there were so many choices. She explained how different designs required mixing different yarns and types of stitches together in order to create the final product.
Yea, that's what we do. In our presbytery and in our congregations we knit and weave relationships together with people who come from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures. We create a mosaic of color, texture, and design. Just like those who knit, we have an idea what the final product should look like, but the reality is often very different and even better than we planned.
I'm not sure how the whole knitting thing works though. I remember learning about a German method versus an English method. I know there are terms like casting, pearling, and cable stitches. I also know that dropping a stitch is not a good thing! As leaders of congregations, committees, and groups there are also techniques to building community and knitting relationships. Leadership is contextual, and the right teaching or ruling elder, deacon, or staff person needs to be a good match in the right place. This is the first challenge of COM, and of our congregations and specialized ministries locations as well.
In the end, good knitting requires creativity and a vision of what the knitter is trying to achieve. As we knit and weave relationships together, may we bring energy, creativity, imagination, and love to the work. Then, our final product will be ministry to the glory of God.
Rev. Craig M. Howard
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We lift up one of our congregations each week in Fresh Impressions, inviting you to learn more about your sister congregations and keep them in your prayers. This week we are lifting up:
Jerusalem Presbyterian Church in Wales
Click here to view their website
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 Breaking the Chains
Mass Incarceration and Systems of Violence
13th Annual
EAD National Gathering
April 17-20, 2015
For information go to
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Award-winning speakers, Peter Steinke and David Jones are leading a workshop on Conflict Management and Reconciliation in Delafield Fri. - Sat. Feb. 27-28 at Nashota House. Registration is $200. Nancy Gaskin, Ann Gibbs, Bill Ingersoll, Craig Howard and Sarah Rand are attending. Register today and join us for this great opportunity! Click here for Registration.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES-PASTORAL
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Immanuel Presbyterian Church has a position open for a Designated Associate for Spiritual Care. This position is part-time, non-compensated. For more information, click here for the job description.
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On-call Pool Chaplain Position Available -
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is seeking chaplains to provide on-call spiritual care to patients and families on nights and weekends in the metro-Milwaukee area or Racine area. Requires a master's degree in theology or ministry-related field and minimum of 2 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Please see mywheaton.org for more information and to apply on-line. For questions or information, please contact Rev. Traci Houts, clinical coordinator, at 414-447-2094.
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Vernon Presbyterian Church has a Church Secretary position available (part-time, 14-16 hours per week, flexible hours). Familiarity with Word, Publisher, Excel, ACS and previous church secretary experience strongly preferred. Applicants should also have skills in newsletter editing, church membership record management, website management and basic bookkeeping. Interested persons should send a resume to [email protected].
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The Presbytery of Chicago is requesting applications for the position of Presbytery Community Organizer. Click here for position description. |
Hospitality Coordinator/Kitchen Manager
Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Mequon is seeking a part-time (20 hour/week) Hospitality Coordinator/Kitchen Manager.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Assist in the planning and coordination of programs and events.
- Maintain a clean and sanitary environment suitable for the preparation and service of food.
- Maintain kitchen equipment and related supplies in a safe, sanitary and orderly condition.
- Order supplies and food for all church related programs and event
Skills Needed:
- Knowledge of institutional food ordering and quantity purchasing
- Knowledge of institutional food preparation techniques
- Basic computer skills
- Spiritual gifts of hospitality and administration
Qualifications:
- High school graduate/GED required; College degree preferred
- Serv-Safe Certification
- Three to five years of commercial food preparation
- One year supervisory experience
- Volunteer coordination experience, a definite plus
Qualified candidates may send their resume to Mary Schigoda, Church Administrator, at [email protected]
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Covenant PC, Racine, has an opening for a pianist to play two Sundays each month. Scheduling is flexible. The pianist will play at two Sunday services during the regular church program year and at one service during the summer months. Planned musical selections may include a prelude, offertory and postlude, in addition to the hymns, and responses at each service. Pay is negotiable. If interested, please contact Eddy Huffman [email protected]� or phone (262) 639-8301.
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Feb. 21 - Discovery Day/Presbytery meeting - Mequon, Crossroads
May 3 & 4 - 4 Presbyteries Joint Meeting - Wisconsin Dells
Sept. 15 - Presbytery Meeting - Wauwatosa, Wauwatosa
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