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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"4 PM"- FOUR PRESBYTERIES MEETING
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| Registration is now open - don't delay! "4 PM " Four Presbyteries Meeting A gathering of four presbyteries John Knox + Milwaukee + Northern Waters + Winnebago for worship, learning, and life together! Sunday, May 3, 2015, 4:00 PM to Monday, May 4, 2015, 4:00 PM Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in the Wisconsin Dells Keynote speaker and preacher: "Relevancy and Resilience in the Church" with The Rev. Dr. Ken McFayden Dean of the Leadership Institute and Professor of Ministry and Leadership Development at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia author of "Strategic Leadership for a Change: Facing Our Losses, Finding Our Future" Other highlights: 1) Compelling worship & shared meals 2) Leadership development: keynote address & relevant workshops 3) Each presbytery to gather individually for business meeting ("spring meeting" for each presbytery) 4) Enjoy the Kalahari Resort!
On-line registration preferred Event registration: $30 (includes meals) REGISTER NOW Please plan to stay at the hotel even if you live nearby. We look forward to "unscheduled" opportunities to connect and want to be sure to meet our room commitment to the resort!
- Contact the Kalahari directly (1-877-253-5466) to make your hotel room reservation by April 9.
(Hotel room block: "Presbyterian Gathering" Saturday and Sunday: $70/single or $99/double . . . includes passes to the water park for the whole family!
Scholarships available: Contact your presbytery office. |
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SHARING THE MINISTRY
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| Limitation Box I love the word "strategic" in my job title! This means being strategic about my actions and my work. It is not enough to do work and stay busy. Working strategically means doing the right thing at the right time. It means setting priorities and doing work that promotes the vision of the presbytery. It means making connections that help to move the mission and vision of the presbytery forward within our congregations and our community. The March issue of the Harvard Business Review has a great article on the myths of strategic plans (Why Strategy Execution Unravels by Sull, Homkes, and Sull). One of the myths is: Execution means sticking to the plan. How can sticking to a plan be a myth? The presbytery, like many of our congregations, has rules, plans, and directives for each of our committees. In many ways it is pretty clear what each committee should do, and with what resources. So far so good. The problem is that often our strategic or mission plan lacks elasticity. The article goes on to say that the strategic plan doesn't allow for changes on the ground; it doesn't provide flexibility. For example, what happens when an opportunity arises that will require bending the rules? At what point does the presbytery or a congregation realize the restrictions placed upon it in the name of a strategic or mission plan are outdated at best, and restrictive in our attempt to be the church for today? Just ask yourself, when an idea comes to the session you are serving on, how often is the first thing we look at our limitations? What is the limit of our budget? What are our spending guidelines? What is the limit of our charter? What have we done before, because this limits what we are asked to do today? Instead of seeing the possible opportunity that is before us, we try to frame it and put it into our box of limitation. But what if instead we first ask if this is an opportunity we want to take advantage of. Out of the box ideas that come before our session and committees should not be tossed aside because of precedence or the amount of the budget. Perhaps there should be a name for these opportunities. Angel opportunities? Manna opportunities? Graceful opportunities? I imagine a church with committees that seek opportunities within and outside of their boxes; opportunities that align with their mission but are not envisioned in budgets and the scope of the individual committee. Perhaps we can move from a church that looks for the limits, to a one that looks for the possibility. Rev. Craig M. Howard To respond to Craig: [email protected]
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Are you a teaching elder, commissioned ruling elder, Christian educator, or a leader in the church in another capacity? If you are looking at continuing education events or programs but need financial assistance in order to participate, you should know that the presbytery has a grant program which might be able to help. You can find the grant application here and on the presbytery's website, on the Forms and Documents/Leadership Development tab of the menu. Submit applications and direct questions to Nicole Farley at [email protected].
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Calling all campers!! Session Partnerships will again be offering scholarships for any youth attending summer church camps. Please click here for the application form. Deadline is May 1st and applications are considered on a "first come first serve" basis, so don't delay! Churches, please make this application available to your campers! |
| Teaching elders and CREs, are you looking for learning opportunities for you and/or your volunteers and staff? The Leadership Development Task Force of the presbytery is focused on increasing the learning opportunities available within the presbytery and is working to target the specific needs you have. We know this is a busy time during Lent and promise we won't ask for more than ten minutes - members of the Task Force will be calling you to find out more about what we can provide for you. So, if you receive a call from Chris Davis (Beaver Dam), Nicole Farley, Melanie Hammond Clark, Bob Patton, or Tim Weeden, please set aside a few minutes to answer seven questions which will help us build learning opportunities for you. And then look for learning events beginning by the fall! |
For Teaching Elders:
You should have received a letter from Sarah Rand about required training for Safe Gatherings. For your convenience here are the important links:
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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:
Grace Presbyterian Church in Beaver Dam
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Greenfield Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1455 S. 97th St. in West Allis, is holding its 26th ANNUAL GREAT PANCAKE BREAKFAST on Saturday, March 28, from 7:30 to 11:00 AM . Featured are All-U-Can Eat Pancakes with syrup & other delicious toppings; juices, sausage, applesauce, & coffee, tea, or milk. Cost is just $6.00 for adults, & $3.00 for children under age 12. We hope lots of our Presbytery of Milwaukee friends will join us at this great time of fellowship. It's the perfect opportunity to "do breakfast" with congenial folks!
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A group from Heritage Church (Muskego) is planning to attend the Montreat 2015 Worship and Music Conference I, June 21-27, in North Carolina. We are looking for other interested adults and youth. If you are interested please contact Barbara Pforr: 425-0244 or email [email protected].
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5 TUESDAYS IN MARCH - luncheon / lecture series -
sponsored by the
Peace and International Issues Committee of the INTERFAITH CONFERENCE of GREATER MILWAUKEE Confronting the Realities of Segregation
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 2015
Noon to 1:30 p.m. First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee - a Unitarian Universalist Congregation 1342 N. Astor St., Milwaukee
$60.00 - series of five
$15.00 - individual sessions Includes a simple vegetarian meal
Click for more information
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES-PASTORAL
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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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First Presbyterian Church of Waukesha is seeking a part-time Administrative Assistant (Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM). The ideal candidate must be detail-oriented, diplomatic, poised, and skilled at managing all aspects of a church office. Experience with proofreading, the full Microsoft Office Suite, including Publisher, and Quickbooks is required. Experience with Church Windows is preferred. Please send résumé and cover letter to the Personnel Committee at [email protected]. Preference will be given to applications received by Monday, April 6.
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Winnebago Presbytery seeks an Administrative Assistant.
Click for job description.
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WANTED: Christian Education Director
This is a part time position for a person with a strong Christian faith and a love for working with children and adults to direct the Sunday school and related educational programs at Linn Presbyterian Church. Prior experience in this or related fields along with a Presbyterian background is preferable. This person can work a flex schedule of 15 hours a week and 48 weeks a year. Please email your resume to [email protected] or call or mail your resume to:
Linn Presbyterian Church- c/o Church Administrator
W3335 Willow Road
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
262-248-1588
www.linnchurch.org
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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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May 3 & 4 - 4 Presbyteries Joint Meeting - Wisconsin Dells
Sept. 15
- Presbytery Meeting - Wauwatosa, Wauwatosa
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