June 10, 2015
IN MEMORIAM

 

IN MEMORIAM
We are saddened to learn that Honorably Retired Teaching Elder Paul Doedens entered Eternal Life on Monday, June 8th.  Paul was the founding pastor of Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Mequon.  Please keep his wife Connie and family in your prayers.    Obituary

THE SERVICE OF THE RESURRECTION for Rev. Paul Doedens
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Crossroads Presbyterian Church
Mequon, WI 53097

  • 4:00 pm     Visitation
  • 5:30 pm      Memorial Service
  • Additional visitation immediately following the service until 8:00 pm

Condolences are welcome!

Connie Doedens

10803 North Port Washington Road, Apt 206

Mequon, WI 53092


 

Tim and Kathy Doedens (on behalf of the entire Doeden's family)

1826 Cypress Drive

Grafton, WI 53024

 

Blessed are they who die in the Lord
Revelation 14:13

SHARING THE MINISTRY

 

 

In-N-Out 

Last week Marilyn and I drove 2300 miles to southern California. Marilyn begins her new work as Transitional Executive Presbyter at Riverside Presbytery on June 15. One of our many joys was eating at local and regional restaurants. While in California, we ate at In-N-Out hamburgers. This west coast chain opened in 1945 as a drive through only burger restaurant. Today, In and Out can be found in California, Texas, Arizona, and Utah. Now, there is seating to enjoy the meal indoors as well as the drive through.

 

What strikes me about In-N-Out is their menu of only three items: single burger or double burger (with or without cheese), fries, and a drink. Then there are the combinations: single burger with fries and a drink, single cheese burger with fries and a drink, double burger with fries and a drink, double cheeseburger with fries and a drink. 1-2-3 or 4. That's it. The only question is "Do you want onions?" In-N-Out makes delicious hamburgers. No nuggets, no salad, no wraps. Simple. And they are highly successful. The one we ate at sat 97 people. It felt like 90 were in the building!

 

And here is the connection between In-N-Out and the church. The primary attraction for millennials to congregations is simplicity and authenticity. 

 

In his blog "Reaching Millennials," Jefferson Bethke writes, "You don't need the fog and lights to get young people to show up at your church." He goes on to write about the driving need millennials have for authentic prayer, and theologically sound and biblically based preaching. In the Huffington Post, David Briggs summed it up in the KISS principal: Keep it spiritual, stupid. He writes, "(Millennials) are looking for something that connects to the divine in a palpable way."

 

As we seek ways to draw younger people to our congregations, perhaps the answer to moving forward is looking backward. The answer may not be more bells and whistles, but more emphases on what we know and do well: an experience with God through preaching, prayer, and theological study. This experience may mean an invitation to study or prayerful reflection. It may mean walking a labyrinth or spiritual exploration through small groups. In-N-Out is a reminder that practicing traditional spirituality may be our best hope for engaging in the future.

 

Rev. Craig M. Howard

choward@pbymilwaukee.org 

 

 FEATURED CONGREGATION



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:

 

 

PARKING LOT

AVALON SQUARE CHAPEL SPEAKER SERIES

"Hinduism: A Guide for the Perplexed"

All members and friends of the Presbytery are invited to join us,  Thursday, June 25 th a t 1:30pm at Avalon Square, a community of Presbyterian Homes and Services, for our next Chapel Speaker Series presentation.   Avalon Square is delighted to host Dr. Lakshmi Bharadwaj, Vice President of the Hindu Temple of Wisconsin as our guest speaker. Through humor and a focus on interfaith understanding, Dr. Bharadwaj will present an introduction to Hinduism, followed by time for questions and conversation. Dr. Bharadwaj is the Director of Education, Interfaith Relations, and Community Outreach programs at the Hindu Temple of Wisconsin. He is sociology professor (emeritus) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a long-time member of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee.  RSVP to Chaplain Erin Musolf Hittle, at emusolf@preshomes.org , or call her at 262 446-9436.  

 


WINNEBAGO PRESBYTERY SEMINAR

Winnebago Presbytery is sponsoring a family systems seminar.  Richard Blackburn of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will be presenting Leadership and Anxiety in the Church: A Family Systems Perspective.  This all-day (9:00 - 4:00) event will take place at Pilgrim Center in Green Lake, WI, on Thursday, October 1, 2015.  Contact Leslie Gunter for more information. leslie@winnebagopresbytery.org


PLANNING CALENDARS HAVE ARRIVED!

If you ordered planning calendars from the Presbytery office, please make arrangements to come by and pick up your order.  Please call first to make sure someone will be in the office.  

 

MISSION OPPORTUNITY
Join members of the Presbytery as part  of the delegation visiting our partners in Ghana.
Dates - September 23 to October 7, 2015

(Departure and Return dates can be flexible around these dates)

 

Mission Partnerships is offering a $1,000 grant for first time participants. Grant form is available on the presbytery website.

Our partners in Dangme Tongu Presbytery will host the delegation. We will have the opportunity to visit the sites of the current projects that some of our churches have partnered with, see some new sites for possible partnership projects, see other areas of the presbytery, and attend the meeting of their presbytery on September 30th.

   

If you would like more information, PLEASE contact Bruce Tammi (262-391-8152) or Katherine Dummer (414-232-8419). We'd love to hear from you!

 


LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT GRANT
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  revnfarley@sbcglobal.net .
   

BECOME AN EARTH CARE CONGREGATION

Did you know that the PCUSA has a guide and certificate for greening our churches? We sure do! Earth Care Congregations are congregations that have pledged to commit themselves to accomplishing a specific number of actions toward caring for God's creation. The Mission Partnership committee of our presbytery would like to encourage you to explore in depth what an Earth Care Congregation is and does by visiting the website pcusa.org/environment

 

Mission Partnerships will provide $500 to the first ten congregations that apply.  Money is to be used as seed funds towards becoming a "Green"  church.  Application for this one time grant can be made by letter outlining the congregations goals for becoming a "Green"  church and signed by the Clerk of Session. 

  
INVITATIONS

PRESBYTERIANS AT THE PARK 

How about a little summer baseball fellowship at Miller Park! We have tickets for the Brewers vs. Twins game on June 27 at 1:00. The tickets are going for $5, and we have a limited number. If you would like a ticket please contact Chris Halverson at chalverson@pbymilwaukee.org. If you would like to help organize a tailgate, please let Chris know. We have a limited number of tickets, so the first 20 folks are in!

 

See you at the ball park!

 

ROCK COUNTY PATRIOTIC CONCERT - ROCK PRAIRIE CHURCH

June 30 and July 1, 7 pm. This will be our eighth year for the concert. Over the years we started with 150 people attending and last year had 1250 people, went from one night of concert to two, and from $500.00+/- to $6300.00+ collected.   All the proceeds collected are turned over the Rock County Veterans for administration of their assistance programs. Please join us!    flyer
 

JERUSALEM PRESBYTERIAN BBQ

The eagerly anticipated Jerusalem Presby BBQ is coming up!  Saturday, June 13th in Wales, just an easy drive west of Milwaukee.  Homemade potato salad, coleslaw and pie, and half a chicken grilled to perfection.  All that and a bouncy-house for the kids.  It's summertime at its best!  Jerusalem Presbyterian is at 207 Main Street in  Wales.  (From I-94, head south on Hwy. 83 for 3.4 miles, then west on Main St. for 1 block)  Carry-Out from 12-7:00, Dine-In from 3-7:00.  $10/adult, $5/child.  Hope to see you!


 


MEN'S BREAKFAST with RETIRED PACKER and  

3-TIME  SUPERBOWL WINNER  

Hartland, Kettle Moraine's MEN'S BREAKFAST: Saturday, June 13 at 7:45 a.m. 
All men are invited to come for a delicious FREE breakfast and the hear speaker, Mr. Harry Sydney, III.  He played in two Super Bowl winning games with Joe Montana and the 49ers, and after playing for the Green Bay Packers, was a part of the coaching staff in the 1996 season when the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI.  He is founder and director of a mentoring ministry for men in Green Bay called "My Brother's Keeper."  Please e-mail the church at "kmupcnews@gmail.com" with name & number of guests attending.

 


26th ANNUAL STRAWBERRY FEST

Greenfield Avenue Presbyterian Church invites you to its 26th Annual Strawberry Fest on Sunday, June 14, from 11:30 AM until 3:00 PM in the front yard, 1455 S. 97th St. in West Allis.  There'll be VERY generous-size shortcakes & sundaes, pizza, hot dogs, nachos, soda, a bake sale on a grand scale, free blood pressure screenings, fun for children, music, & SO much more at this updated version of the old-fashioned ice cream social!  It's a "rain or shine" event (but we won't even consider the possibility of "liquid sunshine ...") & a great place to meet friends from the community as well as fellow Presbyterians.  



SUMMER FESTIVAL - FIRST PRESBYTERIAN OF OTTAWA
The First Presbyterian Church of Ottawa, the little white church on the corner of Hwys C and D just south of Dousman, invites our Presbyterian friends to our 3rd annual Summer Festival on Fathers' Day June 21 from noon until 4 pm. Musicians either solely or as groups will be playing at various spots throughout the property outside, food will be available, ice cream sundaes will cool us off, and an antique/classic display of cars will be on the grounds.  If you wish to play an instrument and/or to jam with us, please call Rev. Keith Jones at 262-696-4074 after May 23 or e-mail him at repairrr@hotmail.com (notice the three "r"s before the "@") or call Patti Kowalski at 262-574-1131, or e-mail her at plkowalski@yahoo.com. If you have an antique or classic car and wish to join us, please let us know at the above e-mails and/or phone #s.


WI COUNCIL OF CHURCHES POVERTY FORUMS
Last year over 700 local faith leaders throughout our state met in five regional forums (Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton, Stevens Point and Eau Claire) to discuss the scope and shape of poverty in Wisconsin and the role of the religious community in alleviating poverty long term. 

This year, the four original sponsors of the 2014 forums - the  Wisconsin Council of Churches , WISDOM , the  Wisconsin Council on Children and Families , and the  Citizen Action Education Fund of Wisconsin  - are planning to host a second round of forums for local faith and community leaders.  Five poverty forums are planned for the greater Milwaukee area. Click for more information.

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