Ferguson and Southminster

Blog post by the Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard

Transitional Leader of the

Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy

            

On August 9, 2014 Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO. This horrific incident created a line of separation in our community and nation. The city of St. Louis is now viewed through the racialized lens created when a white policeman killed a black man. Sides have been taken. Continue here to read on. 

May 5th Gathering Registration Deadline:

5 p.m. Thur., May 3

 We welcome Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training

For Information about Crossroads - Click Here

Register for the Gathering Here

Privilege? Nah. Not me.

Did you miss it? The Dismantling Racism and Privilege Team welcomes you to read the Guest Blog of last week by the Rev. Dr. Chris Keating. This blog went down when our website crashed last week, and responses to the blog were lost. The thought and message contained within that blog were exceptional and deserve a re-read, if not a first time read. You can find that blog entry here.

Tips for Caring for God's Creation

 Heating hot water for showers, washing machines, and dishwashers is the second-largest consumer of household power after space heaters. Turn down the water heater thermostat to 120, put insolation around the tank, and think about buying a tank-less water heater which heats water on demand.

Task of the month of May: wash clothes in cold water and air-dry clothes in the warm weather.

Fast fact for the environment: in 58 emerging nations, solar is now the cheapest form of new energy, followed closely by wind.

Submitted by the presbytery's earth care action team, composed of the 9 certified earth care congregations in the presbytery. Contact: [email protected]

PLEASE NOTE: The Oaks Conference Room (Oaks) is located at the new Presbytery office, located at 1001 Craig Rd., Suite 170, St. Louis, MO 63146.

Directions can be found here.

Celebrating 20 Years of

Missional Giving

 

Can your congregation consider this valuable youth and young children missional ministry? For more information, please follow this link , and prayerfully consider supporting the 2018 Pentecostal Offering

Elders called to Commissioned Ruing Elder training your training opportunity is on the horizon!

 

Ruling elders desiring to explore a call to serve our smaller congregations as Commissioned Ruling Elders (CRE) are invited to attend an inquiry day on May 19, 2018 at Rock Presbyterian Church, 6439 US Highway 61/67 in Imperial, Missouri. Secure your reservation to attend by emailing [email protected] or mailing the $15 registration fee to

Debra Tracy, 689 Highland Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Checks made payable to Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy. (Hurry, deadline is May 14)

Hands and Feet Celebration

featuring Kirk Whalum

Be sure to purchase your tickets to be part of the Hands and Feet Celebration featuring Grammy Award winning artist Kirk Whalum for Thursday evening, June 21, at the 223 ^rd Meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Tickets are $15 and can be purchased as a part of General Assembly Registration . For more information, continue here.

Want to Attend Some GA#223 Events?

Please see this Schedule of Events. Remember If you wish to only purchase tickets and do not need assistance with lodging, select the “Tickets Only” Roles and Components as you register to skip paying the $95 advance registration fee. What a savings!

Community Gospel Choir To Perform

The choir, which performs on Saturday, May 12 at 6 p.m. in the Clayton High School Auditorium, was formed in the summer of 2007. Through spirited interpretation of the rich tradition of African-American Gospel music they are working to:

More information about the event can be found here.

Mom's Demand Action - Do You?

MOMS DEMAND ACTION for Gun Sense In America is a national, grassroots organization, part of a group founded by Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City after the Newtown shootings in 2012. If interested in more information, please contact Susan Andrews at [email protected], or by calling 914-815-6507.

The Verse After the Verse

by Rev. Dr. John Shear

The Verse After the Verse, written by Rev. John Shear, pastor at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Bridgeton"Book Launch" at the John Calvin Presbyterian will be held on Tuesday, May 8th, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Those attending General Assembly will also find a booth site for this book.

Pinwheels Social Group

Have any church families that might enjoy Pinwheels, a social group in University City for transgender or gender expansive kids, teens and their supportive parents? Our next gathering: Sunday, May 6th, 1-4pm in U City. Please call Liz Nelson at 314-359-2478 or email [email protected] to learn more and find out the exact location.

Seeking Site Manager

We are a mission of Oak Hill Presbyterian Church, a small, urban church, located in South St. Louis, Missouri. We provide mission experiences and housing for church groups, youth groups, college groups, activists, and others seeking to serve in the city. Each summer, we hire a site manager to welcome, orient, and assist the visiting teams. We are looking for someone with energy and organizational skills, who loves working with people but isn’t afraid of a form or two, who can make sure visiting groups have what they need, and who can think ahead and notice new ways we can better welcome and serve others. Continue for more information

Part-Time Administrative Assistant

Pacific Presbyterian Church in Pacific, MO, is requesting applications for the part time position of Administrative Assistant. The purpose of the position is to provide administrative and secretarial services to the pastor and other church staff. Continue here for more information .