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We Lift Up In Prayer...
New:
The family of Ced Currin and the congregation of Midland-Memorial. Ced passed to the larger life last month. He was a member of Midland-Memorial for 65 years and active over the years at the presbytery level.
Click here
to read his obituary.
Ongoing:
while he undergoes physical therapy.
Commissioned Ruling Elder of Ithaca-Lafayette who recently fell and broke two ribs.
All of our churches currently in transition.
Mission Co-Workers:
The Rev. Cathy Chang
and family
who are serving in the Philippines.
Michael and Rachel Ludwig
,
our Mission Co-Workers
who are serving in Niger.
For those Teaching Elders (Ministers of Word and Sacrament) and Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) who are celebrating Ordination or Commissioning Anniversaries in August and September:
Elder Shaun Hardimon (8/11) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Swartz Creek-Mundy
The Rev. Charles Marquardt (8/29) - 20 years - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Ron Vredeveld (9/1) - Temporary Supply of Beaverton-First
Elder Don Wixson (9/3) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Croswell-First
The Rev. Katia Gruening (9/7) - 5 years - Pastor of Sandusky and Yale-First
Midland-Memorial
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As we were celebrating my daughter's wedding in San Francisco last Saturday, our nation experienced two more incidents of mass shootings. The El Paso incident - as with many recent shootings - was apparently motivated by hatred towards immigrants and people of color. It was especially troubling to me as I know the people of El Paso firsthand and have shopped at the Walmart which was the site of the shooting at least a half-dozen times.
The epidemic of gun violence and racially motivated terrorism is a spiritual issue as much as it is a political, national security, or public health issue. Faith leaders across the country have raised their voices in calling for common sense gun control legislation, an end to racist fearmongering, and for a conversation to bridge our political differences. One of the most powerful pieces I have read was written by the Rev. Desiree Lawson, recently of Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Flint. I share it with you with her permission:
I woke up this morning with a heavy heart thinking about all those families experiencing trauma in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. It dawned on me that these stories will be headline news for a little while but then afterwards, we won't hear much more about the families of those who were suddenly and violently stolen from them.
I imagine that the folks in Texas woke up on a Saturday morning, just like we did, and planned to go shopping for school supplies. Maybe they had a full day of activities planned. School shopping, followed by lunch and then off to the movies to see The Lion King. Just a regular day in the life of regular people.
But then it all changed in a blink of an eye. Someone decided that some lives are not worth anything and with premeditation shoots "those people" to death. Someone's mother, someone's father, someone's child, someone's spouse; someone specially and beautifully created in the image and likeness of God.
As someone's aunt who has first-hand knowledge of the devastation which follows a family after gun violence, my heart breaks for these families because their journey will be a long and painful one. The nightmares, the replaying of the suffering of your loved one in your head, the anger, the darkness which blankets your days, months and years, the deep discomfort in your gut, the grief which remains after almost 10 years-this is what they have to look forward to. The resulting pain of gun violence is not newsworthy, so you rarely see what families go through.
I also thought about the first-responders. The police, the EMTs, the store personnel, the clergy-and all those who witnessed the bloody debris of human carnage. They will no doubt suffer from PTSD, but those who value guns over lives aren't interested. These gory scenes might be commonplace on the big screen or during wartime, but one never gets used to seeing something like this at a Walmart or in a school, or in a nightclub, or in a movie theatre, or on a college campus or in your normally safe neighborhood!
But, in case you didn't realize, we are at war in the United States of America; a war on race, a war on ethnicity, a war on religious affiliation, a war on immigration-a war on "otherness."
I cried out to God this morning-asking, "What can I do? I don't know what to do, Lord." And so I did what I knew how to do. I prayed, I wrote, and I now share with you. If you find yourself in a similar position, pray and then talk about it with others you care about. We must talk about these matters because you never know...
Thanks, Desiree, for sharing your story with us. Now let us share our stories in love with each other.
Dan Saperstein, E
xecutive Presbyter
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The presbytery is now taking orders for the latest edition of the Book of Order at a discounted rate of just $8.
This book is Part II of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This volume contains the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity, the Form of Government, the Directory for Worship, and the Rules of Discipline. Additional information is provided to the reader through the inclusion of Received Ecumenical Statements of Guidance and Articles of Agreement.
Your order will be available to be picked upon arrival at the Presbytery Office or at the September Presbytery meeting.
Click here to place your order before August 30th.
Free PDF versions are available for download from the PC(USA) Store here.
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New editions of the
Parish Paper are now available on our website. Topics are:
September: A Team Approach To Worship Design
October:
Let's Take a Walk: The Ministry of Accompaniment
We have 8 years worth of issues for your use on our site.
Click here to view all of the editions.
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As the summer moves along, keep
Wednesday, September 18, on your calendars. Once again Boundary Training will be provided. The training will take place at
Kalamazoo-First. The Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence, the Stated Clerk of Lake Michigan Presbytery, will lead the training.
This training is required for all pastors and CREs. If you did not attend either of the last two year's training events this is the final opportunity to attend. Again, this is a requirement for service, so it's important to attend. If you are new to the presbytery you must complete training within three years.
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These are the criteria for obtaining funds for your congregation:
- The project must be owned by the group making the proposal: they must be the beneficiaries.
- At least five people should be on a project's board and the majority must be low-income
- The project must be sustainable
- Note the resources they are contributing
- Make sure their budget balances
The Synod is set to lose $30,000+ worth of grants due to lack of applications for the program. If your congregation is interested in pursuing this please contact our Synod SDOP Moderator Lois Aroian at laaroian@yahoo.com.
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September is National Hunger Awareness Month
To each congregation within the Presbytery of Lake Huron
Greetings and Salutations, praise and all glory to God!
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
We know there is hunger in the 18 counties that define the Presbytery of Lake Huron. We know this through the 2019 ALICE Report provided to each county.
But more importantly, we know this because we see it and we live with it every day. We see it every day at the Missions where we are privileged to serve; we live it every day with the waitresses, gas station attendants, fast food workers , the college students making use of the Food Pantries on their campuses, all of whom we live, move, and have our beings with every day, every week, and each month.
This is what makes National Hunger Awareness Month so relevant to us. Come September 1st through September 30th, let's focus on helping our brothers and sisters in Christ even more aware of the hunger and food issues in their communities, neighborhoods, and congregations.
How: Let's start with your own congregation. How do you support a local food pantry: With monies? With food products? With volunteers? With articles in the local newspaper?
Or what is it that you do know about backpack programs in your area? About food deserts in the community? About issues of food insecurity, because the monies coming in are not enough for people to be able to know that this month they will have an adequate supply of good fresh fruits and vegetables, along with the meats and eggs that round out the diet. About any local governmental efforts related to providing jobs and good wages in the community?
Lots to think about-so I hope I've been one of those guides we use for our setting our goals as we affirm the moral standards through which we affirm the fundamental right of every person to have access to regular and nutritious meals on a daily basis.
Thanks be to God.
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Fenton-First Offers Classes
Fenton-First is offering two events this fall that are open to all who are interested.
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Presbytery Wide Confirmation Retreat
What: Junior and Senior High Youth Confirmation and Spiritual Retreat
When: September 20-21
All junior and senior high youth in the presbytery are invited to a confirmation retreat September 20th and 21st at the Bay Shore Camp in Sebewaing. The Presbytery has provided a grant to cover half of the expenses so that the cost per participant is only $35 for an overnight stay, meals, instructional materials and recreation.
We will have at least two adult chaperones, the Revs. Philomena Ofori-Nipaah and Scott Kroener. We may need additional chaperones if we have more attendees than anticipated so please consider volunteering if needed. There is no charge for chaperones but a background check will be required. The fee for which will be covered by the presbytery.
Registration closes on September 3, 2019 and payment is due by September 10th. Once you register you will receive an invoice from Rose Onan within one business day. Payment may be made via check or credit card.
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NOTE: The deadline for registration is noon on Friday, August 23rd. No registrations will be accepted after that time.
The presbytery is offering training to church officers and members to prepare for the four emergencies you are most likely to encounter at home or at church.
The training dates are:
Saturday September 14 at Korean Presbyterian, 5560 McCarty Rd., Saginaw 989.792.8280
or
Saturday September 21 at St. Andrews 8192 Davison Rd.,
Davison 810.653.6824
You will learn how to perform CPR on someone who is not breathing, how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on someone who is having a heart attack, how to respond to someone who is choking and how to properly use a fire extinguisher. You may register for one of the four class times offered. There will be morning and afternoon CPR/AED/Choking sessions with lunch and fire extinguisher training for the entire group in between. Please note that the CPR/AED/Choking sessions are limited to 18 people per class to ensure adequate equipment and trainer interaction.
The classes are offered on a first-come first-serve basis at a cost of $22.50 per person.
Due to the need to have confirmed participants, payment of $22.50 per person including lunch is due within 5 business days of registration. Once you register, you will receive an invoice via email from Rose Onan with the amount due.
We cannot issue refunds for cancellations after August 31st.
Morning Session
8:45-9:00 AM Registration
9:00-11:30 AM Friends and Family Adult CPR and AED Infant, Child and Adult choking
(max 18 people)
11:45-12:30 PM Lunch
12:45-2:00 PM Fire Extinguisher Training - a video followed by participants actually using a fire extinguisher to put a small controlled fire
2:00 PM Departure
Afternoon Session
11:15-11:45 AM Registration
11:45-12:30 PM Lunch
12:45-2:00 PM Fire Extinguisher Training - a video followed by participants actually using a fire extinguisher to put a small controlled fire
2:00-4:30 PM Friends and Family Adult CPR and AED Infant, Child and Adult choking
(max 18 people)
4:30 PM Departure
If paying by check, make them payable to Presbytery of Lake Huron and mail to:
Presbytery of Lake Huron,
PO Box 6129, Saginaw, Michigan 48608-6129. If paying with a credit card please call the Presbytery Office after you have registered online.
Multiple people may be paid with one payment method but a separate registration is required for each participant.
Note: CPR and AED training will provide participants with the skills to assist someone who is not breathing and to effectively use and AED or help someone who is choking. This training will not qualify participants to receive an American Red Cross CPR certification.
For additional information on how to prepare your church, please visit the Emergency Preparedness page on our website.
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Connect With Other Churches In The Lake Huron Presbytery
There are so many wonderful things going on in all of our congregations. Several of our churches have set up Facebook pages to help spread the good news not only to their members but to all who may be interested. Liking other church Facebook pages is a great way to connect with others in the presbytery and to share ideas with each other. Here are some of the churches that have Facebook pages:
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'Like' Us On Facebook
The presbytery has a Facebook page and would like you to join us. Get updates and information faster. Connect with others to share ideas and to post information about events happening in your congregation. Join us today!
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Staci Percy Communications Manager/Recording Clerk P.O. Box 6129 Saginaw, MI 48608-6129 spercy@presbylh.org 989-799-7481 x2 |
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About the
Bi-Weekly Brief
Hundreds of elders, educators, and church leaders read the Presbytery of Lake Huron's email sent out every other week.
You can reissue or modify this content for your own church bulletin or newsletter, without crediting the Bi-Weekly Brief, but please credit any organizations, photographers, etc, that we credited.
Mission Coordinating Team
August 12
1:30 pm
Budget and Finance Team
August 14
9:00 am
Presbytery Council
August 14
10:00 am
Investment Committee
August 15
1:30 pm
Commission on Preparation for Ministry
August 21
10:00 am
Personnel Team
August 26
10:00 am
Commission on Ministry
August 28
11:00 am
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Details on these meetings can be found on the presbytery's website on the calendar.
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NOTE: The Presbytery of Lake Huron retains permission to modify submissions for clarity and length. Inclusion of an item in the Bi-Weekly Brief means that we think it's interesting and/or important, and does not constitute an endorsement of its point of view or its journalistic accuracy.
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