Presbytery of Lake Huron
Bi-Weekly Brief 
 
"The mission of the Presbytery of Lake Huron is to partner with congregations, helping people to know, grow, share and serve as disciples of Jesus Christ." 
 
March 20, 2019 
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We Pray For 
We Lift Up In Prayer...  

New:
The Rev. Donald Neuville, Honorably Retired, whose wife Pat passed to the larger life recently. Donald served the Linden congregation for more than 30 years prior to his retirement. Click here to view her obituary.

The Rev. Desiree Lawson and husband Anthony as Desiree's call at Flint-Trinity United ends soon and they move back to Boston. We also lift up the congregation during this time of transition.

Ongoing:
Elder Linda Living-Hawley, Commissioned Ruling Elder of Fenton-Tyrone who experienced a major cardiac event in December, spent several days in the hospital and recently started cardiac rehab. 


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 March and April:

Elder Peggy Ronk (3/4) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Breckenridge-Emerson
Elder Liz Long (3/5) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Ithaca-Lafayette
The Rev. Karen Blatt (3/12) - Temporary Supply of Houghton Lake-Kirk of the Lakes
The Rev. Hakbae Moon (3/19) - Pastor of Flint-Unity
The Rev. Desiree Lawson (3/20) - Pastor of Flint-Trinity United
The Rev. Linda Graham (3/25) - Pastor of Cass City-First and Cass City-Fraser
The Rev. Jan Chambers (3/29) - Honorably Retired and Pastor Emerita of Tawas
The Rev. Dr. Brian Stratton (4/2) - Member-At-Large 
The Rev. Andrew Miller (4/4) - 15 Years - Pastor of
The Rev. Dong Won Park (4/15) - Honorably Retired
Elder Jon Baker (4/26) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Rosebush
The Rev. George Gillette (4/27) - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Hoon Koo Lee (4/27) - Member-At-Large

Presbytery Office
Dan Saperstein
From the Lions' Den

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works...  - Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

In my office are two fascinating works of art: paper roosters that were a gift of the Saginaw Korean Presbyterian Church (in whose building the Presbytery office is located). The roosters were a gift at their Lunar New Year observance, and are considered omens of blessing and good fortune. One member of the congregation made these for each member of the church! I was honored with these gifts, and astounded by the artist's creativity and generosity.

The roosters are examples of "modular origami," a traditional art form in which the objects are made only by folding paper without adhesives of any kind. Each rooster consists of about 400 folded pieces of paper meshed and nested in tiers, giving surprising density and strength to the product.

I appreciate these not only as works of art, or as cultural artifacts, but as a metaphor for the church. Like the individual pieces of paper, each of us is a unique creation crafted by a master artist, interwoven into a larger community of faith. Each piece of paper is essential to the whole - remove it and the larger body would not be complete. Together, we are a thing of beauty, a work of art, much greater than any of us as individuals.

Likewise, as each piece is fitted together without artificial adhesive, so we are knit and joined together in Christ's body by the invisible bonds of the Spirit. Just as the rooster heralds the coming of a new day, we as the church herald a new creation, a new life, a new beginning in Jesus Christ. And, as the artwork conveys blessing to the recipient, so also should the church be agents of blessing to the world.

In this season of Lent, as we meditate upon God's costly gift of love in Christ, through whom we are reconciled to God and united to one another, may we also consider ways in which we might give generously and creatively of ourselves to bear Christ's blessings to others.

Faithfully, 

Dan Saperstein, E xecutive Presbyter
 
Presbyterian Youth Triennium

*** LAST WEEK TO GET
REDUCED PRICING ***

The Presbytery of Lake Huron is forming a delegation to attend Triennium. We want YOU to be a part of this life changing event! Please contact Philomena Ofori-Nipaah ( [email protected]) or Nikelle Johnson ( [email protected]) with questions and/or to indicate your interest in attending.

Click here for a flyer with additional details or click here to go to the PYT website.

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GA Amendment Voting

The presbyteries (including Lake Huron at our March stated meeting) have approved all of the General Assembly amendments except 18-C which dealt with church officers and clergy approving or endorsing political candidates.
Planning Calendars

The timing of when the next planning calendars will be printed has changed. We will begin pre-ordering bulk rate calendars later next month. Look for notices in upcoming Bi-Weekly Briefs on how you can order your copies at a reduced rate.
Flood Planning

While we are not experiencing the flooding that is currently hitting much of the Midwest, the Insurance Board has some good tips for planning for floods - unfortunately this is the season - and what to do if you experience flooding.  Click here for a one page information sheet.
Presbyterian Historical Society
Guishintong: Korea's First Piano

What is the connection between Korean's first piano and Saginaw and Alma College ? Click here to find out!
Training Opportunities
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Board of Pensions Pre-Retirement Planning Training

NOTE: The Board of Pensions always hosts very informative events but please note the second day of this is the same day as our June stated meeting of presbytery in which the Stated Clerk of the PC(USA), the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson will be our guest and will be giving the sermon. His preaching is inspiring.

The Board of Pensions will present Growing into Tomorrow ... Today, our two-day pre-retirement planning seminar at St. Francis Retreat Center, in DeWitt, MI, on Monday, June 3, 2019, to Tuesday, June 4, 2019.

Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis through the registration deadline shown below.

About the Seminar

Planning for retirement can be challenging. Attend our two-day seminar and explore the steps you can take today to plan for your best retirement tomorrow.

During the seminar, participants will
  • identify key questions for discernment in planning for retirement;
  • assess their finances, options for saving before retirement, and reasonable expectations for retirement living;
  • discuss healthcare options available through Medicare and supplemental insurances; and 
  • create their next steps in life balance, relationships, housing, health, and finances.
When: June 3, 2019, to June 4, 2019; 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, both days
  
Where: St. Francis Retreat Center, 703 E. Main Street, DeWitt, Michigan 48820

Fees: Registration Fee: $0; Meal Fee: $56.00 per person (includes lunch and refreshments both days) 

Register By: May 17, 2019

Click here to learn more and register.

Mediation Skills Training For Church Leaders

What: Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (MSTI)
When: May 13-17, 2019
Where: Utica United Methodist Church in Sterling Heights, MI
Who: Clergy and lay leaders who are interested in learning skills to help deal more effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict

Please note that the deadline by which to register and receive a $200 tuition discount is April 12, 2019.

Please join us for this exceptional interdenominational workshop, and discover for yourself why a previous participant once described MSTI as "the Golden Globe winner of conflict resolution programs"!  Even if you cannot participate, we would appreciate it if you would be so kind as to forward this message to colleagues who you believe might benefit from this training, or post an ad on a denominational website or in a regional newsletter.

For complete details, please consult this brochure.

To register online, go to Brown Paper Tickets.

For more information about the mission and programs of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, we invite you to visit our website at www.LMPeaceCenter.org.
 
Save the Date, Save a Life

Saturday September 14, 2019 or Saturday September 21, 2019

Save those dates on your calendar!

The presbytery is planning to offer the opportunity for you to be prepared to respond to health emergencies. The training will help prepare you for the four health emergencies you are most likely to encounter at home or at church.To help someone who is not breathing you will learn how to do CPR. For someone whose heart is stopped you will learn how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). If someone from adult to infant is choking you will learn how to help. In case of fire you will learn how to properly use a fire extinguisher. Everyone will have the opportunity during the training to actually practice all four skills.
 
We still have some work to do to finalize the exact schedule, costs and locations so we can't give you all the information today. The training will take a approximately a half day and two classes will be offered on Saturday September 14 and again on Saturday September 21 at two different locations.
 
It doesn't matter if you are 15 or 85 being prepared may offer you the opportunity to save a life. So please save the dates!

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For additional information on how to prepare your church, please visit the Emergency Preparedness page on our website.
 
In Our Congregations
Lent Concerts

Next week Bay City-First begins their weekly lunchtime concert series for Lent.
Concerts are held each Wednesday from 12:15-12:45pm beginning March 13th.  Click here for more details.
Connections
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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:


Camp Westminster

If your congregation has a page and it is not listed here, please contact Staci Percy at [email protected]

'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! 

Contact Information

Staci Percy

Communications Manager/Recording Clerk

[email protected] 

989-799-7481 x2

In This Edition
In Our Prayers
From The Lions' Den
Triennium
GA Amendment Voting
Planning Calendars
Flood Planning
Korea's First Piano
Training Opportunities
Concert Series
Connect With LHP Churches


Who We Are
 
 
 
 
 
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.

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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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Commission on Preparation for Ministry
March 20
10:00 am


Presbyterian Women
March 21
10:00 am


Personnel Team
March 25
10:00 am


Commission on Ministry
March 27
11:00 am




Details on these meetings can be found on the presbytery's website on the calendar.