The Mission Coordination Committee (MCC) would like to highlight some exciting mission projects that are going on within the Presbytery of Lake Huron. If you are interested in sharing about a mission outreach ministry of your church, please contact MCC Co-chair Jamie Milton (pastor@wpcbc.org).

Our Mission Giving for Houghton Lake-Presbyterian Kirk of the Lakes includes many individual giving moments. During our annual event we donate to the backpack programs at Collins and Roscommon Elementary schools. We also purchase and donate hats, mittens and other items to Collins Elementary School prior to Winter break. In addition hats are donated to the Wesleyan Church’s Baby Pantry, St Vincent’s outreach, and the Roscommon County Food Pantry.

 At Christmas time we support a Christmas family, buying, wrapping and delivering Christmas wish list items for a local family in need. 

Our year-round mission giving is to the Roscommon County Food Bank. Each month, we gather food items from our parishioners based on a specified "needs" list. In addition, members of our congregation donate cash to support other needs of the Pantry. This money is collected and paid to the Food Pantry quarterly. One of our members also sits on the board of directors filling the position of secretary. We also have members who volunteer their time weekly to help distribute the food. The Food Pantry serves an average of 324 families each month. Since the Food Pantry does not receive help from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, the Pantry counts on donations from local businesses and churches.

2 coins a meal is another of our year round missions. We send extra support for 2 coins a Meal by donating 100% of the loose cash offering that is collected on the 5^th Sunday of the months that have five Sundays. This year there will be four months that we will be sending extra money to this mission. This is in addition to individual donations.

Each year our Parish Life sends donations to Habitat for Humanity, Oasis of Hope, River House, Roscommon County Food Pantry, and the Roscommon County Community Foundation.

EXCITING NEWS: Council has approved a $200 grant for the first 20 people from the presbytery who would like to attend NEXT Church! This is for the full registration fee option only and you MUST use a code at registration. Email Staci Percy at spercy@presbylh.org to obtain the code PRIOR to registering. This code is for anyone from the presbytery who would like to attend: Clergy, CREs, Ruling Elders, congregational leaders, etc.

We are excited to announce a NEXT Church National Gathering taking place in Grand Rapids, Michigan from November 11-14, 2025. We will gather at Westminster Presbyterian Church, thanks to the generosity and hospitality of their congregation and staff. During the gathering, leaders from all across the Church will learn alongside those asking similar questions, naming the very real/pressing challenges, and hoping to uncover strategies to bring about wholeness as we do the work ahead. Our time together will create the space to cultivate individual and communal transformation.

There are five different Pathways to chose when registering. We will highlight a couple in each Bi-Weekly Brief.

More than Good Intentions

Aligning Your Mission Ministries for Impact

Mission and justice are central to the work of the Church. Our hearts are in the right places and our intentions are good, but are we really making a difference? Why is your church engaged in the mission work that it is? Does your church have a shared understanding of that why? The stakes are too high for mission and justice work to be shallow in today’s world. It is critical for churches to honestly assess their work and impact in their communities.

This pathway is designed for any church member or leader who is engaged in mission work at their church. Perhaps your church is a Matthew 25 congregation who is yearning for more. Or maybe your mission budget is a mile deep with historical mission ministries that feel disconnected to your current community realities. Or perhaps your mission committee is spinning its wheels trying to make meaningful impact in the community.

Aligning our good intentions with transformational impact is critical for faithful mission work. This pathway will give you practical tools to unpack the needs of your community, honestly assess your resources, and imagine ways mission ministries can be more effective for those we serve.

Relentlessly Communing

Cultivating Communities of Resistance in the Face of Evil

How do we cultivate communities of care? What truths must we face? What values must we cultivate? As we navigate the chaos, violence, and cruelty of white supremacy being catalyzed and weaponized in this civic moment, cultivating community is critical. Building on our collective practice, this pathway will invite participants to ground and connect, surface movement lessons that assist us in making sense of this moment and face the now, and resource ourselves for the work of imagining an alternative reality even as we navigate catastrophe. Because doing any of this requires moving beyond pure rationality, this pathway will engage practices that connect people to themselves and each other, to movements of resistance, and soul strengthening resources.

The practices we support may include convening in smaller caucuses during our pathway. Doing so will allow us to draw on the unique experiences and expertises of our diverse leadership team to support dialogue and engagement that attends to the distinct challenges and needs that manifest given our various racial and ethnic identities, as well as or aspects of our identities and social locations.

The cruelties of this moment are not new. Neither are movements in which, as so many have taught us, the building of worlds and the joy that comes from caring for one another as we move through despite and nonetheless. This sensibility will ground us as we journey through the week together.

Presbyterian Planning Calendar 2025-2026

It's that time of year again when the presbytery will be placing an order for planning calendars in order to take advantage of the bulk pricing.

This 19-month calendar contains many planning aids for pastors and other church leaders. Includes lectionary for Sundays and special days, liturgical days, liturgical colors, resource information for PC(USA) programmatic emphases, updated synod, presbytery and Presbyterian Mission Agency staff directories, color foldout synod/presbytery and world maps.

Cost per calendar is $11.50 and all orders must be pre-paid. Payment is needed by July 23, 2025. Unfortunately, there are no cancellations after this date.

New Orientation: The calendar grid is now vertical instead of horizontal and will span across two pages for double the writing space for personal dates and notes.

You will be notified when the calendars have arrived (expected around mid-August) and arrangements for pick up or delivery can be made at that time. They will also be available for pick up at the September presbytery meeting.

2025/2027 Book of Order

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 Church Discipline. Additional information is provided to the reader through the inclusion of Received Ecumenical Statements of Guidance and Articles of Agreement.

Join others in ordering the newest edition of the Book of Order at the price of $10.00 each.  

You will be notified when the books have arrived and arrangements for pick up or delivery can be made at that time. They will also be available for pick up at the September presbytery meeting.

Orders must be received in the Presbytery Office by August 21, 2025. Unfortunately, there are no cancellations after August 21, 2025.

All orders must be pre-paid.



Contact Rose Onan at ronan@presbylh.org or 989-372-0494 with any questions.

Applications for Higher Education Scholarships Now Available

Applications are due by 9/2/25

Financial Support for Vocational School, Associates and Bachelors Programs and First Theological Masters is available through the Synod of the Covenant.

An Event for Students Grades 6-12

To provide the most mission-focused event possible, Living Water Ministries has consolidated The Great Lakes Gathering (traditionally for students grades 9-12) and Charge (traditionally for students grades 6-8) into a single event. 2022 was our first hybrid (high school and middle school) Charge and it was a phenomenal event! By combining our efforts into one event, we believe we can better meet the ever-changing youth ministry needs of the congregations we serve as we develop leaders, practice service, bring together community, and grow in faith. Join us November 14-16, 2025 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, MI for our next Charge event!

Group Registration Required

Charge is an event designed for students grades 6-12 who are registered with a group accompanied by adults. Often this is in the form of a church group with adult leaders from the congregation, however it can also be adults/parents bringing a group of grade appropriate participants (i.e. a group that includes friends and family attending with an adult).

For more information, click the button below or contact the Rev. Cassie Todd.