John Haynes, whose parents are members of Davison-St. Andrews. John is an RN who is experiencing serious heart and lung complications from COVID.

The Rev. Peter Russell, Honorably Retired, who is residing at Abbey Park in Grand Blanc.

Lucy Der-Garabedian serving in Lebanon.

Cathy Chang and family serving in the Philippines.

Rev. Dawn Russell (2/9) - 25 Years - Pastor of Linden

Rev. Larry McMellen (2/12) - Honorably Retired

Rev. Cathy Chang (2/17) - Mission Co-Worker serving in the Philippines

Rev. Mary Anne Justin-Evans (2/25) - Honorably Retired

Rev. Chris Moody (2/25) - Member-At-Large

Elder Liz Long (3/5) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Ithaca-Lafayette

Rev. Karen Blatt (3/12) - Honorably Retired, Temporary Supply of Houghton Lake-Kirk of the Lakes

Rev. Jamie Milton (3/18) - 10 Years - Pastor of Bay City-Westminster

Rev. Hakbae Moon (3/19) - Pastor of Flint-Unity

Rev. Linda Graham (3/25) - 10 Years - Temporary Supply of Davison-St. Andrews

Rev. Jan Chambers (3/29) - 35 Years - Honorably Retired, Pastor Emerita of Tawas

I was watching one of my favorite movies the other night, Saving Private Ryan. Set during World War II during the Allied liberation of France, the movie, starring Tom Hanks, follows a squad of soldiers who are sent to find a Private Ryan in the middle of all the battles going on. They are to find him so he can be sent home as the only surviving Ryan brother. All of his other brothers have died in various battles.

To me, one of the most powerful moments comes as Tom Hanks tells Private Ryan (played by Matt Damon) that he is to leave his unit and come with him. There is an argument until one of the soldiers yells at Private Ryan that two of their fellow soldiers have already been killed trying to find him and complete this mission. Private Ryan is taken aback by this and stops. He then turns and demands to know, “What are their names?” He wants to know the names of the men who had already died.

Names are powerful. They can be used to identify who we are and they can take on a power and a meaning all on their own. We hear a name we know and a whole bunch of images and associations come to mind. Names tell others not only what to call us but can even remind us of who someone is. For example, if I say “Martin Luther King, Jr.” a whole range of images, ideas, and even characteristics come to mind. 

In one of our meetings recently, for an opener we were asked where our names came from. As you might expect, there were a variety of answers. That got me to thinking about what various names in our lives might mean to others. What does the name “First Presbyterian Church” mean to others? There are a lot of different answers to that one as we have a ton of churches named “First Presbyterian.” So another name might be needed: First Presbyterian Church of Flint, for example. 

That’s a good reminder that names and naming have to be used carefully. They are powerful tools, even in the life of the church. The ability to name is a very powerful tool. It can be misused or even abused. It can be hurtful and hard to undo. But that may mean it’s all the more important to name carefully, compassionately and with grace.

All that leads me to wonder what people feel or think when they hear names like Christian? Or Presbyterian? Or Presbytery of Lake Huron? We will have different answers and feelings about all those names. Yet asking that question, being honest about what those names mean to us, listening to what the same names may mean to others, can be a way to start on a road together. We might decide that there we want our name to mean something different, something new, something closer to who Christ calls us to be. That’s a name to be excited about.

Ted McCulloch

Stated Clerk

The Presbytery of Lake Huron will hold its stated meeting on Saturday, March 5, 2022, starting at 9:30 AM. **PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGED START TIME** This will be a Zoom-only meeting and pre-registration is required. The Cass City-Fraser will be our “virtual” host congregation.

Thank you to all the Clerks of Sessions and others who worked so hard at getting this year's Annual Statistics compiled and entered. We appreciate your faithful service!

The Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium has come to the difficult but important decision to cancel the Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2022 in-person event. This is out of a deep desire to prioritize the safety and health of our participants and their communities – youth and adult volunteers from your churches. It feels heartbreaking but necessary to make this call and to share it with you today. Here is a link to the public announcement made recently: https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/covid-19-cancels-2022-presbyterian-youth-triennium/

This decision was made thoughtfully and prayerfully alongside our 2022 Coordinators, under the guidance of our COVID Medical Advisory Team, and with the support of Presbyterian Mission Agency leadership. The care and concern many of you have expressed to us over the past few months has also helped to shape and inform the direction in which we are headed.

The Synod of the Covenant shares the following with you:

The latest installments of the Parish Paper are now available on our website. The topics are:

March Bringing A Community Project Into Focus

April New Life For Older Buildings

As always, these are short but great reads, and perfect for session training or small group discussions. Click here to view these or any of the previous editions over the years.

On March 20, 2021, Presbyterians across the United States paid tribute to the ordained Presbyterian minister and iconic children’s television host through acts such as distributing care packages, hiding rocks painted with uplifting messages in local parks, and hosting neighborhood gatherings — observing COVID safety protocols, of course — with many participants donning Rogers’ trademark cardigan sweater.

The Office of Christian Formation partnered with the Office of Theology and Worship and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program to create resources for the event. With the success of the debut, they are offering more resources for 2022 and highlighting some created by Rogers himself.

Click here to continue reading this article from the Presbyterian Mission Agency and to find resources to celebrate.

The McCabe Charitable Foundation Scholarship assists Jewish or Presbyterian residents of Bay, Saginaw, or Midland counties in Michigan who are enrolled or planning to enroll in undergraduate studies at Delta Community College or Saginaw Valley State University.

Deadline to apply: March 16, 2022 3:00 pm CT

Click here for more information.

A donor at First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven, Michigan, wants to provide generous financial assistance to children desiring to go to a Christian camp. This year the program is being offered to all the churches in the four presbyteries in Michigan - Detroit, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Mackinac. If you are willing, we'd like to have you offer this financial assistance to the children and youth of your church. Please make copies of the application and distribute them among those eligible for the funding.

Here are the parameters of this program:

Click here for more details and the application.