EMerge is a newsletter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. Through most of the year it is published weekly and distributed to congregations, teaching elders, ruling elders, church members, committees and friends of the presbytery. Please send submissions and address corrections to office@ptcaweb.org.
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The presbytery meeting summary
With a special focus on mission
With a special focus on mission -- both mission done by co-workers on our behalf and that done with our own hands -- the presbytery met March 10 at Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Golden Valley.
We welcomed the Rev. John McCall, mission co-worker in Taiwan, both to our pulpit for worship and to the podium to speak about his ministry. The Rev. McCall teaches at three seminaries of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan. He shared stories about his students' dedication and eagerness to learn. He spoke about his experiences teaching, preaching and equipping the leadership of the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church.
We commissioned our own PTCA 2018 Mission Team bound for Denham Springs, Arkansas. Planned in collaboration with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, our mission team will assist in recovery, clean-up and rebuilding from the 2016 Louisiana flooding.
Boundary training offered in April
at First Presbyterian of Stillwater
The presbytery's Committee on Ethics will be host to a Level 1 Boundaries training on Monday, April 16,  from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater. Titled "To Bless the Space Between Us," the training will address negotiating interpersonal boundaries, ethics, power dynamics, confidentiality and self-care in a ministry context. The training is required for all teaching elders when they join the presbytery, and is also appropriate for other church leaders. Registration can be completed at "Boundaries Training."
Jeff's Jottings
Which one of these is not like the other?
By Jeff Japinga
Executive Presbyter
There was a segment on Sesame Street decades ago, when I watched with my children, when we as viewers were shown pictures of, usually, four objects and asked, Which one of these are not like the other? Here's a simple example:
Here is, perhaps, a more difficult example ...
The complete Jottings are at "One of These."
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Spirit of Life plans special
services for Holy Week
 Apple Valley's Spirit of Life Presbyterian Church will present special services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. The Palm Sunday, March 25, 10 a.m. service will feature performances by the adult choir and handbell choir, and an Easter egg hunt for children will follow the service. The 6 p.m. Maundy Thursday, March 29, service will be the story of Jesus' Last Supper told over a meal. Those who attend are asked to bring something to share for the meal. The complete announcement can be found at "Easter Services."
Red Wing First's Greg Bolt
is cast member of 'Appropriate'
 Red Wing's veteran community theater company, Phoenix Theatre, will present Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play, "Appropriate," later this month and Greg Bolt, pastor of the city's First Presbyterian Church, is a part of the cast. The play, written in 2014, is the story of a family facing disturbing family history. In a review, The Washington Post noted, "What distinguished 'Appropriate' is the playwright's gift for drawing characters into an escalating conflict and sustaining, with humor and craft, our curiosity about how they digest the terrible information thrown at them." Performance dates are March 22, 23, 24 and 25. The complete announcement is at "Appropriate."
SPIN conversation around 'Mysticism
in the Abrahamic Religions' planned
 The St. Paul Interfaith Network (SPIN) is planning an interfaith conversation around "Mysticism in the Abrahamic Religions" on Thursday, April 5, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 100 of Northwestern Hall of Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Presenters will include representatives of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The conversation is open and reservations are not required. While lunch is not served, coffee, tea, ice water and cookies will be available. Brown-bag lunches are invited.
Rochester First Presbyterian
will be host to 'Soul Shop' workshop
First Presbyterian Church of Rochester will be host Saturday, April 28, to the "Soul Shop" workshop that  provides training and support for faith communities to help prevent suicidal outcomes for people experiencing suicidal desperation. The Soul Shop Movement addresses the need of desperately hurting people to be heard, noticed and seen within their faith communities. The workshop, sponsored by the Southeast Minnesota Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, begins with check-in at 8:30 a.m. A light breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be served. Event registration is at "Suicide Prevention."
Synod plans Leadership Summit
on mental health, ministry
The Synod of Lakes and Prairies' annual Leadership Summit, formerly known as the COM/CPM training conference, will take place Tuesday through  Thursday, April 24-26, at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, Minnesota. This year's conference theme is "Mental Health and Ministry." Keynote speakers are Mark Sundby, executive director of LeaderWise, and Caroline Burke, staff psychologist at LeaderWise. Heidi Bolt, co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Red Wing, Minnesota, will lead worship. In addition, numerous workshops, led by church leaders throughout the synod and the broader church, will address a variety of topics related to church leadership. Details, and a link to online registration, can be found at "Leadership Summit."
Healing Minnesota Stories
sets next sacred-site tour April 28
Healing Minnesota Stories, an initiative of the St. Paul Interfaith Network, is offering
Sacred Sites Tours
through the coming spring, summer and fall months. The next open tour is planned Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tours center around the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, what the Dakota refer to as Bdote, or "meeting place of rivers." The tour stops include Fort Snelling, the site of the Dakota internment camp following the Dakota-U.S. War, and Pilot Knob Hill, a traditional burial ground. Tours meet at the Church of St. Peter in Mendota, and proceed to sites from there by auto caravan. A donation is requested. Additional information, along with registration information, is at "Sacred Sites."
Conflict transformation workshop
is set in Twin Cities on May 16
The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center of Lombard, Illinois, an organization that offers resources for churches of all denominations on biblical peace  and justice issues as well as conflict transformation skills training, is sponsoring a one-day workshop May 16 in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that looks at the challenges presented by rising levels of anxiety in churches today. Titled "Leadership and Anxiety in the Church: A Family Systems Perspective," the workshop also addresses the role that self-differentiated leadership can play in calming anxiety. Participants will learn practical skills in defusing anxious situations. The interdenominational workshop takes place at Minnetonka United Methodist Church. Workshop details are available at "Conflict Transformation." Online registration, including discounts for groups and early registration, is available at "Attending."
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Resources, conferences ...
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March Board Connections
features link to tax-law update
 The March Board Connections, a newsletter from the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), highlights recent Board news and information. The current edition also includes a link to an update on tax law changes and resources from the BOP. The complete current issue can be found at "Board Connections."
21st century transformation: Going
beyond change; an April conference
Minnesota Valleys Presbytery is partnering with Midwest Initiative for Leading Transition to conduct a transformation training event for congregation teams Thursday through Saturday, April 5-7, at First Presbyterian Church in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The  event will focus on the complexity of leading churches through a transformation process. Faculty for the conference are the Rev. Dr. SanDawna Ashley, executive director of presbytery mission for Minnesota Valleys Presbytery; the Rev. Mitch Coggin, a hospital chaplain, installed pastor and transitional pastor for 37 years; the Rev. James L. Gale Jr., associate executive of the Synod of Mid-America; the Rev. Dr. Jeff Japinga, executive presbyter for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area; the Rev. Beth Wagner, serving in her seventh transitional/interim position and currently pastor at Yorkfield Presbyterian Church in Elmhurst, Illinois; and the Rev. Mary Wright, who has served in transitional/interim ministry for 13 years. The complete conference brochure, along with registration information, can be found at "Going Beyond Change."
White Privilege Conference
planned
in April in Grand Rapids
 "For the past 17 years the White Privilege Conference has examined challenging concepts of privilege and oppression," according to its website, and the upcoming event is planned Wednesday through Saturday, April 4-7, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Conference, its website notes, "is open to everyone and invites diverse perspectives to provide a comprehensive look at issues of privilege including: race, gender, sexuality, class [and] disability." Complete details can be found at "White Privilege Conference."
Apollos Scholarship applications
deadline comes April 16
 The mission of the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation is to seek, develop and support excellence in Christian leadership through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The foundation's Apollos Program helps fulfill that mission. The program offers financial support to selected students under the care of their respective presbyteries. The foundation offers annual Apollos Scholarships with a maximum of $3,000 per year for three-years, and Apollos Named Scholarships with an annual maximum of $6,000 per year for up to three years. Eligible students must be members of a PC(USA) congregation and an inquirer or candidate enrolled full-time at one of 10 PC(USA) seminaries. The deadline for applications is April 16. Complete details are at "Apollos."
 Registration underway
for Synod School 2018
Celebrating 65 years of Synod School, registration for this summer's edition of the ever-popular midsummer ministry opened earlier this month. Described as "a learning and personal enrichment experience for people of all ages," Synod School runs July 22-27 on the campus of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Coming off a record-setting year in 2017 when 686 people gathered for the week-long event, this year's program features Jason Brian Santos, mission coordinator for Christian formation at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, as convocation speaker. Jana Childers, dean of the seminary and vice president of academic affairs at San Francisco Theological Seminary, will lead evening worship. The complete catalog and a link to online registration can be found at "Synod School."
Great Plains Wee Kirk Conference
set this spring in Nebraska
 The 2018 Great Plains Wee Kirk Conference is planned Monday through Wednesday, April 30-May 2, at Calvin Crest Camp, Conference and Retreat Center near Fremont, Nebraska. The conference includes worship, communion, workshops fellowship, relaxation and renewal. This year's plenary speaker is the Rev. Chris Walker, teacher, coach, pastor and principle writer for Evangelism Coach. Conference details are at "Great Plains Wee Kirk."
Advocacy Training Weekend
planned in Washington
 Presbyterians are being invited April 20 to Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. The theme for the event is "A World Uprooted: Responding to Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People." The training day will look "at how our church and our partners are confronting white supremacy and nativism while supporting refugee and migrant populations in our country and abroad," the event's website notes. After Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day, participants are asked to participate in Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Details about the training day, including links to register, can be found at "Advocacy Training."
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Service opportunities ...
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The House of Hope Presbyterian Church
in St. Paul is seeking a full-time administrative assistant to provide accounting and front-office support for the church. Accounting responsibilities include accounts payable, journal entries, month-end balancing and reporting, and budget and audit preparation. Front-desk responsibilities include greeting visitors, directing incoming telephone calls, maintaining membership database, and general office support. Interested individuals are invited to submit a resume and letter of interest to Anne Mitchell at annem@hohchurch.org. The complete announcement is at "Administrative Assistant."
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House of Hope member participates
in UN Commission on Status of Women
Marvella Lambright didn't realize that some women use dried cow dung to absorb their monthly flow of  blood until she attended her first Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) session at the United Nations several years ago. This year, Lambright joined 18 women of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as well as thousands of others from around the world for the 62nd session of the CSW. Betty Folliard of The House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul says the CSW participants focus on the issues that are common to women around the world. She says the women from the United States shouldn't just think of themselves as leaders, but learners. These comments and more can be found in the Presbyterian News Service story by Sue Washburn at "Status of Women."
Theologian reflects on being first African American woman ordained in PC(USA)
At the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in St. Louis, the  Committee on Theological Education (COTE) and the Theological Education Fund will honor the Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon -- the first African American woman ordained in the PC(USA).
The Rev. Cannon was ordained April 24, 1974, in Shelby, North Carolina, by the Catawba Presbytery, in the Synod of Catawba. According to the Presbyterian Office of Information, the United Presbyterian Church listed 154 white women as ordained clergy at that time. Presbyterian News Service asked Cannon to reflect on her ordination, in light of her life experiences, as African American History Month and Women's
History Month are celebrated in February and March respectively. Her complete response can be found at "Katie Geneva Cannon."
PC(USA) stated clerk calls to overcome fear of transformative change
 J. Herbert Nelson II, stated clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is calling the church to overcome its fear of transformative change. He writes, "Rethinking ministry is difficult. Implementing new ideas and establishing them is even more difficult. We should be acutely aware of this fact of faith as we engage this season of Lent/Easter. Jesus encountered the struggles of the cross while trying to reform the practices of the Jewish temple and community. In a time when the Church is called to rethink ministry, it appears that in some places we are unwilling to engage the challenges. I stated at the beginning of my tenure as stated clerk that "anytime a General Assembly appoints three different groups to fix the national church, it is clear that reform is needed." Nelson's complete column is at "Transformative Change."
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