Synod Meeting Summary
The Synod of Lakes and Prairies met in person for the first time since Fall, 2019 at the Mt. Olivet Retreat Center near Farmington, MN on April 30-May 2, 2023. We worshipped together, heard reports from various entities, met in committees, took actions in the business meeting, ... Learn more.
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Exploring Trauma-Informed Ministry Seminars
At the Leadership Summit in April 2023 and the Spring Meeting of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, participants explored the topic of Trauma-Informed Ministry and Becoming a Trauma-Informed Church. For many this was a new topic. The Transforming Communities/Vital Leaders Committee is offering a series of three workshops in the coming weeks to allow a deeper understanding of the impact of trauma in the life of faith and Christian Community. You can register for one or all three workshops, depending on your availability. Workshops meet via Zoom from 1:30-3:30 p.m. (CDT).
Spiritual Trauma and the Bible – Thursday, May 25
Facilitator: Laura Beth Buchleiter
Do we read the bible differently through the lens of trauma? What might others hear that we don’t recognize?
Grief and Trauma – Thursday, June 1
Facilitator: Joanna Quanbeck
Grief is a complicated experience made even more so by traumatic events. Recognizing the differences and clues to what is happening is important.
Intersectionality and Trauma – Thursday, June 15
Facilitated by Julica Hermann de la Fuente
Intersectionality is the acknowledgment that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression as we must consider everything and anything that can marginalize people – gender, race, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc. Trauma is frequently connected with such marginalization.
Sponsored by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies in partnership with LeaderWise.
Registration is free.
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Seeking an Acting Stated Clerk
With the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, ending his tenure on June 30, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly is actively seeking candidates to serve as Acting Stated Clerk—starting as early as July 1 and serving through the 226th General Assembly (2024) until the arrival of the new Stated Clerk elected by the GA. The Acting Stated Clerk, though responsible for all the functions assigned to the Stated Clerk, will focus on leading the OGA and the church through this time of transition and implementing the planning of the assembly, while leaning on staff and elected persons to fulfill specific responsibilities. The Acting Stated Clerk must be either a ruling elder or a minister of the Word and Sacrament in good standing, in addition to meeting other qualifications. The full position description is posted.
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Still thinking about a summer get away?
Synod School is the perfect answer.
For a week you will not:
- plan or be in charge of worship
- cook or clean up the kitchen
- chauffer the kids around
This is a week where you have the opportunity to:
- learn something new
- rest and recharge
- get inspired by keynote speakers
The kids will have a great time too!
Find out all about it here.
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Reclaiming Our Calling: Deacons & Ruling Elders and the Care of Souls Webinar Recording
The latest Leader Formation webinar proved to have a record number of registrants and participants, with extremely positive responses to the practical advice shared by Rachel and Matt Rhodes. The event included finding grounding for ministries of care within our ordination questions. Specific tips were shared about talking with others in times of illness and crisis, as well as ways to simply connect with those we serve. Find a recording of the event, and its associated resources, on the Leader Formation webpage. You are encouraged to share it with your congregations.
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Matthew 25
When we welcome others, we welcome Christ; when we bring together people who are divided, we are doing God’s reconciling work. We are called to serve Jesus by contributing to the well-being of the most vulnerable in all societies – rural and urban, small and large, young and not-so-young. From affordable housing to community gardens to equitable educational and employment opportunities to healing from addiction and mental illness to enacting policy change – there is not just one way to be a part of the Matthew 25 movement.
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Children at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City are learning kindness by showing it to others
The church has a bus, ‘Andy’s ARK,’ to ferry children around the neighborhood so they can practice random acts of kindness
by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The children of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa, are “growing up in the church and learning how to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” says Nichole Hoffman, children’s ministries outreach coordinator at a church that’s living out its Matthew 25 ministry among members and friends of all ages.
“We work on teaching kids how they can help people who are struggling,” said Sara Penn, children’s ministries activities coordinator. Both sat for interviews at the church last week. “For us, to focus on Matthew 25 seems to be right on par with what this church has always been about.”
Read the full article.
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Some of the work at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church is pop-up ministry. Other efforts are built to last across generations
IOWA CITY, Iowa — St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City constructed its beautiful and versatile campus seven years ago. While the Pop-Up Ministry Room is not the most eye-catching of St. Andrew’s varied ministry spaces, it’s easily the most versatile, with plenty of storage and display space for clothing and food distribution as the need arises. Church leaders liken the large space to the Room of Requirement in the Harry Potter novels.
“The Pop-Up Ministry Room is a great space,” said Amy Schmidt-Rundell, St. Andrew’s mission and outreach coordinator. “We recently made sure to bring in the community because in addition to … helping people with food security, they also help … with other resources that are common needs that people don’t always know where to go.”
Read the full article.
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A PC(USA) congregation in Iowa communicates the gospel in word and deed
IOWA CITY, Iowa — When Jesus began reading from a scroll in the synagogue, Luke’s gospel records that his text came from the book of Isaiah. “He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives,” Jesus says, quoting Isaiah.
That’s also the work of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa, says Jeff Charis-Carlson, the church’s director of communications and media ministries, who sat for an interview last week to discuss the Matthew 25 ministry St. Andrew has been doing.
While Jesus calls us to visit those who are incarcerated, we’re also called to minister to those who are captive in other ways, including mental illness, according to Charis-Carlson. “You can’t look at someone and know what’s going on internally,” he said. “We have focused on helping people be part of this community, recognizing they have an important role to play in the body of Christ.” Those who “look at the world differently and experience the world differently than the majority of members of the congregation have a special role and things to teach us.”
Read the full article.
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First Presbyterian Church’s Matthew 25 celebration includes community partners
The Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, congregation celebrates during worship and afterward with a mission fair
by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service
MT. PLEASANT, Iowa — First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, gathered Sunday first to worship God and celebrate the many ways the congregation is following Jesus in the Matthew 25 movement. Afterward — following a thrilling Bach postlude on the church’s pipe organ by high schooler Ethan Sexauer — worshipers continued the celebration with a mission fair in fellowship hall.
The congregation makes the centrality of its welcome clear in its Welcoming Statement, which affirms the congregation’s commitment “to being a radically loving and welcoming community of faith. We believe it is our responsibility to follow the teachings of Jesus and bring the kingdom of God to the world through love of and service to others.”
Read the full article.
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A mission fair followed Sunday’s Matthew 25 celebration at First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. (Photo by Rich Copley/Presbyterian Mission Agency) | |
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Iowa congregation sees its Matthew 25 future as remaining ‘faithful to the covenant’
Pastors Trey and Sarah Hegar share what they’ve learned after eight years at First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant
by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service
MT. PLEASANT, Iowa — When she sat for an interview this week, the Rev. Sarah Hegar, who directs congregational ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was still basking in the glow of having welcomed six confirmands into membership the previous weekend. They got there in part by studying Matthew 25 confirmation materials that asked the youth: How do you change the world? ...
When Hegar arrived in 2015 with her husband, the Rev. Trey Hegar, FPC’s pastor, and their son, few children were attending Sunday school. It was Trey’s idea to begin offering an after-school program on Wednesdays, which grew to include a Bible lesson, a mission project, games and crafts. “People on Sunday ask, ‘Where are the kids?’” Sarah said. “You have to come on a Wednesday afternoon to see them. We can’t keep doing church the way we’ve always done it. Matthew 25 helps us be more inventive and reach other audiences.”
Read the full article.
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Presbyterian congregation in Iowa explains how forays into the community fit with its Matthew 25 focus
First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, finds joy and unity ministering in diverse ways
by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service
MT. PLEASANT, Iowa — “Our church’s commitment to Matthew 25 is important to us,” says Ashlynn Beauchamp, a 15-year-old member of First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. “It gives us the opportunity not just to better ourselves and follow Jesus, but to branch out and work in the world to improve others’ lives, not just our own.”
Together with FPC ruling elders Linda Albright and Lynn Ellsworth, who are members of the church’s Matthew 25 task force, Beauchamp this week shared explanations for how the PC(USA)’s Matthew 25 invitation has helped the church reach out effectively to the surrounding community, including after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on a Mt. Pleasant factory five years ago.
In the video above, Ellsworth discusses how IowaWINS, a commission of FPC formed to support area immigrants, helped several members and friends, including Ellsworth, become legal guardians for young people from other countries.
Read the full article.
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There's more to First Presbyterian Church's Matthew 25 story.
- Presbyterian congregation joins with its neighbor, a prison, to live out its Matthew 25 calling
- PC(USA) congregation and partners work to build a home for all God’s creatures
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Building Ministry Vitality through Matthew 25 | |
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BUILDING TOGETHER: THE HEART TO HEART HUMAN STUFF OF BEING A CHURCH TOGETHER
A conversation with Shavon Starling Louis, co-moderator of the PC(USA) asking the question "Who should I be talking to?" and acknowledging the ongoing reality that "the Lord shows up in faithful ways."
Presbytery of Milwaukee
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Do you have a Matthew 25 story to share? | |
Let us know how your church is involved with Matthew 25. Email your article or story idea to the editor of Keeping In Touch at office@lakesandprairies.org. | |
The Sower
Read the May issue of The Sower newsletter.
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Presbyterian Women in the Synod
More Book Studies are on the way sponsored by our PWS Native American Concerns Committee and facilitated by Marilyn Stone. “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage” by William Loren Katz and “The Night Watchman” by Louise Erdrich are some of the possibilities. Look for a flyer and registration form in May/June announcing the next Book Study selection.
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Apply to host an International Peacemaker for September/October 2023
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program will welcome up to 10 International Peacemakers in fall 2023. Itinerating around the U.S. from Sept. 15 to Oct. 9, International Peacemakers hail from all over the world, and speak about their work addressing human rights, migration, refugee assistance, nonviolence, interreligious dialogue and other justice issues. A past host says: “Jonathan’s visit was just what we needed to look outside our community at the needs of the greater world. Jonathan’s visit was a breath of fresh air for us and a joy to host.”
Your congregations or mid council could host one of these peacemakers. Don’t delay — apply now! Applications are due by June 1. Browse the International Peacemakers webpage for detailed information and to submit a hosting application.
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Stewardship Kaleidoscope scholarships available
The Transforming Communities/Vital Leaders committee of the Synod is offering registration scholarships to individuals and groups from the Synod to attend Stewardship Kaleidoscope, September 25-27, in Minneapolis. Click on Stewardship Kaleidoscope for more information on the event. To apply for a scholarship click on the button below.
These scholarships are part of our effort to support church leaders in their work as well as congregational vitality through availability of excellent events in our geographic region.
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Art of Transitional Ministry
Week 1 training offered virtually by the Synod, October 23-27, 2023.
Whether it is a change in leadership or a changing
community, leading a congregation through change i challenging and rewarding. It takes knowledge,
skill, resilience, and spiritual strength to navigate the waters of change in a way that leaders and congregations thrive.
This training is for individuals who are considering ministry in temporary settings
(as an interim, transitional or designated pastor) or are experiencing ministry in
these transitional times. Materials presented will include the basics of transitional ministry and will be of value to all congregational pastors regardless of their
ministry setting. Best practices in transitional ministry include ways to enter the
congregation and community, working with a congregation to articulate their
strength and growing edges, and assisting a congregation move toward their
chosen future. This training will delve into navigating change, the pastor as a
spiritual interpreter of transition, family systems, mission focus ministry, conflict
mediation, and building resiliency.
Participants completing the full 30 hours of training will meet the requirements for
Week I Transitional Ministry Education. For a certificate of completion, you must actively participate in all sessions, in their entirety.
Tuition and fees cover the tuition as well as the costs of taking the Thomas Kilman Inventory and the Intercultural Development Inventory and its interpretation.
Schedule: We will meet each day from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 1:00-4:30 p.m. Central Time. A detailed schedule will be available for participants by October 1. Preparation information will be in the confirmation email.
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Synod Office Summer Schedule
The Synod will be closed for the following holidays:
Memorial Day, May 29
July 3
Independence Day, July 4
Labor Day, September 4
The office will also be closed on Fridays from June 2 - September 1.
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The Ministry Lab invites you
to join in our reCONNECTion Summer Tour.
Discover how The Ministry Lab can reinvigorate and resource you, your ministry, and your community: we exist to support transformative ministry and you (MN UCC, UMC, and PC(USA) congregations) are already a member! Worship, pray, and walk the labyrinth; get creative and enhance relationships; wonder and learn about the Innovation Culture Index; email NOW to learn how your congregation can participate in the first Minnesota Innovation Lab Cohort (applications are due June 1!!)
Find tour dates/locations, the daily schedule, and the registration link here.
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Leadership Center for Social Justice
The Leadership Center for Social Justice at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is inviting congregational pastors and ministers to apply for the second year of the program by July 1, 2023. The program, led by a team of experts, helps pastors develop and/or deepen sustainable, community-based, social justice ministries responsive to what God is doing in our world, congregations, and communities.
The cohort will meet twice monthly (Friday mornings) in a hybrid format from September 2023 through May 2024. Those who complete the program earn a Certificate in Leadership for Social Justice and may be eligible to earn up to eight credits toward a Doctor of Ministry degree.
Those who wish to apply to join the program must supply a congregational letter of support and complete an application at www.unitedseminary.edu/lcsj by July 1, 2023. To learn more, contact the Center’s administrative assistant, Stella Pearce, at spearce@unitedseminary.edu.
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World Bee Day was May 20th, but it is never too late to celebrate bees and all pollinators.
"To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day."
A few interesting facts about bees:
- 1 in 3 bites of food was pollinated by a bee.
- Honey bees beat their wings 11,400 times per minute.
- A honey bee visits 50 - 100 flowers in one trip.
Beekeeping is one of the gifts offered in the Presbyterian Giving Catalog.
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Presbyteries and churches share your news with the Synod! | |
To subscribe email: office@lakesandprairies.org
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