Presbytery of Northern Kansas Newsletter -
June 25, 2024
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August 20th -- Presbytery Meeting
First Presbyterian Church, Salina
Information and Registration coming in July
Counting on Vitality: Ecclesiology and Measuring What Matters
The Rev. Phillip Blackburn
Co-Pastor First Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith, Arkansas and director of The Thriving in Rural Ministry program, University of the Ozarks
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What are we trying to do in our congregations? Isn’t there more to Church than keeping the doors open and the budget balanced? It often feels as if these have become the missions of the Church in the 21st century, but you and I know there is a lot more to Church than budgets and bodies. Church is about love, peace, worship, care, compassion, hope, faith, community, neighbor, and so much more. More than anything, Church is about Jesus. In our time together we will talk about what it means to be the Church, how we might better communicate and measure the mission of the Church, and what we can do to embody the good news of Jesus Christ in our congregations and beyond. | |
PNKS will Host an International Peacemaker this September | |
Welcome Peter!
The Mission Ministry Team is excited to announce we will be hosting an International Peacemaker in Northern Kansas. Peter Michael Egqudah from Nigeria will be with us from Thursday, September 19 – Tuesday, September 24, 2024. We are in the early stages of making plans for Peter’s visit. If your congregation is interested in hosting Peter (or learning more), please email Amanda (ALittell@pnks.org) with your congregation’s name and the individual contact information for scheduling.
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2024 PNK Education Day
Saturday, October 5th
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
(registration/fellowship begins at 8:30 a.m.)
First Presbyterian Church, Salina
Cost: $25/person (includes lunch)
Let’s Talk: Deliberative Dialogue
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade
Speaker, Author, Preacher, Professor
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Bio: The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for more than twenty years, Leah has pastored three Pennsylvania congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She is the author or co-editor of six books, notably, Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), explores how clergy and congregations can address controversial issues using nonpartisan, biblically-centered approaches and deliberative dialogue.
- Finding the Purple Zone: How Deliberative Dialogue Can Help Build Bridges Across the Divide
- Deliberative Dialogue Forum: The Church’s Role in a Divided Society
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Planning and Implementing the Sermon-Dialogue-Sermon Process in Your Congregation (not just a conversation for preachers)
- How to Facilitate a Deliberative Dialogue
Deliberative dialogue is a form of civil discourse that allows participants from diverse backgrounds to listen deeply about a community issue that matters to them, respectfully discuss the pros and cons of different approaches to the issue, identify shared values, and suggest next steps for moving forward. Rev. Dr. Leah Schade will offer tips and strategies for both pastors and church leaders to effectively moderate a deliberative dialogue forum in their congregation and/or community. These skills are useful and applicable for facilitating discussions in council/sessions/board meetings, small groups, Bible studies, youth groups, and community forums.
You are going to want to bring a TEAM of folks from your congregation – start recruiting now!
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2024 Legacy Fund Applications Due
October 1st
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Apply today if you have a project that would benefit from a Legacy Fund grant and meets the criteria. Click on the button below for the application or download an application from the Presbytery's website at www.pnks.org by clicking on Documents and Forms and then on Application Forms.
Have questions about applying? Contact office@pnks.org and a member of the Finance Committee will be in touch with you. They are happy to visit with you about this program.
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Free Guides for Sharing Stories with Children | These guides for sharing stories with children, along with additional free resources, help families and churches share picture books with children, offering prayers, questions to wonder about, and engagement activities that bring the story to life! New guides are added each month, so be sure to bookmark the page. | | | |
Order Your Planning Calendars Now |
It is that time again to pre-order the 2024-25 Planning Calendars.
Calendar pages begin with September 2024 and end with December 2025.
Your deadline for ordering is July 10, 2024. Download and complete the order form below and send it to the Presbytery office with your payment. You can also email your order to me, Gail at office@pnks.org, sending the payment by mail or via the GIVE NOW button on the Presbytery's website.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
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News & Resources from our Synod | |
Check Out the Synod of Mid-America Newsletter! | The latest news and information from our Synod. | | | |
Singing chaplains address spirituality through music | A Spotlight on one of our PNK Pastors on WIBW in Topeka. Carmen Raines is a member-at-large serving as a chaplain at Stormont Vail in Topeka | | | |
Summer Camp is well underway at Heartland Presbyterian Center!!!
Check out this video recap from the camps that have taken place so far.
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Please contact the Presbytery Office with any joys or concerns you would like to have added to the PNK Prayer List. | | | | |