HMW

Blog post by the Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard

Transitional Leader of the

Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy

      

Last Sunday at Webster Groves was Youth Sunday. The entire program was given over to the young people under the age of 18. Part of the presentation was the videos which the young people had produced. The videos were filled with questions the young people answered: What is the greatest problem in the world today? What is the challenge of your generation? How will you make a difference in the world?

Continue here to read on. 

Rev. Robert C. Landes

Rev. Robert C. Landes, a retired minister member of the presbytery, and social worker for the Illinois Department of Public Aid, died Monday, May 7, 2018 at Memorial Hospital, Belleville, Illinois. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, 2018 at First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville, Illinois. Directions can be found here.

Memorials are being made to the Belleville Chapter of the Salvation Army or to the Theological Education Fund with the Presbyterian Church Foundation. For more information on memorials, or to leave condolences, please click here.

Mound Ridge Retreat

& Mission Center

Summer Overnight Camp Scheduling has begun! Click here to find the perfect summer experience for your family. In case you missed it, Mound Ridge was also featured in last week's news from the Presbyterian Mission Agency.Find the complete article, From Death to Life, here.

Kaleidoscope Scholarships Available

The Stewardship Team approved ten $100 scholarships to the 2018 Kaleidoscope Conference.   Priority will be given to lay leaders. Names and contact information should be sent to Liz Rolf Kanerva [email protected] no later than July 1st. 

Kaleidoscope will be held in St. Louis this year, and full details of the conference can be found here.

Church Financial Literacy

and Leadership

Part of the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders, helps to equip and train pastors and church leaders in their financial management and leadership for congregations. The opening for the acceptance of grant applications and the subsequent deadlines will be listed here.

These resources help pastors navigate the changing cultural context they face as they seek to strengthen the financial vitality of their congregations. Grants for finance-related educational activities are available, through Lilly Endowment Inc., as seen in the link above.

History on the Move - Portraits New Home

Both the sketch and painting of Reverend Giddings have been moved to Frist Presbyterian Church (St. Louis). The portrait of the first Black pastor is at Berea Presbyterian Church. The portrait of the Taiwanese pastor has also found a new home.

Dismantling Racism & Privilege (DRAP)

From the survey responses we have received, our presbytery's anti-racism training exceeded all expectations of success. For folks who had already covered much of the training's material, the DRAP team deeply appreciates your support in building a common framework which the entire presbytery can now use. We learned how much more powerful it is to seek courage instead of safety in these conversations, and we mapped out the steps of real change we can follow as a presbytery and as individual congregations.

We were encouraged to lean on the power of the Holy Spirit instead of surrendering to the weight of our collective history. Our understanding of White Supremacy was extended beyond hate groups to include the many factors involved in our demographic makeup as a denomination. Some of us found the suggestion of next steps challenging. All of these insights are helpful tools as our presbytery seeks to proclaim the salvation of Jesus Christ to all of God's children in our corner of Missouri and southern Illinois.

World Citizenship Talk

David Gallup, president of the World Service Authority in Washington, D.C., will speak about world citizenship and world citizen passports at the Ethical Society, located at 9001 Clayton Road, 63117 on Sunday, May 20, at 3:30 p.m. After his presentation there will be a dinner which costs $15 per person.  RSVP to David Oughton, of the Interfaith Partnership here.

Meditation Available

Everyone is invited to the Missouri Zen Center for Zazen Buddhist Meditation on Monday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. 

The Zen Center is located at 220 Spring Avenue, Webster Groves, 63119.  RSVP to David Oughton of the Interfaith Partnership here.

PLEASE NOTE: The Oaks Conference Room (Oaks) and St. Andrews Conference Room (St. Andrews) are both located at the new Presbytery office, 1001 Craig Rd., Suite 170, St. Louis, MO 63146.

(Oaks) is on the first floor (St. Andrews) is on the second floor

Directions can be found here.

Beware of meeting schedule changes for General Assembly. Ministry Teams will not meet June 11-25, so members can volunteer and participate in GA#223 activities. Staff will still be accessing email, however with delayed response. General inquiries can be sent here.

Want to Attend Some GA#223 Events?

Please see this Schedule of Events.

Hands and Feet Celebration

featuring Kirk Whalum

Be sure to purchase your tickets to be part of the Hands and Feet Celebration featuring Grammy Award winning artist Kirk Whalum for Thursday evening, June 21, at the 223 ^rd Meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Tickets are $15 and can be purchased as a part of General Assembly Registration . For more information, continue here.

Ladue Chapel’s Annual Blood Drive

Ladue Chapel hosts their Annual Blood Drive on

Thursday, May 17, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. If you can donate, please do! We need you!

The American Red Cross supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood supply and about 5 million Americans receive blood transfusions each year. There is no upper age limit to donate. Walk-ins are welcome. If you want to reserve your spot, go to redcrossblood.org to sign up. Thank you for your blood donations!

Clergy Caucus: Civil Disobedience and the Poor People's Campaign

On Friday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. local faith leaders are invited to a gathering of the Metropolitan Congregations United ( MCU) Clergy Caucus where we will discuss some different theologies behind and practices of civil disobedience, and then share in a training to prepare for direct actions related to the Poor People's Campaign. The event is hosted by Trinity Church, located at 600 N Euclid Ave., St. Louis 63108. (Central West End)

This session will include some reflections on our approaches to civil disobedience, practical training on non-violent direct action and a brief overview of upcoming actions. RSVP to [email protected] or 314-367-3484, or contact Rev. Erin Counihan by email here.

" Plastic Paradise " Eco Film Night

On Tuesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. the eco film, "Plastic Paradise" will be shown at the St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Ferguson. It provides an informative, timely, and relevant look at the consequences of plastic consumption in the U.S. and the world. (Please reduce the use of plastic as much as you can!) Free and open to the public. Full details found here . These Video Nites are sponsored by the Ferguson Eco team and includes several churches and organizations in the area, including members of First and Second Presbyterian. Contact: [email protected] or 314-941-9378

Leadership in Ministry (LIM) Workshop

 

The workshop will be held in Kansas City, and is a fall and spring commitment, be held October 22 - 24, 2018 and March 11-13, 2019, and is intended for pastors, rabbis, other congregational staff members, interim pastors, chaplains, lay leaders, denominational workers, pastoral counselors, public school counselors and early childhood educators.

The Leadership in Ministry workshops will apply Bowen Family Systems Theory as further developed by Edwin Friedman, author of Generation to Generation and A Failure of Nerve, to ministerial and organizational leadership. The majority of time is spent in small group case studies led by participants and facilitated by experienced faculty coaches. As such, participants work to apply the theory to the “real world” realities of their ministry context. More information can be found here.

Part-Time Administrative Assistant

Pacific Presbyterian Church in Pacific, MO, is requesting applications for the part time position of Administrative Assistant. The purpose of the position is to provide administrative and secretarial services to the pastor and other church staff. Continue here for more information .