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Readings

~24th Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 27-Nov. 12,2023

Amos 5:18-24 and Ps. 70;

Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 25:1-13

Hunger & Homelessness Sunday

~25th Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 28-Nov. 19, 2023

Zeph. 1:7, 12-18 and Ps. 90:1-8(9-11), 12;

1 Thess. 5:1-11; Matt. 25:14-30

~Christ the King/Reign of Christ-Nov. 26, 2023

Ezek. 34:11-16,20-24 and Ps.95:1-7a;

Eph. 1:15-23; Matt. 25:31-46

Matthew 25: Eradicate Systemic Poverty Sunday

~1st Sunday of Advent-Dec. 3, 2023

Isa 64:1-9 and Ps. 80:1-7, 17-19

1Cor. 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37

~2nd Sunday of Advent-Dec. 10, 2023

Isa 40:1-11 and Ps. 85:1-2, 8-13;2

Pet. 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8

Human Rights Day

Homestead Spotlight on

Chris Peters

How Long have you been a Presbyterian member? 

All my life! I was baptized and confirmed at Second Presbyterian, Charleston, SC. I’ve been an ordained PCUSA Minister of Word and Sacrament for nine years – this month! - though I have worked in PCUSA churches for 21 years this fall. My journey of discernment to ministry included 5 ½ years as a non-ordained Youth and Young Adult Director before seminary.

What Committees do you serve on?

In our new structure: Steering the Ship and Ministries for Extraordinary Times. The latter is due to my role on the Disaster Assistance Committee. I have served in a variety of other roles ranging from Montreat Youth Conference Co-Director and Leadership to Synod Commissioner to service on a number of presbytery and local nonprofit committees and boards.

What are some of your Outside interest?

I enjoy spending time with my family, being outdoors, playing guitar, reading, watching and following a variety of sports (especially my South Carolina Gamecocks!), and cooking. 

How do you keep busy in your free time?

Climbing into the pulpit… as much as I have on my plate / calendar in my role, I try not to “keep busy.” Our common answer to the precious question, “how are you,” – a question that opens the door to deep interhuman connection – is often “Oh, I’m so busy!” rather than sharing with vulnerability and truth. Our time is a gift and we are called to be good stewards of that gift, so busyness is a concept I’m trying to embody less, while valuing is a concept I’m trying to embody more… Climbing out of the pulpit… These days I value spending time away from church leadership with my family first and foremost. In addition to my “outside interests” already listed, I enjoy singing silly songs with Lauren and my son, having a craft beer while grilling, walking the Lincoln Trail System near our home, having a good conversation, eating a great meal, playing with our dogs, and those evenings when we have a few clouds to accentuate the beauty of a sunset in Nebraska.

 Easter Benediction

Rev. Peters leading the Charge & Benediction on Easter at Westminster

What are you looking forward to in the future?

I am hopeful for better connection within the presbytery and a stronger sense of collegiality and co-creation of ideas for impactful service to our neighbors. Arriving to Lincoln / Westminster / Homestead in September 2020 has brought with it plenty of challenges to connection that linger today due to the nature of the times. I look forward to sharing more of my time as I can now that Westminster as a congregation is ‘up and running’ in meaningful ways and looking forward to bright future as we celebrate 100 years in our sanctuary in 2026!





Chris has been playing guitar for 23 years and enjoys sharing that gift as a part of his ministry

TontoWest

Chris loves the outdoors. This picture was taken five miles into the Grand Canyon while serving as Staff for Qwest West: A Spiritual Journey in the West for Young Adults

Guatemala

Rev. Peters has co-led multiple trips to Guatemala as part of a partnership in his prior presbytery.”

NOVEMBER 2023 STATED MEETING

The last Stated Meeting of 2023 of Homestead Presbytery will take place at

Eastridge Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, November 16, 2023, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

We encourage ministers and elders to attend this meeting of Homestead Presbytery

Preregistration has closed but you CAN still register at the door.

Looking forward to seeing you at Eastridge

on Thursday, November 16.

HOMESTEAD PRESBYTERY TEAMS

ITEMS OF IMPORTANCE

TERMS OF CALL

As we approach the end of the year – churches will be reviewing and updating their terms of call and pastoral contracts. Please make sure to report those terms of call or contractual details to Companions as soon as you have them approved! The forms are available on the Presbytery Website and they can be returned to Sheryl in the Presbytery office ([email protected]). Thanks!!

OR

INVITATIONS

Stop by Eastridge Presbyterian Church for a Ten Thousand Villages Pop-up sale. The youth of Eastridge are hosting this sale and will receive 15% of the total sales to be used toward their summer mission trip. If you are unfamiliar with Ten Thousand Villages, it is a fair-trade shop supporting communities around the world. It’s a perfect place to start your Christmas shopping.

SYNOD OF LAKES & PRAIRIES

LEADERSHIP SUMMIT APRIL 16-28, 2024

The Leadership Summit, held each spring, is an opportunity for presbytery commission/committee leaders who work with congregations and pastoral leaders as well as presbytery staff to gather with national and Synod staff for learning and networking. Next event is April 16-18, 2024 at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, MN.

ART OF TRANSITIONAL MINISTRY WEEK 1 MARCH 11-15, 2024

Whether it is a change in leadership or a changing community, leading a congregation through change is both 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. If you want 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.

Schedule: We will meet each day from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 1:00-4:30 p.m. Central Time.

https://lakesandprairies.regfox.com/art-of-transitional-ministry-week-1

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Nominations are being received for a new Stated Clerk for the General Assembly for the next four years.

The Stated Clerk Nomination Committee (SCNC) is elected by the General Assembly that meets prior to the end of the Stated Clerk’s term of office. The current SCNC was elected by the 225th General Assembly (2022) and is responsible to:

• Receive applications for the position of Stated Clerk of the General Assembly up to 180 days before the opening of the 226th General Assembly (2024), which is June 25–July 4, 2024, in Salt Lake City, UT;
• Review the applicants and their qualifications;
• Declare its nominee no later than 60 days before the opening of the 226th General Assembly (2024).

Click on button for more information and job description

HOMESTEAD PRESBYTERY TEAMS

Annual Enrollment for 2024 benefits

Must be completed by tomorrow Nov. 10th

​​​You’re almost out of time to make changes or elect

benefits for 2024

Don’t miss out! Log on to Benefits Connect before midnight ET on Friday, November 10, to make changes or elect benefits for 2024.

After Annual Enrollment ends, you won’t be able to make changes or elect coverage for 2024 unless you have a qualifying life event during the year.

Questions? Learn about Annual Enrollment or call the Board of Pensions at 800‑773‑7752 (800‑PRESPLAN) (TTY: 711).

LEADER WISE

Do You Know About Reflective Pastoral Supervision?

by Mary Kay DuChene

I had had a confusing, if not disturbing, conversation with a client. I was bothered by something they said, unhappy with the way we left it, and was thinking not only about what my next steps needed to be, but also about how I was being hooked by the conversation. There was something present for me about my client, the way the conversation flowed and landed, and there was also something about me. It wouldn’t leave my mind, which made me realize I needed to process it somewhere. We, of course, take client confidentiality very seriously, so I knew my spaces in which to process the situation were limited. It turned out I was to have a reflective supervision session later the next day. Perfect.

Feeling Frustrated?

by Rev. Cindy Halvorson, MDiv, DMin

This fall has been busy for our team at LeaderWise. There have been numerous meetings – some in-person, some via zoom. We have met with clergy groups from various denominations and differing regional areas within our country. Those attending the training sessions and presentations were professional ministry leaders, multiple denominational representatives, as well as congregation members. Dynamic weeks like the ones we are experiencing fascinate us. The variety of the work and the experiences people bring to our gatherings energize us as we step into these connections with curiosity. There are some similarities, yet a great deal of uniqueness. So, it was intriguing when we heard a sentiment appear over and over. “I’m not going to stay quiet any longer.”

Let there be hope! 

by Mark Sundby, MDiv, PhD, LP

“Give us hope!” The seminary vice president looked me squarely in the eyes and explained, “We need hope, Mark. Our churches and seminaries are struggling. If there’s a single thing you and your center can do to make a difference, it would be to give people in ministry hope.” We were in the seventh hour of strategic planning. Large newsprint pieces, full of goals and action steps, lined the walls. Toward the end of the day, his plaintive statement captured them all. “Give us hope!”

The Honorable Harvest

by Mary Kay DuChene

A few years ago, I read Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass. I was struck by many of the stories she told and the wisdom she shared but perhaps most impacted by her chapter on the Honorable Harvest. The Honorable Harvest is a moral code, if you will, for how to properly care for the land. Kimmerer points out that it isn’t written down anywhere or even spoken of as a set of guidelines or rules, but it is part of the culture of daily life. The Honorable Harvest hearkens to me as something so ingrained in who Indigenous People are that I wonder if they’d think it silly even to mention it. Still, Kimmerer offers these tenets of the Honorable Harvest that’s so much a part of Native life:

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

ONGOING SCHOLARSHIPS/GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Apply for a Doctor of Ministry Scholarship  

PCUSA clergy, from the OPSF service region, may apply for a scholarship of $1,000 to support their DMin studies.

Learn about application requirements and how to apply here.  

THE PRESBYTERIAN PROMISE

AN $80,000 SCHOLARSHIP OVER 4 YEARS FOR ALL STUDENTS WHO ARE PRESBYTERIAN.

The Presbyterian Promise Scholarship is a commitment by Presbyterian College (PC) to recognize students for their merit and affiliation with the Presbyterian Church. PC seeks to develop students academically and spiritually in this signature scholarship. Students who are members of Presbyterian churches will receive a scholarship for a minimum of $20,000 per year for up to four years—that’s an $80,000 commitment to you. For more information and to apply, visit our site: www.presby.edu/presbyterian-promise

HOMESTEAD PRESBYTERY CONTACT

Remittance payments from all Homestead churches are made payable to "Homestead Presbytery" and mailed to:

Synod of Lakes and Prairies

2115 Cliff Drive

Eagan, MN 55122-3327

Always attach a remittance form with checks.

Click here REMITTANCE FORM to download

Homestead Presbytery Office: Sheryl [email protected] (402)413-2143

Stated Clerk: Erica Nelson

[email protected] (801)389-4975



Treasurer: Ed McClymont

[email protected] (402)649-3630

Homestead Presbytery

2110 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502

Monday-Thursday 9:00am-4:00pm

Friday 9:00am-12:00pm