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The weekly newsletter from the
Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys
October 16, 2019
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We are congregations who seek to be a collective expression of the Body of Christ, joyfully participating in Christ's ongoing life and work. "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing."
(I Thessalonians 5:11)
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Congregation of the Week of October 20-26
First Presbyterian Church of Saint Cloud
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Please pray for:
- Please pray for our evangelistic witness in the St. Cloud area.
- Please pray for Tamara Calhoun, currently serving in Pakistan.
- Those recovering from surgery.
- Those who struggle with mental illness.
- Those who are struggling with relationships.
- Those who grieve.
- Prayers for the widows/orphan ministry in Orongo, Kenya.
- Prayers for the Presbyterian Education Board and their ministry in Pakistan.
Session and Deacons:
David Buchin, Nancy Coleman, Lori Smith, Lyn Varner, Dan Calhoun, Karen Ondracek, Debbie Picha, Darlene Scherbing, Melinda Anderson, Richard Lawrence, Chris Morris, Kim Tollefson, Clerk of Session Lynne Osteraas, Lynn Rae Olson, Arlene Casey, John Detra, Ken Smith, Connie Sandmann, Natalie Matthewson, Kari Ahles, Kristin Brandt, Betty Payne, Duane Scherbing, Chris Chopp, Karen Chopp, Don Ramsey, Bonnie Ramsey, Norm Seehusen
Staff:
Nicole Nierenhausen, Mark Giese, Scott Varner, Don Fortner, Mary Nothnagel, Darin Seaman, Jeff Wilkinson
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Photos from First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago's 150th Anniversary Celebration
SanDawna Ashley celebrated with the First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago on Sunday. Here are a few pictures from the day.
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Committee on Representation wants you to help us be the best presbytery we can be!
We have been busy these last few weeks finding folks to serve the presbytery on several commissions, and we are still looking for:
Commission on Leadership
2 pastors to serve a three-year term, at least 1 from the NW, if possible
1 elder to serve a two-year term
Commission on Presbytery Life
1 elder to serve a one-year term
Commission on Transformation and Development
1 elder to serve a three-year term
Committee on Congregational Nurture
1 elder to serve a three-year term
1 pastor to serve a two-year term, preferably retired, with time to travel to different congregations 4-8 times a year
Must be a teaching elder or a ruling elder.
Please, if you feel called, or know of someone who would be great on one of these commissions, contact Audrey Knuth at 507-830-0520 or David Lick at 414-334-9385.
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Prayer List
- For Sara McKay, Chair of the Committee on Representation
- For Rev. Dawn Carder and family on the death of Dawn's son-in-law
- For the family of Mary Hansen of Browns Valley
- For Rev. Steve and Genevieve Tyykila and family on the death of Steve's mother
- For Rev. Michael Roys, pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago
- For Rev. Elaine and Kent Boyd at First Presbyterian Church of Amboy
- Sue Thompson, Clerk of Session at First Presbyterian Church, Maynard
- Rev. Araceli Itzep from the Occidente Presbytery; surgery scheduled for Oct 23
- For Beatriz (Betty/Beti) Cifuentes, the treasurer of the Partnership Committee, who is beginning chemotherapy.
- For the "Men in the Mirror" program. Men from Occidente that MVP supported financially to attend the classes a couple of years ago are going to share the information they gained with different churches in the eastern and central parts of Guatemala. They, along with the chaplains of the national Presbyterian church, will also be training Christian policemen in what they learned from "Men in the Mirror."
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Upcoming events at a glance
Nov 2: Presbytery meeting at Ebenezer Presbyterian in Renville
Nov 11-13: Pastor Retreat at Presbyterian Clearwater Forest
Dec 16: Gerald Lui's second webinar on preaching at 1:00 p.m.
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Support Education for Children in Our Sister Presbytery in Guatemala
by Jim Krapf
Education yields opportunities. We are grateful for your support of this possibility for children in our sister presbytery of Occidente. Donating $250 scholarships provides funds for a student's required uniforms, books, and other expenses for a year. It makes a difference for that child’s future.
Their next school year begins in January. You can bring your checks made out to the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys and noted for scholarships to the November 2 Presbytery meeting in Renville. Or you can mail them prior to that date to the presbytery office. Any amount is appreciated; but $250 per student is the goal. You may consider making this more than a one year commitment.
You might also added 5% of your donated amount, which is given to the national office of the Presbyterian Church in Guatemala as a part of our partnership agreement. This money assists in paying their administrative and program cost at the national level.
Your donations will be in addition to the six scholarships that are provided through our presbytery’s Occidente Partners budget. Our goal for several years has been a total of $4000, providing 16 children with $250 each. Keeping our donations at this level can support more children beyond elementary into middle and high school.
After their school year ends in December, donors will receive photographs, academic reports, and thank you notes from the children and/or their parents. Many churches display these to express appreciation and promote further contributions.. Examples will be on exhibit at the next Presbytery meeting. We do not reveal the names of donors to the recipients to avoid further requests for assistance. We have found presbytery-to-presbytery arrangements are a fairer more manageable way to offer assistance. Occidente's Committee on Ministry will continue to select the recipients from among their now 20 churches.
Thank you in advance
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Matthew 25 Resources
by Rev. Andrew Davis
Congratulations! Our presbytery is part of Matthew 25. We have pledged to work for congregational vitality and against systemic racism and poverty. Now, you might feel that these goals are daunting, so I'd like to suggest some accessible resources in this newsletter from time to time.
Let's start with dismantling racism. One of the best first steps is to educate ourselves about the history of racism in the United States. To that end, I recommend two podcasts. The first is "
Seeing White" by Scene on Radio. The host and producer is John Biewen, who grew up in our area, in collaboration with Duke University. The series is complete, so you can binge it on your next long drives. The series also includes a salient episode on the U.S./Dakota War. The second series that I'm recommending is "
1619" by The New York Times, which is being released week by week. So far, "1619" is re-framing the history of slavery and racism in America in a way that I find to be quite provocative and helpful.
I hope these two podcasts will be helpful to you!
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White Privilege Symposium
The Privilege Institute (TPI) and The WPS Committee Sioux City, is pleased to announce the
White Privilege Symposium – Sioux City (#WPSSC) registration is now open
! This landmark symposium will take place at Courtyard (Downtown Sioux City), Friday night January 24 and Saturday January 25, 2020. In keeping with the White Privilege Conference (WPC), the #WPSSC focuses on issues of systemic inequity and oppression through empowering, challenging and educational programming. Our workshops, keynotes and institutes provide practical tips, tools and strategies for combating systemic inequities. We are excited about our theme of
#Igniting Passion Through Action.
The symposium is unique in its ability to bring together high school and college students, teachers, university faculty and higher education professionals, non-profit staff, activists, social workers and counselors, healthcare workers, members of the spiritual community and corporate arena, among many others.
Our website is now ready to be viewed. For more information about the conference, including how to register for and/or sponsor the event, please visit
www.wpssiouxcity.com
#SpreadTheWord #RegisterEarly
What: WPS in Sioux City #WPSSC
Where: Courtyard (Downtown Sioux City)
When: Friday January 24 - Saturday January 25, 2020
Theme:
#Igniting Passion Through Action
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Sign up today for the Pastors’ Retreat
November 11-13, 2019
Leaning Tree Lodge
Presbyterian Clearwater Forest
16595 Crooked Lake Rd
Deerwood MN 56444
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Begins with lunch on Monday and ends before lunch on Wednesday.
Cost: $40, includes meals and lodging
Come and enjoy the fall beauty of Presbyterian Clearwater Forest and spend time with presbytery colleagues. We will reflect on the year of transformation and take a deep breath. The retreat is in the planning stages, but mark your calendars to attend.
Retreat Speaker Rev. Jennifer Hope Kottler is a spiritual director/certified life and leadership coach and yoga teacher in private practice in Florence, SC. An ordained pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with standing in the United Church of Christ, Jen serves clergy and lay leaders who want to deepen their own spirituality and lead their communities with intentionality and grace. Jen facilitates retreats and events for congregations, non-profit organizations, and church leaders. In all her work, Jen incorporates ancient spiritual practices with modern techniques including Energy Leadership Coaching and Conversational Intelligence®. Jen is married to Rev. Gavin Meek, Transitional Executive Presbyter and Stated Clerk in New Harmony Presbytery (NE South Carolina) and she enjoys hiking, tennis, cooking for family and friends, and traveling with Gavin.
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Straw for the Manger: Creating a Matthew 25 Advent season
During this holy season of Advent, we are invited to follow Jesus’s command epitomized by Matthew 25:31–46 to love one another and care for “the least of these.”
This year’s devotional is very special. The Rev. Sherry Blackman, a Presbyterian pastor, chaplain and award-winning writer and poet, challenges us to fill our days of Advent with simple, practical and loving deeds that help our neighbors — calling each act of kindness a piece of “straw” for the manager to make a soft bed for the Christ child when he arrives on Christmas. It is our hope that you invite family, church friends and those in your community to join you in adding straw this Advent season, so that together you prepare for Christ’s birth. An added bonus to this year’s devotional is the space provided each Sunday of Advent to jot down your reflections and prayers.
Perfect for congregations, families and individuals, each day provides a Scripture excerpt, meditation and prayer to deepen the Advent experience.
The presbytery office will order these Advent devotionals in bulk for interested congregations. Please order from
Karen
at the presbytery office by November 4. If our order reaches at least 100, we'll place the order, and the cost will be $2.00 per copy, plus any shipping to each church.
From the Presbyterian Outlook:
Bulletin Inserts:
Are you looking for theologically sound, inspiring and affordable Advent devotions for the congregation?
The Presbyterian Outlook has you covered. Download the PDF, print as many as you need and insert them into your weekly worship bulletin. Written by Outlook editor Jill Duffield, each week includes a reflection, daily Scripture readings, suggestions for living out the Bible reading and a short prayer for each day.
Hymns for Advent and Christmas:
Beloved Presbyterian hymn writer, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, has composed hymns set to familiar Christmas tunes and well-loved hymn melodies.
Hymns for each Sunday of Advent and Christmas use the lectionary Scriptures to enhance your worship.
And, "
The Candle of Hope
" follows the themes of each of the Sundays in Advent (Hope, Peace, Love and Joy). If you light Advent candles as part of your worship during the season, this hymn is ideal!
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Pastoral Leadership Opportunities
First Presbyterian Church, Ashby
- Pastor, yoked parish
First Presbyterian Church, Fulda
- Solo Pastor
Faith Presbyterian Church, Silver Lake - Solo Pastor
Hope Presbyterian Church, Spicer
- Solo Pastor
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- Section A—Tuesday, January 28
- Section B—Wednesday, January 29
There will also be a POINT lunch for both training sections to attend on Wednesday, January 29 from noon until 2 pm.
At this training we will share how the POINT program is being revitalized. You'll be equipped with free resources and be informed about future resources coming to you. You'll get training on our curriculum products and help guide our development of new curriculum resources. You'll get an inside look at our newest curriculum products coming out the publishing house next summer. This training is free and geared for POINT Partners, though anyone who is interested in POINT or is a POINT Member is also welcome to attend.
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From the Presbyterian Historical Society
Preserve vital church records for free at the Presbyterian Historical Society. Order digital copies at a PC(USA) discount. Join our Church Membership Program and receive further digitization savings. Find out more at
www.history.pcusa.org/records, email
records@history.pcusa.org or call 215-627-1852
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