|
|
|
A weekly newsletter from the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys
April 17, 2024
| |
|
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
| |  |
| |
|
Congregation of the Week of April 21-27
First Presbyterian Church of Canby
| |
|
Leadership:
Pastor: Pastor Levi Bollerud
Clerks of Session: Marge Frazeur and Randy Lopau
Elders: Randy Lopau, Doug Frazeur, Reid Merrill, and Tom McCammon
Deacons: Jody Olson, Stuart Rhea, Patty Gubrud, and Kathy Merrill
Prayers:
- For our deacons who continue to work closely with the shut-ins
- For our families with multiple health concerns
- For Pastor Levi as he provides pastoral care and leadership for both the Lutheran and Presbyterian churches
- Praising God during this Easter season
| |
|
Together in Christ
Dear Presbytery Family,
I am still basking in the glow of Saturday’s Presbytery meeting. That must be one of my all-time favorite Presbytery meetings ever!
Ebenezer Church in Renville did such a beautiful job of welcoming us! Our team of moderators gave such excellent leadership. The warmth of the fellowship we shared was palpable. But for me, the absolute highlight was welcoming new pastors into our Presbytery. Can you believe that we now have a retired pastor who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. as a part of our Presbytery? Welcome Richard Harrison! And the chaplain of the VA hospital in St. Cloud, Sarah Hoogendoorn, is now a part of our Presbytery?! What an amazing statement of faith she shared! How exciting to watch Winnebago find a pastor after years of searching, and to hear from CRE Jill Emery and know that this is the exact right call for her! What fun to hear the story of Luverne discovering they had the right pastor all along, and to see Steve Voris accepting that call! And though we didn’t get to meet him, we are so delighted to welcome retired pastor Ernie Freund into our Presbytery and grateful for his ministry of pulpit supply in Osakis. What a lot we must celebrate!
In addition to soaking up these successes, I have to say what a spiritually uplifting day it was. I felt like I had been to a revival service and had my faith renewed. Story after story pointed us to the God who loves us, God’s call on our lives and churches, and stirred the fires of church vitality. Questions asked elicited such thoughtful responses. The conversation was deep and blessed and stirring.
So today, I just want to say thank you. To Ebeneezer Church for hosting us, to all who faithfully provide leadership to our committees and commissions or serve on these same ministry teams, to your moderators who act with strength and wisdom, to your wonderful Stated Clerk, Pam, and Presbytery Administrator, Karen, who keep us all on track, I am grateful. And to all our pastors and commissioners who made time to travel to Renville and share the day and participated so fully while there, thank you! There is a lot of good going on, thanks to every one of you!
Together in Christ,
With courage, devotion and good spirit as a colleague,
Rev. Beth Buckwalter-Miller
| |
|
Prayer List
New concerns
- For the family of the Rev. Mark Chamberlain, retired pastor, Willmar, who passed away March 11. Cards may be sent to Nancy Chamberlain at 513 19th St SE, Willmar MN 56201.
- For Rev. Lynne Matthews, retired pastor most recently served First Presbyterian Church of Holland, who has lost the sight in her left eye, and dimming of sight in her right eye.
Ongoing concerns
- For Bea Ourada, Presbytery Business Consultant: health issues - is grateful for all of the prayers and support
- For Rev. Paul Snyder, pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Ashby: After many tests and different diagnoses, hopefully the final diagnosis is post-concussion syndrome for a fall on November 10th. The current treatment plan is providing some relief and Paul will be gradually returning to his pastoral duties.
- For Rev. Bob Bartlett, retired pastor, Round Lake
- For Rev. Michael Roys and Rev. Bonnie Roys, retired pastors, Winnebago. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and well wishes.
- Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Occidente Presbytery of Guatemala
| |
More Than We Can Imagine:
Synod School gets ready to celebrate 70th anniversary
July 21 - 26
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa
Seventy years ago, the first gathering of what we know as Synod School occurred. We are excited about this milestone and have a number of special plans for this year. Thinking about what those original planners put together, we can only imagine what the next 70 years might bring.
More Than We Can Imagine
Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
As we look to the future of the Church, what will it look like? What innovations are already happening? What is yet to come? As we think about the lives of the young people in our lives, what will their futures be? What innovations will renew their lives and ministries? God is already doing things we cannot even imagine. What difference can that make in our lives and ministries?
Registration link.
To view the catalog, click here. If you would like to receive a catalog, send an email to office@lakesandprairies.org with your name and mailing address.
We look forward to a sharing a week of creativity, music, worship, rest, and ice cream with you!
| |
|
April 1 - May 19, 2024
Pentecost
The Pentecost Offering unites us in a church-wide effort to support young people and inspire them to share their faith, ideas, and unique gifts with the church and the world.
More information
| |
|
Changes to the Board of Pensions
As you may be aware, some significant changes are being made to the Board of Pensions healthcare coverage requirements for pastors and churches. Our Commission on Leadership participants in the Leadership Summit in Buffalo, MN next week will have an opportunity to learn more about the changes being made from our BOP representative, Ken Green. Our EP, Beth Buckwalter-Miller, and our COL representative, Rev. David Lick will be traveling to Denver to attend the Board of Pensions meeting on April 23 and 24 to receive further information and instruction about these changes. In addition, Ken Green will be joining our COL meeting in June to help us better understand the changes. As we receive more information, we will share it with you, and we will work together to find our way forward.
| |
|
Grants available from FPC Madelia
The Mission Redevelopment Committee of First Presbyterian Church, Madelia is seeking applications to receive grants. Qualifying projects may include:
- Development, formation, or redevelopment of Presbyterian churches
- Evangelism or recruitment of new members
- New building construction
- Renovations or capital improvements
- Presbyterian-sponsored mission projects
A written letter of application describing the project, other funds available for the project, and the amount of grant requested should be submitted to the Mission Redevelopment Committee and postmarked by May 31, 2024. Grants will be selected and distributed by June 30, 2024.
Mission Redevelopment Committee
PO Box 156
Madelia MN 56062
office@madeliafirstpresbyterian.com
| |
|
5th Annual Ministry Leaders Retreat
September 15-19
Clearwater Forest Camp and Retreat Center
$110 for single room $60 for shared room
Register with an email to the Presbytery Office
| |
|
Pastors - would you like to attend a summer pastor's retreat? Lakeshore Center at Okoboji is offering one in June!
We're excited for a Summer Pastors Retreat, June 10-13 featuring Dr. Andrew Root. You can hear his podcast When the Church Stops Working at www.andrewroot.org/podcast/. We will study his book by the same name and have time to process and dream about where God is leading the church with our next faithful steps. Registration is open now.
| |
Iowa Church embodies Matthew 25 across generations
(Synod Schoolers may recognize some of these people!)
| Our Matthew 25 Missional Partners | |
Rev. Dr. Candace Adams - pastor of our New Worshipping Community, The Compassionate Way, Candace serves marginalized people in our jails, living in group homes, and in recovery from addiction. Funds will be used for the work she does.
Scattering Seeds of Compassion
April Prayer Calendar
To donate, write the check to Lakes Area Presbyterian Church with The Compassionate Way in the memo line and send to:
Lakes Area Presbyterian Church
Attn: Candace Adams
7761 Excelsior Rd
Baxter MN 56425
| |
Pastor Elizabeth Tot - pastor of our South Sudanese Fellowship in St. Cloud, Elizabeth serves primarily single mothers in the South Sudanese community who are struggling to make ends meet. She is a pastoral presence to the Nuer people in St. Cloud and Mankato. Funds will be used to help her care for her community here and in Ethiopia and South Sudan.
To donate, write a check to First Presbyterian Church with “Pastor Elizabeth Tot” on the memo line and send to:
First Presbyterian Church
340 5th Ave S
Saint Cloud MN 56301
| |
Mr. Thijin Gatwech - leader of the Nuer Professionals Network with a degree in business. Thijin lives in St. Cloud and is networked to South Sudanese people throughout the region. He helps his people receive mental health education, as well as move toward financial independence and home ownership.
To donate, write a check to First Presbyterian Church with “Thijin Gatwech, NPN” on the memo line and send to:
First Presbyterian Church
340 5th Ave S
Saint Cloud MN 56301
| |
If we all do a little, we can do a lot!
We have 4,938 Presbyterians on the membership rolls of our Presbytery. We have three Matthew 25 Missional Partners. How could we change their lives and ministries?
If we each gave $10 to each of our mission partners this coming year, every mission partner would receive $49,380.00! Ten dollars. Ten.
We have fifty churches in our Presbytery. How could we change the lives and ministries of our Matthew 25 Partners?
If each of our fifty churches gave $20 to each of our mission partners this coming year, every mission partner would receive $1,000. If every church gave $20/month to each of our mission partners this coming year, every mission partner would receive $12,000.
Friends, Matthew 25 calls us to welcome the stranger, visit the sick and those in prison, feed the hungry, clothe the naked. With language and cultural barriers and our own fears and trepidations this can be challenging work. Right here, in our own Presbytery, we have three missional partners who are uniquely called and equipped for this very work. By supporting them we live into what it means to truly be a Matthew 25 Presbytery.
| |
Matthew 25 Being Connected
Welcome to the next steps in the transformative journey of the Matthew 25 movement, Being Connected, a series of ongoing conversations dedicated to delving into the pillars of the Matthew 25 movement — building congregational vitality, eradicating systemic poverty and dismantling structural racism.
Wednesdays, May 1, 15 & 29 - 2:00 - 3:30pm CST Register Here!
Matthew 25 Continued Conversations: Vital Congregations
| |
|
2024
Apr 16-18: Synod's Leadership Summit for COL (COM/CPM) in Buffalo
Sep 27: Commission/Committee/Other Reports due for Presbytery Meeting
Oct 2: Presbytery Packet emailed
Oct 7: RSVP due date for Presbytery Meeting
Oct 12: Stated Presbytery Meeting (in person only) from 10:00 - 3:00 at Federated Church of Fergus Falls
Nov 27: Commission/Committee/Other Reports due for Presbytery Meeting
Dec 2: Presbytery Packet emailed
Dec 11: RSVP due date for Presbytery Meeting
Dec 12: Stated Presbytery Meeting via Zoom from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
| |
|
Grants Available from the Minnesota Council of Churches
Reflective Leadership Grant
Up to $15,000, Apply by May 28
This grant program is for leaders who are ready to design the next chapter in their ministry. Applicants might realize that their work needs to be framed or re-framed to cultivate new supporters and allies. Other applicants might have helped their staff or volunteers in expanding their ministry, but as the leader, they need time and perspective to chart out next steps for an enlarged vision.
Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer, up to $1.25M, apply by May 6
Farmers, Ranchers and Farm Workers ministry grants, up to $3,000, ongoing
Building Air Quality Grants, match up to $10,000, ongoing
Facility Completion Grants, average $7,500, ongoing
Greater Minnesota Antiracism Grants, up to $2,000, ongoing
| |
|
Quick Links
-
Clergy Wellness Grants
-
Pulpit Supply and Moderator Information
-
Public Domain Hymn Project link
-
Template for a social media policy from the Luverne Church is Here
| |
|
Geneva Presbyterian Church leads 12-week Adult Study on "Serve God, Save the Planet"
While completing the application for Geneva’s third year as an Earth Care Congregation, Elder and Green Leader, Rosie Perthel, realized that the church had not been as active as in previous years. “We barely squeaked by with enough points to be certified.” She reached out to the Geneva Session, requesting that the Christian Ed team consider facilitating an Earth Care education program. The result? Geneva is using Mathew Sleeth’s 12-week DVD program Serve God, Save the Planet for Adult Bible Study. The first session is focused on Light. Rosie says, “the program is lovely and inspiring.”
| |
|
April 10 at 10:25 AM
Good news! The Biden administration recently announced a rule that will extend work permits for 540 days for immigrants whose work permit renewal applications are stuck in processing backlogs. Longer extensions will give asylum seekers the confidence that they can continue to work while their permits are being processed.
Congratulations to Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, an immigrant-led organization who led the campaign for this change!
| |
|
2024 Per Capita: $45.00 Total
$29.70 for Presbytery
$5.50 for Synod
$9.80 for GA
| | | | |
