Gotta minute?

Let us know what you think

Did you attend the March 11 meeting of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area?  Nearly 200 of you did. If so, the Planning team would like you to fill out a brief survey. It will take you only a minute. The survey is at "What Do You Think." Thanks for your feedback.

 

Compassionate communication

training retreat planned at Bay Lake

During a three-day immersion experience, beginning Monday, May 22, and ending Thursday morning, May 25, participants in a compassionate communication - or nonviolent communication - training retreat for  pastors at Bay Lake Camp near Deerwood, Minn., will discover ways to communicate more effectively. Titled "Empathy & Honesty: A Compassionate Communication Training Retreat for Pastors," the retreat will offer the opportunity for participants to discover compassionate communication as a means of connecting to God, self and others. There are 12 spots offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, at a cost of $150. If the spots do not fill up by May 14; they will be made available to clergy from other denominations for the full meal and accommodation rate of $300 per person. The retreat is sponsored by the PTCA's Committee on Ministry as part of its mission to support clergy, and underwritten by a generous grant from the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation. The complete announcement is at "Compassionate Communication." Details, including registration, can be found at "Empathy and Honesty."

 

Presbyterian Calendars available

through presbytery office

The new edition of the Presbyterian Planning Calendar for 2017-18 can be ordered through the presbytery office at a substantial discount from the individual retail price. An order form is available. Risa Anderson, office manager for the presbytery, is asking churches to place their orders as soon as possible. The announcement letter and order form can be found at "Planning Calendars."

 

Jeff's Jottings

God for all of life

 

By Jeff Japinga

Transitional Executive Presbyter

 

Every March, it seems, two powerful cultural phenomena intersect: Lent and basketball tournaments. One calls us to a place of contemplation and introspection; to pay attention to our inner spiritual life. The other causes us to yell and scream and pound the table over people in brightly colored polyester bouncing a ball on a wood floor.

 

I've hung out a fair bit this month at the corner of prayerful and prideful. My college basketball team (Northwestern) made the Big Dance - another name for the NCAA basketball tournament - for the very first time ever this year. I have a new t-shirt to prove it.

 

The complete Jottings column is at "Cultural Phenomena."

Deep Breath event slated

this Saturday at Lake Nokomis

It's not too late to take a 24-hour Deep Breath this weekend, according to Kara Root, pastor of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis. The Deep Breath event begins at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the church with a Sabbath workshop and continues with gentle worship and dinner. The event concludes with a 24-hour self-guided retreat in the space and time chosen by the participant. The Deep Breath gives participants the opportunity to take a whole day to fast from noise, politics, busyness, stress, pressure, good intentions and worry. Details are at "Deep Breath."

 

Didier Seminar: 'How race

still enslaves the American soul'

Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., chair of African American studies at Princeton University and popular talk-show guest, will address Friday and Saturday sessions of The House of Hope Presbyterian Church's Didier Seminar. Sessions are planned from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on April 7, and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 8. The seminar takes place around the title "How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul." On Palm Sunday, April 9, the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), will preach at the 10 a.m. worship service. A flyer can be found at "Didier Seminar."

 

Tour of Dakota sacred sites

is planned April 15

Jim Bear Jacobs and Bob Klanderud, of Mohican and Dakota tribes respectively, will lead a tour of Dakota sacred sites around the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tours provide history from the American Indian perspective. During the past two years more than 500 participants have gone on the tour. Details can be found at "Sacred Sites."

 

Conference on faithful LGBTQ+

inclusion set at First Christian

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Minneapolis will be host to Nicole Garcia, self-identified transgender Latina, speaker, advocate and counselor, on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6, for the conference titled "Let Justice Flow Like Water: Refreshing our Commitment to Faithful LGBTQ+ Inclusion." This is the third installment of FCC's conference series "VOICES: Addressing Issues That Affect the Church and Wider Community." The conference will bring together faith leaders, congregants, and secular and faith-based partners to refresh their commitment to faithful LGBTQ+ inclusion inside churches and ministry settings, especially amid the recent changes

in our government and culture. Information and registration can be found at "Let Justice Flow Like Water."

Board of Pensions sets session   on understanding benefits

The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is planning a one-day seminar May 9 at Yorkfield Presbyterian Church in Elmhurst, Ill., to give church leaders the opportunity to learn about the theological values that shape the benefits plan, ask questions during a Q-and-A with Board of Pensions leadership and staff, and enjoy fellowship with other benefit decision-makers. Details about the event can be found at "Understanding Benefits Plan."

 

Synod, 3 presbyteries

underwrite   'The Academy'

The Academy, a series of 11 courses "designed to develop well-equipped, thoughtful people to better  serve councils in a variety of capacities," will offer its first classes this summer at Synod School, which runs July 23-28 at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Described as a "unique, cohort-based learning community," The Academy offers participants an opportunity to grow in faith and knowledge, grow as a leader, and have more opportunities to serve God as needed. A new cohort begins each year at Synod School, while subsequent learning takes place in online and in-person settings. The Academy is a joint effort of and underwritten by the presbyteries of Minnesota Valleys, North Central Iowa and Prospect Hill, and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. Details can be found in a brochure at "The Academy."

 

Stewardship Kaleidoscope annual conference set this fall in Florida

The annual Stewardship Kaleidoscope event, an annual conference offering speakers, workshops  and networking opportunities, is planned Sept. 25-27 this year at St. Pete Beach, Fla. Among the keynote speakers this year is Adam Copeland, a member of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and director of the Center for Stewardship Leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Stewardship Kaleidoscope is designed to help participants explore stewardship across many dimensions. Event details are available at "Kaleidoscope."

Acting on the directive of the 222nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the  communication agencies of the denomination's six agencies have today launched the joint program, "Facing Racism," to produce and promote antiracism resources for the church. The Facing Racism website will serve as a starting point for the dissemination of resources and offers a  link to subscribe  to receive regular updates on newly available materials and calls to action. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Gregg Brekke can be found at " Facing Racism.

Each year, on a Sunday during Lent, Presbyterians take a day to celebrate the mission and ministry of the  Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People. For nearly 50 years SDOP has helped poor, oppressed, and disadvantaged communities by establishing partnerships within those communities to address issues such as mass incarceration, labor and worker rights, clean water and natural resources, youth empowerment, and ending the exploitation of immigrants. April 2 has been designated SDOP Sunday in 2017, and SDOP is providing resources  for congregations to commemorate the ministry and celebrate its work. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Scott O'Neill can be found at " SDOP Sunday."

The mayor of the North Slope Borough in Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, has issued a proclamation acknowledging a recent apology from Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) officials for harms done to Alaska natives during the Indian assimilation movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries." "It is our hope that this apology begins a healing process," states Mayor Harry Brower Jr. in the proclamation dated February 10 "in which we all reflect on the consequences of our actions and follow the church's example of accepting responsibility." The complete story, by Jerry Van Marter, from the Office of the General Assembly can be found at " Apology."