News around the Synod of Lakes and Prairies
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Synod School catalog hits the mail; registration begins March 1
 The Synod School 2019 catalog is in the mail -- or possibly in your mailbox -- but registration won't begin until March 1. That gives readers an opportunity to review activities and classes planned at this summer's Synod School that runs Sunday through Friday, July 21-26. Deirdre "Dede" Johnston, professor of communication at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, will be the convocation speaker, and Shawna Bowman, associate director of field education and experiential education at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, will be the worship leader. Synod School 2019 runs Sunday through Friday, July 21-26. For those who haven't received a copy of the catalog in the mail, the catalog is available online by clicking the cover image at "Synod School
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The Academy will begin another
cohort at Synod School this summer
 Called simply The Academy, a series of 11 courses designed to develop well-equipped, thoughtful people to better serve councils in a variety of capacities, will open for another cohort this summer at Synod School. Described as a unique, cohort-based learning community, The Academy offers participants an opportunity to grow in faith and knowledge, as a leader, and to have more opportunities to serve God as needed. For some participants, the courses may lead to becoming commissioned pastors. The Academy is a joint effort the presbyteries of Minnesota Valleys, North Central Iowa and Prospect Hill, and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. Details can be found at "The Academy."
Synod's Leadership Summit addresses presbyteries, personnel committees
 The Synod of Lakes and Prairies Leadership Summit, formerly known as the COM/CPM training event, is slated April 23-25 under the theme, "Nurturing Wholeness and Mission: The Work of Presbyteries and Personnel Committees." The conference, which takes place at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, Minnesota, will explore issues of pastor nominating committees, best practices for personnel committees, communication tools, and ongoing support through cohort groups, coaching and other means. Mary Kay DuChene, a staff associate at LeaderWise, a counseling and consulting organization headquartered in New Brighton, Minnesota, will be the keynote speaker. Additional conference information will be available soon.
Final Report: Hillcrest's 'Reflections
in the Park' nets nearly $160,000
Hillcrest Family Services, a family services organization headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, report last week that its "Reflections in the Park" produced a net profit of $159,358.
The event, featuring extensive holiday lighting displays in Louis Murphy Park in Dubuque, ran from Thanksgiving through the Christmas season, ending with the beginning of the new year. An admission fee charged per car, and donations raised the dollars.
More than 50,000 visitors, coming in 12,976 vehicles, made it a record-setting year in attendance.
In a note to contributors, Darlene Bolsinger, coordinator of the Hillcrest event, wrote, "Achieving this outstanding outcome is attributed to many things, but most of all to you our amazing sponsors and volunteers, and the people who supported us by visiting ... throughout the season."
Des Moines church introduces 'souper suppers' to get to know community
Building bridges between Central Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, Iowa, and others in the faith community is the thinking behind a series of get-to-know-you meals the congregation is calling "souper suppers." "It's an opportunity to get to know others that may not look, believe or think as we do," said Barb Schmidt, a coordinator for the suppers, which debuted Jan. 6 and will continue in early March and throughout 2019. "Hopefully, it will give us a chance to show support when so much negativity is being directed towards people of certain faiths and races." The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Kim Coulter can be found at "Souper Suppers."
Twin Cities church connects
with community through prayer wall
Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis continues to break down walls between church and community. As an engaged urban partner, it is listening to, and praying for, the concerns of its people. Last summer, the church created its own kind of "Wailing Wall." Passers-by were invited to write their prayer requests and hang them on the church's railing that borders Nicollet, a 12-block shopping and dining hub in the city. Thousands of people pass by the church every day. The complete story by Sherry Blackman that appears in the current Presbyterians Today magazine can be found at "Creating a Prayer Wall."
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| Conferences, camps, resources |
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'Protecting the Lifegivers' conference planned in April in Minneapolis
 Titled "Winyan Awanyankapi: Protecting the Lifegivers," the April 5-7 conference at First Universalist Church in Minneapolis will address the missing and murdered American Indian women, and indigenous peoples sovereignty of housing and water. The conference, open to everyone, is designed by and will be led by indigenous women. Keynote speakers are Ann McKeig, the first American Indian to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court, and Patina Park, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. The conference will offer place-based learning experiences, keynote speeches, breakout sessions and opportunities for conversations with fellow conference attendees. Meals will be provided by indigenous-owned catering companies offering traditional foods. The image above is by Jillian Elaine Stately, Red Lake Ojibwe, Santee Dakota. A flyer is at "Winyan Awanyankapi." The conference is also on Facebook. The registration page is at "Lifegivers."
Regarding ruling elders: Dealing
with problems in healthy ways
 Joan Gray, a former General Assembly moderator, writes this month's Regarding Ruling Elders column, a monthly resource provided by the Office of the General Assembly. She notes, "Even in the most placid churches, people will occasionally get offended or object to the way things are being done or not being done. Sometimes the problem is brought out into the open and dealt with. At other times, however, the people who feel troubled are not willing to speak about their feelings with the person, or persons, involved." Gray's complete column is at "Dealiing with Problems." While Keeping in Touch will attempt to provide a link to the most-recent colun in the series, back issues can always be found at "Regarding Ruling Elders."
YAV program seeks applicants;
most sites at still available
 The Young Adult Volunteer program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is an ecumenical, faith-based year of service in sites around the world and across the United States. YAVs accompany local agencies working to address root causes of poverty and reconciliation while exploring the meaning and motivation of their faith in community with peers and mentors. There's more information about the YAV program at "Possibilities," and application information is at "Application Dates."
Registration opens for Pastors School
 in May at Lakeshore Center
It used to be winter pastors school; now it's simply pastors school. And now registration for Pastors School, hosted by the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation, is open. Pastors School will run May 13-16 at Lakeshore Center at Okoboji. The Rev. Dr. Ken McFayden will be the main speaker. McFayden serves as academic dean of the Richmond campus of Union Presbyterian Seminary and professor of ministry and leadership development. He teaches courses in the areas of congregational leadership and administration. The schedule for Pastors School is at "Schedule." Registration can be completed at "Registration."
Wartburg's 38th annual Rural Ministry Conference planned in Dubuque
 The 38th annual Rural Ministry Conference of the Center for Theology and Land at Wartburg Theological Seminary is planned March 3-5. Speakers for this year's conference are the Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan, academic dean and professor contextual theology at Wartburg, and the Rev. Dr. Annette Bourland Huizenga, dean of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and associate professor of New Testament. The theme of this year's ecumenical conference is "Building Resilience among Leaders and Communities." Conference details are available at "Rural Ministry Conference."
Austin Channing Brown headlines
2019 Winter Forum in Wisconsin
 Austin Channing Brown, a leading voice on racial justice, will be the keynote speaker at the 2019 Winter Forum of the Wisconsin Council of Churches planned March 9 in Madison. Channing Brown is the author of the autobiographical "Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness." She is committed to exploring the intersections of racial justice, faith and black womanhood. Her presentations infused with justice, pop culture, humor and truth-telling. Details can be found at "2019 Winter Forum."
Annual White Privilege Conference
planned March 20-23 in Iowa
 The annual White Privilege Conference, with the theme Understanding, Respect and Connecting, is slated Wednesday through Saturday, March 20-23, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The conference provides a challenging, collaborative and comprehensive experience, according to its website, as it strives to empower and equip individuals to work for equity and justice through self and social transformations. Additional information about the conference is available at "White Privilege Conference." In registering for the conference, the Presbyterian discount code is PRES2019 (entered at the end of registration).
NEXT Church explores
displacement, despair, healing
 "Ruth and Naomi's lives were woven together in a season of despair and displacement. Environmental trauma, poverty, forced migration, food insecurity, personal vulnerability, and power differentials continue to shape our shared human experience now as it did then. God interlaced the threads of Ruth and Naomi's individual stories. Through God's weaving, these women learned mutual sacrifice, found healing community, and shared liberation." That's the way NEXT Church introduces its coming national gathering on its website. The event takes place March 11-13 at First Presbyterian Church in Seattle. The theme: "Woven Together: Stories of Dissonance, Sacrifice and Liberation." Details, including registration information, are at "NEXT Church."
Ecumenical Advocacy Days planned
in early April in Washington, DC
 The website of Ecumenical Advocacy Days notes, "The history of engaging in "good trouble" is embedded in our faith tradition and our history as a nation and in the world. In the Bible, we read stories of the midwives who resisted Pharaoh and preserved the lives of Hebrew baby boys. We see Moses challenging the authority of Pharaoh, and Jesus overturn tables run by money changers." In the spring, Ecumenical Advocacy Days will draw on the "good trouble" pioneers from the civil rights era and inspiration from young leaders. The event is planned April 5-8 in Washington, D.C. Details can be found at "Good Trouble."
Wee Kirk Conference
planned
in May at Calvin Crest
 Kris and Brian Peterson of Leadership Harbor will be the plenary leaders at this spring's Great Plains Wee Kirk Conference planned May 6-8 at Calvin Crest Camp, Conference and Retreat Center near Fremont, Nebraska. The conference provides opportunities for pastors and lay leaders of smaller membership churches to find ideas for ministry in their contexts, to experience encouragement, and to have their souls fed. Additional details are available at "Wee Kirk."
Presbyterians for Earth Care plan conference at Stony Point in August
 Presbyterians for Earth Care, a national eco-justice network that cares for God's creation by connecting, equipping, and inspiring Presbyterians to make creation care a central concern of the church, will conduct its 2019 conference Aug. 6-9 at Stony Point Center in Stony Point, New York. William Brown, professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, will be the keynote speaker. Confirmed workshop speakers are Emily Brewer of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and Ryan Smith of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations. Additional details are at "Presbyterians for Earth Care."
Registration opens Feb. 1 for Women's Connection 2019 at Montreat
 Registration will open Friday, Feb. 1, for Women's Connection 2019, described as a time to connect with old and new friends, and a time for space and sabbath. Women's Connection is planned August 9-11 at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina. The keynote speaker is
Valarie Kaur
, a civil rights activist, award-winning filmmaker, lawyer, faith leader and author. Conference details are at "
Women's Connection
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| News around the PC(USA) and more |
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Tom Long proposes a different narrative from one of mainline decline
 The Rev. Dr. Tom Long proposes a different narrative to one of mainline church decline. "The one I want us to hear is that I believe God is tearing down what we have in order to build up something new and more faithful," the Bandy Professor of Preaching Emeritus at Candler School of Theology at Emory University told about 700 people attending the annual event last week of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators. "We are experiencing right now as a church the judgment of God," a reality to which not every Presbyterian can cozy up. "The reason we don't want to talk about it is we misunderstand it theologically," he said. "It's not punishment and shame. It's a righteous judge who comes to set things right." The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Mike Ferguson can be found at "A Different Narrative."
Christian formation specialists deliver straight talk during APCE workshop
 The titles of two workshops held last week during the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators event -- "Killing Church Softly" and "Reviving Church Loudly" -- together served up a vision about what intergenerational worship and Christian education could look like in the coming years. The Rev. Dr. Jason Brian Santos, the Presbyterian Mission Agency's coordinator for Christian formation, and Brian Frick, an associate for Christian formation, described the current situation and then offered possible outcomes during a pair of Thursday workshops. There was clearly pent-up demand for their description and prescription: several workshop attendees sat on the floor for 75-minute stretches to hear from both Santos and Frick. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Mike Ferguson can be found at "Straight Talk."
Communities are called
to 'break down the barriers'
 "We need one another to go deeper in our trust of God, to engage the hope we have in Christ - and to freely share that hope," writes Ray Jones, acting director in the Office of Theology, Formation and Evangelism of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. "We need one another to go up against the powers that hold people in the bonds of injustice and poverty. We need one another to break down the barriers that cause racism." Jones writes in the current issue of the Grace and Gratitude newsletter, which focuses on community through a number of stories, including one examining how one church has expanded its reach and another on clergy coaching. The complete newsletter is at "Grace and Gratitude."
Justice, Peace newsletter shares
church's work on several issues
 The monthly newsletter from the Office of Compassion, Peace and Justice in the Presbyterian Mission Agency is devoted to sharing the church's work on a variety of issues, including the environment, hunger and food, human rights, social welfare, disaster assistance, and much more. The complete newsletter is at "Justice and Peace."
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Is February really the longest month?
Is February really the longest month? Your editor feels that way right now. When will the snow end? Your editor came across this video the other day. It's older, but based on the way February is hanging around this year, the piling snow and the ice dams, it's appropriate. I feel like the bear. Your editor remembers a time - well, OK, a few times - when he's been the bear. It's at "Walking on Ice."
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