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News around the Synod of Lakes and Prairies
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Synod Summary contains stories
of recent fall meeting
The Synod Summary, a publication of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies that highlights the activities of synod meetings, can be found on the synod's website. The current edition contains the following stories -- and more -- from the meeting that took place Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Mt. Olivet Conference and Retreat Center near Farmington, Minnesota.
Mary Kes retires in November
 Mary Kes, who has served the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for 40 years, is retiring in November and the synod feted her with a reception before the opening of the synod's fall meeting. When it comes to Mary's service at the synod, synod executive Elona Street-Stewart succinctly summarized Mary's commitment to her myriad of tasks: "Work? Sure. Let's do it." She added, "Now there is a new opportunity for Mary, and I hope it is absolutely enjoyable." Her retirement will definitely be enjoyable for her six grandchildren. Grandson Paul Taaffe told Mary he was glad she was retiring because "then you have more time to spend with us."
Davis installed as moderator, Oglesby as vice moderator
 Synod commissioners elected and installed the Rev. Dan Davis, a teaching elder from the Presbytery of Central Nebraska, to the synod's moderator position, and Angela Oglesby, a ruling elder from the Presbytery of Milwaukee, to the synod's vice moderator post. Davis is pastor of Westminster United Presbyterian Church in Minden, Nebraska, and Oglesby serves on the session of the Wauwatosa (Wisconsin) Presbyterian Church.
Synod approves $1.45 million budget for 2019
Synod approves $1.45 million 2019 budget The Synod of Lakes and Prairies adopted a 2019 budget of $1.45 million, a budget slightly less than the $1.47 million budget of 2018. The budget includes $533,563 for ministries in partnership, and ecumenical and institutional ministries. The synod has voted to hold per capita steady at $5.40 for 2019. The per capita apportionment is based on the funds needed for the synod to carry out its essential ecclesiastical work.
Meester is first Hendrickson Scholar
 Regina Lynn "Gina" Meester has been named as the initial Hendrickson Scholar by the Synod of Lakes of Prairies as administrators of the Hendrickson Scholarship Fund. Meester is in her third year of a five-year program of studies at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary where she will earn a Master of Divinity degree and a master's degree in marriage and family therapy. The Hendrickson Scholarship Fund is an educational assistance program designed to assist residents of Nebraska in their preparation for service in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The award, which is renewable up to five years, is made possible through a gift from the estate of Carol Hendrickson and her husband, Bruce Hendrickson. The Hendricksons were active in the First Presbyterian Church of Holdrege, Nebraska, as well as in the synod and wider church.
These stories and much more from the fall synod meeting can be found at "Synod Summary."
Synod, Dakota Presbytery receive
Native American Leadership awards
Four organizations working to provide leadership development for Native Americans have been selected to receive the Presbyterian Mission Agency's 2018 Native American Leadership Fund Award. The  one-time award for Native American leadership development was created by action of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and made possible through gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering. In total, $151,000 will be awarded to the selected organizations. Dakota Presbytery and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies received $30,000 for the "Let There Be Peace" ministry. The ministry is designed to be a research tool for leaders to determine the sort of leadership desired from individual congregations and ministry areas. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Gail Strange can be found at "Leadership Fund Awards."
Central Nebraska presbyter addresses
 God's call to rural ministry
During October the Presbyterian Foundation is exploring the need for pastors in rural communities, according to the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty, senior director of Theological Education Funds Development. He noted, "What we're hearing from presbyteries is that there are plenty of openings in these rural communities, but not enough candidates." In response, the Foundation published a column Oct. 4 by the Rev. Polly Deppen-Williams, executive presbyter and stated clerk of the Presbytery of Central Nebraska. She wrote, in part, "
People say that we are in the middle of nowhere, but I beg to differ. I think we are in the middle of everywhere." Her complete column is at "Call to Rural Communities." A second installment in the series, written by the Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett, pastor and head of staff of First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, Nebraska, can be found at "A Glimpse of the Good Life."
OPSF receives Lilly Endowment grant
for pastoral leadership revitalization
 The Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation has received a $1 million grant to help it establish its Pastoral Leadership Revitalization program. The grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations to create or strengthen programs to help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through leadership challenges in congregational ministry. OPSF's program will serve distinct populations of pastors, including first-call pastors, especially those in rural communities, in their first three years of service; pastors in key professional transitions called to rural communities for the first time; lay pastors who excel in some leadership and pastoral care qualities but lack formal training; and pastors in distressed inner-city environments of Kansas City, St. Louis or Omaha, especially of fellowships of first- or second-generation immigrant and refugee populations. The complete story can be found at "OPSF Receives Pastoral Leadership Grant."
Wisconsin church lives out mission
every day, Food Week of Action
Many churches preach about poverty and hunger a few times a year, but Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, lives out its ministries with the poor 365 days a year. The Rev. Karen Hagen, Tippecanoe pastor, calls her church a "faithing community" or a "spiritual practicum." The church's budget illustrates the church's emphasis on faithful, spirit-filled ministries. In 2016, the church budget was $129,000. The missions budget was $129,000. "Using an action-discernment model of ministry, we have learned again and again when you do right things, right things happen," said Hagen. The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Andrew Kang Bartlett can be found at "Living Out Mission."
Oshkosh residents will mark
9th annual 'Festival of Gratitude'
The residents of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will come together Monday, Nov. 19, to mark the Thanksgiving holiday season with the ninth annual  Festival of Gratitude. The festival brings together many different ethnic and religious communities to express gratitude in song, word, dance and silence. The evening opens with the third annual Interfaith Potluck that begins at 5 p.m. at Oshkosh's Masjid Qamar Oshkosh Mosque. The festival follows at 7 p.m. at The Grand, the historic opera house located at 100 High Street in Oshkosh. The festival is the largest event of its kind in Wisconsin.
Sower includes notes of national event, upcoming events, resources
Writing in the fall issue of The Sower, Sue Kimball, moderator of Presbyterian Women in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, wrote about  her trip to Louisville for the church-wide gathering of Presbyterian Women: "As we traveled to Louisville, the sun, we knew was beyond the horizon but could not yet be seen, did come up. Just as we never know what lies ahead or beyond, we can have faith that there is still light and life. Faith is believing in the unseen." Kimball's column, and the complete current edition of The Sower, can be found at "Sower Fall 2018."
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| Conferences, camps, resources |
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Mental health presentations,
 workshops
planned in Iowa
A series of presentations and workshops across Iowa are exploring the issues of mental health and the faith community. Two of four scheduled workshops remain. The events, designed for church staff, deacons and members, provide a toolbox of responses and resources for addressing mental health in congregations and communities. The remaining workshops are slated Nov. 9 in Washington and Nov. 10 in Jesup. A flyer is available at "Mental Health and the Faith Community." Registration can be completed by contacting Jeannie Stolee at [email protected] or 319.233.1747.
ELCA synods plan 'Respectful
Conversation'
on Enbridge Line 3
The Enbridge Line 3 pipeline remains in the news after the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted to approve construction despite opposition from the Minnesota Department of Commerce and environmental groups. A lawn sign debate is taking place along the route, and people have organized to express concern for the safety of water and the rights of American Indian communities. The Northeastern and Northwestern synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have planned an empathy-building Respectful Conversation about the pipeline on Wednesday, Oct. 25, in Walker, Minn. Respectful Conversations are a project of the Minnesota Council of Churches. Registration for the event can be completed at "Enbridge Line 3 Conversation."
E4 Faith Formation Conference planned in Kansas in November
 The E4 Faith Formation Conference, with resilience as its theme, is planned Sunday through Tuesday, Nov. 4-6, in Overland Park, Kansas. Called E4 because its key elements are "educate, empower, energize and engage," the conference will include sessions on Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, "Resiliency and the Four-Letter Word" with Shelley Donaldson, and "Resilience, Resistance and Redemption" with Susan Phillips. There is a flyer at "E4 Conference." Online registration and a complete schedule are at "Resilience."
Webinar planned to equip faith
leaders in suicide prevention
 The Presbyterian Outlook has planned a webinar Thursday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. CST that will help faith leaders, who are frequently the first contact for those considering suicide, talk about suicide from a theological and biblical perspective. The Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation is offering up to 10 scholarships for the webinar. Details, including information about applying for an OPSF scholarship, can be found at "Suicide Prevention Webinar."
POAMN seeks writers
for its 2019 planning guide
 The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) designates the first Sunday in May each year as Older Adult Sunday, a day to honor and celebrate those oldest saints within congregations across the nation. In preparation for Older Adult Sunday and as an ongoing resource, the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network creates, edits and publishes an Older Adult Ministries Planning Guide. The organization is seeking submissions of creative ways to honor older adults on May 5 and throughout the year. Articles can be about a program within a congregation or presbytery, partnerships with other organizations, or other activities and events for older adults within a community. Articles should be about the how-to of various ministries with older adults. Details are at "Articles Sought."
Regarding Ruling Elders: 'The Gift of Spirit'
 The Rev. Joan Gray, a former moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has written the most recent installment of Regarding Ruling Elders, a monthly resource of the Office of the General Assembly. She notes, "For the early church, the infallible evidence of being a Christian was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, at work in a person's life. The ways the Spirit manifested varied from person to person (not everybody spoke in tongues for example), but the bottom line was this: if you were a true believer, you received the Holy Spirit." Gray's complete column is at "Regarding Ruling Elders."
YAV recruitment
is now underway
 The recruitment season for the 2019-20 Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is now underway. The YAV program is an ecumenical, faith-based year of service for young people, ages 19-30, in 22 sites around the world and in the United States. Program participants accompany local agencies working to address root causes of poverty and reconciliation while exploring the meaning and motivation of their faith in intentional community with peers and mentors. Details about the program are "YAV Program." Applications are available at "YAV Applications."
PC(USA) provides resources, support
to prevent abuse in church
 Celebrities, ministers, politicians, corporate executives. Hardly a week goes by that the headlines don't name a prominent person who has been accused of being a sexual predator or charged with abuse. Reports have been on the rise for years as people find the strength to step forward with their stories. The church has always been perceived as a safe place, where parents can feel their children are being cared for. But sometimes, despite the best efforts of churches, abuse does occur. For years, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been working with presbyteries, mid councils and churches to ensure that appropriate policies and safeguards are in place to keep children and vulnerable adults safe from all types of abuse. "We try to empower sessions and presbyteries as they work through accountability and discipline, providing as many resources as we can," said Laurie Griffith, associate director of Constitutional Interpretation with the Office of the General Assembly. The complete story by Rick Jones of the Office of the General Assembly can be found at "Fighting Abuse Resources."
Applications now accepted for 2019 Commission on Status of Women
 The 63rd Commission on the Status of Women is scheduled for March 11-22, 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event is expected to draw representatives from around the world. Applications are now being accepted. The 2019 theme is "social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls." The complete Presbyterian News Service story by Scott O'Neill can be found at "Status of Women."
Debt assistance initiative committed
to help with loan debt repayment
 The debt assistance initiative of the Presbyterian Mission Agency's Office of Financial Aid for Service is committed to helping the people of God live out their call. The initiative provides resources, expertise and hope to those struggling with student loan debt. Among those resources are short instructional videos produced to help recent graduates navigate student loan repayment. Resources can be found at "Educational Debt Assistance."
OPSF's Winter Pastors School
makes move to spring
 Due to travel difficulties during the winter months, the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation's Winter Pastors School will now be a spring event. The 2019 fellowship and learning event is planned Monday through Thursday, May 13-16, at Lakeshore Center at Okoboji, a Presbyterian camp and conference center located on the west shore of Iowa's Lake Okoboji. The format and schedule will be similar to that of previous Winter Pastors Schools. The Rev. Dr. Ken McFayden, a well-known speaker and teacher, will keynote the event. Additional details are at "Pastors School."
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News of colleges, universities and seminaries
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UDTS receives nearly $1 million grant
The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary has received a $936,102 grant to help support its Clergy Coaching in Community and  Context initiative. The grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry. "We are very excited about this grant from Lilly Endowment, as it represents the culmination of several years of transformative effort on behalf of our Seminary faculty and staff colleagues, and it affirms their leadership and our direction in this new era of theological education," said Jeffrey F. Bullock, president of the University of Dubuque. The complete announcement is at "UDTS Grant."
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| News from the Board of Pensions |
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October Board Connections
includes help with call process
 The current edition of Board Connections, a newsletter from the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), announced an updated "Living by the Gospel," a guide to structuring terms of call designed for mid councils. The publication is also a resource for ministers navigating the call process. This article and others are available at "Board Connections."
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| News around the PC(USA) and more |
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Justice, Peace Close Up
highlights stories about PDA
 The latest issue of Justice & Peace Close Up, a newsletter of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, highlights stories about the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance ministry. In recent weeks PDA has been responding to the tsunami in Indonesia, hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkhut, and maintaining a commitment to long-term recovery following hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The complete newsletter is at "Highlighting PDA."
Mid council leaders talk per capita,
General Assembly, social justice
For the second day of the Mid Council Leaders Gathering in Chicago, the meeting began with a historical look at per capita and the realities moving forward. The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, stated clerk of the  Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), shared his thoughts and the need to "re-tool the church." He said, "We are at a different time now. We cannot have strong churches without strong mid councils and leaders who are willing to do the same thing on the ground in the local community as we did in St. Louis," he said. "Most of us have not been trained in that kind of action. How do we re-tool the basics of our leadership to deal with contextual realities of our time? It takes money and commitment to do that." Nelson said the PC(USA) can become a turnaround denomination, adding that it won't be easy and will demand commitment from everyone. "When we talk about per capita, it's not a money grab, it's about rebuilding the institution and faith that brought us, our children, and parents to where we are. It's about perpetuating something positive on this side of heaven." The complete story by Rick Jones of the Office of the General Assembly can be found at "Mid Council Leaders."
Mid council leaders gathering ends
with messages of moving forward
The Mid Council Leaders Gathering wrapped up on World Communion Sunday, Oct. 7, celebrating a oneness with Christ. Leaders within the  Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) took the final hours to share their vision and hopes for the church moving forward. The Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, told the group that the church seeks to strengthen relationships and collaborate with mid councils. "We believe God calls us to act boldly and compassionately so that faith comes alive and the world wakes up to new possibilities," she said. The complete story by Rick Jones of the Office of the General Assembly can be found at "Mid Council Gathering Ends."
What's connecting
the connectional church?
Gradye Parsons, former stated clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), writes about the connectional nature of  the wider church in the current edition of Presbyterians Today. Parsons notes, "The last 22 years of my ministry I spent in governing body work -- six years as a presbytery executive, which included synod leadership, and 16 years in General Assembly work. I have a pretty good knowledge of the working plumbing (polity) that holds our denomination together. So, when after my retirement as stated clerk in 2016, the Board of Pensions asked me to write a book about the connectional life [of the church], I agreed. I sought to discover how well our connectional life was holding up. This led to a six-month journey of interviews with teaching elders, mid council leaders and seminary teachers, where I discovered that the 'plumbing' was working at different levels of well-being depending on where you are." Parsons' complete column can be found at "Connectional Church."
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| Just one more |
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ChurchGrowth.net: What not to do in church
GrowChurch.net is, just as its name implies, is a website that offers thoughts and resources on growing church. It
came into existence, it  notes, in 2015 as a small virtual place for church leaders and pastors to share church-growth strategies. "I had no clue back then what this would become," writes Simon Crowe, its founder, who is from Leeds, in the county of Yorkshire, Great Britain. There are free resources at the site, and there's this short video simply titled "What Not To Do in Church." It's that "not to do" part that's supposed to catch your attention.
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