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The weekly newsletter from the
Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys
January 8, 2020
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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 January 12-18
First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago
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Pastor - OPEN
Secretary - Carol Ricard
Custodian - Amber Franklin
Organist - Maryjean Miller
Receiving Treasurer - Duane Larson
Paying Treasurer - Cheryl Goraczkowski
Clerk of Council - Dan Ricard
Church Missions:
- Men's Group (serving church & community) The men's group grills hamburgers on Wednesday's during the summer. The men give continuing education scholarships to high school graduate members who are planning to continue on with school. Sometimes the hamburger stand hosts a benefit for someone in the community who has experienced life changing events. The men occasionally help out in the community doing small projects.
- Next to New - The Next to New sells recycled clothing, books, toys, baby items, and kitchen supplies. Donations come in and get sorted, the good items get marked with prices and the bad items either go to the Salvation Army, Kings Aid or the dumpster. Items are priced low to help community members who cannot afford much, similar to garage sales. There are 25 different entities who receive monetary donations at the end of the year from all the sales.
- Quilting - Over a dozen quilts were made and donated to clients of the adolescent treatment center and given to church members in nursing homes and assisted living facilities to remind them of the love and care that surrounds them each day. During the 150th anniversary each church member traced his or her hand and signed it and all the hands were onto a quilt in the shape of a tree.
- Church & Community - During coffee hour everyone signs cards to send to our shut-in members who cannot make it to church during the holidays. Occasionally we host a painting class or art project class in the fellowship hall for anyone to attend. Some of the projects completed are Ukrainian egg painting, home sign creating, tile painting, and canvas painting.
Prayer Concerns:
- We would like prayers for members who have health issues or people who have suffered losses during the holiday season, for our nation's leaders, for our congregation during the time of transition, for an interim pastor to feel a call to come to Winnebago, and for Michael and Bonnie Roys to have a good retirement.
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As we begin the New Year, there are many new initiatives on the horizon. The presbytery is busy working on reviewing mission goals, equipping new leaders, answering adaptive needs, and living into the promise that all will be well.
I am looking forward to what God might do next. The last two years have proved to be exciting. We have accomplished a lot together. Now we all are waiting on the fruit of our labors.
This week, church officers and commission chairs will begin the year in Conversation with Corey Schlosser-Hall. Our training will focus on our narrative language. Words. Branding. Storying. Our corporate story should reflect how we see ourselves as the people of God. Commission chairs will spend Friday in an overnight retreat.
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The Coaching and Conflict Meditation Team completed its first training in December. The group is ready to work with pastors looking for a coach. In the coming months, the team will begin accepting invitations to work with sessions. In the next few weeks, the website will include an information page and more specifics about the coaching initiative. Also, mark your calendars to participate in upcoming webinars on preaching and the in-person training on March 24 with Rev. Dr. Phil Tom at Hope Presbyterian Church, Spicer. Rev. Tom will lead us in a conversation about Public Ministry and Community Collaboration. At the February Presbytery meeting, Co-moderator Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri will address the assembly.
As you can see, the first quarter of the year is already full. We are also praying for you as you hold your annual meetings and ordain and install new officers. The big question is, how are you preparing for the New Year? What a big question for us all! Should I do the same thing as last year and see how it goes? Is mass regrouping necessary? Is the way clear? In my devotions, my conversation partners are the Center for Contemplation. Richard Rohr, a Catholic Priest, intentionally stretches my thinking. The daily devotions invite me to listen for God in new ways. This week the daily devotion focused on silence, the still small voice. It also brought to my attention the loudness of silence. Silence can speak depths and often speaks louder than words. One way I am committed to preparing for 2020 is silence. I plan to sit more often with God. To sit more often with my thoughts and intentions. As a child, my grandmother would insist on a midday break for stillness. At the time, I thought she needed a break, and with rest, I would return to my activities with a better attitude. Maybe, there was more to her wisdom of a midday break for stillness. It is restorative. It does allow space for the Spirit.
In addition, I invite you to read with me over the next 40 days a devotion by Dr. Howard Thurman. Thurman’s work, “40 Day Journey”, is a wonderful read. Below is one of his prayers entitled "Through the Coming Year." Enjoy!
“Grant that I may pass through the coming year with a faithful heart. There will be much to test me and make weak my strength before the year ends. In my confusion, I shall often say the word that is not true and do the thing of which I am ashamed. There will be errors in the mind and great inaccuracies of judgment...In seeking the light, I shall again and again find myself walking in the darkness. I shall mistake my light for Your light and I shall drink from the responsibility of the choice I make. Nevertheless, grant that I may pass through the coming year with a faithful heart. May I never give the approval of my heart to error, to falseness, to vanity, to sin. Though my days be marked with failures, stumblings, fallings, let my spirit be free so that You may take it and redeem my moments in all the ways my needs reveal. Give me the quiet assurance of Your Love and Presence. Grant that I may pass through the coming year with a faithful heart.” Amen
– Howard Thurman
May God grant us Grace for the Journey!
SanDawna
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Leadership Training for Elders, Deacons, and those serving on Presbytery Commissions
Saturday, January 11
First Presbyterian Church
312 6th St SW, Willmar
We will be hosting a training event for Ruling Elders, Deacons and presbytery commission and committee members. Registration will start at 9:30. The morning will start with devotions and a plenary on 2020 Leadership by the Rev. Corey Schlosser-Hall, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of NW Coast. Following lunch, which is provided, Presbytery Commission and Committees will meet to set 2020 goals, meeting dates and other business. At the same time Ruling Elder training led by Stated Clerk Pam Prouty and Deacon training led by the Rev. Leanne Thompson will be held. The day will end by 4:00 p.m. Plan to attend and bring a car full. This event has had positive feedback for the past two years.
Please respond
with number/names of Elders and Deacons by
Wednesday, January 8.
Parking is available in the lower lot, church parking lot and on the street.
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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:
Committee on Congregational Nurture
1 ruling elder to serve a three-year term
1 ruling elder to serve a two-year term
1 ruling elder to serve a one-year term
General Assembly
1 ruling elder to serve as an alternate
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 Rev. Bob Bartlett, First Presbyterian Churches of Brewster & Round Lake
- For Dave Hollis, First Presbyterian Church of Slayton, hip replacement
- For the family of Sue Thompson, First Presbyterian Church, Maynard
- For the family of Marie Fischer, Crosslake Presbyterian Church
- For the family of Sara McKay, Union Presbyterian Church of Saint Peter
- For Rev. Michael Roys, retired pastor, Winnebago
- For Rev. Elaine and Kent Boyd at First Presbyterian Church of Amboy
- 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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An Invitation to Spiritual Leaders
This is your invitation to submit a short video of yourself offering a meditation of your favorite passage from the Bible for the Presbytery YouTube channel. If you are interested, please contact Steve Tyykila
(
styykila@gmail.com
) or Andy Davis (
revrn1973@gmail.com
). We'll give you more parameters and information, but we are looking for informal (not from the pulpit), personal, short (less than five minutes) videos on your favorite passage that you can record from your phone or computer. Thanks!
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Transformation Testimonies Sought
We are preparing the reporting for the Transformation Going Beyond Change Initiative grants. Please think about how you have been using the information gleaned from these events and email
Karen or
SanDawna a short testimony about how you have benefited.
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Pastor Cohort Groups
We are creating pastor cohort groups for interested pastors. Each group will meet monthly via Zoom. The format will include prayer, a book study, case studies, special speakers, cross-pollination of resources and active listening. Interested? Email
SanDawna
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2020 Per Capita
$41.45 Total
$27.00 for Presbytery
$8.95 for GA
$5.50 for Synod
2020 Compensation Policy
link
2020 Per Capita Apportionment and Mission Pledge Form
link Please send to the presbytery office by January 31, if possible.
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Interested in a Communications Workshop?
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Can your congregation say yes to these statements?
- Our church has a clear and concise goal in mind for its communications.
- Our church maximizes the use of its social media platforms.
- Our church’s website is easy to navigate and tells the congregation’s story
If you’re not sure about your congregation’ s responses to any of these statements, you may want to schedule a communications workshop in 2020.
The presbytery is considering an in-person or webinar for this. If interested, please contact
Karen
.
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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
First Presbyterian Church, Winnebago - Interim Pastor
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Do you remember?
The Cambria Presbyterian Church is celebrating its 100
th
anniversary this year! On December 2,1919 the Cambria Presbyterian Church was organized and it became a part of the Bethel and Horeb parish. As we celebrate we would like to recognize the small churches around us which helped us along the way.
We are in search of people who remember the Jerusalem Presbyterian Church, the Bethel Presbyterian Church, the Horeb Presbyterian Church, the Salem Welsh Congregational Church, the Carmel Presbyterian Church, and the Salem Townline Church and have a connection.
All of these churches were located in rural Judson, Lake Crystal, Cambria, and New Ulm. We would like to hear your stories and see your pictures if you have them. Please email Penny Johnson at
pjtjohnson@hickorytech.net
or call 507-947-3955 if you have questions or contributions.
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