FROM RACHEL YATES, PRESBYTERY EXECUTIVE
 DISTANCING
I'm learning lots of new phrases these days, like "respiratory etiquette." I imagine that's what my husband breaches when he rolls toward me in bed and snores. "Hey," I poke him and use my new catch phrase, "mind your respiratory etiquette!"

Another phrase that has become commonplace is "social distancing." Because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus, we are urged to distance ourselves from others, whether we feel sick or not. We shelter in place or hunker down. The Presbytery, like many organizations, has begun operating remotely, with staff relying on ... ( READ MORE )
PRESBYTERY PULSE
COVID-19/CORONAVIRUS PRESBYTERY RESOURCE PAGE
Tuesday, March 17th, the Presbytery launched a COVID-19 resource page with tips for online worship, financial matters, online meetings, and more.  This will be our central location for all updates and resources, although we'll also have conversations on Facebook.  We want to hear how you are showing care for your leaders, your church, and your community, and even where you are finding hope and possibility.  So, please stay connected with us!
WORSHIP RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Given the current climate and conditions, the Presbytery Office is trying to provide as many resources and opportunities for worship as possible.  To do this, we would like to compile a list with active web links to worship services -- text or visual -- that can then be shared via email, social media, and our website resource page.  If you are providing a weekly worship resource for your congregation, please consider sending it to Kate Hopta to include in our Presbytery information.  If possible, please send information by 3:00 p.m. on Fridays.  If you will be streaming a service, let us know and we will try to also link it to the Presbytery facebook page.
SHARE YOUR DAILY PRAYER
If you've visited the Presbytery COVID-19/Coronavirus Resource Page hopefully you've noticed the daily prayer being offered.  If you would like to submit a prayer to be published, please send your prayer with name and church or location to Kate Hopta.  
PRESBYTERY STAFF WORKING REMOTELY
Due to the current climate and conditions we find ourselves in, your Presbytery staff is heeding guidance during the pandemic to work remotely and practice social distancing.  Phone calls to the Presbytery Office will be forwarded to the appropriate staff member and email will be checked daily.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TWO CERTIFIED ECC CHURCHES
Faith Springs Presbyterian Church and Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church have both been recertified as Earth Care Congregations by the Presbyterian Hunger Program through February 2021.  This honor speaks to the great commitment that these congregations have made to care for God's earth.
 
Started in 2010 by the PC(USA), the goal of this program is to inspire churches to care for God's earth in a holistic way, through integrating earth care into all aspects of their church life.  To become an Earth Care Congregation, both congregations affirmed an Earth Care Pledge to integrate environmental practices and thinking into their worship, education, facilities, and outreach.  The Earth Care Congregation certification is designed to recognize churches that make the commitment to take seriously God's charge to "till and keep" the garden. 
PRESBYTERY DIRECTORY PHONE APP
If any minister member or church member from our presbytery would like to have the presbytery directory accessible on their phone or tablet, please email Chris Halverson for login and password. If you've previously gotten access, but forgot  your login and/or password, Chris can help with that, too.
MONTHLY PRAYER MEETING TOMORROW, MARCH 19TH
Join the Presbytery staff by "Praying in Place" during the monthly prayer meeting.  While the prayer meeting is traditionally held at the Presbytery Office, tomorrow individuals can participate wherever they find themselves.  "Praying in Place" will follow the prayer meeting schedule, beginning at 1:00 and concluding at 1:30.  Join us!
NEWS FROM THE DENOMINATION
PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS CAN NOW APPLY FOR A $4,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Presbyterian Church (USA) students seeking their first associate or bachelor's degree are encouraged to apply now for scholarship awards through Presbyterian Mission Agency's Financial Aid Service.  Learn more about scholarship opportunities and how to apply here.
CORONAVIRUS AND YOUR MEDICAL BENEFITS
Effective immediately, all three medical options (PPO, EPO, and HDHP) will pay 100 percent of the cost -- Medical Plan members pay no deductive, copay, or copayment -- for coronavirus testing when done by a network provider.  If you're enrolled in Medicare Supplement, Medicare pays 100 percent of the cost for lab testing for the coronavirus.

In addition, if you are enrolled in the PPO or EPO options, all copays when using Teladoc throug June 30, 2020, will be waived.  You will be charged the $10 copay at the time of the visit, and it will be automatically reimbursed within approximately seven days of the  date that the claim is processed.  If you are enrolled in the HDHP, the cost for a Teladoc visit is $45.  Read more about coronavirus and Board of Pension benefits here.
CORONAVIRUS E-LEARNING AVAILABLE FROM BOARD UNIVERSITY
One of the best precautionary measures we can take is to arm ourselves with accurate information about the coronavirus as well as an awareness of the resources available to us.  Board University brings you the e-learning course COVID-19: What You Need to Know.  This course contains a comprehensive overview of the coronavirus to help educate yourself and those around you.  Access this course and other Board e-learning through Benefits Connect.
GET READY FOR EARTH DAY SUNDAY
Spring is around the corner and that means it's time to plan for Earth Day Sunday in April.  Churches looking for ideas can download the "Fierce Urgency of Now" Earth Day Toolkit.
JUST COMPENSATION: CLOSING THE GENDER GAP WEBINAR
Thursday, March 26, 1:00-2:00 p.m. (CST)
The Church lives out its identity as a just and caring community when it compensates ministers fairly.  But what is fair?  What are the contextual realities that impact compensation?  What are the societal and ecclesiastical realities related to gender equity?  Data in Living by the Gospel show a clear distinction continues to exist between average salaries for men and women across all pastoral positions and congregation sizes.

Join Rev. Lori Neff LaRue to review current compensation realities and specific financial considerations for women, and explore how female ministers can negotiate compensation packages and advocate more effectively for themselves and others.  Lori will also discuss the roles Committees on Ministry, presbytery executives, and Pastor Nominating Committees can play in covenanting terms of call -- with an eye toward making the Church a more just and equitable community in which to respond to God's call -- and how Living by the Gospel, along with other denominational resources, can be utilized to equip individuals and decision-making bodies.  

Register here for this webinar offered by the Board of Pensions.
COVID-19, THE CORONAVIRUS
CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION: WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU NEED CARE
Explore resources from the Board of Pensions and other service providers and information about Medical Plan and Medicare coverage, coronavirus symptoms, when to seek medical attention, and how to go about getting tested here.
PREPAREDNESS FOR PANDEMICS
a Disaster and Preparedness Response Task Force article by Marilyn Stone
Seldom do we find "severe infectious disease outbreaks" or "pandemic" on a list of potential disasters that might occur within our presbytery or any presbytery across our state or the U.S.  Although, COVID-19 Coronavirus updates appear in our daily news feeds.  Previously, media reported how other countries were impacted by this virus and precautions being taken, yet now we are hearing about cases identified in the U.S. even without foreign travel. 

This is not a time to panic nor overreact, but as with all possible disasters, preparedness is prudent.  Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has created...(READ MORE).
RESPONDING TO THE FLU & THE CORONAVIRUS
Resources from the Wisconsin Council of Churches
The Wisconsin Council of Churches is providing information and resources through their website, social media, and other means.  As always, the WCC acknowledges there may be particulars of individual religious traditions about which ecclesiastical authorities should be consulted before adjusting church practices.  Please accept these recommendations and resources from the WCC as a starting point, and adapt them as makes the most sense for your own setting and traditions.
THE PC(USA)'S THEOLOGY AND WORSHIP OFFICE ISSUES PASTORAL STATEMENT ON THE CORONAVIRUS
In this time of high anxiety, the PC(USA)'s Office of Theology and Worship ahs issued a Pastoral Statement on the Coronavirus/COVID-19.  The statement provides pastors and congregational leaders with guidance on how to talk to worshipers about the outbreak, as well as practical suggestions for passing the peace, shaking hands, embracing, and communion practices.  Some elements of this statement are adapted, with gratitude, from a letter by the Rev. Dr. Steven T. Yamaguchi and Dr. Peter Mathis, who's at Tokyo Union Church in Tokyo, Japan.

You can read more information from the PC(USA) about the Coronavirus/COVID-19 in the article Coronavirus: Faith not fear .
INVITATIONS
PODCAST HOST MARTHAME SANDERS TO HOST ZOOM CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO STREAM WORSHIP SERVICES
Thursday, March 19, 11:00 a.m.
1001 New Worshiping Communities will host a Zoom webinar at noon Eastern Time Thursday how to best utilize streaming technology for worship in the face of the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19).  Click  here on Thursday, March 19, at 11:00 a.m. cst to join the meeting.
New worshiping community leader the  Rev. Marthame Sanders, who produces the  1001 podcast "A New Way," will host the conversation, sharing his wisdom on adapting worship for streaming platforms.  Read more about this opportunity.
WEBINAR: CREATING LIVE-STREAMED WORSHIP
Tuesday, March 24, 1:00 p.m.
The Wisconsin Council of Churches is offering a webinar on March 24th about how to create live-streamed worship.  The presenter is Rev. Jeremy Smith of Hacking Christianity, an elder in the United Methodist Church.  He recently helped First United Methodist Church Seattle, the church he pastors, pivot to offering worship online with just 3 days notice when public health authorities recommended that local churches in their area not gather because they were near a COVID-19 hot spot.  The webinar will be an hour of learning and Q&A.  Have questions already?  Submit them so Rev. Smith and the WCC can prepare answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Registration is limited for the live webinar.
CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION SKILLS FOR CHURCHES
The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center invites you to attend Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches (CTS), a practical workshop for pastors, council members, judicatory leaders, and all those interested in improving their ability to handle conflict effectively. This outstanding inter-denominational training event will be hosted by New Vision Church in Pewaukee, WI (near Milwaukee) from 9:00am-4:30pm on Saturday, June 6, 2020 (registration begins at 8:30am). Individuals who register no later than May 22, 2020 can save $10; group discounts for up to $20 per person are also available. 

Register by going to https://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/720852 or by submitting the form found on the CTS brochure. 

To receive the group discount, fill out a registration form for each member of the group and also submit the Group Discount Coupon (valid until May 22). Both the brochure and the coupon are available at https://lmpeacecenter.org/brochures/. 

For more information, email at Admin@LMPeaceCenter.org, call 630-627-0507, or visit https://lmpeacecenter.org/. Thank you!
MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
UPDATE ABOUT EMILY TEERINK
We have learned that our Young Adult Volunteer from Immanuel, Emily Teerink, is being recalled from Zambia due to the coronavirus.  She and many YAV's are facing the difficulty of saying goodbye to host families and ministry colleagues, whom they have grown to love.  Please join with the whole Presbytery in praying, 
"We give you thanks, O God, for the call to service placed on the hearts of Emily and her fellow YAVs.  She accepted your call - twice - to be among your people in Zambia and to join them in the ministries you have put before them.  Now, circumstances have put a different call in their midst:  a call to come home.  We lift to you, Compassionate God, the disappointment, grief, guilt, and lost opportunities that she and all YAVs will feel from this separation.  Keep their spiritual connections alive, even as they separate from each other in body.  If it is your will, reunite them in the joy that we are indeed one body in Christ.  Amen."
UPDATE FROM TOM GOETZ IN SAPPORO JAPAN
Greetings in Christ from Sapporo, Japan.

Grace and peace. These two words are gaining in importance each day. Japanese are really disappointed with how their government responded to the current problem. Relying on body temperature camera scans of people entering Japan when it was public knowledge that those infected would not develop a fever for up to two weeks did little to ensure confidence. Then, with the cruise ship stuck in Yokohama, the government forcing all on board into quarantine. Ships are the worst places to quarantine people. While I am not going to go into detail, there were...(READ MORE)
HOT LINKS
A Year in Zambia  - YAV Emily Teerink's Blog - Relief and Development
Grapevine - Presbyterian Women's Newsletter
Keeping In Touch  - Newsletter from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies 
Life in the Labyrinth - Inspirational Website by Michelle Henrichs
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Current Information
The Sower - February 2020 Newsletter for the Presbyterian Women in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
University Christian Ministries (UCM) seeks   COOK FOR 2020
FUTURE PRESBYTERY GATHERING DATES

2020 Presbytery Gathering Posters and Bulletin Inserts are available for download and distribution!

  • SATURDAY, May 16, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Carroll University, Waukesha
  • TUESDAY, September 29, 4:00-8:00 p.m. - Apostle Presbyterian Church, West Allis
  • THURSDAY, November 12, 4:00-8:00 p.m. - Covenant Presbyterian Church, Racine 

Presbytery of Milwaukee
414-292-2740
khopta@pbymilwaukee.org
http://www.pbymilwaukee.org