Presbytery of Northern Kansas Newsletter
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Learning to Work Together
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From the Great Plains UMC Website
Washington UMC already had a good working relationship with the Presbyterian and Lutheran churches in the north central Kansas community, collaborating for vacation Bible school, Sunday school, youth group and “Fifth Quarter” after-high school sports gatherings.
“When I got here I really wanted our church, the Methodist church, even though it wasn’t the largest, to take the lead as the church that did things at the behest of the community, as much as we could,” said the Rev. Daniel Norwood, pastor at Washington, Barnes and Haddam UMCs.
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Rev. Daniel from the UMC (left). Rev. Jill from the ELCA (right), and Rev. Shannon Borgman from First United Presbyterian Church (middle) join forces to create Trinity Churches Washington.
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So when the size of gatherings restricted church attendance and pastors began to look for alternatives, Norwood invited Shannon Borgman from First United Presbyterian Church in Washington, KS and Lutheran pastors to join him at Washington UMC (calling themselves “Trinity Churches Washington”) for a joint service, which was already broadcast on the local cable access channel as well as Facebook Live.
“It’d be a bigger community service, at least three of the bigger mainstream Protestant churches together,” said Norwood, who has added a daily Facebook devotional since the virus.
For the first service, March 22, Norwood and the Presbyterian pastor had a dialogue about the raising of Lazarus and a passage from the book “The Message” by Eugene Peterson.
“It was fun to do a little something different,” he said. “We’ve got plans in hand for the next couple of weeks.”
The differences between the denominations were ironed out quickly, Norwood said.
“There’s been a little bit of negotiation, but nothing too bad,” he said. “We changed a few things to make it a little more ecumenical.”
The pastors already had a good relationship, Norwood said, meeting weekly for “extended coffee and conversation.” “It was just an easy thing to do,” he said.
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Details on Spring and Summer PNK
Youth Activities
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The PNK Youth Spring 2020 Gathering, a Hike & Worship at Konza Prairie Trail, has been cancelled. There are plans to try to have this event again.
Also, o
ur Summer 2020 Youth Activities are currently moving forward as scheduled
Plans for both the Heartland Youth Encounter and the Denver DOOR Mission Trip will be reviewed later this month and additional information will be available after May 1st. Please stay tuned.
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May 5th Presbytery Meeting via Zoom
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The Presbytery Meeting, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, WILL take place but will not be face to face -- it will be by Zoom.
This will be a shortened meeting consisting of worship and essential business. Plans are in process...watch for more information after April 19th but SAVE THE DATE....your participation will be important.
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Multiple Choice
How can I maintain funding for this ministry when we are not gathering for worship?
A: Snail Mail pastoral letter with
stamped
return envelope
. For those folks who don’t trust or use on-line giving. And those who like to write a check!
B: For those who use on-line banking.
Set up as reoccurring payment through their own bank.
C: Add Presbyterian Foundation's Online Giving Portal to your website and/or Facebook page (
https://www.presbyterianfoundation.org/onlinegiving/)
. This simple, easy-to-set-up giving portal can help your church easily accept secure online donations giving system at an extremely low rate. There are other sources for online giving as well, including Square, P
aypal and others. Periodically remind folks of those links via e-mail.
D: The
special folks
over 70.5 years with IRA accounts can set up direct payments from their IRA accounts to the church.
These Qualified Charitable Deductions do not count as income for the giver but do count as part of all of the Required Minimum Withdrawal. (see below)
E. All of the above!!
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Using Online Music Legally
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Even in a crisis, it’s not ethical or legal to violate artists’ rights by ignoring copyright law, but some corporations are being generous in this situation.
PPC is granting rights
to livestream or distribute photocopies of anything in the hymnal (Glory to God) that is copyrighted by Westminster John Knox Press; same goes for the Book of Common Worship.
For new customers or for existing customers who do not already have a podcast/streaming license,
ONE LICENSE
is offering a one-month gratis license, valid through April 15.
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Prayer for Easter Morning
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Holy Lord –
This is not what we thought Easter would be.
Victory looks like crowds at a parade,
brunch and feasting,
egg hunts and celebrations,
lilies and family and extended family and friends and framily,
and loud songs of exuberant praise.
Instead, we find ourselves huddled in locked rooms with your disciples.
We carefully make our way down dim and silent streets with the faithful women attending your tomb.
We stand, each of us alone, in the garden with Mary wondering where everybody is, where you are, and what on God’s good earth we are supposed to do.
Call us by name.
Let us hear your voice ringing in our ears and feel your love overflowing in our hearts.
Unite us with the faithful of that first Easter, girded by knowledge and fully understanding that today was not and never was to be about a single day.
Easter is a turning point in history. The first step in being your hands and feet in this world, claiming victory over all the earthly things that
confound us,
cause fear, and
send us into hiding.
Make us bold to proclaim with the first apostle, “I have seen the Lord!”
And as the shadows of this day, and this earthly season pass,
grant us your guiding light
to be the Easter people we claim to be
not just Easter Sunday
but every day.
Amen.
© Rev. Phyllis L. Stutzman, 2020 and used by permission. Pastor of Emporia Presbyterian Church
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Where Did This Snazzy Newsletter Come From?
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The Presbytery of Northern Kansas
is the latest subscriber to the Communications Services Plan of the Synod of the Sun. This program is designed to help Presbyteries with limited staff shed the ongoing work of communication (website design & maintenance, newsletter publication, social media editing and monitoring) so that they can focus on the ministry of the Presbytery.
Next, the CSP will tackle the job of revamping the Presbytery's website to be more accessible and visually attractive, to the newcomer and the regular user alike.
You will also notice a much quicker response rate to postings and additional inspirational materials as well.
The coordinator for the CSP is Thomas Riggs, a former resident of Kansas. Tom graduated from Lindsborg (now Smoky Valley) High School and Bethany College in Lindsborg. He still follows Kansas University basketball with a serious passion!
All of this will work with greater efficiency with your content
. Do you have an event, inspirational story, a beautiful photograph, excellent website link? Please send it to the Presbytery office or e-mail directly to the Communication Services Plan editor at
thomas.riggs@synodsun.org.
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Please contact the
Presbytery Office with any joys or concerns you would like to have added to the PNK Prayer List.
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