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We Lift Up In Prayer...
Ongoing:
All of our churches currently in
transition
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Mission Co-Workers:
The Rev. Cathy Chang
and family
who are serving in the Philippines.
Michael and Rachel Ludwig
,
our Mission Co-Workers
who are serving in Niger.
For those Teaching Elders (Ministers of Word and Sacrament) and Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) who are celebrating Ordination or Commissioning Anniversaries in September and October:
The Rev. Ron Vredeveld (9/1)
- Temporary Supply of Beaverton-First
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At our September presbytery meeting we heard about a mission movement within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) encouraging congregations and presbyteries to adopt the vision of becoming a "Matthew 25" church. A Matthew 25 church is one that embodies the vision put forth by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46 in which those who have served the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, sick, or imprisoned have served Jesus himself. The Matthew 25 initiative specifically asks congregations to embrace three areas of focus:
- Building congregational vitality
- Dismantling structural racism
- Eradicating systemic poverty
While we have not yet adopted the initiative as a presbytery (that is a matter for our Presbytery Council to consider), individual congregations are encouraged to adopt it on their own. Over the coming weeks I will look at each of the areas of focus in greater depth. You can find more information on the Presbyterian Mission Agency website:
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/matthew-25/.
The first focus is congregational vitality. The PMA website clarifies that this is not necessarily a matter of bigger numbers and more dollars:
Rather, a community's vitality is primarily its spiritual strength and its capacity for purposeful mission. Congregational vitality is evident in a worshiping community when its structural systems, finances and discipleship practices are aligned in such a way that the community is actively engaged in the mission of God in their local community and the world, and they are powerfully focused on growing as disciples in the way of Jesus Christ. Faith comes alive when we boldly engage God's mission and share the hope we have in Christ.
PMA identifies seven marks of vital congregations, and offers assessment tools, resources, and guidance for improving them:
- A commitment to forming disciples over every member's lifetime. Personal transformation leads to transformational mission.
- Embracing the call to evangelism, in word and deed, through building caring relationships.
- An outward focus by becoming the hands, feet, heart and mouth of Jesus Christ for people who are suffering or marginalized.
- Empowering members to discover their individual calling and the gifts for service.
- Spirit-inspired worship that challenges, teaches, transforms, convicts, and energizes.
- Caring relationships modeled on God's love, welcoming all people and leading to genuine reconciliation and peace.
- Congregations with healthy systems, i.e., who have a clear mission focus, have fiscal responsibility and accountability, practice spiritual discernment, and support healthy leaders and staff.
To learn more about congregational vitality, follow the link above, or go to https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/theology-formation-and-evangelism/vital-congregations/, a manual, and more.
Dan Saperstein, E
xecutive Presbyter
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We will hold the annual Records Review on three Saturdays this fall, each
beginning at 10:00am.
November 9th Marlette-First
Be sure to bring your Session Minutes and Records books along with a filled out review form.
Letters to Clerks of Session were mailed out earlier this month. Additional information may be found on the
Records Review
page of our website.
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Presbytery Meeting Follow Up
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Becoming a Matthew 25 Church
Dear Partners in God's Mission:
I sincerely enjoyed visiting with you last week at the Stated Meeting held at First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant. Thank you for your kind and gracious hospitality.
As I mentioned during my presentation, the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, Executive Director and President of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, will be mailing a letter in the next couple of weeks to the pastors and church leaders in your Presbytery inviting them, their Sessions, and congregations to join the Matthew 25 Vision.
Since the Presbytery of Lake Huron is already engaged in Matthew 25 ministries, and doing mission, ""inside-out, upside-down, and sticky," it a natural fit. Please prayerfully consider signing-up to validate and identify yourselves as Matthew 25 churches. You may do so by clicking on the red elongated box found our website:
pcusa.org/matthew25. You'll also find many links to various resources on this page.
Thanks, again, and God bless you all in our shared mission!
Rev. Chris H. Roseland
(502) 439-4930
chris.roseland@pcusa.org
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Presbytery Meeting Offering
The offering collected at the September 17, 2019 Presbytery meeting has been approved by Council to go to the William and Janet Strickler Nonprofit Center. The building is located on High Street in Mt. Pleasant and is housing many different non-profits. t is still being renovated to best serve the needs of the agencies that inhabit it. The total amount we collected is $494.95, and these funds will be used to help the building become more functional for all.
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Alma College
At the presbytery meeting we heard from the Rev. Dr. Andrew Pomerville, Chaplain at Alma College, about the "Our Time Is Now" campaign. He gave us a sneak peek at some of the improvements they hope to complete with this campaign. It is the "the most ambitious comprehensive fundraising effort in the school's 133-year history."
"Alma College's timeless values, family-oriented culture, personalized approach, outstanding academic programs and extraordinary people have transformed students' lives for more than 130 years," says Alma College President Jeff Abernathy. "This campaign - our most ambitious, by far - will ensure that future generations of students enjoy a transformative Alma experience and gain the skills and knowledge base they need to thrive in today's complex, fast-paced world."
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Catherine Chang and Juan Lopez
Message from Catherine Chang:
This is my work, this is our common witness.
On death row in Indonesia, Mary Jane Veloso needs advocacy and prayers. Social media campaign could give her the chance to prove her innocence.
Death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso needs your advocacy and prayers.
The need is critical, and the time is very, very short.
Veloso, a native of the Philippines, was arrested in Indonesia in April 2010 for smuggling heroin in the lining of a suitcase. Throughout her trial, she maintained her innocence, claiming the individuals who recruited her to work in Malaysia tricked her and used her as a drug mule to Indonesia.
She was sentenced to death in October 2010 but spared because of a moratorium on capital punishment by then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. She was to be executed in April 2015 after the election of Joko Widodo as president. Amidst the public clamor naming her a human trafficking victim, Veloso was granted a stay of execution on April 29 so she could act as a witness during the trial of her alleged traffickers.
Two local recruiters confessed their role in bringing her to Malaysia; they are currently on trial in the Philippines. Advocates are asking that Veloso be allowed to testify against the people who trafficked her, but the final deadline for depositions is Thursday, Sept. 26. The conviction of her accused traffickers could bring about her eventual release.
Click here for more information about Cathy and Juan and their work.
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Harvest Dinner
Birch Run-Taymouth invites all to attend their annual Harvest Dinner on October 17th form 4:00 pm to 7:00pm.
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Saginaw-Second Happenings
Saginaw-Second invites all to two upcoming events. On September 28th they are hosting a White Elephant Sale and on October 18th they are hosting a Fish Fry.
Click here for more information on the White Elephant Sale.
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Connect With Other Churches In The Lake Huron Presbytery
There are so many wonderful things going on in all of our congregations. Several of our churches have set up Facebook pages to help spread the good news not only to their members but to all who may be interested. Liking other church Facebook pages is a great way to connect with others in the presbytery and to share ideas with each other. Here are some of the churches that have Facebook pages:
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'Like' Us On Facebook
The presbytery has a Facebook page and would like you to join us. Get updates and information faster. Connect with others to share ideas and to post information about events happening in your congregation. Join us today!
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| Staci Percy Communications Manager/Recording Clerk P.O. Box 6129 Saginaw, MI 48608-6129 spercy@presbylh.org 989-799-7481 x2 |
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About the
Bi-Weekly Brief
Hundreds of elders, educators, and church leaders read the Presbytery of Lake Huron's email sent out every other week.
You can reissue or modify this content for your own church bulletin or newsletter, without crediting the Bi-Weekly Brief, but please credit any organizations, photographers, etc, that we credited.
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Commission on Ministry
September 25
11:00 am
Planning, Equipping and Visioning
October 3
12:30 pm
Presbytery Council
October 9
10:00 am
Records Review
October 12
10:00 am
Mission Coordination Committee
October 14
1:30 pm
Commission on Preparation for Ministry
October 16
10:00 am
Commission on Ministry
October 23
11:00 am
Records Review
October 26
10:00 am
Personnel Team
October 28
10:00 am
Records Review
November 9
10:00 am
Marlette-First
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Details on these meetings can be found on the presbytery's website on the calendar.
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NOTE: The Presbytery of Lake Huron retains permission to modify submissions for clarity and length. Inclusion of an item in the Bi-Weekly Brief means that we think it's interesting and/or important, and does not constitute an endorsement of its point of view or its journalistic accuracy.
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