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The weekly newsletter from the
Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys
September 25, 2019
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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 September 29 - October 5
Emmanuel Presbyterian Church of Rushmore
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Clerk of Session: Joyce Jacobs
Treasurer: Janet Smid
Ruling Elders: Matt Larson, Gayle Larson, Joyce Jacobs, Ron Wiertsema, Tammy Prins, Vernette Wiertsema
Church Secretary: Darcey Groen
Pastor: Rev. Paul Snyder
Pray for members of our church that are healing from various conditions.
Pray for those who are grieving in our congregation and community.
Pray for our former interim pastor, David Poppen, as he recovers from an accident.
Pray for a safe and productive harvest.
Pray for churches in our Presbytery who are in any kind of pastoral transition.
Pray for the Spirit to continue to lead our three congregations as we enter the second year of shared ministry between three congregations.
Pray for our sister congregations, Zion Presbyterian Church of Ellsworth and First Presbyterian Church of Rushmore.
This past Sunday, Emmanuel hosted their annual Soup and Pie. Members from both Emmanuel and First helped serve. We had a great turnout, and it is a great joy to see churches working together as we are truly the One Body of Christ!!
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This Sunday’s lectionary text Jeremiah 32:14-15
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” As you think about the text, imagine what you would put into a time capsule for future generations to read. I would place in my time capsule recipes, pictures, fabric, and a cross. Each of these items will continue my story. In particular I would include a cross, because it is important to me that all who know me would understand how much being a Christian has shaped my life.
What would you place in your time capsule? In the text, the exiled Jews were invited to place a deed in an earthen vessel. In the future, the deed would confirm God’s faithfulness. The people will return to the land, and upon their return have property. In addition to property, there would be houses, vineyards, fields ... a readymade community. It would be almost as if the people have lost nothing. A deeper look at the text reveals that some things are lost during exile. Nonetheless, restoration is a part of the plan. God’s care and answer to prayers serve as a sign of divine faithfulness. Providence is the theological doctrine at work here. Providence reminds us of grace that is new every morning. The doctrine of Providence says God has not only created the world but also keeps taking care of the world. I am inspired by the thought that there is a larger plan at work in the world, and I am a mere steward of my part of creation. How are you encouraged by this truth? Every time we are asked to reflect on what is, we are encouraged to imagine what can be.
Blessings,
SanDawna
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Prayer List
- For Rev. Dawn Carder and family on the death of Dawn's son-in-law
- For the family of Mary Hansen of Browns Valley
- For Rev. Steve and Genevieve Tyykila and family on the death of Steve's mother
- For Rev. Michael Roys, pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago
- For Rev. Elaine and Kent Boyd at First Presbyterian Church of Amboy
- For the family of Rev. Don Crissinger-Clark, who passed away July 24.
- For Rev. David Poppen, who had a motorcycle accident on July 21. He has served churches in Ellsworth, Rushmore Emmanuel, Slayton and Iona.
- Sue Thompson, Clerk of Session at First Presbyterian Church, Maynard
- 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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Upcoming events at a glance
Oct 3: "Preaching in Times of Transition" webinar by Gerald Liu begins at 10:00 (email
Karen Lange
to register)
Oct 15: Boundary Training at FPC Redwood Falls
Nov 2: Presbytery meeting at FPC Redwood Falls
Nov 11-13: Pastor Retreat at Presbyterian Clearwater Forest
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Making the Ask Recording is available
Thanks to Shirley Carter for her presentation on "Making the Ask" on Tuesday, September 10. If you were not able to take part in the webinar or would like to review the information, the recording is linked below. The first few seconds of the video is audio only, but when Shirley begins, you can see the video.
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News from the Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team
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Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery Coordinating Team (PWPCT) met in Windom on Thursday, September 19. We want the churches in the Presbytery to know what we are about and what we are doing, and the Valley Bridge is one good way to pass information along.
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Our mission giving this meeting included donations to Presbyterian Hunger (PHP), Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Horizon Magazine, and we are sponsoring a scholarship for a school in Guatamala.
We are looking for volunteers to be on the CT committee. YOU ARE NEEDED desperately!
Right now we are having two meetings, one in the Spring, and one in the Fall, usually in a central location like Windom. We have a Spring Gathering and that is some of what we spend our time at the meetings on, along with other business items. It’s a great bunch of women and you would enjoy working together with them. We no longer have a Fall Gathering. So it is not a huge time commitment!
We also want to keep our list of leaders/contact persons for your local PW current, whether you consider it an active group or not. Last year we sent a separate letter to many to update our list. If there are any changes from last year, changes could be emailed to Gloria and/or Betty.
We pray that someone from your church ... Minister, Lay Leader or women’s group will
respond.
KEEP THE DATE: Our next Spring Gathering is going to be in Renville on June 2, 2020. All
are invited to attend. More information will be out later.
Blessing to all!
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Racism is deeply embedded in the life and history of the U.S. Through colonization, slavery and a shameful history of legislative action and judicial pronouncements, our nation created and embraced a system that valued and devalued people based simply on skin color and ethnic identity. People of color were deliberately subjugated for material, political and social advantage. Racism today is the continuing and enduring legacy of this history.
There is a growing awareness among Presbyterians that racism is a crisis and must be addressed. The PC(USA) is strongly committed to the struggle for racial justice.
Why do we talk about structural racism?
Racism is not primarily about individual prejudice or an individual’s beliefs and attitudes. Rather, racism in the U.S. is a socially constructed system. Some people are advantaged, and others are disadvantaged, merely because of their skin color, ethnic identity or their ancestral background. Social power and prejudice have combined to treat people differently, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some people are privileged while others are oppressed. As a consequence, there is unequal and inequitable access to resources such as money, education, information and decision-making power.
Structural racism can show up in multiple ways, including:
- Housing discrimination that limits where people of color can live and steers them to rental markets rather than home ownership.
- Laws and policies that deny people of color access to quality education, employment and adequate health care.
- Food apartheid — areas deliberately devoid of quality, affordable fresh food.
- Mass incarceration and criminal justice systems that disproportionately target people of color with lengthier sentences, “stop-and-frisk” laws, the over-policing of communities of color, the school-to-prison pipeline, etc.
- Environmental racism — the dumping of hazardous waste, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of access to clean water that results in a range of serious health problems in communities of color.
What can we do to help dismantle structural racism?
Confronting deeply ingrained racist systems and structures in our communities and country takes sensitivity and stamina. Before congregations and worshiping communities can confront the harsh realities of racism, it is helpful to have a good foundation.
One good place to start is by taking the 21-Day Racial Justice Challenge, which is well suited to individuals, churches and mid councils. The challenge invites us to do something every day to raise awareness about the perniciousness of racism and encourage action in response to that awareness. The PC(USA) has joined several nonprofits, organizations and school systems in adapting the challenge for our use. Here is an example of how the challenge works:
The theology behind dismantling structural racism
Racism is anti-Christian. In 2016, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved a comprehensive churchwide anti-racism policy called “Facing Racism: A Vision of the Intercultural Community.” The policy states:
- Racism is a lie about our fellow human beings, for it says that some are less than others. It is also a lie about God, for it falsely claims that God favors parts of creation over the entirety of creation. Because of our biblical understanding of who God is and what God intends for humanity, the PC(USA) must stand against, speak against and work against racism. Anti-racist effort is not optional for Christians. It is an essential aspect of Christian discipleship, without which we fail to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Structural racism is not only the “opposite of what God intends for humanity,” but is also an example of how sin is systemic rather than simply personal. As the PC(USA)’s anti-racism policy states, “Reformed theology offers a nuanced understanding of sin. Calvin did not understand sin to be simply an individual belief, action, or moral failing (Calvin, 1960). Rather, he viewed sin as the corporate state of all humanity. It is an infection that taints each of us and all of us. No part of us — not our perception, intelligence, nor conscience — is unclouded by sin.”
Psalm 14:3 and Romans 3:10 remind us, “There is no one just, not even one.” The PC(USA)’s policy also reminds us that this realization “does not mean that human beings are awful. Rather, it means that we must have humility about our own righteousness, and that we must cling to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.”
Scriptures for study and reflection
Matthew 25:31–46
Genesis 1:1–31
Psalm 104
Acts 10:9–23
1 John 4:7–8
Ephesians 2:19
Isaiah 65:17–25
Micah 6:8
Mark 7:27–28
How do we dismantle structural racism?
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Books of Order now available
The PDF of the 2019-2021 Book of Order has been added to the PCUSA Store website and is available for free
download
The Presbytery has ordered Books of Order for congregations at a cost of $8.50 each. We will ask for postage reimbursement if we mail them.
Planning Calendar Orders
The PC(USA) Store will ship out Presbyterian Planning Calendars in August, and we have ordered calendars for congregations for $9.50 each. This 16-month calendar begins in September and ends December 2020. We will ask for postage reimbursement if we mail them.
Results from the GA amendments
Here is a link to the Presbyterian Outlook’s article on the General Assembly amendments:
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Clearwater Forest Board of Directors and Leadership Team invites you to join us for brunch in Willmar!
Saturday, September 28 from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
First Presbyterian Church of Willmar, 312 6th St SW
Enjoy an hour of fellowship, conversation and food, while learning about what we've been working on, how to best support Clearwater and our vision for the future!
Youth Workers Fall Retreat at Clearwater Forest
October 14-15 (extra stay option Sunday, October 13)
Who: youth workers, Christian Ed directors, Sunday School coordinators, Youth Group leaders, paid/volunteer, full/part time
With Fall Kickoff behind us (mostly), Clearwater Forest invites you to come for a rest & renew retreat.
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Our Next Webinar in Transformation Going Beyond Change
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Thursday, October 3
1:00pm
Preaching in Times of Transition: Imaginative Preaching
Gerald Liu
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Gerald C. Liu is assistant professor of worship and preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary. He earned his BA in Music at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, his Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University (during which time he was also a theological fellow at Georg-August Universität in Göttingen, Germany), and his PhD from Vanderbilt University with a concentration in homiletics and liturgics. He has previously served as a British Methodist Minister in Nottingham, England before becoming ordained in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church. Currently he volunteers as a minister in residence at Church of the Village, a United Methodist congregation in Manhattan. His classes and publications explore curiosities about the arts as theological resources and phenomena, Asian American identity, multicultural worship, and the production of believable public Christian witness.
Join Rev. Liu in a discussion about how the biblical canon can shape weekly preaching into an arc of messages rooted in the ever-expanding call to new identities in Christ, adaptive living, and welcoming all people for the glory of God.
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Save the date for Boundary Training
Tuesday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church of Redwood Falls
Boundary Training is required for all minister/teaching elder presbytery members and commissioned ruling elders. The Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys will be holding a boundary training on Tuesday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Redwood Falls. Leaderwise will be leading the boundary training. The training will focus on a holistic approach to boundaries, looking at overall resilience and well-being as the best prevention against impaired decision making and boundaries violations. More information will be coming.
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Pastors’ Retreat
November 11-13, 2019
Leaning Tree Lodge
Presbyterian Clearwater Forest
16595 Crooked Lake Rd
Deerwood MN 56444
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Begins with lunch on Monday and ends before lunch on Wednesday.
Cost: $40, includes meals and lodging
Please email
Karen Lange
your attendance plans by September 30.
Come and enjoy the fall beauty of Presbyterian Clearwater Forest and spend time with presbytery colleagues. We will reflect on the year of transformation and take a deep breath. The retreat is in the planning stages, but mark your calendars to attend.
Retreat Speaker Rev. Jennifer Hope Kottler is a spiritual director/certified life and leadership coach and yoga teacher in private practice in Florence, SC. An ordained pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with standing in the United Church of Christ, Jen serves clergy and lay leaders who want to deepen their own spirituality and lead their communities with intentionality and grace. Jen facilitates retreats and events for congregations, non-profit organizations, and church leaders. In all her work, Jen incorporates ancient spiritual practices with modern techniques including Energy Leadership Coaching and Conversational Intelligence®. Jen is married to Rev. Gavin Meek, Transitional Executive Presbyter and Stated Clerk in New Harmony Presbytery (NE South Carolina) and she enjoys hiking, tennis, cooking for family and friends, and traveling with Gavin.
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Church Staff: Schedule a Day with Karen
Associate for Administration Karen Lange is available to spend a day with church office folks to share tips on setting up bulletins, newsletters, making a Facebook page or to help with any general questions. The cost is Karen’s mileage to and from the church plus providing lunch. Please email
Karen
to schedule.
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Pastoral Leadership Opportunities
First Presbyterian Church, Fulda
- Solo Pastor
Faith Presbyterian Church, Silver Lake
- Part-time Solo Pastor
Hope Presbyterian Church, Spicer
- Solo Pastor
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From the Presbyterian Historical Society
Preserve vital church records for free at the Presbyterian Historical Society. Order digital copies at a PC(USA) discount. Join our Church Membership Program and receive further digitization savings. Find out more at
www.history.pcusa.org/records, email
records@history.pcusa.org or call 215-627-1852
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From Columbia Theological Seminary: New Walker Presidential Scholarship To Make Seminary An Affordable Reality For PC(USA) Students
At Columbia Theological Seminary, we are committed to providing an accessible, affordable theological education that is both academically rigorous and spiritually transformative. Scholarships are an essential part of this commitment. Columbia Seminary offers one of the most expansive financial aid programs in the country. Financial aid awards include scholarships, grants, and tuition waivers that are awarded based on both merit and need.
Columbia Seminary continues to deepen our commitment to providing an affordable theological education by working with strategic partners to create new scholarship opportunities for our students. This fall, Columbia Seminary is excited to announce, once again, the creation of the Rev. Dr. Thomas W. & Jan C. Walker Presidential Scholarship. The Walker Presidential Scholarship will be awarded to Master of Divinity students from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who show outstanding promise for pastoral ministry. The award will cover the full cost of attendance (tuition + fees) and provide each recipient with a
$5,000 living stipend
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Are you interested in being considered for the Walker Presidential Scholarship?
Apply online today
! Visit
#
to begin your application. The priority deadline to be considered for the Walker Presidential Scholarship and other merit-based scholarships is February 1, 2019. All application materials must be submitted by this date to be considered.
Full-Tuition Awards:
- The Columbia Scholarship covers full tuition, a single living unit and the full meal plan. Full-time enrollment is required, and each recipient must maintain a 3.50 GPA over the course of the degree program.
- The Honors Scholarship covers the full cost of tuition and is awarded to a full-time student who must maintain a 3.3 GPA.
- Take the next step on your journey to seminary: schedule a campus visit.
About the Scholarship:
The Walker Presidential Scholarship was made possible by an endowment gift from an anonymous donor in honor of the life of Christian ministry and service by the Rev. Dr. Tom W. & Mrs. Jan C. Walker of Palms Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Columbia Theological Seminary was formative in Tom’s pastoral leadership and this endowed award will provide permanent recognition of Tom and Jan’s ministry and will continue to support the development of future ministerial leaders at Columbia Theological Seminary.
About the Seminary:
Columbia Theological Seminary “exists to educate and nurture faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the Church and the world.” As an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Columbia Seminary is a community of theological inquiry, leadership development, and formation for ministry in the service of the Church of Jesus Christ. Columbia Seminary offers six graduate degree programs and dozens of courses and events as a resource for church professionals and lay people through The Center for Lifelong Learning. For more information, please visit
www.CTSnet.edu
.
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