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FROM RACHEL YATES, PRESBYTERY EXECUTIVE
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SAVE THE DATE
This past weekend, seven of our congregations completed the Small Church Vitality program, and they left asking about when we'd have a reunion. Since the beginning of the year, leaders of these small churches prayed together, shared their struggles and joys as leaders, experimented with new approaches, questioned expert speakers in our denomination, and worshipped. Theirs was a significant time commitment because in addition to the six sessions, we also gave out homework! Horror!
The sessions covered six principal topics that many agree are the marks of...(
READ MORE
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DR. BETTINA LOVE TO SPEAK AT PRESBYTERY GATHERING
At the next Presbytery Gathering (only five weeks away!) Dr. Bettina Love will continue the conversation we started about anti-racism at the May Presbytery Gathering by addressing educational reform. You can gain insight into our educational system through Dr. Love's personal reflection, cultural criticism, and relevant theory in her book
We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom
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SHE WORKS TO BRING HEALING TO THOSE AROUND HER
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OFFICER TRAINING FOR RULING ELDERS AND DEACONS
Saturday, September 14th, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Grace (Beaver Dam)
Ruling elders and deacons are invited to a training session sponsored by the presbytery and offered
through the Leadership Development Task Force.
Training will include:
* a session for all ruling elders and deacons on the PC(USA) basics
* lunch
* a hands-on break-out session designed for ruling elders
* a hands-on break-out session designed for deacons
* a copy of
Spiritual Leadership for Church Officers: A Handbook
* a copy of the
2019-2021 Book of Order
Whether you are newly ordained into your office of ruling elder or deacon or just looking for a refresher, you are invited to join us.
If you have any questions about the day, please contact Rev. Nicole Farley at 847-239-2013.
Grace Presbyterian Church, 215 Gould Street, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
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NEW EDITION OF
GRAPEVINE
AVAILABLE
The August 2019 edition of the
Grapevine, the newsletter for Presbyterian Women of the Milwaukee Presbytery, is now available. Future editions are expected to be published quarterly. The most current edition of the
Grapevine will always be available in the "Hot Links" section of Fresh Impressions.
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NEWS FROM THE DENOMINATION
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We Will Speak Out! is a resource recommended for PW groups and congregations wishing to address violence against women, in particular intimate partner violence. Among those resources:
"Sacred Spaces: A Resource for Faith Communities to Prevent and Respond to Sexual and Gender-based Violence"
"One in Three: Preventing Sexual Violence in Our Communities
"Broken Silence 2.0: Pastors' Attitudes and Actions Around Domestic and Sexual Violence in the #metoo Era"
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The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, in collaboration with the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, offers Standing Our Holy Ground, a year-long webinar series that challenges the faith community to stand up against this far-reaching crisis of our day. Touching on a large variety of topics and utilizing those at the forefront of the work and research, this comprehensive webinar series delves deeply into the epidemic of gun violence and explores the ways in which people of faith and the communities to which they belong can respond and act to bring about change.
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A MONTHLY SERIES FOR SPIRITUAL LEADERS
Nathan Sobers has written the most recent installment of Regarding Ruling Elders, a monthly resource of the Office of the General Assembly.
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GRACE PRESBYTERIAN BECOMES BLUE ZONES PROJECT APPROVED FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY
On
Sunday, August 25, 2019, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at
10:35 a.m. to recognize Grace (Beaver Dam) as the newest
Blue Zones Project Approved faith-based community. The ceremony will take place on the church's back lawn and will be followed by a potluck picnic. In the event of inclement weather, events will take place in the fellowship hall. You can read the
official media advisory here.
Grace Presbyterian Church, 215 Gould Street, Beaver Dam, WI
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JUST WORSHIP
September 30 - October 2, 2019
The
second annual Just Worship event, held at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, promises to be an extraordinary time led by stirring preachers, exceptional musicians, and talented workshop leaders. Just Worship explores the intersection of justice and worship. Participants will discern God's call to work for justice, discover how worship itself is justice-making, and join in exuberant, Spirit-filled worship that welcomes the coming reign of God.
Just Worship is a cooperative effort between Austin and Johnson C. Smith seminaries, the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship, and PAM.
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SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN GRIEF NETWORK CONFERENCES
SEWGN is offering two grief conferences this fall:
Together with speaker Philip Chard, explore the science and art of emotional and spiritual healing. Drawing from practices, both ancient and modern, this interactive program focuses on identifying and applying healing pathways, both within ourselves and in the external world, that ease our loss and nurture our renewal.
This workshop will draw upon a variety of supportive approaches and active interventions know to heal psyche and soul, we will examine how to apply expressive therapies, nature interaction, contemplative practices, symbolic rituals and ceremonies, subconscious engagement, and related modalities of care.
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MENTAL HEALTH & SUICIDE PREVENTION WORKSHOP
Learn about mental health warning signs Learn how to ask the right questions Hear from a Pastor's personal experience with depression and anxiety Learn how to start your own mental health ministry
This workshop will take place in the Tannery Building, 700 W. Virginia Street, Wilwaukee, WI 53204
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"FIRST READING" -- A PODCAST RESOURCE FOR PREACHERS
Rachel Wrenn and Tim McNinch (Old Testament PhD students at Emory University) have designed "First Reading" to help preachers and other lovers of Scripture get a handle on the richness of the Old Testament readings in the Revised Common Lectionary. Each week, they provide some literary and historical background, discuss Hebrew linguistic tidbits, help in hurdling and preaching pitfalls in the text, and offer a couple of potential preaching angles to spark ideas for sermons. Weekly episodes are generally about ten minutes, but once each moth, Rachel and Tim invite leading Old Testament scholars to join them for a deeper dive (about forty-five minutes). Episodes air on the website and in the Apple podcast app (and other podcast repositories) two weeks ahead of the lectionary date.
Find "First Reading" here or subscribe wherever you get podcasts.
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PRESBYTERIAN HABITAT HOME UPDATE
Volunteers from Crossroads, Immanuel, Wauwatosa, and West Grandville churches worked on Saturdays and Wednesdays in June to complete the framing of our 2019 Milwaukee Habitat home. These churches, along with the Presbytery, partially fund the cost of the home and provide lunches and workers. After the mechanical components are installed at the house, volunteers will hang dry wall on
Saturday, August 24th.
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DISASTER PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE TASK FORCE
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MEDICAL EMERGENCY TRAINING
The Milwaukee Presbytery Disaster Preparedness and Response Task Force (DPRTF) has been preparing a series of articles regarding important resources that congregations can use to better prepare and respond to a variety of emergency situations. Listed below are two references on how to handle medical emergencies. These resources will educate, inform, and advise congregational leadership on preparing for unexpected emergencies.
Medical Emergency Training
In September, DPRTF will provide resources that center around Usher/Greeter Training.
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FUTURE PRESBYTERY GATHERING DATES
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- WEDNESDAY, September 25 - Good Shepherd Trinity Church
- THURSDAY, November 21 - Jerusalem Presbyterian Church, Wales
Share this information with your congregation -- bulletin inserts & bulletin board flyers available!
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