FROM RACHEL YATES, PRESBYTERY EXECUTIVE
 CARE FOR THE EARTH
I had to be up and out of my house this morning early.  We grabbed our gallons of milk and everything from the freezer (including those things I'd honestly forgotten were in there!).  Like a caravan, we left the house while the line of trucks waited outside our driveway, with their grinders, cherry-pickers, and saws.  It's been a long time in the planning, but today was finally the day for ... ( READ MORE )
PRESBYTERY PULSE
MAY PRESBYTERY GATHERING POSTPONED
Given the current conditions and climate we find ourselves in, and the recommendations regarding gatherings of groups, the Presbytery Planning Commission has decided to postpone the May Presbytery Gathering. The Gathering will be rescheduled on a day to be determined later. Please continue to take care of yourselves and stay healthy.
COVID-19 PRESBYTERY RELIEF GRANTS AVAILABLE
The Presbytery of Milwaukee Council and Commission on Congregational Vitality are working together to provide relief aid and support for our congregations in response to COVID-19.
Please see this  grant application form for details.  Grants are available to both individual ministers and congregations.
We continue to hold you and your ministries in prayer.
If you have any questions, please contact Ann Gibbs, Associate for Ministry Vitality.
ZOOM PRAYER SERVICE FOR MINISTERS AND CRES
Dear ministers and CREs of the presbytery, you are invited to join us at 10:00 a.m. for a Friday morning prayer service via Zoom.  The service is about 20 mins and there is time for those who want to stay on and fellowship with one another afterwards.

This service is based on Psalm 23 which is the featured Psalm in this week's lectionary readings.  It will also be our last Friday morning service.  If you cannot attend but have prayers you would like lifted up please send them to Ann Gibbs at agibbs@pbymilwaukee.org.  Additionally, if you would like us to continue to offer a weekly Pastor's prayer service but at a different day/time, please let me know.  Grace and peace to you, Ann
LIVING STONES: A WORSHIP SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020
T his worship service is Week Two of a six week series in which the readings link us to the same emotions and questions that the early church had in the time after Jesus' resurrection. The foundational text for the series is I Peter 2: 4-6:
"See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."  Based on the theme of Become Living Stones and the journey that entails for each of us, this worship series also includes a symbolic ritual using a stone/stones, providing a tangible reminder that we are called to be the church in the world and to be living stones built into a spiritual house.
 
You are invited, now, to find a stone that you can hold, to be included as part of your worship.
 
As you come to Christ, the living Stone - rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to [God] - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
 
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
   a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
   will never be put to shame."
STEPPING STONES: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR TODAY
In the recent Carroll University Alumni Newsletter, the Rev. Elizabeth McCord offered several spiritual practices that draw upon the movements of Christian worship.  Rev. McCord offers practices for the morning, for the day, and for the evening; any or all of which can help one re-center and find calm in a crisis or chaotic situation.  You can read more about the spiritual disciplines Rev. McCord suggests in @Carrollu, the Alumni Newsletter.
LORD, HERE WE ARE - COVID-19 HYMN
Michelle Henrichs and Heidi Surprenant have written a new hymn (with vocal line) for this difficult time.  They are offering it to you to use.  Thank you for this musical gift! 
NEW EDITION OF GRAPEVINE AVAILABLE
The April 2020 edition of the Grapevine, the newsletter for Presbyterian Women of the Milwaukee Presbytery, is now available.  As always, the most current edition of the Grapevine will be available in the "Hot Links" section of Fresh Impressions.
ANYTHING BUT COVID-19 NEWS
MILWAUKEE MAN GOES VIRAL
Wes Tank, a Milwaukee resident, has been creating mashups by pairing two icons of popular culture: Dr. Dre and Dr. Seuss.  Tank, a media company owner who used to rap on tour, wanted to give "families a little bit of a break.  Maybe it gives parents a little time to let their kid go and watch something they know is safe."  So far Tank has crossed Fox in Socks with What's the Difference, The Lorax with Still D.R.E., Green Eggs and Ham with Forgot About Dre, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish with Deep Cover.  Read more about Tank's perfect pairing here.
BE A TREE HUGGER
The Icelandic Forestry Service is encouraging people to get out and hug...the trees.  This is a suggestion forest rangers take so seriously that they are clearing snow-covered paths and marking intervals of two meters so that forest visitors maintain the appropriate distance from one another.  Rangers recommend that not every one try to hug the same tree and that the size of the tree doesn't matter.  To reap the full benefits of tree hugging, "...give yourself five minutes of your day to hug [a tree]..."
WHEN YOUR STREET ARTIST SPOUSE WORKS FROM HOME
Following the social distancing guidelines, the England-based street artist Banksy has been working from home and, reportedly, his wife hates it.  Last week, Banksy shared a series of images on his Instagram feed depicting illustrated rats taking over a bathroom.  View Banksy's lockdown work.
SALAZAR SLYTHERIN DISCOVERED IN INDIA
Harry Potter fans rejoice (?) --  a new species of green pit viper discovered in India has been named after Slytherin house founder Salazar Slytherin.  

For those not familiar with the Harry Potter series, Salazar Slytherin is one of the four founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Hogwards students reside in houses named after the four founders -- Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin.  The Slytherin house crest is green with a silver snake; the snake representing resourcefulness and ambition.
NEWS FROM THE DENOMINATION
BOP EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SUPPORT LINE
Through the Board of Pensions, the Employee Assistance Program has added a Free 24-Hour Support Line to support resiliency during this time of high stress and anxiety. You, your eligible family members, and anyone living in your household can access the EAP 24/7 by calling 866-640-2772 or logging in to the  Cigna website.  All EAP services are confidential, and there's no cost to you or anyone in your household.  Also the number of visits for behavioral health has temporarily been bumped from 6 to 10.  Retired members and church/presbytery employees who are not normally eligible for the EAP, DO have access to Cigna during the crisis by calling 866-912-1687 to connect with qualified clinicians, including licensed social workers, professional counselors, and psychologists, who can provide support and guidance.  Take care of yourself!
COVID-19 LEGISLATION GUIDE FOR PC(USA) 
Mike Kirk and colleagues from other agencies, Jean Hemphill and Angela Curry, have provided a table of information on the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
 
It covers what they believe are all parts of the two new Acts that Presbyterians might be interested in and puts it in an easy-to-read format.
PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE OFFERS BUILDING RESILIENCE WEBINARS 
These one- hour programs for both faith leaders and general audience are designed to increase participants' understanding of their own signs of stress and to teach in-the-moment tools to engage the relaxation response in body and mind. These webinars are designed for faith leaders and anyone responding to the COVID-19 situation and will engage participants in responding to questions and prompts to help create a personalized self- care and resilience-building plan. Those attending will build on their experience while practicing new tools that have been shown to be effective in sustaining our capacity to serve in the midst of challenging circumstances. These webinars have been pre-recorded and are available to view at your convenience. Visit https://pda.pcusa.org/page/esc-webinar/ for more information.
INVITATIONS
JOIN CARROLL UNIVERSITY'S DIGITAL COMMENCEMENT
Dr. Barbara Horner-Ibler, Presbytery of Milwaukee Minister Member and a 1980 Carroll graduate, will be the keynote speaker for the Carroll University virtual Commencement on Saturday, May 9, at 10:30 a.m.
 
Dr. Horner-Ibler is a well-known physician and one of the founders of Bread of Healing Clinic, which provides free, high-quality medical, dental and behavioral health care to approximately 2,000 low-income patients a year. Started in 2000, it now has three locations in Milwaukee. 
LEADERWISE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
LeaderWise is offering several opportunities to step back and reflect on your leadership and to help you practice new ways to leading during this time.  
Becoming a Wise Leader, a free interactive workshop April 23 (5:00 pm Central).  Please RSVP here.
Leadership In Tumultuous Times, an online leadership series Wednesdays (and recorded) in the coming months. Register for one month or up to four: $50/month (4 sessions each month).
Renewing Leadership, a cohort-based group meeting Tuesdays in June, includes a 360 assessment and a 1-on-1 coaching session. Find complete information here.
FESTIVAL OF HOMILETICS
from the Conference Organizers
For many of us, these last few weeks have included new challenges. We've been forced to adapt, to change our routines, and to find creative ways of working, worshipping, and staying connected to one another. Our prayers have changed as well, especially as the risk of COVID-19 spreads, as we know infection on a personal level, and as we lose people we love.

In the midst of all this, we've tried to determine the best, safest, and most inclusive way for handling the 2020 Festival of Homiletics. It hasn't been easy, but we believe the message - Preaching a New Earth: Climate and Creation - is needed more in this moment than ever before.

With that in mind, we will be making this year's Festival exclusively available online.
We've also decided to make it free for anyone to participate. Our hope and prayer is that your hearts, your minds, and your budgets will be blessed in new and wonderful ways.

Registration is available right now. At a time when gathering together is impossible, we're thankful to still have this opportunity. Please join us!
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE TASK FORCE
SELF-CARE TOOLS #2
by Marilyn Stone
To assist in reducing the impact of stress on our daily lives, some simple self-care tools may be beneficial for our personal "toolbox" especially in these days and weeks of coping with COVID-19.  Each week, for the next few weeks, a simple exercise will be highlighted.  When practiced regularly, you may find one or more that is helpful for you in building resilience. 
 
Gratitude Walk or Gratitude Journal/Reflection
Research indicates that gratitude can improve physical health, psychological well-being, behavior and sleep.  Grateful people have ...( READ MORE )
MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
I NEVER GOT TO SAY GOODBYE
by Emily Teerink
It has been a month since I was evacuated from Zambia due to concerns over COVID-19.  I have been struggling with what to say because I cannot put into words all of the emotions I am feeling over this very sudden and completely unexpected departure from my second home.

For almost two years Lundazi was my home.  I had a life there with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and community members that I loved and who loved me.  In a period of less than 24 hours, my world flipped upside down and the floor of my life fell out from underneath me.  I was blindsided by...(READ MORE)
NOT EVEN NEWS
THE LATEST FROM WES TANK
CAT IN THE HAT | Dr. Seuss Raps over Dr. Dre (and Dr. Octagon) Beats
CAT IN THE HAT | Dr. Seuss Raps over Dr. Dre (and Dr. Octagon) Beats
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
Iowa Tri-Presbyteries Leadership Team seeks THREE EXECUTIVE S
The Search Committee for the Iowa Tri-Presbyteries Leadership Team is actively seeking candidates who might consider a call to serve the presbyteries of Des Moines, North Central Iowa and Prospect Hill as one of their three executives. If you or someone you know may be interested in such a position or interested in learning more, please connect them with the search website: https://engagingleaders.org/iowa-tri-presbytery-leadership-team/ 
Letters of interest are being received until May 22.
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 - POSTPONED
  • 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