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The weekly newsletter from the
Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys
November 20, 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 November 24-30
First Presbyterian Church of Slayton
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Pastor: David Hollis
Secretary/Treasurer: Jannette Carlson
Clerk of Session: Nola Aanenson
Session: Ron Behrends, Luann Parker, Rich Wajer, Becky Boeve, Branch Haken, Phil Swenson
Trustees: Rick Parker, Dale Bergman, Cynthia Kleve, Randy Boeve
Church Motto: “Honor God by loving others, one person at a time.”
- Pray for our congregation as we go through the process of beginning a search for a new pastor.
- Pray for the families that receive gift certificates from our congregation during the holidays that they will feel God’s love in their difficult circumstances.
- Prayers for the many other missions that we support: Murray County Food Shelf, overseas missions, The Banquet in Sioux Falls, Feed My Lambs, Murray County Christmas Project, Hospice of Murray County, and Early Childhood’s annual fund raiser. Pray that people may be touched by the Lord and will turn to him for guidance.
- We are thankful for the generosity of our congregation and for the committees who work diligently to carry out their tasks.
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- Twelve pastors participated in the recent Pastors’ Retreat at Clearwater Forest on November 11-13, 2019. Leadership Coach and Consultant Jen Kottler led the retreat. A major outcome of the gathering included evaluating the Transformation Going Beyond Initiative, personal planning, and establishing cohort groups. Three cohort groups were formed. Currently, each group consists of four people. We hope to develop a fourth group. The groups will meet via Zoom monthly. The format will include prayer, book studies, case studies, special speakers, cross-pollination of resources, and active listening. If you are interested in joining a group, please contact me.
- On November 19, I attended the Minnesota Council of Churches Planning Meeting. The MCC continues to seek ways to extend services beyond the Twin Cities. Currently, they are compiling a list of service agencies in an effort to determine new mission opportunities.
- Twelve churches in the presbytery have voted to become Matthew 25 Congregations. They are Canby, Dawson, Edgerton, Lismore, Mankato, Osakis, Redwood Falls, Saint Cloud, Saint Peter, Willmar, Windom, Worthington.
- The first meeting of the Coaching and Conflict Intervention Team (CCIT) is December 17-18.
On a personal note, Murphy and I appreciate your prayers during his recent surgery. Murphy is home and recovering well.
Blessings,
SanDawna
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Committee on Representation wants you to help us be the best presbytery we can be!
We have been busy these last few weeks finding folks to serve the presbytery on several commissions, and we are still looking for:
Commission on Presbytery Life
1 ruling elder to serve a one-year term
Committee on Congregational Nurture
1 ruling elder to serve a three-year term
1 ruling elder to serve a one-year term
General Assembly
1 ruling elder to serve as an alternate
Please, if you feel called, or know of someone who would be great on one of these commissions, contact Audrey Knuth at 507-830-0520 or David Lick at 414-334-9385.
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Prayer List
- For the family of Marie Fischer, Crosslake Presbyterian Church
- For the family of Sara McKay, Union Presbyterian Church of Saint Peter
- For Rev. Michael Roys, pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago
- For Rev. Elaine and Kent Boyd at First Presbyterian Church of Amboy
- 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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Leadership Training for Elders, Deacons, and those serving on Presbytery Commissions
On Saturday January 11, 2020 at the First Presbyterian Church, Willmar we will be hosting a training event for Ruling Elder, Deacons and Presbytery Commission/committee members. Registration will start at 9:30. The morning will start with devotions and a plenary on 2020 Leadership by the Rev. Corey Schlosser-Hall, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of NW Coast. Following lunch, which is provided, Presbytery Commission and Committees will meet to set 2020 goals, meeting dates and other business. At the same time Ruling Elder training led by Stated Clerk Pam Prouty and Deacon training led by the Rev. Leanne Thompson will be held. The day will end by 4:00 p.m. Plan to attend and bring a car full. This event has had positive feedback for the past two years.
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2020 Per Capita
$41.45 Total
$27.00 for Presbytery
$8.95 for GA
$5.50 for Synod
2020 Compensation Policy
link
2020 Per Capita Apportionment and Mission Pledge Form
link
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Synod Executive Elona Street Stewart to run for General Assembly Moderator in 2020
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We are happy to announce that the Synod of Lakes and Prairies Executive Elona Street-Stewart intends to stand for moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020). The election will happen on Saturday, June 20, the first day of the Assembly, which takes place in Baltimore.
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Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart is the first Native American to serve as a synod executive in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). An active church leader at the national level since 1980, Street-Stewart chaired the Council on Church and Race, the Advocacy Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns and was a member of the Relocation Committee of General Assembly Agencies following reunion of the northern and southern branches of what today is the PC(USA). She also received the denomination’s Women of Faith Award during the 219th General Assembly in 2010.
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Presbytery of
Minnesota Valleys
4055 Abbott Dr
Willmar, MN
Thursday, December 19
11:30 - 2:00
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Unto Us a Child Is Born and
Unto Us a Son Is Given!
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Join your colleagues and friends for a presbytery-wide lunch, Christmas music and a special time of being together. And if you'd like to bring your guitar, flute, horn, kazoo--whatever--and play some carols with us--all the better! Looking forward to seeing you on December 19th!
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From the Presbyterian Outlook:
Bulletin Inserts:
Are you looking for theologically sound, inspiring and affordable Advent devotions for the congregation?
The Presbyterian Outlook has you covered. Download the PDF, print as many as you need and insert them into your weekly worship bulletin. Written by Outlook editor Jill Duffield, each week includes a reflection, daily Scripture readings, suggestions for living out the Bible reading and a short prayer for each day.
Hymns for Advent and Christmas:
Beloved Presbyterian hymn writer, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, has composed hymns set to familiar Christmas tunes and well-loved hymn melodies.
Hymns for each Sunday of Advent and Christmas use the lectionary Scriptures to enhance your worship.
And, "
The Candle of Hope
" follows the themes of each of the Sundays in Advent (Hope, Peace, Love and Joy). If you light Advent candles as part of your worship during the season, this hymn is ideal!
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Pastoral Leadership Opportunities
First Presbyterian Church, Ashby
- Pastor, yoked parish
First Presbyterian Church, Fulda
- Solo Pastor
Faith Presbyterian Church, Silver Lake - Solo Pastor
Hope Presbyterian Church, Spicer
- Solo Pastor
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Congregations can get up to $50k to help their pastors find renewal: Applications available for the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program
from the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program | Special to Presbyterian News Service
According to a news release from the program, congregations may apply for grants of up to $50,000 to underwrite a renewal program for their pastor and for the pastor’s family. Up to $15,000 of the funds are available to the congregation to help cover costs for ministerial supply while the pastor is away.
Through its religion grantmaking, Lilly Endowment, an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation, seeks to deepen and enrich the lives of American Christians. It does this largely through initiatives to enhance and sustain the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes.
To this end, National and Indiana Clergy Renewal Programs provide an opportunity for pastors to step away briefly from the persistent obligations of daily parish life and to engage in a period of renewal and reflection. Renewal periods are not vacations but times for intentional exploration and reflection, for drinking again from God’s life-giving waters and for regaining enthusiasm and creativity for ministry.
Details and application materials for the 2020 programs are now available. In the 2020 Lilly Endowment
National Clergy Renewal Program
and the 2020 Lilly Endowment
Clergy Renewal Program for Indiana Congregations
, eligible congregations will be able to apply for grants of up to $50,000 each to support a renewal program for their pastor. Up to $15,000 of the grant may be used for congregational expenses associated with the renewal program.
There is no cost for congregations or pastors to apply; the deadline is April 1, 2020. Congregations will be notified as to whether their proposals are to be funded or not by the end of August 2020. Activities funded by a 2020 grant in the clergy renewal programs may begin anytime in 2021. Learn more by clicking
here
.
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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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Heal, Welcome, Create and Fight to the Max
11 jobs
Wheelchair ramp needed
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