Bi-Weekly Brief news & updates
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The Rev. Linda Graham, Temporary Supply of Davison-St. Andrews, wishes to thank everyone for the "prayers, calls, and cards! Your concern has been a blessing for me." She is back in the pulpit and feeling well, tired at times but that is expected.
The Rev. Peter Russell, Honorably Retired, who is residing at Abbey Park in Grand Blanc. His health has declined recently.
Our churches currently in pastoral transition.
Our Mission Co-Workers:
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Upcoming Ordination and Commissioning Anniversaries:
Elder Jon Essex (9/1) - Commissioned Ruling Elder of Twining-Maple Ridge Rev. Timm High (9/28) - 35 Years - Member-At-Large
We ask that you consider including these requests each week in your bulletin and/or newsletter.
We also encourage everyone to send a card or e-mail or make a phone call to those listed. Sometimes a small gesture creates a big smile.
Contact information for anyone on this list may be obtained by calling the presbytery office at 989-799-7481 or replying to this email.
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As congregations shrink in size, and the denomination with them, it becomes increasingly difficult for churches to sustain full-time ministry. It used to be a rule of thumb that a church needed 100 members to generate enough revenue to support a full-time ordained minister of the Word and Sacrament. Currently, fewer than 38% of our congregations churchwide have that many members. In our presbytery the figure is less than 25% (11 of 45).
Nevertheless, we have a responsibility to compensate our pastors fairly. A livable wage for a pastor of a 70-member church is no less than that of a 700-member church, but the 70-member church usually has fewer resources. Yet most churches believe that having a full-time pastor is a minimum criterion for congregational vitality (spoiler: it isn’t). As their membership and resources decline, it becomes more and more difficult to support full-time ministry.
There are many creative options for addressing this, including part-time calls, shared pastoral services, use of commissioned ruling elders, pulpit supply with vigorous lay leadership, and more. But churches that are unwilling or unable to give up a full-time installed minister find they often can’t afford to pay enough to attract and retain quality candidates; and pastors that are called can’t afford to live on what they are paid.
The Presbytery, which is constitutionally charged with establishing minimum compensation policies, finds itself in a dilemma: keep minimum salaries low enough to make ministry affordable to our smaller congregations, or require a high enough minimum salary to meet the financial needs of pastors. This is intensified by the depressed wages in our region, especially in rural communities where many of our smaller churches are located. It is also intensified by the student debt load of new pastors who may carry debt from seven or more years of higher education.
What are we to do? A faithful compensation policy begins with a theology of ministry. Jesus described the model for a faithful pastor in John 10:12-13, “A hired [hand] is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him” (The Message). Ministry is not a job, it is a calling. Jobs are usually understood transactionally – a person is hired to do a certain job for a certain wage; each party is looking after their own interests. A calling, by contrast, is a shared pursuit of a common purpose. It is a partnership.
In Jesus’ language, pastors are called shepherds, not hired hands. This is evident in the promises made by congregations at the installation of their pastor: “Do we promise to pay him (her) fairly and provide for his (her) welfare as he (she) works among us; to stand by him (her) in trouble and share his (her) joys? Will we listen to the word he (she) preaches, welcome his (her) pastoral care, and honor his (her) authority as he (she) seeks to honor and obey Jesus Christ our Lord? (W-4.0404).
The Commission on Ministry and Ministry Preparation is reviewing the basis and criteria for our minimum compensation policy. They must balance the needs of pastors and congregations; they must consider the parity of all ministry and the differences in complexity and responsibility between calls; they must honor the unique nature of ministry as a calling as well as the personal and financial commitment involved in pursuing it; they must provide broad guidance while attending to unique factors in each call.
Let us support their work and the work of our pastoral leaders with our prayers as well as our finances.
Faithfully,
Dan Saperstein, Executive Presbyter
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Covid-19 and Congregations – Delta Variant Edition |
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Covid-19 and Congregations – Delta Variant Edition
As sessions and congregations continue to address the reality of COVID-19, questions continue to abound: “How important are masks if everyone is vaccinated?”, “How should we protect our children?”, “When can our choirs safely meet and sing in worship?”, “How much more dangerous are the new variants of the virus?”, “What is the latest CDC advice, and how reliable is it?”.
To paraphrase Albert Einstein, the Delta variant has changed everything but our way of thinking. Infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are rising again. Vaccination minimizes the effects, but breakthrough infections can occur. To address these changing factors, the Presbytery is pleased to host a new interactive discussion on Covid-19 and Congregations on Tuesday, October 5 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. via Zoom. Our special guest once again is Lisa Allgood, Ph.D., who has served for 37 years as a Research Immunologist and is currently the Executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of Cincinnati. Lisa is an outstanding resource for understanding the scientific and medical dimensions of the current pandemic and their implications for congregational worship and ministry. Her expertise has been generously shared with the wider church. Executive Presbyter Dan Saperstein will moderate the presentation and the conversation that follows. Participation is open to all persons in the Presbytery but is limited to 100 persons.
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Alma College Seeks Chaplain |
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Position Summary:
The Campus Chaplain will nurture and support the spiritual growth of students, staff and faculty to encourage a dynamic interfaith environment on campus that includes worship, study, service, and other activities that honor the rich diversity of faith perspectives within the College community. This individual will report to the Senior Chaplain and will work collaboratively with the Associate Catholic Chaplain and Associate Protestant Chaplain, as well as the Center for Campus and Community Engagement.
Click here for more details. Please feel free to share this posting with those who may be interested.
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Lapeer-First Searching For a Music Director |
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Please click here for a complete job description and information on how to apply. Please feel free to share this posting with those who may be interested. |
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Alma-First Searching For Administrative Assistant |
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Position Summary
To perform range of administrative and clerical functions in support of on-going operation in the church office. Administrative Assistant is under the direct supervision of the Pastor and accountable to the Personnel Committee of Session in consultation with the Pastor.
Terms of Employment
Flexible schedule for 20-25 hours a week with schedule to be determines at time of hire. $11.50 an hour.
Principal responsibilities and duties
- Provide administrative and clerical support to pastor and church.
- Perform, oversee and coordinate the basic clerical functions of church office.
- Provide record keeping and computer data entry to facilitate effective management of the church.
- Provide clerical support to ensure adequate supplies and materials are ordered in a timely fashion.
To apply send Employment Application to
Personnel Committee
First Presbyterian Church
495 Charles Ave Alma MI 48801
Please feel free to share this posting with those who may be interested.
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Niger Mission Network Information Session |
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What is happening with mission in Niger?
Come to the "virtual" version of the annual Niger Mission Network meeting this Saturday, to hear directly from church leaders in Niger, PCUSA mission co-workers, and leaders from other congregations. This is the best chance to hear it all in one place!
Saturday, September 25, 10 am - 3 pm EDT
If you can only come for the reports at the beginning or the small group interaction with Nigerien church leaders at the end, that is okay! There will be a lunch break from 12:30-1:30pm. Contact Rev. Matt Schramm for more information. |
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Happening In Our Churches |
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Thursday, September 30th 9:00am - 7:00pm
Friday, October 1st 9:00am - 5:00pm
First Presbyterian Church of Taymouth, 12517 Morseville Road' Birch Run
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Huge White Elephant Sale!
The Presbyterian Women of Second Presbyterian Church, located at 2665 Midland Road, in Saginaw Township will hold their annual White Elephant Sale on Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm, at the church. The sale contains many items at bargain prices, such as household goods, tools, furnishings, books, craft supplies, jewelry, anything you can imagine (except clothing).
The Presbyterian Women donate thousands of dollars to local, national, and international missions each year. The sale is a major fundraiser for those efforts.
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Presbyterian Mission Engagement Quarterly Report |
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The quarterly Presbyterian Mission Engagement resource report is now available.
This week marks the first week of fall and all that the season promises and heralds — cooler days; a return to school, whether virtual or in person; the destructive ferocity of the ongoing hurricane season; the continuing uncertainty of COVID-19 and its variants; and yet, in the midst of all of this and more, we move forward in faith with our programming and budget planning at every level of the Church. Because God is with us and because Jesus calls us, we make our plans with confidence, as evidenced by the events, programs and resources you’ll find described below. We invite you to continue to partner with us in the work of ministry!
- Special Offerings and the Presbyterian Giving Catalog
- Matthew 25
- Communicators Network
- Upcoming Events and Celebrations
- And much more!
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NOTE: Clergy and CREs who are currently serving a congregation(s), as a reminder, you are required to attend Boundaries Training every three years during your employment within the presbytery. If you have not completed this training in the previous two years, please plan to attend the November session.
This boundaries training focuses on strategies to foster mental health, emotional resiliency, and well-being. While the essentials will still be covered, the best prevention is to encourage church leaders to take steps to manage their stress in order to maintain balance and perspective when temptation arises.
November 9 and 10, 2021
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Eastern each day
Registration Deadline 10/27/21
This session primarily tor Pastors/Teaching Elders/Commissioned Ruling Elders
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