A Reflection on Indigenous Peoples, Colonization, and the Church
In August of this year, I was honored to have been invited to visit the Dakota Presbytery, a non-geographic language Presbytery in our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It encompasses the states of North and South Dakota and Montana and is made up of the Indigenous congregations in those three states. I was invited, along with my colleague and friend, the Rev. Michelle Hwang, who is the co-chair with me of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board. Elder Madison McKinney, a Native woman from that Presbytery, invited us to attend the Ptáya Owohdake, or Mission Meeting, that has been happening on an annual basis for the last 150 years. This summer was the anniversary year.
Two corrections to the article: Minnesota is part of Dakota Presbytery and Bend in the River Church, (Flandreau First) dates to 1869. Read the article..
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Presbyterian Peace Fellowship announces its new executive director
Laurie Lyter Bright is the associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Neenah in the Presbytery of Winnebago.
After a summer of interviews, discernment, and prayer, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship introduces the Rev. Dr. Laurie Lyter Bright as its new executive director. She began her new duties on Oct. 23.
“I’m elated to be moving deeper into God’s calling by joining Presbyterian Peace Fellowship as executive director,” she said. Read more.
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The Sower
Find out how the Presbyterian Women in the Synod of Lakes & Prairies are being the "Hands and Feet of Christ." It is all in the November issue of The Sower.
Check out our new Facebook page!
Save the Date!
Synod of Lakes & Prairies PW Gathering
June 12-15, 2025 Watertown Event Center
Watertown, South Dakota
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Join us in celebrating the collective power of Presbyterian generosity on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, as we profess by our actions — and with our gifts — that we can accomplish far more together than any one of us can do alone. We are the Church… together!
Learn more about Giving Tuesday in a recent PNS story published here.
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A Little Piggy Tote Bag is perfect for when you “head” to market, to market — and on the flipside — for taking your “pig-tail” home again, home again, jiggety jig.
A gift of one — or a few — piglets can serve as a valuable safety net — a source of income for a family in need around the globe. When sold at market, a pig can be a pivotal source of income.
GIVE your gift by Dec. 31.
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2023 Advent Resources
“Advent” means “coming” or “arrival.” During the season of Advent, we celebrate Christ’s coming into the world and watch with expectant hope for his coming again. The agencies of the PC(USA) offer a variety of devotional and worship resources for Advent. Go to resources.
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Matthew 25
When we welcome others, we welcome Christ; when we bring together people who are divided, we are doing God’s reconciling work. … there is not just one way to be a part of the Matthew 25 movement.
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The Harvest Offering’s 45 Years of Witness to God’s Grace
By Nancy Lister-Settle
This year, 2023, marks 45 years that the Presbytery of Des Moines has been faithful to rural neighbors in Iowa and around the world with its own special offering.
In 1978, the Presbytery demonstrated its witness to God’s grace by supporting rural ministries in communities near and far. In the beginning, through the Harvest Sunday Offering, help was provided for educational opportunities to make available to ordinary rural people in less developed countries simple, basic agricultural knowledge special to their own type of agriculture.
In 1987, in response to the farm crisis here at home, the Rural Harvest Offering was born in the midst of very difficult circumstances—farm foreclosures, business closings, population loss. Presbytery members saw the hardships and worked together on a shared mission to meet the particular needs of rural neighbors. Read more.
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Inspired by Matthew 25, Iowa PC(USA) church focuses on its community
MT. PLEASANT, Iowa — When leaders at First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant first heard about the Matthew 25 initiative, they thought it was “a good challenge” to think about how their faith guides them to serve their community. The church has engaged in outreach to people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, who have immigrated to the United States and their community, and many others in this small Midwestern town. We caught up with the church as it was celebrating its embrace of the Matthew 25 initiative to hear how it has impacted it as a faith community and individuals. Read more.
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Liberty Community Church: A Beacon of Hope
Liberty Community Church is the only African American PC(USA) church in the state of Minnesota. Located in North Minneapolis inside one of the city’s poorest zip codes and situated between major interstates which make it a prime spot for sex trafficking and illegal drug trading, this Matthew 25 congregation revitalized the spaces of two Presbyterian churches that closed in the last thirty years and transformed them into healing spaces for the neighborhood. Liberty Community Church is a beacon of hope, not just through the direct services it provides, but through its strategic partnerships within the Presbytery and around the city to invite others into anti-racism work and to educate people about the historical and legal obstacles that must be overcome to dismantle structural racism and close the opportunity gap. Across the country, congregations, mid councils, and the Presbyterian Mission Agency are working together to eradicate systemic poverty, dismantle structural racism, and build congregational vitality.
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PC(USA) Now accepting grant applications for The Decade to End Gun Violence
Grants of up to $1,000-$2,000 per event are available. The funds are held by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and grant applications will be reviewed by the “Decade to End Gun Violence Working Group, formed by the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA). Grants are available in both the 2023 and 2024 calendar years.
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Volunteer at the 226th General Assembly (2024)
Without any doubt, the success of any large event depends largely on the dedication and selfless contributions of volunteers—the incredible individuals who give generously of their time, energy, and unique talents.
For the upcoming hybrid 226th General Assembly (2024) which will gather both virtually and in-person from June 25 through July 4, 2024, we are inviting a diverse group of individuals to support both the remote and onsite portions of the assembly. From zoom and help desk support to parliamentary support to equity managers to committee assistants and more, we welcome both seasoned volunteers and those who are newly interested in supporting the assembly in this important way.
A listing of the various support roles and a volunteer interest form is now available. Persons who wish to be considered for service as a volunteer are encouraged to submit the volunteer interest form as soon as possible, and no later than January 2, 2024.
We encourage you to share this opportunity for involvement as a volunteer widely—in your mid council and congregational newsletters, and by speaking to persons in whom you recognize gifts for this service. Individuals can email valerie izumi, who is coordinating the volunteer process, for more information, to express their interest, and to receive the GA226 Volunteer Interest Form.
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2024
Synod = $5.50
GA = $9.80
2023
Synod = $5.50
GA = $9.85
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Next up in The Ministry Lab’s
2023-2024 Transformative Innovations Series
Trauma-Informed Ministry Workshops
- THURSDAYS: JANUARY 11, 18, 25, & FEBRUARY 1
- JANUARY 11 = 1:00-4:00 PM CT; JAN. 18 & 25 & FEB. 1 = 1:00-3:00 PM CT
- LEADERWISE CONSULTANTS & FACILITATORS
- CAROLINE BURKE, PHD, LP
- REV. LAURA BETH BUCHLEITER
- JOANNA QUANBECK, PHD, LP
- TBD
We hope you’ll join us, Members enjoy discounted pricing. Non-members are always welcome - and are encouraged to consider an annual subscription membership to make these and future offerings more accessible.
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