From Rachel Yates, Presbytery Executive
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
The ink was barely dry on my last article about gun violence, when we received the news that a mass shooting has happened again. During our Presbytery Gathering last night, the messages began flooding in of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. An elementary school. Children. Teachers. A place that was celebrating its last day of school and the start of summer break.

I could barely choke out my prayer at the Presbytery Gathering, the sorrow stuck in my throat. Our education speaker at last night’s Presbytery Gathering also spoke of the faithful discipleship of one woman on his congregation’s session, who offers...(read more
Presbytery Pulse
PRESBYTERY GATHERING HIGHLIGHTS
Weren't able to make it to the last Presbytery Gathering, but interested in the good work happening in the Presbytery? Check out the Presbytery Gathering Highlights, a one-page synopsis of the May 24, 2022 Presbytery Gathering.
WFVJ VIRTUAL ANNUAL CELEBRATION
Thursday, June 9, 2022, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
The Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice is having their annual celebration on June 9 during which they will be honoring three champions for justice: Judge Derek Mosley , Presiding Judge, Milwaukee Municipal Court, for his outstanding work on behalf of at-risk youth in Milwaukee; Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen, pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and president of the African American Council of Churches in Madison, for his outstanding leadership in fighting for equity, justice, and civil rights; and Rev. Karen Hagen, retiring pastor at Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, an incredible activist on behalf of the hungry and unhoused in Milwaukee, and a tremendous bridge builder between faith communities.

More information about the celebration and RSVP for the Zoom link here.
LINN SIGNS ON AS A MATTHEW 25 CONGREGATION
Congratulations to Linn Presbyterian Church for signing on as a Matthew 25 church! This congregation joins Calvary, Covenant, Forest Park, Heritage, Living Hope, North Lima, Southminster, Sun Valley, and Tippe in making this commitment.

Jesus calls us to act boldly and compassionately to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned and poor. By joining us on this journey, we are uniting in common mission to become a more relevant presence in the world. To learn more and sign on, please visit the Matthew 25 website.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE REV. DR. WILL HOUTS!
A hearty congratulations to Will Houts (Living Hope Presbyterian Church) who earned his PhD in Civil Society and Community Research from UW Madison on Friday, May 13, 2022. Way to go Rev. Dr. Houts!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN FORMATION NEWSLETTER
Last night’s Presbytery Gathering speaker, Stephanie Fritz spoke about a valuable faith formation resource. This newsletter (published 4-5 times/year) highlights formation resources for all ages, intergenerational ministries, the Matthew 25 focus areas, upcoming events, and more! View the current installment with exciting news about Sabbath grants, new resource releases and opportunities to gather with other leaders and/or sign up to receive future newsletters here.
Building Ministry Vitality
Through Matthew 25
Lifelong Discipleship: "...be transformed by the renewing of your minds..."
YOUR FAITH FORMATION MINISTRY PATH
During our Presbytery gathering we introduced the vital mark of Lifelong Discipleship which includes intentional faith formation. While the forming is initiated by God, the intentionality with which seek out God and the practices we engage to discern God's presence in our lives speak to our faithing, and the reality that faith is verb -- it is what we do, not what we possess. 

Your Faith Formation Ministry Path is a module from Opening Doors to Discipleship. It "will guide you through a process of exploring definitions of faith formation, discerning where you see formation happening and how to support this ministry in your context." It includes videos and reflective questions great for individual, small group, or congregational reflection. 

Get started here https://odtd.net/leadership/your-faith-formation-ministries-path/. And thank you to Stephanie Fritz, Mission Coordinator for Faith Formation with the Presbyterian Mission Agency! Stay tuned for more resources and as always check out our Lifelong Discipleship growing pool of resources at https://www.pbymilwaukee.org/lifelong-discipleship.html.
EVANGELISM CONFERENCE
An invitation from Kathryn Threadgill
Greetings to you all in the name of Jesus Christ. This year Theology, Formation, and Evangelism, in partnership with Montreat Conference Center, will be hosting a hybrid evangelism experience like never before. We will explore the true harms of evangelism and the church that people have experienced in their lives. We will offer hope to a new way of looking at and doing evangelism in 21st century contexts and communities. We will have practical ways for people to get involved and practice this lifestyle of faith through radical welcome and justice from the 8 Habits of Evangelism resource. 

Please share this information with your churches and faith communities. We would love to see so many of you there with us for this special event. More information around speakers, preachers, and leadership will be coming to you soon. Registration for this event opens June 1st. Please don’t wait! Make plans to join us today! We would love to see there!
COVID-19 NEWS & INFORMATION
A COVID-19 UPDATE FROM LISA ALLGOOD,
Executive Presbyter of Cincinnati Presbytery and Immunocytochemist
Friends, this one is a note I’d hoped was over!  COVID cases are climbing again across the country – the sub-variants of Omicron are rising again. Like Omicron, they are highly infectious but generally cause slight symptoms in those who are fully vaccinated. The U.S. reported over 700,000 new cases of coronavirus over the seven days ending May 22, bringing the total count to more than 82.1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. Case numbers are rising by about 8% per week. There have been more than 1 million COVID-19-related deaths -- the highest death toll of any country.
 
Data show that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is high in almost...(read more)
PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR FREE AT-HOME COVID-19 TESTS
Residential households in the U.S. are now eligible for another order of free at-home tests on USPS.com. Here's what you need to know about your order:
  • Each order now includes 8 rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
  • Your order of 8 tests will come in 2 separate packages (4 tests in each package), each with its own tracking number
  • Packages will ship free

Fill in this form with your contact and shipping information to order your tests.
NEWS FROM THE DENOMINATION
A NEW HYMN REMEMBERS GUN VIOLENCE VICTIMS IN UVALDE, TEXAS
The Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has published a new hymn lamenting gun violence and remembering “the beloved children of God who died in the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas” on Tuesday. Learn more about the hymn, ‘God, Our Nation Feels the Loss’, here: bit.ly/38PxkXZ
WEAPONS AT CHURCH: THE UNTHINKABLE IN GOD'S HOUSE
A message from General Counsel Mike Kirk as our prayers and laments continue
We like to think of our churches as places of safety and refuge. A place to commune with God and join in fellowship with our church community. Unfortunately, others view churches as targets. White supremacist Dylan Roof murdered nine people at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina in 2015. Recently a Las Vegas man with a grudge against Taiwan entered the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California, and shot members and friends of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church who were gathered at a celebratory luncheon. 

It is unfortunate that church leaders must think about how to prevent such violence or how to respond to it if it happens. But sessions should discuss church safety. There are many resources available for churches, including the following: 
Congregations and mid councils should consider organizing a committee to discuss and make recommendations for safety policies and procedures.
SYNOD MEETING SUMMARY
On May 1-2, 2022, the Synod of Lakes and Praries held its Spring stated and annual meeting via zoom. You can find the meeting summary here. If you have any questions, please contact Pamela Prouty, Stated Clerk at pprouty@lakesandprairies.org.
NEW DAILY DEVOTIONAL NOW AVAILABLE
1001 New Worshiping Communities is publishing a daily email devotional in celebration of Pentecost and marking the 10th anniversary of the 1001 movement. Each day’s devotion is written by a new worshiping community leader or a member of the 1001 staff and will be delivered to your inbox every weekday in June. To receive the devotions, you must subscribe using this link.
CALL TO WORSHIP LECTIONARY AIDS FOR 2022-2023 (YEAR A)
Call to Worship 56.1 is available now through the PC(USA) Store in paperback ($48) and download ($40) formats. This issue provides lectionary-based liturgical resources, music suggestions and visual art for every Sunday and festival in Year A, from the First Sunday of Advent (Nov. 27, 2022) through the Reign of Christ (Nov. 27, 2023). View a free sample here. Three thematic issues, included with the price of an annual subscription, address current topics in liturgy, music, preaching and the arts. Thematic issues in this volume include Baptism (56.2; available August 2022), Eucharist (56.3; available November 2022) and Ministry (56.4; available February 2023).
REGARDING RULING ELDERS

Julie Hester has written the most recent installment of Regarding Ruling Elders, a monthly resource of the Office of the General Assembly.
MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
MISSION CO-WORKERS AVAILABLE FOR INTERPRETATION, SPRING 2022
The next few months may be a perfect time for you to be inspired by what God is doing in the world. Please consider hosting virtually or in person one of our itinerating mission co-workers (MCWs). Click here for the online list of the MCWs who will be available in 2022–23. You can also reach our co-workers’ webpages through the links found on the Mission Connections homepage.

Please take a few minutes to watch a new video in which our MCWs tell the stories of PC(USA) mission partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the same time, we hope that you will consider supporting our global partners through our one fund, General Sending and Support, E132192 (or D500115 for congregational giving only). Gifts to the one fund may be made “in honor of” [name of mission co-worker(s)], who will then be notified of the gift and will gratefully acknowledge it just as they have in the past. Learn more here.
MISSION LEADERS TALK ABOUT BEING THOUGHTFUL TRAVELERS DURING MISSION TRIPS
As travel restrictions begin to loosen worldwide and churches start thinking about long- and short-term mission trips, a group of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission leaders, World Mission staff and mission co-workers joined together on Zoom recently to talk about how to be thoughtful travelers when visiting global partners in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Christi Boyd, mission co-worker living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, offered advice to the group through a video. She said it is important to approach partner visits with a high level of intentionality by discerning the meaning, purpose and desired outcomes of our journey.

VOLUNTEER WITH CAMP AWESUM AT MOON BEACH
Camp AweSum at Moon Beach needs volunteers for this summer. Volunteers are needed for all of the Camp AweSum Family Camps, but especially urgent for Camp AweSum Family Camp 1 June 12-18 and Camp AweSum Family Camp 2 June 19-25.

Volunteering is open to adults (18+) and ages 14+ w/an adult. Training is provided and your commitment includes plenty of free time. Volunteers support campers for three hours each morning, one hour in the afternoon, and one evening during the week of camp.


Event Dates

Ideally, a volunteer is available for the entire week because this best supports the camper, but shorter-term commitments can also work. If you have limited availability, please contact us!

Food and comfortable (cabin) lodging is provided for volunteers. If you are able to make a donation to help cover these costs, it is greatly appreciated. The need for volunteers is greater than the cost, so please give what you are able–even if it is just your time.

For more information, please contact:
Sophia Svetnicka
UCCI Camp AweSum Coordinator
715.891.5517
Out of the Blue in '22
WISCONSIN MAN CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF DAILY BIG MACS AT MCDONALD'S
When it comes to Big Macs, Don Gorske is a creature of habit. That’s because the Wisconsin resident has eaten one almost every day for 50 years ― more than 32,000 as of last August, according to Guinness World Records.

The streak started on May 17, 1972, when Gorske bought a car from his dad and went to McDonald’s on his first drive to pick up one of the fast food chain’s signature double-decker hamburgers.

Find out how many more Big Macs Don think he'll eat in his lifetime.
Invitations
CULTURAL COMPETENCY FOR WELCOMING AND SUPPORTING AFGHAN MUSLIMS
Thursday, May 26 at 2:00 p.m.
On Thursday, May 26, the Wisconsin Council Churches will be hosting a special webinar to educate congregations on Cultural Competency for welcoming and supporting Afghan Muslims. The presenter, Janan Najeeb, is the director of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition and a brilliant and engaging speaker. She will share some of the basics of Islam, aspects of Afghan culture, and offer insight into how Christians may walk alongside our Afghan neighbors and create a more welcoming environment in our communities.

WEAR ORANGE FOR NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY IN JUNE
June 3-5, 2022
National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend is roughly two weeks away, and faith organizations are invited to participate. 

Every year on the first Friday in June, people come together to honor survivors of gun violence and demand a future free from this crisis. Moms, students, veterans, survivors, faith leaders, and others wear orange throughout the weekend to show their support—in every state across the country. Learn more here.

Today, Wear Orange honors the more than 110 people shot and killed every day in the United States, as well as the hundreds more who are wounded. Churches, synagogues, and other faith communities have participated in Wear Orange Weekend in the past and many are planning to do so this year! Prayers for peace and safety can be offered, clergy can wear orange accessories, materials related to gun violence prevention can be shared, and buildings can be lit up or decorated in orange.

If you or your faith community would be interested in participating, please use this form to indicate your interest and request support.
Employment Opportunities
Future Presbytery Gathering Dates
2022 PRESBYTERY GATHERING DATES

  • Tuesday, September 13 @ 4:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, November 19 @ 9:00 a.m.
Hot Links
Grapevine - April 2022 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 - May 2022 Newsletter for the Presbyterian Women in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies
UCCI Newsletter - May 2022 Newsletter for United Church Camps, Inc.

Presbytery of Milwaukee
414-292-2740