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From Rachel Yates, Presbytery Executive

MANY BLESSINGS

Yes, my email was hacked, or more precisely “spoofed.” Many of you received a strange request from me last week by email labeled either “Many Blessings” or “Serving Christ Together.” It used my name and title; it typically included your name as well. The sending email address looked rather like the Presbytery’s email, except that it ended in gmail.com. If one replied to the initial inquiry about handling a “discreet” matter, they were eventually asked to purchase Target or eBay gift cards for people with cancer. The holder of the gift cards would be asked to scratch off the information on the back and send a photo of them to “me”, so the purchases could be made online. It ended with..(read more)

Presbytery Pulse

LOOKING FOR A PARTNER MINISTRY SITE!

Carroll University and the Presbytery of Milwaukee are excited to announce our Chaplain Residency Partnership for the 2021-22 academic year. The Chaplain Residency will bring an emerging faith leader to our Presbytery, who will serve halftime in a local congregation and halftime on the Carroll University campus. This recent seminary graduate will receive mentorship, continuing education, and vital ministry experience. Drawing on our shared Presbyterian heritage and Reformed commitment to education, Carroll University invites your congregation or ministry setting to consider joining us in this innovative program. Applications for ministry sites are due June 1, 2020.

This program is made possible through the generosity of Carroll University’s donors and the support of the Presbytery of Milwaukee.

For more information, please contact:

Carroll University: The Rev. Elizabeth McCord, Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Life, 262-524-7336

The Presbytery: The Rev. Ann Gibbs, Associate for Ministry Vitality, 414-292-2740

FROM NICOLE FARLEY, PRESBYTERY MODERATOR

In March, I wrote encouraging "all of our faith communities to condemn anti-AAPI violence, in word and in deed, and to seek ways to support and show up for the AAPI community" and provided some resources. A new, robust resource, called the Honor Asian Women Syllabus, has been developed by PC(USA) pastor and educator Rev. Mihee Kim-Kort and her colleague Monica Heilman. It includes 19 pages of resources in a great variety of areas, including Cultural Studies, Activism, Law & Politics, Religion, and Literature & Poetry. May our learnings bear fruit for all of our siblings.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MQG1JrhffvdABAstCFf06Vbf2s1wCS0l/view?fbclid=IwAR1m8dPIio41PKfs_amrmDhqtKdsjklwE6QLSx0IGdw0vWTIZA9-eNf2tIo

MANY BLESSINGS (OR NOT)

Just a reminder than none of your Presbytery staff will ever request money or gift cards from you by email. Rachel Yates has been the recent subject of hacked emails (“Many Blessings" and “Serving Christ Together”) that look like our Presbytery email address, but isn’t. We do not use gmail for our official email. Any solicitation from us (mission support, per capita, or special initiatives) will request that you mail a check to the Presbytery office. Please disregard any other emails, or call the sending staff member to confirm, especially if the email says not to call them.

CELEBRATE WITH US!

The Commission on Pastoral Ministries sends a shout out to these pastors, celebrating their ordination anniversaries this month:

Jim Fisher 63 yrs

Terry Hennesy 38 yrs

Bonnie Stafford 29 yrs

Lance Loveall 23 yrs

Matt Lee 21 yrs

Bill Zieche 20 yrs

Kim Trimbolli 9 yrs

Susi Stoll 6 yrs

CPM also sends congratulations to recent seminary graduates Candidate Mark Fraley (McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago) and Inquirer Lisa Lynne Kirkpatrick (Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston).

PRESBYTERIAN 101: EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PRESBYTERIAN

Maybe you are a brand new Presbyterian, or maybe you are a lifelong Presbyterian, or maybe you have recently been elected a deacon or elder. However you come, Presbyterian 101 is for anyone interested in learning about all things Presbyerian. This fun, light-hearted Zoom "class" is hosted by life-long Presbyterian and Milwaukee Presbytery Associate Stated Clerk, Chris Halverson, on Monday, May 24, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Register now to receive the information about how to join the class.

MILWAUKEE PRESBYTERY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

The Commission on Congregational Vitality is pleased to remind members of the Milwaukee Presbytery of grant opportunities.

Congregational Vitality Grants are available year round (as funding allows) to individual congregations or congregational clusters engaged in the work of vital ministry. Grants may be awarded for one-time projects or as part of a focused effort over time. Please see the grant description and application form for more information.

Camperships are available to children and youth of the Milwaukee Presbytery participating in a church camp. While many camps are re-opening this summer, many are also providing virtual camp opportunities. Camperships are available for either. Please see grant description and application form.

Matthew 25: I was in prison and you came to visit me...

ADOPT-A-PRISON BUILDS COMMUNITY AND HOPE

If a highway can be adopted, why can’t a prison? This question occurred to Dr. Hans Hallundbaek a few years ago after he noticed an “Adopt-A-Highway” sign. The more he thought about it, the more sense “Adopt-A-Prison” made; after all, people adopt children, animals and parks — and the list goes on.

“A highway belongs to the state, and they have a tough time keeping it clean; so if the community wants to make the community nice, they help clean up the highway. It’s a community reaching out in its own self-interest,” Hallundbaek said. “It’s exactly the same with a prison to say, ‘We’ll come and support you.’ Then it’s not a church thing. It’s a community thing, and ‘community’ is a church thing anyway.”

FINAL WEEKS OF MATTHEW 25 INITIATIVE FOR CASH BAIL RELIEF

Thanks to the churches and individuals already donating to the Joshua Glover Justice Fund! At our May 22 Presbytery Gathering, we hope to announce the total raised for cash bail relief, so please send your donation or pledge to the Presbytery Office or chalverson@pbymilwaukee.org by May 18, if possible. This letter explains why we’re called to act and answers questions about how cash bail works. Thank you for helping make our criminal justice system fairer!

WISCONSIN'S PROPOSED CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS

Wisconsin’s Legislature created a Task Force on Racial Disparities, which includes stakeholders from law enforcement, advocacy groups, and community organizations. They have begun to share their recommendations. You can read the task force's report on law enforcement policies and standards here. Some of the recommendations include:

Whistleblower protections for law enforcement officers reporting alleged excessive use of force
Statewide prohibition on the use of "choke holds" except in life-threatening situations or self-defense
Establishing an independent use-of-force advisory board to investigate and review specific incidents
Increased and standardized data collection on use-of-force incidents, including "no-knock" search warrants
Strengthening training in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques

Do you agree or disagree? Let your representatives in the state know.

Have Some Fun In '21!

HOW FRANK LLOYD WRIGHTS' 'FALLINGWATER' CHANGED ARCHITECTURE FOREVER

Though most influential architects are arguably not as well-known as the world's most famous artists, there are some “star architects” that become household names. One famous architect who has reached this level of fame is Frank Lloyd Wright. From the iconic Fallingwater to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Wright designed some of the most important buildings in all of American architectural history.

If you are already a fan of this iconic architect, you might recognize him for these famous projects or for his invention of the first-ever American style of architect—the Prairie Style. But there is plenty more to know about FLW...

POLICE RABBIT JOINS UKRAINIAN POLICE FORCE FOR A DAY

The students of Internal Affairs in Dnipropetrovsk had a new classmate for one day. His name is Topotun and he’s a little smaller and furrier than the other students. Oh, and he’s also a rabbit. The soon-to-be police officers had an adorable photoshoot with Topotun the rabbit and it lifted people’s spirits for the Orthodox Easter.

Invitations

DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE

Venture into the powerful yet simple elements that make the dances sustaining and transforming body prayer with the Living Waters Contemplative Life Center on Friday, May 14th. Practices and dances from many spiritual traditions as well as chants and body prayer/movement will be shared.

Universal Dances of Peace will be guided by Judith and Hal from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Please email to receive Zoom link.

Living Waters Contemplative Life Center is an outreach ministry of Tippecanoe Faithing Community.

COIVD-19 News

MICRO-GRANTS AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT COVID-19 VACCINE OUTREACH EFFORTS

Advocate Aurora Health Faith and Health Partnerships is offering a limited number of $500-$1,000 micro-grants to faith communities/networks to support COVID-19 vaccine outreach initiatives. The goal of these grants is to increase the number of people who are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in communities with high COVID rates.

Grants can fund COVID-19 vaccine outreach projects like:

Creating and distributing educational flyers
Assisting seniors with registering for COVID-19 vaccine appointments
Creating a video or social media program to raise awareness of the benefits of the vaccine
Doing outreach that addresses the specific barriers facing your community

Grants must be used between June 1 and December 31, 2021; the application deadline is this Friday, May 15, 2021.

More information, including the online application, for the Advocate Aurora Health Faith and Health Partnerships micro-grants can be found here.

COVID-19 VACCINE OUTREACH PROJECT

As we move from Easter into Pentecost, we know your church is eager to respond to Jesus' call to ministry in the world. The Wisconsin Council of Churches wants to help you touch lives in this post-COVID world. We are seeking:

Churches willing to host vaccine clinics
People willing to transport community members to vaccine clinics
Medically-trained individuals to help administer vaccines
People willing to lend an empathetic ear to those hesitant or resistant to receiving a vaccine

This is a particularly urgent opportunity for churches in rural Wisconsin. For more information, see this brief overview of the program, or reach out to danschultz@wichurches.org.