Bi-Weekly Brief news & updates
|
|
|
|
The family of Elder Henry Kubin who passed to the larger life last month. Henry served as CRE of Alma-Eastminster for several years along with his with Mary. Click here to view his obituary.
All those dealing with COVID diagnoses.
Our churches currently in pastoral transition.
Our Mission Co-Workers:
|
|
|
Upcoming Ordination and Commissioning Anniversaries:
The Rev. Alec Brooks (5/1) - 70 Years - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Ed Borycz (5/12) - Honorably Retired The Rev. Dr. Daniel Ahn (5/18) - Honorably Retired and Pastor Emeritus of Saginaw-Michigan Nanum The Rev. Bruce Cunningham (5/18) - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Michael Loenshal (6/18) - Honorably Retired
The Rev. Cassie Todd (6/19) - 10 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.
|
|
|
From the Stated Clerk's Desk |
|
|
|
|
It hit me the other day that I have spent more than half my life in this Presbytery, arriving to serve my first call at Taymouth Presbyterian Church in Birch Run back in 1989 (I was called to Saginaw First in late 2014). I believe there’s only one other clergy person still in active service in this Presbytery who was here at that time (looking at you, Wally Mayton!).
As you might expect, there have been a lot of changes in those 32 years. And I could describe those changes in terms of the churches that have closed and the church memberships that have shrunk and even how many fewer pastors we have serving in our Presbytery. Those kinds of statistics can be interesting, albeit not the most uplifting.
But I also have seen other changes in our Presbytery – changes that may be even more significant. It’s taken too long a time but we have female clergy serving as pastor or co-pastor in two of our largest congregations. And while we are not perfect, we have more contact with and input from some of our smallest congregations as well. Some of those congregations had not engaged with the Presbytery for years and years. Those changes in who we are plus the additional churches that contribute to the life of the Presbytery make for better ways for all of us to serve Christ.
I’m not sure if this next part qualifies as “change” over the last 32 years but it is indicative of one of the great blessings of service here in the Presbytery of Lake Huron. I have met some of the most amazing, dedicated, joyful, challenging, and most of all faithful people that anyone could be privileged to know. And not just pastors but elders and members of so many different congregations. I would list some first names here – but I’d forget at least a couple that I would feel really bad about. And that is a wonderful, ongoing change that will continue. There will be new pastors, new elders, new members all bringing and sharing their gifts with the ministry of the Presbytery.
That’s why I look forward to the changes that will be the life of our Presbytery both now and in the times to come. And no matter what those changes bring, we know that Christ lives and works in the people of the Presbytery of Lake Huron.
Yours in Christ,
Stated Clerk
** With consultation with the Personnel Team, Dan Saperstein is taking a paid leave and will be working from home on essential functions of the Presbytery only, for the immediate future.
|
|
|
|
|
Please join us via YouTube live stream on Sunday, May 13th at 3:00pm to celebrate the Ordination of Kim Strunz.
Kim was recently approved by presbytery to be Ordained as Minister of Word and Sacrament. It is always a joyful time when we can celebrate one of our Candidates taking this step into ministry.
(Please note that this will be the first time we live stream a presbytery event. We hope that all will go well but we also recognize that technical issues may arise.)
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Partners in Mission,
Resurrection greetings from the Philippines!
On behalf of the mission co-workers in the Philippines, I share greetings of Christ’s peace and hope upon you, your families and your respective ministry areas.
Last year, each of your four presbyteries endorsed (San Diego) and concurred (Lake Huron, Presbytery de Cristo and San Jose) with this GA overture in support of the Philippine people during the worsening human rights situation. I am grateful for your support, especially since the overture might have been deferred to 2022, but the advocacy is ongoing.
On Wednesday, May 26, at 9 am EDT, we mission co-workers (Cobbie and Dessa Palm, Juan Lopez and me) volunteered to host chapel service at 100 Witherspoon with various colleagues. This worship service is part of the weekly worship services that are led by different volunteers. The service will last about 30 minutes.
We are excited that both United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) General Secretary Bishop Melzar Labuntog and Silliman University Divinity School Dean Jeaneth Faller will be in the Zoom room. In addition, we are hopeful that several UCCP national office staff members will also attend. This worship service will include a UCCP signature campaign, and PC(USA) will be the first international partner to hear about it officially.
We invite you to send 2 representatives from your respective presbyteries. Please send your request to join to Staci Percy at spercy@presbylh.org no later than Monday, May 24th so that you can receive the Zoom link. (It will be on a first-come-first-serve basis.) There are no official responsibilities except to demonstrate the spirit of mutuality and partnership in this worship service.
Thank you again for your support for the Philippine people during these critical times.
|
|
|
Mission Coordination Committee |
|
|
|
|
From the Rev. Karen Blatt,
"Recapturing social-economic history"
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, one of the ways we appreciate our own families is through learning about how we have moved through social-economic changes through the generations. We can do the same with the indigenous peoples who live within the Presbytery of Lake Huron. This is what moved me to go to the Chippewa Nature Center and to ask Corrine Bloomfield to prepare the attached article on how the Ojibwe people lived their lives within the flora and fauna available to them throughout the seasons of a "Michigan" year!
Read, enjoy, and stop over at the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland when you can - and don't forget the Sanilac Petroglyphs near Cass City.
|
|
|
|
|
The latest editions of the Parish Paper are now available on our website. As a reminder these may be used by all of our congregations free of charge under the presbytery's subscription. Topics this time are:
May How Can We Overcome Barriers To Vaccination?
June Is It Time To Relocate?
Click here to download these or any of the issues from the previous decade.
|
|
|
Higher Education Grants and Scholarships |
|
|
|
|
Higher Education Scholarships for Christian Leaders Available Through the Synod of the Covenant
Scholarships are available to students for full- or part-time study toward their first undergraduate, associates, or vocational degree or toward their first master degree programs for church vocations at approved and accredited theological institutions. All students who are members of Presbyterian Church (USA) churches within the Synod of the Covenant are eligible to apply.
Applicants will be asked to describe the ways or organizations for whom they provide Christian leadership, especially those that help churches or ministries to thrive, address racism, and/or engage issues of poverty (which are three of the Synod’s most important goals).
Applications are available on the Synod's website and are due by May 31, 2021. Winners will be notified and announced no later than June 30, 2021. Click here for details and to apply.
The application can also be found on the Documents and Forms page of the presbytery's website under Denomination Resources.
|
|
|
From An Honorably Retired Member of Presbytery |
|
|
|
|
Retired Pastor, Dale Swihart has published a second volume of his daily meditations and photographs. It is called Power of One: More Poems for COVID and Beyond. It is currently available, along with volume one, through Amazon.
He has been writing these blank verse poems since the start of the pandemic as a therapeutic way of coping. He has also been sharing them via email and Facebook. The book can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.
|
|
|
Presbyterian Association of Musicians |
|
|
|
|
Dear Friends at Lake Huron Presbytery,
We at Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM) are excited about our Worship and Music Conferences at Montreat this summer, and we hope you will help us pass along information to all the churches in your presbytery or synod! Please feel free to use this information to create an announcement of your own.
The best place to learn all about what we are offering this summer is to visit our conference website: www.presbymusic.org/2021conference. Anyone who is interested may navigate through our site to learn about our faculty, class offerings, the online livestream, and more!
We encourage you to pass this information along to your churches, whether in a newsletter, social media posts, an email blast, or all of the above!
If you have questions about this material or would like additional information or graphics to pass along, please don’t hesitate to contact the PAM Office.
Gratefully,
Andrew Perkins
PAM Communications Specialist
|
|
|
Resources Regarding COVID-19 |
|
|
|
|
We have set up a page with numerous resources to help you navigate through this challenging time.
Among other things, our COVID-19 page includes information regarding:
- Virtual Worship and Live Streaming
- Zoom and online meetings
- Funerals
- Online giving
- Grants and loans
- Denominational resources
- Mental wellness
- Re-opening considerations
If there are other items/resources that you would to see added please contact Staci Percy at spercy@presbylh.org. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
