Your Weekly News & Updates |
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From Rachel Yates, Presbytery Executive |
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The four young men nodded earnestly in the conference room as they listened to the instructions from their landlord. He encouraged them to call if there were any problems, and everyone made sure they exchanged phone numbers. Then the keys were handed over, and a joyous “yeeee” came from one of the men. It was a new beginning to a journey that had brought only trouble so far.
The four were recently recovered from a... (read more)
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It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Chairperson Rev. Samuel A. Odjelua, in the Dangme-Tongu Presbytery of Ghana. Many of you had the chance to meet him during his visit to the Milwaukee Presbytery in 2019 and may remember his passionate vision for the ministries of the Dangme-Tongu Presbytery, and how we might partner together for God’s glory. We give thanks for his life and the promise of his eternal rest with the Lord. Please join us in praying for the comfort and peace of Rev. Odjelua’s family, his friends, and the congregations of the Dangme-Tongu Presbytery. |
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FIND OUT ABOUT A NEW WAY TO ASSIST EMPLOYEES WITH HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS |
Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative has developed a number of new plans and ideas on how congregations, small businesses and nonprofits can help employees pay for health insurance in such a way that the assistance is not taxable for both the employees and employer. They will be doing a meeting with CGHC staff to explain the potential benefits of this new approach to providing health insurance to employees. Online seminar is set for tomorrow August 19 at 6:30 - 8:00 pm.
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Matthew 25: I needed clothes and you clothed me... |
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Thanks to everyone who donated furniture and household items to create a livable home for four victims of labor trafficking. Over the weekend, we delivered dishes, bedding, towels, and other usable items. A special thanks to Glenn Kozicki and Heritage Home Delivers who came with four dressers, a kitchen table set, and a sofa! Based out of Heritage Presbyterian Church, HHD has made more than 160 furniture deliveries in the last four years, with most of the donations coming from Heritage members and friends. The four men were thrilled to get into their apartment and expressed their gratitude for the many donations that will allow them to make a fresh start.
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COVID-19 News & Information |
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SHERMAN PARK VIRTUAL TOWN HALL |
Sherman Park Community Association will be facilitating a second virtual town hall this month to address COVID questions from community members and share relevant resources! Please see the registration link below for the events.
Please share the events with your network!
For any questions about the event, please contact Mabel Lamb (mabell@shermanpark.org), Executive Director, Sherman Park Community Association.
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UPDATES FROM LISA ALLGOOD
Last week, Executive Presbyter of Cincinnati Presbytery and immunocytochemist Lisa Allgood offered some insights on the pandemic. She notes we are at about 100,000 new cases per day, and it is not likely to peak until early next year, at which point we will be around 200,000 cases/day. Unlike the original coronavirus in which it took about 15 minutes of exposure to cause an infection, the Delta variant needs only 10 seconds. Because our vaccination rate in the US remains relatively low, additional variants are being generated. She anticipates we will likely need boosters in our vaccines to address these variants. We probably will see provisional approval of the vaccine for children ages 5-12 years before December. Continue to practice social distancing and wear masks, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, in order to mitigate these health risks.
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DELTA VARIANT ADVICE
The Wisconsin Council of Churches offers this information about the Delta variant:
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It's contagious, really really contagious.
- Vaccination is the best protection—even if the doesn't keep you from getting it, it will almost certainly keep you out of the hospital—and alive.
- Children are at risk. Because infection rates are skyrocketing, more kids have been getting sick. That's really bad, because children seem to be more vulnerable to "long COVID," and because we still don't know very much about the long-term effects of the disease.
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HOW TO TALK ABOUT VACCINES (INFOGRAPHICS) |
Why to vaccinate and how to vaccinate are not always the easiest conversations to have with people who are uncertain about the effect and/or benefits. The Wisconsin Council of Churches has shared two infographics that help make the conversation easier to have by providing talking points and listening skills to use while discussing if a vaccine is a beneficial course of action.
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BY FAITH WE STAND FIRM
Ministry in the Era of COVID Variants
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'By Faith We Stand Firm' is a continuation of the Wisconsin Council of Churches’ ongoing guidance to churches for how to make safer choices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS
1. We recommend prioritizing life and health of the vulnerable as a Gospel witness.
2. Maintain masking expectations FOR ALL PERSONS indoors and when not distanced outdoors until COVID transmission is very low in the community.
3. Reinforce your COVID safety protocols in response to the more transmissible COVID variants.
4. Case tracking and establishing a No-Go threshold.
5. Maintain virtual/hybrid gathering options as much as you can.
6. Support vaccination efforts.
7. Plan on event modifications, mitigations and protective behaviors for many months to come. As much as we long for a different truth, the pandemic is far from over.
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PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE IN HAITI
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NEWS FROM OUR MISSION CO-WORKERS
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News from the Denomination |
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MANAGING AND STEWARDING CHURCH PROPERTY |
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The Presbyterian Foundation is pleased to offer a second Day of Learning with presentations focused on the stewardship of church property. There will be time for questions and answers and an opportunity to see colleagues from across the country.
Join us October 12 for this FREE learning opportunity.
Schedule
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11:30 am EST/8:30 am PST - Maggie Harmon will discuss the importance of defining Mission, Vision and Values in Managing Real-Property Assets.
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2:00 pm EST/11:00 am PST - Olanda Carr and Robert Hay will give a presentation on Considerations in Property Use, Re-Purposing, and Partnering.
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5:30 pm EST/2:30 pm PST - Paul Grier will provide an Overview of Understanding Finances Related to Property.
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WHAT'S POSSIBLE? STRATEGIES TO SERVE BETTER WEBINAR |
To assist congregational decision-makers as they consider their benefits decisions for 2022, The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will host a one-hour webcast, What's Possible? Strategies to Serve Better. Those interested may register either for Wednesday, August 25, 12:00 – 1:00 pm CDT or again on August 26.
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CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING EDUCATORS - A MESSAGE FROM THE PC(USA) EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE
As we approach the beginning of a new school year, we invite congregations and pastors to take time in worship the Sunday after Labor Day to recognize the educators in your congregation and the children returning to school. This could be as simple as inviting them to stand, offering applause and then prayer. A litany is also available. Presbyterians have a long history of supporting education in general and public schools in particular. You may be interested in our most recent policy statement on public schools, “Loving Our Neighbors: Equity & Quality in Public Education.” Thank you in advance for honoring those who teach our children and supporting our children as they return to school.
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REGARDING RULING ELDERS
Rodger Nishioka has written the most recent installment of Regarding Ruling Elders, a monthly resource of the Office of the General Assembly.
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MILWAUKEE WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL - AUGUST 21ST |
Water Lantern Festival is filled with fun, happiness, hope, and great memories that you'll cherish for a lifetime. This is a family friendly event that can be shared by everyone. Friends, families, neighbors, and lots of people that you haven't met can come together to create a peaceful, memorable experience. DETAILS
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RESTORING RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS WITH MOTHER EARTH |
Restoring Right Relationship with Mother Earth is a four-day immersion experience taking place October 7-10, 2021, at Pilgrim Center - UCCI. Attendees will explore how local churches will faithfully respond to calls for justice from Wisconsin’s Native American communities, care for creation, and work together for racial equity.
The program highlight will be a virtual keynote talk by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, botanist, and author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants. Robin will speak on “What the Earth Asks of Us?”
UCCI is honored to participate and is deeply committed to this partnership and the work of racial justice.
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The Sower - May 2021 Newsletter for the Presbyterian Women in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies
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Future Presbytery Gathering Dates |
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- WEDNESDAY, September 22, 2021
- THURSDAY, November 18, 2021
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Presbytery of Milwaukee
414-292-2740
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