Weekly Missive | April 9, 2021
Montlure Update
Getting Back to Greer.... 2022?
The Montlure Council is embarking on the next phase of their decade long journey to “get back to Greer.” For those of you who attended Montlure Camp in your childhood and adolescence, this is exciting news. For those of you who are new to Arizona, the key background is that a forest fire devastated the camp in 2011, and it has been a saga worthy of a epic novel trying to restore the facilities and secure permission from the U.S. Forest Service to return to the camp. In the Council’s own words,

Over the last 10 years, Montlure Council members and countless volunteers have been working with the U.S. Forest Service in order to find a viable path forward to make the land safe again in Greer. Through these efforts, we are pleased to announce that our goal is to have our summer camping program return to Greer in 2022! In order to see this reality, we are in need of raising funds to complete the minimum necessary work. Upon successful completion of this campaign, as well as an official return to our site, we will launch an additional campaign in order to rebuild and rejuvenate the site for many generations to come.

Did you catch the message in the second half of the paragraph: a capital campaign is coming. Council President Richard Gray and Executive Director Kellie Von Borstel will present more information on what the first phase of this campaign will do at the camp (see attached brochure), but the most significant impact is that successful completion of this first phase is likely to enable Montlure to return to Greer in 2022!

Meanwhile, Montlure’s camping ministry continues! Interested parent and grandparents should check-out the Montlure.org website for complete information on the summer programs; college students should check it out for summer staff positions, too. Montlure offers traditional overnight camps as well as traveling day camps. Here are this summer’s the dates:
Overnight Camp
Senior High: June 6-11
Junior High: June 13-18
Juniors: July 5-9
Traveling Day Camp
Orangewood: June 7-11
Casa Grande: June 14-18
East Valley, Mesa: June 21-25
Tucson: June 28-July2
Grace and peace,
Brad Munroe
Call to the Integrated Stated Meeting of the
Presbyteries of Grand Canyon and de Cristo Via Zoom
Worship Hosted by Trinity Presbyterian Church, Prescott, AZ and Presbytery Staff
Saturday, April 24, 2021
TO:      Clerks of Session, Minister Members, Elder Commissioners and Other Presbyters
FROM:  Bob Schulz, Stated Clerk/Associate
DATE:   April 10, 2021

The Presbyteries of Grand Canyon and de Cristo are hereby called to meet for the Stated Integrated April Meeting on Saturday, April 24, 2021 via Zoom with the Call to order scheduled for 9:00 a.m. There will be an opportunity for Zoom training particular to the Presbytery meeting beginning at 8:50 a.m. This meeting will occur via Zoom because of continued health concerns for social gathering due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To be able to attend the Zoom meeting each commissioner (Ruling Elders, Teaching Elders, and Commissioned Ruling Elders) we ask the Clerk of Session to identify commissioners to attend the meeting so that we can send the zoom link directly to them. Guests may find the zoom link through their pastor or Clerk of Session.
The presbytery staff is helped if we know by name, church and email who the Ruling Elder Commissioners will be. We also need confirmation of Teaching Elders and Commissioned Ruling Elders planning to attend the meeting to assist with the logistics for Zoom meetings.
 
Highlights for this Meeting are the following:
  • Bruce Reyes-Chow will present a workshop on exploring the new normal for worship
  • Worship/workshop by Kellie ‘Walker Hart with focus on strengthening online worship
  • Voting on revisions to Bylaws and Manual of Operations
  • Examination for ordination for Ben Crelin, a Grand Canyon Ordination Candidate, via zoom from England
  • Montlure Report on reopening the camp
  • Update on the de Cristo Presbyterian Campus Ministry
  • Status of the SWERV program in de Cristo and possible extension to New Mexico
 
The complete packet will be posted for downloading on Friday, April 16 on the Presbytery websites www.pbygrandcanyon.org and www.presbyterydecristo.org. Commissioners are responsible for printing their own materials.
 
The Imbalance Reports (number of Ruling Elders representing congregations) for each Presbytery for the remainder of 2021 are attached to this Call and will be posted to the websites.
 
For an excused absence: you will need to send a letter or email to the Stated Clerk pbyclerk@gmail.com , or you may send an e-mail to the following address at the Presbytery office: pbyoffice@gmail.com .

Questions? contact Sue Houser at pbyoffice@gmail.com or 602-468-3820
Please keep in prayers:
Terry Palmer, who will have heart valve replacement surgery
Loretta Blackwater as she remains on the lung transplant list
The family of Glyndon Morris, former candidate in the presbytery and member of Palo Cristi, upon learning of his death in December 2020.
Self-Development of People Exemplified
Supporting others on their journey is a basic element of Presbyterians’ work for peace and justice. The story of Erasmo Hernandez, a descendant of the indigenous people of Honduras, illustrates the progress that people can make, with the help of God and God’s people. 
The new house rises next to the old
Erasmos and his family
Board of Pensions 101 Quick Reference Guide
April 16 at 10:00am via Zoom
The Rev. Kristin Leucht, our BOP liaison, will present highlights of what is new through the BOP and answer your questions. The quick reference guide was sent to pastors and clerks and has a summary of BOP related facts. However, it is presumed some folks will want a more fulsome explanation of benefits, requirements, and steps in the process, so please bring your questions. This gathering is appropriate for pastors, business administrators, treasurers, finance committee members and/or anyone at your congregation who relates to the Board of Pensions.

Meeting ID: 824 3223 7163
Passcode: 798805
POAMN Offering Three Free Webinars
From Presbyterian Older Adult Network.
Register for each session separately.
Connection information will be sent to you in your registration confirmation e-mail.
The Circle of Life - April 22 @ 7:00-8:00pm EDT

In our culture we view life’s journey as a circle. There are four stages in our life’s journey, as there are four seasons, four directions. The circle of life is referred to as medicine wheel, in that are many teaching for a good long life.

Rev. Fern Cloud is a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Oyate, on the Lake Traverse Reservation, Agency Village, SD. Since March 2004 Fern has been the pastor of Pejuhutazizi Presbyterian Church on the Upper Sioux Dakota Community, Granite Falls, MN. Currently Fern is the Stated Clerk of Dakota Presbytery and also serves as the Treasurer for Dakota Presbytery
Older Adults of Hispanic Heritage - April 27 @ 3:00 - 4:00 pm EDT

Rev. Rosario will share some of the challenges that older adults of Hispanic heritage and others face within the cultural realities of adapting to life in our world. These challenges can arise from the differences between them and their children who have been socialized to the norms of America. They can also face cultural shock, lack resources and encounter difficulties in obtaining the care that is needed, especially as they age.

Rev. Ida Rosario was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on June 30, 1943. Ida and her mother, moved in with Ida’s maternal grandparents who came to the United States from Cuba in 1900. When she was eleven years old, Ida left their home to follow her mother into a world of poverty and homelessness among the new migrants from Puerto Rico. Today Rev. Ida serves as a minister of a multicultural church who is in partnership with a Hispanic congregation of more recent immigrants.
Korean Milestone Birthdays, Immigrants and Korean-American Church - May 7 @ 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT

Koreans celebrate longevity with throwing big parties for older adults particularly when they meet milestone birthdays like Hwangap (60) – Gohi (70) – Palsoon (80) – Gusoon (90). Session will show how Korean-Americans inherit the tradition in the context of immigrant communities and what the immigrant churches contribute to empowering older adults spiritually in their life stage.

Rev. Jae Kim was born and raised in Korea and immigrated to the USA in 2003. After graduating from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2008, he ministered to older adults of Korean Community Presbyterian Church in Duluth, GA until 2018. Now he serves as senior pastor at New Blessing Church in Duluth, GA.