If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving this communication, please or call Jeannie.

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1 September 28, 2017 The North Iowa Presbyterian E-News is a bi-weekly joint newsletter for the Presbytery of North Central Iowa and the Presbytery of Prospect Hill. If you would like to contribute to the E-News, please contact Jeannie Stolee in the Presbytery office at or northiowapresby@gmail.com Presbytery Staff: Rev. David Feltman, Pastor to the Presbytery, Presbytery of North Central Iowa Rev. Dr. S. Glenn Wilson, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of North Central Iowa Rev. Richard Francis, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Prospect Hill Jeannie Stolee, Administrative Assistant Donn Martens, Financial Director If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving this communication, please or call Jeannie. Please consider making copies of this E-News for your Session and also running several copies to make available to your congregation on your information table. Normal Presbytery Office hours are Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

2 Many have given to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) to assist with the serious needs after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Thank you! The following excerpts are taken from a letter received from Rev. Dr. Laurie A. Kraus, Director, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: As the director of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), I m writing to acknowledge that many of you have already responded to PDA in these past several weeks to serious needs in famine-stricken South Sudan and among those ravaged by wind and flood in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. We approached you and your members again as Irma struck a bare ten days later, because these extraordinary catastrophes and the needs they engendered cannot be doled on out a first-come-first-served basis. As Jesus said, the last shall be first. So I thank you for what you and your congregations have already done, and I am asking you to reach even more deeply and do more, for the sake of those who always stand at the end of every line. Many of you are aware that PDA responds through presbyteries and provides both early emergency support and long-term resources, spiritual care, and rebuilding support. Everywhere I travel, Presbyterians and neighbors of other faiths tell me, Thank God for the Presbyterian Church, for the blue shirts! We know you will be with us long after others have left, until our streets and our lives are restored. This is a trust we take seriously and a call we want to help the Church continue to live into. This letter shares some ways your members, your session, and your presbytery can participate in being repairers of the breach and restorers of streets from Barbuda to Beaumont, from Key West to Katy. First: You can continue to GIVE. There are two Designated Relief (DR) Accounts set up to receive donations for Harvey and Irma: US Hurricanes (DR000169) and Atlantic Regional Storms (DR000194). Second: You can ACT. On PDA s website (pcusa.org/pda) you can find out how to plan a work trip to help vulnerable neighbors rebuild their homes, or put together Gift of the Heart cleanup buckets and hygiene kits as a children s or congregational activity. Work teams for long term rebuilding will be needed for several years to come. PDA s Call Center ( or pda.callcenter@pcusa.org) can sign you up and get you on your way to becoming part of our blue-shirt team. Finally: You can PRAY. Pray for those affected, for those responding, for churches in damaged areas and become a light for their neighbors and a sustaining community of Christ, for the unity that transcends differences to work through chaos to restore not just physical needs but also peace among neighbors.

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4 Presbytery of North Central Iowa October 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Ames Cluster, Mandarin 12:30-1: COM, First Pres., Ackley 5:00-8:00 15Fall Academy Class, Lakeshore Ctr CPM, First Pres., Ackley 10:00-4: Cluster in Grundy Ctr., Bethany Pres., 11:30-12:30 Mental Health Mtg. 12:00 13A Day with Dr. Thomas Long, Lakeshore Center 9:00-4: Fall Academy Class, Lakeshore Ctr Macedon ian Ministry Cohort West 10:00-2: Macedon ian Ministry Cohort East 10:00-2:

5 Presbytery of North Central Iowa November 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Stated Presbytery Mtg., First Pres., Conrad 3:00 6VMI, John Calvin Room, 2:30-3: Ruling Elder Cohort 9:30-2: COM, First Pres., Ackley 5:00-8: MM West & East 10:00 Cluster in Grundy Ctr., Bethany Pres. 11:30 17Lakeshore Center Bd. of Dir., Lakeshore Ctr., 11:

6 Presbytery of Prospect Hill October 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat COM, Ebenezer Pres., George 10:00-12: A Day with Dr. Thomas Long, Lakeshore Center 9:00-14Fall Academy Class, Lakeshore Ctr. 15Fall Academy Class, Lakeshore Ctr Boundari es Training, Lakeshore Center 10: Stated Presbytery Mtg., Lakeshore Ctr. 9:

7 Presbytery of Prospect Hill November 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat COM, Lakeside Pres., Storm Lake 10:00-12: Lakeshore Center Bd. of Dir., Lakeshore Ctr., 11:

8 Prayers of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa Week of October 1 First Presbyterian Church, Reinbeck and Rev. Mike Campbell First Presbyterian Church, Grundy Center Rev. Sheryl Campbell Week of October 8 Bethany Presbyterian Church, Grundy Center Rev. Al Polito Week of October 15 Grand Ji Vante (formerly Presbyterian Village), Ackley Diane Martin, CLP Chaplain Week of October 22 Barclay Presbyterian Church, Waterloo Larry Fuson, CLP Week of October 29 The Synod of Lakes and Prairies Staff Week of Nov. 5 Week of Nov. 12 Central Presbyterian Church, Nevada Rev. John Molacek McCallsburg Presbyterian Church, McCallsburg Rev. Tom Poppe Prayers of the Presbytery off Prospect Hill Week of October 1 Westlawn Presbyterian Church, Sioux City Paul Speidel, CLP Week of October 8 First Presbyterian Church, So. Sioux City Rev. Tom Murray, Moderator Week of October 15 Trinity Presbyterian Church, Wall Lake Rev. Richard Francis, Moderator Week of October 22 United Church of Westside Rev. Robert Cook, Stated Supply Week of October 29 The Synod of Lakes and Prairies Staff Week of Nov. 5 Pray for our ministry in the nation Week of Nov. 12 Pray for the honorably retired pastors in the Presbytery of Prospect Hill: Rev. Clarence Beard, Rev. Peg Brinck, Rev. Marshall Brown, Rev. Donald Gibson, Rev. Donald Johnson, Rev. Dale Lint, Rev. John McKinley, Rev. Marvin Miller, Rev. William Moore, Rev. Stephen Saville, Rev. Howard Stepanek, Rev. Robert Tollefson, Rev. B.J. Ukena, Rev. Rex Wentzel, Rev. Ken Fells (serving at Lakeside Pres. Church, Storm Lake), Rev. Duane Queen (serving at First Pres. Church, Alta), Rev. Richard Francis (Stated Clerk, serving at Trinity Pres. in Wall Lake, Wheatland Pres. in Breda and Emmanuel Pres. in Carnarvon)

9 Additional Prayer Concerns Please keep in your prayers Don and Jean Reed and their son, Jason, as Jason prepares to be deployed to Kuwait on September 30. Don and Jean are employed at Lakeshore Center at Okoboji. Please pray for the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and for the victims of the wildfires in Western United States. Churches and Pastors in Transition Please pray for the congregations of First Presbyterian Church in Cleghorn, First Presbyterian Church in South Sioux City, and Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Storm Lake as they each continue the process of searching for a pastor. Please pray for the Rev. Jennifer Olson and the congregation of United Presbyterian Church in Denison as they have called Rev. Olson as their pastor. Please pray for the congregations of Ebenezer and Zoar Presbyterian Churches in George as they move forward with candidates from the PNC. CLP Lynn Arends will begin serving First Presbyterian Church in Steamboat Rock on October 1, Our thanks are extended to Rev. Mike Brost, who has been serving as interim. Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames is seeking a head of staff. The Pastor Nominating Committee is at work. Our thanks to Rev. Craig Palmer, who is serving as interim. First Presbyterian Church in Albion is in transition after the retirement of CLP Bea Lebuda. Rev. Michael Campbell and Rev. Sheryl Campbell will serve their last Sunday at First Presbyterian Churches in Reinbeck and Grundy Center on October 1. The Campbells have accepted a call to First Presbyterian Church in Sun City, Arizona. Rev. Lynne Hanna will serve her last Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in Ackley on October 1. Rev. Hanna has accepted a call to First Presbyterian Church in Perry, Iowa.

10 PRESBYTERY OF PROSPECT HILL BOUNDARIES TRAINING Attention all Pastors/CLPs in the Presbytery of Prospect Hill: You are required to keep current on boundaries training by attending one training at least every three years. The COM and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies are offering the following one-day workshop: Date: Tuesday, October 24 Time: 10:00 a.m. Place: Lakeshore Center at Okoboji If you have attended any other training this past year, please make sure a copy of the completion certificate is forwarded to the Presbytery Office. If you have questions, please call Tim Harmon, COM Moderator, at or Richard Francis, Stated Clerk, at Congratulations to Shawn Harmon on receiving the Apollos Scholarship award from the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation for the academic year of ! Apollos Scholarships are available to students working toward the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts or Dual degree as certified by a registrar at a Presbyterian theological seminary. Shawn is a Middler at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. The Apollos Program is modeled after the Biblical story of the young man from Alexandria whose friends helped to further his education so that he might speak the way of God more adequately. (Acts 18:26) Foundation support of seminarians began in 1954 with the first award given to James H. Costen. Since that time, nearly $4 million of financial support has gone to seminary students.

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12 Winterset Motor Coach Trip Pastor Walt and Jan Reemtsma cordially invite you to join them for a one-day trip via motor coach to Madison County on Thursday, October 19, 2017, leaving at 7:00 a.m. from the Algona First Presbyterian Church parking lot located at 101 North Main Street in Algona. We will journey to Winterset, Iowa, where we will see two of the bridges made famous in the book and the movie starring Clint Eastwood. In addition to seeing the bridges, we will be touring the boyhood home of John Wayne and the John Wayne Museum. We will also be seeing a display of quilts, using the basket pattern, at the Iowa Quilt Museum. Unlike other motor coach trips that are filled with tours and sightseeing, there will be time for the trip participants to shop among the stores located on the town square. Among them is an old fashioned Ben Franklin Store which has one side devoted to the interests of quilters. Further down the block is another quilt store run by the people who have been on Iowa Public Television. In addition, there are a number of other quaint shops and antique stores. We will be eating lunch at the First Presbyterian Church in Winterset, where the ladies of the church will be serving us a delicious roast beef dinner along with salad, dessert bars and beverages. Yum!!! Yum!!! The cost of the trip is dependent on the number of participants and is as follows: 50 participants $59 45 participants $63 40 participants $66 35 participants $71 30 participants $77 This includes admission to the tours, lunch and motor coach; it does not include any purchases you wish to make during your shopping. To get the best price invite your friends and neighbors to travel with you. To reserve your seat for this exciting trip call Pastor Walter Reemtsma at Deadline for signing up for this trip is Monday, October 9.

13 First Presbyterian Church of Lake Park will be celebrating 125 years of Prairie sown faith on October 15, Everyone is invited to join us that day. Our Worship Service is at 10:30. We will have an awesome Presbyterian potluck meal at noon. Following that at 1:00 we will have an old fashioned hymn sing. Please join us for any part or all of the day!

14 Sac City After 5 Please join us for our Hole in One guest night potluck supper When: Monday, October 16, 2017 Where: Time: First Christian Church, Sac City, Iowa 7:00 p.m. Cost: $7.00 Speaker: Erv Smith of Moline, Illinois, who tells his story of recovery from alcohol addiction. Special Feature: Mrs. Dorothy Smith will share music. For reservations call: Cathy Staton Lavern Kraft Micki Quail

15 Presbytery of Prospect Hill 2018 Presbytery Meeting Dates The following dates have been set for Prospect Hills 2018 Presbytery Meetings: April 14, 2018 July 14, 2018 October 27, 2018 (please note this corrected date it was inadvertenly listed as October 6 in the previous E-news) North Central Iowa Presbytery 2018 Presbytery Meeting Dates The following dates have been set for North Central Iowa s 2018 Presbytery Meetings: March 6, 2018 June 11, 2018 November 4, 2018

16 Pastor Tom Bower in Lithuania After serving the Marshalltown congregation for 18 years (kids out of the nest), my wife Jean and I went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I served as pastor of the St. Andrew s Presbyterian Church (International Church of Kuala Lumpur) for three years. That would be my last fulltime (salaried) position before retirement. Now during the last ten years in retirement, we have been serving interim pastorates in Iowa and overseas. I say we because Jean became a Commissioned Lay Pastor, so she and I are able to do ministry together. That means that as I pursued my interest in international congregations, Jean could step in and take on the Iowa congregation on her own (and stay home to be near grandkids!). So I have been to Egypt ten times in the last ten years serving the Alexandria Community Church until they found a full-time pastor and also I have served the Heliopolis Community Church in Cairo. Jean was able to come to visit me twice in Egypt, but stayed just a couple of weeks each time. Now I am in Vilnius, Lithuania serving the International Church of Vilnius for three months. After Lithuania I am scheduled for one more international assignment the first four months of It will be the Bukit Doa International Church in Bali, Indonesia. Jean plans to join me for part of that time, but will continue to pastor the State Center church until I return after Easter, Many, probably most, of the international churches are independent, non-denominational. That was not true, however, of the church in Malaysia. St. Andrew s was the flagship, downtown church in the Presbyterian Church of Malaysia. The PCM has over 100 churches, 35 of which are English speaking. It is also not true of the church in Bali, Indonesia. That church (BDIC) is one of two English speaking congregations among 73 church of The Protestant Church of Bali. The independent churches, while inter-denominational, have their own flavors. For example, in Cairo, the Heliopolis church met in an Anglican building. And, guess what? It tended to feel a bit Anglican. In Alexandria, the church met in a Presbyterian building. And it felt Presbyterian. Here in Vilnius, we meet in a Lutheran building. So I ve almost become a Lutheran! Last Sunday, in our Vilnius service, I identified three families from the American Embassy, one from the Canadian Embassy, and one from the Latvian Embassy (the ambassador himself). There were also a number of students from all over the world. Iran, Japan, Russia, UK, Holland and India. And there were two American professors teaching at universities here. This is typical of international congregations. There were also several tourists who had found our website and had come to our worship service. Often people are quite transient in these churches. For example, American Embassy staff normally stay in a posting only two or three years. Students from other countries come and go. People ask me how I get these assignments (opportunities!). Frankly, for me it s pretty much word of mouth. But there are several international church networks. The one I am most familiar with is MICH (Missional International Congregations Network). You can Google it. At age 73, I m not sure how much longer I ll do this. The travel is pretty exhausting. And I get lonely easily. But, like all of you, I want to be faithful to my call, but also realistic about the circumstances of my family, my energy and health. I do consider my ministry here very much a part of my commitment to North Central Iowa Presbytery s mission and feel very much supported by all of you! I ll see you soon.

17 Meet the Missionaries Rev. Gordon Gartrell and Dorothy Gartrell Brazil Gordon and Dorothy work in partnership with the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil in ministries of evangelism and leadership training. Their current assignment is to develop leaders in a small church in Governador in the state of Bahia. Since there are not enough United Presbyterian Church clergy to serve all of its congregations, a minister will not always be available to lead worship services for this church. Thus the Gartrells are developing the members spiritual gifts so that they can conduct worship services when a pastor is not present. They realize this is a long process, but their patience is fueled by a strong love for the Brazilian people. Home presbytery: Western Kentucky/Greater Atlanta E200489, D Leisa Wagstaff South Sudan Leisa has devoted nearly 30 years to the role of mission coworker and is now working in South Sudan, her fifth African country. Leisa helps the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan strengthen its educational ministry by accompanying Sudanese Presbyterians in strategic planning, developing in-service teacher training programs and nurturing community participation in education. Statistics show that 70 percent of children in South Sudan between the ages of six and seventeen have never set foot inside a classroom; only 25 percent of the school-age population is enrolled in school; and almost 90 percent of teachers are untrained. Leisa invites everyone to share in her ministry. Home presbytery: New Hope E200501, D504924

18 Thoughts of David Feltman, Pastor to the Presbytery, North Central Iowa Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Rev. Dr. Ernie Campbell preached a sermon on Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar s and unto God the things that are God s Matthew 22:21 (I like the KJV for this verse). Dr. Campbell stated that usually when we hear this text preached the emphasis is on God Christians are not giving enough attention to what they are giving God. One can hardly argue in the fall, which is known as Stewardship time of the year. Campbell s preaching, back in the 1980s, built the case we have not given enough attention to the first part of the verse Render unto Caesar. When was the last time you heard someone say raise my taxes! Rev. Campbell went on to say: I have been educated in schools I did not build. Healed in hospitals which came into being before I was born. Enjoyed parks and recreational areas put into place by those who have gone before me. I have been the recipient of much good it is time I pay back, or perhaps today we would say pay it forward. (This is coming from memory, not a direct quote.) The Bible often speaks of the COMMON GOOD, a concept which is often lost these days. We are living in a time when the needs of society are massive, from my perspective, and there is much brokenness in individuals, families and structures. Add to those concerns the natural disasters of the last few weeks. The church needs to do what we can and we also need to hear the first part of the phrase, Render unto Caesar. With love in Christ, David Feltman

19 Moderator s Message Times have changed over the last several decades. Many of us remember wringer washing machines, phones mounted to the wall or at least tethered to it by a cord, people actually talked to each other rather than or texting, fast food was a peanut butter sandwich, take out was almost unheard of and gas was 35 cents a gallon. Now we carry our phones in a pocket, laundry is done with the push of a button or two, fast food or take out is, in many households, standard fare, computers enable us to have instant answers and we won t even mention gas prices. Life is certainly easier in many ways, but with the good comes the less good. Just watch the news and it s clear values and morals sometimes seem non-existent, violence explodes because someone disagrees with someone else. Negative events seem to sell better than stories about the good things that happen. The same is true in the church. Times are changing. Most of us remember when the dress code was Sunday best - suits and ties for males and dresses, hats and gloves for females. Today s come as you are returns us to Biblical times when people didn t have Sunday best outfits. Jesus taught in his every day clothes. Laughter is sometimes heard and the joy of Christ s love is shared in contrast with the solemnity of worship in the past. While praise bands are not meaningful to all, the scriptures condone worship with harps and cymbals. The ministry of a congregation is changing from a pastor only to more of a community effort spread throughout the members, again, in keeping with the command to all believers to make disciples of all nations. The emphasis has changed from going to church to being the church. Putting faith into action is hard. I see this true of many people s view of Presbytery. Many choose not to participate in Presbytery because of the way things were decades ago. Yes, at one time Presbytery was, in essence, the boss charged with making sure everyone toed the line seemingly set by the officers of the Presbytery. According to the Book of Order (G-3.03), The presbytery is responsible for the government of the church throughout its district, and for assisting and supporting the witness of congregations to the sovereign activity of God in the world, so that all congregations become communities of faith, hope, love and witness. As it leads and guides the witness of its congregations, the Presbytery shall keep before it the marks of the Church (F ), the notes by which Presbyterian and Reformed communities have identified themselves through history (F ). While the responsibilities of presbytery have not changed significantly, the emphasis has. While making sure everyone follows the rules, the emphasis is now on being a pastor, counselor, advisor guiding pastors and congregations through the various processes rather than dictating, education rather than simply informing. The emphasis is working together to fulfill the mission of the Presbyterian Church, USA. Each congregation is given two votes on every issue brought before the presbytery one for the pastor and one for the elected commissioner. By not participating in the meetings, congregations routinely forfeit their vote, forfeit their voice in what is happening in their presbytery, forfeiting the opportunity to be informed of what s going on in the church here and at large. Have concerns or questions, come and get answers. Volunteer for a committee. I encourage all congregations to attend the upcoming Presbytery meeting, October 28, at Lakeshore Center (the camp). This is your Presbytery, be a part of it. Besides, camp is gorgeous this time of year. Blessings to all, Lue Baker, Moderator, Presbytery of Prospect Hill

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21 A RULING ELDER COHORT FOR NORTH CENTRAL IO- WA PRESBYTERY Participation dream goal, at least one ruling elder from each of our congregations. Participants will sign a covenant promising commitment to the group and placing the dates for the eight sessions on personal calendars. Cost - $100 per participant per year. Dates Saturdays 9:30AM 2 PM October 8, 2016 January 21, 2017 April 29, 2017 July 15, 2017 Location Ackley First Presbyterian October 7, 2017 January 20, 2018 April 28, 2018 June 30, 2018 Led by Dr. Joe Small. Session 1: Origins: Calvin s unified plural ministry in Geneva Session 2: The loss of Calvin s vision and its potential recovery Session 3: Ruling elders as ministers of Word and Sacrament: Baptism Session 4: Ruling Elders as ministers of Word and Sacrament: Lord s Supper Session 5: Ruling Elders as ministers of Word and Sacrament: Proclamation Session 6: Ruling elders as Ministers of Word and Sacrament: Teaching Session 7: Councils of the church: discernment in session and presbytery Session 8: Spiritual disciplines for ruling elders and sessions The goal of the cohort, Ruling Elders who are *Scripturally - Broader and Deeper *Theologically Deeper with a basic understanding of the Book of Order, Confessions and Creeds *Spiritual Formation - Encouraged and resourced in the spiritual disciplines *Leadership - Understanding the role of Ruling Elder, learning how to support pastoral leadership and when to challenge it. *Koinonia - Connecting with other Ruling Elders, sharing best practices and supporting each other.

22 Order Commission of the National Council of Churches, and a frequent participant in international ecumenical consultations sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Centre International Reformé. Dr. Small will be in Iowa for Oct. 8, 2016, October 7, 2017 and June 30, 2018, and teach with the aid of technology for the other gatherings. Dr. Small lives in Louisville, Kentucky. The Instructor Dr. Joe Small Dr. Small retired recently from his 22 tenure at the General Assembly Mission Council. Most recently, he served at the Council as Director of Theology, Worship and Education Ministries, where he directed the work of the Office of Theology and Worship, the Office of Theological Education, and Congregational Ministries Publishing. A graduate of Brown University, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Louisville, Theological Seminary. He has served the church in roles ranging from professor to pastor. Dr. Small is the author of To Be Reformed: Living the Tradition (2010), Let Us Reason Together: Christians and Jews in Conversation (2010), Proclaiming the Great Ends of the Church (2010), Conversations With the Confessions (2005),Preservation of the Truth (2005), Fire and Wind: The Holy Spirit in the Church Today (2002), Committed Conversation (2000), and God and Ourselves: A Brief Exercise in Reformed Theology (1997), and has written numerous journal articles, study series, and theological papers. He is a core member of "Re-Forming Ministry," co-chair of the international Reformed-Pentecostal Dialogue, board member of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, member of the Faith and Address REGISTRATION DETAILS Sign me up I am committed! Name: E Mail address CELL: Church: o $ Check enclosed Make Check payable to: Presbytery of North Central Iowa Return this page along with check payable to: Presbytery of North Central Iowa Lakeshore Center at Okoboji 1864 Hwy. 86 Milford, IA 51351

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25 RESOURCES FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REFORMATION Keeping congregations creative and open to what God is doing in the world by Paul Seebeck Presbyterian News Service LOUISVILLE With Reformation Sunday approaching October 29, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is providing a wide range of resources for churches commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation They include a Commemorate Reformation Sunday website, Theological Conversations series on Reformation topics and a video providing a 500-year perspective on the Reformation. We want Presbyterians to engage with the best of the Reformation, says Charles A. Wiley III, coordinator of Theology and Worship in the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA). According to Wiley, the Reformation matters today because it insists that God in Christ, by the power of the Spirit, loves us without condition, comes to us in Word and Sacrament, is not confined by any church structure, and calls us to love God with our lives, regardless of work or station in life. The Reformation confirmed that every Christian life belongs to God and is to be lived out in Christian vocation, says Wiley, which makes a huge difference in how we live. Resources on the Commemorate Reformation Sunday website provide helpful suggestions for worship and living in ways that reflect the cultural values of being a Reformed people. Two things we don t talk a lot about when discussing the Reformation are creativity and openness, says Michelle J. Bartell, coordinator of Theological Education and Seminary Relations for the PC(USA). But these are vitally important, to stay creative and open to God personally, but also to what God is doing in the world.

26 Reformation, continued Bartel believes the Reformation is about looking forward, not back. She s been excited to see the wide range of voices writing for the monthly Theological Conversations Series which Theology, Formation & Evangelism ministries, launched in We intentionally wanted to have theological conversations this year, that Martin Luther himself started 500 years ago, says Bartel. The diverse voices we ve been listening to are truly reflective of how open we are, to being reformed by God. Topics discussed in Theological Conversations this year are: Seeking a Correctable Conscience, 500 Years and Counting, A Legacy of Faithful Dissent, Three Fulcrums for Reform, Words Matter, The First 500 Years, and Theology and Bravery. Each paper, which includes a reading along with a set of questions to invite conversation, can be downloaded by going to: The 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation was precipitated by Martin Luther s posting of his 95 Theses about the church and its need to reform, on the doors of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, To understand why the Reformation happened, who its leaders were, how it changed the world and still affects us today, you may go to to watch a video: The Reformation: A 500 Year Perspective.

27 Peace & Global Witness Offering: Blessed are the Peacemakers September 3 October 1, 2017 The Peace & Global Witness Offering is received during the Season of Peace, which ends on World Communion Sunday. However, you can help sustain the important PC(USA) ministries and programs that are supported by this important Offering by making an online gift at any time throughout the year at: presbyterianmissions.org; then Make a Donation; then Give to Presbyterian Special Offerings; then Peace & Global Witness. Checks can also be mailed care of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to P.O. Box , Pittsburgh, PA Please designate Peace & Global Witness in the memo portion of your check. How is my Gift Used? A gift the Peace & Global Witness Offering enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of injustice across the world. Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize up to 25% of this Offering to connect with the global witness of Christ s peace. Mid councils retain an additional 25% for ministries of peace and reconciliation. The remaining 50% is used by the Presbyterian Mission Agency to advocate for peace and justice in cultures of violence, including our own, through collaborative projects of education and Christian witness. Your local or mid-council portion of the Peace & Global Witness Offering could be contributed toward the Freedom Rising fund for African American males.

28 First Presbyterian Church, Waterloo to Host Series on Aging and Healthcare First Presbyterian Church, Waterloo will host a series of presentations on current health care issues faced by aging populations this fall. The sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 pm beginning September 19 and extending through October 24, with a different topic featured each night. The programs will be held in Calvin Hall at the church, located at 505 Franklin St. The public is invited to attend at no cost. No registration is required. The remaining program schedule is as follows: Tuesday, October 3, 2017 Caregiving and Families - Lisa Wetzel, Regional Coordinator, Northeast Iowa Agency on Aging Tuesday, October 10, 2017 How Do I Pay for Care? Hannah Thomas and Anne Marie Kofta, Aging Specialists, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging Tuesday, October 17, 2017 Transitioning into Facilities Dr. Elaine Eshbaugh, Associate Professor of Gerontology, University of Northern Iowa Tuesday, October 24, 2017 Elder Abuse Shelby Bennett, Elder Rights Specialist and Social Worker, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging Questions may be directed to Rev. Amy Wiles or Rev. Pat Geadelmann at the church office:

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36 Dear Colleague in Ministry, We are writing to share exciting news the PTS Women in Ministry Initiative is planning a major Women in Ministry Conference at Princeton Theological Seminary on October 23-25, The conference will connect women in diverse ministries from around the world and bring together a renewal of response to God s call to all people to minister in Christ s name. It is not simply an academic series of presentations, but an opportunity for networking, sharing the joys and challenges of ministry and lifting up the powerful and effective ministries of women around the world. Please join us for this historic occasion. It is open to women lay leaders and clergy across the wider church, not just Princeton Seminary alumnae. Feel free to share this with your female friends and colleagues and consider attending the conference as a group. In ministry together, Abigail Rain Evans and Katharine Doob Sakenfeld Co-Coordinators, Women in Ministry Initiative Tennent Hall 012 Princeton Theological Esminary P.O. Box 821 Princeton, NJ 08542