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

Transcription

1 March 1, 2018 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 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 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

2 North Central Iowa March 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1Pastor/CP Retreat, begins at 2:00 2Pastor/CP Retreat ends at 2: Presbytery Meeting, First Pres., Cedar Falls 11:00 7 8CPM First Pres., Ackley 10: COM First Pres., Ackley 5:00 13Presbyte ry Snow Date 14 15All-Iowa Task Force, Northminster, Ames 10: Grundy Ctr. Cluster, Bethany 11: Spring Begins Good Friday Presbytery Office Closed 31 2 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

3 North Central Iowa April 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat COM, First Pres., Ackley 5: VMI, Pizza Ranch, Ackley, noon 17Ames Cluster, 12: Grundy Ctr. Cluster, Bethany, 11:30 S&F, First Pres., Ackley, 1: PW Spring Gathering, Northminster Pres., Ames, 8: Ruling Elder Cohort, 9: North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

4 Prospect Hill March 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Session Records Review, Lakeside, Storm Lake 10:00 Training; 11:00 Review COM, Lakeside Pres., Storm Lake 10: All-Iowa Task Force, Northminster, Ames 10: Session Records Review, Westminster, Sioux City 10:00 Training 11:00 Review Spring Begins Session Records Review, Lakeshore Ctr. 10:00 Training 11:00 Review Good Friday Presbytery Office Closed 31 4 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

5 Prospect Hill April 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat COM 10: Presbyte ry Mtg., Westminster Pres., Ida Grove, 9: PW, Lakeside Pres., Storm Lake, 9: North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

6 Prayers of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa Week of March 4 Week of March 11 Week of March 25 Week of April 1 Week of April 8 Week of April 15 Week of April 22 First Presbyterian Church, State Center Rev. Tom Bower United Presbyterian Church, Traer Rev. Brice Hoyt First Presbyterian Church, Jesup Rev. John White, Interim United Presbyterian Church, Clarion Rev. Bill Kem First Presbyterian Church, Marshalltown Rev. Dr. Rich King Rev. Tom Bower First Presbyterian Church, Algona, First Presbyterian Church of Irvington, Whittemore; Lone Rock Presbyterian Church, Lone Rock Rev. Loren Shellabarger Walter Reemtsma, CP First Presbyterian Church, Waterloo Rev. Amy Wiles Rev. Pat Geadelmann, Associate Prayers of the Presbytery of Prospect Hill Week of March 4 Week of March 11 Week of March 25 Week of April 1 Week of April 8 Week of April 15 Week of April 22 First Presbyterian Church, Armstrong Rev. Suzanne Wobig United Church of Manilla, Manilla Rev. Vicki Fisher Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, George Rev. John Pea Presbyterian UCC, LeMars Rev. Janis Christensen First Presbyterian Church, Odebolt Bill Crawfor,d, CP Associated Church of Hawarden, Hawarden Rev. Erma Wolf Westminster Presbyterian Church, Ida Grove Shari O Bannon, CP 6 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

7 Churches and Pastors in Transition The following churches are in transition: Presbytery of North Central Iowa Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Ames First Presbyterian Church, Jesup Presbytery of Prospect Hill First Presbyterian Church, Alton Wheatland Presbyterian Church, Breda Elliott Creek Presbyterian Church, Bronson First Presbyterian Church, Cleghorn Union Church, Lake City Community Presbyterian Church, Lawton First Presbyterian Church, Sac City Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Storm Lake First Presbyterian Church, South Sioux City Synod School The theme for the 2018 Synod School is Dance Joyfully Where er You May Be and catalogs have been mailed. Unfortunately the link in the Synod School catalog for registration is incorrect. The correct link is 7 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

8 Prospect Hill Session Records Reviews Have you signed up for one of the following Session Records Review dates? Please contact Jeannie or ) to let her know which date you plan to attend, and if you plan to attend the training/orientation and the review, or just the review. The training/orientation starts at 10:00 and the review starts at 11:00. March 10: March 17: March 24: Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Storm Lake (use the door without the steps on E. 3rd St.) Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sioux City (main entrance is on the N side of the bldg. around the corner from the parking lot; if a ramp is needed it s on the S side of the bldg.) Lakeshore Center at Okoboji (use the front door of the Lodge) Ministerial I.D. Cards The Ministerial I.D. cards for both Presbyteries will be available at the next respective Presbytery meetings. If you would like yours sooner than that, please let Jeannie know and she will mail it to you Lenten Concert & Lunch Series Join us Wednesdays at 12:10pm for our Lenten Concerts & Lunches! Each concert will begin with a scripture reading and prayer followed by 20 minutes of music. After the concert all are welcome to join us in the Social Hall for a soup luncheon at 12:30. This year will feature the following performers: February 21: February 28: March 7: March 14: March 21: March 28: Cara Lockard, Violinist Dr. Mariko Morita, Organist Patrick Marchant, Pianist Megan Grey, Vocalist Sue Feltman, Organist Neal & Kristin Petersen, Vocalists Westminster Presbyterian Church / 1301 Kimball Ave / Waterloo, IA / wpcw.org 8 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

9 Prospect Hill 2018 Presbytery Meetings April 14 9:30 a.m. Westminster Presbyterian Church, Ida Grove July 14 9:30 a.m. Faith Presbyterian Church, Sioux City October 6 9:30 a.m. Lakeshore Center at Okoboji North Central Iowa 2018 Presbytery Meetings March 6 11:00 a.m. First Presbyterian Church, Cedar Falls (snow date March 13) June 11 If needed November 4 2:30 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, Fort Dodge The National Association of Presbyterian Clergywomen will conduct their triennial conference at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina, April 23-26, Conference details and registration information can be found at: 9 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

10 Great Plains Wee Kirk Conferences provide opportunities for pastors and lay leaders of smaller membership churches to find ideas for ministry in their contexts, to experience encouragement, and to have their souls fed. The Conference this year will be April 30 May 2, 2018 in the beautiful setting of Calvin Crest Camp, Conference, and Retreat Center ( located along the Platte River near Fremont, Nebraska. Our Featured Speaker is Rev. Chris Walker. Chris is a teacher, coach, pastor and principle writer for EvangelismCoach.org. Chris says he was once the in-your-face obnoxious evangelist, but has grown in skill and grace. He is an ordained pastor in the PCUSA, and has taught evangelism and church renewal in 8 different countries. He believes that the local church will not fulfill its mission of reaching people for Christ if guests do not return and find a church home. It is his goal to help Christians in their local churches to fulfill their mission AND increase their comfort levels in sharing the Riches of God s Glory, and in welcoming others into their worshipping communities. So what can you expect? Find out at: The Presbytery office will be closed on Good Friday, March North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

11 Update on John & Gwenda Fletcher We received the following note from John Fletcher. John and his wife Gwenda are mission co-workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have been in the Presbytery of Prospect Hill twice. You can read about their work below. Gwenda and I thank you for your prayers and concerns as well as your patience and understanding. We know that this has been a difficult time for all of you when you do not know exactly what is going on with Gwenda and me and what the future holds. We have been living with very much the same uncertainty ourselves. Gwenda has been gradually improving much slower than we would like and with times when she is getter and times that are worse. Looking at things as a whole however there is a trend of improvement. Gwenda s neurologist tells us that her illness was caused by an unknown viral illness that caused the neurological consequences. The neurologist feels that this will resolve but was not able to give a specific time course. Gwenda will soon begin physical, speech and occupational therapy and we pray that will also lead to improvement. Gwenda s improvement is sufficient that we feel that she can live with her sister while I return to the DRC for about 3 months. I will primarily be helping a hydro renovation team from Germany to do the renovation programs at IMCK and the Bibanga hospital. It will be a very busy time and I would ask for your continued prayers for Gwenda and also prayers for me as I return to work in the DRC. Often we are tempted to rely on our own abilities and think that we can control things. This has been an experience that has made clear our lack of control and deepened our faith and drawn us closer to God and to each other. Blessings in Christ, John Dr. John Fletcher and Gwenda Fletcher Democratic Republic of the Congo John is a surgical consultant to the eight hospitals supported by the Presbyterian Community of Congo (CPC). He works with the hospitals staffs to improve their surgical knowledge, skills, judgment, and techniques. John also supervises medical students and serves as a surgeon at the Christian Medical Institute of the Kasai. Gwenda, an education consultant, assists the CPC s Education Department in its efforts to enhance the quality of education in the church s 702 elementary and secondary schools and in building connections between the Congo Mission Network and CPC s educational work. The Fletchers and their Congolese colleagues work to help the people of Congo experience the abundant life Jesus promises. Home presbytery: Grand Canyon E200529, D North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

12 The following card was received in appreciation of North Central Iowa s Mission Trip participants. 12 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

13 13 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

14 14 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

15 Thoughts of Rev. David Feltman, Pastor to the Presbytery, Presbytery of North Central Iowa Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, We simply must become more vocal. After all the mass shootings we have failed to take reasonable steps to stop the violence. We have failed to act on gun measures and we have not given the needed resources for the individuals and their families who struggle with mental illness. Bless those companies which are voluntarily acting, but we must demand more from our elected officials. Sue and I took a long weekend to visit our son in Oakland, California. We worshipped with him at College Avenue Presbyterian Church. We were proud of our son as he led the music in worship. The preaching, the service, Sue called it genuine, the hospitality was warm; it was good to be in the house of the Lord. As I sat in worship in a church on a busy avenue in Oakland, I couldn t help but look at the door occasionally, thinking folks have the same anxiety sitting in worship in Iowa. Do we want to live like this? We are raising a generation of children who are known as the ones who have grown up in the school shooting culture. Should teachers have to worry at night about how they will lay down their lives to protect their children? My brother-in-law, a student of the 60s, used to have a bumper sticker which read, If the people will lead the leaders will follow. Before the cameras move on will you take some action, to say it must change, as ones who follow the one who taught, Blessed are the peacemakers. Notice it is not peacekeepers, but peacemakers. I offer one other thought on character today, the day Rev. Billy Graham will be buried. I sent this to our pastors and Commissioned Pastors last week it was intended as a reminder about character: To Pastors and CPs There is an important quote on character which has been lost as folks are reviewing Billy Graham s life. There was an article in TIME magazine in November It was when many of the TV evangelists were going down in flames. I forget the question from the interviewer, but it was about character and standing faithfully when others were falling. Graham replied, From the beginning, I was afraid still am that I may do something which would bring dishonor to my Lord. The interviewer concluded, So far, so good. I scribbled the quote in the column of my Bible (RSV from the 80s) in First Corinthians 9... Every athlete exercises self-control in all things... but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. I close reminding my readers that we believe in the Priesthood of all believers; that character is as crucial for one sitting in the pew as the one standing in the pulpit. With love in Christ, David Feltman 15 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

16 A Word from Prospect Hill I had the privilege of visiting Israel back in 1999, with a group of 44 others from the church were I held my membership in Suburban Chicago. I had just graduated from seminary, but hadn t yet been called to a church. I remember how everyone said I d come back a different person from my experience in the Holy Land. That was a time of peace in the land. I was excited and a little nervous about being there. Israel was a hot tourist spot in 1999 and they were getting ready for the year Everywhere we went we were accompanied by between 20 and 40 busloads of tourists from all over the world also visiting the same places. We did the usual ten day non-stop whirlwind tour of Israel, with lots of time spent on a bus going between places of interest. Each day I wondered if today I would feel changed. And each day I didn t feel any different than I had before. One day we went to Caesarea Philippi, which is a beautiful park area. Most of us were a little nervous going into the Golan Heights area because it had been in the news a few years before. The same numbers of people were here, but the park provided enough space to allow one to feel like you were there alone. Our pastor told us about this being the place the first Confession of Faith is made in the gospels, when in answer to Jesus question, Who do you say that I am? Peter said, You are the Christ. This made me appreciate this area in a new way, but I didn t feel any different. We visited Jerusalem. The old city was kind of scary as we were told we had to keep our eyes on the person in front of us at all times. We didn't experience any problems, and the old city kind of gives more of an idea of how they might have lived when Jesus was alive. We went to what remains of the temple, and even back then had to go through metal detectors to get inside gates. We visited the Wailing Wall and saw the Orthodox Jews placing prayer requests in the wall and banging their heads against the wall as they prayed. That night we toured the underground temple area. I began to have a better understanding of the world where Jesus lived. But I still didn t really feel any different inside. We then visited Gordon s Tomb site the preferred Protestant site of Jesus tomb. The place is a beautiful park today. There are wine presses and numerous areas for groups to gather to celebrate the Lord s Supper with tiny cups made of olive wood. We had the opportunity to go into the tomb itself. The doorway has been enlarged, but we still had to stoop to enter. It s a small area, so we went in two at a time. And there were two burial sites one where a body had lain and one that had never been used. When we gathered outside, the pastor asked what was special about this place. Someone said, The tomb is empty. And that s when I knew I would never be the same person again. I can and do proudly proclaim every Easter and through Eastertide that The Tomb Is Empty. Jesus Christ has Risen. He has Risen Indeed! Alleluia, Amen. Pastor Donna Gray, Moderator, Presbytery of Prospect Hill 16 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

17 17 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

18 18 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

19 223rd General Assembly St. Louis, Missouri June 16 23, North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

20 20 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

21 21 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

22 22 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

23 23 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

24 24 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

25 25 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

26 26 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

27 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. 27 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

28 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 REGISTRATION DETAILS Sign me up I am committed! Name: Address 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 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

29 29 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

30 30 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News

31 31 North Iowa Presbyterian E-News