PRESBYTERY CONNECTION

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1 PRESBYTERY CONNECTION A Bi-Weekly Newsletter of the Presbyteries of North Central Iowa and Prospect Hill August 9, 2018 To see North Central Iowa s calendar of events, please click here. The Presbytery Connection is a bi-weekly joint newsletter for the Presbyteries of North Central Iowa and Prospect Hill. If you would like to contribute to the Presbytery Connection, please contact Jeannie Stolee in the Presbytery office at or northiowapresby@gmail.com. If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving this communication, please or call Jeannie. Please consider making copies of this newsletter for your Session and running several copies to make available to your congregation. To see Prospect Hill s calendar of events, please click here. The Presbytery Office will be closed Thursday, August 16, through Monday, August 20. I will respond to all s and voice mails when I return to the office on August 21. If you need assistance while I am gone, members of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa may call Rev. David Feltman at ; members of the Presbytery of Prospect Hill may call Rev. Richard Francis at Thank you. Jeannie Stolee ~ 1 ~

2 Prayers of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa Week of August 12 Week of August 19 Week of August 26 Week of September 2 Week of September 9 Northminster Presbyterian Church, Ames Rev. Jim DuBois Westminster Presbyterian Church, Waterloo Rev. Patricia Jacobs Rev. Daniel Voigt First Presbyterian Church, Albion CP Charlie Flick Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Ames Rev. Betsy Thompson Julie Erkel Hagee Theological Institutions Related to the PC(USA) Prayers of the Presbytery of Prospect Hill Week of August 12 Week of August 19 Week of August 26 Week of September 2 Week of September 9 Lakeshore Center at Okoboji: CP Beth Ehlers, Executive Director Harry Gabe, Associate Director Cassie Gabe, Associate Director Don Reed, Site Manager Jean Reed, Head Cook and Maintenance Assistant Devynne Reis, Administrative Assistant Karen Kaiser, Financial Director Westlawn Presbyterian Church, Sioux City CP Paul Speidel First Presbyterian Church, Cleghorn pray for the Administrative Commission First Presbyterian Church, Sac City Rev. Missy Brown Pastors Serving Colleges Rev. Kenneth Meissner, Buena Vista University Rev. Cambria Kaltwasser, Northwestern College Additional Prayer Concerns Please keep Scott Krausman, son-in-law of CP Diane Martin, in your prayers as he recovers from surgery for brain cancer and begins his treatments. Please keep William Wright in your prayers as he recovers from open heart surgery. William is the four-yearold son of Rev. Eric and Kathryn Wright. Please pray for First Presbyterian Church, Marshalltown, as they minister to the Marshalltown community after the tornado damage. They are providing an evening meal and have established a place for people to receive groceries and some household items through their Gathering Place. Please continue to keep Angie Reemtsma, daughter-in-law of Walt and Jan Reemtsma, in your prayers as she remains hospitalized. ~ 2 ~

3 Churches and Pastors in Transition The following churches and pastors are in transition: Presbytery of Prospect Hill Wheatland Presbyterian Church, Breda Elliott Creek Presbyterian Church, Bronson First Presbyterian Church, Cleghorn First Presbyterian Church, Glidden Union Church, Lake City Community Presbyterian Church, Lawton Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Storm Lake First Presbyterian Church, South Sioux City Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Thoughts of Rev. David Feltman, Pastor to the Presbytery, Presbytery of North Central Iowa Tuesday several of us from three presbyteries met together to pray, listen, dream and plan. There is serious conversation about Des Moines, North Central Iowa and Prospect Hill presbyteries partnering and sharing staff as we move into the unknown future. Rev. Deb DeMeester, Synod Staff, who is facilitating the group, turned our attention to the story of Jesus and the disciples in Matthew 14. They are in the boat on the Sea of Galilee and Jesus comes to them across the water and invites Peter to get out of the boat. Deb asked us what the passage may be saying to us. I recalled one summer a long time ago, while vacationing in Minnesota, we worshipped in a Lutheran church on a Saturday evening. A lay person was preaching on this text. He kept saying, Get out of the boat (very long, Minnesota o). Get out of the booat. His point, as we often hear from this passage take some risk, Jesus will meet you in the step of faith. Or, as a contemporary book suggests, if you want to walk on water, you must get out of the boat. The passage was the lectionary reading for yesterday, providential for our conversation. Perhaps there is a word here also for you or your church. Where is God calling you to get out of the booat? Turning the page I trust you have heard I will retire June 30, I plan to work until the end and I would like to make the best use of the remaining time we have together. It has been my experience that often we wait until the last moment to address what is most important. It is the wise pastor who allows time at the end of the appointment, at the door, as the member or the one seeking counsel will say, By the way and we get to the heart of the matter which should have been the conversation for the past hour. Is there something you would like to discuss before I go? Perhaps pastors may want to do career planning or ask the question how long is too long? I have experience with this and listen well. Would your session or vision ministry team like to have some time? I write this now so we will not leave it until after Easter next year and the calendar is full. With love in Christ, David Feltman ~ 3 ~

4 Poor Richard s Almanac By Richard Francis, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Prospect Hill Does your congregation have by-laws? If you do, are they up to date? If you haven t looked at them in the last five years or so, they probably don t reflect the way you re actually doing business. By-laws are designed to help a congregation do its business in the most effective way possible, always remembering that a church is not primarily a business, but an expression of the kingdom of God on earth. (F ). Nevertheless, we have business to do: pastors to call, officers to elect, bills to pay, and programs to run. And we are committed to doing these things decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40). Here are a few things that you might need to change in your by-laws, if you haven t look at them lately: How congregational meetings are announced. The Book of Order used to be specific about this; now it says, Adequate public notice of all congregational meetings shall be given. Congregations shall provide by their own rule for minimum notification requirements and give notice at regular services of worship prior to the meeting. (G ). In other words, it s up to you to decide what constitutes adequate public knowledge, though it seems to me that the old rule of two weeks notice is still pretty good. Whatever you decide to do, though, it needs to be in your by-laws. How a quorum (the minimum number of members needed to do business) is determined. Again, the Book of Order leaves it up to you: Congregations shall provide by the rule the quorum necessary to conduct business. (G ). The size of the Session. Many congregations have found that they no longer need to have as many people on the Session as they once did. If your by-laws require a larger number, you should change the by-laws. If you prefer to start over, or if you can t find your by-laws, there is a file on the Presbytery web page called Sample Congregational Bylaws. Click on For Church Leaders and scroll down to Template Documents and then click on Sample Congregational Bylaws. When you click on it, it should download to your computer. If you prefer, you can ask Jeannie to you a copy or send you a print copy. Because it is a sample, you will need to customize it for your situation. Let me know if you need any assistance. Blessings, ~ 4 ~

5 A Word from Your Moderator Grace and peace to you! Something that always bring me joy is spending time with girlfriends. No matter what we end up doing, spending time with good friends is a balm to my soul. The laughter and tears are medicine to me. Recently I spent 4 days in St. Louis with 100 young clergywomen from all over the world, including about 8 of us from Iowa, and I can hardly put into words how beautiful and fulfilling it was. I loved seeing the Rev. Molly Dowell Baum again, because it had been a few years since we met at Lakeshore Center at Okoboji during a joint Presbytery meeting. The congregation I serve is teaming up with another local congregation to give women a night out with a purpose. We are hosting Mandy Sullivan, who grew up in the Cedar Heights Community Presbyterian Church congregation, for an evening of fun, fellowship and learning. Mandy will be reminding us that we are enough because God is enough. I will put a few details about the event below, and you can find the promotional poster elsewhere in this Presbytery Connection. I am excited to bring this event to Fort Dodge. Won t you consider bringing a group from your church? I am sure that many of the churches in our Presbyteries are within a two-hour drive to Fort Dodge. You could arrive to Fort Dodge early and grab a bite to eat before the event begins at 6:00. I d love to see you there! Joy, Rev. Sara Hill, Moderator Presbytery of North Central Iowa Tickets are $20 and exclusively sold on the Nurture Her Soul website ( under EVENTS. Your ticket purchase includes: o A three-hour experience, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Many will share personal stories, accompanied by humor, biblical truth and prayer. o You are welcome and encouraged to show up at 5:30 for social and appetizers! o Complimentary appetizers. o Complimentary drinks. o A gift for all. o Hilarious games with prizes. o Beautiful, live, contemporary Christian music performances. o More! ~ 5 ~

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7 The Presbytery of Prospect Hill did an amazing job of donating school supplies at the July Presbytery meeting. Following is a thank you letter received from Community Action Agency of Siouxland. Many children will have a great start to school thanks to your generosity! ~ 7 ~

8 North Central Iowa Mission Partnership Grant Applications REMINDER: August 25, 2018 is the submission deadline for the North Central Iowa Mission Partnership Grant Applications. Applications received after this date will not be accepted. Applications have been sent to all churches in the Presbytery of North Central Iowa. You may also find the application here. Available to a Good Home This Cannon imagerunner copier/printer is looking for a good home. It is about 9 years old and has served us well. All you have to do is come and pick it up and it is yours. If interested or want more information, please contact Gordon Moen or Martha Monroe at First Presbyterian Church, Jefferson. Our phone number is or we can be reached at firstpres@netins.net. Communion Set Available First Presbyterian Church, Ringsted, has a pewter communion set available. It includes real glass cups along with two or three bread trays, both with lids. They would be happy to send it to anyone who could use it! If you are interested, please contact Jodie White at jodievern@ringtelco.com or ~ 8 ~

9 This seminar is open to all Presbyteries and Churches! ~ 9 ~

10 Hunger Action Information Faith for Energy Equity Workshop Invitation You are invited to join in a new initiative in Iowa called Faith for Energy Equity. We are kicking off this initiative with workshops for faith leaders in Iowa to connect with one another and to imagine a shared response to energy inequity in our communities. There are three sessions. If you are in a faith leadership role, please register for the workshop nearest your location. If you would like a faith leader whom you know to join the workshop, please help us spread the word by forwarding this information. Sioux City: Register Now Important: Pre-registration is required. Monday, August 27, :30 a.m. Registration, 10:00 12:00 noon Workshop, followed by lunch at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Dr., Sioux City, Iowa. Des Moines: Register Now Tuesday, August 28, :30 a.m. Registration, 10:00 12:00 noon Workshop, followed by lunch at Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 3415 Third St., Des Moines, Iowa. Waterloo: Register Now Thursday, August 30, 2018, 9:30 a.m. Registration, 10:00 12:00 noon Workshop, followed by lunch at Jubilee United Methodist Church, 1621 E. 4 th St., Waterloo, Iowa. Please click here for the informational flyer What can the church do about the growing addiction crisis? There is an opioid addiction crisis sweeping the nation and there is no distinction between urban and rural areas. A June 2017 article in The New York Times identified drug overdose as the leading cause of death among Americans under 50, with two-thirds of those deaths from opioids. Churches want to help people find recovery, but critical knowledge and resources to address the crisis are just not consistently available across our region. Those who struggle with addiction and those who care about them often look to the church but find little help because they are under equipped even if they are an ideal place to provide hope and healing. The Synod of Lakes and Prairies has found a way to help churches fill that vital role and take steps to address the crisis by participating in the Faith & Addiction Conference, planned September 28-30, at the DoubleTree Hilton in Bloomington, Minnesota. The event is designed to help congregations, clergy and care givers address the opioid crisis. Hosted by the Fellowship of Recovering Lutheran Clergy (FRLC), the scheduled speakers include Nadia Bolz-Weber, Omar Manegwala and Anne Wilson Shaef and will feature interactive workshops and breakout sessions. ~ 10 ~

11 The synod encourages presbyteries to identify interested persons to attend. The synod will cover 20 registrations and invites not more than 2 per presbytery to apply for a scholarship. Attendees will be responsible for their own transportation and lodging costs. Priority will be for persons engaged in or representing existing addiction support collaborations, especially in urban areas, tribal communities, rural regions and marginalized populations. Those who receive a synod-paid registration will be expected to reconvene for a daylong session to share their experience and resources to provide support at the synod level that could be offered across the region. The Addiction and Faith Conference closes on Sunday morning. Commissioners and presbytery leaders attending the Fall Synod meeting, September 30-October 2, 2018, should note that the conference closes on Sunday morning prior to the evening opening of the synod meeting at Mt. Olivet Conference Center in Farmington, Minnesota. Please contact Elona Street-Stewart, synod executive, at for more information. The Addiction and Faith Conference is open to anyone interested in exploring the devastation of addiction and the remarkable healing process of faith. CEUs are available for health care professionals. The event will offer knowledge about addiction recovery, stories of learning and hope, and a celebration of God s abiding grace. The conference website is Additional conference details are available at Synod Racial Ethnic Scholarship Application Available Online The Synod of Lakes and Prairies offers a student scholarship program to encourage racial ethnic students in their preparation for academic success in higher education. Students must have a permanent residence within the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and be active members in a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation. The synod is committed to partner with students and schools for leadership development and quality instruction of clergy and lay persons for lifelong service. Scholarship awards are based on personal achievement, financial need and recommendation from a teacher and pastor. Details and an application form can be found at Student Scholarship Fund. ~ 11 ~

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13 More information can be found here. ~ 13 ~

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16 Meet the Missionaries Dr. Myoung Ho Yang and Ji Yeon Yoo Hong Kong, China Myoung Ho is professor of liturgical studies and sacred music at the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, a part of the Chinese University in Hong Kong. Ji Yeon supports him in this ministry. Their service is in response to a call to international missioin that each of them sensed several years ago in their native South Korea. It is our vision that the people in the world know and worship God, acknowledging God as their Creator, Redeemer, and Lord, they write. We believe that we are called to serve in this vision by proclaiming the word of God, sharing the love of God, and preparing pastors and missionaries through a ministry of teaching. Home presbytery/ecclesiastical body: Eastern Korea E200521, D Brian Thompson-Royer and Sandi Thompson-Royer Guatemala Brian and Sandi work with the women s organization of the National Presbyterian Church of Guatemala in its efforts to empower women. They are facilitating leadership development and helping to nurture relationships between Guatemalan women and Presbyterian women in the United States. Sandi believes miracles can happen when women take leadership roles in families, churches, and communities. I am a quiet leader, strong networker, and collaborator, bringing people s strengths and abilities together for goodness, she says. Brian adds that he wants his service to encourage brothers and sisters to grow in their peaceful walk of faith and in their capacity to love one another and themselves. Home presbytery: Inland Northwest E200334, D ~ 16 ~

17 For more information or to register, please click here. ~ 17 ~

18 The 2018 Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women will be held August 2-5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky is also the year that PW celebrates its 30 th anniversary! Advance registration for the Gathering will close on July 7. Register online or by mail! If you re not sure if you can attend or can t convince your friend to join you, no worries! On-site registration will be available, so continue to promote the Gathering and tell your friends they can register there! Please click here for information on Presbytery of North Central Iowa Ruling Elder Cohort led by Dr. Joe Small. Please click here for information on The Academy. ~ 18 ~