PRESBYTERY CONNECTION A Bi-Weekly Newsletter of the Presbyteries of North Central Iowa and Prospect Hill December 14, 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 319-233-1747 or northiowapresby@gmail.com To see Prospect Hill s calendar of events, please click here. If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving this communication, please email or call Jeannie. Please consider making copies of this newsletter for your Session and running several copies to make available to your congregation. www.presbynciowa.org www.prospecthillpresby.org ~ 1 ~
Prayers of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa Week of December 16 Grand Ji Vante (formerly The Presbyterian Village) CP Diane Martin, Chaplain Week of December 23 For those Elders and Pastors who have gone before us in 2018 Week of December 30 Pray for the Presbytery Staff: Rev. David Feltman, Pastor to the Presbytery Rev. Dr. S. Glenn Wilson, Stated Clerk Jeannie Stolee, Administrative Assistant Karen Kaiser, Finance Director Prayers of the Presbytery of Prospect Hill Week of December 2 Pray for the Presbytery Staff: Rev. Richard Francis, Stated Clerk Jeannie Stolee, Administrative Assistant Karen Kaiser, Finance Director Week of December 9 For those Elders and Pastors who have gone before us in 2018 Additional Prayer Concerns Please continue to keep Doug O Bannon, son of CP Shari O Bannon, in your prayers. Doug has a very rare genetic Alpha One liver disease and it is hoped he is getting ever closer to a liver transplant. Please include Doug s daughter, Chloe, and Shari in your prayers as well. Please remember all those who are spending their first holiday without a loved one. Please pray for all those who don t have a family to celebrate Christmas with, who don t have anywhere to go for a Christmas meal, and who don t have a warm place to sleep at night. 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 Presbytery Office Holiday Schedule The Presbytery Office will be closed December 24 th, December 25 th and January 1 st. ~ 2 ~
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2019 Per Capita North Central Iowa Prospect Hill $ 8.95 General Assembly $ 8.95 General Assembly 5.40 Synod 5.40 Synod 22.50 Presbytery 26.31 Presbytery $36.85 Total $40.66 Total ~ 4 ~
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Christmas Joy Special Offering December 2-23, 2018 Every generous act of giving... is from above. James 1:17 In the lead up to Christmas, many of us spend time in search of the perfect gift the gift that communicates to friends and family how much we know and love them. For those of us gathered together in Advent expectation, we know that the only perfect gift ever given was the one we received in Jesus Christ a perfect gift from a gracious God. Although we cannot give the perfect gift, we can give generously, knowing, as the New Testament letter of James says, every generous act of giving... is from above. 50% of your gifts make it possible for students to learn and grow in faith at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. 50% of your gifts provide assistance for current and retired church workers and their families with critical financial needs. Jesus was sent to lead his people, pointing to God through love and justice, peace and compassion, forgiveness and humility. We can never match God s perfect gift in Jesus, but through the Christmas Joy Offering, we can testify to who we have known God to be. Our gifts reflect our generous God. Our gifts support leaders in our Church and world past, present and future. For some, these gifts have taken the form of Emergency Assistance Grants after the devastation of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico active and retired pastors, as well as other church workers received assistance. For others, it was in the form of scholarships to Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color, allowing students to not only receive an excellent education, but to explore their faith intimately to become better leaders with values, ethics, and moral character. Hear how the Christmas Joy Offering assisted a family who is now a member of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa: I saw the reminder of those involved in the Christmas Joy Offering. I thought I d let you know that our family received help from that offering when I was expecting Joanna. This was during the time we lived in Kake, Alaska serving the Presbyterian church there. Travel into and out of the island where Kake is situation was (and still is) only accessible by plane and boat (ferry). The offering helped me get to my pre-natal appointments. As there was no physician or nurse on the island, I was required to stay in Juneau for two to three weeks waiting for Joanna s birth. The fund was instrumental in helping us afford all of this. Everything was more expensive in Alaska and these travel expenses were cost prohibitive at the time for us. Diane DiPietro Wilson Wife of Stated Clerk Rev. Dr. S. Glenn Wilson IF WE ALL DO A LITTLE, IT ADDS UP TO A LOT. ~ 6 ~
Ruling Elders and Clergy in Partnership The Presbytery of North Central Iowa invites all Clergy and Ruling Elders to a one-day training on Clergy and Ruling Elders in Partnership to be held on Saturday, January 26, 2019. Dr. Joe Small will begin the conversation for a cohesive, spiritually growing and active session for your work in 2019. Dr. Small will also offer guides to begin each session meeting for 2019. Registrations must be received by January 16, 2019. Click here for more information and for the registration form. Donations of Lowe s Gift Cards are Being Collected for Hurricane Florence Recovery Efforts in New Bern, North Carolina Churches and individuals have an opportunity to make a difference in the Hurricane Florence recovery efforts in the New Bern, North Carolina area. Lowe s gift cards are being collected and will be delivered and donated to the recovery efforts when North Central Iowa s mission trip team visits the area the first week of February, 2019. Please send gift cards by January 25, 2019, to: Rev. David Feltman 9206 Hess Rd. Waterloo, IA 50701 ~ 7 ~
Poor Richard s Almanac by Richard Francis, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Prospect Hill Just another Christmas, Just another tree; Just another candle Lit for you and me; Just another baby Sleeping in the hay; Just another Christmas, Just another day. Every time we tell it The story is the same: The shepherds and the angels, The wise men as they came; Yet every time we tell it The story s always new; Just another Christmas Come for me and you. In our Advent waiting May we hear the song Sung by choirs of angels Through the ages long. May we know the blessing Of the Christmas Day When God became a baby Sleeping in the hay. Blessings of the Season, A Word from Your Moderator And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. ~ 8 ~
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. (Luke 2:8-14, NIV) As I look back at Christmas throughout my years, it s amazing how my understanding of Christmas has changed. As a young child, Christmas held a special place in my heart, but not for the reasons it does for me now. Christmas was always a busy time. There were the Christmas programs at church, Christmas caroling with the Girl Scouts and youth groups, and of course lots of shopping. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day always followed the same pattern. My dad would work Christmas Eve and get home mid-afternoon. Then my three sisters and I would pile into the station wagon with lots of cookies and gifts as the whole family drove 40-some miles to the town where my mother s parents lived. My cousin on that side of the family would be there along with my aunt and uncle. We would open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. Then it was a big dinner with lots of cookies for dessert. And finally back home for a few hours of sleep. My older sister and I always woke up early on Christmas morning. I remember one year it was about 3:00 a.m., so Dad made us go back to bed. Otherwise, we d be up in our room playing with some of the games we received the night before until our younger sisters and Mom and Dad would get up. We would open presents at our house before once again piling into our station wagon loaded with presents and head 30-some miles in the opposite direction to visit my dad s parents. I have seven cousins on that side, though only two were usually there. I do remember a few years when all of us were together. We would open gifts once again that s three times for us before we had a big brunch. Then it was home to rest a bit, change into our Christmas dresses, load the car with cookies and carrot pudding with hard sauce an old tradition on my dad s side before we headed back to my grandparents for a huge Christmas dinner. I remember my sisters and cousins and I always had to have a least one of every different kind of cookie for dessert and there were usually a dozen or more different varieties! Of course, this changed over time. But it wasn t until my first year in college that I really noticed a big difference. That year we still had our Christmas Eve dinner, now at my mom s as her parents could no longer handle all this, and we still had Christmas morning at our house, but it was different. Suddenly it wasn t about the gifts or even the food. It was about Jesus birth. I d heard the passage from Luke 2 the passage Linus recites during A Charlie Brown Christmas so many times before, but it took on new meaning for me that year. Things changed again after I graduated college and left home. I have great memories from two very different Presbyterian churches I joined. The first was a small new church development. This is where I had the opportunity to really get involved and learn church. I served as a Deacon and an Elder. I joined the choir and did lots of things. Then one year I attended a traditional Christmas Eve service of lessons and carols at a larger church. As the pastor and associate pastor walked down the aisle lighting candles, they recited John 1 by memory. I was filled with a sense of the true meaning of Christmas I d never felt before. I transferred my membership to that church several months later. I joined the choir and the handbell choir and became involved with lots of things. This church had three services on Christmas Eve, one early family service for kids, then the service of lessons and carols at 8:00 and 11:00. It was a big night as the choir and the handbells were part of both services. Being at church at midnight made me think about Christmas in a different way too. ~ 9 ~
Then God called me to ordained ministry, so I m no longer able to be part of the choir or handbell choir. Now I lead Christmas Eve services and I work to help others experience the meaning of Christmas in a new way. I recite John 1 as candles are lit, praying to myself that others will experience some of what I felt that first time. I have been honored to serve as Moderator of the Presbytery of Prospect Hill this past year. It has been a joy to moderate presbytery meetings and to take part in the installation of a pastor. This year has flown by so fast. A huge thank you for everything you have done. May the coming year bring much joy and peace to all. Merry Christmas, Pastor Donna Gray Moderator, Presbytery of Prospect Hill Christmas Blessings to all from the Presbytery Office! We enjoy serving you and working with you in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jeannie Stolee, Administrative Assistant Karen Kaiser, Financial Director Rev. Richard Francis, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Prospect Hill Rev. David Feltman, Pastor to the Presbytery of North Central Iowa Rev. Dr. S. Glenn Wilson, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of North Central Iowa ~ 10 ~
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Meet the Missionaries Tracey King-Ortega Central America Based in Managua, Nicaragua, Tracey serves as regional liaison for Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. She consults with partner churches and organizations, nurtures presbytery and congregational partnerships, helps organize and sustain country mission networks, and supports the work of other PC(USA) mission personnel. Having my hands and heart in many different places and ministries, my service is about facilitating at the grassroots level while maintaining the big picture perspective, Tracey says. Home presbytery: Pacific E200518, D507539 Maribel Smith and Dennis Smith South America As regional liaison for South America, Dennis facilitates PC(USA) support for partner programs, builds relationships between the PC(USA) and its partners, and implements regional strategies. In addition, he is a resource to other mission co-workers and to the many PC(USA) presbyteries and congregations that have mission partnerships in this region. Maribel works within a network that treats post-traumatic stress and seeks alternatives to violence. Home presbytery: Chicago E200481 D503801 Please click here for information on The Academy. ~ 12 ~