John Calvin Presbytery P. O. Box 787, Shell Knob, Missouri 65747 July 14, 2017 From Your Pastoral Presbyter P. 1 Prayer List / Joys P. 2 Presbytery Days P. 2 Contact Info/Announcements P. 2 Hillcrest Concert Series P. 3 First Joplin-Burgess Luncheon P. 4 Presbytery Meeting Lunch P. 4 CRE-Classes-Dubuque P. 5 Thinking Out Loud - PCUSA P. 5 Hebrews 10 : 24-25 ( THE MESSAGE ) So let s do it full of belief, confident that we re presentable inside and out. Let s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching From Your Pastoral Presbyter... I am excited about the Creative Ministry Grants that we have received this year. The creativity of churches never ceases to amaze me. And as I talk to the churches who have submitted these grants, as in years past, their process has been very open to what God would have them do. I am glad that, as a Presbytery, we can support creative ministry within our bounds. I would also like to remind everyone about Shared Mission. Shared Mission is the portion of our budget that is used to support the ministries that God is calling us to do in JCP. This includes the Creative Ministry Grants, the Small Church Resource Grants, the Peacemaking Grants, Camp Scholarships, Equipping the Saints, JCPDA, Living Waters of the world, Campus Ministries, Pastoral Presbyter expense and the Mission and Nurture Committee. Most of the monies you donate do go to these ministries, however, I also want to bring up something that I do not believe that many people realize. We have several churches in our Presbytery who do not pay per capita. We have two streams of income in JCP, Shared Mission and per capita. We are required to pay our per capita to Synod and General Assembly, even if we do not receive per capita from all our churches. The funds to pay that per capita must come from Shared Mission funds because all the per capita income is spent on the things we are required to do, so there is no extra to cover what is not received. That means less money for mission. Our Presbytery meeting is just around the corner and I hope to see you all there. Have a great week! Pastor Susan PAGE 1
Joyful, holy community of Christian believers, diverse yet united. committed to serving Christ in the church and in the world. Prepared by God through the Holy Spirit for mission and ministry. Prayers requested.. The congregations of John Calvin Presbytery For all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, that they may know the peace that passes all human understanding in Jesus Christ our Lord. Churches that are seeking a new pastor, to understand God's call moving forward. JCPDA JC Living Waters Mission Team All Pastors of John Calvin Presbytery All who have been affected from flooding Sam Stover, Recovering from stroke. Cards of encouragement can be sent to: Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, 2415 De la Vina, Santa Barbara, CA 93102-0689 Sam is the pastor at First Presbyterian Mt. Vernon. Upcoming Presbytery Days.. August 17 at First Presbyterian Church Nevada Missouri We will provide the mandatory boundaries training for persons serving churches in pastoral roles, from 10 a.m. until noon with lunch following. If you are staying for lunch please RSVP by Tuesday before Presbytery Day to: pastoralpresbyter@gmail.com. Each participant will be required to read the training manual before attending the training and then participate in case study discussions at the group meeting. The Boundaries Manual is posted on the home page of our web site, jcpresbytery.com. CONTACT. Pastoral Presbyter, Susan Rosenbaum By cell phone: 620-674-1844 or by email: pastoralpresbyter@gmail.com Stated Clerk, Melana Scruggs By cell phone: 417-489-0024 or by email: melanascruggs@gmail.com By mail: P.O. Box 46, Crane, Missouri 65633 John Calvin Presbytery website is jcpresbytery.com Please send your Shared Mission, Per Capita Apportionment and all special offerings to. John Calvin Presbytery, P.O. Box 787, Shell Knob, MO 65747 Please email all items, joys, and concerns wishing to be at jcpresbytery@jcpresbytery.com by 12 noon on Wednesdays. PAGE 2
Hillcrest "Live on the Lawn" Concert Series 2017 Not Church Music but Great Music at a Great Church!! It s been said the Honkytonk Renovators take the stage like Johnny Cash on steroids, renovating the true honkytonk sound and this year is shaping up to be just as exciting. Don t miss the chance to come out and experience the hottest country act in the Midwest, the Honkytonk Renovators! Hope to see you this Sunday, July 16! The Hillcrest "Live on the Lawn" series will be held each Sunday eve at 6:30pm through July 23rd. Hillcrest Presbyterian Church is located at 818 E Norton Road in Springfield, Missouri. The Series is free to the public and all are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, blanket and picnic dinner and don't forget to bring a friend! The Music will cover the gambit from Bluegrass to Rockabilly. The line-up this year is July 16th-- July 23rd-- The HonkyTonk Renovators Blue Plate Special A big Thanks! to JCP for the Creative Ministry Grant in 2016 which gave us the start of "Live on the Lawn". Please come and join us for our 2017 edition. Everyone is welcome! PAGE 3
509 South Pearl Joplin Missouri All are welcome to join us for a luncheon to celebrate our seven years with Reverend Dr. Dave Burgess to wish him well in his new call! Noon Sunday, July 16 August 7, 2017 ~ 187th Stated Meeting of John Calvin Presbytery Ash Grove Missouri ~ United Methodist / Presbyterian Church 403 East Boone Ash Grove, Missouri Lunch Reservations due by August 2! Lunch Menu Summer Picnic - Cost $10 Cold Fried Chicken - Pasta Salad - Spinach Salad - Homemade Yeast Rolls - Assorted Desserts Please make reservations by August 2 by emailing Patti Moulin at pmoulin10@gmail.com. PAGE 4
The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that we will be offering eight online courses for Commissioned Ruling Elders in our CLP/CRE lay ministry program, scheduled from September 5 to December 16, 2017. OUR TRADITIONAL EIGHT FALL CLASS OFFERINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS AND REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN. Introduction to Old Testament Dr. Mercedes Garcia Bachmann Introduction to New Testament Dr. Jordan Ryan Christian Education Dr. Susan Forshey Pastoral Care Dr. Beth McCaw Introduction to Preaching Dr. Lyle Vander Broek Presbyterian Polity Dr. Richard Shaffer Reformed Theology Dr. David Congdon Reformed Worship & Sacraments Dr. Richard Shaffer The tuition rate is $390.00 per course. As always, current students can register by going online and paying via PayPal at http://udonline.dbq.edu/mod/page/view.php?id=301859 or by contacting me (CGibbons@dbq.edu or 563-589-3630 / 1-888-207-8218), to pay by credit card or check. For more information: http://udonline.dbq.edu/mod/page/view.php?id=301859 Many years ago, the question crossed my mind what makes some churches grow by leaps and bounds while others decline? The obvious answers to this question lie in a clear sense of mission, spiritual health, resources, location, and leadership. This list is short and oversimplified. Included in each of these categories are a web of multi-layered complexities of what ifs and maybes. Nonetheless, there is one area that I believe is key for church growth effective leaders. As you are reading this, I wonder if you have formed in your mind images of the persons that fits your perception of an effective leader? Maybe it s your childhood pastor? A politician? Or a teacher who not only educated pupils but poured love and inspiration into the lives of their students? So often when the topic of leadership is raised, our images of good leaders are too restrictive. Do you believe today in the minds of most people great leaders include women and men of all ethnic groups and generations? Our perceptions in this area is changing, however, we still have work to do. Embracing a diversity of leaders means these individuals are not only invited to the table but are empowered to shape new norms. Leaders today come from all ethnic groups, cultures, genders, and social places in life. Effective leaders today empower others, share power, advocate for justice, provide vision, inspire, and collaborate. Margaret Heffern calls us out to recheck our thinking about leadership. Heffern states we no longer need superstars rather we need to embrace a new definition of leadership. Leadership is an activity in which conditions are created in which everyone can do their most courageous thinking together. In summary, good leaders make space for leadership succession. Effective managers are permissiongiving. They seek to grant autonomy so that creativity can freely flow among employees. These leaders have the capacity to create an environment of excitement and anticipation. As authentic leaders, they can work from their areas of strength and be honest about their own growing edges. More than just working to build a team, effective leaders practice teaming, a concept of distributed leadership, blending relating people, listening to other points of view, coordinating actions, making shared decisions, and calling for the development of both affective (feelings) and cognitive (thinking) skills within groups. The growth of the church is depended upon the spiritual and professional growth of leaders. Summer is a good time to retool and to begin thinking about new forms of leadership. Thinking out loud. SanDawna Ashley Assistant Stated Clerk, Manager for Call Process and Teaching Elders Ministries SanDawna.Ashley@pcusa.org PAGE 4