December 21, 2017 The 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 319-233-1747 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 email 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. www.presbynciowa.org www.prospecthillpresby.org Page 1
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Presbytery of North Central Iowa December, 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4All Iowa Task Force, Northminster, Ames 9:30 5VMI, John Calvin Room 3:00 6 7Ames Cluster, Mandarin, 12:30 Council, First Pres., Ackley 8 9 10 11Presbyte ry Mtg. First Pres., Ackley 4:00 COM, First Pres., Ackley 5:00 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21Cluster in Grundy Ctr., Bethany Pres. 11:30 22 Presbytery Office Closed 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30Feltman Open House 11:00-4:00 Presbytery Office Closed 31 Page 3
Presbytery of North Central Iowa January, 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 Presbytery Office Closed 7 8Presbytery Mtg., First Pres, Ackley, 4:00 COM, First Pres., Ackley 5:00 9 10 11 12 13M&M, Northminster, Ames, 10:00 14 15Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Presbytery Office Closed 16 17 18All-Iowa Conversation Retreat 19All-Iowa Conversation Retreat 20Ruling Elder Cohort / New Elder Training 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Page 4
Presbytery of Prospect Hill December, 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4All Iowa Task Force, Northminster, Ames 9:30 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Presbytery Office Closed 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Presbytery Office Closed 31 Page 5
Presbytery of Prospect Hill January, 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 Presbytery Office Closed 7 8 9COM 10:00 12:00 10 11 12 13 14 15Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Presbytery Office Closed 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Page 6
Prayers of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa Week of Dec. 31 Week of January 1 Week of January 7 Pray for the Presbytery Staff Presbyterian Mission Agency Deployed Missionaries First Presbyterian Church, Maxwell Rev. Ian McMullen Week of January 14 Salem Church of Lincoln, Lincoln Rev. Barbara Muhs Week of January 21 First Presbyterian Church, Kamrar Rev. Paul Fischer Week of January 28 First Presbyterian Church, Cedar Falls Rev. Brad Braley Prayers of the Presbytery off Prospect Hill Week of January 1 Week of January 7 Memorial Presbyterian Church, Cherokee Rev. Eric Wright First Presbyterian Church, Carroll Rev. Rikki Sorensen Week of January 14 First Presbyterian Church, Schaller Rev. Michael Sydnor Week of January 21 First Presbyterian Church, Manning Rev. Nancy Anderson Week of January 28 First Presbyterian Church, Spirit Lake Rev. Clint Loveall Rev. Michael Gewecke Page 7
Additional Prayer Concerns Please keep Lorna Peters, CP at Rolfe Shared Ministries, in your prayers. Please keep Rev. Brice Hoyt and his family in your prayers as they grieve the death of Brice s brother. Funeral arrangements are pending at this time. Please keep Ryder Warnke, great-grandson of Diane Martin, CP at First Presbyterian Church in Ackley, in your prayers. Ryder was born to Bailey and Adam Warnke of Carroll on December 8, 3½ weeks early by an immediate necessary C-section. He took a helicopter ride to Blank Children s Hospital in Des Moines after sustaining two broken arms in his delivery. The next day he was transferred to Iowa City because they have a better neuromuscular physical therapy specialists department. All of his other tests are coming back excellent and his arms are healing nicely and aligned properly with all of his other bones, which are strong. A few days ago he had gained over a pound from his birth weight. He does like a full tummy. He is doing very well, but prayers for his continued successes are appreciated for him and also for his parents and grandparents as they stay with him or travel back and forth for jobs that cannot wait. Please keep Bien, Marinella and Manny Acosta in your prayers as they have returned to Iowa and are living in Fort Dodge. Please keep Bev Schumann, mother of Administrative Assistant Jeannie Stolee, in your prayers, as she is experiencing health problems. Page 8
Churches and Pastors in Transition The following churches are in transition: Presbytery of North Central Iowa Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Ames First Presbyterian Church, Albion First Presbyterian Church, Grundy Center First Presbyterian Church, Jesup First Presbyterian Church, Reinbeck Presbytery of Prospect Hill First Presbyterian Church, Alton Wheatland Presbyterian Church, Breda Elliot Creek Presbyterian Church, Bronson First Presbyterian Church, Cleghorn Union Church, Lake City Community Presbyterian Church, Lawton First Presbyterian Church, South Sioux City Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Storm Lake The Presbytery of Prospect Hill wishes Rev. Cynthia Ripperger well as she leaves Elliot Creek Presbyterian Church in Bronson and Community Presbyterian Church in Lawton to take a call at First Presbyterian Church in Creston. Congratulations to Rev. Brian and Abby Camara, married at First Presbyterian Church in Glidden on December 3. Page 9
Christmas Open House at the Feltmans Saturday, December 30th 11 a.m. 4 p.m. 9206 Hess Road Waterloo RSVP appreciated by contacting Dave at davidafeltman@gmail.com Page 10
New Elder Training Saturday, January 20, 2018 / 9:30 AM 2:00 PM So you ve been asked to serve on Session? We can help you feel equipped to serve God and your local church in this capacity! NCI Presbytery invites all ruling elders to this one-day training on what it means to be a Ruling Elder. By using the Book of Order, Scripture, and the constitutional questions asked at your ordination as elder, we will equip you to serve on your Session. We will provide you a chance to get to know ruling elders from around the Presbytery, as well as deepen friendships with ruling elders currently serving in your own church. This is a wonderful opportunity if you are new to serving on Session or are currently serving. We will meet in room 101 of the Reg Johnson building at Ellsworth Community College, Iowa Falls. Lunch will be included. The class will be led by three pastors who serve churches in our Presbytery. Please RSVP to Jeannie Stolee in the Presbytery Office at northiowapresby@gmail.com or 319-233-1747. *Our Ruling Elder Cohort will also be meeting at the same time and location in room 100. Page 11
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS Per Capita and Annual Report Forms Per Capita has been set by each Presbytery as follows: Presbytery of North Central Iowa General Assembly $ 7.73 Synod $ 5.40 Presbytery $20.26 Total $33.39 North Central Iowa annual report forms were handed to the churches who had representation at the November 5 Presbytery Meeting. The rest were sent in the mail the week of November 6. Presbytery of Prospect Hill General Assembly $ 7.73 Synod $ 5.40 Presbytery $24.00 Total $37.13 Prospect Hill annual report forms were mailed to all churches on December 4. It is important that all forms be completed and returned to the Presbytery Office! Page 13
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS, continued Special Called Presbytery Meeting Presbytery of North Central Iowa When: Monday, January 8, 2018 Time: Location: Purpose: 4:00 p.m. First Presbyterian Church 1300 4th Ave. Ackley, Iowa To examine Charlie Flick and Erin Marth, and to receive any other nominations Mission & Ministry Committee Meeting Presbytery Of North Central Iowa When: Saturday, January 13, 2018 Time: Location: 10:00 a.m. Northminster Presbyterian Church 1416 20th St. Ames, Iowa Page 14
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS, continued The Presbytery Office will be closed the following dates: Friday, December 22 and Monday, December 25, for Christmas Monday, January 1, for New Years Day Monday, January 15, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Attention Church Treasurers: In an effort to keep up-to-date on the 2017 financials and to not carry things over into 2018, for any remittances to be included in your church s 2017 giving (i.e. per capita, missions, etc.) the remittance must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2017. Anything postmarked after that date will be credited to 2018. The Post Office Box in Waterloo will be closed on December 31, 2017. Please send ALL mail to the Presbytery Office, Lakeshore Center at Okoboji, 1864 Hwy. 86, Milford, IA 51351. Another Opportunity to Assist with Rebuilding Beaumont, Texas When the participants of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa take their mission trip to Beaumont, Texas, in February, they would like to take gift cards to give to the residents to help with their rebuilding. If you would like to donate a gift card, please mail it by January 26 to: David Feltman 9206 Hess Rd. Waterloo, IA 50701 Page 15
Meet the Missionaries Dr. Bernard Adeney-Risakotta and Dr. Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta Indonesia Bernie and Farsijana teach at Duta Wacana Christian University, where they help prepare Christian leaders to serve the church in the world s largest Muslim country. Farsijana is helping develop a peace studies program, while Bernie also works with the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies Yogyakarta, the world s first consortium that involves a Christian university, a Muslim university, and a secular university. Bernie and Farsijana s home is a center for hospitality and creative reconciliation. Home presbytery: San Francisco E200303, D506007 Carlton Cobbie Palm and Dessa Palm Philippines Working alongside the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Cobbie reaches out and witnesses to Christ in various ways. He leads seminars for pastors and lay leaders to enhance their skills in evangelistic preaching. He works to enable development projects such as clean water, waste, and sanitation, and he leads value formation seminars for youth in conflict with the law. He also promotes peace and reconciliation through his advocacy role in Christian-Muslim peace talks. Dessa works in a theater ministry with the UCCP that advances its evangelism and advocacy efforts. Together, the Palms provide sacred space for Young Adult Volunteers who will explore their call to serve God in the church and in the world. Home presbytery: Hudson River E200393, D506901 Page 16
Thoughts of David Feltman, Pastor to the Presbytery, North Central Iowa Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, This will be our last E-News for 2017. I begin with THANKS. We express our gratitude to Lee Nicholas for serving as our treasurer for over 15 years. He has been a steady, reliable source of information and help. The move of the office fuels the need to have someone closer to the office at Lakeshore Center. Karen Kaiser, a Ruling Elder from the Fort Dodge congregation, with a home at the lakes, was elected and will begin serving in the volunteer position of treasurer. Our thanks to Lee and Karen. We are celebrating Jeannie Stolee s first anniversary as Administrative Assistant of the shared office with Prospect Hill. Donn Martens is completing his first year in the financial role for Lakeshore Center and the two presbyteries. It has been quite a pull for both of them with all the start up of a new office. Thanks. Our thanks to Beth Ehlers and the staff at Lakeshore Center who are making it feel like home. Please note the PO Box in Waterloo will no longer be available as of December 31. THE ADDRESS for North Central Iowa Presbytery is NCIP, the Presbytery Office, Lakeshore Center, 1864 Highway 86, Milford, IA 51351. Jeannie will forward correspondence to me or you can use my home address 9206 Hess Road, Waterloo, IA 50701. Thank you to all who have served on Committees in 2017 and we are grateful for the willingness of those taking new assignments in 2018. Our thanks to all the churches and individuals who continue to support the larger Church with your mission dollars. We seek to be good stewards of those dollars. Page 17
Thoughts of David Feltman, continued The challenges for the church and the challenges for the witness of Christ in the culture are massive. It can be overwhelming. In this season when we light candles of hope, peace and love, let us remember the power of lighting one little candle. You have seen it fill a sanctuary on Christmas Eve. The Presbytery has given a copy of CRADDOCK STORIES to every preacher who is filling one of our pulpits. Fred Craddock, a teacher of preachers, was a great story teller. It is my hope his book will fuel the store teller in every preacher and teacher. This is one of his stories. A young woman said to me, during her freshman year of college, I was a failure in my classes; I wasn t having any dates; and I didn t have as much money as the other students. I was so lonely and depressed and homesick and not succeeding. One Sunday afternoon, she said, I went to the river near the campus. I had climbed up on the rail and was looking into the dark water below. For some reason or another I thought of the line, Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you. She said, I stepped back, and here I am. Craddock asked, Where did you learn that line? She replied, I don t know. Do you go to church? Well, when I visited my Grandmother in the summers we went to Sunday School and Church. (p. 33) Someone lit a candle and did not even realize it. Blessings on your Christmas and the New Year. With love in Christ, David Feltman Page 18
Poor Richard s Almanac By Richard Francis, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Prospect Hill In my last column for the E-News, I wrote, There is just a lot more noise in the month of December than at other times of the year, and it can make it hard to hear God s voice. So I found I had to take time, make time, and listen harder. One of the ways I have found to do that is on my Smartphone. If you don t have a Smartphone or a tablet you can stop reading. But if you do, or think you might be getting one for Christmas, read on: The Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a section on Daily Prayer; this section is also available as a stand-alone book, and I see that a revised version of the Daily Prayer book will be available in May of 2018. It s an excellent resource, well worth the money. And the contents of the Daily Prayer are also available on an app for both Android and iphone platforms. It s called Daily Prayer PC(USA) and it s $1.99 from the Google App Store or Apple. Depending on the time of day you open it, it gives you a daily liturgy for Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer, or Prayer at the Close of the Day. For all but the last, you get the readings from the Daily Lectionary, a Prayer for the Day, a Collect, and the Lord s Prayer. Once again: if you have a devotional practice that works for you and is not as technology-enabled as this, I m not suggesting that you make any changes. But if you find yourself snatching your prayer times out of the day, as busy people often do, this might be a way to take time, make time, and listen harder. And if you can t get to it during Advent, there s always that New Year s resolution. Blessings on your Advent and on your Celebration of the Incarnation, Page 19
Moderator s Message Where has the year gone? Whenever we would get impatient, my grandmother always told us kids the day would come when we would want time to slow down. We didn t believe her. I must admit, Grandma, you were right. Each year seems to pass more swiftly than the last one. I wish each of you a most blessed and wonderful Christmas and hope that you take time to enjoy the peace and joy of the season amid the extra services to plan, the regular services to plan and the general busyness of the season. As the year and my term as your Moderator comes to a close, I want to thank the Presbytery of Prospect Hill for the patience and support you showed as I learned the position and carried out the duties and responsibilities of Moderator. I thank you for the privilege and honor of ordaining and/or installing six new pastors to our presbytery. What a blessing to have had the opportunity to build new friendships and get to know people from all over the Presbytery as well as North Central Iowa people. The All Iowa Presbyterians Task Force has added to that blessing. To see the church working together to do what God commands to serve those in need (and not just with physical needs), spread the Gospel and to be a light to our communities and beyond is truly inspiring. One never knows how the smallest things we do, sometimes without even realizing it, will impact another s life. Sometimes the greatest comfort comes in the most ordinary, everyday things. Speaking of ordinary things, did you know that the idea of a Christmas tree was to be a reminder of God s eternity and never changing steadfastness? It is traditionally attributed to St. Boniface, an 8th century Catholic missionary in Germany. He chose the evergreen because of its never changing green color. It is also believed that Martin Luther was the first to add lights to the tree to remind us the Christ child came to be the Light of the World. Gradually that expanded to include putting lights on the outside of our homes. Colorful lights and ornaments were added to remind us of the joy of knowing and following Christ. For the same reason, the round evergreen Christmas wreath is intended to be another reminder that God is eternal, that He has no beginning and no end. Page 20
Moderator s Message, continued Lastly, did you know the origin of Santa lies in the spirit of giving and sharing with others? God started it with the greatest gift of all that being his Son, our Savior. The Magi furthered the spirit of giving when they brought gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. The gold is believed to be how the Holy Family was financially able to flee to Egypt. Myrrh and frankincense were spices used to embalm bodies a foretelling of Christ s death. A Russian bishop, Nicholas, serving in Turkey in the 4th century AD, was known for leaving gifts for the needy, not just at Christmas but throughout the year. They were left during the night as he would not be seen. He was later declared a saint thus St. Nicholas, which eventually evolved into Santa Claus. As you view the colorful decorations, the trees, wreaths, lights and, yes, even Santa, this year, I hope you can see beyond the commercialism and remember the eternity and steadfastness of our God, the joy of being in His presence and the spirit of giving to others all of which were a part of that first Christmas. May you also share the meanings behind these every day, yes and over commercialized, symbols of God s love and joy with the children in your lives that they may learn and relate to the true meaning of the season. Blessings for a Most Merry Christmas and a Joyous 2018, Lou Baker, 2017 Moderator Presbytery of Prospect Hill Page 21
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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. Page 26
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 Page 27
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