ON BECOMING A MINISTER There s no question that being a minister of any faith is life-changing, all consuming and for many reasons not to be taken lightly but even the journey to becoming a minister can be overwhelming for many. Soon after Rev. Eric Griffis came to our church with Pastor Katherine, he shared some of his journey toward the ministry. Granted, Eric s education was quite a few years ago and requirements may have changed, but probably not all that much. The typical path to the ministry begins with a Bachelor of Arts in any subject from any fouryear college. That is followed by three years at seminary, in Eric and Katherine s case, Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey where they met. While Princeton Seminary is affiliated with Princeton University, it is a separate campus devoted solely to the study of theology. It is the largest and most prestigious of the ten Presbyterian seminaries in the United States. The first hurdle was obtaining the degree of Master of Theology which took two years followed by a Master of Divinity degree, another three years. If he had wanted to get his PhD, that would have taken another seven years of study. Studies of a modern language like German, French, Spanish or Russian were interspersed with classes on Biblical Greek and Hebrew to allow the student to read the Bible in its original languages. Religion classes included studies of the Old and New Testaments, theology (different approaches to understanding what God is trying to say to us), church history, Christian education, preaching as well as classes on the Book of Order (which outlines how the church is run) and worship (the Lectionary which delineates the conduct of worship). Next came five ordination exams. The first is called Polity which includes the running of the church (the Book of Order) followed by Bible content, Old and New Testament exegesis in which two in-depth papers are written on two separate Old and New Testament Bible passages. Then there is a section on worship and sacraments and finally a test of theology. Each section of the ordination exam takes four hours and a candidate only has three chances to pass. If the candidate doesn t pass the exams after three tries, the Presbytery may choose to give him an oral exam conducted by other ministers who ask him questions about the Bible and what he had learned during his years of training. If he also failed this oral exam, he could not become a minister. Once the ordination exams were successfully negotiated, the Presbytery votes on the candidate who, if approved, becomes part of the Presbytery rather than a member of a single church. After the candidate is approved by Presbytery, he can begin the search for a church but he doesn t become a pastor until he is actually called by a church.
When a church calls the candidate to be their pastor, he will be ordained in that church and only then is the call valid and he is actually a minister of the church. If he doesn t receive a call from a church, he isn t a minister. As rigorous as this training is, it doesn t necessarily end there. Although continuing education isn t mandatory, pastors are encouraged to continue their studies and may decide to get more training in particular areas that either appeal to them or are pertinent to their particular church setting. After hearing about all the in-depth education a pastor must go through just to become a pastor, it becomes more evident why they are called teaching elders. GONE BUT ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS During July we lost two of our dear friends, Bob Crane and Eric Griffis. Bob was a member of FPC for over 75 years and served as an Elder during those years. He passed away on July 16. A native of Chippewa Falls, he attended Chippewa schools and the University of Wisconsin, Madison before joining the Navy. After his military service, Bob returned to Chippewa and worked at Crane Lumber Company, which was founded by his grandfather and later owned by his father, until his retirement in 1989. Bob is survived by his wife, Verene, six children and stepchildren, a sister, Julie Stafford, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. * * * * * Eric Griffis came to Chippewa Falls as the husband of our interim pastor, Katherine Griffis. Although he was only with us for two short years, Eric made a large impact on the congregation and Presbytery. A native of Colorado, Eric attended Westmont College and Princeton Theological Seminary where he met Katherine. During his years as an ordained Presbyterian minister, Eric served as a parish pastor as well as a professor of philosophy. While he was in Chippewa, Eric sang in our choir, preached at FPC as well as the Presbyterian churches in Eau Claire, Cornell and Hannibal. In addition to his wife, Katherine, Eric is survived by two sons and their wives. Eric died in Columbus, Ohio at the home of his son, on July 11. * * * * * Joanne Ray, daughter of member Robert Hoover, passed away on July 22 at the age of 59.
WISCONSIN PRESBYTERY: IS BIGGER BETTER? July 2014 Presbytery of Northern Waters Moderator s Newsletter (In part) The members of our presbytery council met with the members of the councils of John Knox, Milwaukee and Winnebago presbyteries on Saturday, May 31, 2014. We met in Portage, WI to discuss the possibility of forming one presbytery, which would include all the Presbyterian churches in our four presbyteries the majority of which are in Wisconsin, but which also include churches in Iowa and Minnesota (and one in Michigan). At the end of the day, we unanimously voted to proceed with the vision of one large presbytery. Some of the details of the vision will be worked out by October and discussed at our Fall meeting in Eau Claire, October 24-25, 2014; and a first reading of the official proposal will be ready for discussion when all four presbyteries meet together May 3-4, 2015. Needless to say, there are many details to be worked out. One of the guiding thoughts is to take advantage of the efficiency of a larger presbytery for business matters, while providing pastoral care for churches and pastors in clusters of 6-8 churches. The biggest question for our presbytery, it seems to me, is, if we vote to be a part of this larger presbytery: Will our Minnesota churches want to be part of what will be basically a Wisconsin presbytery. (We were told at the meeting in May that most of the Iowa churches would probably vote to join a Iowa presbytery.) Our Council will discuss these matters when it meets on July 22. Then there is another joint council meeting scheduled for September. And by our presbytery meeting in October the Council should have a more definitive plan to present to the presbytery for discussion. Shalom. Joel Huenemann ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY PROJECT SLATED FOR AUGUST Now that Summer is officially here, so is our Adopt-A-Highway summer clean up. Although the date has not been finalized, it will be sometime in August. Further information on the exact date and time will be available soon. Our highway is located on State Highway 178 from County Highway B north two miles to 125 th Ave. There will be signup sheets in the Narthex for those who are interested in helping with this project. From 8 to 16 people are needed to fulfill our commitment. If you are interested, contact Chuck Norseng, project leader.
FALL BRINGS NEW PROGRAMS Plans for the Fall at FPC were discussed at the recent Ops Team meeting. The new Fall Member Directory should be published this month complete with updated information on doings for the coming months including possibly expanded Wednesday night activities. Pastor Karel is planning a five-week course of Extravagant Generosity to be taught on Sundays and Wednesday and presented in small group sessions led by members either in their homes or in the church. Tis the Season Sunday as well as un-decorating Sunday, craft-making for the bazaar and Deacon s potlucks in October, December, February and April were discussed. The Fall crop walk, PM, PW and Stewardship activities were discussed along with plans for youth and adult Sunday School. Pastor Karel plans to hold a confirmation class with at least two young people from the church. Fall promises to be an exciting time at FPC. Watch the Bell and Sunday bulletins for more information on new activities and programs. MISSION COALITION UPDATE You will remember back in April many of us packed Foods for Kidz as part of the Mission Coalition program. Now you will hear what happened next. Our group partnered with the International Disaster Emergency Services which found other groups to complete our shipment. We will pay 5 per meal to cover shipping costs and the international group will cover the balance. The rice we packed will be shipped by boat early this month to arrive before the end of the year. A group from Landmark Church will go to Haiti in January to oversee the food distribution. By early in 2015, the rice we packed will get to those who really need it in Haiti. The next Coalition project is the Crop Walk on October 5. More on that later. A BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING Just a reminder please be sure to turn off the lights if you are the last one to leave the church. On three separate occasions in July, the lights were left on in the Narthex, Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall or Vestibule. We may love Xcel Energy, but let s not get carried away!
SCRIP CARDS STILL AVAILABLE Gordy's scrip cards are still available for sale in $25, $50, and $100 increments. But if a specific amount is needed, they can be ordered accordingly. Orders are placed on Monday, and the cards may be picked up and paid for Sunday morning or during office hours Monday thru Friday. Corrine Boos is available to answer any questions about the scrip program. We have done very well with this project, and our thanks go to those helping to make it a success. HANDRAILS RECEIVE A NEW LIFE Many thanks to Jerry Geidd who primed and painted the handrails on the ramp leading into the church. Many hours were spent prepping the railings for paint and the result looks as good as (if not better than) new. MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR PURE WATER DAYS SERVICE Pastor Karel Hanhart will deliver the sermon at this year s Pure Water Days Sunday Service in the Park. The service will be at 10:00 on Sunday, August 10. This will be the only service for our church that day. The Pure Water Days service has traditionally been an ecumenical service including churches of various denominations in Chippewa Falls. This year s service will include Methodist, Lutheran churches as well as our own. In past years, this service has been attended by 200 to 300 worshippers from the community. In addition to FPC providing the sermon, we will also furnish the communion elements. If you wish to make your regular donation using your church envelope, that money will go to FPC and your account will be credited. Fellowship will follow the service at the gazebo in Irvine Park Mark your calendar for this special date. This service gives us an opportunity to worship in the park as well as socialize with our neighbors from other churches.
CARELINK SEEKS NEW COORDINATOR Carelink is in need of a part-time coordinator. The Coordinator oversees a team of volunteers that provides emergency assistance to people in need. The Coordinator s responsibilities include training and scheduling volunteers, purchasing and organizing materials, maintaining records, delivering materials on Thursday afternoons, and submitting regular reports to the Carelink Board. The ability to use email and create reports in Word and Excel are required. The Carelink Coordinator receives a $100/month stipend. For more information, please contact Brad Crocker at 715-726-1332 or landmarkchurch1@gmail.com. WORK ON IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS CONTINUES In order to improve communications between the various committees in the church and the membership in general, we have implemented a Meeting Minutes Project. Each committee has been asked to take and publish minutes of their meetings. These minutes will be collected by the Administrative Assistant and posted in the tower in the Narthex where they will be readily accessible by all members. Although the Communications Committee didn t meet during July, they have still been busy working on various aspects of information gathering and dissemination. Bruce Miller has completed his review and update of the visitor s packet which will be discussed at the August committee meeting. This new packet will replace the outdated one we have had available in the Narthex. The church bulk email program has been restored and several ebells have gone out albeit with sad news over the last month. This program has proved invaluable in the past to keep our members up to date on the latest happenings in the church. Along those same lines, work continues on the church website. Further updates on the website will be available in the near future. Within the next month, we should have a proposal from Gaber Signs in Chippewa for a possible new sign at the corner of the building facing the Island/Central intersection. Once the proposal has been reviewed by the Communications Committee, a recommendation will be sent to Ops for further consideration. If you have taken digital photos of events at the church, we would like to add copies to our photo-archive. Please contact Cherie Andringa if you have photos to submit.
PW MOVES AHEAD WITH PLANS FOR BAZAAR Summertime, warm breezes, friends and relatives come to visit and we all enjoy the different things that occur in these lovely days. But before you drift away this reminder is coming to probe your thoughts about our Holiday Bazaar. Perhaps you remember what appeared in the last issue of the Bell; a shorter Bazaar day, no supper being planned and limited booths selling various items and other changes. We want this to be a congregational event and try to reshape the activities. In order to do this we need ideas and interest from all of you. Please talk with any of the women on the steering committee! (Jeannette Miller, Julie Stafford, Barb Meredith, Kathi Mandelert, and Corine Boos.) The next Bell will carry the broader plan of what our fall Bazaar will be. Meanwhile please think of ways that you can help this fundraiser. Jeannette Miller, Bazaar Chair TEN THOUGHTS FOR TODAY S LIVING 1. Prayer is not a spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout our journey. 2. So why is a car s windshield so large and the rearview mirror so small? Because our past is not as important as our future. So, look ahead and move on. 3. Friendship is like a book. It takes a few minutes to burn, but it takes years to write. 4. All things in life are temporary. If they're going well, enjoy them... they will not last forever. If they're going wrong, don't worry... they can't last long either. 5. Old friends are Gold! New friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a base of Gold! 6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, Relax, friend, it's just a bend, not the end!" 7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in His abilities; when God doesn t solve your problems, He has faith in your abilities. 8. A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eyesight?" He replied, "Yes, losing your vision!" 9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you. 10. Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles... it takes away today's peace. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. AMEN!