November 25, 2016 John Calvin Presbytery P. O. Box 787, Shell Knob, Missouri 65747 Pastoral Presbyter P. 1 Prayer List P. 2 Contact Information P. 2 Woodland Heights Bazaar P. 3 Hollister Women Ministry P. 3 Aurora First Rededication P. 4 Shell Knob Trinity ministry P. 4 Psalm 100 ( The Message ) 1-2 On your feet now applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. 3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn t make him. We re his people, his well-tended sheep. 4 Enter with the password: Thank you! Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, Loyal always and ever. From Your Pastoral Presbyter Thanksgiving - what does it mean to you? How is your faith lived out as we take time to recognize God s generosity in our lives? Each community has it s own tradition. Some of those traditions go as far back as people can remember and some are rather recent. A lot of those traditions have to do with feeding those who are in need. An old tradition is in place at St. John Lutheran Church in Pittsburg, Kansas where on Thanksgiving day, they will have a community Thanksgiving dinner. This dinner has a long history in the community and the members of the Pittsburg Presbyterian Church are involved in that ministry. In another community, a new tradition is beginning. This year in the community of Forsyth, Missouri, for the first time, churches and others are pooling their resources and hosting a community Thanksgiving dinner. Their goal is to provide a day of fellowship and good food for people who are either alone or simply can't afford a Thanksgiving meal. The members of Community Presbyterian Church have helped make this meal a possibility. I am thankful for the many churches and other organizations that make it possible for people who are in need of food and fellowship to find that need met in the communities around John Calvin Presbytery. Have a great Thanksgiving and may God bless our communities as we seek to be faithful in our calls to minister to those in need. Pastor Susan PAGE 1
Please pray for.. 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. 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, as they seek to understand God's call moving forward. JC Living Waters Mission Team. Bob Field, health concerns. Bob is an honorably retired minister in JCP. He lives in Kimberling City Please pray for Mike Galer for rehabilitation. Mike was a victim of the shooting at Lockwood. Mike and his wife are part of First Presbyterian Church of Lockwood, Missouri, where she is the organist. Keila Greg Ferree appreciates all the prayers for his daughter Keila. After one surgery last week, she has now had a second surgery on her right lung, all went well. The aim is to do a similar surgery on her left lung in a week. Greg is pastor of First Presbyterian Church Nevada, Missouri Cards of encouragement can be sent to: Keila Ferree, 12828 S. Twilight Dr., Olathe, KS 6606 LaDonna Scruggs, Melana Scruggs mother. Health issues. Melana is the Governance Presbyter Stated Clerk for John Calvin Presbytery. Scott, prayers for job opportunities. A prayer request from JCP website. CONTACT. Pastoral Presbyter, Susan Rosenbaum By cell phone: 620-674-1844 or by email: pastoralpresbyter@gmail.com Stated Clerk, Melana Scruggs By cel 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
Your are invited to Aurora First Presbyterian Sunday, December 4 10:45 a.m. for the 100 Year Church Building Rededication Service 4 East College, Aurora Missouri December 1916 the congregation of Aurora First Presbyterian dedicated their newly built church building. To the honor of Thy law; to the witness of Thy truth, to the proclamation of Thy Gospel, and to the glory of Thy name. That in this place Thy children may assemble for prayer and praise and be taught and comforted in the divine life; may find the communion of saints and the fellowship of God s redeemed. On Sunday morning, December 4, 2016, we invite you to join us as we rededicate His house in the same manner on the occasion of the one hundred year anniversary. PAGE 3
COM Training Event Every month, members of COM host a required boundaries training for pastors at Presbytery Day which helps us fulfill our mandate to help our pastors stay on top of issues which may challenge them in their calls to serve. Shared Mission dollars help COM to offer free quality education. Creative Ministry Grants JCP desires to encourage churches to think outside the box when it comes to ministry. As a result, these grants were created in 2012 to help applicants do ministry that they had never before attempted because they did not have the resources. We have helped fund many amazing ministries since the creation of this grant. The Blankets of Hope Ministry YOUTH TRIENNIUM Every three years, the youth of PC (USA) gather at Purdue University for a week of amazing worship and fellowship. In 2016, John Calvin Presbytery sent 32 youth and adults to Triennium and they had a wonderful time. Your Shared Mission dollars helped pay for transportation, t-shirts and some meals so those 32 people could experience the love of God in ways that they will never forget. CAMPS AND CONFERENCES JCP seeks to make camping experiences available to all those who wish to participate by giving partial scholarships to campers and donations to the camps outside our bounds who allow our children and young adults to attend. These life changing experiences prepare our leaders for the future. Equipping the Saints Educational Opportunity The Mission and Nurture Committee hosts an Equipping the Saints educational time at each Presbytery Meeting and will be hosting a Presbyterywide event on October 21, 2017. These are opportunities for people to hear and learn from leaders from different facets of faith. Peacemaking Grants These grants are given to churches seeking to live out their faith in ways that promote peacemaking and helps fund those who wish to attend the Peacemaking Conference of the PC (USA)..Campus Ministries These are funds which are donated to United Ministries in Higher Education and its ministry to college students on their campus. JCP Presbyterian Disaster Assistance John Calvin Presbytery Disaster Assistance (JCPDA) has been active for over 10 years in helping communities rebuild after disaster. Making at least 2 mission/ work trips a year to disaster affected areas and helping areas in the Presbytery recover from disaster, JCPDA has made over 30 mission/work trips. Emergency Fund for Pastors Due to the nature of the pastoral call, there are times when emergencies arise that strain even the most careful planner s budget. JCP believes that, as a part of our call to support the Teaching Elders in our Presbytery, we can sit alongside of pastors when they are in need. This fund helps us live out our connectedness as brothers and sisters in Christ. Pastoral Presbyter Shared Mission donations fund the position of Pastoral Presbyter. Pastor Susan Rosenbaum serves in this position and is responsible for being the pastor to pastors, financial oversight of the Presbytery and works to build connections between the churches and Presbytery. These duties lead her to preach in churches the Sunday after a pastor has resigned, to be on call when pastors are in need of a listening ear, to work on making sure the Presbytery is using funds wisely, to attend and give input for four of the committees of Presbytery and to communicate on a regular basis with the congregations within the bounds of JCP. Crane Presbyterian Reading is Fundamental Mountain View/Willow Springs Small Church Resource Grant This grant was created in 2013 to assist the small church of under 75 members in purchasing resources which will help their outreach to the community and their congregations. In 2016, we have helped fund the restoration of stained glass windows and the replacement of doors that were leaking and causing a mold problem. We are better when we are together.
Shared Mission is at the heart of John Calvin Presbytery. Through Shared Mission giving, we fund Creative Ministry Grants, Small Church Resource Grants, and Continuing Education Scholarships. These funds help us think outside the box when it comes to new and exciting ways to do and become equipped for ministry. As John Calvin Presbytery seeks to serve 3,199 Presbyterians within our bounds, we count on you to support us with your Shared Mission pledges. In 2016, your pledges helped us fund several different grants including one that helped a church repair stained glass and one church with door replacement to stop water and mold problem. We would like to thank you for your generosity in 2016 and your continued faithfulness in the coming year. Please prayerfully consider your congregation s commitment to Shared Mission and fill out the pledge form and mail to Susan Rosenmbaum, P. O. Box 787, Shell Knob or email to pastoralpresbyter@gmail.com. Congregational Stewardship ~ Shared Mission Pledge 2017 1. The Session agrees to work at tithing our income to the larger church. 2. $ (total) is our pledge to the Shared Mission of John Calvin Presbytery, Synod of Mid-America and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to be broken down in the following manner: JCP 70%, Synod of Mid America 10% and General Assembly 20%. [Percentages approved by Presbytery in 2011] OR 3.Our Session has determined the Shared Mission distribution will be as follows for 2017: 4. Theological Fund for Seminary Support Yes, $ No These pledges will be remitted: Monthly Quarterly Annually Other Signature Date approved by Session Church: Address: Treasurer s Name: Address: City, State & Zip: Shared Mission and Per Capita funds are to be mailed directly to the Pastoral Presbyter, Susan Rosenbaum at the following address and please return this form to: John Calvin Presbytery - P. O. Box 787 - Shell Knob, MO 65747 Or Email to: pastoralpresbyter@gmail.com Please return this form by or before December 16, 2016