september2010

emerge/presbytery of the twin cities area/ september 2010/ 1

The following was written by Linda Wold, a member of Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Golden Valley, MN for the August issue of Valley Pres, the church newsletter.

Whew!!! What a whirlwind “adventure” the

Ramp Up! Project has been: so many committed volunteers, wonderful clients, cooperative weather (mostly), talent galore, food in abundance, and heartfelt gratitude from all our cli-ents.

The Ramp Up! Project all began in 2009 when the youth were traveling to Kalispell, MT to build ramps, and they put in a request for funds from the Mission Possible Team. The team granted their request and provided $1,500 from its budget, with the caveat that these youth would come back to Valley and teach this congregation how to build ramps, so we could do so in our own community. The youth followed through with their obligation and in early 2010, came to the Mission Possible Team fully prepared to honor their part of the bargain.

The rest is history and the 2010 Ramp Up! Project was off and running. It has been an inter-generational “pay it forward” experience of ministry for this congregation that all began with the Kalispell Mission Trip.

“your church sure must be a wonderful one”

by linda wold

...rivers of living water

emerge a publication of the presbytery of the twin cities area

september 2010

A woman walks down her new ramp courtesy of Valley Com-munity Presbyterian in Golden Valley, MN. Photo from Valley Community Presbyterian.


Each and every one of our clients were so impressed with the work that was done, the careful attention to detail, the kindness and proficiency by the youth and adults alike. I can’t tell you how many times I heard one client or another tell me “what wonderful young people you have working from your church.” I must admit, it was rather hard not to brag too much, but I did brag nonetheless, and agreed wholeheartedly!

Several of the clients shed tears of joy that we would build them a ramp so they could get out of their homes. They just were astounded at that prospect. When I told them we were happy to be able to lend them a helping hand, they ALL commented that “your church sure must be a wonderful one”. Of course, I agreed, and told them they’d be welcomed and to join us at any time. One woman even said, “if all of your church members are like the ones I’ve seen today, I might have to get back to church.” I gave her my phone number and told her to give me a call and I’d pick her up any Sunday.

This church did an amazing job, especially the youth who truly inspired us, to see and hear and feel what this project could do for the clients and ourselves! We

got it!!! And we certainly felt the Holy Spirit leading, guiding, and moving us onward throughout the whole project. We all have our own “spirit points”, many of which have been shared amongst ourselves. We all have our connections with the clients. We all are more than glad that we took this leap of faith. We are all thankful for Bob Zimmerman and his expertise on this project and for Craig Petti-grew’s astounding engineering talents, and all the many, many volunteers who poured out their “sweat” for hours and hours with love and grace and to offer freedom to our clients!

We all are amazed and so very thankful for the leadership of Sarah Bigwood! She took on this project with all her heart and soul and was able to help each of us to “dig deep” into ourselves to work this project, even when we didn’t have a clue as to if we could handle the tasks. She led us and helped us to shine in the eyes of the clients and to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. We all, this whole con-gregation, owes her a debt of gratitude, second to none! THANK YOU, ALL!!!!

Cover story, continued

Become an Earthcare CongregationBecome an Earthcare CongregationBecome an Earthcare Congregation Environmental Ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is introducing the Earth Care Congregations program to encourage churches to care for God’s earth and to honor churches that have committed to this mission. The goal of the program is to inspire churches to care for God’s earth in a holistic way, through integrating earth care into all of church life. The pro-gram, “Earth Care Congregations: A Guide to Greening Presbyterian Churches,” provides congregations with worksheets, resources and instructions for becoming an Earth Care Con-gregation.

The Earth Care Congregation certification honors churches that make the commitment to be stewards of God’s earth and encourages others to follow their example. North Como Presby-terian Church in Roseville is one of first congregations in the PC(USA) to have become an Earth Care congregation. Details of the program are available at http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/environment/earth-care-congregations/.


Imagine you are a refugee fleeing persecution, arriving in Minnesota knowing no one. You are greeted at the airport and helped in your first months by a team of Muslim and Christian volun-teers working together. In your homeland you only knew people of your own reli-gious tradition, or your experience with other religions was one of distrust and persecution. But here your interfaith sponsors help you find a home, a job and make a successful transition to self-sufficiency. Gradu-ally you build a new life of hope, safety, peace-fulness and connection. This unique team of vol-unteers has also given you a gift that may have been unimaginable to you – an experience of interfaith cooperation.

So goes the opening statement about Taking Root, a new program of the Minne-sota Council of Churches that pairs volunteers of differing

faiths to work together to welcome new refugees who are making Minnesota their new home. Beginning this year, the Council of Churches started serving refugees who had no family or connec-tions in Minnesota (before 2010, all refugee cases were aimed at family reunification).

Sponsors are needed to help the new refugees progress and move toward self-sufficiency. Taking Root is uniquely positioned in that instead of having congregations sponsoring the refugees (which has been the traditional way of refugee partnership) an interfaith team made up of Muslims and Christians work together to sponsor the refugee during those crucial first few weeks.

Lynea Geinert, a Lutheran, and Farheen Hakeem, a Mus-lim, work together to coordinate the program. Geinert notes that a number of PTCA churches have taken part. ”Oak Grove in Bloomington and House of Hope in St. Paul are wonderful part-ners in they have hosted us for meetings and for recruitment events,” Geinert said. “ They continue to have an open, welcom-ing door for Taking Root. We also have some wonderful volun-teers coming from those churches.”

On July 25 both Geinert and Hakeem went to Church of All Na-tions in Columbia Heights to speak. “They invited me to speak

during the service then Farheen and I hosted a meal with anyone wanting to hear more about Taking Root,” Geinert said. She said the response at the multicultural congregation was overwhelming- 40 people attended and 12 signed up to be on one of the welcom-ing teams so far. “This was by far the largest recruitment event we have held so far,” Geinert said.

Hakeem adds that her experience with the program so far has been wonderful. “It’s been really rewarding,” she said adding that

the

present economy has put a damper on the number of people who can volunteer.

Hakeem notes that Taking Root has been able to bring the di-verse Muslim community here in Minnesota to come together to work on welcoming refugees. Muslims from South Asian, African American and white backgrounds have responded positively to the Taking Root program. Hakeem did say that the most chal-lenging community to deal with is the Somali community, who happen to be the most recent arrivals. Many of them are trying to make a living and don’t always have the time to volunteer.

Churches are encouraged to invite Geinert and Hakeem to a wor-ship service, adult forum or small group to talk about how your faith community can take part. You can email [email protected] or call (612) 230-3243 for more information.

If you want to become part of one of the mixed-religion co- spon-sorship groups please contact Gail Anderson, at [email protected], or 612-230-3210.

“taking root” -by dennis sanders

contents

Taking Root 3

North Como Youth Trip

4

Jin Kim goes to GAMC 5

Call to Presbytery 6

Meetings on GA Ac-tions

7

Synod School 8

Words from Chaz 9

Transitions, Ordina-tions

15

Open Positions, Events

16

July Special Meeting Highlights

10

Minneapolis Pastor Goes to South Africa

12

Remembering Howard Rice

14 Farheen Hakeem, left and Lynea Geinert, right, of the Taking Root Program. Photo by Dennis Sanders.


During August 1 – 7, 2010 the youth group at North Como Pres-byterian Church teamed up with the youth from Falcon Heights United Church of Christ and headed off to New York City for a week of mission work. The group worked with Project Hospitality, a non-profit organization based on Staten Island. Started in 1982, Project Hospitality runs soup kitchens, homeless shelters, youth runaway houses, and programs spe-

cifically designed for immigrant populations and people affected by HIV/AIDS.

The youth spent the week doing a variety of tasks that gave the group a compre-hensive understanding of all aspects of mission service. The 21 participants were broken into groups that did a variety of projects: some helped in the administrative office with an 8000-piece fundraiser mailing, others sorted vegetables donations (ah, those yummy cucumbers). On another day, some stocked the food pantry and helped the pantry guests “shop” the pantry for their groceries; while others helped prepare and serve lunchtime meals for the homeless and HIV/AIDS com-munity. The youth also cleaned a newly reno-vated youth-in-crisis shelter that will soon house runaways; and others passed out com-munity-action flyers to

business owners in the community of Port Richmond (a Staten Island neighborhood that is currently experiencing racially motivated hate crimes). All in all, the youth got an in-depth understanding of what it means to serve a community of homeless and those in need – by helping in both behind-the-scenes administrative ways, and by meeting and serving those in need di-rectly in one-on-one activities.

One of the best aspects of the week was the Project Hospitality workshop seminars. Each day after our service work was complete, Project Hospitality organized volunteers and program participants to come and speak to our group about the issues of homelessness, addiction, and HIV/AIDS. As a group, we were able to dialogue with people who have been homeless, are in recovery from addictions, and are afflicted with HIV/AIDS. No question was too personal, and no answer was too honest. These seminars were a great way to reflect on the day’s work and experiences, with people who used Project Hospitality at a time when they themselves were in need. They shared an invaluable perspective with our group.

The trip was not all work and no play! The group also took the ferry into the city each night to experience some of New York’s sights as well. We visited Chinatown, Little Italy, the Ground Zero reconstruction project, South Street Seaport, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Cen-tral Park, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center. We learned that New York truly is the city that never sleeps… because we barely did either!

Cathy Kowley is the Coordinator for Children, Youth and Families at North Como Presbyterian Church in Roseville, MN.

“behind-the –scenes” and “one-on one”

-cathy kowley


The Rev. Dr. Jin S. Kim, pastor of Church of All Nations in Min-neapolis, Minn., will take on additional responsibilities and join the General Assembly Mission Council as field staff for Korean Eng-lish Ministries (EM) in the Office of Korean Congregational Sup-port. As field staff for Korean EM, Kim will work from his office in Minneapolis.

Kim will help develop vision and strategies to strengthen Korean English Ministries in the PC(USA), and he will assist in providing leadership development and networking oppor-tunities for 1.5 and second generation clergy and leaders, including clergywomen and women leaders.

"I am excited for the Rev. Kim to join the staff of the Office of Korean Congregational Support," said the Rev. Dr. Rhashell Hunter, director of Racial Ethnic and Women's Ministries / Presby-terian Women. "His experience as a leader and pastor will benefit our Korean English Minis-tries."

Kim has served since 2004 as founding pastor and head of staff at Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, Minn. He was a candidate for moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010) and is cur-rently council chair of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. He serves as a PC(USA) delegate to the National Council of Churches and sits on the Minnesota Council of Churches board. He is also a part of the Jewish-Presbyterian Dialogue and the Special Committee on the Belhar Confession. He has previously led English Ministries at Korean congregations in Minneapolis,

Atlanta and Bloomfield, N.J.

As field staff for the Korean Con-gregational Support Ministry, Kim will be responsible for developing and implementing networks, pro-grams and ministries for "English Ministry" in Korean American Con-gregations and independent EM

and multicultural congregations. He will also be responsible for mentoring and equipping emerging English ministry leaders to live into their full potential with sustained strategic support.

"Excellent strategic planning and congregational support has led to the doubling of Korean churches to 400 in the past 20 years, but no comparable strategy has been in place for the second gen-eration," Kim said. "This is a significant and much needed new focus that will hopefully prove prescient and fruitful down the road,

strengthening the next generation of leaders for a church yet emerging. I see this as a natural fit to my current work as pastor, mentor and networker."

Kim was a preacher at the 2004 and 2008 General Assemblies, is adjunct faculty at Dubuque Theo-logical Seminary and has also taught at Princeton Seminary, Columbia Seminary and Duke Divinity School as well as at seminaries in Brazil, Argen-tina, Egypt, Russia and Korea.

Kim was born in Korea and came to the United States with his family in 1975, growing up in a multiethnic environ-ment in Columbia, S.C., and Atlanta. He holds degrees from Georgia Tech, Princeton Seminary and Columbia Seminary. His household includes his wife Soon Pac, children Claire Nicea and Austin Athanasius and his parents.

From PTCA Moderator to GAMC Field Staff

-rob bullock

The Congregational Transformation Confer-ence gathers pastors, lay leaders and middle governing bodies to explore multiple tracks relating to Transformation. The 2010 Transfor-mation Conference will be held October 18 -22, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church in Ft. Worth, Texas. Leaders include Kevin Ford and Rex Miller. Ann Philbrick, George Bullard, Trey Hammond, Victor Aloyo, Ray Jones and Suzanne Stabile will lead various tracks. Space is limited - register now at http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/church-growth/congregational-transformation-conference/ .

Ignite. Inspire. Equip.


In accordance with Book of Order, Form of Government G-11.0200, and the Bylaw of the Presbytery of The Twin Cities Area, Article I, the Presbytery will meet in Regular Stated Session on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at Plymouth Presbyterian Church, 3755 Dunkirk Lane North, Plymouth, Minnesota, 55446, at 4:00 p.m.

Preceding the meeting, a Pre-Presbytery event will be lead by the guest preacher for the day, The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby, professor, Austin Seminary, Austin, Texas. Dr. Rigby had originally accepted the invitation of the Presby-tery to deliver the key-note address at Presby-fest, and agreed to come in September when that event was cancelled. Her theme will be the Mission of the Laity in a Transformed World. Her ser-mon will be delivered later in the evening.

At 3:00 p.m., all new clergy and elders attending for the first time are invited to an orientation of the Presbytery, led by the stated clerk. Registration will begin at 3:30 in the narthex, and a time of hospitality and fellowship will be hosted by the Plymouth congre-

gation.

The report of Presbytery Council will include a presentation of the strategic plan which was de-veloped by a task force appointed by Council, working with a consultant. This plan has now been approved by Council for presentation to the Presbytery. Council and Task Force Members will present it in September, with discussion and opportunities for further study in preparation for a

vote in November.

The official report of the General Assembly Commissioners will be

presented, as will a report from those youth attending Triennium in July 2010.

Dinner for 175, at $7.00, will be available. Tickets will be sold in the registration area. There are neighboring restaurants close by, if more meals are needed. Grace and peace,

Nancy E. Grittman

Stated Clerk

Call to September 2010 Presbytery Meeting

-nancy grittman

Presbytery Packet Available for Presbytery Packet Available for Presbytery Packet Available for DownloadDownloadDownload

The Presbytery Packet for the September 2010 meeting is now available for download at the PTCA

website. Please go to: www.presbyterytwincities.org/presbytery-packet.

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby, a professor at Austin Theological Seminary in Austin, TX will be the key-note speaker at a Pre-Presbytery Event on Septem-

ber 14 entitled, “The Mission of the Laity in a Transformed World.” She will also give the sermon during the Presbytery meeting later in the day at Plymouth Presbyterian Church in Plymouth, MN.

Professor Rigby has been on the faculty of Austin Seminary since 1995. Rigby’s special area of inter-est is setting Reformed theologies in conversation with theologies of liberation, particularly feminist theologies.

An energetic scholar, Rigby is the author of more than thirty articles and book chapters. She is the author of The Promotion of Social Righteousness (Witherspoon Press, 2010) and she is currently com-pleting a book titled Shaping our Faith: A Christian Feminist Theology (Baker Academic, forthcoming). She is the co-editor (with Beverly Gaventa) of Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary

(Westminster John Knox Press, 2002) and editor of Power, Powerlessness, and the Divine: New Inquiries in Bible and Theol-ogy (Scholars Press, 1997). Rigby is also working on two additional projects, one focused on the doctrines of “sin and salva-tion” and the other on developing a systematic theology especially for pastors.

The Pre-Presbytery event begins at 2:30 PM at Plymouth Presbyterian Church, 3755 Dunkirk Lane North, Plymouth.

Theologian Rigby to Guest Preach, Lead Pre-Presbytery Event


General Assembly voted to send several items down to the Presby-teries for vote during the coming months. Since these decisions are so important to the future of the denomination, and the Presbytery, Council has made the decision to consider and vote at four Presby-tery meetings. The Bills and Overtures Committee, working with the General Assembly commissioners, and the Council, has developed the following schedule. Discussion and study on a particular subject will occur at one meeting, and be voted on at the next meeting. For this reason, it is important that sessions plan to elect elder commissioners who will be pre-sent for both meetings, in order to be prepared to vote, and then to report back to session. Small group discus-sion time will be dedicated to these items during this time. The following schedule has been established:

September, 14, 2010, Plymouth Presbyterian, Plymouth, Minnesota

Present for study and discussion: Strategic Plan

November 9, 2010, First Presbyterian, 535 20th Ave. N., South St. Paul, Minnesota

Continue discussion on Strategic Plan, Vote on Stra-tegic Plan

Study and begin discussion on New Form of Gov-ernment. Copies will be distributed.

January 8, 2011, United Theological Seminary, 3000 Fifth Street, NW, New Brighton, MN 55112

Continue discussion on New Form of Government (nFog), Vote on nFog

Study and begin discussion on changes and addi-

tions to Part I of the Constitution, The Book of Con-fessions, including the addition of The Belhar Con-fession. Study guides will be distributed.

March 12, 2011, Valley Community Presbyterian Church, 3100 Lilac Dr., N., Golden Valley, Minnesota

Continue discussion on The Book of Confessions, and The Belhar Confession, Vote on the confes-sions.

Begin discussion on the remaining amendments to the Constitution, including amendments to the Form of Government, Directory for Worship, and the Rules of Discipline. Study guides will be distributed.

May10, 2011 (to be announced)

Continue discussion and Vote on the Amendments to the Constitution.

This schedule will be available on the website throughout the year. Council is looking forward to becoming better acquainted with elder commissioners from all of the member congregations. Sessions are encouraged to ensure that each congregation is represented by continuing elders, according to the eligible num-bers assigned in January 2010. If there are questions about this, please call the stated clerk at 612-871-7281, or email [email protected].

-Nancy Grittman

Presbytery to Study and Vote on GA Actions in 2010-11

Fall is just around the corner and that means churches are getting ready for the new pro-gramming year. If you are looking for resources and ideas, you might want to stop by the Resource Center for Churches, located in the basement level of the Minnesota Church Center (122 W. Franklin Ave. in Minneapolis). Feel free to stop by their lending library of Wor-ship and Education Resources. For more information, contact the Center by phone at 612-870-0861 .

Visit the Resource Center for ChurchesVisit the Resource Center for Churches


As host for a multitude of participants, from in-

fants to adults — some over 80 — Synod School 2010 here lived up to its promotion as "a learning and personal enrichment experience for people of all ages."

Sponsored by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, Synod School drew 627 participants — a record for the event — when it ran July 25-30 at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Enrollment typically runs in the high 500s.

This year's event, run-ning under the theme, "Grace Notes," fea-tured 67 scheduled classes, daily convo-cation addresses, morning and evening worship, mini-courses, coffee-house music, movies and more.

In the early afternoon, in what the school’s catalog calls "Art Share," everyone gets an "opportunity to cre-ate a special Synod School memory" through a variety of crafts, including silk screening, basket weav-ing and other arts and crafts. In the evening, the school's "Saints-a-Playin'" takes place after worship, offering a time for everyone "to work off some excess energy" in games on the lawn outside the chapel.

But now, the story goes back to a morning at Synod School.

At convocation …

Rodger Nishioka, associate professor of Christian education at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., delivered morn-ing convocation addresses, focusing on the theme of Synod School, the history of reformed theology and his own five tenets of reformed theology.

Nishioka's morning addresses, part lecture, part humor and part personal experiences, delighted the audience and his evening discussions — part of the mini-course offerings — drew standing-room only crowds.

When he spoke about "nearness" and "directness" as elements of youths' faith decision, he used his own father as an example. His father, a minister, prayed before eating in restaurants and Nishi-oka, then a teen-ager, said, "I just felt humiliated by my parents."

Now, when he gets his small bag of peanuts on a commercial flight, he said, "What do I do? I pray."

That story showed the impact of "nearness," the effect being near someone of faith. Another story demonstrated "directness."

Nishioka told of a teen who attended church every Sunday, but

left immediately after worship. An elderly woman in the small congregation began to corner the teen every Sunday, keeping him from leaving. She would hug him and tell him she prayed daily for him. The teen would say "all right" and then leave.

Months later, when the woman was hospital-ized, Nishioka continued, the teen visited her, hugged her, and told her everything would be all right. Doubting, the woman asked, "How do you know?" The teen said, "Because I've been praying for you every day."

When the woman finally returned to church, using a walker to move down the aisle, the teen escorted her.

In the office …

Just like a typical school, there's an office.

During daytime hours, the office is home of Diana Barber, synod associate executive for leadership development and staff for Synod School, and other members of the leadership team.

Barber provides technical and administrative support during the event and keeps everything on track year-to-year, maintaining the drive that keeps this Synod School on its successful track — it's the only Synod School remaining within the denomination.

In a 30-minute period last week, sitting at the desk just inside the office door, Barber answered lost-and-found and worship ques-tions, made change and directed one instructor to the photocop-ier.

This year, the Rev. Bob EnTin, a retired pastor in the Presbytery of North Central Iowa, served as dean of Synod School this year, and the Rev. Tammy Rider, stated supply pastor for First Presby-terian Church, Rushford, Minn., served as associate dean.

Rider will be dean next year, and planning for Synod School 2011 begins only a few weeks after the evaluations are reviewed and the books close on this year’s event.

Duane Sweep, a frequent contributor to Presbyterian News Ser-vice, is associate for communications for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies.

One of a kind By duane sweep


Late Summer, along with the month of January is a very typical time for groups to do retreats. Whether it be a Session, a staff, a judicatory, or even an individual, getting away from the usual surroundings and the everyday activity of offices is an important part of renewing and focusing

for a new season. Your Presbytery Coun-cil just returned from a retreat at Clear-water Forest Presbyterian Camp. It was beautiful there the second weekend of August. The Council spent some time doing necessary routine business, but they also spent time doing some training on just what is the role and function of Council, (especially important for new members elected at the May meeting of Presbytery) The Council even managed to get some time around a camp fire, and do some fun group building exercises. The largest block of time was spent inter-acting with the visioning group discussing a strategic plan for Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

As I am writing this article the Coun-cil is still in the process of fine tuning the work done so far in order to make a pres-entation at the September meeting of Presby-tery. (September 14th at Plymouth Presbyte-rian Church) What I can report at this point concerns the process that has been followed. The Visioning group and the Council listed strengths and weaknesses of the Presbytery, discussed lessons learned from our failures and talked about the values we share. This led to the establishment of a major focus and some general goals for 1 to 3 years. The objectives and plans for meeting those goals is an ongoing process that (if passed by Presbytery) will occupy Council and Presbytery for the months ahead. One sentiment that has emerged in this process is the desire to enhance our relationships and trust level in order to work together better fulfilling our mission in the world.

The work of the Visioning group was well received by the Council and feelings of opti-mism, excitement, and hope prevailed throughout our time together. It was an excellent retreat as we stepped back from the routine to look ahead to the future. Your Council is working hard and will present a good plan to you in September. Please watch for the details that will be posted soon and let us all seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we prepare to move into a changing world.

Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

Retreat Season -by Chaz Ruark

I’d Like to Thank the I’d Like to Thank the Academy...Academy...

A small package arrived at the Presbytery office via FedEx this week. It turns out that the pack-age was an award given out by the General Assembly Mission Council to the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area for being one of the top ten presbyteries in Special Offerings/Other Appeals. Karen Schmidt, the Deputy Executive Director for Communications and Funds Development had this to say in a letter to the Presbytery:

"The treasure that you and the congregations of your presbytery have shared with the General As-sembly Mission Council has been used to help Grow Christ's Church Deep and Wide, in evangelism, discipleship, diversity, and ser-vanthood. And for that, we thank you. The enclosed memento is but a small token of our gratitude for the difference you make in Christ's church. "

The staff of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area thanks God for your wonderful generosity. Good job!


On a very hot July day in Minneapolis, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area approved the call of two pastors named Lee (who are not related) and a new Presbytery treasurer.

A special meeting of the Presbytery was held on Tuesday July 27 at the Oliver Christian Ministry Center in Minneapolis. The former Oliver Presbyterian Church, located in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis is now a ministry of Hope Presbyterian Church in Rich-field. Familia de Fe, the Hispanic Presbyterian New Church Develop-ment, is one of the many ministries that are house at the Ministry Center, and were the host of this special meeting.

The meeting began at 4PM with the Committee on Ministry bringing two pastors forward for approval by the presbytery. The first was Rev. JoAnn Lee who was approved to become an Associate Pastor at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul. Lee graduated from McCormick Seminary, Chicago in 2008 and was ordained by the Presbytery of Chicago in 2009. She spent the last two years as a pastoral resident at Fourth Presbyte-rian Church in Chicago.

In a House of Hope bulletin announc-ing her selection, Lee described her upbringing and how it relates to her calling to minister to youth:

“I am a second generation Asian American woman whose ministry is informed and shaped by my gender and racialized identity. I grew up with immigrant parents who relied on me to help them translate and navigate their experience in a new and differ-ent world. From an early age, I spoke up for them because English from my young mouth was better tolerated than their broken English. We strug-gled with racism, lack of health insur-ance, and an inability to pay all of our bills each month. I sometimes re-sented my parents for these experi-ences. But now, as a young woman in ministry, I am so thankful for our struggles and hardships. Whenever life got difficult, we turned to God. As a result, I experience God particularly in times of darkness and despair and am able to walk with people through the “valley of the shadow of death.”

Often children and youth are over-looked in our pastoral care. Even when they are the ones who are sick, parents are usually tended to while the children are not. I hope to bring a care and compassion for our young people, so that they, too, know that God walks with them through their dark times.”

Lee was warmly approved by voice vote and will be officially installed at the Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults on Sunday, September 5, 10AM at House of Hope. Rev. Gale Robb, who was serving as in-terim Associate Pastor at the St. Paul congregation, concluded her ministry at House of Hope on August 22 to make way for Lee.

Rev. Mark Lee of the Presbytery of Charlotte also came forward to be approved for the position of Associ-ate Pastor at Korean Presbyterian Church of Minnesota in Brooklyn Center. Lee was ordained in the Korean American Presbyterian Church and transferred to the Pres-byterian Church (USA) in 2002. In his written biography to the presby-tery, Lee explained his call to minis-try:

“After about 9 years of devoting my life to God’s church as an English Ministry (EM) pastor, I accepted a call to become a Senior Pastor of an upstart Korean-American Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The church had a vision to bring in a young, bi-lingual pastor, who can guide, not only the Korean-speaking congregation members, but also reach out to the 1.5 and second generation Korean-Americans. There are incredible lessons that God has taught me in this current position and I know that God will use my experience to further His King-dom, not because of who I am, but because of God’s amazing grace and Gospel message. I have a con-

A special Presbytery Meeting

-by Dennis Sanders and Nancy Grittman

Rev. Mark Lee speaks to the Presbytery on July 27. Photo by Dennis Sanders.

Rev. Joann Lee speaks to the Presbytery on July 27. Photo by Dennis Sanders.


viction to serve God in a Korean-American church setting, reach-ing out to all the members, but especially the English-speaking members of the church.”

Lee was approved by the Presbytery and will head up the English Ministry at the Korean congregation.

Finally, the Presbytery approved the Rev. Edwin Martin to serve as the next Treasurer of the PTCA. Martin, an Honorably Retired Min-ister Member of the Presbytery was born in India to missionary par-ents and ordained in 1967. He has severed pastorates in New York, Indiana and Minnesota, including service as the pastor of Presbyterian Church of the Apostles in Burnsville, MN from 1984 to 1991. For the past 17 years, Martin served as the field consultant for the

Church Financial Council, a division of General Assembly. He retired from this position in 2009.

Martin will serve as Treasurer until at least 2013 and he replaces James Payne, an elder at Ply-mouth Presbyterian Church in Plymouth, MN who served for six years as the PTCA Treasurer.

The next regular presbytery meeting will take place Tuesday, September 14 at Plymouth Presbyterian in Plymouth from 4-8PM.

Above: Rev. Ed Martin speaks after being approved as the next Treasurer of the PTCA. Bottom of previ-ous page: Outgoing Treasurer Jim Payne and Ex-ecutive Presbyter Chaz Ruark share a laugh at the conclusion of the July 27 special Presbytery meet-ing. Photo by Dennis Sanders.

Success for Publish What You PaySuccess for Publish What You PaySuccess for Publish What You Pay It's time to celebrate for the PCUSA's Joining Hands program, our Cameroonian JH partners of RELUFA, and their JH companions of the Chicago Presbytery and the Pres-bytery of the Twin Cities Area: US legislation that will make publication of all financial transactions by oil- and mining companies to their host governments mandatory has been signed into law by President Obama.

For our denomination, this lobby started in 2003 with RELUFA's initiative for its Task Force to sit down with the four Cameroonian WARC members churches (World Alliance of Reformed Churches, since last month incorporated in the World Communion of Re-formed Churches), the EPC, PCC, EPA and EEC, and develop a statement addressing the responsibility of the Church to help break the resource curse that is keeping much of Central and West Africa in its grip. Presented to and embraced by the 2004 General Council in Accra, this statement called for the worldwide family of the reformed tradition to support initiatives such as the worldwide Publish What You Pay campaign to advo-cate for transparency in the extractive sector so revenues serve poverty reduction rather than private pockets or warfare. With the PCUSA being a member of WARC, the Chicago JH team got their Presbytery to bring before the 2008 General Assembly in San José an overture calling, among others, for the PCUSA to join the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) coalition. Ever since the GA unanimously accepted the overture, PCUSA has been an active PWYP-US coalition member with PHP staff rallying our Presbyterian constituency to lobby with their lawmakers in favor of this legislation.

RELUFA's efforts within the Cameroonian PWYP branch and the larger movement in the Central and West African region continue, to bring governments to truthfully account for their budgets. This is a wonderful first step!

-Cathy Murphy, Chair

Peace and Justice Taskforce, Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area


I'm still jetlagged – awake before my children for the first time in years. I’ve just returned from Cape Town, South Africa, where I spent a week “drinking from a firehose” – taking in the amaz-ing social, political, geographical and cultural sights and sounds. It is a country of contrasts. I was amazed by the upfront honesty in the system, the recentness of the history of this country and the remarkable things that have happened and are happen-ing in reconciliation - along with the incredible disparity that still exists, and the deeply ingrained racism that will take generations to eradicate. But the openness about things is truly striking - and just opening the "world" section of the Cape Town paper is very telling. The articles yesterday said nothing about wars or violence (what my local paper would have re-ported). Instead the top stories were all snippets from other countries about racial equality, struggles for independence, leadership owning their issues, and the like. It is a very interesting lens through which to view

world politics.

We spent one day at Robben Island - where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, guided on a tour of the prison by a former political prisoner, who goes every day to work in this place he was cruelly confined, to give tours and teach about the past, about the impor-tance of forgiving but never forgetting. Each morning, he leaves his comfortable house where he lives now with his family on this same island where he was tortured, and waves good morning to a former guard, who also lives and works on the same island for the same reasons.

We visited a former Methodist church, which is now the District Six museum. District Six was a dynamic, multi-ethnic neighborhood that was razed in the 70s after being declared an "all white" area. There we met a Muslim man named Noor Ebrihim, whose family had lived four generations in the neighborhood. He had experienced true harmony between religions and races, closeknit connec-tions with neighbors and community, sharing each other’s holidays, even. And then one day he watched bulldozers destroy his home and saw the family next door split up – husband sent to the colored township, wife and children to a black township, allowed to see one another once every few weeks, only if the pass was approved, for the next twenty some years. Noor worked at the District Six Museum to tell his story and the story of his community, and to preach the message of hope – that such racially and culturally diverse communities could exist and thrive, as he had known in his childhood in that very place.

As part of the government reparations, Noor is having a new home built largely by the government, where his old home once had stood, and he is beside himself with joy at the thought of moving back into District Six. Finally new construction is dotting this barren spot in the center of the city. Many whites had refused to build and settle there as their own protest against the injustice of apartheid and the relocation program.

The next day we visited one of the largest townships, Khayelitsha, where 1.5 million people live in abject poverty in shacks with sparse electricity and many still sharing bucket toilets. It bumps up against the main freeway that still has World Cup billboards up, and we drove past it on our first night as we left the state of the art airport and headed towards the million dollar homes on the coast-line.

The system has eradicated racism in its policy and practice, but in reality, in this once all-black township 55% are unemployed and 40% are HIV positive. There are new immigrants moving in every day, and with millions still living in these race-segregated town-ships, racism is a deeply ingrained issue that seems to have almost insurmountable obstacles before it. For me it shed new light on the civil rights struggle in America, and made me think again about our own Indian Reservations, and the racism we often proudly act as though we've long moved past, (even in the midst of such things as the fervor and debate over the Islamic Cultural Center near the former World Trade Center site). Standing in South Africa and looking over at my own country, our politics and history, the American church, and our national self-understanding made me feel both ashamed and challenged. I fear that we are, as a whole, an appall-ingly dishonest and self-righteous people.

I read Mandela's (long) Long Walk to Freedom while I was there, and am now reading Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s book, No Future without Forgiveness, where he describes the astounding work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He talks about an African concept from the Bantu language of South Africa that is deeply theological and profound, Ubunto. He describes Ubunto as, “the es-

Ubuntu UnfoldingUbuntu UnfoldingUbuntu Unfolding By Kara RootBy Kara RootBy Kara Root


sence of being human.” Tutu says,

Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity.

We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

Our guide through Khayelitsha township was a man named Monwabisi Maqog, who fought against apartheid, trained as a soldier in Angola and returned to continue the struggle through violent opposition. He was one of those who believed that all whites should be “driven into the sea.” He was captured by the police and tortured, which damaged his body permanently, and he lived for a time in deep depression, nursing hatred for his captors. It was in this dark place that he first met Jesus Christ, who was tortured and suffered alongside him, and he embraced ubunto and forgiveness. He later tried to find each of his captors so that he might forgive them in person.

One of his former captors would not meet with him and insisted Monwabisi would never find him. Monwabisi discovered where this man lived, went to his posh white neighborhood, and stood behind his house. His wife was doing dishes at the kitchen window and when she looked up from her work, he waved at her and she waved back. That evening he phoned again, asking to meet the man so that he might share his forgiveness. The man refused and insisted again that he would never find him. He said to him, “Man, I do know where you live. I was at your home today. Ask you wife if a black man waved at her in the window. I could do anything to you, but I do not want to harm you. What I want most is to look you in the eyes and forgive you.”

Monwabisi now lives in Khayelitsha with his wife and children and works widely in the community for reconciliation and forgiveness. He is the pastor of one of the thousands of small churches nestled amid the crowded shacks, with a dedicated ministry to those suffer-ing with HIV and AIDS.

Monwabisi, Noor, the former prisoner and guard, our generous hosts (white Afrikaners training people for youth ministry in their context), an Afrikaner family we ate dinner with one night who had given up a lucrative job and a church position to instead work with women and children in a township in a job and education empowerment program, the young Afrikaner woman who told me about her generation’s experience of racial reconciliation and self-understanding as a nation – these were just a handful of the faces on the story of South Africa that amazed and inspired me.

“We are all in this together,” they all said. “What happens to one of us affects us all. We are connected.” And so, there is Christ. Christ is present as we are connected to one another in forgiveness and shared suffering, Christ is present in Ubuntu, in Koinonia; in the Kingdom of God unfolding among us. And I am a witness that God’s kingdom continues to break into our world and call us to par-ticipate. May we be both humble and brave enough to join in God’s kingdom, in koinonia, in ubuntu, as it breaks into and seeks to transform our own lives and communities.

Kara Root is the pastor of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Photo : Post World Cup, children playing soccer on the edges of Khayelitsha, near live electric wires lying on the ground.

Interim pastor Suzan Ireland will be going to Colombia for the month of September as part of the accompani-ers program jointly sponsored by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, PCUSA World Mission, and the

Presbyterian Church of Colombia. The program was started in 2004 at the request of presbytery staff members in Colombia who had received death threats because of their work for human rights and justice for displaced people. The Accompaniers Program sends volunteers in pairs to spend one or two months in Colombia. Volun-teers are responsible for raising their own funds for airfare and expenses.

If you or your church would like to contribute, you may send a check to Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, 17 Crickettown Rd., Stony Point, NY 10980. On the memo line put "Colombia Accompaniers" and enclose a note stating it is for Suzan Ireland's trip. You can also find out more about the program and contribute online at www.presbypeacefellowship.org. Donations are tax deductible. If you are interested in scheduling a program about the church in Colombia at your church when Suzan returns, please contact her at [email protected]. Please keep her and the Colombia church in your prayers in September.

PTCA Pastor Heads to Colombia in SeptemberPTCA Pastor Heads to Colombia in SeptemberPTCA Pastor Heads to Colombia in September


Editor’s Note: Howard Rice, a former General Assembly Modera-tor as well as a professor at San Francisco Theological Semi-nary, died on August 8 at the age of 78. Before his roles as Mod-erator and Professor, he was a first call pastor at House of Faith Presbyterian Church in Northeast Minneapolis. Liz Heller, an hon-orably retired minister member in the PTCA, met Rice in the late 1950s through a tutoring program that was offered at House of Faith. “He came in with so many contributions,” Heller remem-bered.

If you would like to send a card, it can be sent to his widow, Nancy Rice at the following address:

760 Plymouth Rd. Claremont, CA 91711

The Rev. Howard Leland Rice, former moderator of the Presbyte-rian Church (U.S.A.) General As-sembly and San Francisco Theo-logical Seminary chaplain and professor of ministry from 1968-97, died Aug. 8 in Claremont, Calif., at the age of 78. He was one of the earliest practitioners of spiritual disciplines and formation that led to the current renewal of those practices in the church.

Rice was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis prior to his appoint-ment at SFTS — he arrived at the seminary the same year as this reporter arrived as a student — and spent his time on the San Anselmo campus either on crutches or confined to a wheelchair. After Rice’s retirement, his diagnosis was changed from MS to spinal cord damage. Last spring he battled a stubborn bone infec-tion for weeks, resulting in his decision to accept hospice care. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. A memorial service will take place Aug. 20 at Claremont Presbyte-rian Church.

"Howard had a huge heart for people, for ministry, and for the church that he served so long and well," said Elizabeth Liebert, SFTS dean and professor of spiritual life. "Always standing with the underdog, he was persistent to the point of stubbornness in defending them. He is beloved by hundreds of students, pastors and church folk, whose hopes and struggles he held dear. We mourn the loss of mentor, colleague, spiritual adviser, friend and consummate pastor."

In the early 1970s, when one of his students gave him a copy of Morton T. Kelsey's The Other Side of Silence, Rice became a tireless advocate of feeding the soul as well as the mind, and recruited other pastors and scholars in the Bay Area to help him

lead spiritual retreats for local pastors. For the next 20 years Rice helped Presbyteri-ans and other Protestants discover spirituality within the Protestant-Reformed tradition. Dur-ing his moderatorial year — 1979-1980 — he organized three spirituality retreats throughout the country and encouraged each presbytery

to send one participant. Rice was instrumental in "Companions on the Inner Way," a re-

treat/conference program that has served hundreds of pastors and lay per-sons. He played a significant role in de-veloping SFTS’s pioneering program in spirituality, which led to the creation of the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direc-tion and the Diploma in the Art of Spiri-tual Formation programs.

In 1991, Rice published the landmark book, Reformed Spirituality: An Introduc-tion to Believers, which continues to be widely studied in seminaries throughout the United States.

To honor his retirement from SFTS in 1997, Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey of Califor-nia presented a tribute to Rice before the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2007, SFTS trustee and alumna the Rev. Jackie Leonard, made a first gift to the seminary toward endowing the Rice Family Chair in Christian Spirituality.

Rice graduated from Carroll College in 1953 and from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1956. Ordained by Winne-bago Presbytery, he served pastorates in Minneapolis and Chicago before going to SFTS.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and a daughter, Amanda. A second daughter, Wendy Rice Dreitcer, died in 2004 of a brain tumor.

Jerry VanMarter is a reporter for Presbyterian News Service. Holly Woolard also contributed to this article.

The Consummate PastorThe Consummate PastorThe Consummate Pastor ---by Jerry VanMarterby Jerry VanMarterby Jerry VanMarter

Howard Rice giving the benediction at a gathering of the Covenant Network at the 216th General As-sembly in 2004. Photo by David P. Young.


JoAnn Lee will be installed as the new Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul on Sunday, September 5. Lee’s call was approved by the Presbytery of July 27. She transferred from the Presbytery of Chicago.

Rick MacArthur will be installed as the Designated Pastor of Arlington Hills Presbyterian Church in St. Paul on Sunday, September 19. MacArthur began his ministry with the East-side St. Paul congregation in June, 2010.

Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church in St. Paul will celebrate 25 years of ministry with H. David Stewart on Sunday, Sep-tember 12. Stewart started was called to the congregation in 1985.

Paula Sanders is the Interim Director for Park Avenue Youth and Family Services, a ministry of Park Avenue United Meth-odist Church in Minneapolis. She will be at Park Avenue until November, 2010.

Peter DellaSantina, pastor of Knox Presbyterian in Minneapo-lis, led a delegation from the South Minneapolis church to Haiti during August.

Gail Robb ended her time with House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul on August 23. She had been an interim Associate Pastor for the past year, until JoAnn Lee was

called as a permanent Associate Pastor.

Howard Rice, a former General Assembly Moderator as well as a professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary, died on August 8 at the age of 78. Before his roles as Moderator and Professor, he was a first call pastor at House of Faith Presbyterian Church in Northeast Minneapolis. Liz Heller, an honorably retired minister member in the PTCA, met Rice in the late 1950s through a tutoring program that was offered at House of Faith. “He came in with so many contributions,” Heller remembered.

We offer prayers for Honorably Retired Pastor George Knier-man who fell at his home in Arden Hills on August 15. He spent several days at St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood and was then transferred to the nursing wing of Presbyterian Homes in Arden Hills where Knierman lives.

Camille Cook, a minister member , has been called to serve as senior pastor of Georgetown Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, becoming the first female head of staff in the history of the 230 year old congregation. Ordained in 2006, Cook has served churches in the United Kingdom .

transitions

Jack B. Schaffer (9/1/1974)

Merle E. Strohbehn (9/7/1954 )

Richard D. Buller (9/8/1985 )

Herbert G. Wardlaw, Jr (9/8/1968 )

Richard C. Kroeger, Jr. (9/10/1953 )

Judith Ray (9/11/1983 )

Charles (Chaz) Ruark (9/12/1982 )

Donald D. Patterson (9/13/1981 )

Theresa F. Latini (9/14/2002 )

Susan J. Marvin (9/14/1997 )

Myra A. Carroll-Pezzella (9/15/1985 )

William Livingston (9/15/1963 )

Kathryn C. Smith (9/15/1996 )

David J. Stark (9/16/1984 )

Judith A. Kim (9/17/1989 )

Melvin J. Steinbron (9/17/1953 )

David R. Bruneau (9/18/1977 )

Leta J. Herrington (9/18/1983 )

R. Alan James (9/18/1960 )

Anita M. Cummings (9/20/1981 )

Kenneth L. Kleidon (9/20/1964 )

David P. Lenz (9/21/1986 )

Timothy D. Hart-Andersen (9/22/1985 )

Stephen B. Knudson (9/22/1996 )

Scott O. Stapleton (9/23/1984 )

Robert E. Willis (9/24/1961 )

Peggy B. Good (9/25/1994 )

Janet Ruark (9/25/1982 )

Peter T. Wyckoff (9/27/1970 )

John P. Ward (9/28/1986 )

Stanley Kim (9/30/2009 )

Thomas J. Parlette (9/30/1990 )

ordination anniversaries


For more information on the positions listed below, please go the PTCA website at www.presbyterytwincities.org/jobs.

Volunteer Writer/Journalist, Familia de Fe NCD, Minneapolis

Interim Music Director, Central Presbyterian, St. Paul

Worship Director, Aldrich Avenue Presbyterian, Minneapolis

Director of Christian Formation and Spiritual Education, Presbyterian Church of the Apostles, Burnsville

Christian Educator, Chain of Lakes Presbyterian- Lino Lakes

Youth Director, House of Hope Presbyterian, St. Paul

Interim Pastor, Spirit of Life Presbyterian, Apple Valley

Do you have a church staff position that needs to be filled? Send in your job announcements to Dennis Sanders at [email protected]. For more information on interim pastor openings, please contact the Committee on Ministry at [email protected]. (Oh, and let us know when you fill the position, so we can remove it from the job listings.)

positions available

PC(USA) retirees plan to meet in Twin Cities: The 14th annual convention of the Association of Retired Ministers, their Spouses or Survivors takes place at the Ramada Mall of America in Bloom-ington, Minn., Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 9-12. With the theme “Called to a Lifetime of Service: God’s Plan or Ours,” the convention will feature worship, plenary sessions, workshops and excursions. Informal conversations and gatherings will being op-portunities for members and friends of ARMSS to connect and reconnect. The registration fee before Aug. 17 is $125 plus a $20 membership fee for those who are not currently members. After Aug. 17 the registration fee is $175. The current ARMSS newslet-ter can be found by going to the presbytery website, www.presbytertwincities.org or by contacting Ginny Nyhuis, Box 700311, Oostberg, WI 53070 ([email protected]) or the Rev. Ellen Davis, 1540 Garret Lane, #204, Lincoln, NE 68512 ([email protected]).

Forum on Housing in the Suburbs at St. Luke: Come hear about the housing crisis in the suburbs on Tuesday evening, Sep-tember 14, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Way-zata. This informational meeting is sponsored by the Housing Focus Group and Spirited Learning.

Cathy ten Broeke, the Coordinator to End Homelessness in Hen-nepin County, is a well-known expert and compelling speaker. Cathy Maes, Director of ICA, and La Donna Hoy, Direc-tor of Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, will also share information about their agencies' work in the struggle for afford-able housing.

The forum will include wonderful music (Randy Schumacher), yummy treats, and critical information.

St. Luke is located at 3121 Groveland School Road in Wayzata.

Presbytery Nominating Committee Looking for Synod Com-missioners: The Nominating Committee is seeking applications from Ministers who would like to represent the Presbytery as Min-ister Commissioner to the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for a three year term beginning in January 2011. We are also looking for Young Adults, aged 17-23 to serve for a one-year term. Elec-tions will take place at the September Presbytery Meeting.

The Synod meets three times a year, usually in Farmington, MN,

south of the Twin Cities. The meetings run from Sunday evening to Tuesday noon and will take place in 2011 on January 16-18, May 1-3 and October 2-4. Travel, room and board are paid by the Synod. Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegates will serve on a Synod Committee which meets during the meet-ings. Only a few committees have additional meeting times.

To download the application forms, please go to presbyterytwin-cities.org/committees/nominating-committee/.

Scottish Heritage Fest at Hudson: The annual event will be September 11th from 10 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at First Presbyterian Church, 1901 Vine St., Hudson, WI. The event will begin with an opening ceremony honoring the Troops, Firemen, Policemen and Rescue Personnel. Authentic Scottish food including Paddy Ryan’s Sticky Toffee Pudding will be available beginning at 11:00. Other activities for the day include A Traders’ Market (bring food for the local food shelf and barter for an “attic treasure”), music by Langer’s Ball, 12-00-1:00 P.M., Piper, Anthony Howe, and Celtic musician, Laura Mackenzie, Clan Tartan Historical Encampment, a bake sale and craft booths, kids activities and Highland games for All. Admission is free.

Installation at Arlington Hills: The public is invited to the instal-lation of the Rev. Rick MacArthur as the Designated Pastor at Arlington Hills Presbyterian Church in St. Paul on September 19 at 10:30am. A reception will follow. If you plan to attend, please email the church or call 651-774-6028 by September 10.

A Silver Anniversary at Dayton Avenue: Dayton Avenue Pres-byterian Church, 217 Mackubin Street, announces a special Cele-bration in honor of the 25th Anniversary of their pastor, H. David Stewart on Sunday, September 12.

Reverend Stewart came to Dayton Avenue Church in 1985 and led the church, well known for its role of ministry in the commu-nity, into new and expanded ministry.

The 25th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Sunday, Sep-tember 12 with a worship service at 10:00 a.m. including a re-installation of ministry. A lunch and program for congregants and friends will follow in the church Fellowship Hall, with a free-will

events


contribution. People who are interested in attending should contact Chuck Neve at 651-227-7389.

Academy for Vital Christianity: United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in New Brighton, Minn., is offering a variety of courses this fall in its Academy for Vital Christianity. The academy brings theological scholars to teach short courses at churches around the twin cities and greater Minnesota. This fall, pastoral care profes-sor Christie Cozad Neuger will offer the four-night class, "Effective Caregiving." Theol-ogy professor Marilyn Salmon will teach a two-Saturday class in Mankato called "Understanding the New Testament in Today's World." And Episcopal priest and scholar Neil Elliott will offer a five-night class the Bible's relevance today. Other fall classes in the metro area will cover lay ministry, contemporary stories of Christianity's impact and poetry and Hebrew Bible. Other classes on worship, the apostle Paul, the Old Testament prophets and the contemporary church will be offered in Alexandria, Duluth and Rochester. Class details and registration information is available at http://www.unitedseminary.edu/communityprograms/academy.asp .

Missional Church Consultation at Luther- The sixth annual Missional Church Con-sultation, "Cultivating Sent Communities - Missional Spiritual Formation," will bring together pastors, mission directors, scholars and lay congregational leaders Nov. 12-13 at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. Plenary session leaders are Richard Osmer, professor of Christian education at Princeton Theological Seminary; Christian Scharen, assistant professor of worship at Luther; Karen Ward, vicar and abbess at Church of the Apostles in Seattle; and Dwight Zscheile, assistant professor of congre-gational mission and leadership at Luther. In addition to plenary presentations, atten-dees will connect with peers in the missional church movement over meals, during Bible studies and in workshops. Registration for the consultation is open, and addi-tional information, including registration materials, is available at http://www.luthersem.edu/mission/consultation/consult_overvw.aspx .

Overview of Disability Ministry at Trinity: On Monday, September 27, the Rev. Zack Gill, co-founder and director of JRG Ministries, will give an overview of disabilities, and will share the story of his family’s journey that led him to start this ministry. Please join us at 6:30 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Objectives:

· Create disabilities awareness

· Indicate the role of faith communities to those with a disability

· Describe what a disabilities ministry looks likeTrack One: Pastoral Care and Counsel-ing

Trinity is located at 2125 Tower Drive in Woodbury.

Get in Shape Fiscally: The Presbyterian Board of Pension is hosting financial plan-ning seminar* designed for seminarians and early- to mid-career clergy and lay Bene-fits Plan members. Spouses and fiancés/fiancées are encouraged to attend. The semi-nar can help you:

Understand your income and benefits coverage

Discover debt reduction, saving, and personal finance tips

Take advantage of investment opportunities

Clarify clergy taxes and terms of call structure

The seminar will take place October 16, 2010 at Boutwell’s Landing in Oak Park Heights. Registration is open from August 17-September 24. To register, please go online to: http://bit.ly/aCr5Pc.

events, continued

112 W. Franklin Ave. Suite 508 Minneapolis, MN 55404 Fax: 612-871-0698 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ptcaweb.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/ptcaweb Facebook: www.facebook.com/presbyterytwincitiesarea Presbytery Staff

Chaz Ruark, Executive Presbyter: [email protected]

Nancy Grittman, Stated Clerk: [email protected]

Risa Anderson, Office Manager: [email protected]

Dennis Sanders, IT/Communications Specialist: [email protected]

"EMerge:Monthly," is a publication from the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area (PTCA). The mission is to share brief highlights with links to re-sources and news. Recipients include congregations, minister members, other members, committees, and friends. Please send submissions and e-mail corrections to Dennis Sanders, editor, at [email protected] . Usual distribu-tion: Thursdays.


Last Wednesday afternoon I pulled a small book off my shelf, it was titled, "Attracting New Members" by Robert Bast. Published in 1988 Bast notes that, “Market research indicates that people under age 40 use the Yellow Pages frequently." He then goes on to sug-gest that, " A wise approach is to take as large an ad as possible...”

Needless to say I found myself laughing out loud at the thought of this and decided to do my own market research (sort of).

I went home and asked my two old-est daughters, 13 and 11, not if they used the yellow pages, but rather if they even knew what the yel-low pages are. My oldest daugh-ter knew that they had some-thing to do with phone numbers but had no idea what phone numbers and when I explained it to her she had no idea that there was such a thing as the white pages! My younger daughter simply had no idea what the yellow pages were. It's been years since a copy of either of these made it into my house, its straight from the doorstep to recycling.

If I need a phone number I sim-ply go online and look it up.

This left me wondering, do we have a yellow pages church in a broadband world?

Research also indicates that in my denomination, PC(USA), that 79% of people in worship on a Sun-day morning are over the age of 45. This is in stark contrast to the US population where 50% of the popula-tion is under 45 (these numbers don't include children under 15).

What may have been a good market-ing tool 20 years ago is essentially obsolete today.

It's only a marketing tool, but I was left wondering to what degree does the way we communicate alienate people from the church, from the body of Christ, and from Christ him-self?

To quote Leslie Newbigin, "If the gospel is to be understood, if it is to be received as something which

Yellow page Yellow page Yellow page church, church, church, broadband worldbroadband worldbroadband world ---neil craiganneil craiganneil craigan

communicates truth about the real human situation, if it is, as we say, to make sense, it has to be communi-cated in the language of those to whom it is addressed and has to be clothed in symbols that are meaningful to them."

Does the church speak the language of the under 45s? Does the church cloth itself in the cultural symbols that are meaningful to them? As someone who fits that demographic, I have to answer with, "No." The church as a whole has little comprehension of the cultural is-sues, and appears to have little desire to engage and embrace the cultural shifts that will allow for the faith to be passed on to the next generation.

Neil Craigan is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in White Bear Lake, MN. This article originally appeared on his blog on August 30, 2010. You can read his blog at neilcraigan.com.

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