2011 1SpringCONNECTION

8/7/2019 2011 1SpringCONNECTION

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CONNECTIONNews for Presbyterian Women in the Twin Cities Area – Spring 2011

Invite you to our Spring Gathering

“Reaching out to the poorest of the poor with God’s Love”

Saturday, April 9, 20119 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.Registration and coffee – 8:30 a.m.

Presbyterian Home at Boutwells LandingGables Auditorium

13575 58th St N

Oak Park Heights, MN

“Walking Alongside One Another in Sudan”Pastor Heidi McGinnessMinister of Word and Sacrament of the PC(USA), serves as Outreach Director of

Christian Solidarity International’s, U.S. affilitate

“Exploring the Challenges of the Poorest Countries in the World”Afternoon Panel Discussion

Tina Brown, volunteer in Haiti

Ruth Jones, volunteer with “Remember Niger” in Niger, Africa

You will find the registration form on the last page.Registrations must be received by Monday, March 28th.

Registering after this date may necessitate makingyour own arrangements for lunch.



Directions to Boutwells LandingOn Highway 36, east from 694; west from Stillwater. Turn south on Norell, go past WalMart to 58th SNotice the water tower of Oak Park Heights. Turn left on 58th St. to Boutwells Landing, south entrancea very large building seen from a distance. Park in either parking lot near the building or across the stfrom building.

Keynote Speaker:

Pastor Heidi McGinness is Outreach Director for Christian Solidarity International (CSI)-USA. APresbyterian minister, she speaks in the United States and Switzerland reaching out to churches,synagogues, universities,schools, and civic groups retellingher gripping eyewitness accountof the suffering of the Sudanesepeople. Through her speaking,preaching and advocacy for persecuted Christians and Black

Muslims, she raises muchneeded funds to aid CSI incarrying out its life givingmission. On several trips intoSudan, she has been personallypresent to document theliberation of over 1,000 men,women, and children fromslavery, delivering tons of medicine and grain, thousands of survival kits, spiritual support and hope. She is the recipient of Denver, Colorado’s 2010 Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award and the Business & Social Responsibility Award honoring her work freeing those held captive in Sudan.

Afternoon Panelists:

Tina Brown, member of First Presbyterian Church, Rochester, has traveled to Haiti three times withher husband who is a physician. Their ministry has provided health care services to peopledesperately in need of assistance.

Ruth Jones, a volunteer and member of the Board of Directors of "Remember Niger" recentlyreturned from her second trip to Niger, Africa. The nonprofit group partners with The Evangelical

Church of Niger (EERN), to build, equip and maintain schools, provide scholarships, food for boardingstudents and other necessities.



Blue Bowl offering

April 9, 2011, we will be gathering at Boutwell’s Landing in Stillwater. We are anticipating to besurrounded with vivid stories of life in the Sudan as well as life in Haiti and Niger. As we prepareourselves to “show up, listen, interact and return to our own worlds” we are also encouraged toprepare for the Blue Bowl.

Lillias Anna Joy in the 1950’s wanted to thank God in a special way, and so she began dropping extramoney into a Blue Vase on her kitchen counter. She brought this collection to the Gathering andstarted the Blue Bowl tradition. Each spring our Blue Bowl contributions go to the Barbara TiltonMemorial Scholarship fund. These scholarships encourage and support women seminarians fromour Presbytery, women for whom new worlds are opening through their seminary studies, womenwho will help to open new worlds to others through their ministries in the year to come.

In 2010 our two seminary recipients were Tara Parrish from Kwanzaa enrolled at United Seminaryand Megan Cochran from Westminster, Minneapolis, enrolled at McCormick Seminary. Eachreceived $1200 for help with tuition and books. It seems as if a miracle was begun in October 1987when $2500 was put into a memorial scholarship fund to honor Barbara Tilton. Through our

continued donations and contributions from the Presbytery we continue our work year after year.

When Megan was at Westminster she was asked to participate in worship reading scripture andwriting and leading the prayers for the people. Then, she was asked to go to Cameroon, Africa towork at a Presbyterian Health Center as the Psychosocial Activities Coordinator for people living withHIV/AIDS for one year.

“Through this experience I was able to gain real world experience living out my ministry and also represent my congregation and denomination in across-cultural setting. Now, I am actively engaged in the worshipcommunity at McCormick Theological Seminary and am looking forward to

finishing school and dedicating my life to living out ministry in thePresbyterian Church USA.” Megan Cochran

Kerri Allen, a past recipient has graduated and she is now at 4 th Presbyterian in Chicago serving witha Lily Grant. She gave the invocation at Gov. Dayton’s Inaugural. It is our time now to continue thework of the Blue Bowl as our young women continue to work with and for us.

Mini PW Mission Experience to South Dakota

Because many women in our Synod expressed an interest, the Synod CT is making plans for asecond PW mission experience to visit our Dakota Presbyterian sisters.

This opportunity will be offered to all members of the PW Synod Coordinating Team . In addition,each of the 16 presbyteries in our synod will be invited to select an additional woman at the cost of about $200. The selection process will be determined by each presbytery's PW-CT. Stairs, walking,and very long days will be the norm. The tentative dates are August 11-14.

If you are interested, please submit your name to Donna Barlass, co-moderator. (9411 NewgateAvenue N, Stillwater 55802 or [email protected])

mailto:[email protected]




PROMOTING JUSTICE AND PEACE

Focus on Youth Homelessness

Were you aware that those 21 and younger, who are on their own, are thefastest growing homeless population in Minnesota? This is according to arecent Wilder Foundation report.

To decrease homelessness among youth has become an initiative of Leadership Greater Rochester, an annual leadership program of theRochester Area Chamber of Commerce. According to LGR’s website,www.aplacetocallhomemn.org, their “mission is to address thehomelessness crisis facing our youth by increasing public awareness andencouraging community collaboration.”

To this end, the group sponsored a forum in February inviting collaboration

with the Olmsted County Youth Commission, the Transitional HousingProgram, Workforce Development, a Y-program called LINK and othercommunity programs dealing with youth and including youth input. Therewill be a follow-up forum on April 28.

Goals of the initiative, named “A Place to Call Home,” are to create a YouthResource Center and a Youth Clothing Closet, so youths have access to jobsearching, homework assistance, mentorship and professional clothingaccording to a February 12 article in the Post-Bulletin, Rochester’s dailynewspaper. There are also plans to assist Lutheran Social Services infinding families who are interested in becoming foster parents to youth andraising funds to help support the above collaborators.

The group has found that family problems and economic problems are twomain causes of youth homelessness. Some families simply kick the youthout when they can no longer deal with them. Others cannot afford tosupport them financially any longer.

If you have initiatives in your community such as this, it would be good for

us to hear about them. Please send your information to: [email protected].

Marcia Dollerschell ([email protected])Justice and Peace Coordinator

Dates to remember:Justice and Peace emphasis dates:

http://www.aplacetocallhomemn.org/

http://opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch6109/[email protected]


http://www.aplacetocallhomemn.org/

http://opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch6109/[email protected]




April, 2011 June, 2011

10 Self Development of People 26 Disability Inclusion

22 Earth Day (Good Friday)

24 One Great Hour of Sharing August, 2011

7 Homelessness/Affordable Housing

May, 2011 September, 2011

1 Holocaust remembrance Day 21 International day of Peace15 Multicultural Church/Immigration 23 Native American Day



Baby Care and Hygiene Kits Desperately Needed

Church World Service Kits are small packages of supplies assembled by volunteers and shipped topeople in need around the world.

At this time the warehouse in Maryland is empty and the needs are great.Producing these kits would be a very worthwhile project for individuals or groups.

There will be more information on these kits at the Spring Gathering. But between now and then lets

see if we can construct at least 50 kits.For more information go to: http://www.churchworldservice.org

The contents of each Kit have been selected with care based on years of experience to make themas useful as possible, wherever and whenever they are sent.

Hygiene Kits should include:• One hand towel measuring approximately 16" x 28" (no fingertip or bath towels)• One washcloth• One wide-tooth comb (please look at the beauty supply stores and find a comb suitable for

heavier, coarser hair)• One nail clipper • One bar of soap (bath size in wrapper, not the ones you get at a hotel. Those can be donated

to a local homeless shelter, along with the travel size shampoo.)• One toothbrush (in original packaging)• Six standard size Band-Aids®

Place all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure; remove excess air from bag, andseal. Because these kits may sit in a hot warehouse until they are needed, please do not addtoothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Cartons of toothpaste that have an extended expiration date will beadded to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment.

Baby Care Kits should include (sizes up to 12 months):• Six cloth diapers (flat, not pre-folded diapers, are preferred)• Two T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies because t-shirts can grow with the baby)• Two washcloths• Two gowns or sleepers• Two diaper pins (You can order diaper pins through Bed, Bath and Beyond. I’ve ordered a

supply that I will be glad to share)• One sweater or sweatshirt (Can be hand knitted or crocheted)• Two receiving blankets (one can be a hand-knitted or crocheted baby blanket)

Items must be new (or look new) and under 12 months in size. Wrap items inside one of the receivingblankets and secure with both diaper pins.If you have trouble completing the baby kits for lack of something, bring what you have (mark it asincomplete) and we’ll finish the kits.

Please include a check for $5 made out to PW/PTCA with each kit to pay for the shipping from hereto the Maryland warehouse and to the areas where aid is so desperately needed.

http://www.churchworldservice.org/

http://www.churchworldservice.org/



NEW or VERY GOOD CONDITION SHEETS NEEDED

At our Spring Gathering, we will once again be collecting sheets for PC (USA) supported hospitals.Sheets need to be:

• Flat (solid or patterned)• Twin-sized (you can cut and hem larger-sized sheets into twin-sizes• New or very good condition (it is not worth the postage to send sheets that

quickly wear out!). Check out the Goodwill Stores, garage sales and estate salesfor bargains. The top price I’ll pay is $2 for used ones.

We encourage that all sheets, including new ones, be washed prior to mailing. Absolutely no pet hair!

LITTLE DRESSES FOR AFRICA

This a new project, not necessarily part of Church World Service, but one that some people haveexpressed an interest in. Their website.(www.littledressesforafrica.org) has some cute pictures of sweet little orphans for whom people have made darling little dresses. The original concept of theprogram was that people would make these little dresses out of pillowcases, although any simple littledress will be just fine. There is even a Simplicity pattern for the pillowcase style.

If your group would be interested in making these dresses or donating fabric for them, we can seethat they get where they need to be. We may not have time to accomplish this for the SpringGathering but I think it would be fun to have a little display of dresses for the Fall Gathering.

Summary of Giving from Fall Gathering 2010

During the Fall Gathering in Kasson, the following items were collected for mission efforts worldwide.

• 17 Twin sheets• 57 baby caps

• 10 crib size sheets• 4 receiving blankets and crib blankets• 10 baby gowns

If your PW sends their Mission donations directly and you’d like to be included in our total givingsummary, send me an email with your counts and it will be included in the next Gathering newsletter.

Any questions-send an email to [email protected] or call 612-306-5961

http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/


http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/




Synod SchoolSynod School is an Educational Ministry of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies.Date: July 24th – 29th 2011Place: Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, IATheme: ALL My Relatives

Daily morning and Evening Worship for all ages with spirited music and singing. Daily convocation

focusing on the theme of the School. Morning and afternoon programs for children of all ages.

Oppurtunity for adults to participate in from 1-4 classes on a wide range of topics including:Something for everyone Theological Study and Reflection, Ukrainian Egg Decorating , History of Rock and Roll and many more.

Registration will opened March 1st. This has become very popular with 700 people attending lastsummer

Synod Coordinating Team reportNovember 4-6 2010

Albert Lea, Minnesota

I attended my first PW Synod of Lakes and Prairies Coordinating Team meeting as your newPresbytery representative, replacing Ann Rock, who served you so well for the past three years. Allsixteen presbyteries in the five state Synod(MN, IA, ND,SD, NE, plus a Native American presbytery,the Dakota Presbytery, which has twenty churches) were represented. I enjoy meeting the womenwho represent these presbyteries and reading the reports of what women in their churches are doing.Bev Raske, Renville, MN is the new Synod moderator.

I was appointed to the Mission Committee. The Moringa tree project has been a great success.Money for the project should now be sent to the Medical Benevolence Foundation. A new project isLittle Dresses for Africa, made from pillowcases (can also use other fabrics). Watch the next SOWER

for details.

Because only one person from each Synod was able to go on the Dakota Experience trip this year,our Synod is planning a trip for next year. SLAP-CT members will be eligible plus one other personfrom each Presbytery. The women Dakota Presbytery would like us to come August 12-14, 2011because we would then be present for their Mission Fair. We would need to come up with a methodfor selecting the extra Presbytery women. Watch for a story about the 2010 Dakota Experience in theMarch/April issue of Horizons.

There was a Leadership Training Session on Friday, and Margie Petersen of CommunityPresbyterian, Rochester, was the other person representing out Presbytery for this training. We need

to tell the good story of PW and make sure that the women of our congregations know about PW.Find new ways to do things, if necessary.

The next Churchwide Gathering, “The River of Hope”, will be held in Orlando, FL July 18-22, 2012.The next Synod Gathering will be June 12-15, 2013.

--- Sylvia Swede



PW PURPOSEForgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ, and empowered

by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves

• to nurture our faith through prayer and Bible study,• to support the mission of the church worldwide,• to work for justice and peace, and• to build an inclusive, caring community of women that

strengthens the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) andwitnesses to the promise of God’s kingdom.

I feel that all of us need to be reminded of OUR PURPOSE frequently.

According to the secretary’s report of the PW/PTCA Coordinating team meeting minutes on January15th, ’11, Jane Boss, Treasurer, reported that the contributing churches made no operating expensesdonations during the fourth quarter. It was discussed about getting more Presbyterian womeninvolved financially. It does cost money to run any organization, a home or PW. Let’s all try toencourage our congregation’s PW to stretch a bit more to add a percentage for the operatingexpenses along with the quarterly pledges.

Notices: Visit PW and Horizons online

Presbyterian Women---www.presbyterianwomen.orgHorizons---http://horizons.pcusa.org

2011 Dates to Remember :

March 10 1st Quarter Pledges due to Jane Boss, Treasurer March 28 Reports for Annual Report due to Jane Hallman, SecretaryApril 9 SPRING GATHERING at Boutwell’s LandingJune 11 PW/PTCA Coordinating Team Meeting (Location to be determined)

See you at the Gathering!

Continue to pray for Ann Rock who has undergone serious major surgery. Ann has been involved inPW in many positions for many years.

Peace and Love,Donna Barlass & Rosey Peterson Co-Moderators

A NOTE FROM YOUR CO-MODERATORS OF THE PW/PTCA

http://www.presbyterianwomen.org/

http://www.presbyterianwomen.org/



Send registration form (one per person if possible) and check for $15 per personto:

Jane Boss, 14795 Ostlund Trail North, Marine-on-St. Croix, MN 55047.Check payable to PW/PTCA.Registrations must be received by Monday, March 28 th

Registering after this date may necessitate making your own arrangements for lunch.

Name _____________________________________________ Phone ( ) ______________

Address ________________________________ City _________________ State________ Zip_______

E-mail address ______________________________________________________________

Home Congregation__________________________

Is this the first PW-PTCA Gathering you've attended? ____

Please include your e-mail address if you have one.

Send registration form (one per person if possible) and check for $15 per personto:Jane Boss, 14795 Ostlund Trail North, Marine-on-St. Croix, MN 55047.

Check payable to PW/PTCA.Registrations must be received by Monday, March 28 th

Registering after this date may necessitate making your own arrangements for lunch.

Name _____________________________________________ Phone ( ) ______________

Address ________________________________ City _________________ State________ Zip_______

E-mail address ______________________________________________________________

Home Congregation__________________________

Is this the first PW-PTCA Gathering you've attended? ____

Please include your e-mail address if you have one.

Documents

2011 1SpringCONNECTION