Emerge: September 2010

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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 theRamp 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 tobuild 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 newramp courtesy of Valley Com-munity Presbyterian in GoldenValley, MN. Photo from ValleyCommunity Presbyterian.


2/18


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 cant 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 bragnonetheless, 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 theyd be welcomed and to join us at any time.

One woman even said, if all of your church members

are like the ones Ive 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 Id 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-

grews 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 didnt 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 Gods earth and to honor churches

that have committed to this mission. The goal of the program is to inspire churches to care for

Gods 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 Gods 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/.


3/18


Imagine you are a refugeefleeing persecution, arriving

in Minnesota knowing no

one. You are greeted at theairport and helped in yourfirst months by a team ofMuslim and Christian volun-teers working together. In

your homeland you only knewpeople of your own reli-gious tradition, or yourexperience with otherreligions was one ofdistrust and persecution.But here your interfaithsponsors help you find ahome, a job and make asuccessful transition to

self-sufficiency. Gradu-ally you build a new lifeof hope, safety, peace-fulness and connection.This unique team of vol-unteers has also given

you a gift that may havebeen unimaginable to

you an experience ofinterfaith cooperation.

So goes the openingstatement about Taking Root,

a new program of the Minne-sota Council of Churches thatpairs volunteers of differing

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

Sponsors are needed to help the new refugees progress andmove toward self-sufficiency. Taking Root is uniquely positionedin that instead of having congregations sponsoring the refugees(which has been the traditional way of refugee partnership) aninterfaith team made up of Muslims and Christians work togetherto 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 thata number of PTCA churches have taken part. Oak Grove inBloomington and House of Hope in St. Paul are wonderful part-ners in they have hosted us for meetings and for recruitmentevents, 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 anyonewanting to hear more about Taking Root, Geinert said. She saidthe 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 eventwe have held so far, Geinert said.

Hakeem adds that her experience with the program so far hasbeen wonderful. Its 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 towork on welcoming refugees. Muslims from South Asian, AfricanAmerican and white backgrounds have responded positively tothe Taking Root program. Hakeem did say that the most chal-lenging community to deal with is the Somali community, whohappen to be the most recent arrivals. Many of them are trying tomake a living and dont 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 yourfaith 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, [email protected], or 612-230-3210.

taking root-by dennis sanders

contents

Taking Root 3

North Como YouthTrip

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

14Farheen Hakeem, left and Lynea Geinert, right,

of the Taking Root Program. Photo by Dennis

Sanders.


4/18


During August 1 7, 2010 theyouth group at North Como Pres-byterian Church teamed up withthe youth from Falcon HeightsUnited Church of Christ andheaded off to New York City for aweek of mission work. The groupworked with Project Hospitality, anon-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 werebroken into groups that did a variety of projects: some helped in the administrativeoffice with an 8000-piece fundraiser mailing, others sorted vegetables donations(ah, those yummy cucumbers). On another day, some stocked the food pantryand helped the pantry guests shop the pantry for their groceries; while othershelped prepare and serve lunchtime meals for the homeless and HIV/AIDS com-munity. The youth alsocleaned a newly reno-vated youth-in-crisis

shelter that will soonhouse runaways; andothers passed out com-munity-action flyers to

business owners in the community of Port Richmond (a Staten Islandneighborhood that is currently experiencing racially motivated hate crimes).All in all, the youth got an in-depth understanding of what it means to servea 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 workshopseminars. Each day after our service work was complete, Project Hospitalityorganized volunteers and program participants to come and speak to ourgroup about the issues of homelessness, addiction, and HIV/AIDS. As agroup, we were able to dialogue with people who have been homeless, arein recovery from addictions, and are afflicted with HIV/AIDS. No questionwas too personal, and no answer was too honest. These seminars were a great way to reflect on the days work and experiences,with people who used Project Hospitality at a time when they themselves were in need. They shared an invaluable perspective withour 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 Yorks sightsas well. We visited Chinatown, Little Italy, the Ground Zero reconstruction project, South Street Seaport, St. Patricks Cathedral, Cen-tral Park, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center. We learned that New York truly is the city that never sleeps because we barelydid 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


5/18


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 ofthe 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 theSpecial 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 GAMCField 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.


6/18


In accordance with Book of Order, Form of Government G-11.0200, and the Bylaw of the Presbytery of The Twin CitiesArea, Article I, the Presbytery will meet in Regular Stated Sessionon Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at Plymouth PresbyterianChurch, 3755 DunkirkLane North, Plymouth,Minnesota, 55446, at4:00 p.m.

Preceding the meeting,a Pre-Presbytery eventwill be lead by the guestpreacher for the day,The Rev. Dr. CynthiaRigby, professor, Austin

Seminary, Austin,Texas. Dr. Rigby hadoriginally accepted theinvitation of the Presby-tery to deliver the key-note address at Presby-fest, and agreed tocome in Septemberwhen that event wascancelled. Her themewill 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 timeare invited to an orientation of the Presbytery, led by the stated

clerk. Registration will begin at 3:30 in the narthex, and a time ofhospitality and fellowship will be hosted by the Plymouth congre-

gation.

The report of Presbytery Council will include apresentation of the strategic plan which was de-veloped by a task force appointed by Council,working with a consultant. This plan has nowbeen approved by Council for presentation to thePresbytery. Council and Task Force Memberswill present it in September, with discussion and

opportunities for further study in preparation for avote in November.

The official report of the General Assembly Commissioners will bepresented, as will a report fromthose youth attending Trienniumin July 2010.

Dinner for 175, at $7.00, will beavailable. Tickets will be sold inthe registration area. There areneighboring restaurants close by,if more meals are needed.

Grace and peace,

Nancy E. Grittman

Stated Clerk

Call to September 2010Presbytery Meeting

-nancy grittman

Presbytery Packet Available forPresbytery Packet Available forPresbytery 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. Rigbys 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


7/18


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 withthe 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 stated-

[email protected].

-Nancy Grittman

Presbytery to Study and Vote on GA Actions in2010-11

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 ChurchCenter (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


8/18


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 Universityin 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 schools

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 everyday."

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 thedrive 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 andthe books close on this years 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 kindBy duane sweep


9/18


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 listedstrengths 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 hardand 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

Id Like to Thank theId Like to Thank the

Academy...Academy...

A small package arrived at thePresbytery office via FedEx thisweek. It turns out that the pack-age was an award given out bythe General Assembly Mission

Council to the Presbytery of theTwin Cities Area for being one ofthe top ten presbyteries in SpecialOfferings/Other Appeals. KarenSchmidt, the Deputy ExecutiveDirector for Communications andFunds Development had this to

say in a letter to the Presbytery:

"The treasure that you and thecongregations of your presbyteryhave shared with the General As-sembly Mission Council has beenused to help Grow Christ's ChurchDeep and Wide, in evangelism,discipleship, diversity, and ser-vanthood. And for that, we thankyou. The enclosed memento isbut a small token of our gratitude

for the difference you make inChrist's church. "

The staff of the Presbytery of theTwin Cities Area thanks God foryour wonderful generosity. Good

job!


10/18


On a very hot July day in Minneapolis, thePresbytery of the Twin Cities Area approvedthe call of two pastors named Lee (who arenot related) and a new Presbytery treasurer.

A special meeting of the Presbytery was heldon Tuesday July 27 at the Oliver ChristianMinistry Center in Minneapolis. Theformer Oliver Presbyterian Church,located in the Phillips neighborhoodof Minneapolis is now a ministry ofHope Presbyterian Church in Rich-field. Familia de Fe, the HispanicPresbyterian New Church Develop-ment, is one of the many ministriesthat are house at the Ministry Center,and were the host of this specialmeeting.

The meeting began at 4PM with theCommittee on Ministry bringing two

pastors forward for approval by thepresbytery. The first was Rev. JoAnnLee who was approved to become anAssociate Pastor at House of HopePresbyterian Church in St. Paul. Leegraduated from McCormick Seminary,Chicago in 2008 and was ordained bythe Presbytery of Chicago in 2009.She spent the last two years as apastoral 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 hercalling to minister to youth:

I am a second generation AsianAmerican woman whose ministry isinformed and shaped by my genderand racialized identity. I grew up with

immigrant parents who relied on meto help them translate and navigatetheir experience in a new and differ-ent world. From an early age, I spokeup 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 ourbills 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 ourstruggles and hardships. Whenever

life got difficult, we turned to God. Asa result, I experience God particularly

in times of darkness and despair andam able to walk with people throughthe valley of the shadow of death.

Often children and youth are over-looked in our pastoral care. Evenwhen they are the ones who aresick, parents are usually tended towhile the children are not. I hope tobring a care and compassion for our

young people, so that they, too,know that God walks with themthrough their dark times.

Lee was warmly approved by voicevote and will be officially installed atthe Associate Pastor for Youth andYoung Adults on Sunday, September

5, 10AM at House of Hope. Rev.Gale Robb, who was serving as in-terim Associate Pastor at the St. Paulcongregation, concluded her ministryat House of Hope on August 22 tomake way for Lee.

Rev. Mark Lee of the Presbytery ofCharlotte also came forward to beapproved for the position of Associ-ate Pastor at Korean PresbyterianChurch of Minnesota in BrooklynCenter. Lee was ordained in theKorean American PresbyterianChurch and transferred to the Pres-byterian Church (USA) in 2002. Inhis written biography to the presby-tery, Lee explained his call to minis-try:

After about 9 years of devoting mylife to Gods church as an EnglishMinistry (EM) pastor, I accepted acall to become a Senior Pastor of anupstart Korean-American Church inCharlotte, North Carolina. Thechurch had a vision to bring in a

young, bi-lingual pastor, who canguide, not only the Korean-speakingcongregation members, but alsoreach out to the 1.5 and secondgeneration Korean-Americans.There are incredible lessons thatGod has taught me in this current

position and I know that God will usemy experience to further His King-dom, not because of who I am, butbecause of Gods amazing graceand Gospel message. I have a con-

A special PresbyteryMeeting

-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.


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

Lee was approved bythe Presbytery and willhead up the EnglishMinistry at the Koreancongregation.

Finally, the Presbyteryapproved the Rev.Edwin Martin to serveas the next Treasurer ofthe PTCA. Martin, anHonorably Retired Min-ister Member of thePresbytery was born inIndia to missionary par-ents and ordained in

1967. He has severedpastorates in New York,Indiana and Minnesota,including service as thepastor of PresbyterianChurch of the Apostles in Burnsville, MN from 1984 to 1991. Forthe past 17 years, Martin served as the field consultant for the

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

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

The next regular presbytery meeting will take placeTuesday, September 14 at Plymouth Presbyterianin 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 theconclusion 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 PayIt'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 hasbeen 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 Jos 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


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I'm still jetlagged awake before mychildren for the first time in years. Ivejust returned from Cape Town, SouthAfrica, where I spent a week drinkingfrom a firehose taking in the amaz-ing social, political, geographical andcultural sights and sounds. It is acountry of contrasts. I was amazedby the upfront honesty in the system,

the recentness of the history of thiscountry and the remarkable thingsthat have happened and are happen-ing in reconciliation - along with theincredible disparity that still exists,and the deeply ingrained racism thatwill take generations to eradicate.But the openness about things is trulystriking - and just opening the "world"section of the Cape Town paper isvery telling. The articles yesterdaysaid nothing about wars or violence(what my local paper would have re-ported). Instead the top stories wereall snippets from other countriesabout racial equality, struggles forindependence, leadership owningtheir issues, and the like. It is a veryinteresting 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 politicalprisoner, 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 thissame island where he was tortured, and waves good morning to a former guard, who also lives and works on the same island for thesame reasons.

We visited a former Methodist church, which is now the District Six museum. District Six was a dynamic, multi-ethnic neighborhoodthat was razed in the 70s after being declared an "all white" area. There we met a Muslim man named Noor Ebrihim, whose familyhad lived four generations in the neighborhood. He had experienced true harmony between religions and races, closeknit connec-

tions with neighbors and community, sharing each others holidays, even. And then one day he watched bulldozers destroy his homeand saw the family next door split up husband sent to the colored township, wife and children to a black township, allowed to seeone another once every few weeks, only if the pass was approved, for the next twenty some years. Noor worked at the District SixMuseum to tell his story and the story of his community, and to preach the message of hope that such racially and culturally diversecommunities 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 hadstood, and he is beside himself with joy at the thought of moving back into District Six. Finally new construction is dotting this barrenspot in the center of the city. Many whites had refused to build and settle there as their own protest against the injustice of apartheidand 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 withsparse 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 and40% 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 onthe civil rights struggle in America, and made me think again about our own Indian Reservations, and the racism we often proudly actas though we've long moved past, (even in the midst of such things as the fervor and debate over the Islamic Cultural Center near theformer World Trade Center site). Standing in South Africa and looking over at my own country, our politics and history, the Americanchurch, 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 Tutus book, No Futurewithout Forgiveness, where he describes the astounding work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He talks about an Africanconcept from the Bantu language of South Africa that is deeply theological and profound, Ubunto. He describes Ubunto as, the es-

Ubuntu UnfoldingUbuntu UnfoldingUbuntu UnfoldingBy Kara RootBy Kara RootBy Kara Root


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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 doaffects 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 asoldier in Angola and returned to continue the struggle through violent opposition. He was one of those who believed that all whitesshould be driven into the sea. He was captured by the police and tortured, which damaged his body permanently, and he lived for atime in deep depression, nursing hatred for his captors. It was in this dark place that he first met Jesus Christ, who was tortured andsuffered alongside him, and he embraced ubunto and forgiveness. He later tried to find each of his captors so that he might forgivethem in person.

One of his former captors would not meet with him and insisted Monwabisi would never find him. Monwabisi discovered where thisman lived, went to his posh white neighborhood, and stood behind his house. His wife was doing dishes at the kitchen window andwhen she looked up from her work, he waved at her and she waved back. That evening he phoned again, asking to meet the man sothat he might share his forgiveness. The man refused and insisted again that he would never find him. He said to him, Man, I doknow 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 intheir context), an Afrikaner family we ate dinner with one night who had given up a lucrative job and a church position to instead workwith women and children in a township in a job and education empowerment program, the young Afrikaner woman who told me abouther generations experience of racial reconciliation and self-understanding as a nation these were just a handful of the faces on thestory 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; inthe Kingdom of God unfolding among us. And I am a witness that Gods kingdom continues to break into our world and call us to par-ticipate. May we be both humble and brave enough to join in Gods kingdom, in koinonia, in ubuntu, as it breaks into and seeks totransform our own lives and communities.

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

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

Presbyterian Church of Colombia. The program was started in 2004 at the request of presbytery staff membersin Colombia who had received death threats because of their work for human rights and justice for displacedpeople. 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, 17Crickettown Rd., Stony Point, NY 10980. On the memo line put "Colombia Accompaniers" and enclose a notestating it is for Suzan Ireland's trip. You can also find out more about the program and contribute onlineat www.presbypeacefellowship.org. Donations are tax deductible. If you are interested in scheduling a programabout the church in Colombia at your church when Suzan returns, please contact herat [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


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Editors 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 afirst call pastor at House of FaithPresbyterian Church in NortheastMinneapolis. Liz Heller, an hon-orably retired minister member inthe PTCA, met Rice in the late1950s through a tutoring programthat was offered at House ofFaith. He came in with so manycontributions, Heller remem-bered.

If you would like to send a card, it

can be sent to his widow, NancyRice 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 andprofessor of ministry from 1968-97, died Aug. 8 in Claremont,Calif., at the age of 78. He wasone of the earliest practitioners ofspiritual disciplines and formationthat led to the current renewal ofthose 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 thisreporter arrived as a student and spent his time on the SanAnselmo campus either on crutches or confined to a wheelchair.After Rices retirement, his diagnosis was changed from MS tospinal cord damage. Last spring he battled a stubborn bone infec-tion for weeks, resulting in his decision to accept hospice care. Hepassed 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 thechurch that he served so long and well," said Elizabeth Liebert,SFTS dean and professor of spiritual life. "Always standing withthe underdog, he was persistent to the point of stubbornness indefending them. He is beloved by hundreds of students, pastorsand church folk, whose hopes and struggles he held dear. Wemourn the loss of mentor, colleague, spiritual adviser, friend andconsummate pastor."

In the early 1970s, when one of his students gave him a copy ofMorton T. Kelsey's The Other Side of Silence, Rice became atireless advocate of feeding the soul as well as the mind, andrecruited 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 spiritualitywithin the Protestant-Reformed tradition. Dur-ing his moderatorial year 1979-1980 heorganized three spirituality retreats throughoutthe country and encouraged each presbytery

to send one participant.

Rice was instrumental in "Companions on the Inner Way," a re-treat/conference program that hasserved hundreds of pastors and lay per-sons. He played a significant role in de-veloping SFTSs pioneering program inspirituality, which led to the creation ofthe Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direc-tion and the Diploma in the Art of Spiri-tual Formation programs.

In 1991, Rice published the landmarkbook, Reformed Spirituality: An Introduc-tion to Believers, which continues to bewidely studied in seminaries throughout

the United States.

To honor his retirement from SFTS in1997, Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey of Califor-nia presented a tribute to Rice before theU.S. House of Representatives. In 2007,SFTS trustee and alumna the Rev.Jackie Leonard, made a first gift to theseminary toward endowing the RiceFamily Chair in Christian Spirituality.

Rice graduated from Carroll College in1953 and from McCormick TheologicalSeminary in 1956. Ordained by Winne-bago Presbytery, he served pastorates inMinneapolis and Chicago before going toSFTS.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and a daughter, Amanda. Asecond daughter, Wendy Rice Dreitcer, died in 2004 of a braintumor.

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.


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JoAnn Lee will be installed as thenew Associate Pastor for Youthand Young Adults at House ofHope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul on Sunday, September5. Lees call was approved by the Presbytery of July 27. Shetransferred from the Presbytery of Chicago.

Rick MacArthur will be installed as the Designated Pastor ofArlington 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 celebrate25 years of ministry with H. David Stewart on Sunday, Sep-tember 12. Stewart started was called to the congregation in1985.

Paula Sanders is the Interim Director for Park Avenue Youthand Family Services, a ministry of Park Avenue United Meth-odist Church in Minneapolis. She will be at Park Avenue untilNovember, 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 interimAssociate Pastor for the past year, until JoAnn Lee was

called as a permanent Associate Pastor.

Howard Rice, a former General Assembly Moderator as wellas a professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary, diedon August 8 at the age of 78. Before his roles as Moderatorand Professor, he was a first call pastor at House of FaithPresbyterian Church in Northeast Minneapolis. Liz Heller, anhonorably retired minister member in the PTCA, met Rice inthe late 1950s through a tutoring program that was offered atHouse 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. Hespent several days at St. Johns Hospital in Maplewood andwas then transferred to the nursing wing of PresbyterianHomes in Arden Hills where Knierman lives.

Camille Cook, a minister member , has been called to serveas senior pastor of Georgetown Presbyterian Church inWashington, DC, becoming the first female head of staff in

the history of the 230 year old congregation. Ordained in2006, 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


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For more information on the positions listed below, please go thePTCA 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 commu-

[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 annualconvention of the Association of Retired Ministers, their Spousesor Survivors takes place at the Ramada Mall of America in Bloom-ington, Minn., Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 9-12. With thetheme Called to a Lifetime of Service: Gods Plan or Ours, theconvention will feature worship, plenary sessions, workshops andexcursions. Informal conversations and gatherings will being op-portunities for members and friends of ARMSS to connect andreconnect. The registration fee before Aug. 17 is $125 plus a $20membership fee for those who are not currently members. AfterAug. 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, Box700311, 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 hearabout 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 HousingFocus Group and Spirited Learning.

Cathy ten Broeke, the Coordinator to End Homelessness in Hen-nepin County, is a well-known expert and compellingspeaker. Cathy Maes, Director of ICA, and La Donna Hoy, Direc-tor of Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, will also shareinformation 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 applicationsfrom Ministers who would like to represent the Presbytery as Min-ister Commissioner to the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for a threeyear term beginning in January 2011. We are also lookingfor 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 eveningto 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 theSynod. Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegates willserve 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 beSeptember 11th from 10 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at First PresbyterianChurch, 1901 Vine St., Hudson, WI. The event will begin with anopening ceremony honoring the Troops, Firemen, Policemen andRescue Personnel. Authentic Scottish food including PaddyRyans Sticky Toffee Pudding will be available beginning at 11:00.Other activities for the day include A Traders Market (bring foodfor the local food shelf and barter for an attic treasure), music by

Langers Ball, 12-00-1:00 P.M., Piper, Anthony Howe, and Celticmusician, Laura Mackenzie, Clan Tartan Historical Encampment,a bake sale and craft booths, kids activities and Highland gamesfor All. Admission is free.

Installation at Arlington Hills: The public is invited to the instal-lation of the Rev. Rick MacArthur as the Designated Pastorat Arlington Hills Presbyterian Church in St. Paul on September19 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. DavidStewart on Sunday, September 12.

Reverend Stewart came to Dayton Avenue Church in 1985 andled 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 andfriends will follow in the church Fellowship Hall, with a free-will

events


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contribution. People whoare interested in attendingshould contact Chuck Neveat 651-227-7389.

Academy for Vital Christianity: United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities inNew Brighton, Minn., is offering a variety of courses this fall in its Academy for VitalChristianity. The academy brings theological scholars to teach short courses atchurches 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 andscholar Neil Elliott will offer a five-night class the Bible's relevance today. Other fallclasses in the metro area will cover lay ministry, contemporary stories of Christianity'simpact and poetry and Hebrew Bible. Other classes on worship, the apostle Paul, theOld 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; ChristianScharen, assistant professor of worship at Luther; Karen Ward, vicar and abbess atChurch 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, duringBible 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. ZackGill, co-founder and director of JRG Ministries, will give an overview of disabilities, andwill share the story of his familys journey that led him to start this ministry. Please joinus 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 fiancs/fiances 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 Boutwells Landing in Oak ParkHeights. Registration is open from August 17-September 24. To register, please goonline 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: stated-

[email protected]

Risa Anderson, Office Manager: of-

[email protected]

Dennis Sanders, IT/Communications

Specialist: communica-

[email protected]

"EMerge:Monthly," is a publication

from the Presbytery of the Twin CitiesArea (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 communica-

[email protected] . Usual distribu-

tion: Thursdays.


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/ b t f th t i iti / t b 2010/ 18

Last Wednesday afternoon I pulled a small book off my shelf, itwas titled, "Attracting New Members" by Robert Bast. Published in1988 Bast notes that, Market research indicates that people underage 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 Ifound myselflaughing out loudat the thought of

this and decidedto do my ownmarket research(sort of).

I went home andasked my two old-est daughters, 13and 11, not if theyused the yellow

pages, but ratherif 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 phonenumbers and when I explained itto her she had no idea that therewas such a thing as the whitepages! My younger daughtersimply had no idea what the

yellow pages were. It's beenyears since a copy of either ofthese made it into my house, itsstraight from the doorstep torecycling.

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

This left me wondering, do wehave a yellow pages church in abroadband world?

Research also indicates that inmy denomination, PC(USA), that79% of people in worship on a Sun-day morning are over the age of 45.This is in stark contrast to the USpopulation where 50% of the popula-tion is under 45 (these numbersdon'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 wasleft wondering to what degree doesthe way we communicate alienatepeople from the church, from thebody of Christ, and from Christ him-self?

To quote Leslie Newbigin, "If thegospel is to be understood, if it is to

be received as something which

Yellow pageYellow pageYellow page

church,church,church,broadband worldbroadband worldbroadband world

---neil craiganneil craiganneil craigan

communicates truth about the real human situation, ifit is, as we say, to make sense, it has to be communi-

cated in the language of those to whom it is addressedand has to be clothed in symbols that are meaningfulto them."

Does the church speak the language of the under 45s?

Does the church cloth itself in the cultural symbolsthat are meaningful to them? As someone who fits thatdemographic, I have to answer with, "No." The churchas a whole has little comprehension of the cultural is-sues, and appears to have little desire to engage andembrace the cultural shifts that will allow for the faithto be passed on to the next generation.

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

Documents

Emerge: September 2010