weekly newsletter, indian nations presbytery, oklahoma, wednesday communique
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QUICK CALENDAR Jan. 13, NOM @Moore, 1p Jan. 14, Duncan AC @INP, 1p Jan. 18, Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, INP Office Closed Jan. 19, CC @Memorial, 10a Jan. 21, CPM @ INP, 10a Jan 30, PW Gathering @Covenatn, 9a Feb. 21 & 22, COM Retreat @St. Crispins Feb. 22 - 24, CPM Retreat @St. Crispins Feb. 26 & 27, Stated Mtg, @ Chisholm Trail, Yukon Mar. 25, INP Foundation Mtg @INP, 1:30p
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Mission Yearbook Prayer Open the sleepy eyes of the wealthy nations, Lord. Awaken us from our overfed slumber to responsibility for our needy brothers and sisters. Teach us again how much we have that we do not need, and how much they need that they do not have. Amen.
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Jan. 13, 2010
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Youth Quake Planning Meeting Saturday, January 16at 11:00 AM at Memorial PC in Norman Please contact Rev. Everett Miller (405) 321- 0933 or [email protected]
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Annual Reports Annual reports have been mailed. The instructions for online completion including user name and password are included with each packet. The deadline for completion of the report is Tuesday, February 23, 2010.
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Chisholm Trail Presbyterian Church is in need of volunteers Last weekend Chisholm Trail Presbyterian Church in Yukon sustained major water damage when the water line to the church's sprinkler system froze. Insurance adjusters and a restoration crew have been assisting with immediate clean-up efforts, but the church will probably need a number of volunteers beginning next week. Please keep these brothers and sisters in your prayers - and, if you are able, volunteer to help with cleaning and repairs.
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YOUNG ADULT ADVISORY DELEGATE TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (YAAD) The nominating committee has made several announcements and we have sent several requests for names of young people who would be good young adult advisory delegates to the 2010 General Assembly. If the presbytery does not elect a YAAD at the February stated meeting, this presbytery will not be represented by a young adult advisory delegate. (Nominees must be between 17 and 23 years of age on the day that the Assembly convenes.) Interested parties may contact Jean McDaneil at the INP office for an applicaton form (405-524-0990 or [email protected])
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"Planting New Churches Today" Presented by Rev. Philip Lotspeich Coordinator for Church Growth for the PC(USA)Free Catered Lunch February 8, 2010 Noon Sante Fe Presbyterian Church 1603 North Santa Fe Avenue Edmond, OK Hosted by Greystone Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe Presbyterian Church, and the INP Task Force for New Church Development Rev. Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, recently wrote that "The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for the numerical growth of the Body of Christ, the renewal of existing churches, and the overall impact of that Body on the culture of any city." In a denomination of deteriorating churches and declining numbers, planting new churches shifts the focus from "just staying alive" to actively pursuing vibrant ministries in new and growing communities. As possibilities for relocating existing churches and planting new churches develop in Indian Nations Presbytery, please mark your calendars and join ministers and members throughout the presbytery as we begin to explore "Planting New Churches Today". Rev. Philip Lotspeich was called to the position of coordinator for Church Growth in the Evangelism program area of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in February 2008. He was the organizing Pastor of Faithbridge Presbyterian Church in Frisco, Texas. He also was the pastor of a transformational congregation in Okmulgee, Okla. He is a graduate of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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INP MEMBER LUNCHEON You’e invited To a lunch with INP members Monday, Jan 18 (11:30 1:00) Join us for this informal time with one another. Jim Burns will be leading in a conversation which will include sharing a favorite book, CD or movie you particularly enjoyed in 2009. What Lunch ($7) and Fellowship (priceless!) Where Westminster, OKC When Monday, Jan 18, 11:30a - 1p Can you join us? RSVP to Lisa Mencer at Westminster Pres. ([email protected]); 405-524-2224 x228).
From the desk of Andy Newman Motivational Speaker Notice on Leadership, Team-Building and Mentoring Optimist parents, We at the NOC wanted to make you aware of an exciting opportunity to hear one of America's foremost speakers on leadership, team-building, and mentoring right here in Norman! Joe Ehrmann, a former All American football player at Syracuse and All Pro with the Baltimore Colts, will be speaking at the Nancy O'Brian Performing Arts Center at Norman North High School at 7:00 PM January 20th, and the event is free. As a world class athlete with a commanding presence, Joe will appeal to our young athletes. His speaking topics of ethics, team building, mentoring, and living a life based on a commitment to relationships will undoubtedly appeal to us as parents, and speak to the hearts of our kids. Many of you may have seen Joe as featured in Parade Magazine this past year as "The Most Important Coach in America", or as the subject of the New York Times bestseller Season of Life. The cost of this event has been paid by a generous family in our community. There is no admission charge to attend. If you would like to research Joe's work please refer to the web sites www.coachforamerica.com and/or www.buildingmenandwomen.org, or watch this YouTube video clip of the story done on Joe by HBO Real Sports. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQRRGIaZjNs )
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INP PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN'S GATHERING January 30, 2010 at Covenant Presbyterian Church Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. North East Entrance of the Church Program begins at 9:30 in the Sanctuary Devotions, Business, and Installation of New Officers Presentation by Ms. Eveline Steele Churchwide Coordinating Team Member representing Native Americans. Lunch will be at 12:30 p.m. Update on the Synod Gathering in July by Ava Morton The cost is $10.00 Please register by Friday, January 22, 2010 The theme is "A Goodly Heritage". Eveline Steelewill bethe guestspeaker. She hails from Broken Bow, OK, and has been a Member at Large on the Churchwide Coordinating Team as a representative for Native Americans.Presbyterian Women are fortunate to have her astheir guest, and she will stress the important rolewomen have played as this country (and particularly Oklahoma) developed its faithful heritage. The Coordinating Team trusts thatthis Indian Nations PW Winter Gathering will serve as a "springboard" to The Synod of the Sun Gathering in July in Oklahoma City. We want to "whet your appetites", and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at both events. Sallie Groves _
SOMETHING NEW~~ About this newsletter: The PCN E-Newsletter is for members of the Presbyterian Communicators' Network (PCN). Each issue contains news and information for members, as well as information that PCN members are encouraged to use in newsletters, on Web sites or otherwise share within their organizations as appropriate. Please do not reply to this email. If you have story ideas for the newsletter, email Susan Lindsey or call (888) 728-7228 x5060. General Assembly Mission Council seeks experienced marketing manager Have you ever thought about working for the national offices of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)? A position is now open for “associate for Mission Communications.” This position will develop and execute communication strategies, plans, messages and materials for key constituents, and will help develop and communicate compelling stories of mission and ministry. A bachelor’s degree is required; master’s degree is preferred. The successful candidate will have five to seven years of integrated marketing/communications experience and should be comfortable working in the language and environment of faith. Get complete details. Calling all shutterbugs! Get out your cameras and your creativity. Presbyterians Today invites readers to submit photos inspired by the theme of the upcoming 2010 General Assembly: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Photos will be judged on quality, originality and the extent to which they convey the theme. Winning photos will be published in the June/July issue of Presbyterians Today. The deadline for all entries is March 1; read the guidelines
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Honor the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. Staff members of the Presbyterian Center, the denomination’s national offices in Louisville, have planned an event honoring the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Jan. 15. The public and local media representatives have been invited to join the celebration. The event will start with a short worship service, and also includes a group walk with two stops to reflect on the city’s involvement in the Underground Railroad, immigrant activism and faith in community. The walk will end at the office of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery. Read the press release for complete details.
World Mission: Listen to God’s Mission Matters Presbyterian World Mission is launching a monthly podcast on Jan. 15 titled God’s Mission Matters. The podcast is aimed at helping Presbyterians engage more faithfully and effectively in God’s mission. The podcast will feature stories from mission workers that illustrate guiding principles for mission involvement, a scripturally based reflection based on the “mission tip of the month,” an opportunity for listeners to share their best mission practices and a “tool kit” for deeper study and reflection. The inaugural podcast will focus on listening to and learning from global partners and will include a story by Cobbie Palm, a long-time mission worker in the Philippines
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Compassion, Peace and Justice: Register for Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2010 Ecumenical Advocacy DaysMarch 19-22, 2010 - Washington D.C. Jesus had no place to lay his head. Neither do tens of millions of migrants, refugees and displaced persons. Ecumenical Advocacy Days is an action weekend that will address this reality. Join hundreds of faith-based advocates in taking action on U.S. legislation that will welcome immigrants, protect refugees, and prevent displacement of millions. Participants will worship, study and dialog together. There will be special events for Presbyterians as well as times for people to meet and plan in state groups. On Monday, participants will visit Capitol Hill to advocate for our members of Congress to remedy these global injustices. Learn more and register now for this important faith-in-action event.
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Theology Worship & Education: Find out the meaning of “church” Most of the time, we don’t need to be precise about what we mean when we say “church.” There are times, however, when this fuzziness becomes problematic. We end up fuzzy in our thinking, which leads us to be fuzzy in our conversation about the church and, ultimately, in our living. John Burgess urges us to do better. He points to places where thinking theologically about the church can reshape our attitudes and practices, turning us toward the world by turning us toward Jesus Christ. His essay, Thinking Theologically about the Church is the latest in the Re-Forming Ministry Occasional Paper Series. Read the paper and join the online discussion.
PC News Weekly Summaries - PC News Weekly Summaries - January 4-8, 2010 January 4 Gifts that keep giving Indiana church promoted alternative gifts this Christmas, matched donations by Toni Montgomery Special to Presbyterian News Service STATESVILLE, NC - Christmas is the season of giving, and in that spirit, Corydon Presbyterian Church in southern Indiana encouraged members to extend that giving outside their own families. In fact, the church offered an incentive to make alternative giving a little more attractive. With alternative giving, rather than buying a material gift, a donation is given to a charity in the recipient's name. The Mission Committee set aside $1,000 and offered to match alternative Christmas gifts to the charity of the giver's choice up to $50. The program was announced the week before Thanksgiving and continued until the funds were used up. Mission Committee secretary Karolyn Mangeot credited her husband, Richard, with the idea. [Read more] January 5 First candidate for GA moderator announced Elder Cynthia Bolbach endorsed by National Capital Presbyteryby Bethany Furkin Presbyterian News Service LOUISVILLE National Capital Presbytery has unanimously endorsed the first candidate to stand for moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The assembly will be held July 3-10 in Minneapolis. Elder Cynthia Bolbach, 61, is a lawyer and member of First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Va. "I feel called to stand for Moderator to help our church - proud inheritor of the Reformed tradition - discern how best to proclaim the timeless Gospel message to a 21st century world that is multi-cultural and religiously pluralistic," Bolbach said in a presbytery press release. She has leadership experience in many levels of the church. Bolbach served as co-moderator of the GA Form of Government Task Force. The task force first reported to the 218th GA in 2008 and will report to this year's Assembly when its proposal was referred back for more study and refinement. Bolbach has served in several positions at the presbytery level: as moderator of National Capital Presbytery, as chairwoman of its Committee on Ministry and its council and as its interim general presbyter. [Read more]
January 6 Jann Treadwell is named APCE's Educator of the Year Dallas native will be honored at educators' Jan. 27-30 annual event by Jerry L. Van Marter Presbyterian News Service LOUISVILLE - Jann Treadwell, a Presbyterian Christian educator who has served in Grace Presbytery for more than 20 years, has been named 2010's Educator of the Year by the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE). The Dallas native will receive the award during APCE's annual event, Jan. 27-30 in Nashville, Tenn. Unlike typical Christian educators, Treadwell has no recollection of church school, never attended a vacation Bible school and shied away from church youth groups, according to an APCE press release announcing the honor. "She feels such limitations are nothing for the God who called her into educational ministry," the release states, "and views herself as a poster child for late bloomers." After graduation from the University of Texas, Jann married John Treadwell, a fourth generation Presbyterian. Following his stint in the navy, they joined Ridgeview Presbyterian Church in Dallas and she began to learn bible stories by teaching fifth and sixth grade church school followed by years of volunteering in other areas of education. [Read more] January 7 Notes about people by Jerry L. Van Marter Presbyterian News Service Retirement festivities will be held Jan. 9-10 for the Rev. Joanna Adams, one of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s most effective bridge-builders of understanding. She will be honored at a dinner Saturday evening and her 30 years of ministry will be celebrated during worship Sunday morning at Morningside Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Adams served five pastorates during her career - three in Atlanta, on in nearby Decatur, and at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. She is a graduate of Atlanta's Emory University and Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur. She has served as a trustee of the Prebyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation, a trustee of Agnes Scott College, and chair of the board of trustees for Columbia Theological Seminary. In 2006, she was named Georgia Woman of the Year and has been featured in Atlanta Magazine. Adams has authored more than thirty published articles, sermons, and chapters in books. During her ministry, Joanna Adams has been the preacher for the General Assembly Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1986 and 1997), the Protestant Hour (1989 and 1998), Day One (2005 and 2010), the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Peacemaking 2000 Conference, the Montreat Worship and Music Conference, the Chautauqua Institution (New York), the Memorial Church of Harvard University, and numerous Presbyterian gatherings and ecumencial events around the country. [Read more] Memorial services this weekend for Arabella Meadows-Rogers and Harold Kurtz by Jerry L. Van Marter LOUISVILLE - Memorial services will be held on both coasts this weekend for two of the brightest stars in the Presbyterian galaxy. Services will be held at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland, Ore., for the Rev. Harold Kurtz, who as executive director of the Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship pioneered the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s global outreach to people without the gospel. Kurtz died Dec. 18 of brain cancer. Jerry Van Marter will cover the service for PNS. [Read more]
A tiny star shining brightly With PC(USA)'s support, Vietnamese immigrant pursues call to ministry by Emily Enders Odom Communications AssociateReprinted from One In the Spirit LOUISVILLE - When Minh Phuong Towner learned that her pastor at Vienna (Va.) Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Peter G. "Pete" James, was planning to use her story to illustrate the topic of happiness in a book he is writing, she was humbled and not just a little surprised. For the Vietnam native - who in 1968 had witnessed the murder of her father and two of her siblings and later survived internment in a Communist prison camp along with her younger brother - seeing herself through "Pastor Pete's" eyes as an embodiment of happiness would have at one time been unthinkable, but for the grace and mercy of God. "He told me, 'The happiness in you is so contagious, that's how we should be when we serve the Lord,'" Towner recalled. Raised a Roman Catholic in Vietnam, Towner experienced a profound crisis of faith through the loss of her family, home, possessions and her subsequent captivity following the fall of Saigon in 1975. After two failed attempts to escape Vietnam, she and her brother were sent to a prison camp, where they were separated from each other. One night in her prison cell - after first asking her cellmate whether she believed in God - Towner fell on her knees and prayed to God for a sign to keep her faith going. "I looked up in the sky through a tiny barred window of my prison cell," she remembered. "Here it was, a tiny star shining brightly in the dark pitch sky. I burst out crying with joy and thanksgiving, knowing God answered my prayer. My brother and I were able to escape from the prison cell. It was a miracle and it was only through God's mercy we were alive." [Read more] January 8 Seminary news by Jerry L. Van Marter Presbyterian News Service Richmond, Va. -Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education - soon to be Union Presbyterian Seminary - has announced the hiring of Richard Wong as vice-president of institutional advancement. A Presbyterian elder, he joined the Union-PSCE staff on Jan. 4. Most recently, Wong served as a nonprofit consultant and prior to that was chief executive officer for Gifts In Kind International in Alexandria, VA. In this role, he led and rebuilt the organization which, under his direction, facilitated $800 million in donations from corporations and was recognized by Forbes Magazine and Charity Navigator. He will be responsible for overseeing the seminary's giving programs as well as its new capital campaign. Union-PSCE President Brian Blount said, "We feel Richard is a good match for our institution. His expertise in fund development as well as his understanding of the seminary's mission to equip Christian leaders for ministry will serve him well in this role. We are looking forward to his leadership." [Read more] Sprouting up Passion for gardening grows into evangelism ministry by Erin Dunigan, Special to Presbyterian News Service IRVINE, Calif. - Anita Coleman didn't set out to start a gardening ministry - it just sort of sprouted up on its own. Coleman and a few others had been pondering the challenges of 'doing church' in a culture in which folks are busy and often shy away from activities that add to the information overload that plagues many. Coleman attends Irvine Presbyterian Church in the heart of Orange County, Calif., and a member of Los Ranchos Presbytery. "We started thinking of those who don't necessarily want to come and hang out in church, or don't have a culture of going to church every Sunday," Coleman said. She and others also began to realize that many would come to church on Sundays but not see themselves as having ministries of their own that spread into the rest of the week. "We thought, 'Everybody has a passion - how about if we take that passion and go from there?'" Coleman said.[Read more]
As a consultant to congregations, I am often called to work with churches that are stuck. Leaders are aware thatsomething is holding the congregation back from achieving its full potential, but they cannot get a clear enoughperspective to figure out what the problems might be. In most situations I find that the story the congregationis telling about being stuck contains the clues for getting unstuck. Once I hear congregation members tell astory about their situation, I can begin to help them understand how their own narrative scenarios keep themfrom moving ahead. Within the stories I have collected over the years I have noted three problematic storytypes that often sit at the heart of stuck congregations:
1. The story that illustrates where things went wrong in the past and how the congregation will never recoverfrom that event
2. The story that illustrates a triumphant moment in the past, but memorializes that event in such a way that itlimits the congregation's future
3. The story about being stuck in the present, casting the teller in a noble role and finding someone else toblame for the congregation's problems
Continue Reading "Getting to the Heart of the Matter"
NEW BOOK!
Finding Our Story: Narrative Leadership and Congregational Change
Edited by Larry A. Golemon
Helping a community of faith "re-vision" its personal and collective narratives is one of thegreatest leadership challenges of the age. Finding Our Story features essays by current andformer Alban consultants who use the power of story to help congregations heal, strengthen,and reinvent themselves. These consultants describe how narrative leadership works, explore
its promise and its challenges, and share the practical wisdom of their own experiences along with their favoritemodels of narrative change to show how congregations can be transformed by finding the stories they live by.
Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times:Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What
Memories, Hopes, and Conversations:Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change
Congregational Fitness: Healthy Practices for Layfolk
PLANNING FOR A GREAT BOARD YEAR
Bob Leventhal, Alban Senior ConsultantWEBINAR: JANUARY 14, 2010 7:30 PM EST
Get started on a great board year with an exciting webinar for synagogue leaders, led by Albansenior consultant Bob Leventhal. He will review the board leadership, delegation, and
accountability plans which help the staff, board, and other volunteers be more effective and efficient.
The Alban Institute | AlbanRoundtable Blog | Congregational Resource Guide
