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In this issue:

May 2010Volume Four, Issue Five

EMerge: MonthlyA Publication of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area

PC(USA) Stated Clerk Comes to TownOn April 13, Grayde Parson,the Stated Clerk of the Pres-byterian Church (USA) cameto town to look in on prepara-tions for the 219th General Assembly to be held in Min-neapolis this July.

Call to Annual Meeting Presbytery Planning for the Future

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By Bruce Reyes-Chow, Grayde Parsons and Linda Valentine Ruark

April 29, 2010

Dear Members of Congress,

We write to express our conviction that you must enact com-prehensive immigration reform this year. As people of faithand the leaders of the PresbyterianChurch (U.S.A.), we are keenly aware ofthe devastating effects our broken immi-gration system has on the lives of indi-viduals, immigrant and non-immigrantfamilies, and our communities. The big-otry, trauma, and fear that will resultfrom the recent new law enacted in Ari-zona, SB 1070, which criminalizesthose who are found “with” undocu-mented persons and requires law en-forcement officers to identify and detainsuch persons, serves to underscore thenecessity of action at the federal level.

Churches are on the front lines of caringfor families being ripped apart by ourbroken immigration system. Traumatizedcitizen children left behind when parentsare deported are but one example of theways the current system destroys the fabric of community life,the integrity of healthy families, and the safety of individual

persons. Church workers are also at the forefront of offeringrelief and services to immigrants, regardless of documentationstatus. Arizona’s new law will put at risk those workers andothers who are called simply to offer the most basic of humani-tarian assistance.

As Christians, we cannot stand by idly while our brothers andsisters die on our borders from exposure and thirst or languishin poorly equipped detention facilities, nor should we be re-quired to do so by any law.

The new Arizona law also puts in jeopardy the public safetyof immigrant communities, already wary of law enforcementfor fear of deportation. Instead of new laws that induce fear

and distrust, immigrants should be encouraged to participatewith law enforcement, reporting crimes when they are victimsand offering testimony when they are witnesses. Such trustand participation is impossible if local law enforcement istasked with enforcement of federal immigration laws. SB1070 will only foster more fear among immigrant communi-ties, regardless of documentation status. Comprehensive immi-

gration reform at the federal level is essential to override andcounteract the damage done in Arizona by this new law.In the Scriptures of Christians and Jews, we are commanded,“When an immigrant resides with you in your land, you shall

not oppress the immigrant. The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall lovethe immigrant as yourself for you were immigrants in the landof Egypt” (Lev. 19:33-34). The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)therefore supports congressional action in 2010 on compre-

hensive immigration reform thatcreates a process for undocu-mented immigrants in the U.S. toearn their legal status; reduceswaiting periods and upholds fam-ily unity; protects workers fromexploitation; and provides effi-cient channels of entry for new

migrant workers.

Bruce Reyes-Chow is the Modera- tor for the 218th General Assem- bly. Grayde Parsons is the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church(USA). Linda Valentine is the Ex- ecutive Director of the General

Assembly Mission Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA).This letter originally appeared on the Moderator’s blog and

can be found at http://www.mod.reyes-chow.com/ .

Inside Note

EMerge: Monthly

“As Christians, we cannotstand by idly while ourbrothers and sisters dieon our borders from ex-posure and thirst or lan-guish in poorly equippeddetention facilities, norshould we be required todo so by any law.”

Congregational Mission Grants

The 2010 Congregational MissionGrants provided by the Missionand Witness Committee of thePresbytery of the Twin Cities Areaare now available. Congrega-tional Mission Grant funding ex-ists to encourage PTCA congrega-tions to develop innovative minis-tries in the local communities.

The Mission and Witness Committee is looking forapplications between March and September of2010. If your congregation is interested in applying,please go to the presbytery website( www.presbyterytwincities.org) and download theapplication or contact committee chair Walter Chu-quimia at [email protected].

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EMerge: Monthly

Page SevenThe Stated Clerk of the Pres-byterian Church (USA) stopsby to see how preparations

are going for GA219.

Page Eight Donald Hanna comments on Ari-zona’s recent immigration law.

Call to the Annual Meeting ofthe Presbytery on May 11.

Inside Note Page 2

Pre-Presbytery Event on Vet-erans

Page 6

Third Candidate for Modera-tor

Page 11

Vice Moderator in Minnesota Page 12

Pray for the GA Page 13

Transitions Page 14

Presbybriefs Page 15

Jobs Page 16

Events Calendar Page 17

Page Four

Contents: April 2010

Page NinePaul Moore talksabout the Presby-tery’s Long Range

Taskforce Meet-ing.

It’s “Lights, camera,action!” for West-

minster, Minneapolis youth.

Page Ten

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.By Nancy Grittman, Stated Clerk

In accordance with Book of Order Form of Government Chap-ter XI, Section 2, (G-11.0200) and the Bylaws of the Presby-

tery of the Twin Cities Area (Article I), the Presbytery will meetin Regular Stated Session, Annual Meeting, on Tuesday, May11, 2010, 4:00 p.m. at Hope Presbyterian Church, 7132Portland Avenue S., Richfield, Minnesota, 55423.

An orientation for new pastors, and elder commissioners at-tending for the first time, will beginat 3:00 p.m. A time of hospitalityand fellowship, hosted by theChurch, will begin at 3:30 p.m.,as will registration.

Preceding the meeting, there willbe two pre-Presbytery opportuni-ties. The Disabilities Task Forcewill present a guest speaker, AmyBloomershine, who will addressthe problems of returning veterans,suggesting ways in which theChurches can be in ministry tothem. A second program, offeredby the Church Development Team,will feature a presentation on newchurch development by Doug

Cushing, a certified NCD coach ofthe Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.).Doug has been working with theRev. Paul Moore at Chain of LakesPresbyterian Church. Both meet-ings begin at 2:30 p.m.

The worship service for this Presby-tery meeting will be presented bythe Worship Task Force and theMission and Witness Committee.The Rev. Matthew Johnson, Aldrich

Avenue Presbyterian Church, willbe the preacher for the worship.

Please be reminded that the Minutes of the March 13, 2010,Presbytery meeting will be posted online, but not printed forthe packets. Please download to print any portions that maybe of interest to you. The packets section of the website willcontain papers and reports necessary for the meeting, includ-

ing the docket. Paper packets, color-coded, are prepared for150 Presbyters and are available in the registration area.

Presbytery Council will continue the selected theme for the year, “Affirm Local Congregations: Build Spiritual EnergyThrough Nurture”. The Six Great Ends of The Church hasprovided the guide, as one of the “Great Ends” has been theemphasis of each Presbytery meeting. At this May 2010meeting, the sixth Great End, “The Exhibition of The Kingdomof Heaven to The World,” is the theme for the day. The meet-

ing agenda will include a time for small-group discussion, with proposed questionsand resources.

Dinner for 150, at $7.00, will be available.

Tickets will be sold in the registration area.

The Presbytery office staff is trying very hardto be certain that anyone who may be inter-ested in knowing of the meeting receives thisCall. An expanded address list is beingfollowed, and some may receive two no-tices, especially if your name appears twicein the Gray Directory. If we are notified, wewill continue to update our list as we pro-ceed. All church members within the Presby-tery are welcome to attend the meeting.

Each session should be very sure to be rep-resented by the assigned number of eldercommissioners who have voice and vote.This is the way to have the voice of yourcongregation heard on the floor of Presby-tery.

Directions to the church follow. There isample parking between Portland and FourthAve. from 71St Avenue S.

Please enter Door 13.

Call to Annual Stated Meeting

EMerge: Monthly

Presbytery Packet NowAvailable for Download

The Presbytery Packet for the May 11,2010 Stated Meeting is now availablefor download by going towww.presbyterytwincities.org/presbyterypacket. Please note that this

is a partial packet and will be updatedas we receive reports from variouscommittees and task forces, so pleasecheck back at the Presbytery Packetpage for updates.

If you have any questions, pleasecontact the Presbytery office at 612-871-7281 or by email [email protected].

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Hope Presbyterian Church

7132 Portland Ave S, Richfield, MN 55423612-866-4055

FROM THE NORTH:

Take I-35 S south.Take EXIT 127 to-

ward MINNEAPOLIS.Take the 60th ST exit,EXIT 12A. Turn LEFTonto E 60th ST/60TH

ST E. Turn RIGHTonto PORTLAND AVES/CR-35 S. Passthrough 1 round-about. Turn RIGHT atE. 71st ST. Turn lefton 5th AVE. intoparking lot. Pleaseuse door 13 to enter church.

FROM THE SOUTH:

Take I-35 N north. Keep LEFT to take I-35WN via EXIT 88A toward Minneapolis. Mergeonto I-494 E/MN-5 E via EXIT 9A. Take theCR-35/PORTLAND AVE. exit, EXIT 3, toward12th AVE. Turn LEFT onto PORTLAND AVE S/CR-35. Turn LEFT at E. 71st ST. Turn left on5th AVE. into parking lot. Please use door13 to enter church.

FROM THE EAST:

Take I-94 W/US-12 W. Merge onto I-494 S via EXIT 249. Take the 12th AVE exit, EXIT 3,toward CR-35/PORTLAND AVE. Stay straightto go onto E 78th St. Turn RIGHT onto PORT-LAND AVE S/CR-35. Turn LEFT at E. 71st ST.Turn left on 5th AVE. into parking lot. Pleaseuse door 13 to enter church.

FROM THE WEST:

Take I-494 S. Take the CR-35/PORTLAND AVE. exit, EXIT 3, toward 12th AVE. Turn

LEFT onto PORT-LAND AVE. S/CR-35. Turn LEFT at E.71st ST. Turn lefton 5th AVE. intoparking lot. Pleaseuse door 13 to en-ter church.

Directions to Hope Presbyterian Church

Volume Four, Issue Five

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


Pre-Presbytery Event On Veterans at May Stated Meeting

EMerge: Monthly

Hardly a day goes by without more bad news about how ourveterans are faring. In some recent months, more active dutymilitary kill themselves than were killed by enemy ac-tion. Over 6000 veterans

committed suicide last year. The Pentagon reportedthat half of the NationalGuard members show signifi-cant psychological problemsmonths after their return fromthe current war zones. Bingedrinking and clinical depres-sion occur in high incidenceamong veterans and manyveterans become homelessand/or involved with thecriminal justice system.

The presentation will reviewhow veterans have fared afterpast wars, and explore whatis impacting our veterans to-day. Presenter, Amy Blumen-shine, delivers a "call to ac-tion" to churches to play theirspecial role in the all-important transition period home after

war. Any individual sent to war by their nation should nothave to bear alone the resulting moral and spiritualpain. Her work in the “Coming Home Collaborative” makes

specific recommenda-

tions regarding howcongregations,the "beloved commu-nity," can make a differ-ence.

Don’t miss this valuableopportunity for learningon this topic. Sponsoredby the Disability Con-cerns Task Force.

What: Pre Presby-tery Meeting

When: May 11th 2:15 PM at HopePresbyterian Church

Why: To HelpChurches Accom-pany Returning Vet-erans and theirFamilies. How churches can

help with the healing of our veterans fromtheir moral and spiritual injuries .

• Be Persistent - express welcome and concern for

their well-being• Understand that many soldiers have made great

sacrifices on the behest of our government and

are viewing the war on a profoundly personal

level. Many will be sorting out their own thinking

about the justness of the war for quite some time.

They have just returned from a setting in which it

might be dangerous to entertain any questions

about what they were ordered to do. Many will be

grieving on a variety of levels. Do not attempt to

engage them in casual conversation about the

justness of the war; for them, it will never be cas-

ual. Spare them your opinions.

• Realize that soldiers are not all alike. They differ

on their opinions about the war; don’t make as-

sumptions about what they think. Allow them the

emotional space to re-orient to the circumstances

of a land that is not exploding around them.

• Never ask “How many people did you kill?” in

other than a confessional setting. Taking human

life should never be the subject of casual conver-sation.

• Discourage others from amusing themselves at

the veteran’s expense as some thoughtless and/

or cruel people do. Many veterans are still tuned

to responding quickly to threatening sounds, like

firecrackers. Being in fear of your life is not

“funny.”

• Understand the difficulties of their situation.

They have returned to a public that is more aware

of the foibles of celebrities than the life and death

struggles of their soldiers in Iraq and Afghani-

stan. These life and death struggles were over a

mission which the majority of Americans now do

not believe is worth the cost.

-From the Veteran’s Ministry of the Minneapolis

Area Synod (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amer-

ica)

Tips for Congregations on Welcoming Veterans

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


By Dennis Sanders

What at one time seemed so far away is now getting closer

and closer: we are less than 60 days away from the start ofthe 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church(USA) which will be held July 3-10 here in Minneapolis. OnApril 13, a group from the General Assembly offices inLouisville came to meet with the Committee on Local Ar-rangements. Among them was Grayde Parsons, the StatedClerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Parsons was quitepleased with the preparations, as well the hospitality beingshown not only from COLA, but from the local Minneapolisagencies such as the Convention and Visitor's Bureau andthe Minneapolis Police Department. Parsons will come backto the area on Sunday May 2 to lead a forum on the 219thGeneral Assembly at Westminster Presbyterian in Minnea-

polis.

The communion ware that will be used during openingworship on July 4 arrived at the PTCA offices in mid-

April. Thrown by Diane Miller of Stockholm Pottery in Stockholm, WI, the 450 chalices and 225 plates (and one bigpitcher) were designed in keeping with the theme of the 219th General Assembly: "Rivers of Living Water."

A youth group from Plymouth Presbyterian Church in Ply-mouth came to the Presbytery offices on the evening of April14 to inspect, packet and store the communion ware in thebasement of Minnesota Church Center in Minneapolis until

July.

Stay tuned for more developments, as we prepare for the"Great Presbyterian Get-Together!"

General Assembly Update

EMerge: Monthly

Deb Davies, left, from the General Assembly Meet-ing Service, shares her views during a meeting of

the Committee on Local Arrangements whileGrayde Parsons looks on. Parsons is the StatedClerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Youth from Plymouth Presbyterian in Plymouth posefor a picture with some of the communion plates tobe used at General Assembly come July.

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By Paul Moore

This past Tuesday evening I participated in the first meeting ofour Presbytery’s Long-Range Planning Task Force. This Task

Force was appointed by the Presbytery Council.

When I started as theOrganizing Pastor ofChain of Lakes Church Itold myself I wouldn’t par-ticipate on any Presbyterycommittees for three years—I believed and stillbelieve that dedicating mylife to starting a Presbyte-rian Church constitutessufficient Presbytery work.

However I decided toparticipate on this groupbecause I believe somechanges need to happenin the Presbytery.

Besides me, the peopleparticipating on this TaskForce are Carol Ander-son, Julia Carlson, JerryGanfield, Phil Gebben-Green, Jin Kim, Andy Lindahl, Karen Morey, Phil Park, JoRinnggenberg, Kara Root, Chaz Ruark, Ward Sessing, and

Joann Simser.

Our team is being led by Karen Morey of Results Coaching,resultscoaching.us. She is taking us through a planning proc-ess called Best Year Yet. When Chaz Ruark served as theInterim Executive for Missouri River Valley Presbytery heworked with Results Coaching when that Presbytery did somelong-range planning.

For part of the meeting on Tuesday we were asked to talkabout our dreams for the Presbytery. Each of us was asked thequestion “If we were meeting in 2014 to celebrate an amaz-ing 3-year journey, what would the headlines be?”

I shared four responses to the question. I said that:• We are committed to each other as people and followers of Jesus and this commitment is more important than our ownviews on theology, ideology, bureaucracy and polity• We have a new name.I made the perhaps overly strident remark that the name ofour Presbytery, Twin Cities Area, is pathetic. In retrospect Iwish I hadn’t used that adjective. Our name isn't pathetic, but

it needs to be changed. When I preached at Chaz Ruark’sinstallation at the Presbytery meeting in November 2008 Isuggested the name I would like, Hope Presbytery.• That we are developing and re-developing new faith com-

munities• We have a set of values thatbind us together

Our next meeting will be aday and a half retreat in June.

One of our assignments for theretreat is to respond to thequestion, “What did we [thePresbytery of Twin Cities Area]accomplish in the past year?”We were told that we can ask

that question of anyone wewant. So I am asking you, thisblog reader, to respond to thisquestion.

This is your opportunity to helpshape the direction of ourPresbytery. Please share yourresponse in the comments sec-tion of this blog. I will bring all

responses to the Retreat.

Paul Moore is the Organizing Pastor of Chain of Lakes Presby-terian Church in Lino Lakes. What do you think the PTCA hasaccomplished in the last year? Paul would like to know.Please send Paul a message by going to his blog at http:// chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/ or email him at pas- [email protected].

Presbytery Long Range Planning Task Force

EMerge: Monthly

“When I started as the Or-ganizing Pastor of Chainof Lakes Church I told my-self I wouldn’t participateon any Presbytery commit-tees for three years—I be-lieved and still believethat dedicating my life tostarting a Presbyterian

Church constitutes sufficient Presbytery work. However I decided to participate onthis group because I believe somechanges need to happen in the Presby-tery. “

-Paul Moore.

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By Duane Sweep, Synod of Lakes and Prairies

When the youth group at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Min-

neapolis heard about the ymiLIVE Video Challenge sponsored bythe Presbyterian Foundation they knew the contest would be agood fit.

Marion Tucker, one of the members of the group, said she knewshe wanted to be involved in the project as soon as Erin Swenson,director of high school-college ministries at Westminster, describedit.

The ymiLIVE Video Challenge “is dedicated to providing a voice tothe youth members ofthe PresbyterianChurch (U.S.A.),”according to the Web

site devoted to thecontest. “The VideoChallenge was cre-ated to tap into thecreativity of youthmembers by providinga means to exploreand express theirfaith,” the site states.

According to contestrules, participation islimited to middleschool and high

school students, andeach church is al-lowed to submit onevideo. The videolength must be be-tween 2 and 4 min-utes and videos mustbe free of copyright materials.

Videos are being accepted into the contest now through June 1.However, voting for videos begins May 1 and runs to midnight June 7. To vote, visitors must register at the Web site. The sitenotes, “Everyone is invited to vote for their three favorite videos.”

Ten videos with the most votes will make it to the PC(USA)’s 219thGeneral Assembly in Minneapolis in July where Youth AdvisoryDelegates to the Assembly will be invited to cast the final votes todetermine the two winning videos. The Presbyterian FoundationGroup will establish two $25,000 endowment funds at the Presby-terian Foundation to support youth ministry at the churches with thewinning videos.

“It’s a really fun project to work on,” Marion said, and it’s not

something she’s working on alone. While she could bedescribed as the project manager, the effort involvesmany members of the youth group.

Marion’s sister, Michaela, a freshman at Edina (Minn.)High School, is developing the video’s interviews, andMary Thomas, a freshman at South High School in Min-neapolis, is doing the camera work. Other members ofthe youth group are interview subjects, recounting theirexperiences from the group’s mission trips of the past year.

Marion is a junior at Perpich Center Arts High Schoolin Golden Valley, Minn., aMinneapolis suburb, where sheis pursing study in cinema. Thehigh school, which provides acomprehensive academic pro-

gram, offers coursework fo-cused in the arts. The school ispart of the larger Perpich Cen-ter for Arts Education which,according to its Web site,“strengthens the arts educationcommunity, and improves ac-cess to high quality arts experi-ences to students statewide.”

In the end, the video must inter-pret John 7:38, “Out of thebeliever’s heart shall flow rivers

of living water,” the theme ofthe 219th General Assembly.

In addition to the interviews, theWestminster video will includeoriginal animation, highlightingmission trips to Nebraska andCuba.

The animation is something Marion has learned at thePerpich Center. “A lot of work goes into it,” she said.“There’s more math involved than you would think,” sheadded, noting that movement has to be calculatedbased on the number of frames per second.

The short amount of time devoted to the animation inthe video doesn’t reflect the effort. Marion laughedwhen she pointed out that she created the animation“all in one day, nine hours straight.”

If all goes according to plan, the Westminster grouphopes to have their video completed and uploaded tothe ymiLIVE Web site by May 1 to be on the site whenvoting begins.

Westminster, Minneapolis Develops Video for ymiLive Challenge

EMerge: Monthly

Michaela Tucker (foreground) and Mary Tho-

mas, members of the youth group at Westmin-ster Presbyterian Church in Minneapo-lis, conduct an interview for the youth group'sentry in the Presbyterian Foundation's ymiLIVE Video Challenge.

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By Beth Furkin, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — The latest candidate to stand for moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church

(U.S.A.) was named yesterday.

The Presbytery of Western North Carolina endorsed the

Rev. Maggie Palmer Lauterer to stand for moderator at its

presbytery meeting.

Lauterer is the third candidate for the moderator position,

joining the Rev. Jin S. Kim (Presbytery of the Twin Cities

Area) and Elder Cynthia Bolbach (National Capital Pres-

bytery). The new moderator will be elected July 3, the

first day of the weeklong biennial meeting in Minneapo-

lis. The winner will succeed the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow,

moderator of the 218th GA.

Since 1999, Lauterer has served as pastor of First Presby-

terian Church in Burnsville, N.C. A second-career pastor,

Lauterer came to the ministry after working in newspaper,

magazine and television journalism. She also made an

unsuccessful run for Congress, being the first woman to

run for a congressional seat in western North Carolina.

“I do not believe that growth of the Church has as muchto do with age and location as it does with our opennessto the transformative powers of the Holy Spirit as we arecalled toward new frontiers — the new front lines of be-ing Christ’s Church, of “doing Christ’s Church” in the

light of the radical love Christ has taught us. That stan-dard will be my standard,” Lauterer said in an essay.

Lauterer’s experience, listening skills and “enthusiasm and passion for growing small churches” make her a good candidate

for moderator, said the Rev. Bobbi White, general presbyter of the Western North Carolina. “We think she would make a

wonderful moderator,” White said.

Lauterer’s small church is 113 years old and had split twice in the 10 years before she arrived. The congregation has grown

by 300 percent during her tenure.

Lauterer earned her MDiv. from Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education. She has served

in a variety of ways in her presbytery, including a term as moderator. She currently serves on the Committee on Ministry. She

also served as a commissioner to 218th GA (2008).

Lauterer is married to Zack Allen and has two children and two grandchildren.

Maggie Lauterer is third GA moderator candidate

EMerge: Monthly

“I do not believe thatgrowth of the Churchhas as much to do withage and location as itdoes with our open-ness to the transfor-

mative powers of the Holy Spiritas we are called toward new fron-

tiers — the new front lines of be-ing Christ’s Church, of “doingChrist’s Church” in the light of theradical love Christ has taught us.That standard will be my stan-dard.”

-Maggie Palmer Lauterer .

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By Duane Sweep, Synod of Lakes and Prairies

Byron Wade, vice moderator of the 218th General Assembly ofthe Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), looked out on his audience at the

Clearwater 2010 conference at Presbyterian Clearwater Forest,Deerwood, Minn., and asked for a show of hands from the“boomers.” He told them, “You are the last generation that goes tochurch on a regular basis.”

In his presentation April 17 that addressed change in church,Wade spoke about a church in a foreign land. The conference hadthe theme, “Finding Our Way in the Wilderness.”

“We’re going through something in the church,” Wade said. “Ourcurrent church is in a foreign culture. … You can’t put the same oldthing in a new culture and expect it to survive.”

Wade used the example of the cruise-ship captain who advisestravelers to take their camera with them when they leave the ship in

port. Why? So they can look at the pictures and remember what itwas like if they miss the boat when itleaves.

“This is not your mother and father’schurch anymore. The boat is gone,”Wade said.

A minister’s Sunday sermon is nowonly one of many ways, enhanced bymodern technology, that a pastor inter-acts with his or her congregation,Wade said. The library is being re-placed by Google. He asked his audi-

ence to remember their years in col-lege, a time of receiving letters in themail and paying someone to type pa-pers.

“Those days are gone forever,” hesaid.

He contrasted the “modern era” ofsingle truth, central authority and standardized worship with the“post-modern era” of shifting world views, changing power baseand more expressive forms of worship.

“We’re going from control of chaos to people living with ambigu-

ity,” Wade said. We are becoming a community that is“contextually responsive.”

Though the world continues to change, Wade, pastor of DavieStreet Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, N.C., used three biblicaltexts to inform his view of church transformation. Wade cited Ro-mans 12:2 that calls on the church to be transformed, 1 Corin-thians 12:27 that points to the diversity within the body of Christ,and Matthew 28:16-20 where Christ commissions the church to

make disciples.

“The wilderness is not a bad thing,” Wade said, point-ing out that the church can transform “only through the

help of God the Spirit.”With that guidance, Wade said church transformationrequires vision, leadership and change.

Vision comes through discerning God’s calling for thechurch. It is developed around the question, Wadesaid, of “what God is calling us to do.” The vision isvital, he said, because “if you don’t know where you’regoing, you won’t get there.”

Leadership, he said, is “the essence of how things run.”Leaders must encourage broad participation in the vi-sion and change process because without participationthere is dissension.

“You hear people say, ‘I would be more willing tochange if you would includeme in the change,’” Wadesaid.

And another important elementin bringing about change isthe recognition of loss – loss ofculture, history and tradition.“The reason we cannotchange is that we haven’t rec-ognized that someone else isgoing to lose something,”

Wade said.

The recognition of loss musttake place and those who willsuffer loss need to be includedin the change process, Wadesaid.

“We live in a totally differentworld,” Wade said. “We are now in a foreign place,”and vision, leadership and change, led by God theSpirit, are required for survival.

“We don’t change for change’s sake,” Wade said.

“Change is hard.”The biennial conference at Presbyterian ClearwaterForest, a camp on the shore of the lake that bears theClearwater name, is sponsored by the presbyteries ofMinnesota Valleys, Northern Waters and Twin CitiesArea, and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies.

Wade says church must discern God's call in changing world

EMerge: Monthly

“We’re goingthrough some-thing in thechurch. Ourcurrent churchis in a foreignculture. … Youcan’t put thesame old thing

in a new cul-ture and ex-pect it to survive.”

-Byron Wade.

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

announced that it is now offering an online Personal Health

Record (PHR) capability to active members of the Medical

Plan and their enrolled family members. To promote its use, a

Health Stewardship Incentive is being offered to the primary

Medical Plan member.

The PHR is available on MyActiveHealth

(www.myactivehealth.com), which launched on Monday,

April 12, 2010. The site provides a multitude of health man-

agement tools to active members of the Medical Plan

(Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield participants).

One of the most important tools on the site is the secure and

confidential PHR, which organizes and stores members’

health histories. Each PHR is populated with claims data pro-vided by Highmark and Express Scripts. Also, members can

complete an online Health Assessment to help fill in their PHR

with information only they know. This makes it easy for them

to keep track of immunizations, medications, doctor visits,

and more, and can improve the effectiveness and safety of

the care they receive.

The Board encourages qualified members to take advantage

of the PHR and the Health Assessment, so it is offering them a

Health Stewardship Incentive. The incentive is a $100 pre-

paid debit card for IRS tax-qualified healthcare expenses. To

be eligible, members must launch their PHR, take the Health

Assessment, and sign in to MyActiveHealth two more times

(on different days) before July 31, 2010.

“The Board continues to investigate and implement new ways

to help members improve their health, allowing them to better

care for themselves, their families, and the entire Presbyterian

Church (U.S.A.) community,” states Pat Haines, senior vice

president, Benefits. “Offering MyActiveHealth, the PHR, and

the Health Assessment reinforces the Board’s commitment to

the well-being of our members.”

Members can visit the Board of Pensions Web site

(www.pensions.org) for more information about how they

can launch their PHR and qualify for the Health Stewardship

Incentive.

The Board of Pensions offers personal health record and $100 health stewardship incentive

EMerge: Monthly

This July several thousand Presbyterians will attend the 219th

General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in

Minneapolis. But there are many more who would like to beat the Assembly, but can’t attend because of time, distance

or other commit-

ments.

There is, however,

a way for all to

participate.

While many local

Presbyterians will serve in ministries of hospitality during the

Assembly, showing commissioners and visitors alike the

neighborliness that is characteristic of Presbyterians, otherscan help through prayer.

The Committee on Local Arrangements (COLA) is looking for

about 1,000 people who are willing to serve as prayer part-

ners, said Lois Potter, a member of Calvin Presbyterian

Church in Long Lake, MN, and coordinator of the commit-

tee’s Prayer Partner Work Group.

Each prayer partner will be given the name of a commis-

sioner or advisory dele-

gate and asked to pray

for them throughout the

Assembly.

All are welcome to be-

come a prayer and can

volunteer to be one by

registering as a volunteer on the COLA Web site

(www.cola2010.org) and selecting “prayer partner.” Those

who are not able to register online can contact Potter at(763) 497-1601 or the COLA office at (612) 871-2617.

-Presbyterian News Service

Prayer volunteers: COLA looks for volunteers to be prayer partners

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


Transitions: Notes About PTCA Pastors

EMerge: Monthly

Comings and Goings

• James S. Barge (5/1/1956 )

• Rev. James G. Ellison(4/1/1994 )

• Sheila C. Gustafson(5/1/1977 )

• Ji Yong Park (5/1/1991 )

• Matthew Robbins-Ghormley(5/7/2006 )

• Paul C. Truran (5/12/1956 )

• W. Douglas Mitchell(5/13/1973 )

• Jean E. Greenwood(5/15/1988 )

• Elizabeth D. Heller

(5/15/1977 )• David S. Shields (5/15/1958 )

• Joonhyuk Lim (5/16/2001 )

• Robert R. Boehlke(5/17/1953 )

• Donald E. Crannell(5/19/1958 )

• Lyndon L. Schendel

(5/19/1946 )

• Mary Carolyn Dorfman(5/21/1978 )

• F. Nile Harper (5/25/1958 )

• L. Douglas Throckmorton(5/25/1958 )

• Richard A. Davis (5/26/1982 )

• Harry Lichy, Jr. (5/27/1957 )

• Gregory H. Ritter (5/27/1974 )

• Jonathan B. Good(5/28/1989 )

• Clint Patterson (5/28/1974 )

• Robert F. Hart (5/29/1959 )

•

John H. Sinclair (5/29/1947 )

May 2010

• Joan McKenzie was officially in-stalled as the pastor of BuffaloPresbyterian Church in Buffalo onMay 2. McKenzie started at theWright Country congregation inFebruary.

• Pending Presbytery approval,Beth Hart-Andersen will be theInterim Associate Pastor at OakGrove Presbyterian Church in

Bloomington. She began her du-ties on May 2. Hart-Andersen istaking replaces Dries Coetzee,who accepted a call in Ohio. Sheis the wife of Tim Hart-Andersen,

the Senior Pastor at WestminsterPresbyterian in Minneapolis.

• Stephen Knudson, plans to be-come a member of the PTCA atthe May 2010 Presbytery Meeting.Knudson became the Interim Min-ister of the Congregational Churchof Excelsior on April 25. He is cur-rently a member of the Presbyteryof Great Rivers.

• David Colby, pastor of CentralPresbyterian in St. Paul began athree month sabbatical on April 27.Colby will spend some of the timereading, and thinking about thefuture of the downtown St. Paulcongregation. Colby and his wife

will also be expecting their secondchild during the sabbatical. He will

be back at Central on July 27.

• We offer prayers to Gwin Pratt,Senior Pastor at St. Luke Presby-terian in Minnetonka who lost hismother, Reva Pratt on April 27.

•

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


EMerge: Monthly

Join the Mass Choir for General Assembly: The Committeeon Local Arrangements (COLA) is inviting singers to join what willbe a 500-voice choir that will sing for the Assembly's opening wor-

ship service at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 4, in the Minneapolis Conven-tion Center. Complete church choirs and individuals are welcometo join the large choir. The rehearsal schedule is as follows:

• May 22 10 a.m.-12 noon Westminster Presbyte-rian Church, Minneapolis

• June 5 10 a.m.-12 noon Westminster PresbyterianChurch, Minneapolis

• July 3 2:00-4:30 p.m. Minneapolis Conven-tion Center, Hall E

• July 4 8:00 a.m. Call time for warm-up

•

July 4 10 a.m.-12 noon Performance timeRehearsals on May 22 and June 5 are highly encouraged. July 3rehearsal is REQUIRED.

Additional details about rehearsals, registration and the musicplanned for the opening worship service can be found on theCOLA website (www.cola2010.org) or by calling the COLA officeat 612-871-2617.

Talent Sought for GA Moderator's Reception:

The Committee on Local Arrangements (COLA) is looking for avariety of entertainment from individuals and groups for the 219thGeneral Assembly Moderator's Reception, which will be held Sun-day, July 4 at Nicollett Island Pavilion.

COLA is looking for the following people:

• Singers

• Musicians

• Dancers

• Appropriate Comedians

If you are interested in submitting your name or the name of your

group for consideration, please email Paula Sanders at the COLAoffice with the following information:

• Contact Person's Name, Phone Number and Email

• Number of People in your group

• Description of Talent

Send the email to [email protected].

Valley Church “Ramps Up”: Ramp Up! is the official name ofValley Community Presbyterian’s summer mission project. The con-

gregation, located in Golden Valley plans to build code compliant,outdoor, modular-structured ramps for community residents facedwith accessibility challenges.

The church initially thought that they would build these ramps out-side of the Twin Cities believing that there were enough services inthe Metro Area to cover neighbors in need. However, after speak-ing with a local agency, they discovered many people in the com-munity who are foregoing the help because of cost or they simplydon’t know where to start.

So instead of traveling outside the area, Valley will build rampslocally for people in need.

Under this program, a professional ramp consultant will meet withinterested clients to discuss their accessibility challenges and deter-mine the best solutions. Experienced volunteers will build and installaccessibility ramps that meet each client’s specific needs. Costs arekept low because ramps are built by volunteers using discountedmaterials. The consultation and design are free and homeownerspay only what they are able to afford towards materials.

The end result is the clients will experience a new freedom to get inand out of their homes and the ramps allow residents to stay intheir homes instead of moving to an assisted living facility.

White Bear Lake Runs the Race...for Hunger: Neil Crai-gan, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, White Bear Lake is plan-

ning on running a half marathon (13.1 miles) in August to raisefunds for Worldvision, a Christian relief and development agency.

“We live in a world where things are not as the should be. I candrink bottled water from all over the world while millions are suffer-ing and dying because they don't have clean water to drink.” Crai-gan writes. “ That's not right, and you can do something to helpmake a difference.”

Craigan and his wife Jennifer are team captains for the White BearLake group and hope to raise $10,000 before the race.

If you would like to join the White Bear Lake team or to donate,

please go the church website at www.fpc-wbl.org.

Presbybriefs

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


Positions Available

EMerge: Monthly

For more information on the positions listed below, please go the PTCA website at http://www.ptcaweb.org.

• Administrative Assistant, Randolph Heights Presbyterian, St. Paul

• Organist, Presbyterian Church of the Way, Shoreview

Do you have a church staff position that needs to be filled? Send in your job announcements to Dennis Sanders

at [email protected]. (Oh, and let us know when you fill the position, so we can remove it from the job listings.)

The following PTCA Congregations are have vacant pulpits according to the Committee on Ministry or are seek-ing interim pastors:

• Interim Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater

If you are interested in any of the interim positions, you can find out more by going to

www.presbyterytwincities.org/jobs or by contacting the Committee on Ministry at [email protected].

To find out about the status of these congregations, please contact the Committee on Ministry at [email protected].

Non‐Ordained Positions

Interim Openings and Vacant Pulpits

New Pastors OrientationThe Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area held its first Pastors Orienta-tion on April 29. The orientation was for pastors new to the Pres-bytery and included meetings and worship with the Presbyterystaff and understanding the workings of the PTCA.

Among those who attended included Grace Lee, John Lee, JoanMcKenzie, Jo Taliafero (with her working companion Cookie), Janet Ruark, Chaz Ruark, Robert Hamilton and Stan Kim.

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


Job Support Group at Lake Nokomis: TheSouth Minneapolis Job Networking Group meets atLake Nokomis Presbyterian on Fridays at 9am for

support, resources and networking. For more infor-mation, please contact the congregation at (612)721-4463.

Mission Gift Project: Every year PCUSA GeneralAssembly attendees from across the country areasked to bring a gift in their suitcase that will bene-fit a mission in the host presbytery(s). This yearPresbyterian Women from the three hosting presby-teries of the 219th General Assembly - Presbytery ofthe Twin Cities, Presbytery of Northern Waters andPresbytery of Minnesota Valleys - are coordinatingthis important Gift Project. When GA attendeesarrive in Minneapolis in July, it is requested thatthey bring new socks and underwear to be distrib-uted to men, women and children living in shelters.These gift items were chosen because of the continu-ing incidence of homelessness across Minnesotaand because the items are easy to pack in a suit-case. More information on the shelters designatedto receive items collected will be available in thenear future. For more information or to get in-volved, contact Ann Rock at [email protected] orSylvia Swede at [email protected] .

Help Meet Refugee’s Basic Needs : You canhelp abundantly support a refugee to move quicklyfrom meeting basic needs to achieving dreams. Itbegins with material donations for our newest arri-vals. Refugee Services is currently in need of gentlyused pots and pans, silverware, and dishes(especially bowls) as well as linens, pillows, towels,alarm clocks, light bulbs and can openers. Formore information contact Dan Huynh , MinnesotaCouncil of Churches at (612) 230-3227.

Fundraiser for Habitat: Presbyterian Church ofthe Way in Shoreview is taking part in a fundrais-ing event to support Holy Hammers, a coalition of13 congregations that builds homes as a part ofHabitat for Humanity. The benefit includes a spa-ghetti dinner and a concert by the Cedar Lake 7Gospel Ensemble.

The event takes place Friday, May 14 event from5:30-8:15 p.m. at Church of the Way located at

3382 N. Lexington Avenue in Shoreview.

Korean-American Women Meet in Chicago:Korean Clergywomen are invited to the AnnualConference of Korean American Clergywomen tobe held in Chicago, May 25-27, 2010 at McCor-mick Seminary. It will be a chance for KoreanAmerican clergywomen to rest, relax and renew.For more information or to register, please contact Joann Lee at [email protected] or Heidi Parkat [email protected].

Multicultural Church Conference: The 11thAnnual PC (USA) Multicultural Church Conferencetakes place May 26-30 in Chicago. The confer-ence seeks to explore “growing the Christ’s churchdeep and wide” in an increasingly diverse world.

People with varying languages, cultures, ethnicities,theologies, genders, generations and backgroundswill come together to recognize the amazing poten-tial of differences and, through affirming and cele-brating those differences, create something new.

Participants include Bruce Reyes Chow and Jin S.Kim. For more information, please go to the follow-ing address: http://www.pcusa.org/multicultural/conference.htm.

Come, Sale Away at North: North Presbyte-rian Church in North St. Paul is having a rummageand book sale in their church parking lot on Satur-day, June 5 from 9am-2pm. The proceeds from thebook sale and seller registration will go to a mis-sion. North Presbyterian is located at 2675 E.Highway 36 in North St. Paul.

"Leading From the Heart:” How do leaders ina congregation remain in community with peoplethrough conflict and differences?

"Leading from the Heart" a special workshop spon-sored jointly by Luther Seminary and Lake NokomisPresbyterian Church wants to teach ways to commu-nicate that seek to build rather than tear down thebody of Christ. Led in part by PTCA minister-member Theresa Latini, this intensive workshopteaches the skills and consciousness of compassion-ate communication (also called nonviolent communi-cation) as a means of connecting to God, self, andothers in the midst of interpersonal impasses of allsorts.

Do you have an

event you’d like

to publicize?

Please send it to

Dennis Sanders at

communications@

ptcaweb.org.

EMerge: Monthly

Events Calendar

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


Monday-Friday:

8:30am-4:30pm

EMerge: Monthly

Events Calendar

Office Hours @the Presbytery

Office

Per Capitafor 2010:General Assembly:$6.15

Synod: $4.80

Presbytery: $19.06

Total=

$30.01

This event takes place June 20-25 at Luther Seminary and is limited to 45 people. To register or for moreinformation, please go to www.luthersem.edu/leadingfromtheheart.

Synod Presbyterian Women Gathering: The 2010 Gathering of the Presbyterian Women in theSynod of Lakes and Prairies takes place Wednesday through Saturday, June 16-19, at Buena Vista Univer-sity in Storm Lake, Iowa. There is a full slate activity under the theme "The Wonders of God's Promises."Gathering highlights include worship, music, workshops, discussion groups, bookstore and a gift shop.

Marjorie Thomson, who has developed a ministry in spiritual formation, will be the spiritual leader for thegathering. Louise Lawson Johnson is listed as Bible study leader and Caroline Vickery will lead worship.Kristi Holler, a singer, songwriter and pianist, will lead music.

To register, please go the synod website (www.lakesandprairies.org).

Synod School 2010: "Synod School is a learning and personal enrichment experience for people of allages," the 2010 Synod School catalog states in its opening line. Now, the 2010 Synod School catalog isavailable on the Synod of Lakes and Prairies' website. The catalog includes course descriptions, informa-tion about convocation and worship leaders, the fee schedule, housing information and much more. Thetheme for this year's Synod School is "Grace Notes." Registration materials - with multiple options - arealso on the website, www.lakesandprairies.org. Additional information is available from the synod officeat 651.357.1140 or 800.328.1880.

Retired Presbyterian Ministers to Meet in Minnesota: The Association of Retired Ministers, theirSpouses or Survivors (http://www.pcusa.org/olderadults/armss), will come to Bloomington, Minn., Sept.9-12 for its 14th annual convention. With the theme, "Called to a Lifetime of Service - God's Plan OROurs," the event takes place at the Ramada Mall of America. Membership in ARMSS is open to retiredPresbyterian Church (U.S.A.) clergy, spouses and their survivors. Membership is automatic when a ministeris honorably retired, or is a spouse of an honorably retired minister or the spouse of a deceased minister.Ginny Nyhuis, Oostburg, Wis., is support staff for the organization.

Dayton Avenue slates Pentecost concert

As part of its 2010 Arts and Culture Series, Day-ton Avenue Presbyterian Church, 217 MackubinSt., St. Paul, Minn., will host its first annual Pente-cost Celebration with a concert Sat., May 22, at5 p.m. at the church.

The concert will celebrate the Day of Pentecost,the beginning of the Christian Church. Singersfrom local churches are coming together to per-

form a wide range of music, from hymns and an-thems to spirituals and gospel music.

The choir will be led by Robert Morris, minister ofmusic at Dayton Avenue and former professor ofmusic at Macalester College. Morris is a com-poser, an internationally-known choral clinicianand director of the Leigh Morris Chorale in St.Paul.

The aim of the 2010 Arts and Culture Series is tobring arts events and performances into the localneighborhoods and communities.

The event is free and open to the public. Additionalinformation is available by contacting Dayton Ave-nue by phone at 651-227-7389 or by email at [email protected]

-Presbyterian Neighbor News

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Hope

PresbyterianChurch,Richfield4:00pm-8:00pm

EMerge: Monthly

Presbytery Looking for Next Treasurer

Next Presbytery Meeting:

Do you have an article, news or event toshare for the May issue of EMerge:Monthly?Please make sure to get in by the close ofbusiness on May 27. You can email it to Den-nis Sanders at [email protected].

By Dennis Sanders

The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area is looking forsomeone to become the nextTreasurer for the Presbytery. JimPayne, an elder at PlymouthPresbyterian Church in Plymouth,has served with distinction in thatrole for the past six years and isnow stepping down. The PTCAis looking for someone whomight feel called to step up andhave a hand in helping guideour Presbytery in the coming years. The duties of the Treas-

urer include the following:

• Serves as one ofthe primary signersof Presbytery bank accounts.

• Reviews the monthly financial reportsand shares them with the Board ofTrustees, the Presbytery Council andthe Presbytery.

• Assists in preparing the annual finan-cial review.

• Works with the Budget Task Force in

drawing an annual budget for Presby-tery consideration.

There is a small stipend of $1500/year (plus mile-age) available and the timecommitment is about five (5)hours per week. The position isopen to all Elders and Minis-ters of Word and Sacra-ment. You can read the fulljob description by going to thePresbytery website,www.ptcaweb.org.

Churches, you can download aflyer that has been made topost on your bulletin board or

as a bulletin insert. You canalso download a full job de-scription which can also beposted in your congrega-

tions.

If you are interested in the position or have ques-tions, please contact the Nominating CommitteeChair, Betty Raitt via email at [email protected]. You can also contact the Pres-bytery office by phone at 612-871-7281.

Jim Paynehas been theTreasurer ofthe Presby-tery of theTwin Cities Area for thelast six years.

8/9/2019 Emerge May 2010


112 W. Franklin Ave.Suite 508Minneapolis, MN 55404

Fax: 612-871-0698E-mail: [email protected]: www.ptcaweb.orgTwitter: www.twitter.com/ptcawebFacebook: www.facebook.com/presbyterytwincitiesarea

"EMerge:Monthly," is a publication from the Presbytery of

the Twin Cities Area (PTCA). The mission is to share brief

highlights with links to resources and news. Recipients in-

clude congregations, minister members, other members,

committees, and friends. Please send submissions and e-mail

corrections to Dennis Sanders, editor, at [email protected] . Usual distribution: Thursdays.

Presbytery Staff

Chaz Ruark, Executive Presbyter: [email protected]

Nancy Grittman, Stated Clerk: [email protected]

Risa Anderson, Office Manager: [email protected]

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

Register, Volunteer at General Assembly You've heard about it for weeks and months; the 219th GeneralAssembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is meeting this summerin Minneapolis. With a little over three months until theevent, people who are interested in attending the "Great Presbyte-rian Get-Together" cannow register online for July3-10 event.

Who can register? Well,Elder and Minister Com-missioners have to attend,but so can visitors! This isa chance to meet fellowPresbyterians from acrossthe United States and alsoto see the church in ac-tion. Best of all, it's hap-pening in our own back- yard!

To register, go to the219th General Assembly

website atwww.pcusa.org/ga219. If you are a com-missioner, click on thebutton that says"Commissioner and Advisory Delegates." If you are a visitor, clickon "Observer." Register today!

Have you considered volunteering for General Assembly? In therun-up to the event and during GA, we will need hundreds of peo-

ple to make sure that the thousands who will attend receive a warmMinnesota welcome.

If you register to volunteer, you get to observe General Assemblybusiness without paying the registration.

So, if you have some time todonate, please consider signingup at the Committee on Local

Arrangements website atwww.cola2010.com

and click on the icon that reads"volunteer."

219th General

Assembly:Registration Now Available!

GA Website: www.pcusa.org/ga219/

Volunteer Website:

www.cola2010.com

emerge may 2010

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