Synod News Feed

MONEY FOLLOWS MISSION: STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST ~ MARCH 18-19, 2011

NLomberk — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:50:12 -0400

Money Follows Mission: Stewardship Practices for the Body of Christ will be held on March 18-19, 2011 at the

Michael Slaughter

Holiday Inn in Marlboro, MA. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Michael Slaughter, Chief Dreamer of Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, OH.

This is a two-day conference on stewardship for clergy and laity and will feature networking opportunities, resources and 10 workshops to inspire and provide practical tools to suport your stewardship ministry. Registration for the event will begin in October. The cost of the conference is $95.00 for both days, $40.00 if attending Friday only, or $65 if attending Saturday only through February 1, 2011. The cost will then increase. There is a $10.00 discount for each additional team member from your congregation.

The conference is sponsored by the Northeast Ecumenical Stewardship Council, whose members include these New England Demoninations: American Baptists, Evangelical Lutherans, United Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and the United Church of Christ.

Click here to download the flyer. The Rev. Michael Slaughter is the Chief Dreamer of Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, OH. His dynamic teaching, heart for the lost, and innovative approach to ministry have led Ginghamsburg Church to outgrow all paradigms for a church in a cornfield. Mike will challenge attendees to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. He has written numerious books inlucding Money Matters: Financial Freedom for All God's Children and his most receent book Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus.

219TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (2010) LETTER TO CONGREGATIONS

NLomberk — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:40:37 -0400

219th General Assembly (2010)

July 10, 2010

To Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations:

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38)….

Just one week ago, the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) convened with Scripture and music and prayer. Commissioners and advisory delegates from every presbytery across the church gathered around the baptismal font with hopeful expectation of what God’s Spirit would do in and through them as they sought to discern together the mind of Christ for the PC(USA).

As the week progressed, prayer was a foundational part of each day’s deliberations and decisions, and the presence of the Spirit was palpable!

“Out of the believer’s heart…

While all assemblies are significant, this one holds particular significance in the life of the PC(USA). Among the assembly’s decisions – to be ratified by presbyteries – are the addition of the Belhar Confession to The Book of Confessions and a revised Form of Government. Both of these items give a clear signal that we are a church that is not afraid to change – an important perspective to have in these days of great change in the church and the world.

The assembly celebrated and was greatly encouraged by the commissioning of 122 young adult volunteers and 17 new mission workers for service around the globe. Commissioners voted unanimously to renew the call to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” and were inspired by the stories of congregations that are growing in evangelism, discipleship, diversity, and servanthood. They celebrated the generosity of Presbyterians who have contributed more than $10.5 million to relief and redevelopment work in Haiti in the wake of January's devastating earthquake.

The assembly also engaged in discussion about significant matters of faith and life – ordination standards, justice and peace in the Middle East, and civil union and marriage, to name just a few.

Information on the more than 300 assembly actions is available. Answers to frequently asked questions about the items that have already garnered media attention are attached to this letter. We commend these resources to you for their accurate and straightforward information.

Civil Union and Marriage FAQ
Form of Government FAQ
Middle East Peacemaking FAQ
Middle Governing Body Commission FAQ
Ordination Standards FAQ

While the content of the assembly’s decisions is important, what may be of equal or greater importance is the manner in which commissioners and advisory delegates did their work. They debated, but did not fight. They tackled tough issues while refraining from tackling each other. They placed great value on finding common ground as they displayed gracious, mutual forbearance toward one another. They sought the will of God within their actions, rather than regarding their decisions as the will of God. One commissioner called the experience of seeking – and finding – common ground truly “miraculous.”

In short, this assembly exhibited to the whole church and, indeed, to our society and the world a way to engage in difficult issues while maintaining respect for one another. To put it another way, they exhibited well what it means for the church to “a provisional demonstration of what God intends for the world” (Book of Order, G-3.0200).

…shall flow rivers of living water.”

Just a few short hours ago, the 219th General Assembly ended in the same worshipful manner with which it began, as well as with a similar same sense of hopeful expectation that the hard work done in Minneapolis will continue forward across the church.

Michael East and Caroline Sherard, elected by their peers as co-moderators of the young adult advisory delegates to this assembly, shared their thoughts in a blog entry:

If all our commissioners and advisory delegates returned to their places of community and encouraged others to continue similar stories, what great things could be next for the PC(USA)? These narratives have the ability to inspire discussions on new, creative, and innovative ways of being the Church. At the heart of being Presbyterian is the principle belief that our discernment is best done when we gather together. Being able to gather in one place, as one people, for the one Church is a powerful and transformative experience--one which dramatically shapes future generations.

The assembly has commended to the church a number of items for further study, out of which is hoped will come, as Michael and Caroline write, “new, creative, and innovative ways of being the Church.”

May the good and faithful work begun in Minneapolis truly be just the beginning of a season of respectful, earnest, and gracious engagement – both in our words and in our deeds – all for the sake of the gospel.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,

Elder Cynthia Bolbach, Moderator, 219th General Assembly The Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly The Rev. Landon Whitsitt, Vice Moderator, 219th General Assembly Elder Linda Bryant Valentine. Executive Director, General Assembly Mission Council

INTERIM MINISTRY - WEEKS ONE AND TWO ~ OCTOBER 4-8, 2010

NLomberk — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:19:38 -0400

Erdman Center at Princeton Theological Seminary

In partnership with the Synod of the Northeast (PCUSA), the School of Christian Vocation and Mission at Princeton Theological Seminary is pleased to offer Interim Ministry - Weeks One and Two concurrently (that is, separately and at the same time) on October 4-8, 2010. Ecumenical participation is welcomed and encouraged. The curriculum for both Weeks has been standardized by the Presbyterian Interim Ministry Consortium, which coordinates events at regional sites across the country. The registration fee for residents (single occupancy) $650.00 and includes the program, lodging Monday through Thursday nights, meals Monday dinner through Friday breakfast. The fee for commuters is $390.00. Note: Payment in full is required to complete registration. Please read the Registration and Cancellation Policy. Participation in the entire program is necessary for certification. The schedule runs until 9:00 p.m. on several nights. Participants are strongly encouraged to stay on campus.

The interim pastor is recognized as a specialized position in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Presbyteries increasingly encourage sessions to call an interim while the congregation is in transition between installed pastors, a time that may vary in length from one to three years. Pastors come to interim ministry from varied backgrounds; some are new graduates from seminary, others are at mid-career, and many are retired ministers who wish to continue in service.

For more information on Interim Ministry, click here.

Online Registration for Week One
Welcome Pack for Week One Participants

Online Registration for Week Two
Welcome Pack for Week Two Participants Seminar Leaders

Amy Fowler, in her first sixteen years in ministry, served as pastor in small, medium, and large congregations. She has also worked as governing body staff in Whitewater Valley and Chicago Presbyteries. She comes with experience in leading workshops at various PC(USA) conferences, as well as training events for congregational transformation in several Presbyteries. She is currently serving Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery as Associate Executive for Congregational Development and serves on the faculty of the Interim Ministry Consortium.

Paul Rhebergen has thirty two years of experience; 13 years in called positions, 19 years as an interim in associate, solo-pastor, and multiple-staff positions. He has served in many different settings, rural to urban, 50 to 1,000+. With training and experience in conflict resolution, ministry following clergy misconduct, and ministry following long term pastors, Paul has served as a “tethered interim” in New Jersey since 1993. He is presently serving as the Interim Pastor at the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church, in New Brunswick Presbytery, and serves on the faculty of the Interim Ministry Consortium.

Joan Marshall is a retired Presbyterian minister. She began her ministry in Christian/church education and considers Interim Ministry a teaching ministry. Currently residing in Illinois, she has served as interim in eleven congregations over a fifteen year period and has enjoyed serving on the faculty of the Interim Ministry Consortium since 2001. Early in her interim experience she began to understand that the chief work of congregations during the interim period is to discover God's call to them in the present moment and then to transform their mission and ministry in order to fulfill that call. She enjoys being with children and grandchildren, traveling, and reading in her leisure time.

Bill Lawser, a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a consultant in congregational transformation with Heartwood LLC. In ordained ministry for over 28 years, Bill has served the local parish as an associate pastor, church educator, and interim pastor. He has also served as presbytery staff in congregational development. A native of Pennsylvania, he has served the church from coast to coast and back again. He currently lives in Illinois and serves on the faculty of the Interim Ministry Consortium.

REV. MARIANNE RHEBERGERN - LIVES TRANSFORMED

NLomberk — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:46:24 -0400

Rev. Marianne Rhebergen

The Rev. Marianne Rhebergen, Transitional Presbyter at the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse, was the person spotlighted in Lives Transformed in the July issue of One in the Spirit. She speaks about the renewal of congregations and the reforming of ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Click here to download One in the Spirit to read the article.

Lives Transformed tells stories of how an individual's life has been impacted by the programs, initiatives, and activities of the General Assembly Mission Council that is published in the monthly email from Linda Valentine titled One in the Spirit.

JUNE 2010 NOR'E-NEWS

NLomberk — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:40:30 -0400

The June 2010 Nor'E-News is now available to download. This is a two page (front and back) communication instrument we hope you'll use to share information about the Synod's life and mission throughout your presbytery.

Please send it along to churches, ministers, CLPs and elders with the suggestion that they consider using it in one or more of the following ways:

Print and include with next church newsletter.
Attach front and back side by side to one or more bulletin boards.
Send as electronic attachment to the church mailing list.
Make copies and leave them in prominent places for people to pick up such as in a magazine rack, in the narthex, or at the rear of the sanctuary.
Use as bulletin insert on Sunday morning.
Print multiple copies for use as placemats during congregational dinners.

The newsletter contains the following articles:

Murder of Minister in Madagascar Illustrates Crisis Getting Worse There ~ Synod Delegation Meets with Ambassador at the United Nations
Tri-Synod Latino Leadership Enhancement Initiative
Inside Albany Immersion for Adults and Youth ~ September 18, 2010
"Cool Congregations” Training

Click here to download the Nor'E-News

MURDER OF MINISTER IN MADAGASCAR ILLUSTRATES CRISIS GETTING WORSE THERE ~ SYNOD DELEGATION MEETS WITH AMBASSADOR AT THE UN

NLomberk — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:57:57 -0400

With a renewed concern due to the killing of a pastor while on retreat with others last May, a small delegation from the Synod of the Northeast visited with Ambassador Rick Barton, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, on June 3, 2010. While we wanted to share that we thought the United States’ State Department had its heart in the right place in its support for the African Union’s plan to bring Malagasy political factions together in the restoration of constitutional processes, we were concerned that there not been much movement towards the desired return to constitutional democracy in the last fourteen months, and that in the time since, significant human rights violations were being committed by the de facto Rajoelina government, including what appears to be persecution of leaders of the FJKM, the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar. Help us beat the drum for the church there.

Malagasy Fellowship

Ambassador Barton heard our concerns, but encouraged Christians with an interest to “increase the drum beat” for Madagascar so that the plight of the country would be known, with increased pressure being put on the defacto government.
Who might partner to raise the visibility of the country? Can you identify allies, outside the church, who, beyond matters of faith, would share a concern for what is being lost in Madagascar? What individuals and groups might we convince to join us out of a concern for human rights violations by the Malagasy army, including 1) the killing of a church leader, 2) the imprisonment of journalists, 3) pastors going into hiding for fear of their lives; 4) the ecological losses to a unique bio-diversity in the country whose resources are threatened because the government is too distracted and incompetent to deal with those more concerned with profit than with the stewardship of the country’s resources.

Who will raise a voice for the vulnerable? Can you join the chorus of voices? What environmental justice groups might you encourage to join in the outcry? Do you know journalists who would be interested in the fate of journalistic colleagues who have lost their freedom? How might the loss of constitutional democracy, through violence and its threat, impact the African continent, and in fact the world, in the next half century?

For a more complete description of the delegation’s visit with Ambassador Barton, click here.

STONY POINT CENTER'S 2ND ANNUAL HOMECOMING

NLomberk — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:46:26 -0400

Rev. Claudio Carvalhaes

Come Home for the Conversation: Stony Point Center's 2nd Annual Homecoming will take place on Saturday, October 16-17, 2010. The registration fee $145.00 and includes an immigration seminar, 3 meals and ticket to the Pengion Theater.

The keynote speaker is the Rev. Cláudio Carvalhaes, Assistant Professor of Worship and Preaching at the Louisville Theological Seminary.

The homecoming will honor immigrants and folks from other countries hwo have lived and worked at Stony Point Conference Center over the years.

Contact Stony Point Conference Center for more information at 845-786-5674.

CHURCHES FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE'S 2010 ADVOCACY CONFERENCE ~ JUNE 13-15

NLomberk — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 10:57:27 -0400

The 2010 Advocacy Conference sponsored by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is being held on June 13th through 15th at the Kellog Conference Hotel located at 800 Florida Ave N.E. ~ Washington, D.C. 20002-3695. The theme of this year's conference is Pursuing Peace Together: Working for Reconciliation in the Holy Land.

CMEP

The conference is about helping you be prepared to speak about your passion for peace and justice in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, and to help you do it!

The hotel deadline is May 31st. Contact CMEP at 202-542-1222 by June 1 to have reservations at the hotel.

For more information or questions on the conference, you may contact CMEP at conference@cmep.org. Congress is full of busy people, like you, but meetings with representatives and senators must be made by Friday, June 4. Please add your voice and join with others in calling for US leadership in the hard work of peacemaking. Register today to be at the conference!

Speakers for the 2010 Advocacy Conference will be from a variety of backgrounds and will bring a wide range of perspectives on the conflict in the Middle East. They will include academics, activists, members of congress, administration officials, religious leaders, and grassroots organizers, all committed to the goal of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Speakers confirmed include Gaith al-Omari, Lara Friedman, Brian Katulis, Trita Parsi, Joel Rubin, Shibley Telhami, Rev. John Thomas, and more.

SUMMER HOURS BEGIN AT THE SYNOD OF THE NORTHEAST

NLomberk — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 10:04:15 -0400

Summer

Summer hours at the Synod of the Northeast will begin on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 and end on Tuesday, September 5, 2010.
The hours are:

* Monday-Thursday ~ 8:00am-4:00pm
* Friday ~ 8:00am-10:00am

SOPHIE CORPORAN ~ LIVES TRANSFORMED

NLomberk — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:21:11 -0400

Sophie Corporan

Sophie Corporan, a member of the Presbytery of the Palisades and serves on the Synod of the Northeast's Committee on Representation, is featured in Lives Transformed in the May issue of One in the Spirit.

Click here to read the article written by Linda Valentine.