EMerge: The Blog

The "Old Dog" Learns a New Trick

As many of you know, our Interim Executive Presbyter Bob Cuthill has started his own blog.  He has a good post about how connected we are in the 21st century.

Presbyterian Communicators Network Regional Conference

Note: Dennis Sanders, the Communications Specialist for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, is in Montreat, North Carolina for the Regional Conference of the Presbyterian Communicators Network from April 30 to May 2.  He will be occasionally be blogging about his experiences.

I'm at the Presbyterian Communicators Network Regional Conference at Montreat in North Carolina.  Duane Sweep, the Associate for Communications for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and I flew down here today and the drove up from Charlotte to Montreat.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to go to any of today's workshops or plenaries.  Shawn Coons, a pastor from Houston gave a talk called "Communicating Faith in a Web 2.0 World."  Luckily, someone live blogged his talk, so I (and all of you) can see what he said.

I did have a good conversation over dinner with Shawn and Mindy Marchal from General Assembly about communications in this day and age.  I've been having some good talks about communications with persons from all ages and backgrounds and it has given me something to think about.

Tomorrow, I will be leading the worship services and giving a sermon.  I hope learn more about how to help myself be a better communicator and help all of you back in the PTCA as well.  More thoughts to come!

PS: You might want to checkout Shawn's podcast, "Decently and In Order."

InVocation Spring Concerts

InVocation Spring Benefit Concert Series 2008: “Love is in the Air (…and so is Pollen… and MUSIC!)”

 “What’s in a name? That which we call a concert   By any other name would sound as sweet.” — William Shakespeare (more or less)

We may have left the “rose” out of that quote, but we’re giving it plenty of play at our Spring Benefit Concerts! Roses, daffodils, daisies… and love — lots of love! God’s love for us, our love for God, and (of course) the oldest story in the world: Shepherd meets Shepherdess, Shepherd gets Shepherdess, Shepherd loses Shepherdess…

Seriously, though, we’ll be singing the music of English and American composers: Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst, William Billings, P.D.Q. Bach, John Rutter, our own Daniel Pederson, and more… Madrigals, jazz, and (inevitably) jazz madrigals — all set to lovely texts by poets as diverse as Gerard Manley Hopkins, Peter Schickele, King David, and (naturally) William Shakespeare.

Admission is free, but a freewill offering will benefit Feed My Starving Children, a locally-based charity whose volunteers pack nutritious meals that are distributed to malnourished children worldwide. Come and celebrate spring with us — and help feed hungry children across the globe!

• Thursday, May 1, 7:00 pm St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish, 8701 36th Avenue North, New Hope

• Friday, May 2, 7:30 pm St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church, 2200 Hillside Avenue, St. Paul

• Saturday, May 10, 7:00 pm Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Avenue South, Minneapolis

• Sunday, May 11, 4:00 pm Macalester Plymouth United Church, 1658 Lincoln Ave, St. Paul

Additional information about the concert series, InVocation, and Feed My Starving Children can be found at www.invocationsingers.org.

Note: Kim Goodman, a minister member of the Presbytery and a chaplain in St. Paul, is a member of InVocation along with her husband, John.

Events at Church of the Way

The Following events will be taking place at Presbyterian Church of the Way in Shoreview during the month of May:

Sunday Forum AND Family and Faith Class* Sundays, 6:30 p.m., Ling Hall

BEGINNING MAY 4: “Our Marriages and Relationships: Helping Something Good Be Even Better,” A three-week Sunday a.m. combined Adult Forum and Faith and Family Class, led by Anita & Russ Cummings in Ling Hall. This class will explore the challenges and benefits of healthy marriage relationships. How can we let go of the ideal, “And they lived happily ever after,” and instead view our most intimate relationships as the fertile ground for God to enhance both love and growth? What are the expectations that trip us up, and what are healthy patterns to develop that ease the flash points of any intimate relationship? We will be open to any long-term relationship as a place to consider the issues.

Anita and Russ Cummings have been married for 44+ years, some of them a bit rocky (their words)! But they have been blessed with the grace of God, good counseling, faithful family and friends, and insights that have even helped others as Anita worked with couples of all sorts in her years as pastor in several congregations.

Wednesday Forum * Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., Ling Hall April 9 to May 14: “Human Rights: Past and Present,” led by Dr. Chris Gerhz, Assistant Professor of History, Bethel University. This six-week course surveys the history and theory of human rights, starting with the roots of "rights talk" in the Enlightenment and moving up through the present day.

May 7: Case Study: Genocide in the 20th Century Even as the 20th century saw the explosion of human rights documents and courts, it also witnessed the birth of a new form of "radical evil:" genocide. As we consider events ranging from the slaughter of Armenians during World War I to the Holocaust to the killing fields of Cambodia to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans and Africa, we must ask: can human rights be said to exist if entire populations can be deprived of the right to their very existence?

May 14: Human Rights Today: Issues and Action To close the course, we will introduce several contemporary issues in human rights and consider how individuals can respond. Topics may include Darfur, human trafficking, women's rights, torture, political asylum-seeking, and labor rights. We will also survey the Twin Cities' many human rights organizations. (For this session Dr. Gerhz may invite 2-3 students from my Bethel human rights course to give brief presentations on their ongoing service projects.)

Dr. Chris Gehrz is an Assistant Professor of History at Bethel University where he has taught since 2003. He earned his doctorate from Yale University, with an emphasis on modern European and diplomatic history. In recent years his research and teaching interests have expanded to include church history, human rights, and educational theory. Chris lives in Roseville with his wife Katie, and attends Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton.

Child care is available for the classes marked with asterisks ( * ), so consider this your invitation to join us whenever you can!

SILENT AUCTION & DINNER BENEFITTING MISSION TRIP 2007 Saturday, May 17, 5:30 p.m., PCOTW

Auction items include:

• 2 Ticket Vouchers for 2008 US Women's Open & Christie Kerr Autograph Poster
• Buffalo Wild Wings 50 wing party (min: 6 people)
• Fly Fishing Package
• 4 Hour Bus Shuttle Service
• Kayak Adventure for Two
• Avon Gift Basket
• Dinner for 8… …and much more!

Make your RSVPs today by calling the PCOTW office at (651) 484-3346! Deadline is May 12! $5 / person, $18 / family max. Would you like to donate something for the Silent Auction? Please contact Kathryn Nichols, Pastoral Intern and Youth Coordinator, at (651) 484-3346, ext. 101, or at kathryn@pcow.org.

Earth Day Events in the Presbytery

Earth Day is Tuesday April 22.  Several PTCA churches are hosting events that remind us to treat gently on God's creation:

Rural Church Workshop

From the Minnesota Council of Churches:

Rural Churches: Ecumenical Community Service and Ministry

May 14 & 15 in Paynesville, MN OR May 21 & 22 in Madelia, MN

Pastors and church leadership are encouraged to attend a 2-day workshop designed to energize ecumenical work to meet community needs through shared service and ministry.  Please tell member churches in your judicatory.  For more information contact Lynne Holman at (612) 230-3211, lynne.holman@mnchurches.org

Registration Material Now Available for Synod School

  "Coloring Outside the Lines," the theme for this year's Synod School, is a look at how the church might move beyond timidity and try new things. The Rev. Scott Nesbitt , pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Clinton, Iowa, will challenge those at Synod School to become like little children who can paint a picture with bold colors and call it beautiful even though almost every boundary has been completely disregarded. The week is designed for laity and clergy, individuals and families. Classes and activities are available for adults, youth and children - some separately, some are intergenerational - to stretch the mind and nurture the soul. As one individual noted after last summer's Synod School, "I didn't know Presbyterians could gather together and have fun." Another described Synod School as "an unexpected spiritual awakening - wow!" The Synod School catalog and registration forms are posted online at www.lakesandprairies.org/school.html.

Presbyterian Communicators Network Regional Conference set in Illinois

Stronghold Conference Center, Oregon, IL
August 25 - 27, 2008

Experience interactive workshops, stimulating plenary, reflective worship and and lively conversation with others who have similar communication responsibilities for the PC(USA).

Learn to upload multi-media to your website, create an online social network, develop a communicators network in your presbytery, or freshen up your writing skills.

Listen to and talk with church experts on communicating in a Web 2.0 world and how to reach out to others that are beyond the four walls of your church.

The event starts at 1pm, Monday, August 25 and concludes at 11:30am, Wednesday, August 27. Registration is $250 and includes all conference programs, group meals and two night lodging. Go to www.pcusa.org/comnet for complete details.

Contact Dennis Sanders at the Presbytery office for more info.  His email is communications@ptcaweb.org.

The "Friendship Group"

Linda Wold, a member at Valley Communuity Presbyterian in Golden Valley sent us a story to be posted on the Disability Concerns Task Force page.  She spotlights the "Friendship Group" an adult Christian Education class for developmentally-challenged adults.  The article is available for download, and we've decided to post it here as well.

New Job Openings Available

If you know of someone looking for a job, there are several new job openings listed on our Open Positions page.