Nov. 9, 2017
Green text indicates new items;
black are last week's..
There will be no issue of Getting Connected next week as we celebrate all of God's gifts bestowed upon us with grateful thanksgiving!
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A great article was published in the Christian Century earlier this month. It is about the lament and struggle that a congregation faces when they are faced with a decline in children/youth or traditional "church school." The article is titled, "I Can't Throw and Catch at the Same Time" and I recommend it for your reading.
In it, the author writes about the swirl and mix of emotions her congregation was facing and how she became the repository for these emotions as the Pastor.
She starts out with this quote from the world of football:
"When the New England Patriots lost Super Bowl 46 to the New York Giants in 2012, Gisele Bundchen, supermodel and wife of the Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, angrily assessed the reason for the loss: “My husband cannot throw the ball and catch it at the same time.” Brady had thrown plenty, but several of his teammates dropped those passes, especially in the last quarter. And the Patriots lost."
The author of the article in the Christian Century brings this idea over to church-world, we can't throw and catch at the same time in ministry.
But so often we are asked to.
And not just those who lead congregations, but those engaged in chaplaincy who are asked to deal with things like medical billing and pray at the bedside of someone about to enter transplant surgery. Or the church member who is asked to help lead worship who is already juggling an overwhelming load at home. Our society is a "do it all, be it all, know it all" sort of a society that oftentimes not only asks but demands we stretch ourselves too thin and do two things at the same time.
Something always gets lost, doesn't it? I invite you to read this article if you get a chance with your leadership team, in whatever configuration that is. How can you let go and let God enter in? What surprise might await on the other side of busy, competent, and successful? And are those even the metrics we want in our faith communities anyway?
Blessings,
Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo
General Presbyter
shannan@psne.org
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Have you liked the PSNE Facebook page yet? Every day a new article appears on the page with ideas for your ministry. Information from the denomination is shared as well as many other connections.
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Presbytery meeting docs are now available! Our next meeting is Saturday, November 18, with coffee, goodies, and registration beginning at 8:45. We'll meet at First Presbyterian Church, Greenwich, CT. Parking is in a municipal lot a block from the church. Be sure to print out those instructions before driving. Documents and parking instructions can be accessed by clicking here. Registration can be accessed by clicking here.
We welcome The Rev. Allison Seed, Regional Rep for the Board of Pensions, who will be with us at Presbytery this Saturday to answer your questions and meet with you!
Open Spaces on Saturday:
A Fossil Free PCUSA Overture is being raised at GA in 2018. Given the impact of climate change, this overture is very important. View informational resources, including the overture, that deal with theological, moral, financial and scientific reason to support this overture: fossilfreePCUSA.org.
Bryce Wiebe, manager of Special Offerings for the PCUSA will provide information and answer questions about giving to the national Church. He is a member of New Haven: First Church.
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Summer Youth Initiative 2018
Register your youth group for a week-long immersion in relational service, education, and theological reflection in Philadelphia through Broad Street Ministry! Email socialengagement@broadstreetministry.org.
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November 2017--PDA Update
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Hartford Seminary Workshop: Storytelling with Terry Wolfisch Cole, Nov. 30, 1:30-3:30 pm. More info
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The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will provide two events in Hartford: Leadership and Anxiety in the Church (March 6, 2018) and Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (May 7-11, 2018) Read more here.
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LAST 2 DAYS: Annual Enrollment for 2018 Benefits
For those in the Board of Pensions Benefits Plan of the PCUSA, now is the time to log on to Benefits Connect to review and elect benefits for 2018--even if you don't make changes. November 17 is the deadline for 2018 coverage.
To get started, visit pensions.org (pensions.org/annualenrollment) where you'll find helpful information and resources including
- an Annual Enrollment Quick Start Guide
- two web tutorials in English, Spanish, and Korean
- What you need to know for annual enrollment and
- What you need to do during annual enrollment and how to do it
- The Benefits Plan at a Glance booklet
Then, go to Benefits Connect by November 17 to elect your 2018 benefits.
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Free hymn: If We Just Talk of Thoughts and Prayers"
Thanks to Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, this hymn is free for congregations to use in worship. It was written after the church shooting in
Sutherland Springs, Texas, that claimed 26 lives.
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Presbyterians Today Advent Devotional
The 2017 Presbyterians Today Advent Devotional is ready to be ordered! This year's theme is "Let Love Speak: Words and Actions to Pave the Way of the Lord". Click here to order today!
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Ordination Anniversaries
Clergy celebrating ordination anniversaries in November:
- Joe Miller, 11/1 (30 yrs)
- Frances Unsell, 11/1 (24 yrs)
- Lin Rohr, 11/1 (30 yrs)
- Laura Opsahl, 11/13 (40 yrs)
- Christine Delmar, 11/15 (8 yrs)
- John Lindner, 11/20 (42 yrs)
- Barbara Hager, 11/21 (35 yrs)
- Rick Vought, 11/21 (8 yrs)
- Susan Trucksess, 11/25 (34 yrs)
- John Rodkey, 11/25 (33 yrs)
- Anne Fuhrmeister, 11/28 (35 yrs)
- John Sandel, 11/30 (43 yrs)
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Prayer List
Prayers for the ministries of:
- The Rev. Gerson Annunciacao wishes to express his gratitude for those who offered prayers for his surgery. Everything went well and Gerson is home with the best nurse by his side, his wife, Sandra. He'll be recovering for the next 4-6 weeks.
- First Presbyterian Church serving the Pioneer Valley, Granby, CT, where The Rev. John Merz is Stated Supply;
- The Rev. Diane Goudreau, clergy member-at-large;
- The Revs. Norman DeWolfe and Frank Robertson, honorably retired clergy.
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The Week Ahead...
- Saturday, Nov. 18, Presbytery meeting begins at 9:30 sharp, First Pres. Church, Greenwich, CT
- Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23-24, office closed
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Opportunities ...
All MIFs (Ministry Information Forms) are posted online on the Church Leadership Connection www.pcusa.org/clc.
First Presbyterian Church, Stamford, CT is seeking an Associate Pastor. Search Church Leadership Connection for their MIF (Ministry Information Form). |
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