|
The United Presbyterian Church of
Jamestown will once again welcome us for the Presbytery meeting on April
25-26, 2008. The meeting will start at 11:00 am (a lunch break will be
provided) in order to conclude the administrative business of the
presbytery by 3:30 Friday afternoon. Beginning at 4:00 pm Friday, the
gathered body will wrestle with questions about who we are as a
presbytery and what God is calling us to do and be.
A Strategic Planning task force
appointed by Council last August has been sifting through information to
clarify the conversations we most need to have as we look to our
future. They'll bring scripture, the Great Ends of the Church,
demographic realities in our region, and feedback from churches and
clergy to the table and ask us to talk about what it means. All this
conversation will be surrounded by worship, song and prayer, asking the
Spirit to inspire us with visions for our future.
Being Presbyterian on the plains is
a challenge and an adventure. We wonder what tomorrow will hold for us,
and how we can support each other as we live into that future. Every
person present will be able to help shape our understanding and
contribute to the big picture that's forming.
After presbytery, our shared
insights will go back to the council for refinement, and by October's
meeting, there may be some preliminary conclusions for us to discuss
further.
The discernment process is only as
strong as those who participate. The planning team promises lively ways
to talk and pray together, and hopes that elders and clergy will bring
their best energy to this important time together.
In addition, two commissions will
take place, one for our General Assembly commissioners and the other for
the Kenya Mission trip participants.
Meeting material will be posted on
the Presbytery website by noon on April 4, 2008 for
congregations/individuals to download. For congregations that don’t have
internet access, packets can be mailed out to them. We are asking
for those congregations to contact the office by 9:00 a.m. on April 16,
2008 to insure you receive your packets in time. Please call the
office at 800-243-3532 or (local) 772-0783 and leave a message for
Laurie Elhard, Communication Coordinator. |
