Keeping you Connected

August 2024

Synod School Recap

In late July more than 500 gathered at Buena Vista University for the 70th anniversary of Synod School. Those in attendance ranged in age from infants to a centenarian.

The theme for this anniversary year: More Than We Can Imagine

Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Eph. 3: 20-21

Mike Ferguson of the Presbyterian News Service wrote a series of articles on Synod School, which are linked here for you to read.

Synod School turns 70, and robust worship and birthday cake help celebrate the milestone

Try ‘shalomify’ next time you’re playing Scrabble

At Synod School, the prodigal, his brother and their father bring real life to a well-known story

Gamers can help us see and shape the future

Riffing on the precious oil running down on Aaron’s beard

Videos screened at Synod School on Wednesday show what God is up to in the PC(USA)

We are family

Synod Schooler who’s 101 is thrilled to be back where she belongs

PC(USA) churches connect with community partners to be a blessing beyond themselves

An incredibly generous miracle

Final Synod School convocation offers a look ahead

Synod School class looks at developing church leaders like Paul did — from within

Awakening the American Dream

Resources used by speaker Dr. Corey Schlosser-Hall

A short video showing some of the people, classes and events at Synod School.

Mark your calendars for Synod School 2025!

July 21-25, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa

Applications to teach at Synod School are due September 1st. submit your application

Sankofa Pilgrimage

October 16-20, 2024

Sponsored by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies

The underlying power of Sankofa is that knowing our history and heritage, we better know ourselves and the world around us.

Visit sites in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama to better understand history and race relations. Part of this pilgrimage will be exploring the role of the Presbyterian Church and what we can learn from the past to carry into the future.

Learn more

Racial Equity Student Scholarships

The Committee on Racial Equity Ministry is accepting applications for the Racial Equity Student Scholarship.

The Racial Equity Student Scholarship Fund is an educational assistance program designed to encourage racial ethnic students in their preparation for academic success in higher education.

Students must have a permanent residence within the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and be active members in a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation. Application awards are based on personal achievement, financial need and recommendations from a pastor and a teacher. Applications are due September 30, 2024.

For more information visit the website.

2024 Season of Peace

Sept. 8- Oct. 6

A new devotional guide from the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program sets the stage for an inspiring Season of Peace

LOUISVILLE — Just in time for the 2024 Season of Peace, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program has released a devotional guide featuring individuals whose lives can serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement in the four weeks leading up to World Communion Sunday (Oct. 6).

The guide can be downloaded in its entirety from Peacemaking’s website or received in the form of daily emails that are sent to those who sign up to receive them (Subscribe here). Additional resources from the PC(USA).

Read the full article.

GA226 Co-Moderators

Our new Co-Moderators of the 226th General Assembly (2024), the Rev. CeCe Armstrong and the Rev. Tony Larson, are already looking forward to their role as ambassadors of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) during their two-year term. Invitations for them to preach and participate in presbytery and synod meetings are beginning to arrive. If you are

interested in hosting a visit from CeCe or Tony, please fill out the Moderator Visit Request Form and return it to Meg Rift. (Photo by Rich Copley.)

Moderatorial visits are not limited to a presbytery or synod meeting. In fact, when visiting your location, the Co-Moderator might be available to:

Attend or lead a cohort of pastors for Bible study and prayer
Teach a congregational Bible study or Sunday school class (youth, young adult, or adult)
Interact with a congregation’s youth group or young adult fellowship
Support and interact with a campus ministry group or new worshiping community
Attend a group meal
Participate in a presbytery or synod mission trip

The Co-Moderators are interested in cultivating opportunities for meaningful interactions with smaller groups of Presbyterians who might not attend presbytery meetings and may be less connected in that way, in hopes of using the ambassadorial role to grow that sense of connection and to receive Good News about vital congregational ministry, mission, and witness.

2024-pns-CommunityCirclesSmallChurchGraphic-500x406 image

September is a new season for small churches

Congregations with fewer than 100 members reimagine Christian Formation Week

by Beth Waltemath | Presbyterian News Service

September is a month where “we begin new things, restart or reconnect in our small churches,” said Sandy Safford, a Christian educator and commissioned lay pastor who recently served a small church for 10 years.

At the invitation of the PC(USA)’s Office of Christian Formation, Safford facilitates a community circle for leaders of small churches. Educators, volunteers, pastors and commissioned pastors serving congregations with fewer than 100 members meet regularly to discuss the particular triumphs and trials of small church ministry. The community circles are held as open office hours, so anyone who registers can attend, whether or not they’ve attended in the past. The next meetups are in October and November. Register for Small Church Community Circles to receive a link.

GA226 in Brief

The General Assembly in Brief is available for download. Use it in your newsletter or as a bulletin insert. Commissioners use it during your reporting to the presbytery.

Bulletin/Print Version Letter-sized/Online Reading Version

Did you miss part of the 226th General Assembly (2024)? Videos of plenary and committee meetings are posted here.

ConNext Summit 2024 - Beloved Community: Sharing the Stories of All God’s People

Faith formation leaders are invited to spend two days and nights at beautiful Dunrovin Retreat Center sharing stories, deepening friendships, and developing tools of radical hospitality.

Small-group plenaries - led by Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown, Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy, and Joe Davis - will ground us in the essential welcome of dismantling racism through story sharing and the arts.

Beloved singer/songwriter Sara Thomsen will lead us in music and prayer, and two break-out workshops.

Six additional break-out workshops - led by local peers! - will expand our awareness through:

Ministry with Neurodiverse Children & Training for Youth & Adults
Creating Gender Inclusive Ministries
Gender, Sexuality, & Body-Affirming Curricula for All Ages
Being an Antiracist Youth Ministry Leader
Building Disabilities Ministries with Children, Youth, and Families
Mental Health-Aware / OR / Trauma-Informed CYF Ministries (TBD)

What does community look like through an intentionally diversity-aware and diversity-affirming lens?

ConNext Summit 2024 will offer practical ways to shift toward ministries that offer radical welcome through the joyful practice of Story Sharing.

October 13-15, 2024 // Dunrovin Retreat Center

Learn more and register here.

If your church is located in Nebraska and your congregation has an outreach or mission project which demonstrates putting your faith into action or reaching out to your neighbors in need, consider applying for a grant to help fund your idea! The grant application process starts twice each year, and you may apply either June 1 or December 1. For more information on the grant process, please visit their website or contact Audrey Richert or 402-420-9877.

Emergency Assistance Funds The Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation offers financial assistance for PCUSA pastors or a surviving spouse who is experiencing an urgent financial crisis. Applicants must be an active or retired installed or commissioned pastor who has, or is currently serving, a Nebraska congregation and currently residing in Nebraska. For more information on the Kessler Fund, please visit their website or contact Audrey Richert at 402-420-9877.

The late Marilyn A. Jackson, a member of Center Ridge Presbyterian Church in Red Oak, Iowa, made a gift upon her death establishing a scholarship:

To provide support for pastoral leadership to persons who are serving small Presbyterian churches,

with a first preference for racially and/or ethnically diverse pastors within Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation’s 13-state region.

Many churches and their leaders feel the financial strain of of shrinking numbers and restructured priorities. Pastoral leaders who are BIPOC often face pressures of lower salaries and benefits, compared to white counterparts. Marilyn Jackson’s legacy provides financial support to reduce stress that leads to pastoral burnout for our denominations’ most under-compensated clergy.

Ministers of Word and Sacrament and Commissioned Ruling Elders may be eligible apply. Awards of up to $5,000 (usually around $2,000) provide financial support, promoting longevity for dedicated congregational leaders.

Learn more here. The application deadline is September 1.