When the land was sold in this past spring, the Mission Committee and Session of First Presbyterian Church came forward offering  space on their church property so the project could continue another year.

Early in May members of Casa Esther, Fr. Joe Mattern, Garden Manager Mike Stadler,  and Pastor Ed Slusser planted the garden.   The harvestwas large enough that extra produce was  offered to church members in gratitude for the use of their land.

Join the Rev. Diego Higuita, Presbyterian Church USA Peacemaker from Colombia, in Diversity Circles on sustainability with trainer Sande Sliwicki

• at Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1300 Main Street, Stevens Point

If you want peace and sustainability and are concerned about racism:

• participate in dialogue in Diversity Circles to create action and change in sustainability
• learn more about accomplishments and goals of the Winnebago-Uraba Presbytery Partnership problem solve in this democratic process
• acquire tools for making your own plans for sustainability

Come and bring your friends for a pleasant, thought-provoking and valuable afternoon.

Questions–Call Frame Church at 715-341-3040 or Marian Seagren Hall at 715-842-7464

Dear Friends:

As I write, the rain is coming down hard on my roof, nothing unusual for the extended rainy season here in Costa Rica (May-December). The worst is yet to come in October. Fortunately, unlike so many, I have a safe and warm place to be.

These past few months have been about the search for new faculty for the university. Between last year and this, four faculty members are leaving the School of Biblical Studies. It is a challenge to keep up with all the course work both in Costa Rica and in our associated centers throughout Latin America. For me it has been an especially challenging time as I have been struggling with unexplained chronic anxiety. I appreciate your prayers as it makes every task a challenge.

Our largest group of students these months is from Perú and Bolivia. It has been interesting to share with them concerning the many things going on in their countries— especially Bolivia. Our Honduran students have been very concerned with what is happening in their country, of course, due to recent events.

I must say that our students amaze me sometimes. Most of them come from situations of great need and have struggled to fulfil their dream to study. Victor Hugo is one of those students. I met him for the first time when I taught a course in Lima, Perú. He was front and center, inquisitive, a critical thinker, interpreting our study of Ezra through the lens of the many injustices in his country. Last year Victor Hugo finished his undergraduate degree with us and is now on his way to Costa Rica to begin the master’s program shortly. I say “on his way” because, due to economic constraints, he is travelling by land, a week-long trip. We trust he arrives safely. You see, Victor Hugo earns his living as a taxi driver, or rather, driving a taxi that belongs to someone else. They say Lima, Perú, has the best educated taxi drivers in the world! (During my time there an economist drove me to and from classes.)

I don’t know what Victor Hugo’s perspectives are for the future. At the Latin American Biblical Institute (UBL), we do our best to prepare our students for pastoral and academic ministries. Will his dreams come true? Jobs are few and far between, no matter how great the need for theological education. The economy has other priorities. But Victor Hugo is moving forward with his dream, overcoming obstacles we can only imagine, both internal and external. We look forward to having him here again.

Dreams are what keep us moving forward. We have dreams at UBL—to open new master’s programs in the area of gender and theology, AIDS ministries, Bible translation, and others. Our faculty is going through a time of turnover, with several retiring in the next couple of years. We dream of a team of diverse, energized, visionary professors to move us forward into this century.

Some of the challenges we face are the varied educational backgrounds of our students. The educational level varies considerably from one country to another, and while some students come to UBL and excel, others struggle because of a lack of basic skills. Finding ways to meet these needs and provide quality theological education is one of our goals. The diversity of the student body is enriching and many times an eye-opener for some of the students. For people of all different cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds, learning to live together in the dorm is an education in itself. Many inner conflicts come to the fore under stressful situations, which is why we have a staff psychologist ready to work with the students and accompany them during their time here.

One of our big dreams is to renew the deteriorated married student housing that is just off campus. It means tearing down the seven apartments that are there and building something new, both for students and to rent for scholarship income. It’s a huge project, a huge dream that requires financing, and we’re going at it little by little. When the time comes to build, we hope work groups from the United States will volunteer with us in helping make this dream come true.

My own personal dream of working on my Ph.D. is on hold for now. But I trust not for long.

May your dreams, hopes and prayers come true as we dream forth life in troubling times.

Don’t forget to support the mission worker of your choice and thus become a part of the dreams of many as we partner with churches, hospitals, and seminaries around the world.

Sincerely,

Elisabeth

The 2009 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 283

So here we are thinking about back to school and gearing up all the local church programs.  And so it is at the presbytery level as well.

The next several weeks include meetings of:

• the Mission Grants Allocation Committee reviewing and recommending all the projects submitted for 2010 funding;
• All Things Green, on August 13, looking at pursuing a green strategy for Winnebago Presbytery;
• the Global Partnership Task Group working on  plans for the early October visit of International Peacemaker, the Rev. Diego Higuita, from Colombia;
• the  Camp Task Group preparing for the the October 28-31 Presbytery-wide youth event;
• the Finance Committee taking a first look at presbytery budget requests for next year;
• the  Council in preparation for the September 15 Presbytery meeting in Wabeno;
• the Transitional/ Directional Task Force of Council continuing to look at the future course of the Presbytery;
• the Committees on Ministry and Preparation for Ministry continuing their work with the clergy, lay pastors, congregations, and seminarians.

Already scheduled for September:

• September 12 - Barbara Anne Keely is the featured presenter at a joint Presbytery/Northeast Association UCC Christian education event in Oshkosh designed for teachers, committee members, pastors and educators.   More information.
• September 15 - Presbytery Meeting at First Church, Wabeno.  The theme is “accessibility.”
• September 20-21 - Winnebago and Milwaukee Presbyteries are sponsoring a joint Christian Educator Retreat at Green Lake Conference Center.  More details coming soon.

WOW!  We’re busy, and none of this would happen without the wonderful folks from our 40 congregations who volunteer!  Thanks for ALL you do!

Winnebago Presbytery partnering with the First Presbyterian Church, Neenah, provides funding through a Local Mission Grant in the amount of $5,000.   The dollars are directed toward a needy children’s fund.  The following note was received June 25th.

“Our financial emergency room continues to be one of the busiest places in town this spring.  much like htose using the hospital emergency room, our clients ae in need of immediate short-term help to get them through a crisis.  some of the people we help are trying very hard to make ends meet and are struggling to pay their bills for food, utilities, and rent.  Our band=aid assistance stops the emergency and gives them time to work out their situation or be referred to other organizations for additional help.

We are  helpoing so many famliiles who face real emergencies or tragedies that they cannot dealwith alone.  Thans to the generous support from you and others in our community, LEAVEN can contnue to make a real difference in the lives of people in need.  Thank you for partnering with us.”

Churches in Winnebago Presbytery ‘pay it forward’ with donations for thrift stores

by Toni Montgomery
Special to the Presbyterian News Service

Editor’s note: This is the 23rd in a series of stories about congregations engaged in significant outreach and evangelism ministries, reflecting the General Assembly’s commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide.” — Jerry L. Van Marter

Customers browse the store run by Forest Larger Parish.
Photo courtesy of Forest Larger Parish.

STATESVILLE, NC — It’s nice to see a project succeed and grow. It’s even nicer when the product of that success can be used to “pay it forward” to help someone else succeed. It’s perhaps most rewarding of all when those who have been helped wish to do the same for others.

The Rev. Ed Slusser of First Presbyterian Church of Omro in Wisconsin had no idea that would be the result when he explored the idea of starting a thrift store 10 years ago.

“A member of the local Catholic church approached me with the idea of starting a community thrift store,” Slusser said.

So he explored the idea, talking it over with city officials and other church members. After deciding to go ahead with the project as a joint effort with the Catholic church, St. Mary’s, Slusser applied for a rural ministry grant and received $3,000 from Winnebago Presbytery. That money, along with funds raised by both churches, was used to start the store.

The group bought a downtown building and remodeled it into a store. The churches formed an ecumenical board made up of members to oversee the operation. The store is staffed by volunteers — not just from the churches but from the community at large.

“My goal was to bring the community together, and we’ve succeeded in that,” Slusser said. “It’s a way to put faith values and Christian faith in practice in a practical way. It brings a lot of people together. The men and women who volunteer at the store really enjoy it.”

The store is thriving. Within a few years, the churches were able to pay off the mortgage on the building and build an addition. With the bills paid, it was time to focus on giving more to the community. Not only does the store itself provide a service, but the money made there is put back into other community projects.

The first thing the board sought to do after the mortgage was paid was to return the money used for startup to the churches, including the $3,000 received from the presbytery. When Slusser tried to do that, Executive Presbyter Lucy Rupe had other ideas. She told Slusser about Forest Larger Parish in the northern part of the presbytery.

Forest Larger Parish is made up of three smaller congregations — First Presbyterian Lakewood, First Presbyterian Wabeno and First Presbyterian Laona — overseen by commissioned lay pastors Dennis and Wendy Mannering, who work together as a combined parish.

The Mannerings were exploring the idea of a community thrift store in conjunction with other churches in their neighborhood and were trying to raise startup funds for the project. Rupe suggested that instead of paying back the grant he’d received, Slusser could give it to Forest Larger to help start an operation there.

“I think this is a wonderful story of how things can come around in a circle,” Rupe said. “And I think it’s especially wonderful to see our churches supporting and helping each other. It brings them together as a family where they take care of each other.”

The Mannerings were overwhelmed by the generosity. Their thrift store, like the one in Omro, is a combined ecumenical effort with seven other churches participating. The project had received a grant from Winnebago Presbytery, and each church had contributed $200 in start-up money, but thanks to the gift from Omro, Forest Larger had plenty of money to get off the ground.

“Omro not only helped us with money, but they helped us organize our store too,” said Wendy Mannerings. “Several of our people visited Omro to see how they run things so we could get some ideas. They’ve been wonderful.”

That might be part of the reason that Forest Larger, like Omro, has enjoyed great success with its project. The grant it received from Winnebago Presbytery was to last three years, but the store was so successful that it only needed to use the funds for one year.

Each year the store has moved into a new and larger building, and finally, this year the group has purchased its own building.

A board made up of members from each of the 10 churches oversees the funds the store brings in and decides what to do with them. The store has paid off its initial start-up expenses and now uses the money raised to support two local food pantries and other requests. The project recently gave money to the local police department to fund a K9 unit.

“This has been a very significant outreach for these small communities,” said Wendy Mannering. “It’s a very small area and it’s been mostly depressed since the logging industry left, so it’s really the only retail store in the area. Everyone shops here.”

Yet just as in Omro, the thrift store is much more than a place for the community to shop. It has also provided a place for people to come together and share.

“It’s wonderful to see Catholics and Lutherans and Presbyterians working together and sharing faith and fellowship,” said Dennis Mannering, echoing Slusser’s sentiments. “Part of the reason we came up with the idea to do this was to lift spirits in the community.

“It not only serves a need in the community with inexpensive clothing, but beyond that, the store gives our volunteers — many of whom are retirees — a purpose,” he said. “Plus, there are the ecumenical benefits of churches and pastors being able to get together and work together and not feel threatened.”

But what of the gift they received from Omro that helped them launch their effort in the first place? Wendy Mannering said they haven’t forgotten about that act of kindness.

“We want to also pay it forward like Omro did for us,” she said. “We’re just waiting to hear of someone who needs our help.”

Toni Montgomery is a free-lance writer in Statesville, NC. She is church secretary for First Presbyterian Church there.

The theme of the meeting was integrating technology into the life of the congregation.  The meeting was held in the newly renovated fellowship hall which, in addition to many physical improvements, is wifi accessible.

Elder Jess Wakefield of Covenant Community Church in Schofield was recognized for completing his lay pastor training and was certified as a Trained Lay Pastor in the presbytery.

Upon return from the Women’s Lambing weekend at the Heifer Ranch in Arkansas, five of the participants shared pictures and stories of their time together.  They presented to the staff a token of their appreciation - pictured below - which now hangs in the presbytery office.

You often read short articles in News and Notes highlighting promotional events at the Just Fare Market housed at First Presbyterian Church, in Fond du Lac.

Have you ever wanted to learn more?  The latest issue of their newsletter can be read here.

####

Updated April 21, 1:00 pm.  It appears that we are receiving email without problems. If you tried to send email to us Monday or Tuesday and have not heard back, please contact us again.

Funds to underwrite the trip were requested through a Task Group proposal to the Resource and Program Coordinating Team.   The idea was germinated by Jean Hamersky (DePere First United) and Cindy Huxtable (Neenah First).

Working with the Presbytery, they sought other women who might be interested in such an experience .  The trip filled quickly (there were only enough funds to send 10 women) and nearly 10 more were placed on a waiting list!

From all accounts, the experience was very positive.  Everyone came back energized and full of ideas of for encouraging their congregations’ participation  in supporting the efforts of Heifer Project in the U.S. and internationally.

Participants are already scheduled to make presentations at two events this spring.  They will share their story with the Presbyterian Women at their Spring Gathering, April 25, at Frame Memorial in Stevens Point.

They will speak again at the Winnebago Presbytery meeting  on May 12 at the  at First Church in Manitowoc.   They are also willing to make presentations in local congregations.  The women may be contacted directly or request information from the Presbytery Office.

The trip was such a success that plans are already underway to sponsor another trip in 2010!

]]> http://www.winnebagopresbytery.org/2009/04/15/womens-lambing-weekend-at-heifer-project-ranch/feed/ http://www.winnebagopresbytery.org/2009/04/15/womens-lambing-weekend-at-heifer-project-ranch/