I hope that all who read this will take the 5-10 minutes it takes to register and do so today! I am writing this blog immediately after filling out my volunteer dance card. Because I tend to be an outgoing person who enjoys talking to people, I have signed up to:

          1)greet guests at the Hotel (Thur)

          2)greet guests at the airport (Fri)

          3)work the registration desk (Sat) &

          4)work at volunteer check in desk (Tue)

In addition to these tangible tasks, knowing the importance of keeping centered on our work as a church, I have also volunteered to be a prayer partner, which means I will be randomly assigned to a commissioner and I will pray for that person each day during the Assembly. These combined with the other responsibilities I will have will keep me quite busy, but I am looking forward to it with great anticipation.

          I have attended enough GA’s over the years that I truly enjoy the atmosphere and the friendships that are celebrated in this gathering. I know that any of you who give some time for this big event will also enjoy it very much. I encourage you to sign up today, there are a wide variety of opportunities, my choices were greeting people, you can also sing, set up and tear down meetings, assist committees, usher, participate in worship, or PRAY. Remember just one volunteer shift entitles you to free access to all plenary sessions if you’re the type that wants to watch how the meetings unfold. Believe me it is well worth your time and I’m willing to bet after you’ve served one shift, you’ll offer to take a second or third shift as well. Almost everyone does. The clock is ticking, don’t wait too long and miss a great opportunity.

Chaz

 Chain of Lakes Pastor Paul Moore delivered an excellent sermon and a true feeling of celebration was felt by all in attendance. Of course Chain of Lakes Church could not have made it this far without the support and prayers of all our member churches and clergy of PTCA. You should all take pride in the birth of a new congregation within out midst. One of the phrases that Paul used in his sermon went something like this; “If we don’t give birth to new things, where are we headed? To extinction.” There are all kinds of reasons why starting new churches is a difficult task that causes worry in the hearts of some, all kinds of reasons to “postpone” new churches until a “better time.” But the fact is no perfect time exists, and to wait too long heads us down that road to extinction. Thanks to everyone in PTCA who has been involved with this new beginning, from those who gave substantial time and money to those who offered prayers.  Our new child has arrived and we can be very proud. Paul has great excitement for his ministry and it is off to a terrific start. May God continue to bless us all, but especially our newest member; Chain of Lakes Church.

Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

The Presbytery of South Alabama  set a goal of $10,000.00 and challenged other Presbyteries to match them. Our goal is to raise $25,000 thru March 13th, our next Presbytery meeting. So far the Presbytery office has received $5300 in gifts for Haiti. In addition the Mission and Witness Committee granted $2000 to the special Offering for Haiti.

All donations should be made out to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and sent directly to the Presbytery Office at 122 W. Franklin Ave. , Suite 508, Minneapolis, MN 55404 . Please indicate Haiti Offering in the memo line. If your congregation has already responded with a gift of some sort, possibly through another agency, please let us know in the Presbytery office so that we may report the extent of our gifts to one another. Please email the Presbytery office at communications@ptcaweb.org  and let us know other creative ways your congregation and members have reached out with loving support to our dear friends in this time of extreme need.

It was reported that the first night in complete darkness, the people of Port-Au-Prince raised their voices singing hymns to ward off their fears and help them through the night. We have much to learn from the strong faith of these sisters and brothers. And we each have much to give. Let us demonstrate Christ’s compassion through this opportunity to make an impact for good on a people who have been forced into long-suffering and grief.  

   The Staff of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and the Mission and Witness Committee (Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area)

The Presbytery of South Alabama has set a goal of $10,000.00 and challenged other Presbyteries to match them. Our goal is to raise $25,000 thru March 13^th, our next Presbytery meeting. So far the Presbytery office has received $5300 in gifts for Haiti. In addition the Mission and Witness Committee granted $2000 to the special Offering for Haiti.

All donations can be sent directly to the Presbytery Office at 122 W. Franklin Ave. , Suite 508, Minneapolis, MN 55404 and should indicate Haiti Offering in the memo line. If your congregation has already responded with a gift of some sort, possibly through another agency, please let us know in the Presbytery office so that we may report the extent of our gifts to one another. Please email the Presbytery office at communications@ptcaweb.org  and let us know other creative ways your congregation and members have reached out with loving support to our dear friends in this time of extreme need.

It was reported that the first night in complete darkness, the people of Port-Au-Prince raised their voices singing hymns to ward off their fears and help them through the night. We have much to learn from the strong faith of these sisters and brothers. And we each have much to give. Let us demonstrate Christ’s compassion through this opportunity to make an impact for good on a people who have been forced into long-suffering and grief.  

   The Staff of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and the Mission and Witness Committee (Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area)

            As in similar situations around the world, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is rushing to Haiti to provide humanitarian relief and offer hope to those struck by the tragedy. PDA has pledged $100,000.00 up front and will add donations that are made to this relief effort. PDA will work closely with Church World Service as both groups have established relationships in that nation. We have received several phone calls at the Presbytery office asking that question; what can I do? First and foremost as people of faith we can pray, everyone can offer the time to pray for the victims of this impoverished country. Secondly, we can make a cash donation to PDA earmarked for the account #DR000064. Thirdly, for those who wish to do some tangible type of gesture you can help to assemble Hygiene and/or baby kits; contents and instructions for these can be found on the Church World Service Website – churchworldservice.org . These suggestions can all be found in an email sent to your Church by Dennis Sanders our Communications specialist. I also want to remind you that while your heart may be in the right place, gifts other than cash or the prescribed kits will only cause problems with delivery and sorting. PDA officials have said it is too early to know what will follow concerning work trips and the like, as immediate aid is the focus for now.

            In the midst of tragedy we often ask what can I do? This is an instance in which there is an answer to that question. There is something we can all do. For further information and addresses you may call the Presbytery office or refer to the email sent to your church. God bless the people of Haiti, and all of God’s children.

Chaz

          Like many clergy I saved a week of vacation for the days between Christmas and New Year. Despite the weather I drove to spend some time with our children in Oklahoma. We filled some of the time by attending two movies, Avatar and Up In The Air. Each was entertaining in its own way, but like an old preacher I couldn’t help but notice an underlying theme or notion that caught my attention. While one film could be labeled pantheistic, and the other hedonistic, I found a redeeming feature in both: connections. Avatar stressed the need and the benefit of a divine connection. Obviously it didn’t talk of the God head as we know it, but the parallel was strong. The heroes of the story found their strength and the redemption in their god, a trait that the villains clearly lacked. Up In The Air was about a man who was focused on serving his own desires, but who discovered by the end of the picture the benefit of connecting to other people to give his life fulfillment. (By the way, before you go see it on my advice, know that it is not a “family” picture, it deals with strongly suggestive situations and the language is coarse to say the least.) It struck me as unusual that two such different movies should end up with such similar messages.

          Connections to one another and to God are of course the linchpin of the Church’s message. They are reflected in the first two of our six great ends; Proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind, and the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God.  In an age when the church is trying so hard to figure out how to market itself to a new generation, it is telling that pop culture seems to yearn for the long held priorities of the Church. Perhaps finding our relevance is not about finding the new needs of the world, but figuring out how to demonstrate that the church professes and provides the needs that culture is crying out to find.

          As I write this I have plans to attend two funerals this week, Harold Freeman and Sally Hill, both Honorably Retired members of our Presbytery. These two servants will now enjoy a closer connection to God than we earthbound types, but it brings to mind the point that is very important to me. The Presbytery is the Church of the clergy. While we say good bye to Harold and Sally I hope that we continue to nurture the relationships that will sustain us and our needs, the connection to God and to one another. I hope the new year brings us all good tidings, and that strong connections to God and one another is that the top of that list. Happy New Year!

Chaz