“Celebrating the Patchwork of Life” is what we did at the recent Gathering of Presbyterian Women in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. Anderson Auditorium, the location of the plenary sessions, was beautifully decorated with quilts from every Presbytery including the beautiful quilted banner from Winnebago Presbytery.

Our Bible Study leader was Sylvia Washer, the retired Executive Presbyter of Mission Presbytery in Texas. Her presentations were very thought provoking. We heard about happenings at Forbearance Church from Charlotte Johnston. Mary Tatem helped us look at our lives from God’s perspective. Danelle Crawford McKinney got us all moving and Louise Davidson brought us information from the CCT.

The workshops were as varied as the women attending the Gathering - - my personal selections included receiving information on our new mission program in PW - - “Mission Matters.” I also attended a workshop entitled “Quilts and the Underground Railroad.”

We were all asked to bring a yard of fleece for an on-site mission project. 111 Lap and Nap robes were finished during the Gathering and dedicated at Saturday morning’s plenary. The incoming officers of the Synod Coordinating Team were installed namely:Elizabeth Swee, Moderator; Linda “Kitch” Shatzer, Secretary; Joan Berglund, Historian; Virginia Dietz, Moderator of Search Committee; and Ann Rock, Search Committee.

The offering recipients were Denise England, a new mission worker to Egypt; Presbyterian Disaster Relief - Katrina; and Bicycles for workers in the Republic of the Congo. The total offering received was $4,490.00.

There was also areas for shopping: Soul Desires Bookstore - Hands Around the World Gift Shop and The Connecting Thread which offered resources for PW, Celebration Giving and many important tools for keeping us connected to the church worldwide.

Three women from Winnebago Presbytery attended the Gathering, Gert Walsh, Nancy Siewert, and Jan Nelson. Want to hear more? Ask us!

Submitted by,

Jan Nelson