The regular meeting of Winnebago Presbytery was held on Tuesday May 12 at First Presbyterian Church in Manitowoc.

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.

It’s not to early to plan!  Rhashell Hunger, Director of Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/PW writes,

“March 8, 2009 is Celebrate the gifts of Women Sunday and International Women’s Day.  By action of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly (Orlando, 1993), Celebrate the Gifts of Women appears in the planning calendar each year.  Congregations and individuals are encouraged to celebrate this day each year, recognizing the gifts women bring to God, the Church and community.”

More resources for this event can be found here

By Dave Root – First Presbyterian Church, Marshfield

The first two weeks in November, my Son in Law, Kevin Mitchell, and I made another disaster relief trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to assist Katrina victims. As a point of comparison, this was my 7 th trip to the area, the first being three weeks after the storm hit. You can see a difference now as people are trying to put their lives and living conditions back in order.

From my viewpoint, the biggest difference is being made by the faith-based volunteers that continue to provide assistance. Not least among these efforts is the Presbyterian Church( USA) which has committed to years of continuing the rebuilding process. Presbyterian Churches along the coast continue to host and house volunteers that come from everywhere. These congregations demonstrate the patience that God calls us to, in putting up with itinerants that use their facilities, sometimes not always in the way desired.Presbyterians can be very proud of the “Christ-like” atmosphere that is apparent in the region.

Kevin and I joined with a team from the Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church located in Columbia , Maryland . We numbered about 10 in all and with various skills ranging from professional builders to rank armatures. Some of the team had medical backgrounds and volunteered at the free clinic that is established in the area. The Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gulfport was our host.

The effort has changed from repairing existing homes to building new homes. We worked on two homes that were very near completion. One of these was completed to the point that we participated in a “key ceremony ” on our last Friday. This was gratifying as with other trips we didn’t get to witness a completion. The lady occupying the new home was brought to tears as she thanked us and described the hopeless situation she faced after the storm.

The Presbyterian motto for the relief effort is “out of chaos, hope”. It is comforting to know that in Christ’s name we can provide this hope. The work is far from being complete and we must continue to concentrate on being the hope for these unfortunate victims.

The Vacation Bible School folks in the Forest Larger Parish knew their dream was an ambitious one. They would need more than 40 adult volunteers for this year’s program to be successful! They were richly rewarded!

The week long program in late July concluded with nearly 100 adults and children crowding the market place set up in the Lakewood Presbyterian Church parking lot.

Several of the Jerusalem women pose for a picture.

One never knows who might be spotted walking through the market.