The February Meeting of Winnebago Presbytery was held at Frame Memorial Church in Stevens Point. The day opened with a joyous worship service filled with music! The Frame choir sang, there were many congregational hymns and outgoing Moderator, Elder Barbara Jordanger preached on faith and music.

The morning continued with reports from Finance, Personnel, Committee on Preparation for Ministry and the Resource and Program Coordinating Team.

FINANCE

In 2007, the Presbytery ended the year with a $13,364 deficit. However, the projected deficit for 2007 was $42,049 so all in all, a positive outcome. Per Capita was paid at 100% (THANK YOU) and mission pledges came in at $214,485 - a full $4000 more than budgeted (THANK YOU AGAIN).

As planning begins for 2009 it is likely that there will be a $1 increase in Presbytery per capita and a request for a 3% increase in mission giving.

RESOURCE AND PROGRAM

The Global Partnership Task Group announced a trip to our partner Presbytery in Colombia in late summer (August) or later in the fall to jointly explore and study environmental and human rights issues. The cost is estimated at $300/person with participating churches adding $200. Global Partnership will subsidize the rest. People interested in going should contact the Presbytery office no later than April 1, 2008.

The Mission Grants Task Group helped us kick off a year of Mission. Mission 2008 is the theme for Presbytery meetings this year and each meeting will highlight the many areas of mission we support. A CD with a brief presentation on the 2008 Local Mission Grants was shown and distributed to every church. The presentation can be seen here. (It is large and takes a few minutes to download.)

Elder Rosangela Berbert (First Presbyterian - Oshkosh), Coordinator of Project Open Door, a counseling service to under-insured youth, gave a presentation on behalf of the Samaritan Center. Winnebago Presbytery has financially supported both the Samaritan Center and more recently, Project Open Door.

The meeting broke for a wonderful lunch of lasagna, warm bread, tasty salads and fabulous desserts. A big thanks to the many hands that went into providing, preparing (and cleaning up) lunch!

Elder Anne Dropp gave a Synod School preview. Winnebago Presbytery will be offering scholarships to between 25 and 30 individuals to attend Synod School beginning July 27th at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake Iowa. A presentation about Synod School can be found here. Brochures for publicity can be found here. Registration and class catalogs will be available soon.

COUNCIL

Barbara Jordanger recognized The Rev. Chuck Valenti-Hein with a word of thanks and a small gift on behalf of the Council for his twelve consecutive years of service!

COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY 

The Committee on Ministry report included a welcome to The Rev. Bob Goebel who will begin his new pastorate at Athelstane and Wausaukee on March 1.

The day ended with the installation of new officers. For 2008, the Rev. Tom Willadsen is the Moderator and Commissioned Lay Pastor, Dennis Mannering is the Vice Moderator.

Picture from the day can be found here.

Winnebago Presbytery met on November 10, 2007 at First United Presbyterian Church in DePere.

The 2008 Presbytery operating budget was adopted. Per Capita was set at $26.00per member based on membership reported as of December 31, 2006.   For those who want to learn more about the history of per capita, click here. 

As congregations establish their Unified Mission budget, please consider the recommended percentagesof 26% for General Assembly, 21% for Synod, and 53% for Presbytery.  Winnebago Presbytery operates with a unified budget, which means that per capita and mission giving are combined income for the operating budget.  Per capita statements and mission pledge forms will be mailed to congregations in early December.

Other actions included election of Presbytery officers, Synod and General Assembly Commissioners. The Associate Executive Presbyter position was approved as a permanent position and the Rev. Randy Argall was received into membership. He has been called as pastor to Green Bay First Presbyterian Church beginning January 1, 2008.

As you may know, Winnebago Presbytery is engaged in a long term partnership with the Presbytery of Uraba in Colombia. Recently the Rev. Diego Higuita was able to visit and spend some time in and around the presbytery.

He met with the Global Partnership Task Group and attended the Presbytery Meeting on September 11, 2007.

Here he is seen with the Rev. Susan Phillips. Members of the Shawano community have been collecting fire fighting equipment to send to Colombia where Diego and others have been trained to fight fires but lack safety equipment.

Judi Holmes-Jensen proudly smiles as she introduces her family and those accompanying her to the Presbytery Meeting where she was approved for ordination to the ministry of Word and Sacrament.
Judi is a graduate of St. Francis Seminary of Milwaukee and has accepted a position as chaplain at Wheaton Francisican Healthcare in Milwaukee. Judi’s ordination will occur on Sunday, June 10, at 4:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Green Bay.

Pieces of cake were enjoyed by all the presbyters as the Personnel Committee acknowledged and celebrated the ministry of Lucy Rupe, Executive Presbyter of Winnebago Presbytery for the past 10 years.
A gift of a handmade necklace was presented to Lucy by Anne Dropp, chair of the Personnel Committee. In her comments, Lucy highlighted many events during the past 10 years, but particularly emphasized the Presbytery’s commitment to reach out to others both locally and globally.

During the recent Presbytery-wide, “Spring Thing”, a worship service was designed by the youth participants . Susan Phillips, pastor of First Presbyterian Church Shawano, incorporated many of these components for worship at the Presbytery meeting. Pictured here are Judy Bond, Director of Music at Frame Memorial, Stevens Point; Susan Phillips; and Susan Zencka, pastor of Frame Memorial. They are leading the presbyters in an African song that highlights our journey of faith.

Presbytery approved the request of the First Presbyterian Church, Winneconne, to grant the status of Pastor Emeritus to the Rev. Nelson Craig.

Elder Cheryl Lepak, Omro, was approved as Commissioned Lay Pastor at the Omro First Presbyterian Church. She is currently assisting the Rev. Ed Slusser and will continue during Ed’s sabbatical next year.

Presbytery certified Elder Jean Hamersky, DePere First United, as a Commissioned Lay Pastor.

Elder Lina Wittman, Athelstane, was received into the Lay Pastor Program.

New Presbytery Officers were installed and will be serving for the coming year.

Moderator – Elder Barbara Jordanger, Frame Memorial Presbyterian, Stevens Point
Vice Moderator – The Rev. Tom Beck, First Presbyterian, Oconto

And finally, Winnebago Presbytery is now podcasting. Executive Presbyter Lucy Rupe and Associate Executive Presbyter Sarah Moore-Nokes had a little fun exploring what podcasting is all about. staff-report.mp3