- LEARN: Newly ordained PLM member says ‘Faith formation concerns whole person
- SUMMARY: Synod highlights actions from one meeting, schedules others
- AVAILABLE: Synod Advent & Christmas series concludes this week
- NOTE: Presbytery offices closed for Christmas holiday
LEARN: Newly ordained PLM member says ‘Faith formation concerns whole person’
Posted December 16, 2020
By Erin Dunigan for the Presbyterian Foundation | Special to Presbyterian News Service
One member of the Presbytery of Lake Michigan became the first person to be ordained while serving as a ministry relations officer with the Presbyterian Foundation, giving him a unique chance to help churches to pay attention to the whole person and bring financial ideas into faith conversations.
“Faith formation concerns the whole person – our whole lives,” says the Rev. Kyle Nolan in a profile done by the Presbyterian Foundation, which gathers, stewards and distributes funds for mission. “If we are not willing to talk about everything, then we are not taking God seriously.”
Click here to find more thoughts from Nolan, who was examined during the presbytery’s September 19 Stated Meeting and ordained during a November 1 service at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids.
SUMMARY: Synod highlights actions from one meeting, schedules others
Several actions were taken during the Synod of the Covent’s last commission meeting on December 4. The actions included:
* Recognizing (61) individuals who received scholarships and (13) groups that received New Covenant and Racial Ethnic grants from the Synod. A full listing of recipients is available here.
* Agreeing that 2/3rd of an anticipated 2020 budget surplus caused by the Synod pausing its ministry programs as the General Assembly Administrative Commission began its work will be distributed as a gift among its 11 member presbyteries to support their missions and ministries.
* Affirming that all Synod commissioners must be either a ruling or teaching elder, and that the position of Young Adult Commissioners has been removed due to the lack of ruling elders and teaching elders who are between 18 and 25 years old. Synod leaders will seek other ways to learn from, engage and support young adults.
Click here for more details about the December 4 meeting.
Meanwhile, the next Synod commissioners meeting will be held virtually from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, January 7, and include an orientation for new commissioners. The commission also will meet from 6 to 8:3 p.m. on Thursday, March 11, and hold a retreat October 7-9.
AVAILABLE: Synod Advent & Christmas series concludes this week
Pastors, worship leaders, musicians and tech gurus of the various presbyteries within the Synod of the Covenant have been working to create and offer worship services as a gift to our congregations for each Sunday in Advent, Christmas Eve and the first Sunday of Christmas.
The service for Christmas Eve is led by the Rev. Matt Skolnik of Muskingum Valley Presbytery, and the service for the first Sunday after Christmas, December 27, is led by the Rev. Dan Saperstein of the Presbytery of Lake Huron.
Links to the sermons, scriptures and complete service files for both services is posted on the Synod’s website each week. Click here to access those files.
NOTE: Presbytery offices closed for Christmas holiday
The Presbytery of Lake Michigan offices will remain closed through Monday, January 4, 2021 for the Christmas holiday.
Staff will check voice mails and emails periodically during this period and respond as appropriate. If there is an emergency, please contact either the Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence, Transitional Co-Leader and Stated Clerk, or the Rev. Cal Bremer, Transitional Co-Leader.
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