CCPM COMMITTEE NEWS
CCPM Meets Saturday May 12
Details were mailed to committee members on May 7
Meeting documents now available for Committee members
(password-protected)
download packet
Additional item (May 11)
CCPM Page
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN
Spring Gathering
"Women at the Well"
May 19 in Hacienda Heights
Registraiton Deadline May 9
download flyer
PRESBYTERIAN MEN
Spring Gathering/Breakfast
May 12 in Los Alamitos
Guest Speaker: Rev. Dave Dolan
Download Flyer
PC(USA) / GAMC E-LETTERS
Frequently updated; read your favorites HERE.
May 2012 issues now available.
PC(USA) CONFERENCES
(link)
At the link:PCUSA's 2012 Calendar
OTHER CONFERENCES
McCormick Leadership Conference
(May 15 registration deadline)
(link)
CMEP 2012
Advocacy Conference
June 18-19
Washington D.C.
LINK
OTHER VOICES
Selected by Synod Executive Doska Ross
GA 219 Moderator
Cynthia Bolbach
facebook page
"Always Being Reformed"
Please be in prayer for Moderator Bolbach as she faces a health issue.
GA 219 Vice-Moderator
Landon Whitsitt
website • facebook • blog
GA Stated Clerk
Gradye Parsons
blog
GMAC Director
Linda Valentine
blog
Rev. Tod Bolsinger
blog
Moderator of the Middle Governing Body Administrative Commission
Rev. Bruce Reyes Chow
blog
Past Moderator of the General Assembly (218)
IN THE NEWS
Cindy Bolbach, the Moderator of the 219th General Assembly, has been ill. Well wishes can be sent to her Facebook page. Updates are posted there as well.
The Rev. Candie Blankman (First Presbyterian, Downey) is the author of a new book, Forged By War: A Daughter Shaped by a WWII POW Story.
LINK
New Hope NCD (Los Ranchos) is a 2012 Walton Award Winner
Press Release
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach has a growing community outreach: "Come and See . . ."
MORE RESOURCES
In this issue of the Presbyterian Historical Society Newsletter learn how PHS exhibits are coming to congregations through web and traveling displays.
Eight Leaders Urge Congregations to Rethink Leaving the PC(USA)
The letter, signed by eight Presbyterians, including Ruling Elder Cynthia Bolbach and Teaching Elder Landon Whitsitt, the moderator and vice-moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) among others, is available through Presbyterian News Service. A video link is included with the letter.
Abuse Prevention
The Insurance Board (this firm handles insurance needs for many of our churches) is offering a new resource. Please mouse over the link for a full explanation.
Safe Conduct Workbench
DOSKA'S CORNER
Some Thoughts
People of Hope
by Synod Executive/Stated Clerk
Doska Ross
You may scroll (finger-scroll on mobile devices) through this article or you may find the article on a separate page here.
March 3, 2012
We are in a time of tumultuous change! This is not news to you, as you are seeing this in your local congregations and presbyteries, as well as in our larger culture in this country and the world. Our faith in God and God’s ability to use even chaos for the good influences how we respond in times like these. We are people of hope!
You have probably heard that there is a proposal coming to the General Assembly this summer that would change synods from governing councils into whatever the presbyteries might need and want them to become next. This could be quite intimidating, but I prefer to see it as a marvelous opportunity for us to discern together how our relationships can best serve the mission and ministry needs of our congregations. We’ll be having a multitude of conversations across the synod in the months to come as we work toward what we hope God is calling us to be and to do.
In the meantime, our more mundane work goes on. In January I attended the Fellowship of Presbyterians meeting in Orlando in order to get an idea of how that group will be interacting with some of our pastors and churches. I also attended the forum of synod executives in January and then met again in February with five of them for training as we six are all just beginning to learn how to do this work. We studied a wonderful book called The Practice of Adaptive Leadership by Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky; I highly recommend it to you as a leader in the church. My next trip will be to a conference on The Spiritual and Practical Aspects of Negotiation of Church Conflict. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it! You’ll no doubt hear more about it from me down the road.
Our judicial work is continuing as well. The newly elected Synod PJC is dealing with complaints against three of our presbyteries; the process is at a different stage in each situation. This work, added to the ongoing Hanmi Administrative Commission’s work, takes up about half my time. I believe that progress is being made in these areas, although it seems somewhat fragile at this point.
In the midst of chaos and confusion, we are still called by God and Jesus Christ to be people of hope. May it be so!
The Racial Ethnic Pastoral Leadership Program (REPL) offers scholarships to racial ethnic Presbyterians who are currently preparing for positions in parish ministry or as certified Christian educators.