Yellowstone Currents –
September 24, 2007
Calendar and Events
Convocation Congratulations: On behalf of Yellowstone Presbytery, our sincere thanks to the planning team and to First, Bozeman for all of the hard work and gracious hosting that contributed to the well-attended success of this year’s convocation. Next year Glacier! Site to be determined.
Yellowstone Pray-ers meet Tuesday evening, 9/25, 7:00 PM for a prayer conference call on behalf of the presbytery, its pastors, leaders and churches. Prayer request? Want to participate? Let me know ().
The Transformation Consultant Teamis at work to help churches Discern/Discover God’s vision and call for them in this time and place on their journey. Lewistown, Manhattan, MilesCity and Springhill are participating. Interested in finding out more for your congregation? Questions? Contact any consultant or Kathy Goodrich at .
Mission Committee meets on Saturday, 9/29, at 10:00 AM at Billings, St. Andrew for its regularly scheduled meeting. Key agenda item: planning the resource time for the coming presbytery meeting. Jody McDevitt chairs this effort, .
MSU-B Gala, Wednesday, 10/3. This is MSU-B’s campus ministry’s premier fund-raising event for the year. Banquet dinner, auctions and a concert by the Jenny Fleming Trio… Please consider attending. The Presbytery is purchasing a table, so dinner is free. Call the office this week and let Susan know if you are interested. ; 406-586-7706.
A presbytery Worship Service of Commissioning will be held for Editha McKay and the Stanford and Geyser Congregations on Sunday, 10/7, at 6:00 PM at the Stanford Church. Everyone welcome. Congratulations Editha, !
You’ve worked hard for this!
Max Baucus,U. S. Senator from Montana is offering his 2007 Montana Faith Community Impact Summit in Kalispell on October 8 & 9 (note the date change). This is a fine networking opportunity for meeting people and organizations and churches who are “working together for Montana’s future. Jamie Jutila at 406-586-6104, or MT toll free: 1-800-332-6106.
The YP Nominating Committee will meet by conference call on Tuesday, 10/9 at 11:00 AM. Most of the positions are filled; a couple of key spots remain. Connie Townsend is doing a solid job chairing this committee, . And the committee asks your prayers for God’s leading.
Western National Leadership Conference (WNLT) convenes in Jackson, Wednesday, 10/10- Saturday AM, 10/13. We have 19 folks from YP going which is a high for recent years. For more information contactRebecca Kennedy in the office of the Synod of the Rocky Mountains, .
The YP Personnel Committee meets at the Presbytery office on Tuesday, 10/16, at 11:00 AM. Lois Maris, , and Fern Kaiser, co-chair.
Fall Presbytery Youth Retreat! October 18-20. This retreat will be held at Clydehurst Christian Ranch south of Big Timber. Please check the presbytery website and click for the brochure, Think for a minute…. Who in your congregation might you encourage to attend?
Montana Association of Churches (MAC) holds its annual assembly in Great Falls on Monday and Tuesday, 10/22 and 23. Dan Krebill, the presbytery Ecumenical Officer / Rep to Mac will represent us. For more information and questions, please talk with Dan, . We are also seeking a lay person to be a presbytery delegate to this event.
Committee on Ministry has scheduled its next meeting for Friday, 10/26, 10:00 AM at First Billings. Our thanks to the unsung servants of this committee who are giving of their time to help all of us better serve. Phil Maxwell, moderator: .
A Presbytery Service of Worship for the Ordination of Ryan Mandeville to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament will be held when the way be clear on Sunday, 10/28, at 4:30 PM at First, Bozeman. Ryan has been called by the congregation of the Presbyterian congregation in Skagway, AL. The Presbytery of Alaska is yet to meet to consider this call, but…. let’s save the date in expectation.
The Next Meeting of the Presbytery: November 2-3 in Lewistown. This is a Friday and Saturday meeting. Please note: this meeting was changed to this date some time ago. However, I keep running into folks for whom this is new news. Please check the date in your book. Thanks to Lewiston for hosting us.
The Administrative Commission, serving 1st Billings on behalf of the YP is launching now. Please pray for them and for the congregation as they work and listen and discern how to iron out the conflict in that congregation. Freeman Mc Call chairs the committee.
Youth Ski Retreats! Save these dates:
Sr. High ski weekend: January 18-20; Middle School ski weekend: Feb. 29-March 2. Please think of a couple of youth in your congregation or community that your church can help send.
People in the News:
Tiffany Dyce has come home to Hysham as of September 15! God bless this untied family.
Lanny and Karen Rounds celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary on September 17th. Congrats and God’s blessings!
Jed Cauffman turns 52 on Monday, 9/24! Keep it on the road, Jed.
Leon Rathbun’s knee (as in two knees) replacement surgery is scheduled for 10/1. Now we knew who’s the spiritual member of the presbytery! Must have worn them out praying for us. God be with you, Leon andNeva.
Please note the celebrations for Editha McKay and Ryan Mandeville in the events portion of this e-news Currents.
General Communication:
The YP Council, concerned for the decline in pledged mission support from our congregations for our combined mission, will be sending a letter / e-mail out soon detailing the importance and the need. Your church’s mission pledge provides funding for, our summer camp and youth ministry, the efforts of the Mission Committee, our campus ministries, the support and equipping of congregations and pastors through CoM, and the Vocations committee. As you draft your church budgets, please consider increasing your pledged support to the Mission of the Presbytery. If your church gives nothing due to shortage of funds, please consider a small pledge, even $50? $100? So that you can be a part of our connected and united mission.
143 Presbyteries, including YP, are participating in the General Assembly Mission initiative to bring a missionary to each of these presbyteries in the end of October through beginning of November. Julie Dunsmore will be our itinerating missionary and will speak at the presbytery meeting in Lewistown. For details about where else and when Julie will be available in your area, ask a member of the YP Mission Committee, Jody Mc Devitt, chair, .
The Camp Long Range Planning Task Force, chaired by Brent Long, , plans to visit other camping facilities in the region on Oct 5 and will be joining with Rockhaven to bring in a consultant, Joel Winchip, from PCCCA (Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association) on Oct 26-28. Thanks to this hardworking team.
With This Edition of the Currents we begin posting this e-news service on the presbytery website,
Book Notes: Paul Krebill, retired member of Yellowstone Presbytery, has written Words for Thinking and Thoughts for Meditation, published by Xlibris. It is 366 daily devotional readings for personal or group use. Christ centered and Bible based, these reading provide spiritual growth and relevant applications to contemporary day to day life. Signed copies are available from Paul for $18 or from Xlibris (Search -author-Krebill)
God’s church turning inside out!
From Cliff Kirkpatrick’s Sermon, 9/16/07
First Presbyterian Church, Bozeman, MT
A Presbyterian pastor was visiting in the African nation of Cameroun, with a missionary who was serving in partnership with the Presbyterian Church in Cameroun.
They traveled out to a village. The elders and people of this particular congregation had been reaching out to their surrounding area. The visiting pastor arrived as a congregation was holding a revival. Before the service at which he was to preach, the pastor was aware of a great deal of movement, people coming, people going. Throngs of people arrived and went into the church building. Then lots of people kept leaving the building.
He then entered the building with the missionary and some of the leaders of that congregation for worship. When it came time for the sermon, he stood up and preached, with a translator translating for the congregation. He sensed the power of God as he preached the Gospel. At the end, he invited those who wanted to know Christ, who wanted to receive Christ and be committed to him, to stand. Over 90% of the congregation stood. He thought perhaps there must be a mistake, perhaps on the part of the translator, so he repeated the invitation. The same thing happened again!
After the service he asked the elders about this huge response, saying that he had understood that in this congregation there were many who were deeply committed Christians. “Oh, yes,” they replied. “There are many Christians in our church.
Today when we saw all those coming to hear the Gospel, we all left to make room for those coming for the first time, in need.”
“God has a preferential option…a passion…for the lost, the least”
“God does not wait for those on the outside to come in,…God goes out, reaches out, shares…”
“God risks, goes out,,, searches ..to reach the 1ost…
We are to risk and reach new generations and cultures,... the least and the lost”
“We must focus on what is God’s good for the world God loves…
Believe in the core message of God’s Good News.”
“It’s God’s church, not our church….Church turned inside out!”
(Excerpted from the sermon on Luke 15:1-11, by the Rev. Cliff Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the PCUSA, Sun. Sept 16, 2007, 8:15 a.m. service, at First Presbyterian Church, Bozeman, MT.
To order a CD of the 10:45 service with sermon, please send a donation plus $2 shipping fee to: Evelyn Halpin, P.O. 1150, Bozeman, MT59771)