MAY NEWSLETTER COLUMN

Dear Friends,
     The church is powered by volunteers. We need lots of volunteer hours to accomplish our mission. I offer some thoughts about finding volunteers and caring for them. I have put down a few ideas for this month and next.
     Whether you’re looking for session members, Sunday school teachers, or committee people, many principles are the same.
     Look at your entire pool of members and regular attendees. You might want to pray over each name in the church directory. I believe God has a person in mind for each need. Our task is to identify that person. Consider what you know about each individual, and prayerfully consider your needs and who might be a good fit. Don’t be too dismissive—that could lead you to overlook the right person. You are offering the opportunity for a blessing. People have a God-given need to serve. If a person is a good fit for the work, the result can be life-changing for them.  (Bonus—the work gets done!) Overcome your reluctance to “impose” on people. Service is a blessing. It’s okay and even a good idea to branch out from the usual pool. You can give small tasks to new volunteers if you don’t know them well, and then increase their responsibility as time goes by. Don’t put an all-call announcement in the bulletin. People who read that don’t believe they’ve been asked, and also, if someone not at all suited for the work steps up, you have to choose between settling for the wrong person or telling them they’re wrong for the job. (See #1 above.) Sometimes people have a valid reason not to serve. Give them a year and try again. Consider the character of the person you’re calling. A person who has been unreliable will probably remain unreliable. Hoping a person develops new habits of responsibility can leave work undone.    
     Please stay tuned next month for more thoughts, including a reminder of the requirement of every congregation to be vigilant about child safety practices. I look forward to chatting with you about volunteers where you serve. 

Malinda Spencer
Pastoral presbyter
John Calvin Presbytery
417-437-6748
Mspencer@jcpresbytery.com

APRIL NEWSLETTER COLUMN
The Presbyterian Church USA released a new confirmation curriculum last summer.  Big God Big Questions is based on the four baptism and membership questions. It is designed to equip the church's youth to wrestle with questions, a skill they can carry into adulthood. The idea for the curriculum came about when one of the writers had been teaching confirmation.  She was meeting for the final time with her confirmation group, and it occurred to her that she should mention that they would be asked questions at worship the next day.  That realization provided the foundation for the new curriculum.  About the same time, Princeton Seminary launched a study of confirmation practices in the mainline church.  Data from that study also provided guidance about participant age, length of study, components, and other factors.  
 
The curriculum is versatile, designed to help you meet the needs of your group.  The target age for the curriculum is 14, knowing that some youth will be slightly older or younger.  Big God Big Questions can be done in 12 90-minute sessions or 24 45-minute sessions.  Additionally, there are short lessons to help fill in gaps the youth may have--Bible 101, Presbyterian Polity 101, Church History 101, and more.  Scripture plays a key role throughout. There is great effort to provide connection opportunities with parents/caregivers, mentors and others from the congregation, and the larger Presbyterian family.  
 
Components of the curriculum include a leader's guide, 12 videos, a parent/mentor guide, infographics (posters), and a student journal.  See more about the curriculum and order a free sample booklet here 
https://www.pcusastore.com/Pages/Item/10494/Big-God-Big-Questions-Confirmation-Curriculum.aspx
 
Malinda Spencer, pastoral presbyter of John Calvin Presbytery, is available to consult with your session or Christian education committee on confirmation or other CE topics. 

MARCH NEWSLETTER COLUMN
2019 is the year for Presbyterian Youth Triennium, a gathering of over 5000 high school youth and their leaders, from all over the world, at Purdue University. Triennium is July 16-20. The John Calvin Presbytery delegation will begin with an overnight at Hillcrest Presbyterian Church in Springfield the night before. The presbytery is working on transportation, and that information will be shared as soon as possible. We also hope to provide funds to help defray a portion of each participant’s registration costs. Our Triennium registrar is Scarlet Cormack, ruling elder from Hillcrest, and she is available to come talk to your church. 
 
For most of our youth, Triennium is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  (A few youth are able to go before their freshman year and after their senior year.)  Attending Triennium can be a transformative experience, especially for youth, but also for adult leaders. 
 
The following link gives you a few fast facts: https://presbyterianyouthtriennium.org/event-essentials/
 
Triennium is a ministry of the national church, and our presbytery efforts are guided by the Mission and Nurture committee of John Calvin Presbytery. 
 
In order to help us get everything together for our delegation, we need your help. We need an estimate of how many people your church might be sending so that we can compute the size of our delegation, provide individuals with a financial commitment and arrange transportation. If your church hasn’t sent the presbytery an estimate of your Triennium participants, please send it now to the Triennium registrar, Scarlet Cormack at shartman7872@gmail.com, by February 25.
 
Malinda Spencer
Pastoral presbyter
John Calvin Presbytery
 
417-437-6748
Mspencer@jcpresbytery.com

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER COLUMN
Christian education is a wonderful pathway to church vitality.  It's a way to deliver care to members.  It's not dependent on having a staff person to do it.  Every church can have good Christian education.  It's fulfilling and fun.

A good place to start is adult education. I have worked with congregations for several years, and I have advised all of them, no matter their situation, to start a new adult class.  This is a good way to reach new people.  I think it's best to have one leader responsible for a series, but it doesn't have to be a forever responsibility.  You probably have leaders whose talents are undiscovered and undeveloped.  Helping leaders hear the call of God is a worthwhile ministry that pays dividends for years.
 
For your new class, consider a new time or day of the week, a church season like Lent or Advent, a different style of curriculum, meeting offsite, or having digital meetings using videoconferencing platforms.  Consider interest groups like parenting, financial discipleship, grief support, or faith and art.  Some churches are using an intergenerational model that is working for them.
 
I'm always partial to denominational curriculum, at www.pcusastore.com/Curriculum.aspx  with Reformed theology and keeping the money "in the family."  
 
The PCUSA has many choices.  There are other good publishers; however, not all publishers are compatible with our theology.  I would enjoy thinking with you about curriculum.

I would like to hear what's working where you are, and the growth edges you've identified.  
 
Stay tuned for more thoughts!
 
Malinda Spencer
JCP

DECEMBER - JANUARY NEWSLETTER COLUMN
​
Malinda Spencer graduated from McDonald County High School and attended Missouri State University, where she received a bachelor's degree in music education. After college, she attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, for two years. Employment in the Southern Baptist church looked doubtful, so she returned to Missouri to teach in Otterville, Missouri.

Unbeknownst to Malinda, Charles Spencer was attending Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, just across the road from her seminary, and they met when Charlie accepted the call to the Otterville, Knob Noster, and Tipton Presbyterian churches. They have two sons, Bruce, 22, living in Lee's Summit, and Evan, 17, a student at Joplin High School.
 
Malinda taught ten years--five at Otterville and nearly five at Immaculate Conception school in Union, Missouri. She has also taught several thousand piano lessons.
 
Malinda's service to the church dates from her teen years, as a Christian education and music volunteer.  When Bruce was small, she took a part-time CE job at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Louisville, where she was responsible for children and adult Christian education.  Since then, she has served the PCUSA at the congregational, presbytery, and national church levels, all with a focus on Christian education and church vitality.
 
Malinda is looking forward to knowing the churches and minister members of John Calvin Presbytery, and to serving Christ alongside you.

 

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER COLUMN

Dear JCP Friends,
     Everyday our mail has requests for money to help with many deserving causes.  As I look at this week’s mail, there are requests from St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Wounded Warrior Project, Toys for Tots, the Purple Heart Foundation and last but certainly not least, Ozark Food Harvest.  Clearly there is not enough money to support them all, but I choose one a month that I can send a contribution to, helping both the organizations and me knowing I have made a difference.
     Last week I attended a JCP Administrative Ministries Committee meeting.  I am honored to be asked to serve on this committee.  I learned a lot about our Presbytery and what it has done to make a caring difference in Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri.  Here are some of my take-aways:
     JCP is very generous.  We have awarded over $6,400.00 to various ministries that have funded English as a Second Language, extending a helping hand to newcomers to our country, Hunger Programs that provide nutritious meals to families in need, and a Community Garden that provides fresh produce for community shelters.
     We have accomplished even more.  Our Creative Ministry Grants have awarded over $47,000.00 to fund after school tutoring for at risk children, a computer lab for community use, Celebrate Recovery and Children’s outreach programs.
     But we still have had even more impact with our Small Church Resource Grants.  The $27,000.00 we awarded have helped churches buy sound systems, provide emergency water line replacement, repair an organ to enhance worship and fund stained glass restoration.
     We can, as members of JCP, be proud of what has been accomplished and what we will continue to accomplish – making a loving difference in the churches and communities we serve.  We do serve our God with energy intelligence imagination and love as we work together to bring light and hope in our own Ozark home.
     I have also learned that we have done all of this with a deficit budget that is $60,000.00 short of what we actually spend.  We have relied on the savings to make up the difference.
      We need to change course for our future ministry together and we need your financial assistance to stop depleting a finite resource.
     We need your help, so we can operate in 2019 without tapping into our reserves.  We are asking JCP pastors and each church to make a special offering of $100.00 to reach the goal of a balanced budget to begin 2019.  We are asking you to choose our Presbytery when you make your charitable contribution choices.  JCP has nearly 3,000 members, if 600 people could contribute $100.00 to our ministry we could meet this challenge.  We will begin accepting these donations at the November 3rd stated meeting of presbytery.
     We are requesting each elder, deacon and church member to prayerfully consider making a pledge to our Presbytery in 2019.
     Pastors and church leaders, please bring this letter to your sessions and please read it during announcement time during worship and place this in your church newsletters.
     Margaret Mead, the famous American anthropologist said, “never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world.  In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”
     Likewise, we have had a major impact on this part of our world that God has entrusted to our care.  Thank you for all you do.

In Christ’s Service,
The Reverend Christine Iannucilli
 First Presbyterian Church – Golden City, Missouri
First Presbyterian Church – Lockwood, Missouri

SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER COLUMN

This past week all clerks of session should have received an email from the Office of the General Assembly asking for completion of the Clerk’s Annual Questionnaire. This survey is designed to help GA provide resources and support for the connectional ministry of congregations. It does not take very much time to complete and many questions may not pertain to your congregation. I encourage you to take the time to respond. If you need help with it, please feel free to email or call me. This is not the same thing as the annual Statistical Report, which will open in late December. You will receive an email from me in December explaining that report and how to complete it. If you know of clerks who do not have email or do not feel comfortable working online, please let me know. I can send a paper copy of the survey to be completed and mailed back to General Assembly office.
​
Thank you for the work you do to support the church.
Melana

AUGUST NEWSLETTER COLUMN

PRESBYTERY WOMEN CHURCH-WIDE GATHERING
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
AUGUST 1 – 5, 2018
 
     In front of an absolutely beautiful hand-cut paper backdrop, the Churchwide PW Gathering began.  The attendance was approximately 1600.  It is such a “shot in the arm” to attend and learn what the PW are doing all over the world.  There were many countries represented at this Gathering.  We got to hear from most of them.  There were clever skits by our “players” from Kansas.  And. There. Were. Prayers.  There was an offering for Mission Projects in the Louisville area.  There was a March for Peace & Justice, challenging Louisville to stop redlining and to offer equity to all parts of the city.   Its send-off was by the PCUSA Co-Moderator and Stated Clerk, who were with us most of the week.  There were the $10 gift cards, which were given to 3 mission projects.  I believe $12,000 was collected.    And. There. Was. Music.  One of our group sang in the choir.
     Eight members of the John Calvin Presbytery PW attended, and shared rooms in Galt House.  There were Synod meetings on Saturday, and Synod of Mid-America had approximately 70 in attendance.  Pictures are on Facebook.  We had lunch and installed our new officers.  Rev. Glenda Watts of Heartland Presbytery PW is now our Moderator.  Thanks to out-going Moderator, Rhoda Frasier for a beautiful job.
     We had one free meal time in the evening and 5 of us took advantage of that and had dinner at a Steakhouse connected to a walkway to the hotel.  So – as a consequence, I never left Galt House the entire week.
     The Exhibit Hall was very similar to the Exhibit Hall at GA in June.  Many of the same vendors, but more geared to our gender.  One of us bid and won a vacation in the Silent Auction.  There was a Horizon Booth to make renewal easier – or 1st time subscribers.  There was a book club and 4 books assigned early-on to have read prior to coming to Louisville.  One of us participated in that endeavor and enjoyed much.  There was Tai Chi and one of us did that each morning.  There were volunteer opportunities everywhere, and some of us assisted in that.
     And. There. Were. Workshops.  All day Friday and Saturday.  Time allowed for 4 of them each day.  Marvelous workshops.  This year’s Bible Study, “God’s Promise – I Am With You”, author was a speaker during plenary and also conducted a workshop.  Next Year’s Bible Study regarding a new look at the Ten Commandments, did likewise.  So much to see, do, learn, and enjoy.  I attended one entitled “How to Get Unstuck”.  It was fun and informative.  One of us went on the Mission Tours on Thursday and was very impressed with all that was being done.  Wednesday evening and all day Thursday, two of us were attending the business meeting.  Friday and Saturday there were 3 plenary sessions.  The final one being on Sunday morning, with worship and communion.. and the choir singing “The Prayer”.  Just thrilling.
     Our new PCUSA PW Moderator and officers were installed on Sunday morning.  Should be a fantastic 3 years for them and for us.  We have also been recognized by the U.N. and seated as our own corporation.  Big pats on the back for that.
     An exciting week.  Thank you John Calvin Presbytery PW for financing my trip.  And thank you so much to the 7 ladies who were with me.  Love to you all.
                                                                       Blessings.
                                                                       Lorraine Whittington
                                                                       JCP PW Moderator
                                                                       2016 – 2019

July Newsletter Column

Hello Friends…..
      At my, Dennis Winzenried's, suggestion leadership of presbytery committees will be sharing with you the work of the different committees. 
      The Administrative Ministries Committee really has three primary functions: overseeing the income and expenses of presbytery, serving as the personnel committee and overseeing the selling of property related to presbytery. 
      As the committee that oversees the income and expenses, I want to thank all the churches that are paying their per capita and shared mission. Each is important to the ongoing work of presbytery. Each part and each gift greatly helps us, the presbytery, serve the local churches and relate to Synod and General Assembly. If you have questions about presbytery's budget, feel free to contact the chair of this committee or the treasurer. I'll be serving in this role, chair of the committee until the end of August. Presbytery will be electing a new moderator of this committee at our August presbytery meeting. 
      As the personnel committee of presbytery, we strive to do an annual review of staff and share it with them. We also serve as the committee that recommends increases in their pay to presbytery. We're fortunate to have The Rev. Melana Scruggs, serving as governance Presbyter/Stated Clerk and Gail Wilson serving as Recording Clerk. Both are doing an excellent job, especially during this period of time when we do not have someone serving as Pastoral Presbyter. My hope is that we don't add to their already heavy job responsibilities but we, the presbyters of presbytery find ways to assist them. 
      Lastly as the committee that oversees the selling of any property related to the presbytery, we played an instrumental role in the selling of the land related to our office area and the investing of those funds to help local churches and presbytery. When a church closes, we are also the committee that oversees the selling of the property. We'd also be the committee that assists churches as they sell or buy land or take out a loan to further the ministry of the church. 
      I hope this helps explain the work of the Administrative Ministries Committee. Look forward to other articles from other leadership of presbytery. 
      May God watch over John Calvin Presbytery, the search committee for our next Pastoral Presbytery and all churches related to one another through John Calvin Presbytery. 
                                                       
​                                                    — Dennis Winzenried, Moderator, Administrative Ministries Committee

June Newsletter Column

This is my final column as your Pastoral Presbyter. My time with John Calvin Presbytery has been an adventure with many twists and turns, always ending up in places that were not planned. Yet, in the midst of all the detours, God has used this Presbytery in ways that I would have never anticipated. God is good. All the time. That is why I am looking forward with anticipation to the future. I am not referring to my retirement future, but the future of JCP. I anticipate that God has amazing plans for our Presbytery. This was evident at the May Presbytery meeting when we gave out a Church Transformation Grant to First Presbyterian at Ft. Scott. It was evident as we gave out five Peace & Global Witness grants - one to Crocker for help with their food pantry, one to Rolla for community gardens, one to Hillcrest for security training, one to Westminster for Parents Day Out scholarships,  and one to Woodland Heights for Austin’s Kitchen, a monthly free dinner. It was also evident in the reports of the committees as they talked about the future of JCP. God continues to surprise us and use churches in ways we only dreamed about before. I have enjoyed serving in this call for more than six years. The excitement, challenges, opportunities and love have reminded me of God’s constant work in our daily and corporate lives. I want to thank you for your prayers, your support and your words of encouragement. Without them, this call would not have been as rewarding. As we move into our next call as foster parents, I would ask that you keep us in your prayers and know that JCP will be in ours. 

May you continue to seek God’s will in all your endeavors and serve our Lord with joy.

Pastor Susan

May Newsletter Column

    Wow! How did it get to be May already? It seems like just yesterday it was Christmas. May is always a very busy month in churches and in peoples lives. There is Mother’s Day, graduations, new jobs, moving to new homes - the list could go on and on. In the midst of all those events, John Calvin Presbytery has a Presbytery Meeting on Thursday, May 17th at Stockton Presbyterian Church in Stockton, MO. At that meeting, we will be giving out Peace and Global Witness Grants and a Transformation Grant. We will also be welcoming a new pastor into our midst, Micki Pulleyking, to serve as a part-time interim at Westminster in Springfield.
    I also want to remind churches that Creative Ministry Grants are due on June 15th and will be awarded at the August 6th meeting. Information and the application for that grant can be found at http://www.jcpresbytery.com/creative-ministry-grants.html. I look forward to hearing from many churches as they seek to do new and different ministries in their communities. 

Pastor Susan

April Newsletter Column

April is a fantastic time of the year and it is appropriate that this year April began with Easter. When Easter is on the first, it is a reminder that Jesus rose on the first day of the week, that Jesus was the first and only person who lived a sinless life, and that he said of himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” in Revelation 22:13. As we celebrate the resurrected Jesus, it is appropriate to ask ourselves these questions, “Is Jesus first in my life?” and “How can I help others make Jesus first in their lives?”These are questions many Christians ponder in the days following Easter. When we see how much Jesus did for us, how he suffered and died for us, how he rose from the dead for us, it is only natural to think about his place in our own lives. How have we reached out like Jesus and shared his love with others? One way to reach out is to encourage our children to go to camp. Church camp can be a life changing experience for many children in their faith journey  and John Calvin Presbytery is willing to help you make church camp a reality for the kids in your church. We offer camp scholarships, in the amount of 1/3 the camp cost, for kids who go from JCP. We have already received seven applications from the Scammon, KS church and would be happy to consider more. The applications are located on the website at:
 http://www.jcpresbytery.com/uploads/8/9/4/3/8943859/2018_camp_scholarship_application.pdf
Hope to hear from many of you soon.

Pastor Susan

March Newsletter Column

The season of Lent is upon us. Many churches have special studies and events going on at this time of year. It is also a time when I like to remind churches of the grants which are available through John Calvin Presbytery. We have the Small Church Resource Grant, which is used to help with small needs in a church such as a sound system upgrade or crash bars for doors. We have the Peace & Global Witness Grant, which is for peace & global witness in the community. We have the Creative Ministry Grant, which is for a new ministry of one or more congregations. And we have the Transformation/New Worshipping Community Grant which helps fund a radical transformation or a New Worshipping Community. The applications for all these grants can be found on our website under the Home/Grants tab. If you have questions or would like help filling out the applications, just give me a call at 620-674-1844. 

Blessings to you all.

Pastor Susan

February Newsletter Column

    February is one of those months when we often plan to catch up on all those things we put off for the holidays. This year, however, Ash Wednesday is on the 14th of the month so we are beginning the disciplines of Lent a bit earlier. Lent gives us an opportunity to look at our lives through a different lens. It can be a time when we take on a new discipline for ourselves as we seek to be closer to God. This year I will post a Lenten Study on our website which you might consider using for your Lenten discipline. It is based on the book  Meditations on the Cross by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is a six week study covering about fifteen pages a week. My hope is that it will help you to think more about your faith and where that faith may take you in the future. Books are available at the PC(USA) Store at this location:
https://www.pcusastore.com/AdvancedSearch/DefaultWFilter.aspx?SearchTerm=Meditations+on+the+Cross. 

Blessings to you all.
Pastor Susan

January Newsletter Column

Happy New Year! I have heard that saying many times in my life. The new year seems to bring to mind so many possibilities and many people are ready for a fresh start. I find it interesting that a new year will spark something in us that speaks of new beginnings and yet, many times during the rest of the year, we have those same opportunities and they go unnoticed. I guess it seems more logical to begin anew on January 1. As church members, what new beginnings do you see as possibilities in 2018? What new ministries are needed in your communities? I would like to remind you that JCP has the Creative Ministry Grant available for new ministries and while they are awarded in August, the beginning of the year is a good time to start thinking about how to make those ministries a reality. I am hoping to see lots of applications for 2018. In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful, faith filled 2018.

Pastor Susan