MANY MEMBERS, ONE BODY
ALL ABOUT AGING
HEEDING THE CALL
Pastor Meg Newswanger reflects on disagreeingdisagreeing -gracefully
Bill Chadwick offers timely advice to elderly Presbyterians and their adult children
Edgcumbe Presbyterian offers a small gesture of hospitality that has a big impact
inprint
a publication of the presbytery of the twin cities area
September 2011
A Harvest of Hope: The Ministry of Church Community Gardens
A HOLY TRAVELOGUE From Shoreview to Ghana
Musings on the Fellowship I sat in the ballroom early on a Thursday morning participating in a tuting convention of this New Body. worship service that was filled with joy and energy. Given my age, The day after the conference was the scheduled day of our Presbythe music was a bit too loud, but otherwise it was an uplifting extery’s Council Retreat. The subject of the Fellowship conference perience. generated a great deal of discussion. There are two major points I Or , perhaps that two groups who seem so different in many ways want to share with Presbytery that came from that discussion. 1) Like the Fellowship, the Council wishes to model cooperation and are much more similar than many thought possible. civility in dealing with congregations discerning their response to I attended the Fellowship of Presbyterians gathering on August our denominations new position. Fighting, posturing, and litiga25th and 26th here in Bloomington as an observer. I went to see the tion does not serve the cause of Christ and is a very poor witness plans and hear the concerns to the world. Ultimately everyone loses when such tactics are used of Presbyterians who feel by either side. We invite and encourage pastors and sessions to strongly about the issue of talk to your presbytery leadership about your concerns, hopes, ordination standards in our and plans. The Council wants to denomination. I was in work with congregations rather We may be headed for the company of nearly than against them. 2) We hear 2000 other Presbyterians some form of separation in and share the same frustrations who were there for a the fact that our Church is our denomination, but for with wide variety of reasons; not what it once was, or what we to hear, to vent, to plan, now we are together, let’s feel it could be in Christ’s name. to discern, to observe, or The large and diverse sample of maybe just to attend with no exWORK together as well. folk from PTCA who attended the pectations whatsoever. A substanconference indicate that there tial number of folks from our own are many people, liberal, moderPresbytery were there including Stated Clerk Nancy Grittman, ate, and conservative, who feel the PCUSA is in need of reformaCouncil Chair Vince Gin, and myself as “official” reps of Presbytery tion or redevelopment or reorganization. Our strategic plan demof the Twin Cities Area. onstrates that we are seeking a new way of being a Presbytery. The meeting was well run and the organizers, a group of seven Another indicator or our Presbytery’s commitment to pastors including our own John Crosby of Christ Presbyterian looking for a new and better way is the fact that we currently have Church in Edina, did an excellent job of providing space and cona Task Force working on a Gracious Separation Policy for PTCA. We tent for people representing a varied spectrum of thought. hope to have a plan ready to be seen by Presbytery at its NovemThe Fellowship spelled out four options for congregations who are ber meeting. struggling with the recent changes in the constitution. As I alluded to in the first paragraph, an item that struck me time and time again is that the language that was used by the Fellow1) remain in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and try to ship is the exact language that is used at Covenant Network meetreform it from within. ings, Presbyterian Coalition gatherings, and forums of Presbyteri2) urge your presbytery to form an overlay presbytery ans with no particular political leanings. That is language of faith in (e.g. two Committees on Ministry, Committees on Prepaour Triune God, language of service to our Lord, and language of ration for Ministry, etc) trust and hope. I know we face a major issue that leading us to draw lines of division in our church, but we are united in so many 3) leave to another reformed denomination (e.g. the other ways I urge us to work together in all the ways that we can. Evangelical Presbyterian Church) We may be headed for some form of separation in our denomina4) help in the forming of a New Reformed Body and have tion, but for now we are together, let’s WORK together as well. I joint membership. will do some more interpretation in a future blog, but to read first The final option seemed to be the choice of those who formed the hand I encourage you to check out the Fellowship website; www.fellowship-pres.org. May God bless us all! Fellowship. A new reformed body would allow a congregation to be a part of the PCUSA so that a congregation could enjoy the “effective” things about PCUSA, (the Board of Pensions, the Foundation, and the Mission network) while being separate in order to establish values which reflect a more traditional system of beliefs Chaz such as ordination standards. There are a lot of details yet to be worked out for such a configuration, but the process has already begun as the Fellowship has started fulfilling the legal requirements for establishing a new body. They have invited folk who would like to explore this option to attend a meeting on January 12-14 in Orlando, FL for the consti-
Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. The above is an excerpted letter to the Presbytery which can be read in full at the Presbytery website www.presbyterytwincities.org.
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9.11 2. Notes from the Executive Presbyter
contents Four
Words from Chaz.
4. One in the Spirit Highlights from the July 2011 Stated Meeting in Owatonna. 112 W. Franklin Ave. Suite 508 Minneapolis, MN 55404
6. Heeding the Call A Small Church enters a big mission field: the story of Edgcumbe Presbyterian in St. Paul.
Fax: 612-871-0698 E-mail: communications@ptcaweb.org Web: www.ptcaweb.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/ptcaweb Facebook: www.facebook.com/ presbyterytwincitiesarea
7. How to Age Well A pastor with a background in pastoral care to the elderly shares some advice to the aging and ttheir adult caregivers.
Twelve
Presbytery Staff
8. Many Members, One Body
Chaz Ruark, Executive Presbyter: ep@ptcaweb.org
A West Metro pastor shares her testimony.
Nancy Grittman, Stated Clerk: statedclerk@ptcaweb.org Risa Anderson, Office Manager:
10. Empathic Leadership
office@ptcaweb.org
Learning how to listen to each other.
Dennis Sanders, IT/Communications Specialist: communications@ptcaweb.org
12. A Harvest of Hope Churches throughout the Presbytery are planting gardens to help combat poverty.
18. Pain, Love and Sunday School How to be church in the wake of the
20. A Holy Travelogue A travel journey from Presbyterian Church of the Way in Shoreview.
Twenty
Inprint is a publication from the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area (PTCA). Recipients include congregations, minister members, other members, committees, and friends. Please send submissions and e-mail corrections to Dennis Sanders, editor, at communications@ptcaweb.org . Usual distribution: Every-other-month. Editor: Dennis Sanders
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One in the Spirit: July Stated Meeting Highlights
By Dennis Sanders and Nancy Grittman
The
July 2011 Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of the Twin
Cities Area had it’s own share of drama leading up to the meeting, but compared to the drama surrounding May’s Annual meeting, this meeting was a walk in the park. The May meeting at Peace Presbyterian Church in St. Louis Park, MN was eventful for many reasons. Such as it was, we the visit from Elder Cindy Bolbach, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA). That said, the meeting will be remembered for becoming the 87th and deciding vote approving amendment 10-A, changing ordination standards and allowing for the ordination of practicing gay men and women.
The gathered assembly starting singing “We Are One in the Spirit,” which was sung throughout the meeting. In many ways it became the theme for the meeting. Ruling Elder Jerry Ganfield of the Associated Church shared one of three “proclaimations” or testimonies which then led into a time of prayer for mutuality and a passing of the peace.
Executive Presbyter Chaz Ruark then spoke about his upcoming trip to Ghana with members from Presbyterian Church of the Way in Shoreview, MN; and his plans to attend the Fellowship of Presbyterians event in suburban Minneapolis in late August. Ruark also noted Presbytery Council designated a task force to write a The July meeting was to be held at Presbyterian Church of the policy for gracious separation for a pastor or congregation wishing Apostles in Burnsville, but the south suburban church was not able to leave the PC(U.S.A.). The hope is that the policy will never be to host the meeting due to unforeseen circumstances. After much used, but the Council feels it is wise to have a policy in place. debate and a fair amount of phone calls, the Associated Church in PTCA Moderator Cindy Ray explained the structure of worship for Owatonna came forward to graciously host the meeting. this meeting. Three different individuals gave testimonies in reinprint/presbytery of the twin cities area/ september 2011/ 4
Compared to May’s Meeting, the July Stated Meeting was a walk in the park.
sponse to the question “How have you experienced mutuality in your experience of the presbytery?” The three individuals were Elder Jerry Ganfield of the Associated Church in Owatonna, Candidate for Ministry Risely Prakasim from Church of All Nations in Columbia Heights and Rev. Meg Newswanger, the pastor of First Christian Church of Maple Plain, MN. (You can read Newswanger’s testimony on page 8).
The Committee on Preparation for Ministry reported three candidates have completed all the requirements for candidacy and voted to certify them read for examination for ordination, pending a call. The three candidates include, Kerri Allen (Dayton Avenue Presbyterian, St. Paul), Risley Prakasim (Church of All Nations, Columbia Heights) and Anna Kendig (Westminster, Minneapolis).
Several teaching and ruling elders were placed in nomination to serve on various presbytery committees, including: JoAnn Lee, (teaching elder, The House of Hope ,St. Paul, ) to serve on the Advocates for Integrity in Ministry Committee, Joan McKenzie (teaching elder, Buffalo Presbyterian, Buffalo ) and Laura Newby, (ruling elder, Church of All Nations, Columbia Heights) to the Treasurer Ed Martin noted the financial picture for the Presbytery Church Development Team; Ernest Cutting, (ruling elder, is fairly good. “As we reach the half way mark of this fiscal year for Macalester Plymouth, St. Paul) to the Commissioned Lay Pastor the Presbytery, receipts are running slightly ahead of expendiCommittee; , James Brasel, (teaching elder, Honorably Retired), tures,” Martin said. Martin notes Per Capita receipts through the Edward Cunnington (ruling elder, Westminster ,Minneapolis), and end of June are $374.5K, or 51% of budget. Though the Per Capita Philip Bolinder (ruling elder, The House of Hope, St. Paul) to the amount is about $24K less than last year at this time of the year, Committee on Ministry. we are still at half of the budgeted figure. The next meeting of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area will Martin said expenses to date are lower than budget, $476.7K take place Tuesday, September 13 , 4PM at Westminster Presbyteagainst $1,023.3M, or 45.6% of budget. Because of lower expenses rian Church in Austin, MN. For a complete record of the Stated against receipts, this gives the Presbytery a positive balance at this Meeting, please go to the Presbytery Packets section of the PTCA point. website (www.presbyterytwincities.org). Martin did share words of caution regarding Per Capita. “Lest we become complacent with having a balanced budget at this point, we need to realize that 28% of the congregations in our Presbytery have paid nothing of their Per Capita apportionment,” Martin said. Ray also expressed appreciation for former Presbytery Moderator Vince Gin( Ruling Elder, First-Hudson, WI) whose term included guiding the Presbytery through a number of challenging moments in the last year.
He continued: “Unfortunately there are some congregations who historically simply refuse to contribute to the administrative work of the Presbytery, Synod or General Assembly. We probably can assume there will be no support forthcoming from them. Therefore though we are at the half way mark now, that will probably put us in a deficit posture later this year.” The Board of Trustees reported that the Chain of Lakes New Church Development Property Task Force is focusing on a potential church site on County Highway 14/125th Avenue NE/Main Street about 1½ miles west of Lexington Avenue NE in Blaine, Minnesota, and made a presentation concerning the property to the Board of Trustees. Action by the Presbytery on whether to purchase this property may be needed at the Presbytery’s September meeting.
Facing page: Top Left: Rev. Robert Hamilton shares a laugh during the Stated Meeting. Top right: Rev. Heidi Vardenman gives a final speech to the Presbytery. Bottom Left: Rev. Meg Newswanger gives her testimony. Bottom right: Risely Prakasim gives his proclaimation. Top Right; Chaz Ruark speaks to the Presbytery. Top Left: Mark Bonde of Kwanzaa Presbyterian gives an update on the tornado recovery. All photos by Dennis Sanders.
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When a small St. Paul congregation heard a “still small voice,” they made a big impact.
By Cindy Hanson
There is a small dirt pathway between a cluster of big oak trees and a small ditch where a family of ducks are content to swim on the eastern border of the spance of green where Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church is situated. This little path has long beckoned members of EPC to listen to the small voice inviting them to venture forth to meet their neighbors. Indeed 2010 turned out to be the year EPC’s Outreach committee heeded the call. Members had noticed that students from the nearby Highland Park High School would lock their bikes to the fences on adjoining properties and walk the tiny dirt path on school mornings. One day, a student asked permission to kneel down in our sanctuary for the thirty minutes of his lunch hour. The committee applied for a Mission & Witness grant to install a bike rack as a gesture of support and welcome to students, as well as staff of the Preschool and attendees of Alcoholics Anonymous both housed in our building, as well as to any community member traveling on two wheels. Outreach gratefully accepted the M&W grant, installation took
place by church volunteers, with publicity free through the school and the St. Paul Trips newsletter, all before the first snow! Bikes appeared immediately before winter took hold! A Bike/Walk to Church celebration will take place in the spring. More than the students on bicycle are crossing the pathway now, too, in spite of the winter holding back the usage of the bike rack. A connection and tangible relationship has emerged between church and school. Church members are being invited to participate in school activites and faculty are walking over for meetings in EPC building. Plans are in place for high school students to join with our church group at Feed My Starving Children. We know the Spirit will continue to lead us as we listen. Cindy Hansen is a member of Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, MN. Edgcumbe is one of several congregations that recieved a 2010 Mission and Witness Grant from the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. Top photo: picture of bikeracks at Edgcumbe St. Paul in the winter. Bottom photo: picture of bike racks , June 2011.
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Thoughts on Aging By Bill Chadwick I have had a number of conversations recently with folks about several aspects of aging and I thought it might be helpful to share some things I’ve learned over the years, especially during my time as a chaplain to seniors. Move before you have to. As a chaplain in communities with a continuum of care—from independent living o assisted living to skilled nursing—I saw that folks who moved into the facility when they were already quite frail didn’t connect with others in the community. On the other hand, those who moved in when they were still in relatively good health made friends and connections and so when they began to get more frail those friends came and visited, and often assisted in various ways. When in doubt, give up driving. What a hard decision this is! The loss of independence is very painful. BUT the stakes are too high to hesitate! We have friends who, along with their siblings, talked about taking their mom’s keys away, but they knew it was going to be so difficult for Mom. While they were dithering, Mom caused a crash that took the lives of a family of five. The kids will live with that guilt the rest of their lives. Another older person I know of was told by his doctor to avoid freeways and only drive around town. He killed himself in a crash a mile from his home. When an older family member was no longer such a capable driver I said to her, “You could sell your car and put the cash in a drawer and take a cab the rest of your life and never empty that drawer.” She didn’t take that advice, but what worked was when her grandson said to her, “Grandma, I’m looking to buy a used car. Are you interested in selling yours?” It was a perfect solution. She helped her grandchild and made the decision herself. I’m not saying that when you hit X number of years old you must stop driving. It’s different for each person. I’m saying that you don’t want to crown a lifetime of good works with a tragic car crash and always be remembered for that! Plan your memorial service. The time of death is a very stressful time to be making decisions. What a gift it is when a family plans together well in advance— making decisions regarding cremation, burial plots, etc. I am happy to visit with folks about these matters and I have forms available. There are a few folks who have filed such plans with me and what a gift that is to their families (and their pastors)! Bill Chadwick is the Senior Pastor of Oak Grove Presbyterian in Bloomington.
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Many Members…
...One Body Trying to be Christ’s Church is never easy, especially when folks don’t agree. What does it mean to be part of this local expression of the Body of Christ?
By Meg Newswanger inprint/presbytery of the twin cities area/ september 2011/ 8
When I look out at you now, I see friends and colleagues people I care about, and who care about me. While I may disagree with you on many issues, I know that on another level you and I are on the same side. “As it is, there are many members, yet one body.” I Corinthians 12:20
I have been asked to share in print the reflections I gave at the July presbytery meeting. As I do not have any notes from that speech, I present here my best recollection of what I said. The assigned topic was “Where have you experienced mutuality in our Presbytery?” Reflecting on that question caused me to remember my attitude towards the Twin Cities Area Presbytery when I moved here ten years ago. This body has a reputation in the PC(USA) for strong support of positions with which I disagree. While it was clear to me that God was calling me to serve a wonderful small congregation in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, I hesitated at the thought that it would mean joining this presbytery. I did not want to be part of this body. The first few presbytery meetings I attended confirmed my fears. We had some ugly meetings back then, and I felt confused and alone. All I could see was the body – a kind of collective mass – and I didn’t like what I saw. But I hung in there, and when asked to serve on a committee I agreed. I began to work with some of you, and as we served together I began to respect some of the members of this body. I even began to consider some of you friends. When I came to presbytery meetings, I no longer saw just the body – the mass – I saw the members. When I look out at you now, I see friends and colleagues – people I care about, and who care about me. While I may disagree with you on many issues, I know that on another level you and I are on the same side.
connect PTCA
The incident that comes to my mind when I think about mutuality happened last summer at General Assembly. (Since I have never asked the individual involved permission to share this
story, he shall remain anonymous here.) It was the day of The Vote, when the commissioners were deciding whether to approve a proposed change to G-6.0106b, removing the barrier to the ordination of practicing homosexuals. I was in the observer stands, sitting with a young seminarian who used to be a member of my youth group long ago in another state. I was aware that behind me, sitting alone, was a member of this presbytery who had worked long and hard for the position with which I disagree. We both knew where each other stood on this issue, and had frequently voted against each other at presbytery meetings. Just before the vote, Moderator Cindy Bolbach invited everyone present into a time of prayer, suggesting that we gather with those around us to pray. I turned to the presbytery member behind me, and invited him to join my friend and me in prayer. He came down to our row, we held hands, and each of us prayed aloud for God’s will to be done and for God to be glorified in everything that came out of the vote. After the vote was taken, I turned again to him, held out my hand and said “Well?” He shook my hand and said “May God have mercy on us all.” Then we parted. It was a small thing, but it made that day bearable for me. I felt I could remain connected, at least for a while longer, with this body, because I feel connected to the members. I still have problems with the body – with the collective mass – of this Presbytery. But I am grateful for the members, with whom God has woven my life. You are my brothers and my sisters in Christ. For that I give thanks.
Meg Newswanger is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Maple Plain, MN. The article is based off of her testimony at the July 2011 Presbytery Meeting in Owatonna, MN.
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In the aftermath of the passage of amendment 10-A, Theresa Latini says the need to listen to each other is more important than ever.
Empathic leadership When our presbytery cast the deciding vote in favor of 10-A,
brother [and sister] when we learn to listen to [them].”
some Presbyterians cried with joy and others with sorrow. Some celebrated and others despaired. More than a few lashed out at each other publicly – just read some of the comments posted on the Presbyterian Outlook website. Among those who disagree with this decision, some are considering ways to stay in the denomination; others are looking for ways to leave. Many of us wonder what the future holds for the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Fully attentive and receptive listening, which God first gives to us in Jesus Christ, is the paradigm for empathic ministry in the church. Empathic listening involves being fully present (physically, emotionally, spiritually) to others in the midst of their grief, anger, disappointment, perplexity, joy, and so on. It aims to understand others as fully as possible, and in doing so, to convey that we value and care about the particularity of their experience. Empathy doesn’t try to persuade, convince, or fix others; it doesn’t educate or console. Instead, it hears and acknowledges that which matters Times like these call for “empathic leadership:” leadership that begins and ends with listening deeply to God, self, and other; lead- most to others in any given situation. Moreover, empathy is something that we can learn to give to ourselves when we become anxership that commits to seeing the humanity of others; leadership ious, angry, or judgmental. Self-empathy sustains us in staying that doggedly persists in staying in dialogue; and leadership that connected to our own values for peace, respect, and care (to name ultimately places its trust in Christ, the Head of the Body, and the a few) when we are tempted to lash out in response to others. One in whom all things hold together (Col. 1). Empathic leadership begins with listening. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for [others] is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our
This three-way listening – to God, to others, to ourselves – is related to the fact that we have been created in God’s image. The image of God has to do with our relationality, our existence in lifegiving, authentic encounter with God and others. As Karl Barth
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put it so beautifully, we humans are made for God and for each other. We are made to exist in mutual encounters of love, which are marked by seeing and being seen, speaking and hearing, and assisting one another with gladness and freedom.
Sometimes, perhaps more often than not, this kind of encounter comes only by way of persistence, and of course, God’s grace. Persistence is necessary because our evaluations, interpretations, and labels block our capacity to see, hear, and speak to one another as Christ sees, hears, and speaks to us. Our debates in church and culture get mired down in accusation, blame, and reified enemy images. Enemy images are static assessments of persons or groups whereby we classify them as wrong, bad, immoral, fundamentally flawed, etc. Such sweeping evaluations allow us to dismiss others rather than encounter them as fellow creatures made in the image of God.
As we persist both in seeing one another as cherished persons made in the image of God and in staying in dialogue, the Spirit of God may move in such a way that we discover new, faithful, and effective ways of being the church, i.e., the Presbyterian church, in our current milieu. Or we may still be at a loss about how to live together with integrity. I hope and pray this will not be the case. But if it is, then empathic leadership will enable us to honestly mourn our inability to live out our unity in Christ in the here-and-now. Grounded in the One in whom all things hold together, mourning can create in us a broken-hearted compassion for one another. And it can lead us to pray once again, “thy kingdom come.”
Rev. Theresa F. Latini, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Congregational and Community Care Leadership at Luther Seminary and Parish Associate at Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church (Minneapolis). She is the author of The Church and the Crisis of Community: A Practical Theology of Small-Group Ministry (Eerdmans, 2011) and co-author with Deborah Hunsinger of Transforming Church Conflict: Compassionate Leadership in Action (Westminster John Knox, forthcoming). She has received extensive training in Nonviolent Communication, which she teaches in seminary courses and local congregations.
Celebrating differences...in a different way Paul Moore
Recently, I held a book discussion on the controversial book called If you are reading this and are part of a congregation, let me ask “Love Wins.” We had a large group for a July night in the sumthis question, “How deeply does your congregation celebrate difmer—8 from Chain of Lakes and 5 from Presbyterian Church of the ferent understandings of the gospels?” If people come to different Way. This book has become controversial conclusions on an issue, do you see that as a because the people who disagree with the strength, or do you do the classic Minnesota thing book freaked out about what was written. and try to ignore these differences—eventually Rob Bell asked the question of whether the not talking about them. traditional view of Hell exists—the one where people are tortured for eternity. The world needs a church where we tolerate difBecause of that some people on the conferent views and celebrate them. Look at our servative edge want to throw Rob Bell out world right now. For the last month we’ve had of their community. stories every day how the Congress and President can’t sign a deal to extend the debt ceiling. The This willingness to throw people out of the story everyday is the same. People can’t agree. It’s community is not specific to conservaGroundhog day every day. Same story—different tives—those on the liberal side do it too. actors. On Tuesday I shared three traditional views that the church has taught about Hell. Those views are the classic position that people are tortured in Hell forever; the view that people’s bodies and souls are annihilated at death; and the view of Universalism where everyone eventually experiences heaven. I shared with the group that I would love to be in a church where all three views of Hell were expressed among people AND where the community saw these differences as a strength. My dream is Chain of Lakes will be a group of people who sees differences in theology as something very special—that eventually we have the courage to celebrate differences. These differences won’t undermine our unity. Instead we see that following Jesus will lead us to different understandings of the Scriptures and our tradition.
I don’t know what the people at Chain of Lakes thinks about the current debt crisis. I hope over time that Chain of Lakes Church would be a place where we expected some people to agree with Obama’s plan; and we expected some people to agree with the Senate plan; and we expected some people to agree with the House plan. We didn’t see different views as a sign of weakness, but as a sign of strength. If we heard a view that was different from our own we would not heap scorn on the person, but instead we would invite the person out to lunch to listen to their views. I believe that the world is waiting for this type of church. Paul Moore is Organizing Pastor of Chain of Lakes Presbyterian Church in Lino Lakes, MN.
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A Harvest of Hope: The Ministry of Church Community Gardens Around the Presbytery, churches are digging up dirt and starting community gardens that benefit the congregation and puts a dent in poverty. By Dennis Sanders
Top: A red pepper grows at the church community garden at North Como Presbyterian Church in Roseville, MN. Bottom: An unripened tomato grows at the House of Hope Community Garden in St. Paul, MN. Photo by Dennis Sanders.
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The seeds of an idea to start community garden at Valley Community Presbyterian in Golden We have all Valley, MN started in the heard that winter of 2010 when phrase at Rev. Kathy Smith and some time or her husband, Dan Smith another durbrought the idea to the ing or lifetimes. A parent urges their child to eat their broccoli, West Suburban congregation. Wendy Fields, the Christian Educacauliflower, spinach, brussel sprouts or what have you so that they tion Director at Valley said a small group came together to get the can grow up “big and strong.” idea rolling and the first planting took place in the Spring of 2010. Fields got involved in 2010 and said was the chance to grow vegIf you are able to afford to buy groceries then, your journey through the supermarket will include a stop to pick up some vege- gies that sold her. “What pulled me in was the opportunity to grow veggies, learn from other people and be in community with tables your upcoming meal. other people,” she said. But what if you can’t afford to buy groceries? Food shelves are One of the main reasons for starting the garden was to help PRISM, located around the state of Minnesota to help folks who can’t make ends meet enough to buy food to not go hungry. But in the a foodshelf located in Golden Valley. Fields noted that in 2010 past, most of the food available was mostly processed food as well Valley’s garden was able to produce a bountiful harvest that benefited PRISM. “In 2010, we gave several hundred pounds of proas rice, pasta and cereal. There was very little in the way of fresh duce to PRISM,” Fields said. She added that this year’s crop is not fruits and veggies. as abundant. “This year, our harvest has not been as good (think it More and more, that’s changing. Food pantries are now able offer is weather related) so we have not been able to give as much food a selection of fresh foods and they owe that in part to church comto PRISM.” munity gardens. Fields noted that this garden is a community garden, open to anyOver the last few months, a trend has been taking place: local one who wants to help the garden grow. “ In 2010, we did not churches have started vegetable and flower gardens that not only have anyone outside the church take part in the garden but this minister to those in the congregations with green thumbs, but year, we have had a numerous people from outside Valley’s faith also provides food to people affected by poverty. A number of family rent plots and take part in the garden,” Fields said. congregations in our Presbytery have decided to start these new When asked how the garden has strengthened Valley, Fields said it ministries that not only feed the soul, but the body as well. has allowed the 60 year old faith community to move out of its comfort zone and take a risk, inviting people outside of the congregation to join them and be community together.
“Eat your “What pulled me in was the opportunity to vegetables.”
grow veggies, learn from other people and be in community with other people.”
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Another congregation that decided to take a risk is St. Paul’s House of Hope Presbyterian Church. Their garden is in front of the church, which is located on Summit Avenue, probably one of the most prestigious and scenic drives in St. Paul. Nestled between large houses and old mansions, House of Hope’s garden is a visible sign of their ministry to the wider world.
In addition to feeding the hungry, the garden is also a bit of an urban oasis. People are free to walk through the garden and enjoy the sights. Even though it abuts a busy thoroughfare you get the sense of being in a peaceful retreat away from the hectic world.
the garden was designed to invitational, to draw people in. The garden has done its job well, with 70 people involved in the raising of the garden and a number of the folks involved are not members of House of Hope. “I wish every church on Summit could do this,” Van Dyke said.
The garden ministries at Valley Community, House of Hope and other congregations are examples growing a spirit of hospitality and generosity. They invite people to take part and see what God is doing in the world and urge them to take part as well.
Of course, having a garden in such a public place is going to get people talking. Two neighbors have objected to the wire-mesh Senior Pastor David Van Dyke said the idea came to fruition earlier and wood fence that surrounds the garden and have taken the this year during a retreat of the congregation’s Mission Outreach issue to the St. Paul city council. Van Dyke doesn’t think the two Committee. One of the ideas that kept coming up was planting a neighbors are really upset about the fencing as much as they are garden. The church explored the idea of raising vegetable for a that the garden is located on the avenue. He believes they want local food panty, in this case Neighborhood House, the largest the garden dug up and moved to the back of the church. House of food shelf in Ramsey County. Neighborhood House was able to Hope did receive permission from the Historic Preservation Society get some semi-fresh produce from the St. Paul Farmer’s market, to put the garden in front of the church and Van Dyke notes that but it was very limited and it was…well, semi-fresh. Van Dyke said, the congregation is winning the popularity contest on the issue. the ability to provide fresh produce to Neighborhood House cli“We certainly got people talking,” he said. ents made the venture not just something nice to do, but someThe church is working to mediate the issue. Ironically, the two thing important. “We think it’s a great public witness,” he said. neighbors who oppose the fence used to be on the board of the Historic Preservation Society that granted House of Hope permission to plant the garden. So why have a garden right on Summit Avenue? Van Dyke said
Another reason for having a garden on Summit could be to highlight the problem of poverty in the community. While the garden provides tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce , potatoes and other vegetables to the clients of Neighborhood House, it is also a reminder that there are many in the St. Paul area that are not able to provide food for themselves and their loved ones.
All of the above photos were taken at the Community Garden at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, MN. Left: carrots grow in the garden. Middle: a view of the garden from across the street as couple walk past the garden on a late summer evening. Right: An eggplant grows on Summit Avenue. Opposite page: Left: a pumpkin grows in the garden at North Como Presbyterian Church in Roseville, MN. Right: A watermelon grows at House of Hope. All photos by Dennis Sanders.
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Benefits for the Church Community
The Benefits of Community Gardens
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Creates community and partnership within the church by allowing different age groups to work together
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Brings life and beauty to the Church land
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Provides opportunities for parishioners to work with their hands and be outside
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Brings in wholesome, fresh food to the church for things like potlucks and food pantries
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Provides a bridge between the Church and the neighborhood giving opportunity for relationship formation and outreach
Benefits for the Surrounding Community •
Shared work helps to build friendship and solidarity around a common vision of the good
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Allows people without adequate land to grow their own food
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Helps create a more sustainable local food network
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The natural beauty of the garden enhances the scenic quality of the surrounding neighborhood
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Provides a venue to teach area children about agriculture
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Recent studies have shown that community gardens have psychological, economical, sociological benefits for people
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Bring about a sense of pride and ownership for one’s community and the environment
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For more benefits see: http://www.communitygarden.org/learn/
Source for info: Dr. James K. Smith, Research Fellow, Calvin Institute for Worship, Calvin College.
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How to Get Started
1. Find out who is interested. Alert congregation members, but also contact your Neighborhood Association to see if other community members are interested in starting a garden 2. Make sure that there is at least one community member, possibly a Church Staff member, who can take charge of maintaining a committee of neighbors for the care of the garden. 3. Choose a site. Make sure the site gets at least 6 full hours of sunlight daily (for vegetables). 4. Test your soil for lead. Lead, found in some kinds of paints before 1978, can cause a serious health risk to people. If lead is in the soil, leafy green plants will absorb it and ingesting these plants can be harmful.
Growing Churches The following congregations in the Presbytery have community gardens.
5. Identify a water source! If there is no building on the site, negotiate • with a neighbor to use water from their house. • 6. Consider how the garden should be organized, how many plots are needed and who should get which plots.
• •
7. Make a set of rules for those who want to have a plot in the garden. • Ensure that all gardeners are aware of the time-commitment to gardening • and create a standard for neatness. By establishing this before the garden is planted, problems can be avoided and/or dealt with quickly and efficiently.
North Como, Roseville House of Hope, St. Paul Church of all Nations, Columbia Heights Valley Community, Golden Valley Kwanzaa, Minneapolis Buffalo, Buffalo
8. Consider a community compost heap. This is an excellent way for neighbors to reduce their waste. Be very intentional about informing every community member about what can and cannot be put in the compost. 9. Be aware that the first several years may not be as fruitful as expected – the soil will take a while to develop into good nourishing soil. 10. Make a sign! Let your neighbors know about the garden! 11. Prepare the land and plant your food 12. The American Community Garden Association has an excellent fact sheet with ideas for starting a community garden. http://www.communitygarden.org
Drawing by Amanda Bausch.
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Pain, Love and Sunday School A (not so) funny thing happened when Donald Hanna started to write about Sunday School at his church. As the Children, Youth, and Family Pastor, I was all prepared to write an article for this newsletter touting the coming year’s programs. I was going to talk about the great things in store for our children and youth; new pieces of curriculum out of the Center for Progressive Christianity, events we have planned, etcetera. I’m very excited about all of this. In fact, I felt it was important to at least give it this little bit of announcement so that you might be excited too—Come Together Sunday is in two weeks, September 11. Sunday school programs start the following week. Come and join us! Now for the reason why I didn’t write a full article on the program year: As I listened to the news this morning I heard the report that our neighbors on the North side have suffered their third fatal shooting in just a few short weeks. This time it was a twenty-three year old. Before that it was a thirteen-year-old boy killed and his twelve-year-old friend put in the hospital. Shortly before that a nineteen-year-old girl shot and wounded at a prayer vigil that was being held to mourn the shooting death of a fourteen year old boy. These are children dying. And it is likely children killing. I was overwhelmed by the sadness of these events. Somehow it felt wrong to celebrate the start of the program year for our children and youth without at least acknowledging the pain and hurt of our neighbors. We need to respond in some way. After all, why do we even have these Sunday school programs?
They are not to just occupy an hour of our children’s time. They are to grow our children up into adults who will respond to such news with compassion. If the doing of the programs becomes more important than the why we’re doing programs then we are just like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Don’t just walk by the stranger in need. Do something. Pray. Pray for these children. Pray for their families. Pray about the systemic injustices that leave children feeling hopeless. Pray about the racism that has broken communities. Pray about economic realities that have left neighborhoods desolate and made gangs and drugs feel like a bright future for children. Pray for the gangs. And if you can, pray with your hands and feet. Stand with our neighbors as they work to make their streets a safe place. Volunteer in mentoring programs. Write policy makers. Pray with your dollars. Contribute to initiatives that will change the lives of our neighbors, like Kwanzaa’s Northside Women’s Space. Then, as a community, we can come together, we can celebrate our programs, but we can do it knowing that our programs are for a purpose. We do it knowing that our in-turning is done to foster an outpouring of love. Donald Hanna is the Associate Pastor at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Wayzata. The article appeared in the August 30 edition of the congregational newsletter, The Challenge.
Photo: First responders arrive on the scene of a traffic accident in North Minneapolis. Photo by Dennis Sanders.
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A Meal Fit for One Hundred
Photos by Rollie Baldwin
Ruling Elder Rollie Baldwin took photos of volunteers from Macalester-Plymouth United Church in St. Paul, Westminster Presbyterian in Minneapolis and Presbyterian Church of the Apostles in Burnsville were present at the final Freedom School dinner of the year. The Freedom School is a ministry of Kwanzaa Community Presbyterian in Minneapolis. In an email sent to the Presbytery, Baldwin, who is a member at Westminster , describes Freedom School as “a six week, all day program for children and youth in the neighborhood. It is modeled after the freedom schools founded in the civil rights era. The emphasis is on improving reading skills and developing a love for reading. Children and youth engage in community service and broaden their personal horizons through field trips. Parents meet every Thursday evening to share a meal and develop parenting skills.” Baldwin express gratitude in having a small role in shaping the lives of youth in Minneapolis. “It was a privilege for all of us to be a small part of this two month summer program at Kwanzaa for 100 children to experience the joys of reading, music, special day trips, swimming, and developing friendships. “ Baldwin ended his email by sharing a wonderful story of service and thankfulness: “When the 100 children had gone through the line and there was a bit of a break before the adults were scheduled to eat, the servers took a break for their supper. After one of the servers (Judith) filled a plate for herself, a young lad came to the table and asked for seconds, there was a slight pause before Judith said yes and handed him her plate. His response -- "but that is yours". He looked very happy as he walked back to his place with ‘Judith's plate’.”
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“We are called to be the Good News of Christ” By Shelia Martin In August of this year, a group from Presbyterian Church of the Way in Shoreview, MN went to Dampong, Ghana to visit their sister congregation. Executive Presbyter Chaz Ruark and his wife, Rev. Janet Ruark (pastor of First United in Baldwin, WI) were invited to join PCOTW in their journey. PCOTW member Sheila Martin is writing a series of articles for her church email newsletter. Below are snippets from her “Holy Travelogue.” We are called to be the Good News of Christ in the world. We are called to share the Good News of Christ in the world.
A mission team from Presbyterian Church of the Way in Shoreview, MN went to Ghana in August of 2011 to meet their sister congregation and worship together. This is their story.
The Ghana Journey Team has returned, having experienced the love of Christ in the joyful welcoming they received from our sister and brothers in Christ in Dampong. But that welcoming extended far beyond the church family there; the entire town of Dampong (and other towns too!), including sweet children, town leadership, and other faith communities, all overwhelmed the team with their (parade-like; having waited at the top of the hill for us, for hours) jubilant and honest thankfulness to our coming…
We flew into the capital city of Accra, on the southern coast of Ghana. It took a long time to get through all the security checkpoints; all 15, or so, suitcases of gifts made it safely. When we finally did get through, we were warmly met by several
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new Ghanaian friends and escorted to our "dancing bus" (so described, because it swayed over the very bumpy roads). We were welcomed into the Ghana home of newest PCOTW members, the Opokus. After a good night's rest, we traveled west (it took 2 hours just to get out of the city of Accra) to learn about Ghana, by visiting the fort which was the holding chamber for thousands of Africans sent abroad as slaves, and walking (high in the canopy) of Ghana's beautiful rain forest national park. As we returned to Accra that evening, after dark (the sun sets at about 6pm, year round), we passed many people walking along the roadways; most people do not own cars and have to walk miles each day to work, to school, to church. No chance for obesity in Ghana‌
There is an amazingly practical culture of movement here. Again, I am struck by the number of walkers everyExecutive Presbyter Chaz Ruark and Teaching Elder Anita Cummings take part in where; between cars on congested city streets, along the highway in the country, many times balancing a pile the Sunday worship service at the Presbyterian Church of Dampong, Ghana. Photo by Rev. Josh Heikkila. of wares or food or laundry on their heads. Mostly women, with strong backs. full. First we go to an all- women's fellowship gathering. We are welcomed, as we would be repeatedly, as if we are dignitaries, and were seated in the front of the room. We listened to a lecture on healthy menopause, spoken in the Twi [native] language. Surprisingly, there are enough English words interspersed, that we do get a sense its meaning. The 50 or so women all happily gather around us for a large photo taken with their new American friends. We are Late in the afternoon, we enter the village of Dampong via an up- wearing our nametags, with our birth day names printed on them; names that also immediately connect us with others with the ward stretch of bumpy road. At the crest of the hill, an expectant same names (after all, there are only 7 of those names!). Ghanaians crowd of young people (no cell phone coverage, so they only knew we'd arrive sometime in the afternoon), some musicians, and are so good at creating relationships. children jump for joy and break into a parade-like escort ahead of From there, our bus journeys to another regular gathering; church our bus. Trumpets and drums welcome us all the way to the choral groups. As we approach the church, we are blessed with church, in the center of town. We are greeted with the kind and broad smile of [young!] Reverend Nartey, the shepherd of our sis- beautiful and sanctuary-filling choruses praising God. We timidly stand before them and sing, for the first time, the simple Twi hymn ter church flock. A brief [by African standards] and sincere welcome by some of the members, is followed by a graceful acknowl- we have learned. They break out in cheers, to fill the sanctuary with more jubilance. Then they join us in singing the song. Tears of edgement of our weariness and need for rest. We pray together, joy and wonder filled our eyes and hearts. Can it be that we are to thanking God for safe passage and new relationships sprouting. be the recipients of such blessing? Before we leave Accra, we shop for lots of bottled water (6 cases!), and staples, what will be our "emergency" provisions, in case our planned safe food (generously prepared by Yaw Collins' sister-inlaw, Phabie) does not suffice. We journey out of the sprawling city of several million (no skyscrapers here), northward to Ashanti region, to its eastern edge, to our sister church.
We will sleep at the home of a former minister at the church (called a "station") in the neighboring village of Bompata. Reverend Twum greets us there. We do the traditional Ghana arrivingat-someone's-house ceremony; seated in a circle, then our hosts welcome us with a firm hand shake [moving right to left around the room], beverages are offered and accepted, we say why we are here, then another welcome around the room. We already receive a sense of the expectant hope in our being there, in our commitment to relationship in this region of Ghana; Reverend Twum tells us of another American church mission that once came with initial eagerness, and then slowly it faded to nothing. [Translation: Ghanaians are aware of the American tendency to try "new things" and then move on to the next "new thing". "Please, don't be that."] Our Saturday in Ashanti region is planned out by our hosts, and
We also went to a field that day, to see the Junior Brigade, a gathering of mostly middle-school age young people. They were there to practice formations, as a marching band would do. Our arrival meant they stopped their practicing, proudly demonstrated their skills, and gave us the privilege of reviewing their formations. While we wondered as to the history of this "club", we came to appreciate the teachable moments for character development; patience, leadership, unity, and physical discipline. It was a pleasure to see these young people, from many congregations, together. Ghanaians know how to do group building. What a rich and blessing filled day; meeting so many people, young and old, who welcomed us with the love of Christ, and seeing a bit of how they draw together to learn how to live as wit-
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nesses for the Kingdom of God‌ "Rising early in our Bompata "home", there was the clear and quiet bustle of children of God preparing themselves for the Lord's Day." But first, before worship with our sister church family, we had an audience with a Ghanaian chief. This is a courtesy, extended in each of the villages we would visit, in order to help set a civil good tone of humility and thankfulness. This ceremony was always the same; ushered in, seated, one of us telling the chief (by speaking to a translator/assistant) of the reason for our calling, a few words spoken by the chief (again, through the translator, the language being Twi), the offering and acceptance of refreshment, the giving of a gift from us to confirm appreciation of the chief's welcome and help with the water projects in that community, and then, perhaps, some "casual" conversation. This formality done, we walk to the Presbyterian Church of Dampong. We joined our sisters and brothers in worship, as part of a processional, and we were seated in the front of the sanctuary. First there was 30-45 minutes of Bible Study. Nice! Then the praise band, made up of 8 or 10 enthusiastic young people playing [western] horns and drums, began its bold leadership of song and dance. Dance, as celebration, is a deep part of Ghanaian culture and worship. As the spirit moves, and indeed it does, so do Ghanaians! Three of us, join with the Ghanaian women often, and the rest of the Partnership team did too, with freedom to express joyfulness in the Lord. Most women dance with a white hankie in their raised hand, as a "worship aid" to amplify their jubilation (The practical use of a hanky is to deal with the reality of working up a sweat in a warm climate.) All of the congregation smile broadly at our participation in their traditions. Scripture reading and the sermon took a long patient long time. Scripture was read in 4 languages. The sermon was spoken by our team-sister, Rev. Anita Cummings. That sermon was thoughtfully translated into Twi, by Rev. Joseph Nartey. So that no one would miss any message from the Lord, a lay leader walked around with a small hand bell, to gently awaken an inattentive soul. All of the children sat together for this 3-hour worship service. Then, they did offering. In a big way! First, there was a time for "general" offering to be brought forward by individuals, with praise from the band and dancing lines. Then followed a calling up of each group of worshippers with the same birth day names, that is the first name given to a Ghanaian, based on the day of the week born. Again, with praise from the band and dancing lines. [There is a celebratory confirmation of the generous Spirit of this offering time, at the end of the worship service. The totals collected are announced, highest contributing name-group first. Much thankful cheering at this!] As is the same at the Presbyterian Church of The Way in Shoreview, worship this first Sunday of the month ends with communion. Anita Cummings and Collins Ofori-Amanfo were invited to assist. It is an open communion, share by all in spirit. They used the same small plastic communion cups we use, with one difference: they carefully wash each cup, to re-use it again. After worship, we walked 3 blocks south of the church, where we were the guests of honor at a village-wide central courtyard ceremony. Here we met people from other faith congregations, listened to more excellent musicianship, watched a group of young women dancers (with white hankies waving, of course), and greeted and listened to appreciative city leaders. All of this honor, because we represent those enabling them have clean
Top: PCTOW Mission Team poses in front a sign about the water well project sponsored by the church. Middle: Teaching Elder Anita Cummings carries of bucket of water. Bottom: Executive Presbyter Chaz Ruark is photographed with a local chief. All photos by Josh Heikkila.
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About the Ghana Wells Project
Since its inception, the Ghana Wells Mission Committee of Presbyterian Church of the Way (PCOTW) has constructed fourteen drinking wells in seven rural communities in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Testimonies received from an independent reviewer of the water project in Ghana, and from community leaders, indicate a reduction in bilharzias and various sicknesses in the communities as a result of the safe drinking water from these wells.
At the outset, we recognized the importance of sanitation involved more than just clean water wells, but required latrines as well. The basic form of public toilets in the Ghanian rural communities consists of pit latrines. The planks that are placed over the pits for supporting the users are in contact with the soil and are very susceptible to decay. There is no lid over the trench to stop flies from getting in and the smell getting out. When the pit fills up close to the top, domestic animals (poultry, goats, sheep, dogs, etc.) transfer feces and eventually contaminate food and water supply and then spread bacteria. Indeed, poor sanitation due to lack of protected latrines poses great health risks. Diarrhea, a sanitation-related disease kills more than 15,000 children five years and younger each year. Upon completion of our 14th well, we set our sights on our next major project in the sanitation cycle. PCOTW has constructed a 10seater water closet latrine. This was done in cooperation with our Sister Church - Dampong Presbyterian Church in Dampong, Ghana. This latrine offers: 1) Privacy and convenience for the user, 2) Durability of the facility, 3) Elimination of the wave of bad smells and stops a flood of flies and domestic animals from accessing the feces, and 4) Eliminates diseases and sicknesses, and saves lives. The Ghana Wells Committee goals for the coming years are to construct at least one latrine in each village where we have built a clean water well, maintain and keep in good repair all 14 wells that we have dug to date, and continue annual inspections and testing the water quality for compliance with World Health Organization's standards. We are grateful for all who have previously supported this cause and would hope you would be able to help us continue to meet our goals by sending your tax deductible gift to Presbyterian Church of the Way at 3382 Lexington Avenue North, in Shoreview, Minnesota 55126, notating "Ghana Mission Project" on the memo line of your check. Your contribution is appreciated any time throughout the year. -From the Presbyterian Church of the Way website, www.pcotw.org.
water, and also because we have taken the time to come from so far away to be with them. From here, we all walked 3 blocks to participate in the fresh dedication of the clean water latrine in Dampong. Standing in stark contrast to it, is the condemned [old] outhouse. Community members shared, joyfully, how this new latrine is appreciated and also what things are being done to keep its value. (Villagers from the other places where wells have been installed did not shy away from telling us that their villages would also be well served by a safe latrine.) We walked away from this simple restroom, with a fresh awareness of how to be continually thankful to God for such basic things as clean water and safe spaces..
A the complete story of Presbyterian Church of the Way’s travels in Ghana will be online at the presbytery website (www.presbyterytwincities.org) in early October.
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71 faith communities. 25,000 members faith stories. InPrint is looking for stories, images, poetry, art and other ideas from members of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. If you have something you would like to share with the wider church family, please send it to communications@ptcaweb.org.
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