Emerge March 2010

In this issue:

March 2010Volume Four, Issue Three

EMerge: Monthly

A Publication of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area

…”A Spontaneous Eruption of Decency”

Being homeless is never easy,but being homeless in Minne-sota with its harsh wintersmakes homelessness a matterof life and death. WestminsterPresbyterian in Minneapolis isworking with other churches inthe downtown area to give sev-eral hundred women and men aplace where they can call home.

Photo courtesy of Jim Winsted, Jr.under the Creative Commons At- tribution 2.0 Generic license.(www.trainedmonkey.com)

Kwanzaa Provides Sanctuary Call to the March 2010 Stated Meeting

By Chaz Ruark

By Dennis SandersThe Church is sent into the world to continue that which he came to do, in the power of the same Spirit, reconciling people to God (John 20:19-23).

-Leslie NewbiginWhen I was a senior in college, my college church group to travelled to Chicago forspring break. We went to visit a Baptist church on the North side of town that was in-volved in the community. We worked in a soup kitchen and met some of the regularclients, met with a young man trying to help mold the lives of teens who were facing therough streets and a young woman who worked with women, especially those engagedin prostitution. My most vivid memory of that week was hearing a young girl who camefrom a troubled home and said very matter-of-factly that her mother had kicked her out ofthe house. I was astounded that someone would throw their own loved one out of theirhome and even more astounded that someone would respond so nonchalantly. Thank-fully, she was connected with this faith community and would have some shelter from thestorm that was her life.In this month’s EMerge, we are blessed to have examples of congregations that workingto set things right, to bring God’s reconciliation to God’s world. The stories of Westmin-ster-Minneapolis, Kwanzaa and countless others remind us that the church is a gatheredcommunity that exists for the sake of God and the sake of the world.Thanks be to God.

Dennis Sanders is the Editor of EMerge and the IT/Communications Specialist for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

Inside Note

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“The

stories

of

West

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minster

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Minneapolis,

Kwanzaa

and

count

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less

others

remind

us

that

the

church

is

a

gathered

community

that

exists

for

the

sake

of

God

and

the

sake

of

the

world.”

Plugging In Without Shorting Out

April 16-18, Des Moines, IA

Churches using new technology and social networking are get-ting the upper hand on attracting members. Workshop speakerswill help congregations to embrace technology without blowingup the church! This three-day conference is sponsored by theTransformation Team of the Des Moines Presbytery and will beheld at the Downtown Des Moines Marriot. Cost is $150 if regis-tering before March 15. Small and rural church members are en-couraged to attend. Go towww.presbyteryofdesmoines.orgforinformation flier and registration form.

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Westminster Presbyterian inDowntown Minneapolis ispart of an innovative ap-proach in combating home-lessness in Minnesota.

Photo credit: Flickr under Creative Commons

Page Twelve

North Minneapolis has long beenplagued by prostitution. Kwan-zaa Presbyterian is literally offer-ing sanctuary to those involved inthe sex trade.The March 2010 PresbyteryMeeting takes place on March13 at North Como PresbyterianChurch.Inside Note Page 2Meet GA Elder Commis-sionersPage 4Stadium Village Page 9Presbytery Looks for Treas-urerPage 11Transitions Page 14St. Luke Permaculture Pro-jectPage 17Events Calendar Page 18

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Contents: March 2010

Page Ten

Elder Elona Street-Stewart of Dayton Avenue Presbyte-rian in St. Paul, isone of four women to receivethe Women ofFaith Award.

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Gordon Stewartshares his thoughtson Ash Wednesday,shortcuts and long walks in the jungle.