The Regional APA Rocky Mountain Conference has been planned for October 11 – 14 in North Platte at the First Presbyterian Church.  Everyone in our Presbytery is invited to attend and be a part of this conference. There will be a variety of classes at this year’s conference.  Organizing Your Space, Book of Confessions, Polity III, Boundaries and Ethics Workshop, Spiritual Growth & Discipline, and Biblical Interpretation 1.

There have been those who have not yet completed boundaries training as required by the committee on ministry. This will be a bit shorter version that you might want to take advantage of. We have also scheduled Diana to do another boundaries/ethics event Feb 23, 2013.

Finally if you look at the 2012 Brochure the polity workshop being led by Diana Barber will help answer some of your questions about the “new Form of Government.”

If you have any questions about the event and would like to attend a portion if not all of the event, please contact the Presbytey office.

2012 APA Rocky Mountain Regional Conference Brochure

I want to strongly urge ministers and lay pastors to attend the social media workshop on June 12. This is being tailored to churches use of social media and would be worth your time whether you think your church will ever be involved in this kind of ministry. Actually if you communicate with church members via email you are involved in social media. The deadline to register is May 21st.

Bob Houser
General Presbyter

June 12, 2012 Social Media- APA One-Day Seminar

On Sunday, May 13th John and Gwenda Fletcher will be visiting the First Presbyterian Church in Axtell talk about their work as missionaries in the Congo. Everyone is invited to join them. Below is a brief bio about John and Glenda Fletcher.

In January 2009, John and Gwenda Fletcher were appointed to serve with the Presbyterian Community of Congo (CPC) in the Kasai region of Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is by no means their first acquaintance with the Congo. The Fletchers were first appointed mission personnel by the PC(USA) in 1989, and they served in the Congo until January 2001. Both John and Gwenda grew up as children of Presbyterian mission workers in India.

John works with the Christian Medical Institute of the Kasai (IMCK), helping the staff build and maintain a unified network of all the CPC’s mission hospitals. Although John’s primary surgical responsibilities are at the Good Shepherd Hospital, his broader charge is to work with the CPC medical director in support of the CPC medical program. He teaches medical residents, medical students and nursing students at the IMCK and other mission hospitals.

Gwenda holds a B.S. in education from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and an M.S. in special education from Portland State University. John holds a B.S. in cell and molecular biology and an M.D. from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.

Both John and Gwenda are ordained to the office of elder and are active members of the First Presbyterian Church, Yuma, Arizona. Until leaving for mission service in 2009, Gwenda served as clerk of session.

The Fletchers are the parents of two adult children, John and Rachel, and the grandparents of six, John, Emily, Robbie, Savannah, Summer and Samuel.

If you would like to read more you can subscribe to John and Gwenda Fletcher’s letters.

The Presbytery of Central Nebraska will be hosting a Social Media Seminar presented by Judy Weston, Community Program Director for Central Community College, on June 12th at the First Presbyterian Church in Kearney from 9 to 4pm. Attached is the registration form and an outline listing some of the topics that may be discussed during the class. Everyone is welcome to attend this event. The cost is $10 per participant and the deadline to register is May 21st. If you have any questions about the event please contact the presbytery office.

June 12, 2012 Social Media- APA One-Day Seminar Registration Form

Come learn about the You’ve Got a Friend campaign to be conducted this summer. This is your opportunity to learn how to get new people into your churches and keep them.
Several of our churches found this campaign to be very helpful this last Advent season. You too can reap the same benefits.
Pastors, elders, other church leaders and all church members would benefit from this training.

MAY 6 FROM 3:00 P.M. TO 5:30 P.M.
St. Paul Presbyterian Church

MAY 20 FROM 3:00 P.M. TO 5:30 P.M.
Kearney Presbyterian Church