Tap into the creativity and talent of your youth group in the Presbyterian Youth Video Challenge.

Create a video expressing your group's love for God and sense of mission, then post it on www.ymiLIVE.org , a new social networking site for Presbyterian youth.  Your youth group will then have an opportunity to receive one of three $25,000 endowments to benefit youth ministry at your church!

Visit www.ymiLIVE.org to learn more.

Wanted: Pastor Able to Leap Tall Buildings in a Single Bound!
Spouse Must Sing In Choir!
by John Elting, member of Steel Lake PC's Pastor Nominating Committee

It’s really quite interesting! Almost without exception, each one of us at Steel Lake (myself included) has already formed a mental picture of our new pastor, what they will be like, how they will dress, how they will preach, and how they will approach their ministry. Why, we even know how involved in the church’s activities their spouse should be! Based on our personal observations and interactions with pastors we have known, our own areas of interest in the church, and our perception of church needs, we each have a full set of expectations for the new minister (and their families), down to what committee and group meetings they need to attend and what their involvement level should be in those groups. If we could combine our individual expectations, we would coalesce the following job description: “Personally oversee and be deeply involved in absolutely every program of the church, attend every meeting of every group every evening, be intensely interested in every member and visitor, and be exceptionally gifted in every aspect of ministry, some of which we have yet to think of.” Using this job description would greatly simplify the PNC’s task – all we would really need to do is advertise for Superman (or Wonder Woman) and then hire them once they apply.

Seattle Presbytery Meeting; January 15, 2008

Like it or not we are a presbytery in transition! Our communication staff is helping our congregations get their websites on line and up to date. In the office we are orienting a new bookkeeper. Our CLP and EMT leadership is completing a transition. We have a COM structure task force exploring more appropriate ways for that committee to function and their work will likely lead to positive changes.  With the recent shift of presbytery finance committee responsibilities to the Council, our financial structure is in transition.  With this meeting as we welcome a new moderator, our presbytery leadership is in the midst of an orderly transition.  At our last presbytery meeting you met our new synod leader, Joyce Emery.  Her work is called transitional executive because our synod is in transition.  Even some of our rules of governance are considering a transition.  Some of you have seen the proposed changes in chapter 14 of the book of order.  They are coming to GA in June for approval.  And my position as interim EP reflects that this presbytery's staff leadership has been transitional.

One of the most enriching, interesting and sometimes mysterious aspects of our presbytery is our ethnic diversity.  I believe God wants us to view our diversity as one of God’s greatest gifts.  This month we are privileged to see these gifts in action as we are invited to Community Church of Seattle (formerly known as Korean Community Presbyterian Church) for the January 15 meeting of our presbytery.  The congregation will provide an authentic Korean dinner without charge.  In response we are encouraged to direct our usual dinner fee (or more if we want!) to the “Network to End Homelessness” founded by The Rev. Jean Kim. 

The 2008th General Assembly (June 21-28, 2009) is less than six months away.  If you haven’t already start praying now!  I encourage every pastor or session to organize a prayer group or galvanize the groups you already have in your church to pray for our denomination.  Sadly, I have found that it is far, far more common for people to complain about what they don’t like in the PC(USA) than to pray for it.  This should not be so.