11/15/08 Presbytery Meeting Highlights
Highlights of the November 15, 2008 Presbytery Meeting A record number of Commissioners and visitors met at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Columbia, MO on a cool cloudy Saturday for fellowship, education, prayer, worship, and business. Our host church cheerfully greeted everyone with morning coffee and sweet breads followed later in the day with a delicious lunch. The Moderator, Elder David Harrison, opened the meeting with prayer and Rev. RIM Massey welcomed everyone to Trinity Presbyterian Church on their 50th Anniversary.
A major highlight was the Educational Event “Presbyterian Worship in A Time of Change – Something Old – Something New” presented by Dr. Thomas Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching, Chandler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Trinity Presbyterian Church brought Rev. Tom Long to Columbia to be with the Presbytery on Saturday and their church on Sunday as part of their 50th Anniversary Celebration. Rev. Terry Kukuk introduced Dr. Long as her Professor at Princeton Seminary who inspired preaching and had the mind of a scholar, a heart of a Pastor, a skilled teacher, and an accomplished writer.
Dr. Long emphasized that we should not leave our children out of the Worship Services, reminding us that we pledged to nurture children when they were Baptized. Children need to have a part in worship and the congregation needs to be more tolerant of their motion and noise. Worship should be around the intrusive “Word of God” as God is present not to serve us but to disrupt our lives not only at worship, but in the course of our daily lives. He cautioned us to guard against “Idolatry” which comes in many forms such as possessions and prejudice against others. Rather we should worship only the living God. He encouraged us to connect worship with mission helping others.
The worship service was led by Rev. Terry Kukuk, First Presbyterian Church, Mexico and the Church’s Worship Team, (Barb and Buck Green, Sarah Gleeson, Tori Webber, Kenny Nelson, and Mike Briggs.) They led “praise” singing with the songs and liturgy shown on a screen. Rev. Tom Long presented a sermon entitled “A Great Chasm” based on the text Luke 16: 19-31. Comments after the service included beautiful, moving, meaningful music, superb, helpful, well organized, fun, and interesting..
The Evelyn Bedell Awards were brought back this year to recognize older adults for their outstanding service in the Presbytery, their churches, and communities. A total of 33 persons from 19 different churches received a 2008 Evelyn Bedell Award.
Vital Worshiping Community Grants were presented to the following 9 churches: Climax Springs, Bethel-Salem (Morrison), Marshall-First, Range Line (Houstonia), Otterville, Boonville, Brookfield, North Lincoln Parish, and Green Ridge.
Elder Bess Gamm, Criminal Justice Mission Team, thanked those that brought unwrapped gifts to the Presbytery meeting for the PATCH Program which provides an opportunity for incarcerated women to have gifts to give their children. Rev. Jim Cruickshank, Disaster Assistance Mission Team told about their work in Northeast Missouri and announced a mission trip to Texas or the Gulf Coast (wherever Presbyterian Disaster Assistance needs the most help) for January 25-31, 2009. Rev. P. J. Southam reported that the Family Enrichment Mission Team working with the Presbyterian Children Services is hoping to provide shoes and coats for all children in the mentoring program in Hannibal. Ray Schneider (Church and Society ), Rev. Dave Henry (Youth), and Rev. Cecil Culverhouse (Hungarian) also had excellent reports on the work of their mission teams.
Incoming Moderator Dick Ramsey thanked Elder David Harrison for his service as Moderator of Missouri Union Presbytery this year and presented him an engraved Plaque.
Rev. Diane Miller, Committee of Thanks, offered a prayer of thanksgiving in appreciation for Elder David Harrison’s service as Moderator, the Worship Team from First Presbyterian Church-Mexico and Trinity Presbyterian Church for providing Rev. Tom Long and being our host for the Presbytery meeting.