Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Join Two Rivers for Seder Meal in Des Moines

The Evangelism and Education Task Force of the Two Rivers Regional Partnership is sponsoring a Seder Meal and Communion Service on Maundy Thursday from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 3100 Easton Blvd. in Des Moines. (Enter Fellowship Hall, which is handicap accessible, through west doors or back parking lot. Main doors on upper level will be locked and unavailable.)
A free-will offering will be taken, which will be donated to the DMARC Food Pantry. Menu: Rib eye, potato, green beans, et al. In keeping with tradition, you are asked to bring a pillow to put on your chair for comfort. Reservations are due by Palm Sunday, April 5.
This activity is sponsored through the Presbytery of Des Moines by The Two Rivers Regional Partnership of Presbyterian Churches – Clifton Heights, Cottage Grove Avenue, First, Fort Des Moines, Knox United, Highland Park, Park Avenue, and Union Park.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Come one, Come all, to Lunch & Learn

The third in our Communications Lunch & Learn series for our Presbytery members is (Re)Visioning Your Church. The Rev. Jim Howland will be on hand to help us touch on the importance of the church being connected to the virtual community and how that impacts our vision of “church” and the transformative aspects of it. We’ll meet from Noon to 1 p.m., March 19, to discuss the (re)visioning process from our Presbytery’s Coach of the Transformation and Visioning teams.

If you are a pastor, staff or a volunteer on the church session and would like to hear about this re-visioning process, you are encouraged to attend the meeting at the Presbytery of Des Moines, 2400 86th St., Suite 20, Urbandale, IA. (We are located behind the Perkins on the corner of 86th and Hickman in the Westview business complex.) Don’t forget to bring a brown bag lunch. A microwave and a refrigerator stocked with beverages are available for your use. Mark your calendars! Below is a list of future lunch and learns:

2009 Dates and Topics (the 3rd Thursday of each month)
  • March 19 – (Re)Visioning Your Church
  • April 16 – Web Site Writing and Optimization so Search Engines will find you
  • May 21 – Evaluating your Churches Communications Efforts
  • June 18 – Blogging 101 and Podcasting for Pastors
  • July 16 – Learn about Khadamat Sudaniya’s Ministry
  • August 20 – Social Networking Online with Youth (Facebook, MySpace and Twitter)
  • September 17 – Annual & Statistical Reports, Newsletters and E-announcements (bring samples)
  • October 15 – Public Relations 101 – How to Get Church News Noticed
  • November 19 – How to use Photographs in your Church Ministry

Monday, March 2, 2009

Attend the 7th Annual Heroes of the Heartland Breakfast

The American Red Cross, Central Iowa Chapter will hold it’s Seventh Annual Heroes of the Heartland Breakfast on Thursday, March 5 at 7 a.m. The Honorably Retired Rev. Robert Cook will be awarded the International Impact Award for his work with mission in Berlin, El Salvador. The Rev. Cook currently is serving as interim pastor for the Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Des Moines.

When asked about the award, Rev. Cook said he feels honored and is receiving it on behalf of all the people who made the Our Sister Parish project happen the many years he served in El Salvador as the designated missionary.
The annual breakfast will be held at Prairie Meadows in Altoona. To make your reservation, contact Cailin Stock at 515-246-6307.