Monday, March 22, 2010

Are you plugging in and still shorting out?

DUE TO AN INADEQUATE NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FALL!

Churches using new technology and social networking are getting the upper hand on attracting members. Workshop speakers will help congregations embrace technology without blowing up the church! Workshop speakers include:

Sunday morning worship leader is Keith Robinson, founder and director of The Emerge Experience, who brings an inspirational message of hope and love to thousands of students in the Des Moines area in Iowa. Keith is also the student community director at Berean Assembly of God of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and coordinates their Wednesday night gathering of hundreds of students at Berean’s Student Community, emergexperience.com.

Des Moines Presbytery’s director of communications Kim Coulter and friends will lead and expert panel discussion on Doing More With Less. Experts include: the Rev. Jim Bonewald of Knox Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids; Jan Davison of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Des Moines; Danette Griffith of Central Presbyterian Church, Des Moines; and the Rev. Claude Jones of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque.

Meredith Kemp-Pappan is from the Office of Evangelism and Church Growth at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Louisville, Kentucky. A candidate for ordained ministry, she holds degrees from West Texas A&M University and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s in spirituality from Bellarmine University. Meredith’s devotionals are featured on AllWomen.ning.com, a social media Web site sponsored by the Office of Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries.
The Rev. Susan Phillips, tries to be a disciple and pastors First Presbyterian Church in Shawano, Wisconsin, seeking theology with passion, community with discernment and love with justice. Her life as a mama, spouse, servant, friend, is filled with art and artists and inter/faith creativity. In the midst of dramatic and global changes in society, the churches’ cultures are changing. If you are an early adopter of new faithful expressions in the 21st century or if you are suspicious of all these changes, join The Emerging Church Conversation and see what God is doing in our midst.

Andrew Yeager-Buckley, electronic marketing associate with the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Louisville, Kentucky, is the new Web site manager for the development of electronic and viral marketing strategies for resources such as TheThoughtfulChristian.com and ThePresbyterianLeader.com. Andrew is also a youth ministry volunteer and will speak on The OCC: Exploring the new Online Christian Community and Social Networking Possibilities.
President and CEO Kent Zimmerman is from The Wallace Centers of Iowa located in Des Moines. For more than 40 years, Kent has brought his creative marketing expertise to numerous public, private, and non-profit organizations. His session, Thinking Outside the Box, highlights the process and provides the tools that will enable congregations to comfortably examine their future and begin moving in a new direction.

Register now online for Plugging In Without Shorting Out, Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 18, at the Downtown Marriot, 700 Grand Ave. in Des Moines. Cost is $175. Small and rural church members are encouraged to attend!

The conference is sponsored by the Transformation Team of the Presbytery of Des Moines, Iowa. Conference brochure, 3-day schedule and registration form are now available.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Pajama’s at Monroe Church are a Hit!

Thirty-five pairs of pajamas are now a part of “Helen’s Pajama Party!”. Through the second half of January, Monroe Presbyterian Church a local group called “The Quality Chicks” joined together to gather pajamas for Helen’s Pajama Party. The brain child of Kelly Sargent, Helen’s Pajama Party seeks to gather 3,000 pairs of pajamas to give to domestic violence shelters in Iowa. The hope is with the gift of these pajamas every woman entering the shelter will be able to receive a new pair of pajamas.

Pictured with the pajamas are Monroe Church members (left to right): Pat Pendroy, Julie Phillipson, Rev. Ann Johnson, Shirley Gilman, and Terri St. Peter.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Register Now for Plugging In Conference! Early Bird Deadline is March 15

DUE TO AN INADEQUATE NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FALL!

Churches using new technology and social networking are getting the upper hand on attracting members. Workshop speakers will help congregations embrace technology without blowing up the church!
Our leadership for this three day conference will cover topics like:
  • Using technology to help congregations communicate online

  • Learning how to do more for less (using technology on limited budgets)

  • How to use technology to reach youth

  • Media and worship

  • The emerging church conversation
  • Spiritual disciplines
  • How to think outside the box
Through worship, general sessions and breakout times, our leaders will both show and model for us how we can “plug in without shorting out”. Keynote speakers include:

The Rev. Michael Bausch, author of Silver Screen, Sacred Story: Using Multimedia in Worship and teacher or the use of arts and multimedia in worship. Currently, he serves as minister at Summit Congregational UCC of Dubuque, Iowa.

Michael Wagner, CEO of the White Rabbit Group in Des Moines is a facilitator, consultant, business developer and a pastor of 17 years. He will focus on society's unpredictable dynamics and help us find Solid Ground in Shaky Times.

Adam Walker Cleaveland serves as minister for youth and young adults at Asbury United Methodist Church in Livermore, Calif. He blogs at pomomusings.com, and helped found Presbymergent, a group of Presbyterians wanting to engage the emerging church movement.

Register now online for Plugging In Without Shorting Out, Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 18, at the Downtown Marriot, 700 Grand Ave. in Des Moines. Small and rural church members are encouraged to attend!

The conference is sponsored by the Transformation Team of the Presbytery of Des Moines, Iowa. Conference brochure, 3-day schedule and registration form are now available.