Recap of Synod School 2011 from the Keeping In Touch News

The following stories are from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies newsletter, Keeping In Touch, August 11, 2011 issue. The story links are found on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s News Service website at www.pcusa.org.

Two of the articles below are of special importance to the Des Moines Presbytery and are about our own Director of Communications Kim Coulter (Clive, Heartland) and another story of a former member of the Knox United Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, the Rev. Burns Stanfield family.

Consider attending Synod School next year at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, July 22-27, 2012. (Thanks to Synod Communications Editor Duane Sweep for permission to repost.)

• Hands down, Mr. Methuselah was the crankiest man at the Synod School held the last week of July at Buena Vista University. www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/3/presbyterian-puppetry.
• Synod schoolers learn about Rock ‘n’ Roll faith connection:
www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/2/not-fade-away.

Synod school teacher demonstrates new media role in evangelism: A short video, a little bit of show and tell, and a lot of discussion – it’s the way Kim Coulter led her class on social media here at Buena Vista University during the 58th Synod of Lakes and Prairies' Synod School. With an opening video that proclaimed, “If Facebook were a country, it’d be the world’s third largest,” Coulter made the argument that social media can play a role in the church. The complete PNS story is at: www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/9/friending-church.

• Synod schoolers learn that science is both theoretical, concrete:www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/5/world-changing-ideas.
• Drama takes many forms, multiple roles in congregations:www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/10/all-churchs-stage.

Presbyterian family share stories of Kenya during Synod School: When Lorraine Stanfield turned 50 last spring, she didn’t want a party. She wanted her family to go with her to Kenya to serve people – and maybe take in a safari near the end of the two-week visit, which the family did. The Stanfields, of Milton, Mass., offered a workshop describing highlights of their trip during Synod of Lakes and Prairies’ Synod School, held during the last week of July at Buena Vista University. The complete PNS story is at: www.pcusa.org/news/2011/8/4/teaching-what-they-learned.

• Synod schoolers urged to join ‘Each One Reach One’ anti-poverty initiative: www.pcusa.org/news/2011/7/28/no-more-mommy-voice.