November 14, 2017 Presbytery Meeting
Dear Presbyterians of the Milwaukee Presbytery,
I am writing to invite you to the November 14, 2017, Presbytery Meeting being hosted by our awesome brothers and sisters in Christ at Grace Presbyterian Church, Beaver Dam. The theme for this gathering is Faith, Food, and Farming, celebrating the gifts and ministry of all those working to address issues of hunger, food scarcity, and nutrition in the Greater Milwaukee Area. During the business meeting, we’ll introduce our new Exec nominee, Rachel Yates, and I’ll be passing the moderator baton to Vice Moderator Lee Tan. Please plan to come early for an opportunity to "Meet the Executive Candidate" prior to the business meeting.
We’re also planning a slideshow presentation and resource handout highlighting our congregations and those in specialized ministry who participate in or host a ministry focusing on issues of hunger, food scarcity or nutrition. Following the business meeting, we’ll welcome a guest panel of local individuals who, each in their own way, work to ensure that everyone in Wisconsin has access to nutritious food. Worship will be a multi-sensory experience of word, song, and the celebration of Communion during which we will affirm the goodness of God’s creation, marvel at the miracles of growth, and challenge ourselves to work for a fairer distribution of the fruits and gifts of the earth. During worship we’ll also celebrate the resurrection of those who have died in our presbytery in the past year. The offering will go to support the Presbyterian Hunger Program. Closing out the harvest season and heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, this gathering will help us to give thanks for those who help to put food on everyone’s table and inspire us to join the effort to eradicate hunger in Wisconsin.
Faith, Food, and Farming Panel:
- Rev. Christy Melby-Gibbons, Tricklebee Café, a “pay-what-you-can community café that offers healthy meals, food-service training, and spiritual nourishment”
- Becky Leupi, co-owner and grower of Vibrant Gardens, which supplies sustainable produce and education opportunities aimed at inspiring others to take control of their diets
- David Lee, Feeding Wisconsin, “the statewide association of the Feeding America food banks that sources, warehouses, and provides food to over 750 affiliated agencies and 1,000 local food programs throughout the state”
- Bill Leonard, (and elder at Linn Presbyterian Church), William J. Leonard & Sons, Inc., “a family operated dairy and grain farm whose goal is to help people disconnected from agriculture ‘know why we do certain things’”
- Rev. Karen Hagen, Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church, which hosts Divine Intervention Ministry to the Homeless, gardens that offer a work force development opportunity to Guests moving out of homelessness and into life, weekly nutrition education, and more!
If you or your congregation would like to be part of the slideshow or resource handout, or if you would like to send in names for the necrology report, please contact Donna Holmes at dholmes@pbymilwaukee.org.
I hope to see you there!
Ann Gibbs, Milwaukee Presbytery Moderator
The schedule:
3 pm - Registration and "Meet our Executive Candidate"
3:15 pm - First time orientation (Click here for a Welcome to the Presbytery document which will help you to be prepared for the meeting.)
4 pm - Business meeting
5 pm - Panel Discussion: Food, Faith and Farming
6 pm - Dinner (Click here for menu)
7 pm - Worship
Register Now! Online Registration closes on Monday, November 13, at noon.
Walk in Registration begins at 3 pm on the 14th.
Please contact the church directly, 920-885-3198, for childcare needs.
"The Presbytery of Milwaukee gathers its congregations into a covenant
partnership marked by faith, hope, love, trust and witness to Jesus Christ."
The Presbytery's Vision, April 2012