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1013 8th Avenue
Seattle, WA, 98104
United States

(206)762-1991

The mission of Seattle Presbytery is to participate, in word and deed, in God’s transforming work through the Gospel of Jesus Christ: †by strengthening the witness and mission of our congregations and members and by building strong partnerships with each other and the larger Christian community.

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Church Statistical Reports & Pastor Salary Forms Due Now

Seattle Presbytery

The deadline for SeaPres churches to enter 2013 stats into the online system is Thursday, February 20th (midnight), even if your session has not yet approved the report. If your session meets after the Feb. 20th deadline, enter the stats by the deadline and take the paper copy to the session for approval. If there are changes, send them to Stated Clerk Kathy Lueckert and she will make them in the system.

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Clergy Renewal Programs

Seattle Presbytery

The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs  at Christian Theological Seminary is accepting proposals for grants to fund “clergy renewal leaves” for congregations and their pastors.

Under the program ― underwritten by the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment ― congregations may apply for grants of up to $50,000 to underwrite a renewal program for their pastor and for the pastor’s family, with up to $15,000 of those funds available to the congregation to help cover costs for ministerial supply while the pastor is away.

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OGA Statement on Minister Housing Case

Seattle Presbytery

The Office of the General Assembly (“OGA”) has been receiving inquiries and questions regarding the November 21, 2013 decision of a federal district court (Western District of Wisconsin) judge in Madison, Wisconsin which held that a portion of Section 107 of the Internal Revenue Code is unconstitutional.  Section 107 is the provision dealing with tax-favored housing benefits for “ministers of the gospel.”  Specifically, the court held that Section 107(2), which permits ministers to receive tax-free cash “housing allowance,” is unconstitutional because it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  Section 107(1), which allows ministers to reside tax-free in a church-provided manse, was not affected by the court’s decision.

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After Learning to Read, 'Nothing Can Stop Us'

Seattle Presbytery

From Church World Service

I enrolled in the CWS Karima Adult Learners' Centre in 2010, after persistent encouragement from my mother, now deceased, who also learned there.  

Once I was able to read and write and was operating a successful retail shop, thanks to CWS, I was elected group secretary. This position was very challenging because most women in the group still needed guidance on small scale business management. With continuous training from CWS we were able to manage our small businesses and earn some profits. We are more united than before. As a secretary, I help to keep the group records and to set up monthly meetings.

From January of this year, because of the perennial water shortage in our village, we got on a campaign called "each one a tank." This involves purchasing a 5,000-litre capacity water tank for each of the group’s 22 households. To make it easier for everyone, we planned to buy three water tanks at a time. We were able to raise enough money to achieve this dream in just a couple of months.

Unlike before, when we didn't have money of our own, we are now captains of our lives. Because we have safe clean water year round, the health of our children has improved and we also are able to sustain our chicken project. For us, the projects demonstrate our level of literacy. We now can read and count. We can communicate with the mobile phone and, most of all, we can keep our business records.

At Karima Learners’ Centre we feel empowered as we aspire to grow together. The initial business grant from CWS has gotten larger, giving us more independence. Every one of us has a growing business that is helping to feed our families. Every month, we come together to review our individual progress as we build up our savings. We have discussed the need to invest our money in a financial institution so that we can qualify for bigger loans in the future. We have big dreams and nothing can stop us now.

Storyteller:  Milcah Njeri, Kenya

Seattle Presbytery Grant Helps "UNITE" Youth

Seattle Presbytery

Teamwork by Seattle-area churches is helping youth and leaders connect every Christmas. Lake City PC, Rainier Beach PC, Northminster PC, Seattle Community Church, & Snohomish First PC (North Puget Sound Presbytery) worked together to create "UNITE", a joint youth retreat open to local churches who want to bring youth leaders and students. 

"We started this retreat so we could unite youth from all around the Seattle area in the name of Christ and let them know they are not alone in their walk," said HT Lee (Seattle Community Church). "The awesome thing is that youth who went to the same schools but didn't know each other, ended up connecting at these retreats. The Spirit is flowing through these youth and allowing them to grow into the people God intended them to be." 

Months of prayer, planning and pre-rally fellowship gatherings led up to the big event. Each church participated in each step of the process. The retreat happened December 26-29, 2013 at Tall Timber Ranch, a picturesque and fun winter get-away in Leavenworth, WA.  Pastor Lina Thompson (Lake Burien PC) spoke to 70+ youth.  Churches also brought youth group leaders, teachers, parents, and other volunteers for a memorable time of bonding and fellowship. The retreat was funded in part by a Seattle Presbytery grant. If you're interested in joining next year's group, please contact HT Lee.

Kanye West, Evangelist of the 21st Century

Seattle Presbytery

By Erin Rodenbiker, intern at Rainier Beach and candidate under care of UPC.

Currently circling the country is one of the world’s most loved/hated figures: Jesus. No, wait: Yeezus. But I saw it with my own eyes: the new Yeezus tour features Kanye West’s very own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Move over Bono, Christians have a new spokesperson.

Kanye’s depiction of Jesus may seem, at first, like farce or mockery—a caricature with the aims of postmodern indulgence or a racialized political statement. But, while iconoclasm and activism may be present, they do not dominate. Instead, the performance is a theological rap opera where religion and entertainment are weaved together in the imagination of the believer—and yet, completely conflicted—Kanye West, who inhabits the role of performance artist and, dare I say, evangelist. Yeezus is a Christian of the 21st Century.

Continue reading at Patrol Magazine.

Now Seeking YAAD Nominees for GA221

Seattle Presbytery

Seattle Presbytery’s Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD)
221st General Assembly

The 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will meet June 14 – 21, 2014, in Detroit, Michigan.  Each presbytery is invited to send one person as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD) at General Assembly expense.  The YAAD will be seated with the presbytery’s teaching elder and ruling elder commissioners on the floor of the Assembly.  The YAAD has the right to speak, and to vote in an advisory capacity on the floor of the Assembly.  YAADs are full voting members of the General Assembly Committee to which he/she is assigned.

Being a YAAD is a great way to connect with other young Presbyterians from across the country, and to learn about the full scope of the ministry and mission of the PC(USA).  YAADs have an extensive program planned just for them, in addition to regular Assembly business.

The Youth Advisory Delegate must be 17 – 23 years old the day the General Assembly convenes (6/14) and an active member for at least a year in a congregation within Seattle Presbytery.  Having some experience in the Presbyterian Church beyond the local congregation is a real plus for a YAAD.  The candidate should have sufficient personal maturity to be able to function independently and responsibly for nine days with other youth and adults, and to participate faithfully in the many meetings and activities associated with the General Assembly meeting.

A YAAD nominee must be endorsed by the Session of their congregation.

Nomination deadline is January 6, 2014.

Download the nomination & application form here and return it to:

YAAD Selection Committee/Janet DeWaterNewport Presbyterian Church, 4010 120th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98006

Nominations / applications due January 6th, 2013.

Queen Anne Historical Society Showcases Bethany

Seattle Presbytery

The Queen Anne Historical Society is holding its community meeting on Thursday, November 21st at Bethany Presbyterian Church, as part of its ongoing series of presentations on historic Queen Anne churches.  The meeting begins at 7:00 PM and everyone is welcome to learn about the "best kept historic preservation secrets" of the church at 1818 Queen Anne Ave. N.  Read more.

Trusting God to Provide

Seattle Presbytery

Debt assistance program helps new seminary grad who said yes to the big call of a small Seattle church. 

General Assembly Mission Council article featuring Mountain View's Tasha Hicks.   

Tasha Hicks assumed when she finished seminary in 2011 that she’d go on to be part of a large, multistaff church, which many graduates aspire to do. She found herself instead as the part-time solo pastor of Mount View Presbyterian Church, a 50-member church in White Center, an unincorporated area of Seattle.

When she first saw the job, Hicks admits there were many things that attracted her to it but also one big thing that made her hesitate.

“My passion has always been to be in a diverse setting and group, working with folks that are on the margins of society,” Hicks says. “Actually, when I saw this position, everything about it was exciting to me, but I saw ‘solo, part-time’ and I said no way. I just didn’t think that was my strength, to be a solo pastor preaching pretty much every week.”

Two of Hicks’s mentors who had worked with her for the last five years also saw the job description and encouraged her to apply for it.

 

Presbyterian News Service Features BelPres Ministry

Seattle Presbytery

October 30, 2013 - Emily Enders Odom

'Jesus would want us to do it all' 

Bellevue church's outreach to at-risk youth transforms hearts, lives, schools, church, community.   

Picking up a basketball changed Brent Christie’s life.

Twelve years ago, the former hospitality industry executive walked away from his dream job at an iconic hotel company with no idea as to what he would do next.

“I was going to start another business when I was introduced during worship to the witness of a student at Eastside Academy, a last-chance, alternative high school for at-risk youth housed at our church,” said Christie, a member of First Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, Wash., known as BelPres. “I sat in the pew and thought, ‘That’s something I can do. I can fix those kids.’”

Christie — who at the time considered himself to be a “more intellectual Christian, who wasn’t experiencing the risen Christ” — said that on that particular Sunday, rather than “sitting at church, consuming ministry, and then typically going home,” he instead went into a room after the service to learn about becoming a mentor at the school.

 

Interview: Malcolm Gladwell on his return to faith

Seattle Presbytery

By Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Religion News Service

Author Malcolm Gladwell may not be known for writing on religion. His New York Times best-selling books “The Tipping Point,” “Outliers,” “Blink” and “What the Dog Saw” deal with the unexpected twists in social science research. But his newest book, “David and

Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants,” also includes underlying faith-related themes, and not just in the title. Gladwell said that while researching the book, he began rediscovering his own faith after having drifted away. Here, he speaks with RNS about his Mennonite family, how Jesus perfectly illustrates the point in his new book and how Gladwell’s return to faith changed the way he wrote the book. The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Q: You use the biblical story of David and Goliath in the title and the setup to your book. Do you think we’ve been retelling the story poorly?

A: I think there has been an overemphasis of the idea that David’s victory was improbable. When you look closer to that story and you understand the full historical context, you see it from a different perspective. Here was a guy who brilliantly changed the rules of combat. He was equipped with a sling that was routinely used by armies to defeat the sort that Goliath was. David was very skilled at using the weapon and he was filled with the spirit of the Lord. Put those things together, why is he an underdog? He’s smarter than his opponent, better armed and he had this extraordinary force in his heart. When you understand that perspective, you understand that sometimes our instinct about where power comes from is wrong.

Q: What are some other examples of faith influencing power?

A: The final two chapters of the book also deal with faith: one about a woman who forgives her daughter’s murderer and one about the Huguenots in France who defy the Nazis in World War II. In both cases, people were able to do extraordinary things because they were armed with faith. They were able to perform acts of courage because they came from godly traditions. In both cases, there are people who had been through enormous adversity and had survived — more than survived, thrived.

Click here to read more at pcusa.org. 

 

Refugee Resettlement Program at Seattle First

Seattle Presbytery

Did you know? Seattle First Presbyterian Church sponsors and welcomes Christian Refugees from the Middle East.

They are seeking partners to furnish two apartments in the next two months. All support is welcome -- including household items, kitchen supplies, used vehicles, and financial support.

For more information about supporting this ministry, please contact Rev. Mansour Kahjehpour.

 

Click here if you were looking for information about the Phyllis Tickle Retreat (sorry!).

Notes from your Evangelism Ministry Team

Seattle Presbytery

BET YOU CAN GUESS WHAT EVANGELOPHOBIC MEANS!

Evangelophobia, or a fear of sharing the Gospel, is a very common ailment among Christians of all ages and persuasions.   While some phobias may never be completely overcome treatment can help a person to function effectively.  The Holy Spirit is the therapist for this.  We hope you will find our offering helpful also.

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The ethics of a Syrian military intervention

Seattle Presbytery

From Presbyterian News Service/Religion News Service

WASHINGTON

As the Obama administration readies for a probable military strike against Syria, Religion News Service asked a panel of theologians and policy experts whether the U.S. should intervene in Syria in light of the regime’s use of chemical weapons against civilians. Would the “Just War” doctrine justify U.S. military action, and what is America’s moral responsibility? Click through for their responses, which have been edited for clarity. 

  • Stanley Hauerwas, Professor emeritus of theological ethics at Duke Divinity School
  • William Galston, Senior fellow, Brookings Institution
  • Qamar-ul Huda, Senior program officer in the Religion & Peacemaking Center of the U.S. Institute of Peace
  • The Rev. Drew Christiansen, Jesuit priest and visiting scholar at Boston College and longtime adviser to the U.S. Catholic Bishops on international affairs
  • Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, Chair of the World Evangelical Alliance’s Global Task Force on Nuclear Weapons and author of “The World Is Not Ours To Save: Finding the Freedom to Do Good”
  • Rabbi Michael Broyde, Professor of law and senior fellow, Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion
  • Andrew J. Bacevich, Professor of international relations at Boston University

Continue reading at pcusa.org

A Visual History of SeaPres Church Planting

Seattle Presbytery

For prettier visuals, download the power point file here

Special thanks to Dr. Robert Welsh M.D., and Rev. James Kearny of Capital Hill Pres. for their work on the underlying chronology of events.

 Please send any corrections and feedback to Aaron Willett.

Corrections (to be added to the slides at a later date): 

  • The Second Presbyterian Church of Seattle (now Bethany Presbyterian Church) was founded in 1888, not 1887.
  • There was no “Woodland” in 1888.
  • “Lakewood” was located on 51st St in the Rainier Valley.
  • Grace PC did not combine with Cherry St to become Madrona in 1953. Grace was closed in 1953 due to lack of funds. The congregation shrank until it could not sustain itself. Grace closed in 1953. Its 31 members transferred to Madrona and the proceeds from sale of its property were used to renovate the Madrona manse, but there was no merger.