Note of Encouragement

Hi again Sisters and Brothers in Christ--

Ephesians 3:20-21 is GREAT encouragement from our Lord in days like these. May we trust that, even if the vote Saturday goes as expected, the Lord will use our words and actions to speak the Truth of the Gospel in Love--seeds will be planted; lives will be transformed through Jesus Christ (and, as the 60s folk song put it--"let it begin with me!)!

I realize it is not easy to ask elders to attend presbytery on a saturday.

We will have 2 of 3 of our assigned number from the redress of imbalance. I am still hopeful that the 3rd elder might be able to tweak his schedule to make it at least for the morning (looks like the big votes will take place then).

Many of you may have read how it seems that folks are "staying away in droves" in various other presbyteries as they vote yet again on the Ordination standards. In some cases, there have been ties. In several cases, some presbyteries switched from their prior votes which supported our Biblical standards. I was saddened to read this was the case in my former presbytery--Western North Carolina.

One of our elders expressed a willingness to send e-mails to elder-commissioners from evangelical congregations as a little extra encouragement.

Please pass the word to some other elders and ministers whom you may know about the importance of attendance:

---those serving on Council

---those serving in Immigrant Fellowships which have been officially
approved by presbytery (Kenyan, Laotian?)

Please pass the word to Ministers & CLPs:

---those serving in Validated Ministries

---those who are Retired

---those who are At-Large members

---CLPs (approved for voice & vote in presbytery on a case-by-case
basis; according to Book of Order)

---any other categories which I may have left out! :-)

PS--Here at PCOM in Coon Rapids, we accepted the invitation
from Presbytery office to host the Presbytery meeting here
on Tuesday, July 14.

In Christ's Peace & Hope,
David Bierschwale