Presbyterians are actively engaged in processes that have been a part of our history since the Reformation.  Remember the old favorite of ours?   The Latin phrases of the Protestant Reformation that are so impressive sounding, ecclesia semper reformans, semper reformanda. In plain English, this means "the church is always reformed and always reforming."  Change is always going on around us, through us and with us.

We face change in many aspects of our lives this summer.  Pierre/Ft. Pierre is engaged in change brought on by the flooding crisis.   Our Denomination is in the middle of change brought on by a theological crisis, one built over the last 30 years by faithful people hearing a very different calling from God.   And of course Oahe Presbyterian is in the middle of change that can seem stressful, yet filled with hope for the future.

In these times it helps to be reminded of some very important facts.  In all these areas we know God is with us and has called many faithful servants to share our journeys through tough times.

We should encourage those affected by the flood to feel free to let their needs be known.  Through our local, and larger church we have resources available to help.  People stand ready to assist.  Next week the session will take up the question of how we can best help through this summer and into the recovery phase.  We are working with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to identify ways help can come through our church.

The effects of the changes taking place in our Denomination are not clearly known.  While our Constitution is changing in some significant ways, we at the local level may not notice much change.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will use this time to direct the PCUSA in greater paths of faithfulness.

What about Oahe Presbyterian?  Much work is being done, and will continue as we find our way forward.  I believe that Oahe will grow in faithfulness and numbers as we discover God’s leading in this new time.  You have taken some very significant steps forward with Rev. Steve Boots and the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry continues to assist us in our next steps forward.   I believe God will provide us with the resources necessary to move positively forward as a congregation.   Continue to support your session as they diligently lead us into the future.   

Remember, your Session stands ready to help members.  We need your assistance identifying those needs.

Session Moderator

Rev. Rolly

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The Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?""My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. 

 "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.

"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by.  "I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section. Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?  "Without thinking I said,

"Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden. "She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion!                      

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel !"        ANON.

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the moderator’s june column

Office of the General Assembly

BY CYNTHIA BOLBACH
Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010)
LOUISVILLE

“I’m just an elder.”

Have you heard someone say that? Have you said it yourself? Maybe in response to being asked to lead worship, or preach, or visit someone in the hospital?  “No,” you reply, “I couldn’t do that. I’m just an elder. Those are things the pastor does.”

Our Presbyterian polity doesn’t recognize the statement, “I’m just an elder.” In our polity, ruling elders and teaching elders (also known as Ministers of the Word and Sacrament) share equally in the governance and spiritual leadership of the church. Our calls to ministry encompass different functions and tasks, but we are called equally to ministry and to leadership in the church.

For too long the ministry of ruling elder has been diminished, equated with serving on a non-profit board of directors. Yes, the session does perform tasks like hiring nursery attendants and deciding whether the amount of insurance coverage is adequate. But that is not the primary task of the session or of the ruling elders who serve on it.  

Ruling elders have the awesome task of measuring our community of faith’s fidelity to the Word of God. As the proposed new Form of Government puts it, “Ruling elders, together with teaching elders, exercise leadership, government, spiritual discernment, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a congregation as well as the whole church, including ecumenical relationships” (G-2.0301).

There’s no “just” anywhere in that sentence.  Being a ruling elder is not easy. But we are not in this alone. Others are there to guide us as we seek to carry out our high calling.

From June 30–July 2, Presbyterians will gather in Indianapolis for the “Big Tent.” A significant component of the Big Tent will be the Elders Conference – a chance for all of us who are ruling elders to come together, share common thoughts and concerns, learn how to be better ruling elders, and, not least, to discover the “top ten things elders need to know.” Really, how can you stay away?

Go to: www.pcusa.org/bigtent to register. I look forward to seeing with you there!

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The Joys of Being a Presbyterian

Last week I spent a few days “hanging around” Sylvan Lake while Larry was working at Custer State Park.  On the final day of the project, I was waiting for him to finish his measuring , holding a 3 ring binder and pencil in hand as I had make taking notes on his measurements when a lady walked up to me and asked me what I was doing.  Sometimes it’s hard to explain to others what you are doing when you really aren’t too sure yourself as to the rationale of the particular project.  But I explained as best I could what was happening to the campgrounds, parking lots and roadways around the lake and we began visiting. 

One never knows when God decides to direct one’s conversation to Him but our conversation very quickly turned to church, denomination and worship and…behold…I had met up with another gabby Presbyterian.  Not totally a family situation as her husband was, as she put it, one of those Episcopalians but she loved him anyway.   Well, turned out my new found friend was an active elder in her church in Virginia and “her” church and presbytery were also dealing with the pros and cons of the current General Assembly issues and votes. 

We then had the opportunity to visit for about 30 minutes and the majority of the conversation was on why we enjoyed being a part of the PC(USA).  One never knows when the opportunity to meet up with a fellow Christian may arrive or when an occasion to spread the Word of our Lord to someone in need may occur in the most unexpected places. (I was standing by a garbage can at the time.)

I thank God that I’ve been privileged to have had the opportunity to study and to hear His Word and to become familiar with, though not nearly educated enough, to be able to share with others.   That’s a blessing! That’s an opportunity! That’s what we are called to do! 

---Meleta DeJong, Newsletter Editor

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OPC NOTES:                                  

Worship at 8:15 a.m. June, July and August.

Treats are needed following each service.  Email Margaret Ellefson if you can furnish treats and make coffee or sign up on the clipboard sheet in the narthex.

Special music needed for worship.  Sign up sheet is on the back of the secretary’s office door.

Pastor Rolly Kemink has been appointed as moderator of Oahe Presbyterian for the time being and will be providing worship and pastoral services.

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OAHE CHAPEL WORSHIP FOR OPC ON PENTECOST SUNDAY, JUNE 12th. Oahe Presbyterian held it’s Sunday worship service at the little chapel above the dam on June 12th.   It has been a tradition for over 40 years at OPC to spend one Sunday each summer, generally in June, worshipping at the historic Oahe Chapel.  Pastor Rolly Kemink officiated; Margaret Ellefson was the pianist and Joe Nadenicek provided special music.
*Please click on photos to view enlargements*
Entering Oahe Chapel for Sunday Worship.	Pastor Rolly	Joe and Margaret during the service.

Mike Fugitt honored with day After 40 years in education, Pierre Riggs High School Principal Mike Fugitt finally has a day all of his own. Fugitt, who is retiring at the end of this month, received a surprise honor during Monday’s school board meeting. Board vice president Dennis James presented Fugitt with a Governor’s proclamation declaring June 30 as “Mike Fugitt Day in South Dakota.” Fugitt admits having a day named for him is something he didn’t expect – and he is not sure what that means. Fugitt has spent the last 16 years in the Pierre system including the last 14 as Riggs principal.

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Church PEWS - by Rev. Johnny Rhoad

          With both sadness and joy I write this final time for our newsletter. It has been my privilege to serve this congregation for our Master and Saviour. I certainly made mistakes, and learned much; but I end my time with you by asking a question: what is important to this Church? What conclusions does a stranger make after visiting your Church concerning what is important to you?

                I believe there are four foundations in the Church’s life which I give the acronym PEWS. Pews, just like what you sit on when you are in Church!

                P stands for:                       Pastoral Care

                E stands for:                       Education

                W stands for:                     Worship

                S stands for:                       Service

                Pastoral care is not just the exclusive responsibility of the minister, the elders, or the deacons... The Bible says a lot about pastoral care. It is a major theme that weaves its pattern through the pages of Scripture. Pastoral care is at the heart of the Faith Community, the church. Pastoral care is the responsibility of everyone, all who claim and profess Jesus Christ - read the 6^th chapter of Acts. Pastoral care is: hugging the person, who needs a hug… it is listening to the person who just needs to talk… it is crying with the person who is crying… it is also being able to laugh with the person who is laughing... Pastoral care is sharing, caring, loving and serving the person beside you, or across from you in your pew, perhaps the one you will share a cup of coffee, or tea.

                The church is an educational institution. Education is a key responsibility of the church. We are a school of higher learning. It is integral to our faith. If the education of the young does not come first, or if we fail in attending to it, the faith will disappear. If we do not tell the “stories” and the “story” of Jesus - it will die with us. That was the point of Moses in the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy. "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength… put His commands in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.” Make His way, your way and make your children, your grandchildren, aware of His Way. The community that was preparing to possess the Promised Land - had to be a community committed to education. Educating, in the way and will of the LORD. And it was a way that began, and ended with “love”.

                We are also as a Church, a community of faith that gathers both frequently, and regularly, for worship. We celebrate, in our worship, the One we call Creator and Redeemer. Worship is the celebration of the God who never leaves our side - for that is what worship really is. We call, and know God, as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. One God, in three persons. So as we wish to be a part of this community - a community of faith, we are called to faithfully worship the one God - the true and only God. There are three aspects of worship:

                1). Scriptures: Celebrating the worth, and the value, of God through the reading and heeding of His eternal Word.

                2). Sacraments: These are the visible signs, that we can touch, taste and feel, that speak of the grace of God. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

                3). Prayer: Telling God how special He is to us. Prayer is thanking God for the blessings of life. Prayer is pouring out our hearts in love toward God. Telling God of our struggles and our successes in life. Prayer is seeking God’s guidance.

                Christian Service is to carry our pastoral care beyond the physical boundary’s of our Community of faith into the broader community and on to the stranger. Service is caring for others as much as we care for ourselves and our families and our friends. When describing and speaking of the role of our Christian service we commonly use terms such as mission, evangelism and outreach. Christian Service is applying our faith to daily living beyond our community of faith. Zephaniah, puts it very plainly, “Seek the LORD, you… who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility…” when it comes to our relationship with others beyond our faith community. Paul, in his letter to the Church in Rome, had this to say about Christian service: It is about “loving… holding fast to what is good… not lagging in zeal… it is serving… in particular the LORD… living in harmony… living peaceably… never avenging ourselves… feeding the hungry… giving water to the thirsty… overcoming evil with good…” And Jesus said, as the Gospel records, 'Come, you blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of  Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.'  "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we do these things?  And I will respond, I tell you, you did these things every time you did it to one of the least of these My people… yes, you did it to Me.' 

                That is Christian Service: it is Mission, Ministry, Evangelism and Outreach - carried beyond our doors, out into the whole of the earth. That is what the Community of Jesus - the church - is all about. Of all the communities you will ever be a part of - none is more important than the church.

                The church is, and will always be, a community of people who gather around a common bond of faith and love in Jesus Christ. We are a community of people who have discovered in Jesus a love and way of life we want to emulate - indeed Jesus is someone to mimic and follow - for we are a community that gathers exclusively around Jesus, His way and His teachings. The church is Jesus Christ, together with His people - committed to His ministry, mission and outreach to the ends of the earth.

                In truth and totality, it is time to ponder carefully what you are going to do to sustain the foundation of the church - the PEWS?

                 God will be with you - and may God be praised, forever. Amen.

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Mission Opportunities Await Oahe Presbyterian By now all who live in Pierre have become quite familiar with the added waterways, sandbags, pumps, levees and berms and mosquitoes. We have spent many hours helping to sandbag homes and businesses, move friends and families, and listen to individuals who have had their homes destroyed by not only the flood waters but the ground water as well. We have opened our homes to those in need and fed those who have come to assist. But… The work is far from over.  In the next few months, once the water has retreated back to within the riverbanks, the homes, businesses, property, roadways, parks, etc. will all be in need of repair.  Not all of our residents in Pierre and Ft. Pierre will be able to afford contractors or materials. That’s where we come in…think about volunteering in the aftermath of the flood but gutting homes, repairing homes, repairing yards, feeding those who are doing the repair work and many other tasks that will pop up along the way. Here’s an opportunity to help our fellow residents. THANK ABOUT IT.
	Brandon Vockrodt.  The Vockrodts gave up their weekend to haul and help with the sandbagging.

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