Presbytery of Blackhawk
CONNECTIONS news & updates
March 15, 2021

Looking Back and Looking Forward

At the Pastor’s Care and Share forum last week we talked about where we were and what we were doing one year ago when the world changed due to COVID-19. We recalled the Governor issuing a stay-at-home order effective March 21 and how we responded with quickly called session meetings and churches closed for in-person worship. Pastors scrambled to deliver the much-needed word of God on March 22. Some preached from living rooms using iPhones and Facebook Live while others spoke in empty sanctuaries on YouTube. Everyone learned how to use Zoom for session meetings. Pastors spent hours calling members to check-in and studied ways to make the church safe with PPE and financially stable with PPP. We worried about the virus. We worried about the wellbeing of our congregations. Yet we stayed committed to the message of Jesus. Members remained faithful and we all learned to be church in a new way.

The presbytery responded by forming a COVID-19 Task Force that continues to meet and has issued more than 30 updates. We have moved presbytery assembly and committee meetings online and called new leadership. We continue the core work of supporting our congregations as you find new pastors and consider how to serve your communities through feeding programs and initiatives like Matthew 25. We have also done some really hard work such as separating the presbytery and the camp and dissolving four congregations.

What a year it has been. The country is pained with racial tension, political divisiveness, job loss, personal isolation, and the death of over 530,000 souls to the virus. All of us have felt that pain personally. We have all felt loss in some way. Pastors are walking with members through dark valleys and praying through the lament. We are, however, Easter people and we live in the belief of grace and resurrection. In this time of Lent, we look back at the life saving love of Jesus and we look forward as spring brings new buds of hope, of vaccinations, and a return to the new normal, whatever that may be.

The Lord bless you and Keep you.   
Presbytery Phone, Address Change

Presbytery has a NEW P.O. Box and phone numbers as well.

Presbytery General (and Loreen Stravers):
779-771-2088

TGP / SC
Eric Heinekamp:
779-771-1896 (please use this instead of his personal cell number)

Blackhawk Presbytery
P.O. Box 476
Oregon, IL 61061
RESOURCES:
New books from Brueggemann - for adult study
The Latest
PARISH PAPER

March 2021

April 2021

Restrictions for Use and Back Issues found here
Free Access to NEXT Church Gathering Recordings

The NEXT Church annual conference was held recently and I would love to share some of what was presented. If you don’t know about NEXT Church you should. Here is what they say in their mission statement. “NEXT Church is a purposeful relational community of Presbyterian leaders whose mission is to strengthen a vibrant and thriving PC(USA) that shares the good news of Jesus Christ in ways that matter to and have impact on God’s evolving world.” More than 500 forward thinking pastors and church leaders attended this year’s online event including several pastors from Blackhawk Presbytery. The theme of the 3 day conference was “BREAKING, BLESSING, BUILDING: A Call For The Common Good.”

Blackhawk Presbytery has purchased a subscription to the conference that allows church leaders to view any of the recorded worship, speakers, or workshops. I attended the entire conference and highly recommend the powerful sermons by Bertram Johnson and Otis Moss III and the keynote by Christine Hong. There were outstanding stories of action (Chicago SOUL), workshops on racial reconciliation (Denise Anderson), mental health (Barbara Wilson), and several on the view of the church post COVID-19 (Carmelle Beaugelin and Victoria White). Please see a schedule of all events and a list of workshops.

If you would be interested in watching any part of the weekend please contact Loreen Stravers for login credentials to be able to watch unlimited sessions. Several workshops also have discussion guides that could be used for small groups. We plan to use some of this material for our Matthew 25 initiative.

One of the goals of Blackhawk Presbytery is to resource and inspire our church leaders. We hope you will take advantage of this free resource for yourself or for your congregation.

Your Transformational General Presbyter, Rev. Eric Heinekamp
COMING SOON! Implicit Bias Tool Kit

Plans are taking shape to offer an easy-to-use Tool Kit to address our Implicit Bias: What is it? How does it affect our church and society? And what could we and should we do about it? The Matthew 25 Blackhawk Presbytery sub-committee will encourage individuals and congregations to take a simple measurement test, view a couple of presentations and initiate or join discussions focused on this impediment to beloved community. More to come!
You are Invited to Join Us for
Roundtable Discussions
1st and 3rd Thursdays:
 
March 18 at 2 pm Topic: Congregational Vitality
 
April 1 at 2 pm Topic: Discussing Poverty
 
April 15 at 2 pm Topic: Discussing Racism
 
1 hour each, on Zoom - Drop in when you can!

Please join our group list to insure you receive the invitation and reminders.

Learn more about the Matthew 25 Initiative on our website or on the PCUSA pages
Pastors Care and Share
meets every Wednesday at 2 pm and every Thursday at 9 am on Zoom.
FREE VBS Curriculum

Ridgefield-Crystal Lake has 4-5 sets of VBS materials they would like to donate to anyone. Please contact Raechel Sowa if you want more information.
LOOKING FOR: Copies of the book "Waking Up White"

If your church has copies you no longer need, please contact Pastor Steve Bowie.
Not too late to Register!
Workshop sponsored by
The Synod of Lincoln Trails:
How to Lead When You Don't Know
Where You're Going

When: Thursday, March 18th, 9:00 AM - 11:00 PM Central via ZOOM

Cost: Free to all Presbyterian pastors, sessions, church and presbytery leaders (including COMs)

How do you lead an organization stuck between an ending and a new beginning—when the old ways of doing things no longer work but a way forward is not yet clear? The workshop will feature Susan Beaumont, author of "How To Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going: Leading in a Liminal Season". Such in-between times are called liminal seasons—threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. Read more and register today!

Investing in Ruling Elders and Deacons


During the Year of Leader Formation, ruling elders and deacons will have an opportunity to join together in three webinars. Save the dates for the first two.

"Discovering Our Gifts" 
April 14, 2021 at 6 pm (central)
"Parliamentary Procedure for Leaders"
July 14, 2021 at 6 pm (CDT) 
Registration will be available soon.  READ MORE

Check out the new online PCUSA
curriculum catalog for 2021-2022
  • Samples are available
  • Help is available (email the curriculum specialist at PCUSA Store)
  • Using our denominational resources means you can trust the theology
For people of all ages who wish to live out their faith, these resources focus on the practices we can learn from Jesus and apply to our lives.
STRONGHOLD NEWS

Online Pop-Up Store features great Stronghold branded gear plus purchases raise funds for Stronghold. Hurry - through March 20 only!



Winter Walking in the Woods at Stronghold continues Tuesday March 16th & 23rd
One-hour Guided Trail Hikes 10:30 am and 3:30 pm

Dress for the weather. Wear sturdy boots. Bring a water bottle. Enjoy the great outdoors. Practice social distancing. Wear mask as needed, for example, inside or in close proximity.

Please bring a $5.00 donation per person to each hike you attend. The hike will be catered to each group. Call or text at least one hour before the hike to let us know you are attending. Come explore Stronghold property. Kids 12 and above may be dropped off to hike on with the guide. Arrive 15 minutes early to get registered. Rain or shine, snow too. For questions or to reserve your spot call or text Jennifer at (815) 973-2937 or (815) 732-6111 x600.
CALENDAR

Tuesday, April 13, 2021
9:30 am on Zoom

Please see our Committee and Commission meeting schedule

PER CAPITA

The per capita assessment for:

2021 is $38.50

Church payments are posted monthly on the website

Presbytery of Blackhawk
Our Vision and Values
     Grounded in the biblical image for human community, as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we challenge and support congregations to be thriving faith communities by facilitating competent leadership and resourcing to energize ministry and mission.
     As Christians, guided by the principles of love, trust, open communication, and genuine relationships, we value each other as sisters and brothers in faith in all our varied theological understandings. Therefore, we relish respectful discussions of differing opinions as a necessary part of discerning the will of God.