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Presbytery of Blackhawk
CONNECTIONS
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Sabbatical Information Zoom Event
Can we really send our pastor on Sabbatical? - A learning Zoom seminar with Pastor John Walker,
Ottawa First Presbyterian
Thursday, February 26 at 7:00 PM
Did you know that our Presbytery has a simple and straightforward Sabbatical Policy?
COM recommends that all churches in the Presbytery offer sabbatical to their pastor. This policy offers clear steps for making possible a sabbatical for congregation and pastor. A sabbatical is NOT just a season where the pastor is gone, leaving the congregation to simply wait for their pastor's return. A sabbatical IS a winning and strategic agreement between a pastor and congregation that renews a pastor's energy and vision to effectively lead, while helping a congregation to sustain a long-term ministry relationship with its pastor. Sabbatical can be a WIN-WIN for both pastors and the congregations they lead.
If you've wondered about sabbatical, and even if you haven't, consider taking one hour to join me and learn some of the great benefits to congregations and pastors to be discovered in sabbatical. I am entering my 28th year as pastor of First Presbyterian Church. In 2026 we will be celebrating together our 4th season of sabbatical. We have learned a great deal about how to dream, plan, fund and implement a successful sabbatical for both pastor and congregation. It's not as hard as some might think. It actually can be a lot of fun, and it can offer great hope for pastor and congregation to have a strong, healthy and vibrant ministry together for many years. Elders, pastors, and church leaders are encouraged to join me, but anyone who is curious is encouraged to come. Come hear some stories and gain some positive steps to begin moving forward on what can be life-giving to everyone involved.
If you are interested, register below.
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One Great Hour of Sharing
The gifts of the Great Hour of Sharing disaster, hunger, poverty, climate change, immigration, migration and refugees.
Taken during the season of Lent which is from February 18 to April 5th.
Please consider donating.
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Presbytery Older Adult Ministry Network
POAMN’s 2026 resource guide for older adult ministry is now online. Check it out for fresh, informative, and interesting approaches to your work with older adults.
Click here for guide.
| | | Mark your calendar for September 2026, and join POAMN in Knoxville, Tennessee, for our annual conference. Join us for an inspiring gathering focused on spiritual depth, resilience, and continued fruitfulness—themes that matter deeply for leaders walking alongside older adults through seasons of transition. | | With Gratitude for Faithful Service | |
February Ordination and Commission Anniversaries
Jenny Hubbard - 2020
Jenny Suydam - 2013
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
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Lent begins now....
Lent comes quietly.
It does not arrive with trumpets or glittering lights, but with ashes—soft, smudged, and honest. A thumb pressed gently against a forehead. The faint scent of burnt palms. The ancient words: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Lent is the long walk toward truth.
It is forty days of turning—turning away from the noise that numbs us and turning toward the God who waits in the wilderness. It is a season that invites us to notice our hunger: hunger for meaning, hunger for mercy, hunger for a love that does not waver when we do.
In Lent, we slow down. We pray with fewer words and deeper sighs. We confess not to wallow in shame, but to uncover grace. We fast not to prove discipline, but to make room—room for compassion, room for clarity, room for Christ.
The wilderness of Lent is not barren. It is holy ground. Here, distractions fall away. Here, we meet our fragility and discover that we are held. Here, we follow Jesus step by step—through temptation, through surrender, through sacrifice—trusting that even in the shadow of the cross, resurrection is already stirring beneath the soil.
Lent teaches us that repentance is not about punishment; it is about returning home.
And so we walk. With ashes on our brows and hope in our hearts. Toward the cross. Toward the empty tomb. Toward the God who meets us in dust and raises us in glory.
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Blackhawk Presbytery Staff
General Presbyter/Stated Clerk
Rev. Eric Heinekamp | 779-771-1896 | Email: eric@blackhawkpresbytery.org
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm; some evenings.
works remotely
Associate Stated Clerk
Rev. David Spaulding | 815-677-2801 | Email: revspaulding@gmail.com
Office hours: As needed basis, part-time, works remotely
Treasurer
Pastor Alan Willadsen | 309-683-6981 | Email: awilladsen@att.net
Office hours: As needed basis, part-time, works remotely
Administrative Assistant
Jeannette Sheehan | 779-771-2088 | Email: jeannette@blackhawkpresbytery.org
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm. Works remotely except for Tuesdays
in which she is in the office.
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Are you doing something new or interesting in your church from which others might learn?
You have a standing invitation to send us articles, pictures or information to share.
See how to send us large videos under Resources (above).
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Associate Pastor (Christian Education)
First, Joliet
Solo Pastor: Installed
Westminster, Rockford
Commissioned Ruling Elder
Fulton, Fulton
Solo Pastor; Installed
Westminster, Dekalb
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Solo Pastor: Installed
First, Fairbury
Commissioned Ruling Elder
First, Fairbury
Solo Pastor, Yoked Ministry
First, Mendota
Transitional/Interim Pastor
First, Rochelle
See the CLC for more info - anyone can do an opportunity search
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CALENDAR
Presbytery Meeting
May 19, 2026
9:30 am
In-Person only
at Stronghold
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PER CAPITA
The per capita assessment for:
2026 is $45.00
Church payments are posted monthly on the website
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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.
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