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Week of August 19, 2026
E-News
| | For correspondence mailing/emailing please use the appropriate address: | | Presbytery Calendar At-A-Glance | |
- Prayer Calendar: August 16- North Springfield Church, Akron, TE Patti Moats
- Prayer Calendar: August 23- University Church, Kent, TE Steve Cramer
- Aug 26 - Protection Policy taskforce, 10:00 a.m., Zoom
- Sept 3 - FMDT plenary, 7:00 p.m., Zoom
- Sept 7 - Labor Day
- Sept 8 & 9 - Preachers Studio for Renewal, 9:00 a.m., Brecksville United Church of Christ.
- Sept 8 - FMDT cohort, 7:00 p.m., Zoom
- Sept 10- Resource Committee, 10:00 a.m., Zoom
- Sept 10 - COM, 5:30 p.m., Zoom
- Sept 14 - AMC, 4:30 p.m., Zoom
- Sept 16-20, Presbytery Mission trip to Cass Community Social Services, Detroit, MI
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Preaching Workshop
September 8 & 9, 2026
Brecksville United Church of Christ, 23 Public Square, Brecksville, Ohio 44141
Looking for ways to breathe new life into your Advent and Christmas season preaching? Join us for a workshop with Anna Carter Florence and Jake Myers from Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS), as we explore the upcoming lectionary texts together.
- We will discover some new strategies for reading Scripture that are easy to grasp and easy to adapt to your context.
- We will move from text to sermon, as we consider what the familiar stories might have to say to us this year.
- We will talk about some images of the preacher to spur thought and conversation.
- We will share roundtable conversation about how the light of the world might be illuminating our own congregations and our own lives, as preachers.
This event is sponsored by the CTS Preacher’s Studio for Renewal and hosted by the Great Lakes Call Finder. Preachers from Eastminster Presbytery (PCUSA), Living Water Association (UCC), and Northeast Ohio Synod (ELCA) are invited to participate in this lively and energizing deep dive into Scripture and your own preaching ministry.
If you have questions or are interested in attending, please email Barry@eastminsterpresbytery.org.
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2027 Minimum Compensation Standards (formerly Minimum Terms of Call)
At the Gathering in August, Presbytery voted to approve the 2027 Minimum Compensation Standards, which include a 4% increase in Total Cost of the Church to reflect the impact of Board of Pensions dues increases and inflation. As finance committees and sessions begin working on next year's budget, COM has made resources available, which are on the Resource Page of our website to include the approved 2027 Minimum Compensation Standards explanation, a self-calculating Minimum Compensation Excel spreadsheet, and the Annual/Initial Minimum Compensation worksheet (that can be submitted to COM after the 2027 Standards are approved by the congregation). In addition to the resources on our Resource Page, the Board of Pensions has released the 2027 dues package costs and simple steps to prepare for the 2027 Employer Agreement.
We are here to help anyway we can! Please contact the church COM liaison, Barry@eastminsterpresbytery.org or Diane@eastminsterpresbytery.org with any questions or concerns.
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Is your congregation struggling to maintain an aging building that is bigger than you need for your current ministry? That was the issue facing Indianola Presbyterian Church in Columbus when the Rev. Trip Porch became their pastor in 2020. However, today they've practiced faithful creativity to use those assets for new ministry. Read all about it here!
How might your congregation use its assets in new ways to point towards the Kingdom God? That question is at the heart of the Good Futures Accelerator which invites congregations to engage in a 7-9 month discernment process to imagine new possibilities. Eastminster Presbytery will reimburse the cost of materials for any congregation that completes the program. Order the materials and learn more about it here!
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Boundaries Training
The Book of Order and the policies of Eastminster Presbytery require that all Ministers of Word & Sacrament who are actively serving (a congregation or on a presbytery committee), all ruling elders enrolled as members of the presbytery (Commissioned Pastors, chairs of committees, etc.), all inquirers and candidates, all staff, and anyone on the pulpit supply list complete boundaries training which includes the topics of sexual misconduct and child & youth protection at least every 36 months. Eastminster Presbytery recommends the training offered by the Synod of the Covenant of which there are three more this year (click here to register). We will also gladly accept training done elsewhere so long as it covers those two topics and we have had several people submit training done with Scouting America, the YMCA, and Healthy Congregations to meet this requirement as well. We are also planning our own in-person training for later this year so keep an eye open for more information when that becomes available. Once training has been completed, please send your certificate of completion to the Stated Clerk at barry@eastminsterpresbytery.org.
Also, Barry has been in conversation with our ecumenical partners in the United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ for our region. They have a different model for boundaries training with a basic course (required every 5 years) with more topical refresher courses every year. As part of that conversation, Barry will be teaching a class on Stress & Boundaries for the UCC on September 23 (watch for registration information on that to come) and they have extended an invitation for any PC(USA) pastor to attend some of their upcoming trainings:
Note, the Book of Order requirement is for all members of councils to complete boundaries training at least every 36 months. This means that all session members should complete boundaries training and your congregation's policies (like the presbytery's) may require that other people need to do so as well (staff, deacons, Sunday School teachers, etc.). Who needs to complete this training, what training is accepted, and the tracking of that training is up to each session to determine. If you need help with boundaries training for your leadership, please contact Barry at barry@eastminsterpresbytery.org or your COM Liaison.
| | Ministry at the Mexican Border | | |
The Resource Committee is excited to share that Rev. Mark Adams will visit Eastminster Presbytery in early October and preach on October 4 at the Akron-area joint service (10:30 a.m. at Northminster in Cuyahoga Falls). Mark, a former PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker, and his wife, Miriam Maldonado Escobar, continue their ministry on the Mexican border with Frontera de Cristo, supporting immigrant communities. He now serves as the U.S. Director of Frontera de Cristo. Plans are in the works for him to visit our congregations across Eastminster, offering opportunities to meet him, learn about his work and Frontera de Cristo, and explore ways the presbytery can offer support. Final details will be shared in the E-News once confirmed.
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2026-2027 Planning Calendars
The bulk order for the new planning calendars was placed on July 27 and should be shipped soon. Once they arrive, Diane will reach out to the churches to make arrangements for delivery.
| | Open Invitation to Attend Around Eastminster Presbytery | | North Springfield Presbyterian Church | | |
Eastminster Presbytery invites you to join us in praying for a particular congregation, committee, and validated ministry within the presbytery each week in 2026 that God may bless their ministry and that the grace of Jesus Christ might shine through them. For the week of August 16, we lift up the congregation of North Springfield Presbyterian Church in Akron and their pastor TE Patti Moats. For the week of August 23, we lift up the congregation of University Church in Kent and their Bridge Pastor TE Steve Cramer.
August Calendar
August 2- Canfield Presbyterian Church, TE Larry Bowald & TE Amber Balista
August 9- First Presbyterian Church, Columbiana, TE Fritz Nelson
August 16- North Springfield Presbyterian Church, Akron, TE Patti Moats
August 23- University Church, Kent, TE Steve Cramer
August 30- Oak Hill Presbyterian Church, Akron, TE Brian Nutt
The entire 2026 Prayer Calendar can be found on the home page of our website: eastminsterpresbytery.org
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From Your Synod Executive | Colleagues and Siblings in Christ,You may remember that I had a total knee replacement on July 13. July 30 was my firstpost-operation check-up with the surgeon's team.The good news is that the Physician's Assistant said that the x-rays were "textbook" andthat my flexibility was about a month ahead of schedule. | | | |
From Your Associate Executive for Racial Justice | "Mami! My friends!" -Anouk-Aimée Belonni-Rosario Govens"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."-Thomas Aquinas"A friend is one of the best things you can be and the greatest things you can have."-Sarah Valdez"...I have called you friends..." | | | |
Synod of the Covenant once again offering Matthew 25 Grants | Grant applications are now open. Winners for the 2027 Matthew 25 Grants will be announced by November 15, 2026. Please pray for the Grants Committee as they discern the most promising applications for the $50,000 budgeted to this ministry. | | | |
Restorative Conversations III: Setting Healthy Boundaries | In this third session of our four-part Restorative Conversations series, participants will explore balancing personal boundaries with receptivity to apology, reconciliation, and growth. This gathering invites us to consider what receptivity looks like after hurt or harm has occurred and how we can discern what is needed for healing without abandoning self-protection. | | | |
The Leader's Guide contains everything you need to have a successful offering season. There is information about the offering itself, including what this offering supports, statistics, and the impact it has had in previous years. Instructions for before, during, and after each offering season are included. | | | |
Ruling elders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have the distinct joy and privilege of hearing faith stories from those seeking membership within the congregation and those being called to serve in leadership. Some of these faith journeys may include specific activities undertaken within the community of believers, including memories of when they were youth on mission trips, attended conferences or participated in spiritual retreats. | | | |
The Presbyterian Church Growth Network will have their annual conference in Cincinnati from October 5-7 this year and thanks to a grant from the Lilly Foundation the registration is only $200! With it so close, this is a great opportunity for folks from Eastminster to attend. Pastors and members of congregations are encouraged to attend together as experience shows that when they do, they are more likely to follow through on what they learned. Space is limited so the network is asking for pre-registration to help them plan. | | | |
Continuing education institute Fall 2025 event at Zephyr Point | Join us for a transformative week of continuing education at Zephyr Point, where communal learning meets the power of diverse voices and lived experiences. | | | |
The Great Lakes Network of the Association of Partners in Christian Education (GLAPCE) invites all who are involved with Christian Education/Faith Formation -- pastors, educators, committee members, staff, and volunteers-- to join them for their fall event, October 20-22, 2026. Register early for a discount! | | | |
Annual Stock Up Sale: PC USA Store | With more than thirty books on sale covering everything from Presbyterian history to belief and leadership training, you and your congregation can stock your library and save! You have one week to save up to 50% on books for new members, adult study groups, and leaders. | | | |
Trails N Rails Register -August 29, 2026 | |
Join us for our 13th Annual Trails-N-Rails event. We start the day with a 6-mile family fun bike ride or walk (shorter), ride the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad back into Akron, and enjoy a delicious picnic at the Mustil Store from Swensons Food Truck. We would love to have you join us!
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Dancing in the Park August 29th (1-4 PM)
Join us after Trails-N-Rails at Morgan Park for Dancing in the Park. Shawn Bonner, South Street’s Director of Community Engagement, is working with Morgan Park Friends to host this event. Come out with your dancing shoes on and the rhythm in your bones.
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Presbytery Staff & Officers:
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