Dear Assembly Members,

This year's assembly theme is: “Arise and Shine: Holding Firm Christ’s Light Amid Injustice.” 

• Isaiah 60:1 – “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.”

In 2026, our Presbytery resolves to hear Isaiah’s call to arise and shine not as a vague spiritual slogan, but as a concrete summons "Call To Action" to stand with those who suffer under systems of cruelty and disregard for human dignity. In the shadow of current government entity mistreatment against individuals such as Renee Good and Alex Pretti, we confess that the Church cannot remain silent, passive, or distant. To arise is to wake from complacency; to shine is to let the justice, mercy, and truth of Christ become visible in public life. One of the Great Ends of the Church in the PC(USA) Book of Order F-1.0304 calls for the promotion of Social Righteousness.  

We look to the witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who refused to offer a “cheap grace” that blesses injustice and comforts the powerful entity while ignoring the oppressed. Bonhoeffer, a young German Lutheran pastor, anti-Nazi dissident during the World War II, reminds us that authentic discipleship is costly, public, and deeply engaged with the suffering of our neighbors. In his spirit, and deeply founded in the gospel, this theme calls us to Arise by calling out injustice clearly, lamenting openly, and standing in solidarity with those harmed by policies and to shine by advocating for humane treatment, due process, and the full recognition of the God-given dignity of every person, including immigrants, detainees and all who are marginalized or mistreated. God, who is above all and through all and in all, created all of human beings living in his loving world in His own image.

In a time when fear, nationalism and indifference can so easily darken our common life, we affirm that Christ’s light is not withdrawn. The glory of the Lord rises in the places the world would rather ignore. As a Presbytery, we commit in 2026 to live Isaiah 60:1 as a public, courageous, and compassionate witness—standing with people oppressed and mistreated, following the costly example of Bonhoeffer, and trusting that God’s light is stronger than every system of oppression.

I invite you all to join the first Assembly Meeting that will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, via Zoom, at 7:00 pm (ET) / 6:00 pm (CT). 

This Assembly Meeting will have a special focus on worship that evening. Our Coordinating Council hopes that those usually unable to attend a daytime meeting might join us.Please encourage your session to send the assigned number of elder commissioners. 

The Zoom link and password-protected document(s)will be provided by the Presbytery office (on 2/19/2026) when you register by 2/17/2026.

Thank you for your participation.

Peace!

Ruling Elder Dal Kwon, PWV Moderator

Join us BY ZOOM!

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 @ 7:00 pm (ET) / 6:00 pm (CT)



Please register by 2/17/2026 so that we can provide you the link you need by clicking HERE

Coordinating Council and Assembly Meet on January 27

The Coordinating Council of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley met for its first meeting of 2026 on Tuesday, January 27th.

• We welcomed new at-large member Bruce Carter, a ruling elder from First, Elkhart, and were led in prayer and business by Moderator Alan Griffin, MWS, retired.
• Lots of routine January business was conducted, including receiving reports for information from COM, Ministry and Outreach, Communications and Visioning and the Stewardship Ministry Team.
• We approved a corporate resolution concerning officers for 2026 and articles of reinstatement, another January task.

The most interesting business involved the recommendation to commend the statement from the denomination's Office of Public Witness concerning the death of Renee Good and the approval of a matching grant to our presbytery's new worshipping community, A Work In Progress in Lafayette.

With unanimous approval for each recommendation, the statement was amended with an introductory statement from the Coordinating Council to remember all those whose lives have ended as a result of recent violence conducted by ICE, and the match grant of $30,000 is now part of a grant application to the denomination for capacity building and furthering the ministry of this community, organized by the Rev. Susan Brouillette.

Coordinating Council next meets at 10 am eastern on March 24.

Following adjournment of the Coordinating Council Meeting, Moderator Dal Kwon, Ruling Elder from the Korean Presbyterian Church of Purdue, called to order the assembly at 11:30 a.m. eastern A special called meeting, we met for the sole purposes of receiving the recommendation from the Commission on Ministry that Ruling Elder Kevin Rogers from Faith, Kokomo, be examined for commissioning to serve as the local pastor for Dayton Memorial beginning February 1, 2026 with all rights and privileges to moderate session, celebrate the Sacraments, perform marriage services, with voice and vote at Presbytery Assembly. Kevin preached a sermon on Matthew 4: 12-17, read his statement of faith, shared his background and call to ministry, and responded to questions from the floor. The examination was sustained and approved, and Moderator Kwon led and the assembly participated in Elder Rogers' commissioning.

 Our next regular meeting of the assembly will take place on Zoom beginning at 7:00 p.m. eastern on Tuesday, February 24.

Pictured above:

Rev. Wil Reinowski, Pastor, Lafayette, Central

Rev. Laura Penney Bade, Parish Associate, Lafayette, Bethany

Candidate Ryan Shelley, Lafayette, Central

Rev. Susan Brouillette, organizing pastor, Lafayette, A Work in Progress,

Rev. Marcia Smith-Wood, Retired

Rev. Dr. John Van Nuys, Retired

Clergy march in Lafayette

"The day was COLD, but the Holy Spirit was MOVING – and we were plenty warm thanks to Her!" - Rev. John Van Nuys, Retired

(On 1/31/2026), The Greater Lafayette Interfaith Clergy (GLIC), a coalition of clergy representing multiple faith traditions, held a public, faith-based witness to offer a unified moral voice at a time of deep concern for our community and nation, walking from the George Floyd Mural at 6th and Ferry Streets to the Tippecanoe County Courthouse.

During the gathering, participating clergy read an open letter to the Greater Lafayette community grounded in the prophetic call of Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Drawing from this shared moral foundation, the clergy affirmed the sacred worth of every person and the responsibility of faith communities to welcome the stranger.

The statement also expressed collective grief and alarm over recent federal actions taken in communities across the country that have terrorized, harmed, and destabilized immigrant families. GLIC publicly deplored policies and practices rooted in fear, dehumanization, and exclusion, and stood in solidarity with immigrant siblings—documented and undocumented alike—who have been targeted or traumatized.

This gathering was not partisan, but pastoral and prophetic. It reflected the shared conviction across faith traditions that justice, compassion, and hospitality are essential to the moral health of our community. The Greater Lafayette Interfaith Clergy offered this witness as an act of hope, solidarity, and moral clarity, calling our community to choose welcome over fear and love over division.

Join us for our Lilly grant kickoff event “Platinum Rule Leadership for Changing Times” with the Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter on April 12-13 at Community Presbyterian Church in Rochester.

Sunday- 4-8 pm eastern and Monday 9 am-3:00 pm. 

Photo by @ kellysikkema Unsplash

Grounded in emotional intelligence, Platinum Rule participants learn how to:

• Enhance their people skills to create happier relationships

• Heighten their ability to work together for the common good

• Restore their faith in people while learning how to defuse tension and misunderstanding

• Draw out the top contributions from others you work with

• Bring out the best in people who frustrate you the most

 More details to follow. 

For more information, please contact the presbytery office

Calendar for the Week-

2/05 @ 10 (ET) = Commission on Ministry - by Zoom

2/05 @ 1 (ET) = Commission on Preparation for Ministry - by Zoom

2/09 @ 9 (ET) = Staff Meeting - by Zoom

2/09 @ 10 (ET) = Stewardship Ministry Team - by Zoom

2/09 @ 4 (ET) = Ministry & Outreach Team - by Zoom

2/10 = Committee reports for Assembly meeting are due, please

2/10 @ 1 (ET) = Committee on Representation - by Zoom

2/12 @ 1 (ET) = Nominating Committee - by Zoom

Coming Up-

2/14 = Happy Valentine's Day!

2/16 = Office CLOSED in observance of Presidents' Day

2/17 @ 9 (ET) = Staff Meeting - by Zoom

2/17 = Assembly RSVP due, please

2/18 = Ash Wednesday

2/19 @ TBD = Leadership Team meeting - by Zoom

2/23 @ 9 = Staff Meeting = by Zoom

2/24 @ 7pm = Assembly Meeting - by Zoom

4/12 @ 4pm-8pm (ET)= Platinum Rule Leadership for Changing Times

4/13 @ 9am-3pm (ET) =Platinum Rule Leadership for Changing Times

(at Rochester, Community PC. See information above.)

4/15 @ 1 = Communication & Visioning Committee - by Zoom

Smock Foundation

Grants for churches & individuals!

The Smock Foundation provides grants to Indiana Presbyterian Church (USA) members and churches. Grants are given to individuals in need, to churches for improvement facilities, to churches for Deacon funds and for programs that will improve the lives of elderly Indiana Presbyterians, including senior adult ministry programs. Grant applications are reviewed monthly. Applications should be submitted by the second week of each month. Click HERE for more information!

Lent - Downloadable Group Studies

for Youth and Adults

With these downloadable resources for Lent, you can find easy-to-use, affordable group studies perfect to fit your needs. Keep reading to learn about the Lent units from the Follow Me curriculum series! Read more HERE

CEUs (6.5 hours) will be available after the conference based on attendance.

Speaker Froma Walsh, PhD is the leading international authority on family resilience in facing adversity. Her resilience-oriented, systemic practice approach integrates relational, socio-cultural, and spiritual influences to foster coping, adaptation, and the ability to flourish

**Early bird pricing ends February 7 — register by clicking HERE!

Christian Theological Seminary

Prayer has always been a tremendous resource for Christians to go through everything in life. To think about prayer can be a way through and perhaps even a way out.

Prayer as Political Response & Accompaniment

by: Yara González-Justiniano, PhD, Vanderbilt Divinity School

Our Life in Common

February 25, 2026 from 12-1pm, ONLINE

Register HERE

*Next event is April 8, 2026,

by Amy Lindeman Allen, PhD, Christian Theological Seminary

For What or Whom Else Shall We Pray?

Register HERE

Summer Programs, Internships and Missions

• 25 Years
• 18,000+ people have served through Cross Missions
• 300 different churches, colleges and schools
• 23 different states

For more information on all programs click HERE or

email Ericka Funk at efunk@myersparkpres.org.

Upcoming Funding Sources and Community Resources

The presbytery has a wonderful list of grant resources and community resources sourced by the EPA on file, including specific areas like environmental concerns to more general information such as strategic planning and grant writing.

•  To request the list, simply email info@ourpresbytery.org and it will be forwarded to you.

2026 Mileage - Attn: Church Treasurers

The IRS Mileage Reimbursement increased to .72.5 per mile on 1/1/2026. Confirm that your church has a Session-approved Accountable Reimbursement Plan that addresses professional expense reimbursements. Your staff members could face adverse tax consequences if you do not have an approved plan. A sample Accountable Reimbursement Plan is available on the website under the Treasurer tab or click this link https://www.ourpresbytery.org/church-treasurers . Don't hesitate to contact Eric Herzog at the Presbytery office if you have questions.

2026 Per Capita is $45.08

 Your PWV Stewardship Ministry Team and Coordinating Council approved the 2026 per capita rate at $45.08.