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Join us for our Lilly grant kickoff event
“Platinum Rule Leadership for Changing Times”
- with the Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter.
A two-day workshop for pastoral leaders, ruling elders,
and anyone interested in serving their congregations more effectively.
Unbelievable!
Registration is being accepted through today!
Register HERE !!
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Cost: $10.00. Notice: PayPal does charge a small fee of $0.70. Please check the box when paying. Thank you!
Please pay using the QR Code (right) and mark
'Misc Gift' - Workshop as the designation.
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With the closing of the First Presbyterian Church in Kouts,
there are STILL LOTS of items that need new homes.
Along with the photos below, there is a child-sized table with chairs, air hockey table, communion cup holders, EVERYTHING kitchen, microwave, pulpit, 20 pews, piano and SO MANY more adoptable items.
If you would like to receive a copy of the extensive inventory list of all items, please contact the presbytery office at info@ourpresbytery.org.
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Ministry Formation Program celebrates Polity and Preaching
on March 14 in Lebanon!
| | | |  | MFP cohort, faculty and guests. | | | |
The current class of Ministry Formation students from Wabash Valley, Whitewater Valley, Blackhawk and Great Rivers and elsewhere gathered at the beautiful First Presbyterian Church of Lebanon this past Saturday for learning and celebration. The group has just completed their online course through Columbia Seminary on polity with instructor the Rev. Jan Nolting Carter. We continued our study and practice of preaching with three shining stars (Steve Poston, Lucia Hutchison and Peter Wilkinson), and the graduation of cohort member Allen King.
We are deeply grateful to Pastor Je Lee and the session of First Presbyterian for their delightful hospitality and the chance to be together in a great setting.
~ Donna Enersen and Jennifer Burns Lewis, MFP
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Deer Creek Presbyterian Church
Community Breakfast!
4450 North State Road 29, Deer Creek, Indiana
Saturday, April 4th
7:00 -10:00 am
Handicap accessible - Carry-outs available
Free will offering to help our neighbors in need in the community
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(click above to read more)
A 7.2% experience apportionment is the largest granted since 1999.
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Calling Creative Congregations to Connect with Community
by Gwynn Wills, Moderator - Ministry and Outreach Committee
The Ministry and Outreach Committee of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley is seeking congregations to spread the word and love of Christ by offering grants for innovative and meaningful projects and programs. Partial funding for the following projects gives some idea of what has been submitted in the past:
• 1st Presbyterian Church of Elkhart - to benefit the 1st Presbyterian Developmental Basketball League hosted by Beardsley School.
• First Presbyterian Church of Downtown South Bend - for their Living Matthew Project to help provide an ecumenical approach to spreading the word of Christ in their community.
• First Presbyterian Church of Michigan City - Cultivating Faith at Home Project
• First Presbyterian Church of Mishawaka - for their Guns to Garden Project
• Auburn Presbyterian Church - for the Friends Table, an ongoing community project that serves to provide lunch and occasionally extra food or personal care items for people out of work, but the founding concept of Friends Table was relationship building.
Amounts of requests vary widely, and the team looks forward to receiving grants of all sorts that meet the criteria outlined. Please share with your congregations and consider the needs of your community. Contact Gwynn Wills, Moderator of the Ministry and Outreach Committee of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley, at gwills6735@me.com with questions.
The grant application and process can be found on the Presbytery of Wabash Valley website by clicking here: https://www.ourpresbytery.org/ministry-outreach-team
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“When did we see you struggling?”
Matthew 25 reminds us of the expectation that when we serve our neighbors, we are serving Christ himself.
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Photo Credit: Newton County Coroner's Office
Damage in Lake Village, Indiana, after a tornado touched down March 10, 2026.
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Our One Great Hour of Sharing offerings, those cute and confounding to assemble fish banks, collect funds every year to support important causes such as Presbyterian Hunger Relief, Self-Development of People and the amazing arm of the church, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. PDA assists communities around the country and around the globe in recuperating from natural and non-natural disaster. PDA is present in our own community right now, in Lake Village, where the community is just at the beginning of recovery from a series of powerful tornadoes that touched down on March 10 and left dozens of houses completely destroyed or uninhabitable. The only grocery store and gas station were destroyed. Two persons were killed as a result of the crisis. PDA has sent an emergency response grant, and the presbytery has applied for a follow-up recovery grant, the result of many, many congregations from Wabash Valley and all over the country, thanks to One Great Hour of Sharing.
Our own Lake Village Presbyterian Church has been a community hub for social services of all kinds for many, many years. As you would expect, they’ve joined forces with other community leaders to respond to the needs of their neighbors.
Lake Village residents are our neighbors, too. Area PWV congregations are already responding with gifts of bottled water, bleach, and non-perishables to support both the responders and those whose homes have been affected by the tornadoes.
- All Food donations may be delivered to Lake Village Presbyterian Church, 9412 N 3000 W in Lake Village, daily from 10 am-6 pm central time.
- All donations of cleaning supplies may be delivered to the Lake Village Community Center.
Those wishing to volunteer their time with clean up efforts should contact LaSalle Fish and Wildlife at (219) 992-3019.
All monetary donations can be earmarked for Lake Village and sent to the Presbytery office or contributed through One Great Hour of Sharing. If you have donations but cannot deliver them to Lake Village, please contact the presbytery office and we will arrange for pick-up.
Thank you for responding to your neighbors in great need.
~ Jennifer Burns Lewis, Visioning and Connecting Leader, Presbytery of Wabash Valley
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AMCL, Board of Pensions continue to partner
on helping small congregations and families
Representatives from the Association of Mid Council Leaders (AMCL) and the Board of Pensions gathered for their third and fourth meetings as they continue their collaboration to support small congregations and pastors with family medical coverage as a response to the 226th General Assembly (2024) item GAEC-28. Read the recent joint statement from the Reverend Susan C. McGhee, President, AMCL, and Andrew J. Browne, Executive Vice President, Board of Pensions.
Register now for 2026 Benefits Regional Summits
The Board of Pensions has opened registration for the 2026 Benefits Regional Summits: Support for Congregational Leaders. The summits, located throughout the country April 7-May 21, will provide important updates and insights into the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and related programs offered by the Board of Pensions. The summits are open to all throughout the Church.
Understanding medical trend and why it matters
In 2024, national health expenditures totaled nearly $5.3 trillion — representing 18% of U.S. gross domestic product. Todd Ingves, Vice President, Health & Wellness for the Board of Pensions, explains in this article what’s behind the upward trajectory of healthcare costs and what the increases are likely to look like in the future.
From the Office of Christian Formation:
NEW - Everyday Faith Moments Card Deck
You will find 60 cards created with busy households of all shapes and sizes in mind. On the front: an engaging, repeatable response rooted in real-life moments. On the back: a short Bible passage to center the practice in Scripture. This new resource from Around the Table is available from the PCUSA Store.
Faith Formation Leader Connection Resource Zoom - Looking to connect about new Christian Formation Resources? Looking for something specific or wanting to bounce off some ideas? Dates in May, August, and October noted on registration form. Register here.
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Calendar for the Week-
3/29 = Palm Sunday / Holy Week begins
3/30 @ 9 (ET) = Staff Meeting
4/02 = Maundy Thursday
4/02 @ 10 (ET) = Commission on Ministry - by Zoom
4/02 @ 1 (ET) = Commission on Preparation for Ministry - by Zoom
Coming Up-
4/03 = Good Friday
4/05 = Easter/Resurrection of the Lord /One Great Hour of Sharing
4/06 @ 9 (ET) = Staff Meeting
4/09 @ 1 (ET) = Nominating Committee (if needed) - 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.)
4/13 @ 9 (ET) = Staff Meeting
4/13 @ 10 (ET) = Stewardship Ministry Team - by Zoom
4/13 @ 4 (ET) = Ministry & Outreach Team (if needed) - by Zoom
4/15 = Tax Day
4/15 @ 1 (ET) = Communications & Visioning Committee - by Zoom
4/16 @ 11 (ET) = Committee on Representation - by Zoom
4/16 @ 1 (ET) = Personnel Ministry Team - by Zoom
4/20 @ 9 (ET) = Staff Meeting
4/28 @ 10 (ET) = Coordinating Council - by Zoom
4/28 @ noon (ET) = Leadership Team - by Zoom
June 22-July 2 = 227th meeting of the General Assembly of the PC(USA)
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One Great Hour of Sharing
February 18 - April 5, 2026
Serving the most vulnerable around the world,
and offering aid to people lacking access
to life’s basic necessities.
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What does the Lord require of you?
"…to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
—Micah 6:8
The prophet Micah calls for a life that is focused on justice. It’s a call to action, urging us to live out our faith in a way that reflects God’s love, to put justice into practice.
During this Season of Lent, we have created a worship resource for you to download and use to create a Micah 6:8-focused service – including liturgy with communion and hymn suggestions that are centered on the call to do justice.
Download the Worship Resource for One Great Hour of Sharing
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Job Opening:
Central Presbyterian Church
Lafayette, Indiana
Position: Administrative Assistant
Reports to: Pastor
Status: Part-time, start 20 hrs p.w.
Email resume to:
Rev. William Reinowski @ wil@centralpreschurch.org
Mail resume to:
Central Presbyterian Church,
31 N. 7th Street
Lafayette, IN 47901
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(Click each title to read more)
Global Ecumenical Liaisons with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) gathered three partners from Lebanon and the West Bank for a webinar this week to speak about the impacts of the war with Iran and the continuing harm being done by walls of separation and by violence, especially in Gaza.
From PC(USA)
Plenty, it turns out. The Interim Unified Agency is now known as Presbyterian Life & Witness
From PC(USA)
Nearly 400 people joined the “Faithful Resistance to ICE” discussion Wednesday among three Presbyterian clergy who’ve cared for their immigrant siblings in Minneapolis and Chicago by standing against actions taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in recent weeks.
The PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness hosted these pastors for a 90-minute webinar:
From PC(USA)
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Women and Money: Claiming Your Financial Future
When: April 9, 16, 23, 30, all 2:00-3:30 pm (ET)
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Women encounter a unique set of financial challenges throughout their lives — from earning less on average, to spending fewer years in the workforce due to caregiving responsibilities, to facing higher healthcare costs and longer life expectancy, as well as the increasing number of women who are uncoupled and navigating financial decisions independently. These factors all influence financial stability over a lifetime.
Join us this April for an impactful and informative webinar series designed to help women understand these financial dynamics and gain the insights they need to make confident, informed decisions. Featuring professional speakers from the financial and healthcare industries, the series brings together holistic perspectives on money, relationships, health, identity, and spiritual balance.
Register HERE
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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.
For What or Whom Else Shall We Pray?
by Amy Lindeman Allen, PhD, Christian Theological Seminary
Our Life in Common
April 8, 2026 from 12-1pm, ONLINE
Register HERE
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First-ever PCGN One-Day
At Copper Creek Church
in Champaign, Illinois
Tuesday, April 21, from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cost: $25, which will cover lunch and hospitality
This gathering is designed to cultivate relationships and equip leaders who care deeply about faithful growth in both faith and numbers in the PC(USA). The day will feature four interactive learning sessions. Each session will begin with a short presentation followed by table discussions, creating space for leaders to learn from one another. We will also share time in worship and connect over coffee and lunch.
We chose Copper Creek Church as the host site for several reasons, including their remarkable story. Over the past ten years, Copper Creek has grown from a second campus of a local Presbyterian congregation into a chartered church with a beautiful facility and a growing ministry. Rev. Scott Keeble, Lead Pastor of Copper Creek Church, is excited to host this gathering and will also share about their church’s journey. You can go to https://coppercreekchurch.org to learn more about Copper Creek Church.
REGISTRATION LINK FOR PCGN ONE-DAY
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- 4/01/2002 - The Rev. Dr. Justin Schlesinger-Devin, Parish Associate, Lafayette-Bethany
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OPEN SEARCHES FOR PASTORAL LEADERSHIP
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Prayers of the Presbytery
Let us pray:
God of truth and wisdom, you created us with minds to wonder, question and imagine. As we live in a world shaped by new technologies, help us to use what we create with humility, courage and care. Remind us that no machine (like AI) can replace the dignity, responsibility and hope you have placed within humanity. Amen.
Prayer from the Mission Yearbook, PC(USA)
We are thankful for the ministry and service of Elston Presbyterian Church, Lafayette.
Lord ~
- Help us understand what we can and cannot do, and what we can do but probably shouldn’t.
- Help us sort out the fake from the truth. Like AI, what we see on the surface can be dazzling, blinding and disorienting. Some things confound us.
- Help us channel our feelings and what we know, into a power of creating a future for ourselves and one another.
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The Office in Rochester is open on WEDNESDAY.
Reach us by Phone / Monday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm & Tuesday - Thursday 9 am - 4 pm (Eastern)
OFFICE CLOSED ON FRIDAY
Office: 1.574.223.5678
Email: info@ourpresbytery.org ~ Website ~ https://ourpresbytery.org
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