"When the domination introduced the “New Form of Government,” it was an affirmation that not one size fits all, and that each of our Synods, Presbyteries, and Churches were unique to their own context and given much more freedom on how to govern themselves. Bylaws are one such way we do this..."

If you need to set up a meeting for your team or would like information on a team you might be interested in joining, contact the presbytery office at 314.772.2395

Final Service at

First Presbyterian Church, Ferguson

Sunday, May 18 at 10:00 am

It will be a special service celebrating 154 years of the ministry and mission of First Presbyterian Church of Ferguson in the community and beyond.

Synod of Mid-America

HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS

The Synod of Mid-America has funds available for Presbyterians to use for higher education. These scholarships can be used for any accredited institution of higher learning (including seminaries, trade schools, and graduate study programs). Scholarships are awarded per school year and renewable with an annual application.

Scholarships are open to active Presbyterians within the Synod of Mid-America, and whose church of membership qualified as a “small church” using the following criteria as determined by congregational membership statistics reported December 31, 2024:

• in Kansas (total of 100 members or less)
• in Missouri or Illinois (total of 50 members or less)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

SAFE GUN STORAGE

On Thursday, May 15th at 7:30 pm ET, please join the Office of Public Witness for our first webinar training on secure gun storage in conjunction with our newly launched partnership with Be SMART. Firearm-related death has become the leading cause of mortality for children in the US—more than cancer or car accidents. This is partly because of the rise in unintentional child-involved shootings. Simultaneously, many improperly stored firearms are stolen each year and used in violent crimes. 

This training will offer practical information about how to secure firearms and how to discuss firearm storage with those you love. The training is ideal for gun owners and non-owners alike, as secure firearm storage affects us all given the rates of gun ownership in the US. Along the way, there will be time to explore how Christian commitments can inform our desire to promote secure gun storage.

Click the link to sign up to receive the webinar’s Zoom invitation or visit https://zoom.us/meeting/register/Fdn4oSNSSmu38ELwhApuRQ.

Heritage Sunday - May 18

Every year, Presbyterians celebrate Heritage Sunday, a day to reflect upon and learn more about the long and rich history of the Presbyterian church in America.

Heritage Sunday always falls on the Sunday closest to May 21, the opening date of the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in 1789. Use the resources below to plan a celebration for your congregation, download free bulletin inserts, and learn more about Presbyterian history.

This year it falls on May 18: 75 Years of NCC. In 1950, 27 Protestant and Eastern Orthodox denominations and 8 ecumenical agencies joined together to form the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Click here for a bulletin to share with your fellow Presbyterians.

Next in the Series is Monday, April 28th

A Zoom Link will be sent to all those registered by Noon on Monday

GRACE CAMP: MISSION MADNESS   

Grace Camp: Mission Madness starts in 22 days! May 27-30, we will work with all the agencies in one week! We work all day in varying capacities. Participants must register by May 18th. It is a great opportunity for a family staycation or for seniors to participate in communal activities or for youth to get their community service hours (minors must be accompanied by a supervising adult). There is a charge to cover dinner, which is cooked for the whole team, and to compensate for use of the space where we gather. Here is the cost breakdown:

1.  Dinner meals are $20 each ($12 for children younger than 10). Dinner meals will be served Tuesday through Friday.

2.  1/person/time block as donation to the church for space usage, up to $3/day/person (morning, afternoon, evening).

3.  $8/person for Random Acts of Kindness activity on Friday.

These amounts cover costs of Grace Camp: Mission Madness. Worship offerings -- not included in the base price -- support the ministry of A Place of Grace. The itinerary for the week is attached.

If you wish to donate to the agencies with which we work, please go to our Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/20W6NFLHH1NYF/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_4 and order donations to be sent to A Place of Grace, 348 Snake Road, Dorsey, IL 62021. There are no codes, and we receive deliveries any time, any day. Your donations will be delivered during Grace Camp: Mission Madness Week. 

You can find additional Mission Madness Retreat dates on the Upcoming Events Calendar here: http://www.aplaceofgrace-juliegvillo.net/upcoming-events.html.

Stewardship Kaleidoscope, an ecumenical conference planned by volunteers from the PCUSA and ELCA, is designed for pastors and lay leaders to provide practical tools to strengthen your congregation's stewardship and generosity programs. This year’s conference will be in New Orleans, Louisiana, September 22-24, with an online virtual registration option as well. In-person attendees will be able to choose from dozens of workshops in addition to attending diverse plenary sessions and worship experiences. Virtual attendees will be able to join us for live-streamed and recorded plenaries and worship, and will also have access to 8 workshops, 4 of which will be available via be livestream. Learn More Here

From the Stated Clerk

Annual Financial Review - Call to Help!

Does your church struggle to complete the annual requirement to conduct an Annual Financial Review as required by the Book of Order, G-3.0113, due to a lack of financial or human resources? If so, your community is not alone. Many of our churches across the Presbytery struggle each year to complete this requirement or cannot afford to utilize a third-party review as they would like. However, many of our other churches are blessed with qualified and talented membership who can provide this gift for their church. As Presbyterians and fellow Christians, we are called to be the connectional church, and so this is a call for help across the Presbytery. If your church has someone with the qualifications and talents for financial reviews and would be willing to be asked by other churches looking for help, for a reasonable honorarium or gift for their time, please let us know! The dream is to develop a contact list, like our Pulpit Supply list, as a resource to share with Presbytery. For questions or submissions, please contact the Stated Clerk directly. Email beddy@glpby.org

Rev. Ryan Landino

Presbytery Leader

Currently on Leave.

Please reach out to Associate Presbytery Leader Rev. Liz Kanerva

Rev. Liz Kanerva

Associate

Presbytery Leader

ekanerva@glpby.org

314.779.6809

Rev. Dr. Brandan Eddy

Stated Clerk

beddy@glpby.org

618.781.9615

Leigh Porter

Office Manager

lporter@glpby.org

314.225.9470

Janice McMillen

Communications Associate

jmcmillen@glpby.org

573.578.3960

Presbytery Moderator - Rev. Dr. Dave Burgess

Presbytery Vice-Moderator - Elder, Barbara Abbett

Vision Team Moderator - Elder, Lorenzo Clayton