We are called to share Christ's love by partnering in

service, uniting in worship, and risking in ministry.

February 28, 2025

From the Lead Presbyter

I was fortunate to spend the first few days of this week at the Synod of Lincoln Trails’ COM/CPM gathering, “Serve with Imagination,” held in conjunction with the spring Synod Assembly. The event is held annually within the bounds of our Synod (Illinois and Indiana); this year United Presbyterian Church in Peoria hosted.

PGR leaders were well-represented. Debra Avery and the worship team at UPC led us in powerful worship. RE Penny Frame (Canton) moderated her final meeting as Synod Moderator, after which TE Jonathan Warren (Jacksonville) was installed as Synod Moderator. TE Elissa Bailey (Stated Clerk) conducted a fabulous workshop on Neurospicey Powers (coming soon to a presbytery meeting near you!).

It was valuable to connect with colleagues and friends throughout SOLT and to learn from them about their best practices, particularly in regard to the ministries of COM and CPM. You will hear more later from those who attended, but we left committed to building in time at our Presbytery committee meetings for imagining and dreaming and to telling a new story in Great Rivers about our present and the future to which God is calling us.

Grace and peace,

Ann

The Mission of the Church

Please click on the blocks below to follow the links

Per Capita: Committing to Connection

Per capita connects Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations and mid councils with the work of the wider church. Per capita is how Presbyterians mutually and equitably share the costs of moving the church forward in the 21st century.

The work of the PC(USA), and in particular the work of the General Assembly, is only possible because members of the church have said they are “all in” and committed to connection through per capita support. It is about joining together as a community and being one body, the body that is Christ’s church in the world.

If you would like materials to help educate and encourage your congregation about per capita,

follow this link https://pcusa.org/resources/financial-information/capita?

Prayers for the Presbytery

We give thanks to God for these congregations and their faithful ministry and witness:

Yates City, Faith United Presbyterian Church

East Moline, First Presbyterian Church

Moumouth, Faith United Presbyterian Church

New and Noteworthy

CARE Survey



The Committee on Accessibility, Representation, and Equity has prepared a brief survey on how congregations are living into the call of Matthew 25 with ministries addressing poverty, racism,

and church vitality. The CARE committee encourages church members and pastors to discuss the questions at committee and session meeting and coffee hour before completing the survey. CARE

and the presbytery look forward to hearing every church’s story about the difference you are making

in your community.

Please complete and return your survey by March 31. https://forms.office.com/r/MX0HE3dSv3

Refugee Partnership Grant

The Visioning Team of the Presbytery of Great Rivers has just established a Refugee Partnership

Grant, which provides up to $5,000 toward living expenses for refugees who have recently arrived

in the United States. Funds are intended to be directly disbursed to churches or agencies who will

then pay refugee expenses. Any congregation who has partnered with a refugee resettlement agency

or refugee family is encouraged to apply. Multiple grants per congregation will be considered with separate applications and will be evaluated for equitable distribution of limited funds throughout the Presbytery. Applications will be accepted until March 31, 2025, and considered until funds are depleted. A copy of the application is attached.

L³ (Lunchtime Learning for Leaders): Property Summit

L³ or Lunchtime Learning for Leaders, is a monthly virtual learning opportunity that begins on Wednesday, April 2, 12:00 noon-1:30 pm. On that day, Paul Grier, Vice President of the Presbyterian Foundation, will join us for a conversation about church property—the common challenge of “too much building and not enough people,” alternative uses of congregations’ properties, space-sharing to meet mission and monetary objectives, successful property redevelopments and repurposing, compliance with polity and civil requirements, and emerging church property taxation issues. Pastors, treasurers, clerks of Session, and presbytery committee members, and all other church leaders are welcome.

This will be a Zoom only meeting, and it will not be recorded. https://us02web.zoom.us/

Midwest Call Finder

The Midwest Call Finder site is live! Thanks to

the Synod of Lincoln Trails, all congregations

in the presbytery have this new tool at their

disposal when they are seeking pastors, musicians, youth directors, Christian educators, administrative assistants, custodians, and other church staff. Likewise, pastors and other church professionals

can access this website to learn about available positions in our region. There is no fee to use Midwest Call Finder. Your per capita dollars have made this possible.

Check out the website here:

https://midwestcallfinder.org

To submit an opening, use this link:

https://midwestcallfinder.org/submit-a-position



Resources for Pastors, Sessions,

and Congregations

New Resources for Lent

Several offices and partners of the Presbyterian

Church (U.S.A.) have released new Lenten devotionals

and resources to help followers of Jesus draw closer

to the Word of God from March 5 to April 20.

Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q036BT2D0

2025 Older Adult Ministry Resource Guide

The 2025 Resource Guide for Older Adult Ministry

produced by POAMN (Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries

Network) is now available. It contains a wealth of program

ideas and resources to support your older adult ministry.

The guide also includes a worship service for use on Older

Adult Sunday, May 4 or any date you want to celebrate the

older adults in your community.



It’s here! Your 2025-2026 Christian Education and Ministry Resources

digital catalog is now available for you to compare resources, use

with committees, and share with colleagues!

Access now: https://adobe.ly/4jrIthd

The latest PC(USA) Leader

Formation Webinar

Pondering God with Presbyterians is Thursday, March 6, 6:00-7:30 pm CST. This webinar will explore some basic theological convictions of our faith, including what we hold in common with other Christians and peculiar treasures of the Reformed tradition. Want to learn more about the mystery of the Trinity, justification by grace through faith, or the puzzle of predestination? Come join the conversation!

Register by February 26, 2025:

https://hubs.ly/Q037lhtB0 #PCUSA

A Special Church Leadership Event Open to ALL Church Leaders

Leading and Growing Churches in a Post-Christian America Workshop

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | 2:00 pm-8:00 pm | In-person and on Zoom

Churches are headed into a time of significant and very challenging transition as America becomes

more and more post-Christian, and organized religion becomes more and more irrelevant. Church leaders need to understand what this means and what the implications are for leading and growing churches in this uncharted territory. The Leading and Growing Churches in a Post-Christian America Workshop will help church leaders learn more about how religion and society have changed and

practical steps your church can take to be a more faithful and effective church. Cost is $20 per person.

REGISTER NOW

Zoom option: If you select livestream option when you register, you will receive a link 24 hours

ahead of the event that will allow you to watch the 4 main sessions (the breakout sessions will

not be live-streamed).



Event Information:

https://chicagopresbytery.org/.../leading-and-growing.../

Registration Link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/.../leading-and-growing...

Synod of Mid-America & the Synod of Lincoln Trails (MALT)

invite you to attend “The Art of Transitional Ministry” training May 12-16, 2025, at the Mercy Conference and Retreat Center in St Louis, MO. The benefit of learning together in person, sharing experiences and asking questions—over meals, walks in the woods, and during table groups--is incredible. The training includes an excellent faculty, held in a beautiful location--with an outdoor labyrinth and lovely grounds--and good food, carefully attentive to allergens and special diets. Orientation will be Monday, May 12 at lunchtime. Program fee is $1,100 (includes lodging and meals.)

http://synodma.org/transitional-ministry-education

The Ethics of Social Media

Monday, March 3 @ 12:00 pm CST

The social media landscape seems to be shifting and changing

by the day. How do we make faithful and ethical decisions about the platforms we use—both individually and organizationally?

What is the responsible balance between quality communication and connection and not investing in platforms being used for harm? Come join a conversation to hear how others are making decisions and where we go from here. REGISTER NOW

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is among more than two dozen plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in response to a rescission of the Department of Homeland Security’s “sensitive locations” policy.

Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q036sBLv0 #PCUSA

Reformed & Always Being Reformed

The recently redesigned denominational website of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has two

brand-new features: accessibility to Korean- and Spanish-speaking Presbyterians and, for that

matter, to non-Presbyterians as well. The first translated pages were just made available to the

public. Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q036BDxN0 #PCUSA

Ecumenical News

Here are a few events or dates in the ecumenical and interreligious world that gives you an opportunity to get to know your neighbors and to engage in prayer and ministry with them.

World Day of Prayer, March 7

“I Made You Wonderful” is the theme for this year’s World Day of Prayer. World Day of Prayer is a worldwide, ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year, and who, in many countries, have a continuing relationship in prayer and service. Resources are available at the link.

International Women’s Day, March 8

Resources are available at the UN site for the 8th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The event will occur March 1-22 under the priority theme, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.” Presbyterian Women will have a delegation participating in the event.

The Witness of PGR Congregations

The Witness of Great Rivers’ Congregations

Cranes for Peace

In Japanese culture, the crane, particularly the origami crane,

is primarily associated with the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young

girl who was exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and sought to fold 1,000 paper cranes to wish for her recovery, making the crane a symbol of hope and peace due to

her perseverance in the face of tragedy; this practice is known

as “Senbazuru” (a thousand cranes).

Though she died before reaching her goal, Sadako’s story led to the widespread practice of folding origami cranes as a symbol of peace and hope, especially around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. 

The Rev. Debra Avery, pastor of United Presbyterian Church (UPC), Peoria, will travel to Japan in April, and her visit will include a trip to Hiroshima. The UPC congregation has folded 1,000 cranes for Debra to take with her. They are now working to fold an additional 1000 cranes to display in their own sanctuary!

Presbytery of Great Rivers Virtual Office

Communications and Administrative Assistant

Brandy Walters | 309-683-6980 | Email : office@greatriverspby.org

Office hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9:00am - 2:00pm. Please leave her a message, and she will return your call.

Bookkeeper

Sabrina McGrath | 309-683-6981 | Email: smcgrath@greatriverspby.org

Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00am - 3:00pm

Lead Presbyter

Ann Schwartz | 309-683-6983 | Email: aschwartz@greatriverspby.org

Office hours: Sunday through Thursday, 8:30am - 4:30pm; some evenings. Friday is her sabbath.

Stated Clerk

Elissa Bailey | 309-371-2511  | Email: pastorebailey@gmail.com

Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 7:30am - 3:00pm. If you have an emergency, please call or text me at 309-371-2511.

CRE Coordinator

Cheyanna Losey | 309-299-4790 | Email: cheyannalosey@gmail.com

Get Connected!

Be sure to encourage your congregations, sessions, and even your church newsletter editorial staff and volunteers to sign up for our presbytery newsletter and follow our Facebook page so you don't miss out on what is going on in our community of churches!

Be sure to Like our Facebook page.

Subscribe to PGR’s YouTube channel to get notifications of our new videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7CXkkAsjR9Owi7gkXPtn8w. Share your congregation’s videos with us so we can let others know about your mission and ministry. If you have questions, need help, or want to share a video contact Cheyanna Losey, cheyannalosey@gmail.com or 309- 299-4790.