GOOD NEWS

from the

Presbytery of Great Rivers

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

uniting in worship, and risking in ministry.

June 28, 2024

Announcements

PGR Newsletter Schedule

Newsletters go out the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. Please send any articles for publication to Crystal by Tuesdays at 5 pm.

CPM News

The Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM) is seeking ordination exam readers. If you are interested, contact the CPM at their new email address: PreparationforMinistry-CPM@greatriverspby.org.

From the Lead Presbyter

The Rev. Dr. Ken Green, our regional Church Consultant from the Board of Pensions, will be in the Presbytery of Great Rivers on Monday, July 8. He will conduct two events at United Presbyterian Church, 2400 W. Northmoor Rd., Peoria, at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, to share details about the redesigned Benefits Plan, which will be effective January 1, 2025.

Minister members of the presbytery who are currently enrolled in the plan, Commissioned Ruling Elders, as well as the Clerk, Chairs of Personnel and Finance, and/or treasurers are invited. Please follow this link to RSVP and indicate if you’re able to attend. (The RSVP link will close at 6:00 pm on Sunday July 7.) This will be an in-person only event.

For those unable to meet in person, Ken will schedule a follow up event on Zoom later in the summer.

I will be in Salt Lake City June 29-July 5 for the 226^th General Assembly. Please pray for wisdom, discernment, and faithfulness for the commissioners and the presence of God among us.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Ann Schwartz

Lead Presbyter

Clerk's Corner

I will be gone to General Assembly from Saturday, June 29 through

Friday, July 5.

Resources from the Board of Pensions

The 2025 Benefits Plan is designed to promote flexibility and choice for congregations and their pastoral leadership. We thank you for your partnership as we continue our outreach and support them through this generational change. I hope you’ve had a chance or will be able to participate in either an online or in-person event where I’ve led discussions about the new dues packages.

In August, congregations will start submitting their Employer Agreements to confirm the benefits they’ll offer ministers and staff in 2025. To help them make the decisions that best meet their benefits needs in 2025, I am available to answer their questions and help guide faithful decision-making.

We also encourage congregations and their ministers to explore these learning resources:

• 2025 Decision Guide for Minister Benefits, an online tool that can help determine 2025 eligibility and calculate costs for the Congregational Pastors Package, Transitional Pastor’s Participation, and the Covenant Package
• Living by the Gospel, a guide to supporting ministers through benefits from the Board of Pensions, detailing employer incentive programs and including salary study information  
• Tips for Determining the Right Healthcare Coverage for You and Your Family webinar on Aug. 8 (registration opens in July), covering ACA-established exchanges, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP qualifications, alternative sources of coverage, and additional resources to learn more about available medical coverage options
• dues scenarios providing examples in which the updated dues structures apply to ministers with varying situations
• Faithful Conversations, an e-learning course from the Board of Pensions designed to equip pastors and congregations to have faithful conversations and make decisions pertaining to benefits and other aspects of compensation

Serving More, Serving Better (2025), a benefits literacy e-learning course coming in July that introduces plans, programs, and benefits packages for 2025

Presbytery Assembly Survey 

The Presbytery of Great Rivers leadership is exploring how we can best design Presbytery Assemblies to foster community and strengthen our mission and ministry. Please take a few moments to complete this survey.

Click Here for the Survey

Invitation to A Geography of Grace

Ministry can be a lonely profession. We may be surrounded by community, but many times we lack a community of our own in which we can be our authentic selves. While we may pour ourselves into the lives of our congregations, we often fail to take the time to care for our own inner well-being. We can neglect taking the time to listen deeply to the voice of our own souls. 

For those pastors seeking this sense of community and an opportunity for personal discernment, you are invited to participate in A Geography of Grace. Based on the work of Parker Palmer, A Geography of Grace utilizes a process called the Circle of Trust® approach. This approach is designed to create a safe, confidential, and sacred space where participants support one another in accessing their inner lives. A Geography of Grace utilizes themes from geography and nature as metaphors which speak to our experiences of hope, fear, joy, and disappointment. Gathering in circles of trust, we will use poetry, story, and art to explore these topics, sharing in pairs, small group, and large group settings. Through this curriculum, we will learn how to listen deeply to one another and create space for honest sharing and self-discovery.  

The group will be led by Rev. Bryan Burris, who was trained as a facilitator for this curriculum through the Center for Courage and Renewal. An introductory session will be held at 1:00 p.m. on August 20 at United Presbyterian Church, Peoria. Should you decide to move forward after the introductory session, the group will meet monthly for a period of nine months, beginning September 10. Each session will last approximately 2 to 2 ½ hours. If you have any questions, you may contact Bryan at (309) 838-3114. Please RSVP by text to that same number or email bryburris@hotmail.com if you are interested in attending the introductory session. We hope you can join us for this exploration of A Geography of Grace!

Illinois Poor People's Campaign

Friends and Members in and around Springfield,

Join the Illinois Poor People's Campaign from 9-11 am 

First Presbyterian Church, 7th St. & Capitol Ave, Springfield, IL,

for a Watch Party this Saturday, June 29, 2024, for our 

Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly

and Moral March in Washington, D.C. 

This event is accessible, and we'll provide snacks.

Register here for the June 29th Springfield Watch Party

Transitional Mid-Council Leadership Training

The Synods of Mid-America and Lincoln Trails (MALT) have joined together to provide Transitional Mid Council Leadership Training this fall.

Transitional Mid-Council Leadership Education is designed to provide interested individuals with the tools to lead a presbytery through a period of discernment as they revision their future as a regional body. It will focus on innovation, current trends in ministry, organizational & system analysis, financial planning/evaluation/stewardship, as well as adaptive leadership.

This event is open to anyone in the PC(USA) currently serving in a transitional leadership role, AND to those interested in exploring this type of position in the denomination. More info coming soon—but if you have questions, reach out to Sara Dingman. She would LOVE to talk to you about this! 

Registration will open on July 15. Spaces are limited.

Concerned about Gun Violence?

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship invites you—and perhaps others from your church—to attend the inaugural James Atwood Institute for Congregational Courage at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM on August 22-25, 2024. Honoring the late Presbyterian prophet of gun violence prevention, James Atwood, the Institute will offer intense continuing education for clergy and lay leaders in a range of educational, pastoral and action strategies for gun violence prevention mission in the local congregation.

You can register for the institute here.

You can find out more about the institute here.

New Mental Health Ministry Guide Available

The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy has released the 2024 Guide for Mental Health Ministry to help churches offer mental health outreach.

This guide is intended to encourage congregations to educate themselves regarding the contemporary needs of individuals and families experiencing serious mental illness and to point toward a wide variety of resources available to congregations as they nurture mental health ministries within their contexts.

Online Event: August 17, 2024

Hearts and Minds: Prepared for Worship

Prism: Insights in Church Leadership and Education for Faith Formation is an initiative from The Center for Excellence in Christian Education, Union Presbyterian Seminary, and the Presbytery of Charlotte. Through innovative and informative workshops, enriching keynotes, and the gift of learning from one another, Prism equips and empowers leaders to serve the church faithfully. Prism is held fully online via Zoom in order to allow for leaders across the denomination to participate.

Questions about anything related to Prism? Contact the Center for Excellence in Christian Education at cece@upsem.edu.

Learn More and Register for this online event

Is God Calling You to Serve?

The Leadership Team is seeking individuals to serve:

Communications Task Force: will make recommendations to the Leadership Team regarding all means of communication within the presbytery and beyond (social media, website, newsletter)

Assembly Planning Team: will help plan and organize the August and November 2024 presbytery assemblies

Contact Ann Schwartz (aschwartz@greatriverspby.org) if you would like to serve.

From Your Finance Team

Churches, 

Please be sure to submit a fully completed remittance form with any check you send to the presbytery. 

This ensures that we apply your payment as you intend. If sending from your bank online, you can email your remittance form to smcgrath@greatriverspby.org.

2024 Per Capita is $37.25, an increase of $1.00  

2024 Per Capita is based on your final membership numbers reported for 2022.

The annual Per Capita mailing was sent late last fall to the mailing address we have for your church. Packets were mailed to the attention of your clerk of session. If for some reason you didn't receive it, please let us know.  

We’ll happily send you another copy.

Thank you to all churches who have contributed towards Per Capita

We’ve had 31 churches pay their 2024 per capita in full!

Thank you to Aledo-Sunbeam, Athens, Bartonville, Bushnell, Carlinville, Carrollton, Carthage, Chatham, Chenoa, Clayton, Coal Valley, Divernon, Elmwood, Eureka, Greenview, Lincoln, Mason City, Media, Milan, Morton, New Windsor, Normal-New Covenant, Oneida, Orion, Pekin, Quincy, Reynolds, Rock Island, Springfield – Korean,   Virginia-Sangamon Valley & Warsaw!

Mission Giving Percentage Update

At the April 20th assembly meeting it was voted to change the percentage of mission giving for the 

General Assembly & Presbytery of Great Rivers – Synod was not changed it remains at 5%

Presbytery: Increased from 52.5% to 75%

General Assembly (Presbyterian Mission Agency): Decreased from 42.5% to 20%

This change is effective immediately.

The attached letter & revised remittance form was sent via email to the clerk of session & if submitted the financial contact for your church.  The PGR website also has the revised form available.

Please reach out to either of us with any questions or concerns.

Thanks,

Sabrina McGrath - Bookkeeper

Bill Strawbridge – Treasurer

Please click on the blocks below to follow the links:

Assembly Dates for 2024

Saturday, August 24th -10 am in-person with Zoom option at 2nd Pres., Bloomington

Saturday, November 9th - 10 am in-person with Zoom option at United Pres., Peoria

Presbytery of Great Rivers Virtual Office

Virtual Office Assistant Crystal Goforth 309-683-6980 Email: office@greatriverspby.org

Crystal works remotely from South Carolina (Eastern Time) and is available until 4 pm CST Monday thru Wednesday and Friday, and 1:45 pm EST on Thursdays. Please leave her a message & she will return your call.

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

Sabrina works from Peoria IL.

Her regular schedule is Tues & Thurs between 8am-3pm (Central Time)

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

Ann's Sabbath Day is Friday.

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

My regular office hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am - 3 pm.(Central Time) If you have an emergency, please call or text me at 309-371-2511.

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!

Have you liked our "Presbytery of Great Rivers" 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.