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.

July 12, 2024

Announcements

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

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

PGR Newsletter Schedule

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

From the Lead Presbyter

The Leadership Team and Governance Task Force continue to look at the work and structure of the presbytery. Now they want your feedback! PGR on the Road: Listening Sessions will take place at six locations around Great Rivers during August and September. All are invited—pastors, ruling elders, church members who are not serving on sessions—everyone who wants healthy, vital, connected churches; a robust and responsive presbytery; and presbytery staff and leadership who are well-equipped to serve the present and future needs of PGR.

These in-person conversations will be facilitated by members of the Leadership Team, Governance Task Force, and others. Their questions for you will focus on leadership development and support, sustainable mission and ministry within PGR, the stewardship of physical resources (time, talents, human), and being God’s church in the world together. A scribe at each table will take notes, and then we will compile your remarks, suggestions, hopes, and concerns to use in our discernment work.

Also during the next two months, each Presbytery committee will be asked to consider a similar set of questions at their upcoming meetings. And I will gather with pastors at a series of regional lunches and invite their reflections as well. 

So check out the dates and locations below of a Listening Session near you, then invite others in your congregation, and join us for conversation. 

Blessings,

Ann

Rev. Ann Schwartz

Lead Presbyter

Clerk's Corner

Greetings! What a General Assembly we just had! Here are a few of my reflections from the week.

Commissioners, Advisory Delegates, Mid-Council Leaders, Corresponding Members, Resource individuals, Office of General Assembly Staff, and others have been arriving into the city over the past couple of weeks. Everyone was officially in place by Sunday for the opening of Plenary 1. Many boarded buses on Sunday morning and went to local churches where they were welcomed with open arms for worship and fellowship.

As the Stated Clerk, I find one of my favorite roles at General Assembly is the support of our commissioners and YAAD. I spent a great deal of time on Sunday gathering supplies for the week: treats, trinkets, and drinks. Having two presbyteries, I have had the joy of supporting 6 commissioners and 2 YAADs (Young Adult Advisory Delegates).

Lessons learned on Sunday: When it’s hot, it’s hot! But it is a different hot! It isn’t the humid hot we are used to in the Midwest. It is dry, oh so dry. But it was so hot on Sunday! And so cold in the plenary hall. I took a picture of myself of just how miserable it was outside.

In case I forget…

Just like when we practice our voting on zoom, the commissioners and advisory delegates also needed to practice voting and parliamentary procedures. They practiced with the vote of “should the room temperature stay at the comfortable temperature of 71 degrees”. Let’s just say we got into the weeds of parliamentary procedures including determining the core temperature of a polar bear. But for a polity geek like me, it was fabulous.

Sunday evening brought the joy of electing our new moderators for the 226th General Assembly. For the next two years, the Revs. CeCe Armstrong and Tony Larson. What an absolute answer to prayer for our denomination. In the words of Rev. CeCe Armstrong, “Apart from each other, we are not the whole church. But when we stand together, we can be the body of Christ.”

We started each day with an amazing and beautiful worship service. Every sermon was moving and powerful. Every plenary began and ended with ecumenical greetings and prayer from an advisory delegate.

Lessons from Monday: A new Stated Clerk of the General Assembly was elected! The Rev. Jihyun Oh, the first woman of color, elected to serve as the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, will begin her elected position on August 1st. The assembly rejoiced with cheers and tears of joy.

We were graced with the amazing presence of Rev. Lonna Lee as she presented the report of the Committee on Race, Sexuality, and Gender Justice. We are so proud of her and her committee's excellent work.

We continued by hear reports from committees and the work they have been doing.

Lessons from Tuesday: Prepare. We saw a considerable amount of discernment and reconsideration. We now even have what we in East Iowa are now affectionately calling the “Hayes Amendment”. After hours, and I mean hours, of the body deliberating over divesting in fossil fuels, East Iowa's very own Rev. Heather Hayes was able to get to the microphone and proposed an amendment that would seek to find a middle ground in divestment. Both sides became happy enough with this amendment and it was approved and Heather won the day!

Lessons from Wednesday: You never know how the day will end. If you have ever been to General Assembly before, you know that all of the slated business needs to be accomplished the night before General Assembly closes. There was a push to complete the business but it was done so with considerable thought, prayer, and deliberation. Somehow, and I mean somehow, the assembly managed to complete the business by 9:30 PM. 

Lessons from Thursday: Business concluded and we worshipped for the last time as the 226th General Assembly of the PC(USA). We all began our journey home. For some, it would be that day. For others, like myself, it would take a couple more days. I did manage to attend a baseball game and go to the Great Salt Lake while waiting for a plane to take me home.

It was good to have us all together again. The work was hard, fruitful, joyful, and meaningful. And there was dancing. Yes, the frozen chosen we are not! When we would need to break for parliamentary reasons or just because we needed a break, the electric slide, the Cupid shuffle, and other dances brought joy and laughter.

And of course, there was prayer. We stopped to pray when Hurricane Beryl became a category 5 storm. We prayed after we heard testimony on why it was important for the PCUSA to pass a declaration on the importance of caregivers using gun safety in their homes with children. A motion that passed unanimously and with tears. We prayed when we heard of the suffering around the world. We prayed when we lifted up leaders from around the country and around the world. And we prayed for you, the church. All of us. The body of Christ, continuing the work that Christ has called us to do.

Thank you for the ways that you support our beloved denomination. Know that your commissioners and YAAD are amazing and did tremendous work.

Gratitude for GA Participants from Great Rivers

Thanks to the folks from the Presbytery of Great Rivers who attended the 226th General Assembly that was held last week in Salt Lake City, Utah and served with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love. Ruling Elder Commissioners Fiona McGrath Nagle and Carol Sleeth, Teaching Elder Commissioners Lonna Lee and Frosty Krummel, and Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD) Evan Lyon participated in online training and committee work prior to the Assembly and then represented Great Rivers faithfully during the 5-day marathon that is GA. At our August 24 Presbytery Assembly, they will talk about the actions taken and the subsequent votes that will come before each Presbytery in the coming months.

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 September 10 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. 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!

July Ordination Anniversaries

July 9, 1989 – The Rev. Rebecca Sherwood, First Presbyterian Church, East Moline

July 11, 2015 – The Rev. Kathryn Ann (Kay) Daniel, Retired

July 13, 1997 – The Rev. Pam Laing, Retired

July 19, 1959 – The Rev. William G. Schlobohm, Retired

July 20, 2013 – The Rev. Dr. Adam Quine, First Presbyterian Church, Lincoln

July 22, 1984 – The Rev. Harold W. Losey, Retired

July 24, 2005 – The Rev. John Napoli, Washington Presbyterian Church, Washington

July 25, 2009 – The Rev. Elissa Bailey, Presbytery of Great Rivers

July 27, 2010 – The Rev. Jaechul Kim, Korean United Presbyterian Church, Springfield

July 28, 1985 – The Rev. Martha Anne Jones, Retired

July 29, 1956 – The Rev. William R. Beattie, Retired

Congratulations to The Rev. Scott Carnes, First Presbyterian Church, Galesburg, who was ordained on June 6, 2014

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant



The Rev. Michael Dennis McGaughan died on June 27, 2024. He served as an Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Champaign, and was an interim pastor in Arcola, Rantoul, Danville, Homer, and Morton. Most recently, he was the Director of Pastoral Care at Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington. 

His memorial service will be at 11:00 am, Friday, August 2, 2024, at Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington. Visitation will be from 9:00 to 11:00, at the church, prior to the service.

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.

Evangelism Conference

Register now for the PC(USA)’s 2024 Evangelism Conference. (link below…can you turn Register clickable?)

Gather with other Presbyterians on October 3-5 in Louisville for “A Lifestyle that Exudes Justice. Discover how we are called to embody the good news of God’s healing and compassion. 

In-person and virtual conference options are available. Spanish and Korean simultaneous interpretation will be available if requested in your online registration.

https://app.groupize.com/e/evangelism-conference-2024

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:

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.