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.

January 27, 2023

Announcements

PGR Newsletter

Our Newsletters will go out the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. The deadline for adding information is the Wednesday before.

We mourn the loss of the first installed pastor of UCW, Rev. Ensign Leininger. He passed away on January, 16, 2023. Click the link below for his obituary.

Job Posting

First Presbyterian Church of Normal is seeking a full-time Director of Family Ministry. The Director of Family Ministry will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a compelling, realistic vision for the children’s and student ministries of First Presbyterian Church of Normal. The Director of Family Ministry will seek to formulate, implement, and maintain a full, diverse, attractive calendar of programming including opportunities for spiritual formation, fellowship, service, recreation, and outreach. For full job description or if you have any questions, please email mwilcox@firstpresnormal.org.

Church Support for Family Leave Grant

A New Grant to Support Family Leave

The Visioning Team is proud to present a new grant for churches whose pastors are on paid family leave.

At the 225th General Assembly, an overture was made to provide paid family leave for all called and installed clergy. Inspired by this overture, this new grant reimburses up to $1500 of pastoral coverage costs for all clergy (installed, commissioned, or temporary supply) on paid family leave. Regardless of whether the proposed overture becomes an official change to the Book of Order, this grant will remain

available to support churches whose pastors are on leave. We hope this will make it easier for congregations to care for their pastors who are experiencing major family and life changes.

This grant will reimburse congregations for pulpit supply and Session moderation costs, plus mileage, for up to 12 weeks of family leave. Family leave in this circumstance is defined as including but not limited to leave to accommodate the birth, foster placement, or adoption of a child, to provide care to an ill or disabled family member, or to heal following a loss or tragic event. Awards will be prioritized for churches most in need, as this fund is intended to help congregations make ends meet during family leave.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. To learn more or apply, please use this attached form. Applications and questions can be sent to visioning@greatriverspby.org.

AMENDMENT TO Called Presbytery Assembly:

January 28, 10am-noon over Zoom

Don't miss our Special Called Assembly on January 28th, 2023 at 10am over zoom! The calling of this meeting is to vote on General Assembly Amendments and changes to the Administrative Commission of First United PC of Bushnell. You can register for the meeting and find all related documents here: 

From Your Finance Team

As we begin 2023 --Please remember

Every time you submit funds to the presbytery office please use a remittance form – see below. Be sure to fill this out completely - including contact information & a breakdown of how you want your funds distributed. Be sure to use the correct PIN # -- we’ve had some churches submitting under the wrong number -- see link below to list.

If you send funds using on-line banking or another agency please feel free to scan & email the remittance form to smcgrath@greatriverspby.org. If you are unsure of what amount you still need to pay– just ask – we’re happy to double check for you.

Please take a couple minutes to use the links below to update your contact information.

This is vital to have current info when we need to reach out with a question. Back in September the annual Per Capita packets were mailed out. These were mailed to the attention of the Clerk of Session. If for some reason you didn’t receive it – just contact us & we’ll email you another copy.

These included:

•  a letter from our Treasurer -- Bill Strawbridge
•  listing of 2023 Per Capita dues owed in 2023
•  2023 remittance form
• 2023 church-wide mission pledge form – indicating your intended mission

giving for 2023 

• Visioning Grant information page

2022 annual contribution statements were distributed last week. We’ve already had a couple of churches question if we meant to say 2022 membership numbers. The 2023 per capita is based on 12/31/2021 statistics submitted. We’re always 2 years behind

If you have any questions, please reach out to us.

Thanks,

Sabrina – Bookkeeper smcgrath@greatriverspby.org

Bill -- Treasurer bnc.sbridge@gmail.com

2023 IRS Mileage Reimbursement Rate

For 2023 the IRS mileage reimbursement rates for businesses, individuals, and other organizations are as follows:

• 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up 3 cents from the midyear increase setting the rate for the second half of 2022.
• 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, consistent with the increased midyear rate set for the second half of 2022.
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations; the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2022

The IRS goes on to say this increase applies to electric and hybrid-electric automobiles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

An annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile is used to set the standard mileage rate for business use.

Please click on the blocks below to follow the links:

Greetings from the Committee on Ministry

COM met in its’ 2023 organizational meeting on January 12th and conducted the following business:

~prayed for our congregations and pastoral needs

~welcomed new members Trey Haddon, John Napoli and Rene’ Whitaker

~elected to the Coordinating Team John Napoli as Vice Moderator, Edwin Brinklow as Recording Secretary and subcommittee moderators Kay Daniel for Ministry Services, Drew Nagle for Transitions, Paul Stroup for Training and Resources

~appointed ministry partners to all congregations (on the website by 1/30/23)

~assigned a ministry partner to the Illinois Presbyterian Home and Kemmerer

Village

~asked MPs to remind their congregations to:

• Send all communications on COM matters to greatriverscom@gmail.com for prompt answers and processing
• To use the 2023 TOC (Terms of Call form) only for called and installed pastors, submitting it by mid February for COM approval
• To use the 2023 CONTRACT for all temporary pastoral relationships such as Interims, CREs or CPs. Temp or Stated Supply, contracts with retired clergy
• For either form, the BOP traditional plan is now 39%
• For either form, the sections on Effective Salary, Benefits, Professional Reimbursements, Sabbatical, Termination of Contract and Dates and Signatures need to be completed in full (even if the answer is zero or N/A). When in doubt, reach out.
• Remember the IRS rate is 65.5 cents per mile as of 1.1.23

~set the meeting dates for 2023: 1/12, 2/2, 3/2, 3/30, 5/4 (5/11?), 6/1, 7/6, 8/3, 9/7, 10/5, 11/2 and 12/7. We are still meeting on Zoom, from 10:00-11:30. All reports, contracts, mission studies, MIFs, financial forms, etc. are due by 8 AM ONE week before these meeting dates at greatriverscom@gmail.com so the committee has time to come prepared for meetings. If you need a little grace, reach out to your MP to see what we can do. Thanks!

~conducted all other business before us and closed with prayer.



Laura Reason, COM Moderator

2023 Assembly Dates

February 25, 2023 at 10 am at First Normal

April 29th at Westminster Springfield

August 26th at Peoria United

November pending

In-person and Virtual

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)

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-4pm (Central Time)

Bridge Presbyter John Rickard 309-683-6983 Email: jrickard@greatriverspby.org

He works remotely from Northern Illinois.

His regular schedule is Mon – Fri between 9am -5pm (Central Time)

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

Starting May 1st: the Stated Clerk's Office hours will be Mon - Thurs from 7:30am - 3pm. (Central Time)