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The next Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Great Rivers will convene on Tuesday, August 19 at 10:00 am
at First Presbyterian Church, Galesburg. At this meeting we will:
- Welcome General Assembly Co-Moderator Rev. Cecelia (CeCe) Armstrong
- Vote on the proposed restructuring plan presented by the Governance Task Force
- Vote on recommendations for 2026 Per Capita and Minimum Terms of Compensation
- Break bread together
- And much more!
To register for this in-person meeting and your lunch choice, click here
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For months after 9/11, I would awaken routinely in the middle of the night and turn on the television, worried that there had been another attack. Once the tv was on, so was my brain, and there was little chance I would rest well after that. The bad habit led to persistent sleep deprivation, which compromised my daytime coping skills, making me even more anxious. It also disrupted my spouse’s sleep, which is why I eventually stopped the nocturnal cable tv consumption.
In recent years, I’ve been doing it again—not every night but often enough. A persistent sense of unease about the state of our nation has made it difficult for me to experience peaceful slumber. Instead of turning on the television, however, I scroll through the news feed on my phone. Bad idea. The blue light emitted by cell phones messes with the body’s melatonin production and circadian rhythms and generally destroys any chance for a fitful snooze.
When we were away a couple of weeks ago, we had no television in the bedroom, and because of the placement of electrical outlets, I had to recharge my phone on the other side of the room. And of course, I slept better than I have in months. The few times I woke up, all I could do was go back to sleep. Unwinding is so much easier when you aren’t doing things that get you wound up.
As writer Anne Lamott says: “Almost anything will work again if you unplug it and turn it back on, including you.” We all need a re-set occasionally, which is why vacations were invented. And why God gave us sleep and the commandment of sabbath. And it is why we have to be intentional about changing practices and patterns that do not serve us.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus models good resting behavior. Isn’t it wild that the Savior of the world took time from saving the world to save himself? He withdrew from crowds, from his disciples, from the evil he saw, from the threats he received, and went off by himself to pray and think and reflect and be alone. Maybe even to take a nap.
I wonder why we struggle sometimes to care for ourselves, why we resist rest. Most of us are adept at the “doing” part of life, but the “being” part doesn’t come so easily. It’s helpful to be reminded that even Jesus grew weary and had to take breaks away to be renewed and restored.
Rest well, friends.
Ann
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The Presbyterian Youth Triennium begins on Monday. We ask that you lift up our participants in your prayers for a safe trip to Louisville, Kentucky. May their relationship with God be awakened, renewed, and strengthened this week!
We have a group from First Federated of Peoria and another from First Presbyterian Church of Milan.
The Youth participants are Tihanna, Kenzie, Tony, Evan, Mason, and Nick. Thank you to our adult advisors, Emily, Julio, Carrie, and Katie, who will make this trip extra special for our kids.
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We will vote on the proposed presbytery restructuring at the August 19 assembly. If you have not yet read
the proposal, click here.
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A Call from the Nominating Committee:
You Want Me to Do What?!
This week, the Rev. Karol Schilling, a member of the Governance
Task Force, explains how the proposed structure offers clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Watch it here.
In recent weeks, other members of the Task Force have reflected on the restructuring:
- Rev. Ed Wegele encourages you to share the proposal with your congregation in this letter.
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Refer to this article from Rev. Kathy Mitchell, on the "why" of the proposed restructuring.
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Watch this video from the Rev. Dr. Frosty Krummel on the challenges of change.
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Join us!
Two in-person gatherings will be held this week if you'd like to hear more:
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Sunday, July 27, 2025, 2:00 pm, Springfield, Third Presbyterian, 1030 N 7th St, Springfield, IL 62702
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Wednesday, July 30, 10:00 am, Monmouth, Faith United, 200 S 8th St Monmouth, IL, 61462
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Timeline
April 29, 2025: Presentation of proposed restructuring to the Assembly for first reading
May-June 2025: Governance Task Force hosts Zoom conversations, regional gatherings about plan
July 2025: Governance Task Force reviews suggestions, addresses concerns, revises plan
August 19, 2025: Second reading. Assembly votes on proposal
Sept-Oct, 2025: Nominating Committee seeks individuals to serve in the new structure
November 1, 2025: Assembly votes on slate of nominees
January 1, 2026: Presbytery begins living into the new structure
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All pastors are invited to join the monthly
Zoom check-in for conversation, fellowship,
and support. The next gathering will be on
Thursday, July 31, at 12:00 noon.
Join here.
| | Responding to the Texas Hill Country Flooding | | Many of you have asked how you may be supportive of the recovery in the Texas hill country after the terrible floods there. The Rev. Kathy Lee-Cornell, who directs disaster response for the Synod of the Sun, offers these helpful ways in her recent blog post. | | |
You're invited to attend a virtual engagement opportunity that will explore how the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) supports ministry and wholeness.
The Value of the Benefits Plan webinars will feature Board of Pensions staff and provide the opportunity to learn how the benefits offered through the Benefits Plan of the PC(USA) work together to support ministries. You’ll hear how the values of the scripturally based A Theology of Benefits are woven throughout the plan. You’ll learn about current healthcare trends and costs, the value of our income protection plans, and the Assistance Program. Attendees will also hear from our employer and member services team about how they are able to support you and those who are called to serve.
Who should attend?
This event is open to all throughout the Church, including mid council leaders, pastors, employer representatives, church staff, personnel committee chairs, and church business administrators.
Thursday, Aug. 14, 2-3:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 1-2:30 p.m. ET
| | College and Young Adult Sunday | |
August 3 is College and Young Adult Sunday on the PC(USA) Planning Calendar. Make plans to lift up the college students and other young adults in your faith community. You can find worship liturgy, commissioning,
and programming ideas at www.pcusa.org/collegesunday. You can also find ways to connect college students to UKirk Collegiate ministries across the country.
| Church History Trip to Scotland: June 22-30, 2026 | | |
Scotus Tours is hosting an open trip to Scotland on June 22-30, 2026. The trip is lead by a Scottish Presbyterian pastor, and will include time in Edinburgh, Iona Abbey, and St. Andrews. The trip price is $4495 and includes tour, tips, lodging, and meals, but does not include airfare or travel insurance. The tour will be with other Presbyterians and new friends. This trip is ideal for smaller churches who have a few interested members, but are not large enough to plan a trip on their own.
Are you interested in the trip? Check out this informational brochure for more information, and contact Rev. Katie Styrt (katiestyrt@gmail.com) to sign up. Feel free to invite your friends or family! Early bird registrations are due August 10th and get a $100 discount.
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The General Assembly planning team has announced the theme of next summer’s 227th General Assembly, which will take place online and at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from June 22 through July 2, 2026. The theme is “Persevering Toward Wholeness.” The guiding Scripture for the gathering will be Revelation 22:2, "and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."
Applications to serve as a commissioner and Young Adult Advisory Delegate for the 227th General Assembly (in 2026) are now being accepted. All committee work will be online, with time allotted for travel to Milwaukee and the in-person plenaries, with work ending July 2, 2026.
Commissioners must be a minister member or ruling elder from the Presbytery of Great Rivers. Young adults must be between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-three (23) on the date the General Assembly to apply as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD). A YAAD applicant must be an active member of a congregation or participant of a New Worshiping Community or immigrant fellowship that has a relationship with the presbytery.
All applications will be reviewed by the Presbytery of Great Rivers Nominating Committee with nominees selected for election at the November 1, 2025, Presbytery Assembly meeting.
Young Adult Advisory Delegate applicants, please click HERE.
Application to serve as a Commissioner, click HERE.
| | Confronting White Christian Nationalism | | |
A message from Dianna Wright, Director of Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations
Last month, during his report to the World Council of Church’s Central Committee, Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay reported
that it is not always easy to sustain and strengthen Christian unity. We are often influenced by
political, geopolitical, Christian nationalism, wars, and conflict and these can challenge Christian
unity, and we already see how this is at work. Christian unity is also threatened by theological, doctrinal, and socio-ethical factors, and these are real. However, what gives me joy is that despite all these concerns, there is goodwill amongst us to sustain and affirm unity within the fellowship. While we
may have our eyes on the context in which we live, we must, as people of faith, always keep our eyes
of faith on Christ who is our redeeming and reconciling hope. Christian unity empowers us to raise,
sustain, and live hope in a struggling and suffering world.
In that spirit, the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations (GACEIR) published a resource to help Presbyterians confront Christian nationalism. GACEIR’s document includes a liturgical witness against the growing movement.
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We pray for the following Great Rivers congregations and their leaders:
- First Presbyterian Church of Milan and Rev. Katie Styrt
- Niota, Appanoose-Faith United Presbyterian Church and Pastor Dave Poland
- Springfield, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Dr. Blythe Denham Kieffer and Rev. Sarah Bishop and Rev. Dr. Anne Marshall, who will officially begin as co-pastor on Tuesday, September 2 and become Pastor/Head of Staff on October 1, 2025
| | Community Circles: Small Church | | |
Are you an educator, volunteer, pastor, or commissioned pastor (CRE, CLP), who serves as a leader in a small church (less than 100 members)? You are invited to register for the PC(USA) Office of Christian Formation's Community Circle, designed especially for those leaders in small churches.
Come to share in conversation and learn, ask questions, receive and share resources for ministry, and support one another during these 90-minute Zoom gatherings. Each features a question or topic just to get the conversation going related to Faith Formation leadership in small churches, then the discussion can go from there.
Conversation facilitator is Sandy Safford, Faith Formation leader for close to 30 years and a Commission-ready Lay Pastor who served as pastor for a small rural congregation in Colorado for 10 years. She is also a consultant, retreat facilitator, and trained coach who loves the outdoors as well as collecting ideas with colleagues for wonder and imagination in ministry.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2:00 pm Central
Wednesday, October 8th, 10:00 am Central
Thursday, December 4th, 12:00 pm Central
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Visit LuminosityConference.org to register for the 2026 pastoral leadership conference designed to spark your imagination and equip you with practical wisdom to enhance your ministry.
The Luminosity Conference 2026 will be held in Orlando, FL March 9-11 at Disney Springs. Whether you’re shaping the future of your church, organization, or community, this is your moment to be inspired, equipped, and empowered for lasting influence. Register today!
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Rather than workshops, participants are invited to dig deeply in one pathway in order to embody transformation as they explore their ideas and experiment in a learning community. This year we are offering two tiers of registration in order to support those who do not have continuing education funds or access to scholarships through denominational resources, etc.
Link to the main webpage for the National Gathering:
https://nextchurch.net/national-gathering/2025-grand-rapids-mi/
FREE Learning Opportunities
Roundtable Conversations are one hour long. There is no charge, but registration is required. Because these conversations are designed for active participation, Roundtables are not recorded. You can find all of our Roundtable Conversations here: https://nextchurch.net/roundtable-conversations/
NEXT Church was started by the innovation and creativity of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastors. We continue to engage faithful leaders across the Church to embody who we are and who we are called to be.
| | Sabrina has a few items from storage if anyone would like them. They can be picked up at the August Assembly. smcgrath@greatriverspby.org | | |
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22 tabletop sign holders
25 plastic bowls
22 offering-style baskets
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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
| | Open Searches for Pastoral Leadership in Great Rivers | | Presbytery of Great Rivers Staff | | |
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
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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 us on Facebook
Subscribe to PGR’s YouTube channel here to get notifications of our new videos. 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.
| | https://www.greatriverspby.org/ |   | |   | | | |
