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.

November 22, 2024

Announcements

Happy Thanksgiving

To the congregations, leaders, and friends of the Presbytery of Great Rivers, we are grateful for you. May God’s gracious love be with you and your families this Thanksgiving.

PGR Staff and Leadership

Elissa Bailey, Crystal Goforth, Lonna Lee, Cheyanna Losey, Sabrina McGrath, Ann Schwartz, Carol Sleeth, Bill Strawbridge

Presbytery Holiday Closures

The Presbytery office will be closed for Thanksgiving on November 28 and 29 and for Christmas, December 24 through January 1.

December Newsletter Schedule

In December, the newsletter will be published on December 6 and 20. Please send articles for publication by 5:00 pm on the preceding Tuesdays to StephanieSidotiVMA@gmail.com.

From the Lead Presbyter

Gratitude begets gratitude. When we give thanks, our hearts crack open and we notice how much there is to be thankful for. Lots of folks practice this as a spiritual discipline, each day writing down a few things for which they are thankful. It’s effective. Exercising the “thanks” muscle every day strengthens it. 

Gratitude is a constant refrain in the scriptures, and it is most often expressed by people who have experienced trials, who know despair, who grieve. I think that’s why Psalm 23 is beloved by so many and resonates with anyone who has known loss and sorrow. The psalmist voices thanks for the gift of simply being alive after coming so close to death, and of knowing God has been there all along and provided life-giving sustenance. 

We have two expressions of gratitude in our house on Thanksgiving. Before our meal, everyone is invited to say what they are grateful for. Even those who don’t love the practice have clearly thought about their responses. We also set an empty space at the table in remembrance of family who are no longer here. It is bittersweet but never fails to make me thankful for having loved people enough to miss them so.

If you cannot summon gratitude right now, because the struggle is real and the pain is too much and the worry about the future is heavy, that’s okay. Sit with whatever it is you feel, but leave space, because you will give thanks again. Giving thanks is in our nature. God made us to be grateful and to express that as part of our relationship with the divine and with the world around us. 

The poet Mary Oliver elevates thanksgiving to an art form with her full heart for the most ordinary things. In “Messenger” she writes: “My work is loving the world. / Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird— / equal seekers of sweetness. / Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums. / Here the clam deep in the speckled sand. / Are my boots old? Is my coat torn? / Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me / keep my mind on what matters, / which is my work, / which is mostly standing still and learning to be / astonished. / The phoebe, the delphinium. / The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture. / Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here, / which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart / and these body-clothes, a mouth with which to give shouts of joy / to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam, / telling them all, over and over, how it is / that we live forever.

Friends, let us be thankful. In gratitude for God’s love for us, may we radically love God’s people and God’s world.

Blessings,

Ann

PS: One thing I am not grateful for is hackers who sow confusion, attempt to deceive, and add to our workload. Many of you have received an email this week purportedly from me (from pastor.presbyterian.chruch57@gmail.com>). I will NEVER send you vague messages about “a request for you to discreetly manage” and asking for “no calls so kindly respond back via email.” Do NOT respond; delete. It’s a scam. 



Rev. Ann Schwartz

Lead Presbyter

Clerk’s Corner

We are headed into the busy season for Clerks of Session. As you may have seen in my email to many of you who are clerks, there have been some changes that have taken place at the Office of the General Assembly. In years past, Kris Valerius was the individual responsible for all of the annual statistical reporting through the portal system. However, sadly and unfortunately, she suffered a brain event early this year and went on temporary disability. She was not able to come back to work. During that time, others at OGA have been working to fulfill her work. 

In the last couple of weeks, OGA has announced that they have decided not to hire a replacement but instead to eliminate that position and allow the work to be absorbed by others. Therefore, the timing of annual statistical reporting will be a little different this year. Initially, we thought that Session Clerks would be allowed to access their stats online halfway through December. We have now received an update to state that you will not be able to do so until January. 

What does this mean for you? Well, in the long run, not too much as you weren’t able to enter your reports until after Session approved them after the end of the year. However, you won’t be able to start your process earlier. What can you do in the meantime? I will still be sending you all of the information you receive at the end of the year, and you will be able to start working on it. If you need past reports, I can help with that as well. For those who attended the Clerk’s Convo last week, we talked about not waiting until the last minute because some of the reports require information gathered from others. As always, if you need anything, please let me know.

Did You Know? Polity Edition

Co-Clerks: Can you have co-clerks? Absolutely, you can have co-clerks, just make sure you elect both and you know what the expectations are for each. It might be that one clerk will be the parliamentarian and the other will be the recorder of minutes. Maybe both clerks will record minutes and then you will compare minutes. If this is the case, only one set of minutes will be voted on by the Session to approve and be placed into the permanent book. If you have co-clerks, the one who writes the minutes should be the one to sign the minutes. If both clerks are responsible for taking the minutes, both clerks should sign. 

The next Clerk’s Convo will be December 10th at 10 am. At this time, I should be able to start accessing the portal system for the annual statistical reports, and we will talk about all of the end-of-year reporting.

Elissa Bailey (she/her/hers) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82477487297?pwd=ZXNIc29YRit3cTE2SGhsK0N5YzUrZz09

Meeting ID: 824 7748 7297

Passcode: 832216

The Mission of the Church

From Your Finance Team

It’s a season of giving thanks. Your finance team would like to express our thanks to all of you for your faithfulness.

Your congregation’s continued support makes the work of our Presbytery possible—providing for our staff, preparing people to become Ministers of Word and Sacrament, and funding the work of our committees and the larger church, the costs of assemblies and other gatherings, and the ministries that connect us. Giving also enables us to provide grant money so churches can to do ministry beyond their walls.

We have received and forwarded to the Presbyterian Mission Agency (GA) and Synod more than $34,000 in general mission giving.

Special offerings received through October surpass $52,800 for One Great Hour of Sharing, Christmas Joy, Peacemaking, and Pentecost. We’ve also collected almost $6,700 in disaster relief funds. All of these are pass-through funds that we process and send for the General Assembly and the Synod to disperse.

Presbytery of Great Rivers has received over $69,000 in mission funds from our churches that will be used to further our part of mission work for years to come. Our Visioning committee has issued $7,000 in grants so far in 2024 to help our churches 

engage with their community and provide programs and outreach opportunities.  

As mentioned at the assembly meeting on Saturday, November 9, Visioning is still accepting applications for grants to be paid out in 2024. The deadline for applications is Sunday, December 1, 2024. Visioning will meet on December 4 to approve applications submitted. Please consider applying to get additional support for your ministry. http://www.greatriverspby.org/uploads/2/4/5/6/24561669/visioning_grant_application-1.pdf

Once again thanks to all who have given. 

Bill Strawbridge – Treasurer and Sabrina McGrath - Bookkeeper

Planning ahead for 2025

Budgeting for 2025

At the Aug 24 assembly meeting it was announced that per capita will be increasing for 2025 to $38.29. This is due to General Assembly raising theirs. Synod and PGR remained the same.

The annual Per Capita mailing went out to churches at the end of September. Make sure you received it. If not please reach out. I’m happy to email or snail mail another copy.

2024

Thank you to all churches who have contributed towards Per Capita.

We’ve had 54 churches pay their 2024 per capita in full!

Thank you to Adair, Aledo-Sunbeam, Alexis – Norwood, Athens, Bartonville, Bloomington- St Luke Union, Bushnell, Carlinville, Carrollton, Carthage, Chatham, Chenoa, Clayton, Clinton, Coal Valley, Delavan, Divernon, East Moline, Edwards, Elmwood, Eureka, Fountain Green, Greenview, Ipava, Knoxville, Leroy, Lewiston, Lincoln, Mason City, Media, Milan, Monmouth – Sugar Tree Grove, Morton, Mt Sterling, New Windsor, Normal-First, Normal-New Covenant, Oneida, Orion, Pekin, Peoria – First Federated, Petersburg, Quincy, Reynolds, Rock Island, Springfield-First, Springfield – Korean, Stronghurst, Virginia-Sangamon Valley, Warsaw, Washington, White Hall, Woodhull and Yates City!

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

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

If you have a question about how much you still need to pay, please email me at smcgrath@greatriverspby.org.

Mission Giving Percentage Update

At the April 20 assembly meeting it was voted to change the percentage of mission giving for the General Assembly & Presbytery of Great Rivers. Synod remains at 5%.

Presbytery: Increased from 52.5% to 75%

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

Please be sure to always 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.

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

Thanks,

Bill Strawbridge, Treasurer

Sabrina McGrath, Bookkeeper

Please click on the blocks below to follow the links:

Ministry with the Least of These

In 2022, the General Assembly declared the PC(USA) to be a “Sanctuary and Accompaniment Church.” Walking alongside newcomers, building community with immigrants, belonging together to communities of worship, we understand the importance of standing with, uplifting, and holding up those who are made vulnerable by political action and injustice. As Christ’s church, we are called to be in prayer for and reach out to those in our communities to ask how we may show up, accompany, and support them.

Two resources may be helpful to your congregations: the family care plan and discerning to offer sanctuary. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights partners with over 60 nonprofit organizations that provide services throughout Illinois. To connect with organizations for resources: https://www.icirr.org/resources.

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving—this year on Dec. 3— a day when people across the world unite to make a difference. Once again, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog invites your congregation to join us and participate in Giving Tuesday so that we can amplify our impact through collective action. 

Through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, each item—from sustainable farming inputs to providing communities with clean water—brings hope to communities in need. This Giving Tuesday, lead your church in communal acts of generosity that change lives worldwide. Reach out to presbyteriangifts@pcusa.org to learn more.

Support the Christmas Joy Offering

During the season of Advent, we remember and reflect God’s perfect gift, Jesus Christ. This child, the Word made flesh, became one of us, so, through the Christmas Joy Offering, we honor this amazing gift by supporting leaders among us — past, present and future. The Christmas Joy Offering supports retired ministers and church workers and their families through the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions and students in Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping Communities of Color as they pursue education and prepare to use their gifts in service to the church and world. Resources for interpretation of the Offering can be found here, and a promotional video can be found here.

Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP)

Solidarity Hour: We gather on the second Tuesday of every month from noon to 1:00 p.m. ET on Zoom to learn together and encourage one another to take meaningful action to undo the historic and ongoing harms of the Doctrine of Discovery, including colonialism, destructive capitalism, activism, systems of domination and economic exploitation. zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ldu6uqz0uHNK_j577FzaB2hU7BOY1K7Av#/registration

The 10 Commandments of Food: Each year we celebrate World Food Day and the Food Week of Action, during which we highlight our efforts to ensure that everyone has enough good, healthy and culturally appropriate food. The 10 Commandments of Food provide principles for food justice. presbyterianmission.org/food-faith/10commandments

Resources for Pastors, Sessions,

and Congregations

Advent Devotions: Patterns of Divine Possibility

The Presbyterian Outlook is once again offering accessible and stirring daily devotions for Advent by Outlook Editor Teri McDowell Ott.

These digital devotions can be emailed out to your congregation, printed as a complete booklet or added to the Sunday bulletin each week. READ MORE.

Blue Christmas service and a Family Christmas Eve service are also available.

Unlock the Potential of Your Church Property for Impactful Ministry 

The Good Futures Accelerator is a dynamic and proven course designed to help congregations creatively use their church buildings and property to align money and mission. By participating in this program, congregations discover innovative ways to further their mission while building financial resilience and ensuring a sustainable ministry future.

What is the Good Futures Accelerator?

The Good Futures Accelerator, developed by Rooted Good in collaboration with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a self-guided program that empowers congregations to:

• Leverage church property: Explore creative strategies for using your church buildings and land to serve your community and generate income.
• Align money and mission: Ensure that your financial practices support and amplify your congregation’s mission, creating a strong foundation for long-term impact.
• Build financial resilience: Learn how to maximize your resources and create sustainable revenue streams that align with your values and goals.
• Innovate with confidence: Access practical tools and frameworks that encourage experimentation, learning and growth.

Why choose the Good Futures Accelerator?

• Self-guided curriculum: Enjoy the flexibility of a self-paced program that allows your congregation to engage with the material on your own schedule. This approach fosters deeper ownership of the learning process, enabling leaders to reflect, adapt and implement at a pace that suits your community’s needs.
• Proven methodology: Built on the successful strategies developed by Rooted Good, the Accelerator offers a proven pathway to aligning money and mission through the creative use of church property.
• Supportive community: Join a network of like-minded congregations and ministries that are also on the journey of innovation and transformation.

What’s included?

• Comprehensive resources: Access step-by-step guides, videos, templates and more to help you implement each phase of the program.
• Gamified learning journey: Engage in a dynamic, interactive experience that includes reflection questions and experiential exercises designed to deepen understanding and spark creativity.
• Tailored content: The program is rooted in Reformed theology and tailored to the specific context of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), making it uniquely relevant for your congregation.

How to get started

Visit pcusa.org/innovation to learn more about the Good Futures Accelerator and explore how this program can empower your congregation to make a greater impact. 

The Visioning Team of the Presbytery of Great Rivers is offering grants to the first five congregations that apply to participate in the Good Futures Accelerator course. (Cost to the church: $187; cost to the presbytery: $187). Each church will select a team of 3-7 people who spend, on average 40 hours over 9 months, exploring how to creatively use their church buildings and property to further their mission and build financial resilience. For more information about applying, email PGRVisioning@gmail.com.

From the Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium

In the midst of a beautiful and broken world, we have a vision for ministry with young people that unites youth in Christ with all other generations and proclaims the love of God without end. Here are a few of the latest free Quicksheet resources we offer to support youth leaders, congregations and parents/guardians:

Quicksheet #99 — Happy Planning — Theme Ideas for Youth Ministry

DatoVeloz #99 — Feliz planificación

Quicksheet #100 — Inside Out 2

DatoVeloz #100 — Del revés 2

Resilience Is a Practice

LeaderWise recognizes that as leaders and as helping professionals you are holding a lot right now! On the heels of two significant hurricanes this fall, a contentious election season, and any personal struggles you may be carrying, this time continues to be marked by intense emotion, uncertainty, tension, and heightened anxiety. We know that your parishioners, students, clients, and others are likely turning to you as they seek support, wisdom, and guidance. Now is a good time to pause and collectively remember that resilience is a practice. During the summer of 2023, LeaderWise shared a series that included eleven tangible steps that helping professionals can take to support their own resilience. We wanted to remind you of these tools and resources so that you can continue to serve those who need you.

Conferences and Learning Opportunities

The APCE Annual Event is the conference to attend if you serve in educational ministry in any capacity. You can attend in person at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, January 29-February 1, 2025 and take part in 60+ workshops and a variety of pre- and post-event opportunities, as well as renew connections with long-time colleagues and connect with new. You can also attend the online, which includes all the worship and plenary sessions and your choice of four (of 14) hybrid workshops. Select components of online event will be interpreted in Spanish.

Registration for the Annual Event is now open. 

2025 Worship & Music Conference

Join the Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM) in Montreat, North Carolina, this summer for the annual Worship & Music Conference. This year’s dynamic programming for musicians and worship leaders alike centers around the theme, “Clothed in Love.” PAM will offer two sessions of workshops, seminars, voiced and handbell choirs, and engaging community-building activities on June 15–20 and June 22–27. Registration and housing are now open. More information about the conference can be found at presbymusic.org/conference, or you can see all of the resources offered by PAM at presbymusic.org.

Spirit-Led Teamwork: The Art of Worship Planning

March 14–15, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis

Join the Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ North Central Region for an inspiring workshop focused on collaborative worship planning in preparation for Pentecost, designed for clergy, musicians and church leaders. Attendees will engage in interactive sessions, connect with others, and participate in prayer and worship, all aimed at rejuvenating you before the busy Holy Week and Easter. Leave with fresh ideas and practical tools for enhancing collaboration and communication in your worship planning process! Registration is open. Visit presbymusic.org/north-central-region for more information.

1001 New Worshiping Communities

Do you know a university student with a heart for justice and spirituality? We’re excited to announce Wayfinders: Launching Spiritual Activists, a new vocational discernment opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students from 1001 New Worshiping Communities in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Wayfinders is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to explore their calling by trying an entrepreneurial experiment on their campus related to anti-racism, anti-poverty, or a spiritual practice.

Each Wayfinder will receive:

*An all expenses-paid trip to an Incubator training to develop their idea. January 10-12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA

*A $500 microgrant to fund their project

*Monthly coaching with a 1001 Coach

*Guided discernment about their future at a debrief retreat, May 16-18, 2025

Know a student who should consider this? Share this post with them today. Ready to explore this opportunity? Apply today: https://form.jotform.com/243117936075156

Webinar on Supporting Older Adults in the “Third Thirty”

December 3, 1:00 p.m. CT

Learn about the challenges of aging, how older adults can best navigate them, and how the church can provide support. Chris Pomfret, a member of Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network, will lead the webinar. Topics will include making decisions about where older adults can live as they age, the importance of downsizing, and having conversations with children or loved ones about end-of-life wishes. During the webinar, Chris will introduce an ecumenical curriculum for church organizations and/or older adult leaders to use or adapt with their congregations. The webinar is free; registration is required. Register at https://poamn.org/third-thirty-webinar-2024/.

Connecting with Colleagues in

Great Rivers

RE Gary Terpstra (left) was one of the lucky recipients of a gift card at the August 24 Presbytery Assembly. With it, he took TE Lonna Lee (second from right) to lunch at Boyd’s Restaurant in Springfield earlier this month.

Ministry Opportunities

Open Searches for Pastoral Leadership

Interim Pastor, Third Presbyterian Church, Springfield click



Pastor, Yoked Ministry, New Windsor Presbyterian Church, Rio click

Music Ministry Director, United Presbyterian Church of Peoria click

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.