Looking to the Weekend
Election Cycle - Pandemic Questions
Pandemic Voting - What Do I Do?
by Nigel Holloway

This is an election year, of course, and there’s a pandemic. The safest way to cast a ballot is to do so by mail. In Missouri, if a voter is vulnerable due to ill health or is 65 or older, they don’t need a notary, but the rest of us do. You are eligible to vote absentee with a notary due to: religious beliefs; working as an election worker; incarceration; participation in a Safe at Home program; absence on election day.
Notaries therefore have to notarize the envelope in which the completed ballot is mailed to the board of elections. They do not have to corroborate the reason for a voter using a mail-in ballot; they just have to check the voter’s identity.

Upcoming Events & News
Presbytery Upcoming Virtual Meetings

Wed., July 29
12 p.m. - Interim/Transitional Pastors -  Click Here
Thurs., July 30
12 p.m. – All Pastors Meeting - Click Here
10 a.m. - Presbyterian Women Gathering -  Click Here 
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Rev. Emma Holley, and Faith Des Peres Presbyterian Church, as they embark on a journey together.
Rev. Holley will officially start August 17th with her first Sunday in the pulpit on August 30th.
Faith and DesPeres Presbyterian church is currently worshiping virtually and you may find them on Facebook here.
Presbytery Job Openings
Current Support Ministry Position Openings

Youth Ministry Director - First Presbyterian (Salina, Kansas)


Pastoral Opportunity - First Presbyterian, Ferguson

Administrative Assistant for Program and Pastoral Ministries – Ladue Chapel 

Organist/Pianist - First Presbyterian, Jackson, MO

Interim Pastor - John Calvin Presbyterian

HELP WANTED HIGHLIGHT
Unique Pastoral Opportunity in Ferguson, Missouri – The First Presbyterian Church seeks an adventurous Pastor to lead and build its current and evolving congregation. Located in a diverse community in St. Louis County that has, in recent years, witnessed social upheaval, this diverse community of faith is dedicated to using the lessons of the past to ensure a brighter future and is committed to being at the forefront of this effort. We seek a pastor who will share this commitment and vision. If you are a forward thinker, flexible and open-minded, visit  www.faithinferguson.org  and go to the “Pastoral Search” link (found here) for more information about our church and our pastoral search.
Matthew 25
Matthew 25: Dismantling Racism
A Message from PMA
July 29 | 2-3 p.m.
Register today for the next Matthew 25 event on July 29 from 2–3 p.m.
The three focuses of the Matthew 25 vision are to build congregational vitality, eradicate systemic poverty, and dismantle structural racism. In view of the current unrest and protest in our nation, the call to be a Matthew 25 church is more compelling than ever. This may very well be one of the first ways that churches can take steps to bring about racial justice.
Mid council leaders will share how they are using Matthew 25 to impact their ministries and communities, and lead in the challenge to do something every day to raise awareness about the perniciousness of racism and encourage action in response to that awareness. Register here .
Christian Education During a Pandemic
If you have been wondering about how to use your PC(USA) curriculum this fall, we have you covered. Check out all of the free guides we have made to making using our curriculum easy for you https://bit.ly/38Y7kp7 . Check out our webinar that goes into more detail about each of these free resources https://youtu.be/ccf-0Sbt81I
News & Events
CLC Online Webinar:
Tips & Tools for Navigating the Online System
Wednesday, August 5 | 1:30 p.m. (CT)
Mid-Council Leaders and COM and CPM chairs, register to join Omar Chan and Mason Todd, CLC consultants, as they share valuable information about the online system. Manuel Silva, Manager of Call Process, will be also available to answer questions.
New Worshiping Communities
Dreaming and Discerning
Tues., Aug. 18 at 7:00 p.m.

Although many of our buildings may be closed for now, our churches are creatively open, continuing and even expanding the reach of their mission and ministry, with God’s Spirit inspiring many of us to see visions and dream dreams in ways we might not have imagined a few short months ago.  Learn more here.
Please RSVP your interest to Leigh Porter at lporter@glpby.org . A Zoom link will be sent to you before the meeting in August.
Social Witness Team Voting Alert
Webster Groves Presbyterian Church
Free Notary Services
Sunday, July 26
12 p.m. to 3 p.m  .
Webster Groves Presbyterian Church will offer free mail-in ballot notarization services on Sunday, July 26 from noon to 3:00 p.m. The notary services will be held on the parking lot on the east side of the church, 45 West Lockwood in Webster Groves.    Directions found here
  • All Missourians will be able to vote by mail for the August 4 and November 3 elections. 
  • Participants will need to sign their ballot envelopes in front of the notary, present an ID and sign the notary’s log.
  • All voters and participants will be required to wear a mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you. The activity will take place outdoors, rain or shine. 
  • Share with your congregation, friends and family! For more information, call:  Janice Seele 714-642-3376
Medicaid Expansion On the Ballot

Many Missouri families are slipping through the cracks in our healthcare system — forced to choose between paying for life-saving care and putting food on the table or making a mortgage payment to keep their home. These families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and not enough to be able to afford coverage on the health insurance exchange.
Medicaid expansion closes that coverage gap and ensures that hardworking Missourians will have access to affordable healthcare. It helps people nearing retirement who have lost their insurance, those with chronic medical conditions, and all Missourians who earn less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level (that’s less than $18,000 for an individual or $30,000 for a family of three). Medicaid expansion would provide healthcare to more than 230,000 Missourians - including more than 50,000 parents and 18,000 near retirees.
Self-Care and Mental Health
Light for the Darkness
Meeting
Join us Mondays at 7 p.m.
Feeling anxious or depressed, or know someone who is? Light for the Darkness has started a virtual group for anyone struggling with mental health to connect with others who understand and explore where God may be in the midst, Mondays at 7 pm. 
Please connect with Thirza Sayers, who is intimately aware of these struggles, if you have any questions at   thirzasayers@gmail.com     or 404.313.4549. Learn more about Light for the Darkness by  clicking here.
Spiritual Practices
The spiritual practice for July is discernment. Discernment is about more than understanding or decision-making. It is about the holy process of listening for God in a way that seeks to understand God's will and align one's self with it.
Practicing discernment requires a yoking with Christ ... a walking alongside in order to learn from him.
This week, practice reading scripture for understanding instead of affirmation of your previous beliefs, and then applying this new understanding to your actions.
Learn more about A Place of Grace by Clicking Here
Let's Talk about Self-Care
These days, it is more and more clear there are those who know the practices of self-care and those who don't. In this short video, Synod Executive Landon Whitsitt offers a brief introduction to caring for our bodies, minds, and spirits. Click here
FREE 24 Hour Counseling

Pastors and other Board of Pension members, Cigna is offering a separate 24-hour toll-free help line, to support resiliency during this time of high stress and anxiety, and can be reached by calling 866-912-1687 to connect with qualified clinicians, including licensed social workers, professional counselors, and psychologists, who can provide support and guidance.
Matthew 25 - In Difficult Times
We want to hear your stories!
  • How is your congregation remaining or becoming even more vibrant?
  • How are you reaching out to your neighbors in creative ways?
  • How have you participated in the Presbyterians Care Movement?
Send us your comments to lporter@glpby.org o r call 314-772-2395. We hope to hear from you soon!