Session Minute Review season is upon us!

If you haven't done so already, now is the time to organize your session minutes, complete the Minute Review Worksheet, and make your plan on how you will have your minutes reviewed.

Key Dates:

May 1 - Deadline to email your church's minutes and worksheet

May 10, 3pm - In-person review at the First Presbyterian Church of Hackettstown

June 1: Deadline to review and return completed minute worksheets

In the interest of improving our minutes, I often ask you to pay special attention to a different item in the minutes. For 2025, please take note of

#40.  Notice of any official communications to the session from the Presbytery, Synod, or General Assembly, including those by email. (G-3.0202d) 

Think about all of the communications you receive from the entire denomination. No doubt there are many things you file, pass on, or delete/throw away.

There are, however, communications you recognize as being important enough to report to the session. In particular, there are communications that are addressed specifically to your session; often these will come from the Presbytery.

For example, you may get a general reminder that a church's minutes are due to the Presbytery by June 1. Make note of that, and act accordingly. But when you get the final review from the Presbytery office with exceptions and commendations, you have to report that to the session and include it in your minutes. And you have to include that "official communication to the session from the Presbytery, including those by email." A general request about per capita is one thing, but the thank you note you receive or the quarterly statement - those are directly to you, and involved the administration of the church - and so should be reported.

In short: Mass emails don't need to be recorded, but if it is something specific and reported to the session, it should be noted in your minutes, and so on #40. Which means no church should be indicating that it hasn't received any official communication from the Presbytery.

Did you know you can find training videos on the Presbytery’s website? Look under “Resources and Documents” for Presbytery Videos such as:

• 2025 Training for Church Officers and all Church Leaders, "Church Leaders as Spiritual Leaders";
• Past Presbytery Meetings; and
• Giving Programs and Financial Activities



Don’t forget that along with your pastor, you are one of the key communicators in your church — so make sure others know these and other resources are available.

April

Has your commissioner reported to the session on the March Presbytery meeting?

May 6 from 10am-12pm:

In-person Session Minute Review. Highlands Presbytery Office (390 Route 10 West, Randolph, New Jersey 07869). Registration required, other reviewing options available.

May 13

Stated Meeting of the Highlands Presbytery, Hybrid at Camp Johnsonburg and on Zoom.

12-3pm: The Commission on Ministry invites all pastors to a special gathering on May 13, from 12:00 to 3:00 PM at Johnsonburg Camp. Lunch will be provided. Stay tuned—more details and registration information will be available soon.

4-6pm: Non-Business Meeting, including the Discernment Report, worship, and brief presentations from Synod Executive SanDawna Ashley, and Camp Johnsonburg, and ending with dinner.

6:30-8:30pm: Voting on COM matters, the final Discernment Team Report, and the remaining General Assembly amendments. More information on all of these forthcoming.

• Has your session elected a commissioner for the May Presbytery meeting?
• Make sure your pastor knows about May 13 from 12-3pm!
• Don’t forget to have your commissioner report to the session after the May Presbytery meeting.



June 1: Deadline to review and return completed minute worksheets

A Newsletter for the Clerks of Session of Highlands Presbytery

will come out quarterly. If you have something to share or a question for the community of clerks, please send it to steves@highlandspresbyterynj.org by the last week of the month before.