"If your only prayer is 'thank you,' that is enough." ~Meister Eckhart

Let me begin by once again thanking you for the invaluable service you provide your church as Clerk of Session. The Book of Order does not require a church to have a pastor, but it does require a clerk. What you do may often go unsung, but it is important and does not go unnoticed here at the Presbytery.

Because of the many end-of-year and beginning-of-year activities and responsibilities, we will not be sending out the Minute Review Form or the updated Minute Manual until Mid-February, when your Annual Statistical Reports have been submitted.

Fear not! You have until May 19, 2025 to submit your minutes and review form for a peer review, and until June 1 to get your completed review to the Presbytery.

For those who wish to get a jump on their review preparation, these two items can be found via the links above and on the Clerk of Session page.

You will be able to review minutes by (1) trading yours digitally with another church through the Presbytery Office, (2) in-person with a neighboring clerk, or (3) at a gathering of clerks at one of our churches, time and place TBD.

We give thanks that the PC(USA) is a connectional church, from congregations to presbyteries, synods to the General Assembly. It is a way of living out Jwhat it means to be a part of the Body of Christ.

However, like any body, communication is all-important. And if we don't communicate, life can get difficult.

By all means, reach out to the Synod of the Northeast or the General Assembly (or any GA entitities like PILP or the Presbyterian Foundation) for information on grants, loans, or programs that will further your church's ministry or mission. But please let the Presbytery know when you actually apply for a loan/grant, or invite a program presentation.

The Presbytery is not only a helpful partner, but a necessary one when it comes to signatures or permissions. When the Presbytery isn't in the communications loop, decisions you make may be delayed until you and the necessary people or committees are connected. Contact Jeanne or Steve to share what's happening.

It is no longer unusual to have a wedding outside of a church, or even without a pastor. For some, that challenges the mindset of a "traditional" wedding.

Others, however, see this an opportunity to take part in a loved one's special day.

Be careful!

This is not just a matter of whether state law permits such an action, although that is important. But if you learn that someone in your congregation has been "ordained" in a digital non-denominational church to preside at a wedding, even if it is "just this once," that "ordination" amounts to renouncing their membership in the PC(USA).

You have to be a member of a church to be ordained in it, and as we understand it, you can't be a member of two denominations at the same time. (We no longer have affiliate members, and that was a different kind of relationship.)

This does not mean immediately removing them from your rolls! But a conversation is called for. If this situation occurs, contact Steve Shussett to discuss it.

By now you will have received from Office Manager Sonja Gaertner the information you need for your Annual Statistical Report. If you have any questions or problems, please contact her at (973) 361-0084 or by email

Schedules being what they are, it is acceptable to enter your congregation's statistics prior to the annual congregational meeting, provided that the statistical information is presented in the Clerk's Annual Report given at that meeting. If something changes, the Presbytery can make additions and corrections, up to a certain point. Again, contact Sonja if this is necessary.

Both of these policies will be required in 2025,

as will Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and

Anti- Harassment trainings for your elders on session.

Church Officer/Leader Training

Coming in Early 2025!

To be a church leader is not about being a leader in title, but in spiritual presence. As much as it is a matter of ordination or office, a leader in the church lives out of the reality that God is present, powerful, and active among us. How can Christians be open to the Spirit’s leading, so as to be Christ hands and heart in God’s world?

In this workshop participants will learn of the discipleship required for Christian leadership, and how that is made real in the life of a congregation. It is open to all church officers, old and new, and anyone interested in leadership and Christian spirituality.

January is not just for New Year’s resolutions — you can also check a lot off of your to-do list!

At your January session meeting, you can

• schedule the Lord’s Supper: for the next month, quarter, or year;
• give your pastor permission to take home Communion for the calendar year;
• list the terms and end dates for all those elected in your congregation: elders, deacons, trustees, clerk of session, and treasurer.
• Elect your elder commissioner to Presbytery - to one or all four meetings! And pencil their report into your agenda for the following month!
• List the contents of your Manual of Operations, and the dates when policies were approved. This is where you can show you have policies for Children and Youth Protection and Sexual Misconduct, and in 2025, your Anti-Harassment and Anti-Racism policies;
• cite the name and contact information for your insurance provider.
• And while your minutes don’t have to include your annual report, if you do, you’ll have your annual budget, pastor’s compensation, committee reports and other important matters baked into your minutes.

If you are consistent in doing this, people will learn to look to the January minutes for all of this information.

Highlands Presbytery is having four presbytery meetings in 2025:

1. March 11, 7PM, Zoom
2. May 13, Time & Place TBD, Hybrid
3. Sept. 9, Time & Place TBD, Hybrid
4. November 11, 7PM, Zoom

Don't forget to elect commissioners in advance, and to receive their report after.

Jesus remains with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. In the life of a congregation, communication is the "tie that binds."

As clerks, it is our responsibility to make sure that information received is information shared.

Don't just read this and other Presbytery or PC(USA) communications.

Share information with the people who need to see it!

A Newsletter for the Clerks of Session of Highlands Presbytery

is sent quarterly, in March, June, September, and December. 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.