News for the Notetakers

A Newsletter for the Clerks of Session

of Highlands Presbytery

June 2024

From the Stated Clerk

~ Rev. Dr. Steven Shussett

The 2023 Minute Review

Thank you to all who have made our annual review a successful undertaking!

Pictured here are the in-person reviewers at

the First Presbyterian Church of Hackettstown, on May 5, 2024.

2024 General Assembly

Salt Lake City, Utah

The clock is ticking toward the opening of the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and like the two prior assemblies, this one will be like no other. The Office of the General Assembly is working on this year’s new format which will include online committee meetings and in person plenaries. Visit this site often to get the latest information and to see how you can watch, or even attend, the Assembly.

All available by livestream!

June 25–27, 2024 Committees meet

June 29–July 4, 2024 Plenary sessions in Salt Lake City, Utah.

You can also purchase bulletin inserts from the Presbyterian Outlook,

previewing the General Assembly and then providing "post-game analysis."

Click here for more information!

MyGA

2024 GA Town Hall

July 25 at 7:30PM, via Zoom

Get the Inside Scoop on the General Assembly,

and Unpack the Decisions Made.

Hear from our commissioners about their experiences

and get their impressions of these vital days

in the life of the PCUSA.

Watch for information on how to join us!

+ + +

You can also purchase bulletin inserts

from the Presbyterian Outlook,

previewing the General Assembly

and then providing "post-game analysis."

Click here for more information!

Mark Your Calendars!

Clerk of Session Workshop

October 5, 2024 at 9am

This year's guest speaker will be Kate Trigger Duffert, Director of General Assembly Planning in the Office of the General Assembly. She'll be talking about decisions coming out of the upcoming GA that will have direct impact on our congregations. We'll also talk about the new policies on which the Presbytery and our congregations will have to act.

Learn more about Kate here

No, You Haven't Missed Anything

The Presbytery staff is frequently asked if the following items are available:

an anti-harassment policy;
an anti-racism policy;
the Board of Pensions' final tabulations

Reasonable questions, but the short answer is no, they are not available yet.

The more full answer is that Presbytery committees are hard at work, even over the summer, working with the information we have, and waiting on what we don't.

Please be patient! We will let you know as soon as we can.

Do You Have an Appointed Moderator?

It is not uncommon for there to be pastoral changes over the summer, as parents time their transitions to be ready for the new school year. If your church is appointed a moderator, there is a worksheet to fill out, which includes how much to pay them.

Your Appointed Moderator Resource Sheet

A Newsletter for the Clerks of Session of Highlands Presbytery

will come out 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.

Presbytery of the Highlands of NJ

390 Route 10 West, Randolph, NJ 07869

973-361-0084

office@highlandspresbyterynj.org