Property Insurance Update

We can now provide an update for congregations interested in having their property covered by the Insurance Board, the insurance company the Synod of Mid America is working with in an attempt to provide some cost savings to our congregations.

If you are a congregation not currently covered by the Insurance Board and decide to switch to coverage through the Insurance Board, you will receive a discount on your annual premium.

Those who already have the Insurance Board as their provider will receive a reduction in the cost of their annual renewal. This will not be immediately obvious. There is always an increase in premiums each year, and the percentage rate increase will be lower next year than in the past.

It is our understanding that the Insurance Board guarantees coverage for congregations. Whether you are a new congregation to the Insurance Board or an existing congregation, please make sure they understand that you are a congregation in the Synod of Mid-America.

If you are not already an Insurance Board client and haven't already filled out an Insurance Questionnaire, reach out to Melanie (mhancock@pnks.org) to receive the questionnaire right away.

Resource Center

If you are currently using Sparkhouse resources(and if you are not and want to check it out, contact Amanda at ALittell@pnks.org) be sure to check out the new resources that were recently released! You can check out this content by logging in and looking under "Bonus Content" for the word "NEW!" These uploads happen quarterly, so there's a lot to keep up with. Here's the list of the latest additions to Sparkhouse Digital:

• Children’s Messages and Children’s Church Activities for the 1st Sunday in Advent through the 6th Sunday of Epiphany/Transfiguration. Look also for the "Live the Lectionary" extra message and activity which explains the Lectionary to kids by way of a fun public transit map!
• Two New Intergenerational Events:
• Advent: It’s Time to Prepare!
• All ages to come together for this intergenerational event. Participants will make their own Advent wreaths while learning more about this beautiful story.
• A Celebration of Epiphany
• This event has participants of all ages celebrate Epiphany while learning more about the visit from the magi. 
• 7 Games for all ages, group sizes, and energy levels:
• Wrapped Up
• Seek-a-Seat
• Smugglers
• Scrambled Names
• Ornament Knock Off
• Gratitude
• Epiphany 1-2-3

Celebrating God's Work in PNK

We are excited to share that The Restricted Funds Oversight Subcommittee (RFOS) and the Interim Unified Agency's Interim Senior Leadership Team (ISLT) at PC(USA) recently awarded First Presbyterian-Lawrence a grant from the General Assembly Unassigned Funds Grant Program!

This grant was awarded in the amount of $7000 to help fund the installation of solar panels, reducing the church’s carbon footprint. This grant was given from Restricted Fund 59239 which is for a mission program with preference given to advocacy for environment and evangelism. Grant proposals for this fund should demonstrate a connection to the environment and God’s creation. In addition, the application should demonstrate that the program will likely draw new members and/or expose nonmembers to the beliefs of the Presbyterian Church.

For more information about grant funding opportunities from PC(USA) see their website HERE.  https://pcusa.org/grants-scholarships

Upcoming Events

PNKS Is on the Road again...and this time we will be celebrating the holiday at First Presbyterian Church in Topeka. Join us as we enjoy the sights and sounds of the Christmas Season at Noon Noels. Noon Noels is a free community Christmas concert series that is held from Noon to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday's in December. PNKS will be there on December 10th.

Come hear local high school Shawnee Heights High School Choraliers (Nicolas Carr, director) sing holiday songs, join a fun audience sing-along, and hear a brief devotional message of joy for the Christmas season.  

A meal will be served before and after the “service.” You can eat at 11:15 a.m or 12:30 p.m. (A $7 donation is suggested). A Baked Potato Bar will be served on December 10th.



Come join PNKS and Topeka First for fellowship and celebration of the season!

Our Connectional Church

Synod of Mid-America "Gift of Small" Conference

The Synod of Mid-America held a "Gift of Small" church conference on October 9-11 at Central Presbyterian Church. Twenty-two participants from Kansas, Missouri and Iowa attended to hear keynote speaker, Rev. Phillip Blackburn. We invited churches to bring 

either Hygiene Kits or Emergency Clean-Up Buckets to the conference as a Synod 

mission project.

Thank you to the planning team, Shannon Borgman, Melanie Hancock, Liz Lindsey, and Deborah Boucher-Payne for all their work and time.

In Case You Missed It

On Sunday November 16, staff member Amanda Littell was invited to ‘give a big check’ at Sunrise Presbyterian Church of Salina, KS. 

This check represents a Mission Project Grant given to Salina Sunrise for their ongoing work with Living Waters for the World in Honduras. A 'check' in the amount of $2290 was presented to the congregation to help fund a motorcargo which will carry filtered, bottled water to Pajuiles, Honduras and villages nearby. A Living Waters for the World (LWW) water purification system was installed in the village of Pajuiles in 2014. The sponsors of this project were the Presbytery of Northern Kansas and Collierville Presbyterian Church (CPC) in Collierville, TN. The members of the PNKS Mission Ministry Team were pleased to continue support of this project.

The Presbytery’s Mission Ministry Team is responsible for granting mission dollars to our local PNKS churches. If you have a project we can support, contact Amanda for information, or find the application on the PNKS website.