Newsletter
April / 13/ 2021
Be The Match
“This is serious, Jim. You’ve probably got 6 months to 2 years, if you’re lucky.”  
How can you help?
As we look back to 2020, it is with mixed emotions. While we have a lot to be grateful for, there have been ups and downs. We learned to do virtual church, work from home, teach our children. And at the same time, I am pleased to report that Be The Match impacted 6660 lives, the most in its 30+ year history.
“Every three minutes, one person is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Every 10 minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer… Be The Match Registry is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive the marrow…they need, when they need it.”
Think about how you might help. Sign up to donate peripheral blood stem cells or bone marrow, be a volunteer, help spread the word, make a monetary donation. Check out BeTheMatch.org. They saved my life!
Thanks. Jim Cook
Our Presbytery - Our Work
Weekly Prayer Basket

  • Please pray for... Jim Cook, our guest blog author this week, and for Be the Match for their work in saving lives.
  • Please pray for... children in foster care who are separated from both their parents and their siblings
  • Please pray for... for unexpected health concerns and treatments
  • Please pray for... for those who have and battle long haul COVID. They continue to need rest, care and support as their body is healing.
PC(USA)
Quick Connect
Support Ministry
Help Wanted
Parish Paper
Upcoming Team Meetings
If you have any questions regarding team meetings, please check with your Moderator for meeting dates and times, or call the office at 314-772-2395, or email Office Manager, Leigh Porter at lporter@glpby.org
Wed., Apr. 14
12pm-Transitional Pastor Click Here
1:30pm-COM Click Here
Thur., Apr. 15
9:30am-History Team Click Here
10am-Public Witness Click Here
4pm-Vision Team Click Here
Fri., Apr. 16
10am- PW Coord Council Click Here

Mon., Apr. 19
12pm-New Teaching Elders-Click Here

Stated Presbytery Gathering
Saturday, April 24
Featuring Rev. Marthame Sanders

Rev. Marthame Sanders is an Atlanta-based podcaster, producer, musician, improviser, and consultant. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Chicago, Marthame has served in ministry as international mission staff, youth director, and solo pastor.
The meeting will be on Zoom, and all members are welcome!
8:15 am Fellowship Rooms Open | 9 am Meeting Begins in Worship
We anticipate ending by 12:15 pm
We love hearing about the creativity of our congregations and sharing it with our presbytery. Please send your news to communication@glpby.org
News & Activities
sale_tags_re.jpg
John Calvin Presbyterian
Moving Sale
Sat., Apr. 17 | 8am-2pm
The congregation is moving to a new location and are selling a large portion of their unused furniture, office and craft supplies, books, games, home goods, and various knick knacks.
This indoor sale will be a cash only event, and we ask arrangements be made to remove any large items purchased. Early birds are welcome. Most of our items will be priced to move, and there are a lot of great deals.
The sale will be held at John Calvin Presbyterian Church, 12567 Natural Bridge Rd., Bridgeton, MO 63044 . Directions found here. | www.JCPChurch.org
Save the Date
Presbyterian Women Spring Gathering
Sat., May 1 | 10am-12pm
Online through Zoom - Click Here
If calling in, dial 312-626-6799,
enter Meeting ID 817 0035 4292.
Rental and Utility Assistance Available
for Missourians
Ameren Missouri is encouraging families across the state to look into a new program to help pay outstanding rent and utility bills. The State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) program is for Missouri renters who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It covers up to 12 total months of rent and utility bills, including up to three months of future rent. The SAFHR program is administered through the Missouri Housing Development Commission.
Eligible customers can apply at mohousingresources.com. If approved, payment typically takes place in two to four weeks, directly to your landlord and/or utility companies. If you need help applying, call 1-888-471-1029. To qualify for SAFHR, you must be renting a residential property in Missouri and meet the following criteria:
  - You or someone in your household must also have experienced a financial hardship due to the pandemic, including increased expenses, reduced income, lost wages, etc. You must be at risk of housing instability or losing your housing as a result of the hardship.
  - Your household income must be at or below 80% of the median income in your area, defined by your county and household size. You can look up this information at mohousingresources.com/safhr.
The program is funded by COVID-19 stimulus packages passed by the federal government. Applications for assistance are available now through September 30, 2021. Customers can learn more about available energy assistance programs at AmerenMissouri.com/EnergyAssistance.
FEMA COVID19
Funeral Expense Support
Linked below find information about a FEMA program that begins April 12, which offers financial support for funeral expenses for families/individuals who have lost someone due to COVID19. This grant can reimburse expenses already incurred.
Please forward this information to your congregations. There many be church members who can benefit for this support. In addition your churches can share this information with community partners who may have clients who could benefit from this support. FEMA Information Found Here
Synod Fourth Week Sermon Support
Rev. Bob Jensen, Bridge Presbytery Leader
The next "4th Sunday" is April 25. Below is the worship information. The direct video and transcript links will be sent on or before April 19th.
  • Title: Tuning to the Shepherd’s Voice
  • Scripture: John 10:11-18
  • Themes: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” John 10:14
Tips for Caring for God's Wonder-Filled Creation
Celebrate Earth Day at your church and
in your community!
April is Earth Day Month with the 51st anniversary of Earth Day itself on April 22. The Earth Care Team of presbytery is encouraging congregations to acknowledge Earth Day during worship in April. It could be in the music, the prayers, the sermon, the liturgy, the children's message, the décor in the sanctuary, or whatever way the church decides to do it. We are called by our faith to care for Mother Earth especially in this time of climate crisis across the world, our country, and our community. We take care of her as she takes care of us! It is part of following the "Jesus Way"!
"TIPS" is brought to you by the Earth Care Team of presbytery, represented by membership from the nine "certified Earth Care Congregations" of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in the presbytery. For more information contact: carletonstock@aol.com.
2021 Tech Grants
Over the last year, GLPBY congregations have worked hard to move vital ministries online. We have connected for worship, learning, and fellowship utilizing resources we never imagined incorporating into our ministries pre-pandemic. To that end, GLPBY granted more than $46,000 in Tech Grants to assist churches in their efforts to establish and/or update their online presence.
Wave 1 and Wave 2 Grants are now phased out. GLPBY is pleased to announce a new round of Tech Grants is available to GLPBY congregations. The Presbytery will pay 75%, up to $2,000, of the grant request with the church commitment to paying the balance. Just to be clear the maximum grant will be $2,000. This round of grants will assist congregations that are expanding their online presence. The grant could be used for upgrading equipment, tech training, or developing hybrid worship for example. If you have any questions, please contact Liz Rolf Kanerva, Associate Presbytery leader at ekanerva@glpby.org
Earth Care Team
Environmental Film: Journey of The Universe
Thur., Apr. 15 | 7pm
The Ferguson Eco Team will be hosting as part of its environmental film series the viewing of the film JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE, Thursday, April 15, 2021, 7:00 PM via ZOOM. It is the Epic story of Cosmic, Earth, and Human Transformation, produced by physicist Dr. Brian Swimme and Yale Religious Historian Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker. The film guides viewers through an elegant telling of this epic story, from the origins of life to our present challenges. Today the survival of species and entire ecosystems depends upon the choices humans make. Weaving modern science with enduring wisdom from the world's cultures, the film explores cosmic and Earth evolution as a profound process of creativity, connection, and interdependence, and offers an opportunity to respond to ecological challenges of our times and our community.
A conversation will follow the film. To register for the ZOOM LINK:  http://bit.ly/FETApr2021 For more information: (314) 521-8418; carletonstock@aol.com or elliestock@aol.com Flyer can be found here
Well-Being Respite Available
Well-Being Respite is a unique online opportunity to step away from your daily routine and come to the well for spiritual renewal, mental stimulation, thoughtful conversation, and meaningful engagement with colleagues in life and ministry as you contemplate God's movement in our individual and collective experiences.
Available to all Benefits Plan members*, Well-Being Respite is a virtual space to pause, learn, reframe, and connect. Each of these four monthly offerings focuses on a different dimension of wholeness — financial, spiritual, vocational, and health — and how the current landscape shapes our understanding and application of it.
Click here for more information.
Black History Month Event
The Great Divide: Race in Our Region
YWCA Metro St. Louis is partnering with the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis and area Interfaith groups for four important conversations on how systemic racism permeates our city and our region.
These programs will provide background, share stories of how area residents are directly impacted, and explore what action you can take to create change. Each hour-long program will be followed by an opportunity for small group discussion and reflection.
Mark your calendars for these upcoming programs:
April 14th - Environmental Justice
May 12th - Court Systems
Register Here
Young Artists of the Bach Society
Sun., Apr. 18 | 4pm

The Couts Music Series of Second Presbyterian Church presents the Young Artists of the Bach Society of Saint Louis on Sunday, April 18 at 4:00 pm. The program features Danielle Feinstein, soprano; Olivia Roland, mezzo-soprano; Micheal Lowe, baritone; and Sandra Geary, pianist and is part of the 2021 St. Louis Bach Festival. The concert is free and takes place virtually at https://secondchurch.net/music/couts-music-series/. The concert is available on April 18 at 4:00 pm and for four weeks afterward. For more information, call 314-367-0367 or visit secondchurch.net.
Education & Training Opportunities
2021 NEXT Church National Gathering Online Resource Subscription
GLPBY is pleased to offer free subscriptions to this year’s recorded NEXT Church National Gathering held March 5-7th. By subscribing, your congregation will have access to the national gathering in its entirety, plus additional resources. Over the years, GLPBY Teaching Elders and lay leaders have participated in NEXT Church national gatherings and have appreciated its focus on resourcing the Presbyterian Church for the 21st century. To learn more about this year’s conference, its presenters, and workshops, please navigate to https://nextchurch.net/product/2021-next-church-national-gathering-subscription/.
If your church would like to take advantage of the free subscription please sign up, following the NEXT Church website’s instructions, and be sure to select the appropriate church size when purchasing the subscription. When checking out use the coupon code: “GiddingsLovejoyGroup”. Once you have purchased, you will receive an email with instructions for how to pass on your access to the rest of your church. You may only use ONE coupon code purchase per church. If you have questions, please contact Liz Rolf Kanerva, Associate Presbytery leader at ekanerva@glpby.org.
“Fostering Expressions of Lament and Bearing Witness with those experiencing
Military Moral Injury”
Mon., Apr. 19 | 2pm Eastern

The Soul Repair Center will be offering free monthly webinars in the months ahead of use to religious leaders and professional caregivers supporting veterans and their families. Speakers include:
Chaplain Christopher Hansen, LT, USN, has served with the Marine Infantry and Naval Special Warfare, deploying to combat zones in the Middle East and conducting training exercises in Australia. He currently teaches Moral Injury and Chaplaincy for Wesley Theological Seminary.
Dr. Kathleen O’Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Emerita, at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia
Dr. Nancy Ramsay, Director of the Soul Repair Center and Emerita Professor at Brite Divinity School
There will be time for discussion among the presenters and time for questions.
Recording of the webinar will be available on this website and the VOA’s YouTube channel within two weeks of the webinar.
For Elders and Deacons
April 14, 7:00-8:30 pm (EDT)
As a part of the “ Year of Leader Formation: Investing in Ruling Elders and Deacons,” a series of webinars will be offered. Please share the information and registration for the first of these events:
Discovering Our Gifts . God has gifted each of us with a variety of skills, interests, and talents. As those called to leadership in the church, particularly to the ministries of ruling elder and deacon, many of those gifts are called upon in a variety of ways. Take time to explore and discover your own talents, how they can be used to form effective teams and ways that we work together in the community as God’s children. During this webinar, you can expect to search within yourself while also being introduced to some tools to use in your own congregation. Mark your calendar for April 14, 7:00-8:30 pm (EDT).
The webinar will be recorded for viewing at a later time. Korean and Spanish interpretation will be available; please register and indicate interpretation needs by April 7.
Union Seminary: The Basics of Digital Church Communication
Learn about more continuing education opportunities
at Union Seminary by clicking here.
Transitional Ministry
Please mark your calendars for the next offering of the  Art of Transitional Ministry Education. The orientation will begin at 1:00 pm on Monday, October 18, 2021, and will conclude the evening of Thursday, October 21, 2021. At this time, the in-person orientation will be hosted at the Parkville Presbytery Church in Kansas City, Missouri. 
Registration is now open. To register click here
For questions related to the content or assignments of Weeks I and II or Executive Training, contact Beth Wagner: pastrb7@gmail.com. For administrative and registration questions contact Danelle O’Connell at the Synod of Mid-America office: office@synodma.org 
Becoming Matthew 25
--- --- ---
How Do We Engage Socially Distancing and still participate in Mission & Ministry?
Send us your stories of how your congregation is maintaining congregational vitality during this pandemic. Send stories to Office Manager, Leigh Porter at lporter@glpby.org
Current Support Ministry Position Openings
Senior Staff Assistant - Webster Groves Presbyterian

Protestant Religious Education Coordinator - Scott Air Force Base

Part-Time Pastor - First Presbyterian, Perryville

Associate Pastor - Dardenne Presbyterian, Dardenne Prarie

Interim Pastor - John Calvin Presbyterian