Newsletter
February / 14 / 2023
Top Five Reasons You Don’t Want to Miss Our February 18th Gathering!
"In no specific order, here are FIVE reasons you do not to miss our February 18th Special Called Presbytery Gathering on the 33 amendments to the Book of Order we need to vote on! Commissioners have the opportunity for voice and vote on the business of the national church. Here is a glimpse of some of the highlights..."
by Rev. Ryan Landino, Presbytery Leader
Our Presbytery - Our Work
Weekly Prayer Basket

  • Please pray for...please pray for the victims of gun violence and mass shootings.
  • Please pray for...please pray for the nations of Turkey and Syria as they work tirelessly to find survivors of the earthquake that has destroyed thousands of dwellings.
PC(USA)
Quick Connect
Support Ministry
Help Wanted
Upcoming Ministry Team Meetings
This Week
Next Week
Thurs., Feb. 16
10 am Public Witness Click Here
1:30 pm Vision Team-Click Here
Wed., Feb. 22
10 am HR Pastors - Click Here

The presbytery office will be closed on Monday, February 20 following the Saturday, February 18th Presbytery Gathering. If you need immediate assistance, please email [email protected].
Called to Gather on Sat., Feb. 18
Schedule of the Day
9 am to 12 pm
(End time is approximate)
 --- --- ---
9 am - Open in Prayer
9:10 am - Business Begins
12 pm - Close in Prayer

News & Updates
Missouri Food Pantry Tax Credit
Did you know if you live in Missouri and donated to Isaiah 58 Ministries in 2022 you are eligible for a tax credit from the state of Missouri? Following are the guidelines for receiving the credit.
Eligible Applicants: Any taxpayer (individual, corporation, or trust) that makes a donation of cash or food supplies to a local food pantry, homeless shelter, or soup kitchen may receive a credit of up to $2,500 per taxpayer, per year. The taxpayer may take a credit of 50 percent of their donations.
To claim the Food Pantry Tax Credit, the claimant must attach the following to their Missouri tax return: A completed Miscellaneous Income Tax Credits Form (MO-TC); and a completed Food Pantry Tax Credit Form (MO-FPT: https://dor.mo.gov/forms/MO-FPT.pdf) or documentation from the food pantry which specifies the name of the food pantry.
Antisemitism, Israel-Palestine, and the Church

Mid-councils and congregations are invited to register for “Antisemitism, Israel-Palestine, and the Church: A Conversation.” The online event will be at 11:30 a.m. Eastern on February 16 and will feature the Rev. Denise Anderson, Director of Compassion, Peace & Justice, and Rabbi Alana Suskin, co-founder of The Pomegranate Initiative. (The event will take place on Zoom and will not be live-streamed.) 
With a million species at risk of extinction, Sir David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all. EXTINCTION: The Facts is a 2020 documentary film by the natural historian David Attenborough which aired on the BBC. Attenborough and academic experts comment on the sixth mass extinction, caused by humans, and the consequences of biodiversity loss and climate change. Humans are causing an animal and plant extinction rate roughly 100 times faster than has previously occurred. One million out of eight million species on the planet are at risk of extinction. It also suggests positive action which can be taken to halt or reverse these effects.
Click Here for a shareable flyer - Share with your friends.
Conversation to follow the film TO REGISTER FOR ZOOM LINK: https://bit.ly/FET16Feb2023 For more information: (314) 521-8418, [email protected]
pancakes.jpg
Pancakes & Prayers
at New Horizon Presbyterian
New Horizons Presbyterian Church, located at 9424 Everman Avenue, would like to invite the community to come together for Pancakes and Prayers on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at 9:00 a.m. We invite anyone and everyone to join us! Dates for February and March are as follows: February 25; March 11 and 25. We will joyfully partake in pancakes and sausage followed by lifting our hearts together in prayer. Please come join us as we come together in prayer because we all stand in the need of prayer! Directions found here
Journey Through Lent
The New Horizons Presbyterian Church, 9424 Everman Avenue, invites you to join us for a journey through Lent. Our theme will be “The Music of the Passion.” We begin our journey with Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22nd. Then we continue with our weekly Lenten lunches. We will begin our luncheon at 12:00 noon with a soup luncheon. We will provide soup and drinks. If you would like something else to go with the soup, feel free to bring it with you. Following a time of food and fellowship, we will have a devotional and a time to reflect. We will meet on the following dates: February 28, March 7, 14, 21, and 28 (all are Tuesdays). If you have any questions, please contact us at (314) 427-0841. We will meet in Jubilee Hall. Enter through our Ramp entrance. Please mark your calendars and come join us on our journey through Lent. Directions found here.
A Place of Grace Lenten Offerings

The Lenten journey is long and winding. Companionship on the road makes the journey through the wilderness, through the events of Holy Week, and to the empty tomb on Easter morning more meaningful. You are invited to join the pastor, founder, and creative executive director of A Place of Grace, Julie Gvillo, as she guides you through these days with scripture, art, coaching, wonder, and worship. Click Here to Learn More
Hunger and the Farm Bill:
Education and Advocacy Training
Saturday, Feb. 25th, 10am – 12pm.
St. Pius V Catholic Church, Singler Hall

Join Bread for the World, JustFaith Ministries St. Louis, Catholic Relief Services, and other faith and hunger organizations to learn about hunger, the impact of federal policies like the Farm Bill, and how your church can advocate for a more just world. You’ll hear about and connect with others in the St. Louis area who are involved in advocacy and justice ministries. And you’ll leave with information, ideas and inspiration—equipped to hold an Offering of Letters (letter-writing event) to Congress and other impactful actions with your small group or faith community!
3310 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63118 (map)
St. Pius V Catholic Church, Singler Hall is located near the intersection of I-44 and Grand Blvd. Enter from Utah St.
Rev. Hannah Zyla Installation
Sun., Feb. 26 | 3 pm
Rev. Hannah Zyla will be installed as the Pastor to Affton Presbyterian Church on Sunday, February 26th at 3 pm.
The installation will be hosted by St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, which is located at 5905 Loughborough Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109. Directions can be found by clicking here.
Con Spirito Concert Series
Concordia Symphony Orchestra
Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 pm

The First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, welcomes the Concordia Symphony Orchestra, of Concordia University (Irvine, CA) on February 28th.
The orchestra will present a concert while on its annual tour. Admission is free but an offering will be collected to help defray expenses. Learn more about the Con Spirito Concert Series by visiting the website:
FPC-Kirkwood is located at 100 E. Adams Avenue, Kirkwood, Missouri (Click here for directions)
Celebrating 75 Years!
Sunday, March 5
Florissant Presbyterian Church welcomes you to join them in celebrating 75 years of outreach and ministry, on Sunday, March 5, with worship at 10:30 am, followed by luncheon and an Open House.
To support their local schools they will be collecting school supplies to celebrate this special occasion. Florissant Presbyterian Church is located at 660 Charbonier, Florissant, Missouri. The directions can be found by clicking here.
Please RSVP by calling the church office so we can get a head count for lunch, at 314.837.8555.
ST. MARK TRIVIA NIGHT IS BACK!
Sat., Mar. 11 at 7 pm
Grab 7 of your closest trivia-loving friends and head to St. Mark on Saturday, March 11th, 2023
The cost is $160 per table – that’s just $20 per person!
Doors open at 6 pm and trivia starts at 7 pm. There will also be a silent auction, games, and prizes. Participants may bring their own beverage of choice –water and soda will be provided. Look for the registration forms on the Youth Table in the Narthex and on the St. Mark website, www.discoverstmark.org
All proceeds benefit the 2023 St. Mark Youth Group Summer Mission Trip to Puerto Rico.
Tips for Caring for God's Awesome Creation:
Become a Matthew 25 Congregation!
At the February 2 Presbytery Gathering, the presbytery voted overwhelmingly to become a Matthew 25 Presbytery. (Not too hard since we already have 20% of our congregations opting to be a Matt 25 Congregation!) About half of the nation's presbyteries have done the same. Presbytery Leader, Ryan Landino reminded us that the primary focus themes of Matt 25 congregations and judicatories are: dismantling racism, addressing poverty, and revitalizing churches. The Earth Care Work Group of our presbytery would remind you that being a Certified Earth Care Congregation is also on the list of qualifications for being a Matt 25 congregation with an emphasis on "greening" the congregation and addressing environmental injustice at every level.
"TIPS" is brought to you by the Earth Care Work Group of the Public Witness Team of presbytery: Contact: [email protected] or (314) 941-9378. 
What We Do
A Place of Grace does Mission Madness Retreats. Our Mission Madness Team works with local agencies to support their work in the community. We are currently working with Community Hope Center, Hoyleton Youth & Family Services, Operation Blessing, Riverbend Family Ministries, and Uni-Pres Kindercottage once each quarter and again during Mission Madness Week in late May/early June. Our team is made up of people from a variety of denominational backgrounds with different skill sets. We would love to have you join us on a 2nd or 4th Wednesday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon and share in the work Christ has called us to do! Call or text APOG pastor Julie Gvillo at 618-410-5060 to see where we're going!
Spirit of Stewardship Conference
Generosity & Stewardship
in a New Day

Tuesday, March 7th   9:00 am - 4:30 pm

The Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy Conference Room will serve as one of the four synod regional host sites. The office is located at 1001 Craig Rd., Ste. 170, Saint Louis, Missouri 63146.
  • Cost: $25 per person and includes lunch and refreshments. The registration deadline is February 28th. Late Registration: $35
  • Scholarships are available to Giddings-Lovejoy members
  • Registration is online and available by clicking here.
 
The planning team is pleased to welcome Scott McKenzie and Kristine Miller of Horizons Stewardship. Both Scott (Horizons Partner) and Kristine (Horizons Senior Vice President and Partner) bring a combination of experience & energy to the ministry of stewardship and are delighted to lead us in a day of learning.
Both are seasoned stewardship leaders. Kristine’s stewardship passion is rooted in her days serving on her church’s stewardship team. She is a self-described “stewardship junkie. Scott, an ordained minister, developed his ministry over the last 25 years to focus on stewardship. He is a trained ICF coach and certified fundraising executive. 
History & Power of
African-American Spirituals

Is your church choir interested in learning about the history and power of African-American Spirituals so that they can better sing them during worship? Would they like to participate in a community gathering of other singers with a similar desire? If your church choir is near the St. Louis area and is interested in an intensive workshop on singing spirituals, culminating in a live public concert, they are welcome to register either as a group or as individual singers for this year's Festival of African-American Spirituals on February 17-18. This yearly event is back after a two-year COVID hiatus and is sponsored by the Legend Singers choral ensemble (follow the link below for more information about this historic choral group and the registration link).
 The Legend Singers are excited to bring as their educator and conductor Roland Carter, world- renowned composer, arranger, educator retired from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and owner of the MAR-VEL publishing company, which focuses on promoting the choral music of African-American composers and arrangements of spirituals.
For a $25 per person registration fee, participants will receive music and rehearsals on Friday night starting at 7:00 p.m. and then Saturday morning starting at 8:00 a.m., with a public concert at 3:00 p.m. that Saturday. There's also a fireside chat that one can attend virtually on Thursday night with leaders in the African-American choral community. The rehearsals in concert will be held at Second Presbyterian Church in the Central West End part of St Louis.
Information on registration found at https://www.legendsingers.org/our-events
In Solidarity and Support
A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) delegation will travel to Eastern Europe this month in a show of solidarity with people in and near Ukraine as the war with Russia continues to create death, destruction and displacement.
The four-person delegation, which includes representatives from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Presbyterian World Mission, will visit Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and (tentatively) Ukraine, from Jan 26 through Feb. 10. Learn more here.
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Announcing…..
After three long years of not gathering in person -- PPF will gather our community once again into one place.
Save the date for May 7-10 for an in-person Activist Council gathering at the Heartland Center outside Kansas City, MO.
This is a great opportunity to get to know PPF, even if you are not an Activist Council member. There will be opportunities for building relationships, slowing down, and for deepening our commitments to nonviolence and abolition. More details and registration, coming soon!
Do you know a pastor-to-be who is or will be enrolled in a Presbyterian Church (USA) seminary in 2023? The Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation supports congregations and their leaders through a scholarship for Master of Divinity Students. Five Apollos Scholarships (of up to $8,000) will be awarded in 2023. Scholarships are renewable for up to three years of enrollment, with a total maximum potential of $24,000. The application deadline (for all materials) is April 17, 2023, at midnight CST.
Called to Serve? We Need You!
Have You Considered Presbytery Service?
There are many ministry team positions available in the coming year, and we just know you would be a good fit for a committee or commission
Please fill out and return the form below.
GLPby App Form (Word) | GLPby App Form (fillable PDF)
Current Support Ministry Position Openings
(PT) Coordinator Christian Education - Southminster Presbyterian, Crestwood, MO

Head of Music - First United Presbyterian, Collinsville, IL


Off Hours Help Needed? Contacts Found Below
Rev. Ryan Landino
Presbytery Leader

314-409-9002
Rev. Liz Kanerva
Associate
Presbytery Leader
314.779.6809
Rev. Joy Myers
Stated Clerk

815.501.5522
Leigh Porter
Office Manager
314.225.9470
Janice McMillen
Communications Associate
573.578.3960