Lessons from Tulsa & Celebrating Juneteenth
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Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It is so named because on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, to share the news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved people had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. This was 2 ½ years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became law on January 1, 1863.
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Tulsa Massacre
It’s been called the single worst incident of racial violence in American history and it occurred 100 years ago this weekend. Between May 31–June 1, 1921, mobs of white residents attacked Black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, leaving as many as 35 square blocks of destruction.
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Speaking of Reparations
Lessons from Tulsa
Guest Editorial
“I have listened to and watched in awe and horror the retelling of the events of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.”
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The heightened awareness by many of systemic racism in the U.S., and the killings of numerous African Americans, including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, have ignited movement on legislation for reparations to African Americans in the House of Representatives. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, Texas, is the primary sponsor of H.R. 40, “Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African American Act.” If passed, a committee would be formed to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans.
The 216th General Assembly (2004) approved recommendations from the Task Force to Study Reparations. One of the primary recommendations approved by the assembly began the process for inclusion of the Confession of Belhar, which is now part of the Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The assembly also encouraged “Presbyterians to create opportunities to tell and hear stories remembering the past and celebrating examples of repair, restoration, reconciliation, and renewal.
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Our Presbytery - Our Work
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Weekly Prayer Basket
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Please pray for... our guest editorial, Cecil Wood, for his service to our presbytery
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Please pray for... Labrisha Elliott, 28-year-old diabetic on dialysis, now in a coma for two weeks after a heart attack
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Please pray for... For the mission co-workers abroad, as they deal with unrest and uncertainty in virus transmission and political changes.
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Support Ministry
Help Wanted
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Order Your 2021-2022 Planning Calendar
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The 16‐month planning calendar (September 2021 - December 2022) contains many planning aids for pastors and other church leaders.
The cost is $9.75 plus shipping or they can be picked up in the office. The expected delivery is late August.
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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 [email protected]
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Thur., June 17
9:30am-History Team-Oak Hill Pres
Fri., June 18
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Mon., June 14
12pm-Presbytery TE Since 2015
Thur., June 17
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Please note that many Presbytery Ministry Teams will not meet in July. Please check with your team moderator to verify your teams meeting plans.
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Dynamic Leaders Team Recommendations & Support
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Stewardship Kaleidoscope Registration Opens
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Stewardship Kaleidoscope
September 13-15
This annual conference offers excellent plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences, and incredible networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and generosity. Drawing leaders from across the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) and other ecumenical partners, Stewardship Kaleidoscope is designed to help participants explore stewardship, in its many colorful dimensions!
Our mission is to create an annual event that:
- Ignites generosity
- Gives practical tools for cultivating generosity in congregations
- Expands the leadership capacity of those who lead stewardship initiatives
- Cultivates adaptive approaches for funding Christ’s mission
Venues vary annually, and you can count on Stewardship Kaleidoscope to provide Real Tools for Real Ministry!
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Drumming for Justice
Find the Call to Action Below
Jesse Swanigan, Moderator
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Fighting Hunger and Food Insecurity
Wed., June 23 | 1 pm (CT)
The Presbyterian Mission Agency asks...
What does Matthew 25 say about feeding the hungry? This online Matthew 25 event looks at the economic exploitation of people through systems that perpetuate their impoverished status. On Wednesday, June 23 at 2 pm Eastern (1 pm Central), you can hear examples from churches and mid councils on how to address this crisis in your community.
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Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church at 4687 Labadie Avenue in St. Louis City was designed by Weber & Groves of St. Louis and completed in 1894. By 1875, the interdenominational congregation occupied Union Chapel, a Gothic style board-and-batten church in a cruciform plan on the site of the present church. It was designed by Charles B. Clarke and built on land donated by well-known philanthropist, Samuel Cupples. In 1879, the congregation’s name changed to Cote Brilliante Church. They voted to become Presbyterian, and the St. Louis Presbytery organized its church in 1885. The current 1894 building cost $30,000.00. The interior was not completed until 1904. During the 1940s, the Marcus Avenue Improvement Association and Cote Brilliant session unsuccessfully petitioned the St. Louis Board of Education to keep the Cote Brilliant public school for white children. The house made famous by the landmark Supreme Court case, ”Shelley v. Kramer,” which ended restrictive real estate covenants based on race, is just down the street from the church at 4600 Labadie. The St. Louis Presbytery took over jurisdiction of Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church in 1956 and the all-white congregation dispersed. Soon thereafter, it reopened under the same name with a focus on adult and youth service and mission.
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Tips For Caring for God's Unbelievable Creation: Conduct an Energy Audit of Your Home or Church.
Conducting an energy audit on your home, business, or church is a good way to identify leaking windows so you can save on energy costs through the year.
"TIPS" is brought to you by the Earth Care Task Force of the Public Witness Team of Presbytery, composed of representatives from the nine Earth Care Congregations of the presbytery. Contact: [email protected] or (314) 941-9378.
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St. Mark Presbyterian Trunk and Sidewalk Sale
Sat., June 19, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
In Parking Lot at 601 Claymont Drive, Ballwin
Focusing on selling: Toys, Games, Puzzles, Tools, Lawn and Garden Implements, outdoor supplies, Sports and Camping Equipment
All proceeds to benefit local missions programs
Hope you can come support this worthwhile Deacons' sponsored program!
If you don't find an item you want, any monetary donation is welcome!
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Presbyterian Church of Washington
Reel Faith Movie Club
Tues, June 22 | 6pm
The movie this month is going to be "My Octopus Teacher" available on Netflix. Learn more here
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PC(USA) GA 225
Moved from Columbus, OH to Louisville, KY
The General Assembly has several specific responsibilities outlined in Chapter 3 of the Book of Order. The assembly seeks to protect our church from errors in faith and practice, is responsible for assuring that the expression of our theology remains true to the biblical standards in our historic confessions. The General Assembly presents a witness for truth and justice in our community and in the world community. It sets priorities for the church and establishes relationships with other churches or ecumenical bodies.
Upcoming Deadlines:
- 180-day Deadline: December 27, 2021 - Send the List of commissioners to OGA (Stated Clerk)
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120-day Deadline: February 25, 2022 - Overtures requesting amendment to/interpretation of Book of Order due to OGA
- 60-day Deadline: April 26, 2022 - Overtures with financial implications due
- 45-day Deadline: May 11, 2022 -All other overtures/concurrences; comments due
- 30-day Deadline: May 26, 2022 -Slate of Nominations for General Assembly positions due
Watch the newsletter for future GA225 Updates!
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Presbyterian Women at Work
Good News! The Presbyterian Women of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Saint Charles, Missouri, presented a scholarship to a graduating senior, Cole Nowakowski. Cole was an outstanding student academically at Fort Zumwalt East High School. He plans to attend Iowa State University to major in Mechanical Engineering. Cole also attended many mission trips in the years preceding the Pandemic and continues to be supportive in church activities. The scholarship was presented to Cole during our regular Zoom worship service on May 23.
Following the worship service, in order to continue celebrating our educational theme of excellence in knowledge and spiritual growth, the New Hope Presbyterian Women held an activity following the Zoom worship service on the same Zoom code. The activity was called “Bible Bingo.” Two games were held with each game offering fabulous prizes, the second game, once completed, additionally offered the possibility of covering all the spaces on the Bingo grid. There was also a fabulous prize for covering all spaces. Sharon Barnes, Treasurer, and Rhonda Dyer, Co-Moderator, were responsible for devising the Bingo grids, and Mary Waltman was in charge of the prizes, which were left at the church to be picked up. Bingo cards were made available in the News and Opportunities section of our local church communication. This activity was very successful and we are especially grateful for the opportunity to award our yearly scholarship since the past year has been particularly challenging.
We continue to joyfully meet in Zoom format on alternating months, and look forward to many more activities which carry out the important themes of Presbyterian Women all over the world!
Submitted by Barbara Lynn, Co-Moderator
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Letters - We Have Letters!
Do you have a message board? Would you like some extra letters? We have a few boxes of message board letters from a church that recently closed. We’d love to give these (for free) to anyone who can use them. Please contact Erin Counihan at [email protected] if you’re interested or need to see more pics.
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First Presbyterian - Alton, Illinois
Celebrating 190 Years
Sun., June 20 | 10 am
Historical highlights day will trace the important historical events in the life and ministry of this church and surrounding communities. The members will provide inspirational testimonies demonstrating how God’s faithfulness and blessings have sustained this faith community. For more information, contact our church office at 618-465-3592; website: fpcalton.com; or email at [email protected]
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Dreaming & Discerning Virtual Gathering
Sponsored by Giddings-Lovejoy New Worshiping Communities Commission
Tuesday, June 29th at 7 pm
What visions and dreams do you have for future ministry? Is the Holy Spirit nudging you to take action concerning that idea that has been in the back of your mind for a while now? God’s Spirit is inspiring many of us to see visions and dream dreams in ways we might not have considered a year ago. If you would like the opportunity to talk about and explore your vision, join New Worshiping Communities Commission Moderator, Rev. Steve Matthews, for a time of Dreaming and Discerning scheduled for Tuesday, June 29th, at 7:00 pm. This gathering is informal and open-ended, giving you the time and opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas for ministry in a confidential setting. This will be a virtual gathering but the NWCC also plans to offer the option of in-person gatherings in both September and November of 2021. If you want further information or are interested in attending the June 29th gathering, contact Rev. Matthews either by email ( [email protected]) or phone/text (573-544-6361). Please contact Rev. Matthews by 12:00 noon on June 29th if you do plan to attend this virtual gathering.
If calling in, please dial (312) 626 6799 and enter meeting ID 893 0318 7074
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PCUSA Matthew 25 Resource Update
New resources from the Office of Theology and Worship will help those engaged in the work of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Matthew 25 invitation make a stronger connection between the three foci of the vision and the biblical passage. Click here to learn more.
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2021 Biennial NBPC
Virtual Convention
June 24-26
The National Black Presbyterian Caucus Board of Directors are excited to announce that registration is now open for the 2021 Biennial Virtual Convention to be held virtually from Charleston, South Carolina, June 24 –June 26, 2021. The theme of the 46th Biennial Virtual Convention is “The Black Family, Congregation and Community in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.: Navigating Identity, Equity and Economics.”
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Training Grant Announcement for
Rural and Urban Congregations
MLI is pleased to offer several generous grants for rural and urban churches to participate in our Instructional Cohort Program. Funds are prioritized for smaller congregations. Know of a church with a part-time or volunteer youth or children's minister? Are you interested? MLI provides training for over two years. Visit us at: ministryleading.org for more information
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Public Witness
Summer Mission Grants Available
The presbytery funds to conduct summer programs are available to member churches and social agencies in relationship with the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy. The funds will be awarded through an application process directed by the Public Witness Ministry Team. The purpose of the grant is to provide opportunities for summer Christian education and witness, personal growth, faith formation, and recreation (if sanctioned by the local government) to children and adults in communities of need.
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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 [email protected]
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Education & Training Opportunities
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Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation
Do you need financial support for the upcoming 2022 educational events, workshops and/or seminars benefiting Teaching Elders, Commissioned Pastors (CPs) and Lay Leaders?
Lifelong Learning Event Grant consideration is given for those serving in the 13-state primary service region of the foundation. If you are a Synod, Presbytery, or Church within the OPSF service region, consider applying today. The grant deadline is August 15th!
Grant guidelines and applications are available on the OPSF website
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Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (MSTI)
This 5-day event is designed to equip church leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. It also includes a component on congregational mediation and consultation, placed within the context of family systems theory. Although focused primarily on the church setting, the skills learned are directly transferable to other settings, including the business and academic worlds. Join us and found out for yourself why a previous participant described MSTI as “The best and most thorough model for mediation with individuals and congregations that I have experienced in more than three decades of ordained ministry”!
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Presbyterian Association of Musicians
June 20-25 & June 27-July 2
We at PAM are excited about our Worship and Music Conferences at Montreat this summer, and we hope you will help us pass along information to all the churches in your presbytery or synod! Please feel free to use this information to create an announcement of your own.
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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.
For questions related to the content or assignments of Weeks I and II or Executive Training, contact Beth Wagner: [email protected]. For administrative and registration questions contact Danelle O’Connell at the Synod of Mid-America office: [email protected]
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Becoming Matthew 25
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How Do We Engage Socially Distancing and still participate in Mission & Ministry?
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Send us your stories of how your congregation is maintaining congregational vitality during this pandemic. Send stories to Office Manager, Leigh Porter at [email protected]
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Current Support Ministry Position Openings
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Full-Time Chaplain - Aberdeen Heights
Associate Pastor - Dardenne Presbyterian,
Dardenne Prarie
Interim Pastor - John Calvin Presbyterian
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Keep Connected
We love to hear about the work of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy Congregations. Have an event, fundraiser, or concert and want to get the word out? Simply email that information in by 6 p.m. on Monday of the week you want your event published. Help keep us connected by simply emailing your information to [email protected]
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