Please register for Part 2 in order to receive the Zoom Link.

The Dismantling Racism and White Privilege Team invite you to join author, Shawn Rochester on April 8th at 6:30pm. for Part 2 of The Black Tax. This meeting will examine tangible next steps for long-term economic transformation.

Everyone is welcome to participate in this important discussion.

Get the Part 2 Zoom link by registering in advance for this meeting:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

On Good Friday 4:00 pm EST, musicians and pastors will offer a gift to the church: An online service, hosted by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians and organized by the PCUSA office of Theology and Worship. #Lent2021 #HolyWeek2021 #PCUSA

Find more information here: https://bit.ly/3rfxhaW

Oak Hill Presbyterian is thrilled to announce its new community art project for the Easter season. They are going to create their own Stations of the Cross display. Check their website or Facebook for updates and displays. Click here

The Easter sack Grab-n-Go, will be held on March 28th, from 3:30-5:30pm. Each child receives sacks with candy and a toy/activity bag. Located at 660 Charbonier Rd, Florissant, MO 63031. Directions Here

EVERY BUNNY WELCOME! Hundreds of Eggs to Hunt. Rain or Shine – drive-thru distribution in case of rain. Facemasks and Social Distancing Required.

13200 New Halls Ferry Rd, St. Louis, MO 63033 Directions Here

The Ladue Chapel Labyrinth will be open to walking inside the Fellowship Hall. Please note that masks are required, and the number of people walking the labyrinth at the same time will be limited. Directions can be found by clicking here.

 You are invited to come and celebrate Easter at the annual 2021 Ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service, Sunday, April 4 at 6:30 AM at January-Wabash Memorial Park, located at January Avenue and North Florissant Road. (Directions here) The service will be held outside on the west side of the lake. Bring your own chair if desired. Giving a brief meditation for the informal service will be Mr. Chuck Henson, long-time active resident of Ferguson. "Chuck" was involved in "All of Us", was a founding member of PROUD and now its Vice President, was a former member of the Ferguson-Florissant School Board, and is currently Diversity Manager of Design and Construction for BJC. Clergy from various churches and ministries in Ferguson will also participate. What a great way to begin the celebration of resurrection and new life!

This year, in order to continue to taking precautions during the pandemic, participants asked to wear masks and maintain social distance.

This special service is sponsored by the Ferguson Ministries Alliance.  A free-will offering will be received for PAKT which benefits the Ferguson Community.  For more information, please contact Rev. Ellie Stock (314) 521-8418 or [email protected]

Join the Eden Seminary Community and Board of Trustees as the Rev. Dr. Deborah Krause is inaugurated as president of Eden Theological Seminary. All are welcome! Please register for this online event by clicking here. 

It is with gratitude and sorrow that the presbytery announces the closing of Wurdack Memorial Presbyterian Church. A closing prayer service will be held on Monday, April 12, 2021, at 3 p.m. The service will be held at Wurdack Memorial Presbyterian Church with appropriate COVID precautions. The presbytery is invited. Please RSVP to the church office at (314) 752-5849. Directions can be found here.

Below is a link to a song video "Let the Earth Breathe" written in 2012.  Later that year my daughter, Chenoa (PCUSA Mission Co-Worker in Peru) and I made an audio recording of our singing the song together (not professional--mainly just to have a record of it).   It has previously been used in several services and events such as the Presbyterians for Earth Care Conference. It is also included in the Ecumenical Seasons of Creation resource curriculum (seasonofcreation.org).  

Over the years, as we have experienced the intersectionality of issues related to the environment, racism, pandemic, economic/social disparities, the song has taken on additional levels of meaning. In 2020 Chenoa and I reformatted the song into a song video.   Here is the link to the song video (found here) and the music notation and lyrics. (found here)

Holy Week/Easter/Earth Day Journey blessings! Contact me with any questions, Ellie Stock, email [email protected] or by calling (314) 521-8418.

Second Presbyterian Church, St. Louis welcomes you to attend, via Zoom, their April/May Sunday Forum Series: Greening the Bible: A Biblical Basis for Creation Care. This series will run April 11, 18, 25 and May 2, 9:00 AM. Please email Ellie Stock for zoom link: [email protected] or, for more information, call (314) 521-8418. This is a great way to celebrate Earth Day/Month.

These sessions. led by Eden Theological Seminary Professor, The Rev. Clint McCann, are designed to illustrate the variety of biblical texts that call us to attend to the current ecological crisis. Find the flyer here. 

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].

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; [email protected] or [email protected] Flyer can be found here

The Venue At Maison Du Lac is located at 2603 Wild Plum Valley Road, Catawissa, MO 63069. Find complete details and purchase tickets by clicking here.

The Public Witness Team of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy is committed to keeping our congregations healthy. Please find the resources that might help congregation and community leaders with the importance of vaccination and what to expect afterward.

This Centers for Disease Control (CDC) document is available in a PowerPoint for ease of editing for your individual community (Found Here), or you can use the PDF for just general information. (Found Here)

Click here for more information.

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.

Register Here

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.

If you have trouble accessing this survey, please contact us for assistance. This survey will close April 6, 2021. Thank you for completing it! 

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 [email protected].

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.

Light for the Darkness is offering training for adults on Youth Mental Health First Aid (see below for full explanation). Volunteers and leaders of your youth ministries, including parents, are encouraged and welcome to participate in this training. Learn more here.

Register online: https://forms.gle/6Ad9MEBxJFfSP2SG6

Learn more here.

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.

at Union Seminary by clicking here.

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. 

To learn more visit synodma.org/transitional-ministry-education

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: [email protected]. For administrative and registration questions contact Danelle O’Connell at the Synod of Mid-America office: [email protected]