Newsletter
May / 7 / 2019
The Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard is on Study Leave this week. He will return to the office next week. Please continue to scroll down and see what is happening within and beyond our presbytery.
Our Presbytery - Our Work
Weekly Prayer Basket Update

  • Please pray.... for Rev. Paul Bembower, who is actively in need of healing grace.
  • Please pray....for Rev. Jeff Snell in the death of his father
  • Please pray...for those who will be journeying to Peru and Nicaragua this summer
Click on the prayer basket to find our current prayers.
Summer Camp Season is Here
Consider Mound Ridge
Drive for Life Camp
This camp session is aimed at teenagers preparing for their Driver Permit and Drivers License. With so many schools not offering Drivers Education anymore, this is a perfect scenario. While attending this camp, the kids will engage in all the camp fun too, swimming, mountain boarding, bike riding, Zip Line, Climbing Wall, and a short float trip!
Campers will be outside in nature learning Defensive Driving skills, discuss the driver handbook, talk to Highway Patrol on driver safety, and #BUPD (Buckle Up Phone Down), and yes, hearing from insurance agents as to why insurance is high for young teens. It is a WIN WIN camp session!!! Kids are having fun and learning life skill lessons for safe driving out in nature!
PC(USA)
Quick Connect
Support Ministry
Help Wanted
Parish Paper

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Upcoming Team Meetings
NOTE: Meeting locations are as follows: Oaks - is the meeting room next door to the presbytery office; St.Andrew - refers to the Board Room of St. Andrews on the second floor, directly above the presbytery office; Pres - refers to the Presbytery Office Resource Center; Ladue - refers to Ladue Chapel; WG - refers to Webster Groves Presbyterian. Contact the office at 314-772-2395 if you are unsure where you will be meeting.
Week of: May 9 to May 15

Thurs., May 9
5 p.m. - Cong Vibrancy (Oaks)
Tues., May 14
11 a.m. - New Worship Com (St.Andrew)
1 p.m. - Mission/Outreach (Oaks)
4 p.m. - Admin/Support (Oaks)

Week of: May 16 to May 22

Thurs., May 16
10 a.m. - Presb Educator (St. Andrew)
4 p.m. - Vision Team (Oaks)
6:30 p.m. - Com Prep Min (Ladue)
Mon., May 20
11 a.m. - New Worship Com (St.Andrew)
Tues., May 21
10 a.m. - Finance (Oaks)
11:30 a.m. - Interim Pastors (TBA)

Presbytery Gathering
Next Presbytery Gathering - Thursday, August 22nd
What did you miss at the May 4th Gathering? A lot!
Here are some highlights:
  • Rev. Josh Noah's Message: "Sacred Objects & Death Drives" - Click Here
  • Partners for Sacred Spaces Power Point Presentation - Click Here
  • Rev. Dr. Ruben Rosario Rodriguez: "Urban/Rural: Contrasts in Poverty and Hunger Without Compartmentalization" Click Here
  • Rev. Rebecca Barnes: When did we see you hungry? How the church meets Jesus as we engage in hunger ministry..... Click Here
  • NOTE: There will be audio added to the Partners for Sacred Spaces and the Urban/Rural:Contrasts in Poverty and Hunger by Friday, May 10th. There will also be a video slide show of the Gathering. Please check back on the Gathering Page of www.glpby.org for that information.
  • If you haven't had the chance to take our Presbytery Gathering Survey, please take time and do so now. Your input assists the Presbytery Gathering Team in planning future events. The survey can be found here.
Uprooting Hunger - 2019 Presbytery Wide Goal
Long Island’s Yaphank Presbyterian Church
joyfully accepts the Matthew 25 invitation
Some Sundays, five or 10 people show up for worship at Yaphank Presbyterian Church on Long Island, N.Y. The church, established in 1851, has 41 members on its rolls. The average Sunday attendance is about 15.
Yet the session of the historic church, whose sanctuary was destroyed by a December 2013 fire, has embraced the invitation to become a  Matthew 25 church. Its chosen focus is eradicating systemic poverty.
Uprooting Hunger - Hunger Action Team
In 2019 the presbytery will work toward establishing Certified Hunger Action Congregations. This  handout will be helpful to your congregation, as we journey together in the year ahead. If you have any questions, email:  communication@glpby.org
Ministry Team Updates
Earth Care Team
Tips For Caring For God's
Incredible Creation!
  • Use concentrated dishwasher liquid. When buying dishwasher liquid, ignore boxes of individually packed tablets and instead choose less polluting and more easily carried alternatives, such as refillable packages, especially concentrated liquids. 
  • Task of the Month for reducing congregational and household energy: Wash clothes in cold water. Air dry clothes during the warm months.
(TIPS is brought to you by the Earth Care Action Team of presbytery, composed of members of certified Earth Care Congregations (9) in the presbytery. Contact carletonstock@aol.com or 314-941-9378.)
History Team Highlight
Antoine Oneille Home
First Presbyterian - Ste. Genevieve
The First Presbyterian Church of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri took on the task of restoring the historically significant “Silversmith’s House” at 150 South Main Street in Ste. Genevieve. Several years ago, it met its goal set by a three year Capital Campaign Challenge Grant awarded in 2014 by the Jeffris Family Foundation of Wisconsin to restore the French Colonial era structure.
Selective demolition and restoration was begun in February of 2018 and is slated for completion in June of this year. The restoration included tuck pointing the original fireplace and chimney and restoring it to its original look, installing new windows and replacing the roof. First Presbyterian plans to use the house as an expansion of its current food pantry, a ministry the church has been doing for over sixty years. 
Built before 1820, the Silversmith’s House was the last residence of the very important French Canadian silversmith, Antoine Oneille. He migrated from Detroit to Vincennes, Indiana, and finally to Ste. Genevieve in 1817. Oneille produced historically relevant Indian trade silver items, like crosses and ear wheels. One of his crosses is in the collections of the Windsor (Canada) Community Museum. Oneille also produced domestic silver items, such as coffee pots. One belonging to former St. Louis Mayor, William Carr Lane, is in the collections of the Missouri Historical Society. The Silversmith’s House is now designated a “contributing structure” within Ste. Genevieve’s National Historic Landmark District.
Social Witness Team Event
"Troubling the Waters for
the Healing of the World"
Featuring: Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, Director of Public Witness PC(USA),
Saturday, June 22, 2019 - 9 a.m .to 3 p.m.
John Knox Presbyterian Church
Pastors in Specialized Ministry
June 26 - 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Presbytery of Giddings Lovejoy appreciates the work of those laboring outside of congregations. Specialized ministries are essential to the work we are called to do as part of the Church. Join us for at time of fellowship, staff introductions, and reflection on ways we can better support each other and the work of the church. Event flyer, with registration, can be found here.

Join Us this summer in Nicaragua! We're going to Plan Grande #2 in July! Our delegation to visit our partners there is scheduled for July 20-28, 2019. They are eager to welcome us and we are really looking forward to being there. JOIN US! -- Go and be a peacemaker!
Details for this trip and contact details can be found here.
Congregational Happenings
Red Cross Blood Drive
St. Mark Presbyterian Church
Sun., May 19 | 8:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m.
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The best time to give - in Worship and Praise of the one who sustains and loves us! Give if you are able.
Directions can be found here.
Hunter Memorial 95th Anniversary
Sunday, May 19
The mission of Hunter Memorial First Presbyterian Church is to proclaim the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ, build a fellowship of Christian love, provide opportunities for spiritual growth, and serve the community and the world. 
They will celebrate their 95th Anniversary on May 19th, and welcome all to join them in celebration. Full details of the day can be found here.
Micah 6:8 Camp
Schools will be letting our for the summer soon. Have you made plans for your middle school student, for day camp?
Explore what Amen St. Louis
June 17th to 21st. Click below:
Calling College Age Students
UKirk will be having a Summer Book Club for any student in the St. Louis area this summer, and kicks off on June 5th. The book chosen is: Shameless: A Sexual Reformation
If you are around St. Louis this summer and interested in Christian collegiate fellowship, UKirk will host dinners and discussion (and likely at least one pool party!) on the first three Wednesday evenings in June from around 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (June 5,12, and 19.) Let Pastor Miriam know if you need a copy of the book or order here: Shameless: A Sexual Reformation  by Nadia Bolz-Weber.
Complete List of Educational Opportunities: Found Here
Synod Grant & Scholarships
Now Available

  • The Paragon Grant is a one-time grant of up to $30,000 that aims to foster new and creative “examples of excellence” in congregations within our region. The Synod wants to support innovative and thoughtful projects that might not otherwise be able to be pursued. If your congregation has a dynamic, innovative idea you wish you had the money to pursue, submit an application! http://synodma.org/paragon-grant
  • Are you a Presbyterian on the hunt for higher education scholarships? The Synod has money for that! Go online to http://synodma.org/college-scholarships and see if you meet the criteria to apply!
Board of Pensions
Annual Benefits Connection
Thurs., May 9th - 10 am. to 3 p.m.
Hosted by Ladue Chapel
Benefits Connections are half-day events, during which employers hear from benefits experts from the Board about the foundational values of the Benefits Plan of the PC(USA) — wholeness, compassion, and justice — and the Church’s commitment to just compensation. You’ll explore ways your congregation can support ministers and staff through these values. And you’ll understand how benefits offered by the Board can meet your needs as an employer.
You’ll also have the opportunity to network with colleagues from your region and tell us what you need as an employer. We look forward to meeting with you. Learn more here.
Faithful Innovation Summit
July 24–26, 2019
Luther Seminary in Minneapolis
 “We live in a time of disruptive change—and many of us are unsure where to start or how to lead through uncertainty. The  Faithful Innovation Summit is designed to help you define and address the challenges you’re facing. Gather with fellow Christian leaders and consider what God is calling you to do.”
The Presbytery of the Inland Northwest has been invited to present a case study of their missional transformation this event. Sheryl Kinder Pyle is eager to have some other EPs join them there; contact her for more information, and plan to attend.
Stewardship Kaleidoscope Annual Conference
September 30 to October 2
The annual  Stewardship Kaleidoscope Conference is a great opportunity for congregations to take a deeper dive into stewardship. The program is for pastors and for stewardship committees. Whether you want to refresh your approach or overhaul it, there will be something for you at Stewardship Kaleidoscope. 
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Mid Council Financial Network Planning Team
2019 Conference 
November 20-22, 2019 
Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront

This event is a continuing education and training opportunity for synod, presbytery, and church financial persons. We are working with presenters and various others to bring you the most up to date information for this conference.
Save the date - More details will be released soon.
Opportunity to Talk about the Confessions
Taking a breif break for Easter, join us after Holy Week. Want to join the conversation? Contact Barbara G. Willock, bwill2@mindspring.com.
Current Support Ministry Position Openings
Congregations Searching for Support Staff
Children, Youth and Family Ministry - Second Presbyterian

Part Time Site Manager - AMEN|St. Louis

Soprano Section Leader Wanted - Westminster St. Louis

Director of Music and Organist - Faith Des Peres

Director Faith Formation and Family Ministries
for Children - Ladue Chapel