December 1, 2023

Dear Friends in Christ:

As our primary source of income is the giving of our congregations, we again thank you for your Per Capita and Mission gifts, which make it possible for the Presbytery of Carlisle to serve our congregations and the communities within and beyond our bounds. This forms a very meaningful part of our shared participation in Christ’s ministry! 

Another significant aspect of your faithful work in Christ’s service as Clerks of Session, is your responsibility to report to the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) and Carlisle Presbytery various pieces of important information. Facts and figures may not come immediately to mind as pertinent to the act of ministry but as the Book of Order explains, our faithful administration of these things indeed bears witness to the great, good things the Spirit is up to in our midst for the transformation of the world God so loves:

“Mission determines the forms and structures needed for the church to do its work, Administration is the process by which α council implements its decisions. Administration enables the church to give effective witness ίn the world to God's new creation in Jesus Christ and strengthens the church's witness to the mission of the triune God." (G-3.0106)

Referenced below you will find a list of the forms to be returned to the Presbytery Office. You will also find detailed instructions for completing and submitting the online annual statistical reports requested by the Office of the General Assembly.

Reports to be Completed and Returned to the Presbytery

• 2024 Minimum Terms of Call This is an information item.
• 2024 Terms of Call Report Form Return to: kristal.smith@carlislepby.org
• Necrology Report Report of Elders who died between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. Return to: kristal.smith@carlislepby.org
• Church Indebtedness and Insurance Coverage Form Return to: Treasurer@carlislepby.org
• Church Contribution Form Used when submitting payment to the Presbytery

Please note this year’s deadline for submission of Year End Reports: Friday, February 2, 2024.

Online fillable versions of the forms listed above can be found by following the links above (i.e. the underlined words). You may complete the hard copy forms and mail them to: The Presbytery of Carlisle, 2601 N. Front Street, Suite 209, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

Statistical Reports for the Office of the General Assembly

Annually, the Office of the General Assembly of the PCUSA asks Clerks of Session to complete statistical forms that are found online. While these reports etc. are familiar to many of the Carlisle Clerks, for new clerks who are doing this for the first time, here are a few suggestions:

• Start by reviewing your membership records; determine which persons joined the church, which persons left the church, and which persons died during 2023. 
• Some of the requested information can be provided by your Treasurer.
• Refer to last year’s report so you can review the information needed and gather it before entering it.
• The information may be entered by the Clerk of Session; or, if there is an Administrative Assistant in the church, she/he/they can do it. However, the ultimate responsibility for the timely reporting of the Statistics belongs to the Clerk of Session.
• This report must be approved by Session as soon as possible after December 21, 2023.

Once you have gathered all the information to be reported, follow the steps below to enter it:

1. Go to the following web address: oga.pcusa.org/section/churchwide-ministries/stats/.
2. Click Statistical Reporting & F.A.Q. on the left side of the page.
3. Click the Go to the Online Statistics Entry system link in the first paragraph. The Security Login page will appear.
4. Enter your User Name and Password in the appropriate fields. Those items usually stay the same year after year. If you do not know your User Name and Password, please reach out to me and I can provide it. Note: Only select the “Remember me on this computer” if you are using a private computer.
5. Click Login. Your Church’s page will appear.
6. Select the Clerk tab and make any changes needed.

If changes are needed:

1. Click Edit Mailing and click Edit Physical to edit those tables.
2. Click the Statistics Questions tab and enter the information requested under Membership, Congregational Life, Racial Ethnic, and Financial.
3. When finished, return to your Church tab.

Important Note: Make sure you click on Save and Submit when indicated.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at the Presbytery Office. Thank you very much for your commitment and faithfulness. 

Sincerely,

Kristal Smith,

Stated Clerk