MUP Newsletter - September 10, 2025

Presbytery Meeting Highlights

MISSOURI UNION PRESBYTERY MEETING

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Many thanks to Trinity Presbyterian Church – Columbia for their hospitality. They have hosted us twice in one year and were so gracious to us! THANK YOU!

Meeting Highlights:

1. The Presbytery nominated, voted and reinstalled Ann Bouchard to fill the unexpired term of Moderator for the rest of 2025. John Grimmett will serve as the 2026 Moderator.

2. We joyfully celebrated the ordination anniversaries of the following:

· Pam Sebastian - 25 years

· Deborah Boucher-Payne - 35 years

· Bob Balwanz - 45 years

· Charles Dreyer - 65 years

3. Transitional GP/SC Report:

a. Reminder for us to get our boundary training done if required to do so!

b. Challenged us to register for meetings on time.

c. Encouraged churches to invite Barbara to church meetings, events, to do workshops and worship.

4. Ronnie Osborn welcomed us and introduced Steph Yoakum of COMO Mobile Aid Services. What an amazing number of services they supply to the people in need in the Columbia area!

5. Kevin Keaton, Board of Pensions representative, made a brief presentation and then made himself available for appointments with individuals and churches for the rest of the day.

6. Deborah Boucher-Payne, Synod Executive, shared with us plans in the works, including the Small Church Conference coming up October 9-11.

7. As always, Andy Baker did a wonderful job presenting our current financial position with Rev. Sarah Butler.

8. A timely and informative presentation was shared concerning church insurance by Synod Executive Deborah Boucher-Payne and Doug and Mark Dischinger, representatives of the Insurance Board.

9. The Presbytery voted to close Kahoka Presbyterian Church and plans to celebrate their ministry at our November meeting. We also approved the sale of the building to John Hessey for $5,000.

10. The Presbytery voted to allow Auburn Presbyterian Church - Elsberry to sell a sliver of their land to the farm next door.

11. We had a blast celebrating the nine Evelyn Bedell Award winners! They are amazing and faithful volunteers in our congregations. This year three-fourths of them included mowing the church lawn among their many volunteer activities!

12. Worship was especially meaningful with a brilliant sermon from Bobbie Karchner, including a very slick magic trick and three testimonies about burning bush moments.

13. The Nominating Committee presented an almost complete slate of 2026 new committee members who were voted in to service effective January 1, 2026.

14. The Pulpit Supply stipend for travel over 50 miles each way was increased to $15. The stipend for travel over 100 miles each way was increased to $30.

15. The Presbytery voted to require background checks and boundary training for all MUP moderators.

16. The Presbytery approved the $49,770 minimum Terms of Call for 2026.

17. Micah McNeal gave a wonderful report concerning the youth trip and experience in Louisville for Triennium. Lives were changed and everyone is excited to attend again.

Click HERE or the image above to register

Save the Date!

The next stated Presbytery meeting will be

Saturday, November 15, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.

This meeting will be held at

Bethel Presbyterian Church,

2624 Audrain County Rd. 335, Mexico, MO.

Please note –

Representatives must be able to navigate stairs!

Stay tuned for registration details!

Summer Youth Camp 2025

Once I captured this image, I knew it would be a picture I wanted to keep close to my heart. This beautiful location is from my week at Camp JoOta helping with leadership for the Elementary & Junior Camps. Each evening, we ended our day with a campfire which included singing songs of praise, reading scripture and sharing communion. This interactive time of worship was led by a combination of campers and counselors. Thursday, our final evening, gave me a brief opportunity to take this picture before our worship began. I arrived at our campfire space just before the group of campers and savored a moment of peace and beauty while enjoying God’s creation.

Our Bible story for the day came from the book of Isaiah 43:19-21. This scripture begins with “Look, I’m doing a new thing”. Over the days of camp, we completed a variety of activities aimed at directing our campers to put their trust in God’s word and know that HE is doing new things in their lives. We wholeheartedly believe when the campers know and believe this, they feel permission to dream for themselves and follow the direction to “Go”.

Click HERE to read the full story on the Youth Ministry page

September 2025 Prayer Circle

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us sinners. You have heard our cry for leadership, and you are working that out, pushing us to be more creative like you are. You are also beginning to show us how the church is changing and maturing to meet the challenges of these days. Let us, all those congregations, pastors, elders and members who belong to the Missouri Union Presbytery, grow and mature in faith, in our ability to form deep and meaningful relationships with one another and with those in our community. These relationships, built by you, are life sustaining, and expose the depth of our faith to those around us. Allow our commitment to you to shine as a beacon to others so that they may find their home in you as we have. Amen

Prayer Basket

Continued prayers for Phil Olson, who is recovering from heart surgery.

Prayers for Bob Balwanz as he recovers from an infection at Columbia Post Acute Care and for his wife, Linda, who is experiencing health issues at home.

Continued prayers for Bill Jessop and his wife, Leigh, as she has entered hospice care.

Thank you for your prayers for Bob Bailey and his wife, Annell. They are doing much better and can take visitors.

Prayers of discernment for congregations in transition.

This is Our Prayer Basket. If you have prayers of intercession or thanksgiving, please submit them via the e-mail link below.