GOOD NEWS

from the

Presbytery of Great Rivers

We are called to share Christ's love by partnering in service, 

uniting in worship, and risking in ministry.

March 10, 2023

Announcements

PGR Newsletter

Our Newsletters will go out the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. The deadline for adding information is the Wednesday before.

Job Postings

First Presbyterian Church of Normal is seeking a full-time Director of Family Ministry. The Director of Family Ministry will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a compelling, realistic vision for the children’s and student ministries of First Presbyterian Church of Normal. The Director of Family Ministry will seek to formulate, implement, and maintain a full, diverse, attractive calendar of programming including opportunities for spiritual formation, fellowship, service, recreation, and outreach. For full job description or if you have any questions, please email mwilcox@firstpresnormal.org.

Now Hiring Music Director: Milan Presbyterian Church is looking for a Music Director to work with our congregation. Please check out the job description linked here for more information and how to apply, and please share widely!

Click the button below for job openings in the Presbyterian Church (USA) national entities.

Church Support for Family Leave Grant

A New Grant to Support Family Leave

The Visioning Team is proud to present a new grant for churches whose pastors are on paid family leave.

At the 225th General Assembly, an overture was made to provide paid family leave for all called and installed clergy. Inspired by this overture, this new grant reimburses up to $1500 of pastoral coverage costs for all clergy (installed, commissioned, or temporary supply) on paid family leave. Regardless of whether the proposed overture becomes an official change to the Book of Order, this grant will remain

available to support churches whose pastors are on leave. We hope this will make it easier for congregations to care for their pastors who are experiencing major family and life changes.

This grant will reimburse congregations for pulpit supply and Session moderation costs, plus mileage, for up to 12 weeks of family leave. Family leave in this circumstance is defined as including but not limited to leave to accommodate the birth, foster placement, or adoption of a child, to provide care to an ill or disabled family member, or to heal following a loss or tragic event. Awards will be prioritized for churches most in need, as this fund is intended to help congregations make ends meet during family leave.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. To learn more or apply, please use this attached form. Applications and questions can be sent to visioning@greatriverspby.org.

2023 Assembly Dates

April 29th at Westminster Springfield

August 26th at Peoria United

November 11 at Faith United, Monmouth

In-person and Virtual

Clerk's Corner

Friends, Lent is now upon us! We have so quickly moved from one season to the next. I don't know about you, but I certainly feel like I live by seasons! First, it was Stats season. Then it is Girl Scout Season! (Which it still is by the way!) Next week starts spring soccer season for my girls. The church works much in the same way. We just finished the Advent season, took one quick breath, and now are in the Lent season. Soon, it will be Easter and another journey will begin only for the summer season to be upon us.

There is another season that is happening that is important for us to be aware of. As we are preparing for this summer, July 1st to be exact, all of the GA's 33 amendments to the constitution are on track for passing (4 of them being irrelevant as the larger amendment of "church discipline" is going to pass). This means that in this season, it is a good time for the presbytery as well as Sessions to begin looking at how the amendments are going to change some of the ways we do things and what changes we might need to put into place. 



This past weekend, I had the joy of joining others from 12 presbyteries as we gathered in Champaign for a COM/CPM event. I led a workshop on the changes that will be coming to COM/CPMs but also to councils in general. It was fun to see in person the faces of many I know as well as have these conversations. I know, I know. I am certainly nerdy in this way. I also believe it is important to get a head start on these amendment changes than to wait. Stay tuned for more information coming about how the session can start preparing. The picture is a selfie with some of the people in my workshop. (I couldn't get a wide enough photo of everyone!). As always, please contact me at pastorebailey@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Rev. Elissa Bailey

Presbytery of Great Rivers Stated Clerk

Register now for The Art of Transitional Ministry Training, Week I & II. May 22-26, 2023 at the beautiful Mercy Center, St. Louis, MO

We live in a crazy time of transition in our churches and culture. Transitional Ministry Education is not limited to those presently engaged in or inquiring about transitional ministry. Anyone interested in learning how to walk through change alongside your church is invited to join in. PLUS, we have expanded to include a more diverse faculty and re-worked curriculum for this spring.

Mercy Center is a beautiful convent and retreat center which provides: good food for gathering, lovely grounds for unwinding, a labyrinth for spiritual centering, AND great space for meeting and learning from other motivated pastors, CREs, and all who serve the church on committees.

Basic Transitional Ministry Education consists of 60 contact hours plus a practicum. The contact hours are divided equally between two residency weeks: Week I (30 hours) and Week II (30 hours), separated by a practicum that combines reflection on, and experience in, some aspect of interim/transitional ministry.

The faculty this spring includes: Rev. Dr. Barbara Wilson, Chicago Presbytery Director of Collaboration & Community Partnerships; Rev. Dr. Eric Thomas, Pastor of Siloam Pres, Brooklyn, NY; Rev. Bruce Jones, Transitional pastor, Milwaukee, WI; Rev. Dr. Tassie Green, Bridge Pastor of Hope Pres, Wheaton, IL; Rev. Gail Doering, Southern Kansas Transitional EP; and Tony de la Rosa, Transitional Exec, Synod of Mid America.

For more information and to register go to: 

http://synodma.org/transitional-ministry-education

For questions: contact Dylan at office@synodma.org or faculty dean Tassie Green at revtassiegreen@gmail.com

From Your Finance Team

As we begin 2023 --Please remember

Every time you submit funds to the presbytery office please use a remittance form – see below. Be sure to fill this out completely - including contact information & a breakdown of how you want your funds distributed. Be sure to use the correct PIN # -- we’ve had some churches submitting under the wrong number -- see link below to list.

If you send funds using on-line banking or another agency please feel free to scan & email the remittance form to smcgrath@greatriverspby.org. If you are unsure of what amount you still need to pay– just ask – we’re happy to double check for you.

Please take a couple minutes to use the links below to update your contact information.

This is vital to have current info when we need to reach out with a question. Back in September the annual Per Capita packets were mailed out. These were mailed to the attention of the Clerk of Session. If for some reason you didn’t receive it – just contact us & we’ll email you another copy.

These included:

• a letter from our Treasurer -- Bill Strawbridge
• listing of 2023 Per Capita dues owed in 2023
• 2023 remittance form
• 2023 church-wide mission pledge form – indicating your intended mission giving for 2023 
• Visioning Grant information page

2022 annual contribution statements were mailed in late January 2023. We’ve already had a couple of churches question if we meant to say 2022 membership numbers. The 2023 per capita is based on 12/31/2021 statistics submitted. We’re always 2 years behind

If you have any questions, please reach out to us.

Thanks,

Sabrina – Bookkeeper smcgrath@greatriverspby.org

Bill -- Treasurer bnc.sbridge@gmail.com

2023 IRS Mileage Reimbursement Rate

For 2023 the IRS mileage reimbursement rates for businesses, individuals, and other organizations are as follows:

• 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up 3 cents from the midyear increase setting the rate for the second half of 2022.
• 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, consistent with the increased midyear rate set for the second half of 2022.
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations; the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2022

The IRS goes on to say this increase applies to electric and hybrid-electric automobiles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

An annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile is used to set the standard mileage rate for business use.

Please click on the blocks below to follow the links:

Please note: Churches can & probably should send their donations through the Presbytery office – otherwise we don’t know of them for reporting purposes. Churches should include this on their remittance form. Funds sent to the Presbytery Office get forwarded to Presbyterian Mission Agency on a monthly basis. So if we get them before the end of February they’ll be sent the first couple of days of March. Funds rec’d in March will be sent a the beginning of April, etc. The remittance form is linked here.

Presbytery of Great Rivers Virtual Office

Virtual Office Assistant Crystal Goforth 309-683-6980 Email: office@greatriverspby.org

Crystal works remotely from South Carolina (Eastern Time)

Please leave her a message & she will return your call.

Bookkeeper Sabrina McGrath 309-683-6981 Email: smcgrath@greatriverspby.org

Sabrina works from Peoria IL.

Her regular schedule is Tues & Thurs between 8am-4pm (Central Time)

Bridge Presbyter John Rickard 309-683-6983 Email: jrickard@greatriverspby.org

He works remotely from Northern Illinois.

His regular schedule is Mon – Fri between 9am -5pm (Central Time)

Stated Clerk - Elissa Bailey- 309-371-2511  Email: pastorebailey@gmail.com

Starting May 1st: the Stated Clerk's Office hours will be Mon - Thurs from 7:30am - 3pm. (Central Time)