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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.
July 14, 2023
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PGR Newsletter
Our Newsletters will go out the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. The deadline for adding information is the Wednesday before at 5 pm.
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From Your Lead Presbyter
Friends,
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the emergency and refugee program of the PC(USA), is one of our denomination’s most treasured ministries. You are probably familiar with PDA as one of the recipients of One Great Hour of Sharing funds. If your community has experienced floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters, or mass shootings and other human-caused disasters, you may have seen firsthand the impact of their healing presence.
In the event of such disasters, PDA can help with recovery efforts. Their response teams work closely with presbyteries to provide spiritual and pastoral support to congregations and communities and to connect them with state, federal, and non-profit agencies. Their services are not limited to Presbyterians or Presbyterian churches.
Since storms blew through central Illinois on June 29, PDA has been communicating with emergency management agencies throughout the state to determine how PDA can respond to needs. I am aware that several churches in PGR lost trees and power. If your church building sustained damage, or if there was significant damage in your church’s community, please let me know immediately.
In addition to deploying teams of specially trained volunteers to areas affected by disasters, PDA administers grants to presbyteries to assist with long-term recovery needs within their boundaries.

The newly revised PDA website contains good resources to guide Presbyterians in responding to catastrophic events. The address is http://pda.pcusa.org.
Grace and peace,
Ann
Rev. Ann Schwartz
Lead Presbyter
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Prayers
Please pray for Rev. Charles Cunningham (HR TE) as he recovers from surgery and hospitalization. Rev. Cunningham is the moderator and leads worship regularly at First United Presbyterian Church, Pekin.
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Along The Road Podcast
Pastors and clerks, please post this in your newsletter and invite your congregations to share their feedback. Thank you for your faithful ministry and partnership.
The Office of the General Assembly’s Mid Council Ministries has wrapped up the first season of its podcast, ”Along the Road.”
The Along the Road podcast features two tracks: “Nourish” episodes are tailored for ruling elders and deacons, while “Encounter” episodes are tailored for mid council leaders. However, both Nourish and Encounter episodes provide valuable insights and information for all Presbyterians interested in deepening their faith, ecclesial formation, and knowledge of polity. All Along the Road podcasts from season one can be found at the Office of the General Assembly, Mid Council Ministries site.

As the podcast team uses this summer to reflect on the past season and plan for the upcoming one, we would value your ideas and suggestions for topics and emphases that will be of value to deacons, ruling elders, and mid council leaders. Please send us your reactions, experiences, suggestions, and ideas via email, or fill out our online survey for the podcast.
Article and Image from MidCouncil Relations Newsletter, July 5, 2023
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Clerk's Corner
The dates are set! The Session Record Reviews have been set for this year. There are several taking place in the bounds of Great Rivers Presbytery and several in East Iowa. You are welcome to attend the record review that works best for you. Here are the possibilities:

Monday, July 17th, 5-8 PM @ First Pres, Springfield, IL
Wednesday, July 19th, 1-4 PM @ First Pres, Carthage, IL
Saturday, August 5th, 9 AM-noon @ First Pres, Normal, IL
Sunday, September 10th, 3-6 PM @ First Presbyterian Church, Iowa City, IA
Thursday, September 14th, 9 AM-noon @ First Presbyterian Church, Macomb, IL
Sunday, September 17th, 2-5 PM @ First Pres, Muscatine, IA
Monday, September 18th, 9 AM-noon @ First Pres, Davenport, IA
Friday, September 22nd, 1-4 PM @ Faith Pres, Cedar Rapids, IA
Friday, October 20th, 9 AM-noon @ Faith United Pres, Monmouth, IL
Some of you completed your last record review approximately 18 months ago. My goal is to get everyone back on the same page and to have us complete record reviews on the years that the next Book of Order is published and goes into effect. This is especially important this year because of the significant policies and trainings that all governing bodies, including sessions, need to implement. We will discuss how your session can make this happen at the Session Record Review. So even if you had your last review 18 months ago, I encourage you to attend this review for this critical information.
What happens if you are not able to attend? The first step is to send someone in your place. You can send your pastor, your administrative assistant (especially in churches where the admin is responsible for putting the minutes together), or another session member. If there is no possibility for that to work either, please contact me, we will work something out.
Here is the link for signing up:
https://forms.gle/3XLiF6jzVAbDftG87
Just a reminder, I will be out of town July 9-15 as I will be serving as the Camp Chaplain at Camp Wyoming in East Iowa Presbytery. I will also be out of town July 22-28 for Synod School in Iowa!
Rev. Elissa Bailey
Presbytery of Great Rivers Stated Clerk
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Not Your Average Boundary Training
The Presbyteries of Great Rivers and Southeastern Illinois are offering joint annual training on misconduct on Zoom on the following dates:
Tuesday, August 29-Wednesday, August 30—3:00-5:30 each day
Tuesday, October 31-Wednesday, November 1—3:00-5:30 each day
The five hour sessions are identical in content. This annual requirement for all PGR ministers, temporary minister members, candidates and elders serving as Commissioned Pastors in PGR may be also be met by alternative means. This is the training the presbytery provides at no charge to our members through the generosity of the Synod of Lincoln Trails.
For questions about acceptability of alternative programs or to submit your certificate of completion for 2023 now, please reach out to our Stated Clerk, Elissa Bailey at pastorebailey@gmail.com.
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Congratulations!!
Rev. Adam Quine earned his DMin from Eden Theological Seminary in May. Adam is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, and he preaches weekly at Middletown Presbyterian Church.

Rev. Lori Kyle was installed as the pastor of New Covenant Community on July 2. NCC is a tri-union church—PC(USA), Disciples of Christ, and United Church of Christ, and their worship space is located in Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington.
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Churches,
2nd Quarter contribution statements will be mailed out in the next week or so. Please take the time to review them. Always remember to submit a fully completed remittance form with any check you send to the presbytery. In just the two months we’ve received a dozen checks with no remittance form. The completed form helps ensure that we apply your payment as you intend. If sending from your bank online you can email your remittance form to smcgrath@greatriverspby.org.
Thanks,
Sabrina
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Please click on the blocks below to follow the links: | |
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Stewardship Kaleidoscope is an annual conference offering excellent plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences, and incredible networking opportunities for all passionate about stewardship and generosity. To learn more and register, click the link below. 
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2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium Production Team—A message from the Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium
Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium Production Team.
This team consists of youth and adults who share a passion for youth ministry and work alongside staff to refine the many layers of Triennium and make this large-scale event happen.
Joining the Production Team is an incredible opportunity to serve the church, develop as a leader, form lifelong friendships, problem-solve creatively, laugh and work hard, and deepen your relationship with God. The nature of a lot of the Production Team’s work is inherently behind the scenes, and an ability to be a good listener and work well with others is of great importance.
We are striving to assemble a Production Team that is reflective of the diversity of our church and of God’s kingdom and we need your help to do this. We want team members from big cities and rural areas, big churches and little churches, and different cultures and backgrounds who are excited to come together with other Presbyterians to create an event and experience bigger than themselves.
We start fresh every three years with a new theme, new schedule, and new theological grid and are always looking for new perspectives and voices. We strongly encourage people who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, immigrants, queer, trans, and/or non-binary to apply for the 2025 Production Team. We joyfully invite church leaders to seek out congregations and individuals who are a part of these communities, spread the word about the 2025 Production Team, and encourage people to apply.

For more information or to fill out an application, please visit the Triennium website. Please note that applications will be accepted through September 15, 2023.
Article and Images from MidCouncil Relations Newsletter, July 5, 2023
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Church Financial Leadership Grants available now
If you are a pastor, commissioned ruling elder (CRE), a leader of a 1001 New Worshiping Community or a member of a stewardship team we have Church Financial Leadership Grants available for you. The grants will enable you to institute best practices for church financial leadership, introduce you to new models of giving and stewardship, and offer you new ways to talk about money and form generous disciples within your church.
Who can apply?
PCUSA pastors
Commissioned Ruling Elders
1001 New Worshiping Community leaders
Church member attending the event with their pastor
What do the funds cover?
The grants are matching funds to help cover half of the cost of:
Registration fees
Transportation
Lodging
Meals
Other expenses
The other half of the funds will need to be provided by the church or another source.
What events can I use the funds for?
Stewardship Kaleidoscope
Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (ECRF) through the Lake Institute
Other church financial leadership events (subject to approval)
What is the deadline?
For Stewardship Kaleidoscope, we are asking that applications be sent in by Tuesday, August 15 so that we have time to process the application and send out the funds prior to the start of the event. Applications received after the deadline or for the ECRF program will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Once we receive your application, it may take up to six weeks to process.
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Click on the image above to subscribe to their newsletter! | |
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SOLT is looking forward to launching two new coaching initiatives later this year: A Coaching Summit and Retirement Small Group Coaching.
Dates are not set yet but click on the link below if you are interested.
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Synod Program for New Pastors
A new version of the synod-wide New Pastors program is in the works! The design team will meet with Sara Dingman in August to start planning.
We want to hear from you! Did you participate in the Synod of Lincoln Trails New Pastors program? Do you have ideas on how to faithfully equip new leaders? Let us know! https://s.surveyplanet.com/lj06j0vu
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Click the button below for the entire July 2023 issue. | |
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2023 Assembly Dates
August 26 at Peoria United
November 11 at Faith United, Monmouth
In-person and Virtual
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Grants from your Visioning Team
Grant applications are open now! Check out our Mission page (http://www.greatriverspby.org/mission.html) for information about the Visioning grant to support programming and projects in churches and partner organizations, as well as grants for sabbatical assistance and funding while clergy are on paid family leave. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and the Visioning Team is ready to answer your questions. Contact us at PGRVisioning@greatriverspby.org to learn more!
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Acting Stated Clerk for General Assembly Named
As you may be aware, the Stated Clerk of the PC(USA), Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, recently announced his decision to step down at the end of June. The Rev. Bronwen Boswell, currently general presbyter/stated clerk of Shenandoah Presbytery in Virginia, has been named Acting Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Boswell.

Read more . . . https://www.pcusa.org/news/2023/6/22/bronwen-boswell-named-acting-stated-clerk-gen-asmb/
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Vacation Opportunity
Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Richfield, Utah is excited to welcome active or retired pastors and CLPs for some vacation time! They are offering their parsonage to any PCUSA pastor/CRE who would like to spend a week or two (or longer) in Utah for their 2023 summer/early fall vacation. In return, they ask the pastor/CLP to preach the Sundays they are in town. It is a great opportunity to spend some time in the great outdoors, while they bring their favorite sermon to preach. The church is located in Richfield Utah, about an hour away from Zion, Bryce, and Moab National Parks.
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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)
Lead Presbyter Ann Schwartz 309-683-6983 Email: aschwartz@greatriverspby.org
Stated Clerk - Elissa Bailey- 309-371-2511 Email: pastorebailey@gmail.com
My regular office hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am - 3 pm.(Central Time) If you have an emergency, please call or text me at 309-371-2511.
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Get Connected!
Be sure to encourage your congregations, sessions, and even your church newsletter editorial staff and volunteers to be sure to sign up for our presbytery newsletter and follow our Facebook page so you don't miss out on what is going on in our community of churches!
Have you liked our "Presbytery of Great Rivers" Facebook page?
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