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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.
September 29, 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 Tuesday before at 5 pm. Please note the day that articles are due has been moved to Tuesday through the end of October.
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From Your Lead Presbyter
Last week I was in Louisville for the fall Mid Council Leader Orientation. There were 24 of us from all over the country and Puerto Rico, Stated Clerks and Executive/General/Lead Presbyters who have recently started in new calls. We were immersed in all things Presbyterian—polity, constitutional issues, next year’s General Assembly, resources for the work we are doing, the unification of the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) and the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) into a single agency that will happen in 2025, and so much more. Even the game we played one evening was focused on PCUSA trivia!
We met at the Presbyterian Center downtown, a well-equipped space for our gathering. The last time I was there, 15 years ago or so, the place was bustling with 800+ people. About 100 folks are in the building now; others continue to work virtually. I was struck by how quiet it was and how many offices sit empty.
Staff could not have been more hospitable or generous with their time and wisdom. The leaders of the Administrative Services Group (ASG), OGA, and PMA spoke with us. One afternoon we were invited to wander and meet with GA staff from a variety of agencies—all of whom were wildly knowledgeable about their ministries and eager to support presbyteries. Having the opportunity to connect with colleagues was invaluable.

As I continue to process the blast of information presented to us, I wanted to share a few observations with you, which you may find comforting or troubling—or a little of both.
- There are more questions than answers in the church today.
- Every presbytery is struggling with the same issues: fewer churches, fewer members, fewer leaders, fewer resources.
- Every presbytery is discussing or engaged in some level of restructuring because the old models (staffing and committees) are no longer sustainable.
- There are not enough trained transitional (interim) pastors to serve all the churches that need them.
- Pulpit supply preachers are also scarce, except in larger population centers.
- As we dwell in this liminal space, between what the church has been and what it is becoming, a spirit of curiosity, creativity, and flexibility will serve us better than the relentless pursuit of how things used to be.
- Despite the challenges, we are still called to serve with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.
The event in Louisville was made possible by per capita funds. There was no cost to the Presbytery of Great Rivers for my hotel, meals, or mileage.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Ann Schwartz
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Please note: I will NEVER solicit financial assistance or issue vague pleas for help via email. If you have doubts about an email you receive in my name, please call the cell # in my signature to ask me directly. | |
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Did you know that the Synod of Lincoln Trails offers Mission Initiative Grants to congregations who want to try a NEW mission endeavor in their community?
These grants of up to $1,500 will support congregation-based mission activities. Apply by October 6. The application is simple - tell us the story of the new missional activity you would like to try. We’re eager to hear how churches throughout the synod are engaging mission and dreaming of new outreach. Apply here:
https://lincolntrails.org/missions-initiative-grant/
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Addressing Hate Crimes
PC(USA) General Counsel Mike Kirk has provided the following alert and advice in response to the experience of congregations being targeted for harassment.
Recently, two churches were approached by a man who pretended to be a college student engaged in a religion class who was seeking to interview female pastors of open and affirming churches. One pastor participated in an on-camera interview with the alleged student. The phony student asked about the church’s beliefs while “pretending to be LGBTQ” with the goal of "testing" the church's theology.
This phony student posted the video interview on his hate amplifying YouTube channel and called for the death of the pastor and deadly violence to the church. A similar interview was conducted at a Unitarian Universalist church and that church was fire-bombed after a video was posted by the phony student.
If your church is approached by someone who claims to be a college or seminary student who is seeking an interview or to gather information about your congregation and its beliefs, the first step is to verify the identity of this person. Ask for information on their school and a telephone number you can call to verify their identity. Accept the telephone number and then do more research to verify it is for a school they claim to represent. Do an internet search. If you know someone at the school, contact them directly for information and ask if the school is sending students out for interviews.
If you are victimized by someone who falsely represents who they are and the purpose of an interview, notify law enforcement to seek to stop this person from conducting other interviews and falsely using them on a social media platform. If you become aware of a video interview being placed on a social media platform with the interviewer calling upon people to attack you or your church, report it to your local FBI field office as a hate crime.
The FBI has a webpage devoted to protecting houses of worship and a community outreach program that welcomes contact from houses of worship so that they can track incidents and hate crimes involving local houses of worship.
While we try to make our churches a welcoming place for all people, sometimes bad actors take advantage of that welcome. Be alert and seek help if someone takes advantage of that welcome to do harm.
PC(USA) Legal Resources
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Clerk's Corner
Clerks! I appreciate all of your hard work for getting your records together and preparing them for the session record reviews. You have had some great questions as well. One of the items we have discussed is what is considered permanent and what the Presbyterian Historical Society “wants” and doesn’t want. Here is the retention schedule for sessions.
If you have not been able to attend a Session Record Review, please reach out to me so we can make arrangements! Pastorebailey@gmail.com
I will be out of the office the second week of October for the Mid council leaders event in St. Louis.
As always, let me know if you need anything!

Elissa
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:
Tuesday, October 31-Wednesday, November 1—3:00-5:30 each day
This annual requirement for all PGR ministers, temporary minister members, candidates and elders serving as Commissioned Pastors in PGR may 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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Regarding Ruling Elders
"As ruling elders of the church, one of our main responsibilities is to work with pastors and other leaders to provide opportunities for discernment, study, asking questions, and wrestling with our faith in ways that make it stronger, fruitful, prophetic, and impactful. There are no words or witness if we don’t provide opportunities for the Word to take hold and to grow."

The fifth in the set of articles that focuses on ruling elders as "they are chosen by the congregation to discern and measure its fidelity to the Word of God, and to strengthen and nurture its faith and life" (Book of Order G-2.0301) has been posted for your reading and use.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, monthly articles will alternate between a deep dive into the the ways ruling elders discern and measure the life of a congregation through the ministry of members and real life glimpses into the varied ways that ruling elders are serving within congregations and ministries throughout the country.
Read "Studying Scripture and the Issues of Christian Faith and Life" by clicking the button below.
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Pastors should wear their red stoles. RSVP by 10.10.23 by e-mail info@ffcpeoria.com or by phone (309)685-5258. Please indicate names and number of guests attending.
Event at: First Federated Church, 3601 N. Sheridan Rd, Peoria, IL 61604.
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From Your Finance Team
Churches,
We now have 41 of our 85 churches who have paid their 2023 Per Capita dues in full. Thank you to all those who have paid!
Always remember to submit a fully completed remittance form with any check you send to the presbytery. In just the last 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
2024 Per Capita will be $37.25, an increase of $1. The annual Per Capita mailing should arrive at your church in the next week's mail. This will be mailed to the attention of your clerk of session. Please watch for this. If for some reason you don't receive it, please let us know.
Thanks,
Sabrina McGrath - Bookkeeper
Bill Strawbridge - Treasurer
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Please click on the blocks below to follow the links: | |
Information for Retired Pastors from the Board of Pensions | |
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Supporting Ministers’ Wholeness
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ministers need the opportunity to step away from the demands of ministry and practice self-care so that they might experience the flourishing of life. That’s why the Board of Pensions provides programs that cultivate wholeness and nurture ministries, like Clergy Wellness Support.
This grant is offered to ministers in partnership with programs that address vocational, spiritual, mental, and physical wellness.
The Board of Pensions has approved the following programs for the grant: · Center for Pastoral Excellence – Clergy Renewal Programs · Horizon Hope Counseling · LeaderWise · MoSeGol · Pilgrim House · The Clergy Program – Davidson Centre for the Professions · The Kineo Center.
Ministers may also submit for consideration programs they would like to attend that are not included on this list. Proposed programs must address vocational, spiritual, mental, and/or physical wellness. Grants are up to $5,000, for program and travel fees, once every six years.
To qualify, you must be a PC(USA) minister enrolled in Pastor’s Participation or Minister’s Choice; and have an effective salary that does not exceed $80,000 (excluding manse value).
To apply: · Complete the Clergy Wellness Support application. · Email the application and required documentation to memberservices@pensions.org for review and decision.
· Eligible ministers may apply for support between sabbaticals.
· Call the Board of Pensions with questions at 800-773-7752 (800-PRESPLAN).
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From The Nominating Committee | |
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It is that time of year again when the Nominating Committee (NC) is at work seeking nominations for the next class of officers. We are requesting again your recommendations for Admin Team, Committee on Ministry, Committee on Preparation for Ministry, Personnel Committee, Permanent Judicial Commission, Synod Commissioners, Visioning Team, and General Assembly Commissioners.
To help us with our work we are asking again for clerks or pastors or administrative assistants to fill out the form with contact information for ruling elders able to serve. Thank you to First Presbyterian of Milan, United Church of Woodhull, First Presbyterian of Lincoln, and Hope Presbyterian of Springfield for submitting your forms already.
The form can be found at this link. It is a fillable pdf that can be emailed to either Gary Terpstra at g.terpstra@comcast.net or Cheyanna Losey at cheyannalosey@gmail.com. Or you can print the paper and mail a hard copy to either Gary Terpstra c/o Hope Presbyterian Church, 2211 Wabash Ave, Springfield, IL 62704; or Cheyanna Losey c/o First Presbyterian Church, 110 East Third St, Dixon, IL 61021.
We are requesting that the form be returned to us by October 1, 2023 so we can finish our work. Thank you for your help; we appreciate it.
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Advent and Christmas Resources for Pastors and Worship Committees
Advent 4 and Christmas Eve are both on Sunday this year, and Christmas 1 is New Year’s Eve. The Rev. Brad Munroe, Pastor to the Presbytery, Grand Canyon and de Cristo presbyteries, has crafted two liturgies that can be adapted by pastors trying to scramble to write multiple sermons and liturgies in a compressed time. Click on the image below to read the liturgies.
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Support the Peace & Global Witness Offering
In 1980, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) passed a resolution that called for peacemaking in our country’s foreign policy direction. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the PC(USA)’s Commitment to Peacemaking (available in English, Spanish and Korean), a tool to help Presbyterian congregations shape their peacemaking ministries.
As congregations receive the Peace & Global Witness Offering on World Communion Sunday, they do so with many concerns on their hearts for our siblings around the world. Climate change, violence, and the refugee crisis in so many countries are humanitarian disasters of particular concern. Congregations understandably feel called to support relief efforts for these impacted communities.
The Offering offers congregations ways to support relief efforts for these issues while also supporting the peacemaking work of their mid councils and the PC(USA). Twenty-five percent of the Offering stays with the congregation and 25% stays with your mid council to support peacemaking and reconciliation in your own community and region. Find resources here. Posters, inserts and minutes for mission for the Peace & Global Witness Offering are also available in Spanish and Korean.
The theme for the 29 days of the 2023 A Season of Peace (available in English only) is Led Forth in Peace: Critical Areas of Engagement for Peacemakers. With these daily reflections, we are invited to reflect upon ways to practice peace by engaging the following critical areas: climate change, nonviolence, the intersection of poverty and racism, and immigration/migration. Sign up here.

When we all do a little, it adds up to a lot!
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Click the button below for the entire September 2023 issue. | |
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Final 2023 Assembly Date
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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The Presbytery of Carlisle is searching for a Presbytery Leader for Vision and Transformation (formerly the Executive Presbyter position). As a spiritual and relational leader grounded in God, this person, with the Presbytery Leader of Governance and Congregational Leadership (formerly the Stated Clerk), will seek together to find and represent the will of Christ as they work alongside committees, pastors, and Sessions, in fulfillment of the shared mission and common purpose of the presbytery. This position is not only one of collaboration working as a co-leader with the Presbyter Leader of Governance and Congregational Leadership it is also one of leadership serving as the Head of Staff supervising and coordinating the resources of people, property, and finances of the presbytery.
For a full description of the position and to review the Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP) please use the link: Presbytery Leader Search Team - Presbytery of Carlisle (carlislepby.org)
To inquire about the position and/or to submit a Personal Discernment Profile or resume please e-mail Wendell D. Jordan, Chair of the Presbytery Leader Search Team at carpresbysearch@gmail.com by November 15, 2023.
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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) and is available until 4 pm CST Monday thru Wednesday and Friday, and 1:45 pm EST on Thursdays. 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-3pm (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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