REMINDERS: Clerks of Session retreat planned plus minute reviews, TOC report due

Several tasks need to be completed by Clerks of Session in the coming weeks.

Annual Clerks of Session Retreat

The program – scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3, 2023 at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids – is open to all Clerks of Session currently serving congregations within the Presbytery of Lake Michigan.

Activities that day will include training about tasks that clerks are expected to complete, conversations about challenges or concerns voiced by different congregations and time for fellowship with peers.

There is no charge to attend but advance registration via an online form is requested by Thursday, May 18, 2023, so that adequate program materials will be available. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Clerks should check their email for a message with a link to the registration form or send a message to office@lakemichiganpresbytery.org to get the link details.

Session Minutes Reviews

Clerks should make every effort to attend the annual Session Minutes Review meeting scheduled for each cluster. Upcoming meetings include:

• Saturday, May 13, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church, 148 Houghton Street, Lake City, with Carolyn Flore and Annamarie Groenenboom for Cluster 1 which includes Big Rapids, Cadillac, Hesperia, and Lake City.
• Saturday, May 20, 2023, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1515 Helen Avenue, Portage, in the presbytery’s conference room with Annamarie Groenenboom for Cluster 4 which includes Allegan, Gobles, Hastings, Kalamazoo First, Kalamazoo North, Paw Paw, Plainwell, Portage Westminster, Richland and Schoolcraft.

The meetings for Clusters 5 and 6 were held April 15 while the meeting for Cluster 3 was held April 29 and Cluster 2 on May 6. Clerks who missed those meetings should contact the Rev. Annamarie Groenenboom, the presbytery’s assistant clerk, at agroenenboom@lakemichiganpresbytery.org to arrange for their minutes review. 

Terms of Call Reports Due

Forms are now available to report 2023 Terms of Call for pastors serving congregations within the Presbytery of Lake Michigan.

Each congregation is required to annually submit information about the compensation package provided to the teaching elder(s) or commissioned ruling elder (CRE) called to serve their church in an installed, interim or contracted role.

An article explaining how to submit the TOC information is available on the presbytery’s website.