PCUSA Per Capita

pcusa

Each year Grace is financially assessed for each member of our congregation. This assessment is done by our presbytery and is called per capita. Per capita is not a tax. Nothing happens to us if we don’t give (or pay) it, but we do give it because it strengthens the Presbyterian Church. What we give helps fund our presbytery and national church.

Grace budgets for the per capita cost of each member. Some members choose to give an additional gift to cover the per capita. The per capita for 2022 is $40 per member. If you choose to give this, please designate your gift as per capita.

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Reading John Through Johannine Lenses by Stan Harstine

Reading John

In January we welcomed Dr. Stan Harstine from Friends University for four weeks of Sunday School.  Dr. Harstine is a John scholar, and as we began two months of focusing on John in worship, he taught an overview of John.  The Christian Discipleship team was excited to have so many people participate in the class.

Dr. Harstine has a new book on John. There’s information here and a discount code for 30% off the book.

 

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Children’s Bibles and Jacob’s Learning Ladder

Children’s Bibles and Jacob’s Learning Ladder

This fall we received a special financial gift and were charged with how to share it. We shared this with the congregation in November >

One way we used the gift was to give Children’s Bibles to the preschool children at Jacob’s Learning Ladder (JLL).  JLL families are reflective of society which means some go to church and some don’t.  The number who do not participate in a church continues to grow.  No matter how much we invite them to church, they aren’t interested in church, period.  Still, we have an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with them.

Jennifer Snook and I each lead Bible story time once a month with older JLL students.  This means that some 50 children get to hear two Bible stories a month.  That’s far more children than we have here on Sunday morning.  Jennifer has also worked closely with JLL to support family events.  Other initiatives from the past have been hampered by Covid and may or may not come back.

Jennifer is passionate about supporting families, and we realized that getting a children’s Bible into every home was a great way to support them.  There are lots of good children’s Bibles, and we went with the one my family uses because I can share how much we enjoy reading it together.

During the JLL Thanksgiving program Jennifer and I presented each child with a Bible from Grace while their parents watched. They were able to hear us talk about the joy and value of reading these stories at home, and we hope they are doing so.

~Catherine Neelly Burton

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Session Summary: November 2021

  • The Grace Session met on November 15, 2021, in the Grace Alcove.
  • The meeting was opened and closed with prayer.
  • We welcomed Lilian Mayer into membership. Lilian joins Grace by reaffirmation of faith.
  • Plans for the upcoming Hanging of the Greens service were discussed.
  • Covid protocols were revisited. It was voted on to no longer keep exterior doors open on Sundays.  Windows in the sanctuary will be closed.  The question was raised about what metric we use to make changes to our policy.  No metric was set
  • Financial reports were given and received. Other reports were given including an update on stewardship pledges for 2022.
  • Presbytery met the next day (November 16, 2021) and it was reported that on the docket was the dismissal of the New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Hutchinson from the PCUSA to the EPC.
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Christmas Brunch: December 19

The Grace Christmas Brunch is back…with a few changes.

We gather for food and fellowship on Sunday, December 19, from 10-11 am in the Grace Great Room. Per tradition, this is a potluck brunch, with some extra pandemic precautions. Casseroles and fruit are served from the kitchen, so instead of bringing your favorite casserole with your special recipe, please bake an egg casserole with the recipe provided by the sign ups. Breads and drinks are available in the Great Room for you to choose from.

There are sign ups for casseroles, breads, and juice by the coffee bar at Grace. Please sign up and plan to come on December 19.

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