2025 Narrative Budget
On this page you’ll find a variety of resources created to accompany the 2025 Narrative Budget for the Presbytery of the Western Reserve. The print & digital materials for sharing are available below, and you can also click the “view the presentation” button to begin viewing the digital presentation version of the Narrative Budget.
Introduction
Finding our focus.
In this season of abundance and shalom, the Presbytery of the Western Reserve has ample stories of both emotional ends and plentiful possibilities. Stories of grief and sadness of what was once but is no longer; but also stories of energy, intelligence, imagination and love. Could we as disciples of Jesus Christ, in this season and in Northeast Ohio, see ourselves as having a “Walk to Emmaus” moment; a time of transition? Could we imagine ourselves as having an opportunity, with Christ nurturing us, to make a faithful end of what was and with Christ preparing us, to make an energetic leap into what could be?
We hope that as you read this Narrative Budget that you begin to obtain a glimpse of the Presbytery’s story in this time of transition. As you read about the work of groups and individuals we hope that you could begin to see yourselves as part of that story and dare to dream of what God is doing in your community. We make no pretense of knowing the next steps of our narrative, we know only that Jesus Christ is with us and out ahead of us.
Let’s turn the page and discover what’s next.
Rev. Sharon Core, General Presbyter
Rev. Mark Mong, Presbytery Moderator
Our Vision
In an uncertain and rapidly evolving world, the Presbytery of the Western Reserve embodies Christ's mission of shalom and abundant life.
Our Mission
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are a community called to connect, communicate, and collaborate with others as we build congregational vitality, dismantle structural racism, and eradicate systemic poverty.
We prayerfully do this through learning, caring, serving, and advocating.
Being a Matthew 25 Presbytery
Three Areas of Focus
When we welcome others, we welcome Christ; when we bring together people who are divided, we are doing God’s reconciling work. We are called to serve Jesus by contributing to the well-being of the most vulnerable in all societies – rural and urban, small and large, young and not-so-young.
The Vision Fund
The presbytery’s Vision and Mission Task Force requested the nominating committee to nominate 4 people, to join the presbytery’s vice moderator, to form the presbytery’s Vision Fund Team. The VFT was charged with disbursing up to $100,000 to meet the presbytery’s Matthew 25 goals. Our team started from scratch, guided by the Holy Spirit and the Matthew 25 initiative. For the first few months of 2024 we established our goals, designed the application and evaluation rubric (with much help from Josh Daum), and communicated with the presbytery.
We work together as most of us wish every committee would work! Members come prepared with insights, questions and new ideas. We listen, adjust our thinking, and respect each other and the process. Every decision has been made by consensus. We want the grant applicants to be successful and have occasionally suggested grant adjustments that will help meet the criteria. We feel the responsibility of being faithful stewards of the presbytery’s resources while hoping more members, congregations and entities of the presbytery will be thinking creatively and requesting grant money to meet their Matthew 25 goals.
In addition to Vision Fund grants, the presbytery awarded grants through the Committee on Outreach to promote and support Presbytery and congregational engagement in local and global outreach and social justice ministries, and administrative grants. The grants were awarded to help the presbytery not only meet our Matthew 25 goals, but also to live into our mission of “being community called to connect, collaborate and communicate with others.” The narratives and pictures in the pages ahead are examples of Vision Fund, Outreach and administrative grants.
Connect
A Call to Sabbath
After 28 years of mostly solo pastoring, Lyndhurst Community of Faith Church co-pastor Francis Miller recognizes that his “well of serving the church is low… and the need for a sustained time away–removed from the rigors of pastoral leadership–was essential.” Because one ingredient for enhancing “Congregational Vitality” is clergy leadership that is energized and dedicated, the Vision Fund granted $1,000 to support Francis as he engages in a sabbatical. His plan for fostering spiritual reflection and renewal includes a pilgrimage walk, “St. Colomba’s Way,” across Scotland from the Isle of Iona to St. Andrews. He anticipates the experience will enable him to support his congregation as, in his words, “We refresh our understanding of the call of Jesus upon our lives, to deeply engage inwardly so that we can serve outwardly.”
Grants like these are made possible through presbytery support via the Vision Fund.
Pride Parade
Connect
2024 was the first year that the Presbytery of the Western Reserve marched as a body under the Presbytery banner in the Pride Parade. More than ten churches stood together as witness to Presbyterian Welcome to our LGBTQA+ family. With help from an Outreach grant, we were able to coordinate our participation in the event and even had an ad in the program book. An LGBTQA+ network has begun to take shape and will continue to lead our presbytery in transforming our words of welcome into action. In addition to participating in Pride, we are working to provide worship and educational opportunities for our congregations to continue to be places of welcome for all people.
Grants like these are made possible through contributions to Per Capita and the commitment to the wider church offering.
Connect
Positive Steps for Single Moms
The community of Grace Presbyterian (Lakewood) has a heart for single moms as evidenced by their Walk for Single Moms. We hosted this walk during 2023, and another is planned for Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Lakewood Park.
In caring for and supporting single moms, the community received donations of sweet-smelling personal care products, something single moms can’t afford. We wanted moms to know that they are loved and supported and hoped that they would gain self-esteem and confidence.
The Walk was held at Lakewood Park from 10:00 until noon. We began under a rented shelter, and we walked the paved pathways through the park and along Lake Erie. We provided bottled water, snacks, bagels, and Nutrigrain bars. Several people from other Presbyterian churches joined us. Following the walk, we enjoyed fellowship and fun, with games and sharing jokes. We collected over 200 scented products, and distributed them to over 80 moms at Woodhill Homes public housing community.
Grants like these are made possible by contributions to Per Capita and the commitment to the wider church offering.
Collaborate
An Evening with David LaMotte
How do you address our mission statement’s aim of “embodying Christ’s mission of shalom and abundant life” in an “uncertain and rapidly evolving world?” The Committee on Leadership called on singer/songwriter David LaMotte to offer vision and inspiration through a weekend concert and a day-long workshop in April 2024. His music is always inspirational and his workshop enabled church leaders (pastors, educators, elders, even youth) to learn practical ways to confront issues such as racism and systemic poverty. LaMotte’s message was, “You are changing the world, whether you like it or not–what changes will you make?”
Grants like these are made possible through presbytery support via the Vision Fund.
Collaborate
Y-Haven Theatre Project
The Y-Haven Theatre Project is a 24-year partnership between the Cleveland Public Theatre and Y-Haven, a residential treatment center in Cleveland for formerly unhoused individuals recovering from Substance Abuse Disorder. An Outreach grant assisted the program in achieving its goal of helping participants maintain sobriety, improve self-sufficiency, and experience social-emotional development through the process of creating and performing a play based on their own experiences.
Grants like these are made possible through presbytery support via the Vision Fund.
Meshing in Ashtabula
Collaborate
If someone were to ask the Churches in Ashtabula City, Township and County what God was doing in their space and time, the answer could very well be: God is zipping us together. Over the last few years, God is fastening together not sweatshirts nor jeans, but people. What started off as a simple effort of yoking two congregations together: Trinity and East Side to share the pastoral leadership of Rev. Mark Mong, has become the “Zipping” or “Meshing” together of many areas of their life together as well as other congregations in the neighboring spaces.
These churches have enmeshed their worship, mission, fellowship, discipleship, and are excited to see how God continues to draw them together!
This work is supported in part by contributions to Per Capita and the commitment to the wider church offering.
Collaborate
General Assembly
The 226th General Assembly of the Presbytery Church USA met on-line and in person, June 25 - July 4, 2024. Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegates from the Presbytery of the Western Reserve are Taliasin Allen, Franzetta Turner, and John Wahl. Sharon Core, General Presbyter and Judy Mitchell, Stated Clerk also attended.
Support of delegates & staff attendance at General Assembly is made possible by your per capita.
Commissioner Franzetta Turner
“As the moderator of the General Assembly Entity Coordination Committee, I had the privilege of working with other commissioners, GA leaders, and PCUSA staff which gave me a greater appreciation of how much work is involved in the planning to ensure the success of an amazing General Assembly!”
Young Adult Advisory Delegate Taliesin Allen
“My experience [at General Assembly] was life changing, for once I truly understood what it meant to be a Presbyterian. From the bonds I created, to the changes we made, I truly felt a part of the moment"
Commissioner John Wahl
“It was more than just the warm Salt Lake air that showed Presbyterians are no longer the 'frozen chosen' but now the 'slushy select.’ Of all the many gatherings of Presbyterians I have been a part of, the energy, diversity and joy displayed at General Assembly came closest to my imagining of God's kin-dom.”
Communicate
Crucial Conversations
Our ministry project is striving to provide a broad scope of activities such as holding book discussions (Zoom or in person), showing videos, providing in person programming featuring guest speakers from the congregation or community followed by discussions. We often collaborate with other churches and sometimes other communities of faith.
We are hopeful some of the following needs will be met: increasing our cross-cultural connections as we interact with people of different cultures and faiths, increasing and celebrating diversity among us, expanding our library collection of resources on racial justice and key leaders of social justice issues for all levels of readers, with the intention of motivating more and more members to take action around the Matthew 25 initiatives.
Grants like these are made possible through presbytery support via the Vision Fund.
Communicate
Racial Equity Buddies
The Racial Equity Buddies program of Forest Hill Church works to combat individual and structural racism through relationships, education, deep conversation and action. An Outreach grant enabled the program to expand its outreach to partner and build relationships with other anti-racist groups and organizations including BLM Cleveland, Black on Black Crime Inc., Social Justice Advocacy Ministry of Federated Church, Community Church of Chesterland, Disciples Church in Cleveland Heights, and Greater Cleveland Congregations. In addition to book discussions, programming included a community forum, Building Safer Communities for All, and a dramatic reading and discussion of the play Thurgood.
Grants like these are made possible through presbytery support via the Vision Fund.
Communicate
PresbyPalooza
Everyone serving on a committee, commission, network, team or task force was invited to PresbyPalooza 2024. Dinner, conversation, orientation, bingo, prizes—what more could you want?! Oh, yeah, and FUN! We’re already thinking about Palooza Twozza (2025).
Events like these are made possible through contributions to Per Capita and the commitment to the wider church offering.
Looking Forward
Consultant Project
Presbyterian Christians in the Western Reserve living and serving near Lake Erie are asking “who is God calling us to be?” With the help of Corey Schlosser-Hall of the Office of Innovation (PCUSA), we are being guided in discerning the answers to that question. As we continue to live into our vision and mission statements, we are exploring the shape of our organizational life together--how do we cultivate flexibility in our structure, to find a balance between mandatory work and visionary process? what is the “right-size” of the Presbytery? where do we experience abundance and shalom and how do those experiences define our life together?
During the fall of 2024, we will be focusing on these questions as we consider our organization structure, staffing needs and financial obligations. Communication to and involvement with all those in the Presbytery will continue to be the highest priority.
We gathered in July for an evening of discussion and thought sharing. It won’t be the last as we continue this journey.
This work is made possible by contributions to Per Capita and the commitment to the wider church offering.
Presbytery Staff
The Presbytery has four staff positions, consisting of two part time and two full time employees. Sometimes staff positions are mandated by our denominational commitments, as is the case with the Stated Clerk — the Book of Order provides that a presbytery must have a Stated Clerk to act as ecclesiastical officer and make sure they are staying decent and in order. The Stated Clerk is also a resource for ministers, clerks & congregations on matters of polity and procedure.
Other positions are based on the specific ministries of this presbytery: our General Presbyter serves as head of staff, ministry coordinator, pastor to pastors, and head cheerleader for the presbytery. The Associate for Justice Ministries facilitates and coordinates the efforts of various justice-oriented groups and efforts, including racial reconciliation, anti-poverty, earth care, and much more. And our Office Administrator oversees communication, scheduling, office operations, and financial administration, as well as educating folks on the various tools available to them as members of the presbytery.
Your presbytery staff is here to help. Give us a call, drop an email, or arrange a time to stop by the office—we’d love to see you!
