FL APA Blog

Managing Your Church: The Top 7 Paid Positions at Churches

2012-02-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

Managing Your Church: The Top 7 Paid Positions at Churches

Comparison chart of the previous Form of Government to the current Foundations and Form of Government

2012-02-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

I'm sure all of you have read the new 2011/2013 Book of Order by now, right? Well, if you're like me, that's a big NOT, and somewhere on my long to-do list, or possible for a night of insomnia.

But lucky for us the PCUSA has published a comparison chart of the previous Form of Government and the new one. You can download it from their site at http://www.pcusa.org/resource/comparison-chart-former-form-government-new-founda/.

Have a great weekends, Friends!

Allyson Criminger

President-Elect and Communications Chair

Florida Region APA

A Note from the Membership Chair

2012-02-06T11:16:00.001-08:00

What will your administrative staff be doing from May 16 toMay 20, 2012? Will they be working inthe office doing their weekly tasks or will they be joining other administrativepersonnel at this year’s Florida Region Administrative Personnel AssociationConference in Sarasota?

This year’s conference offers agreat opportunity for your staff to grow in their professional and spirituallife. Led by clergy and other professionals,the knowledge gained by their attendance will enhance their ability to moreeffectively allow them to serve their respective organization.

Encourage your lay staff to jointhe Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Membership forms can be found on the FloridaRegion’s website, www.floridaapa.org. While there, make sure to download theregistration form for the 2012 Florida Region Conference. For a small investment in your administrativestaff, they will return from the conference with the knowledge and spiritualwellbeing to be more effective in their jobs.

Show your administrative staffthat they are a valuable asset to you and your congregation. Make sure to let them know that you arewilling to invest in them by paying their membership dues ($75) and conferenceexpenses (approximately $500). For asmall investment in them, you will gain a happier and loyal staff member whoknows that they are valued.

If you want to know how the APAcan benefit your organization, contact Barbara Prieto, Florida RegionPresident, at 305-666-8566 or rivierachurch@bellsouth.net.

Nancy Fine

Membership Chair, Florida Regionof the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

www.floridaapa.org

BOP Tax Guides for 2011

2012-01-31T11:53:00.001-08:00

Tax Webcast and Guides for the 2011 Tax YearNow Available

Tohelp ministers and churches understand the latest tax law changes, the Board ofPensions has released new and updated resources in the Tax Resource Center for members, treasurers and administrators, and mid-councils onPensions.org:

The 2011 “Tax Tips for Ministers and Churches” webcast features the Board’s education specialists, Steven Fleming and Rod Sewell, who provide important information from tax expert Richard R. Hammar, J.D., LL.M., CPA, specific to ministers and churches. The webcast is prerecorded for easy, 24/7 access. No registration is necessary to view it.
The Tax Guide for Ministers for 2011 Returns provides recent tax information for active and retired ministers to review when filing their federal income tax returns. It will also be mailed to active and retired ministers in late January.
The Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches: What You Need To Know in 2012, including tax code changes made at the end of 2011, is designed for church treasurers and business administrators. It contains step-by-step wage reporting and withholding instructions and information about situations specific to filing various federal forms.

The information provided in the above-described resourcesis not intended as a substitute for legal, accounting, or other professionaladvice that you may require while preparing your tax returns.

It's Time to Renew!

2012-01-19T12:01:00.001-08:00

I hope each of you had a good start to the year! If you are like me, the year is off to a fast pace with more than most of us can handle.

In December, you received an email from the APA office with a membership renewal form for your 2012 membership dues. I hope by now you have filled out your form and sent it in. The deadline for regular dues renewal ($75) is January 31, 2012. After that date, a late fee of $10 applies.

As a reminder, if you are a retired member, your dues are half the regular dues ($32.50) but must be paid to remain active. Life members are asked to fill out the form and sent it in, even though you do not have dues, so that addresses and other information can be updated yearly.

For those of you who did not renew your dues last year (2011), to remain active, you will need to pay for both 2011 and 2012 in order to gain certification and vote at meetings. If you cannot remember if you paid or not, please feel free to contact me.

Two upcoming dates that you need to get on your calendar:

The Florida Regional Conference is scheduled for May 16-20, 2012 in Sarasota Florida. Check the Florida Region website in early February for more informaiton.

The APA National Conference will be held September 12-16, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the conferences and please remember this is a great time to recruit a friend to bring with you! You get to spend time with a friend and we get a new member!

Blessings,

Nancy Fine

Membership Chair Florida Region of the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Make a Commitment to Invest in Your Continuing Education

2012-01-13T06:34:00.000-08:00

Every January, many of us tend to make a new year's resolution. Whether it is to lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with family and friends, reaffirm our commitment to God or grow as an individual by taking education classes, we look at January as a way of starting the new year with a commitment.

This sense of a new beginning also applies to our professional lives and with the lives of those we work with each and every day. As support staff: secretaries, day care workers, bookkeepers, office managers and administrative assistants, your church is counting on you to begin this new year with a new sense of commitment. The commitment of enhancing the skills that you already posses by having your church fund your membership to the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as well as budgeting for you to attend an APA conference. This investment for you as support staff, a mere $75 for the membership dues and approximately $500 for attendance at an APA conference, is a great way to start off this new year.

This year's Florida Region Conference will be held from May 16th through May 20th in Sarasota. The registration form will be posted on the Florida Region's website at the end of January This is a great gift that your church can give you. Allow your church the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to you and your organization by encouraging you to make the resolution that this is the year that you are going to start the process to become more educated about Presbyterian Church USA history, theology and polity.

Contact Barbara Prieto, Florida Region President, at 305-666-8586 to find out how you can begin this new year right by becoming affiliated with this great association.

Nancy Fine

Membership Chair Florida Region of the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Gracious Separation

2012-01-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

How does the GraciousSeparation Effect the Administrative Personnel Association?

Whatdo I do if my church is leaving the denomination under the Gracious SeparationAgreement and I am a member of the Administrative Personnel Association of thePresbyterian Church (USA)? Can I stillremain a member of the association? And,why should I remain a member if my church is leaving?

TheAPA has a membership option for you if your church is leaving under theGracious Separation Agreement. You canretain your membership and your certification credits by becoming an AffiliateMember.

Thecourses offered through the APA apply to many areas of your job as staff memberin a church. Administrative classescover such topics as Conflict Management, How to Run a Meeting, Newsletters andBulletins, Personnel Issues, Risk Management, Stewardship Programs and CapitalCampaigns, and many, many more topics that are relevant to your job. Spiritual Studies has classes on Bible history,Biblical Interpretation and Theology. And, of course, the Technology classes are a must for any church staffperson. By continuing your membershipwith the APA, you can use the skills gained through the APA to help you andyour church.

Ifyou have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Barbara Prieto, theFlorida Region APA President at 305-666-8586 or rivierachurch@bellsouth.net.

Nancy Fine

Florida Region Membership Chairof the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

www.floridaapa.org

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-12-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

Merry Twelve Days of Christmas! And remember, the 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days following December 25th. The Christmas Season runs until Epiphany, January 6th.

Have you ever wondered what leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 to 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
Three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or the Law, the first five books of the Old Testament
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit - Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy
The eight maids a-milking were the eight Beatitudes
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control
The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

5 Year End Tips for Your Facility

2011-12-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I thought item #5 and the bonus tip might be of interest to you.

Grace and Peace,
Barbara Prieto,CA III - Administrative Coordinator
President Florida Region Administrative Personnel Association of the PCUSA

5 Year End Tips for Your Church Facility

Directory for Worship - Part 1

2011-12-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

This is Part 1 in a series by David Gambrell, Associate for Worship, in the PCUSA Office of Theology and Worship
Article from the presbyterianleader.com

What is the Directory for Worship?
The PC(USA) Constitution consists of two parts that are usually found in two separate books: the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. The Book of Order is organized in four sections: Foundations of Presbyterian Polity, the Form of Government, the Directory for Worship, and the Rules of Discipline.

The Directory for Worship provides a theological understanding of worship that is founded on Scripture and rooted in the history and tradition of the church. In contrast to a prayer book or service book, our Directory for Worship provides no liturgical texts, such as prayers or responsive readings. Rather, it seeks to articulate the principles and practices underlying faithful worship in the Reformed tradition. The Directory for Worship allows for a certain degree of freedom within form—not prescribing fixed prayers but offering broader guidelines. Worship leaders are wise to use the Directory for Worship and the Book of Common Worship together, like a compass and a map; the former points to general principles and primary things, while the latter offers specific directions for particular services.

Celebrate your Admin Staff

2011-12-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

During this most joyous time of year, we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is during this time that we affirm how blessed we are to be able to serve Him in our ministry.

Your administrative staff also feels blessed to serve Him as well. They feel “called” to their ministry of support to your office. Their willingness to lend a compassionate ear to those who need compassion, their eagerness to serve everyone they come in contact with and their enthusiasm for their jobs in Christ’s Church make them ambassadors for Christ’s Kingdom.

Make sure to acknowledge your administrative staff’s ministry by encouraging them to join the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Better yet, make sure to pay their membership dues ($75) and conference attendance fees (approximately $500) out of your budget. This small investment will help validate to them that their ministry to your organization is valued. Membership applications are available on the Florida Region’s website at www.floridaapa.org.

Find out how your administrative staff’s membership in the APA can benefit them, you and your organization, by contacting Barbara Prieto, Florida Region President, at 305-666-8586 or rivierachurch@bellsouth.net.

Nancy Fine
Membership Chair, Florida Region of the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
www.floridaapa.org

Message of Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T08:09:00.001-08:00

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Dear APA Sisters,

I wanted to take a moment to wish you and your loved ones a very, Happy Thanksgiving! I am blessed to have each of you in my life, you are the sisters I never had. I see some of you more often, I see some of you once or twice a year, I even only get to see some of you every couple of years, but yet when we come together its like we just saw each other yesterday. That is very special in my book!

I am looking forward to the next several months as the planning goes into full gear for our Regional Conference in May 2012 where I will pass on the gavel to the very capable hands of Allyson Criminger.

Many blessings to you and yours,

Barbara Prieto
Florida APA Region President

Are Thank You Gifts Taxable?

2011-11-15T06:31:00.001-08:00

from Church Finance Today

Richard R. Hammar

With the holidays in view, many church leaders take advantage of the opportunity to thank church staff and volunteers through public recognition and gifts.

Taxable income does not include any "de minimis fringe benefit." Section 132(e)(1) of the tax code defines such a benefit as "any property or service the value of which is so small as to make accounting for it unreasonable or administratively impracticable." Cash can never be a de minimis fringe benefit since it is not "unreasonable or administratively impracticable" to account for its value. The same conclusion applies to "cash equivalents," such as gift coupons and certificates, even though the property acquired with a coupon or certificate would have been a nontaxable de minimis fringe benefit had it been provided by the employer.

The income tax regulations provide several examples of de minimis fringe benefits. They include "occasional typing of personal letters by a company secretary; occasional personal use of an employer's copying machine; group meals, or picnics for employees and their guests; traditional birthday or holiday gifts of property (not cash) with a low fair market value; occasional theater or sporting event tickets; coffee, donuts, and soft drinks; local telephone calls; and flowers, fruit, books, or similar property provided to employees under special circumstances (e.g., on account of illness, outstanding performance, or family crisis)." Similarly, a congressional committee report listed "traditional gifts on holidays of tangible personal property having a low fair market value (e.g., a turkey given for the year-end holidays)" as examples of de minimis fringe benefits.

The IRS has noted that "it is not administratively impracticable to account for even a small amount of cash provided to an employee because the value of the amount provided is readily apparent and certain. Accordingly … accounting for cash or cash equivalent fringe benefits such as gift certificates is never considered administratively impracticable."

In conclusion, the turkeys and fruit baskets that your church provides to volunteers are nontaxable de minimis fringe benefits that need not be reported as taxable income by the volunteers. The cash and gift certificates the church provides to employees do not qualify as de minimis fringe benefits, and must be reported as taxable income on the employees' W-2 forms.

The cash and gift certificates the church provides to volunteers do not qualify as de minimis fringe benefits, and so they constitute a taxable benefit. However, since the volunteers are not employees, the church is not required to report the amount of these gifts on a W-2 form. No Form 1099 is required either, assuming that the volunteers do not receive compensation of $600 or more during the year. It will be up to the volunteers themselves to decide how to handle the certificates for tax purposes.

Many churches treat the staff to a holiday lunch or dinner at a local restaurant. According to the income tax regulations, the value of these meals ordinarily would be a nontaxable de minimis fringe benefit. The regulations give several examples of de minimis fringe benefits, including "group meals, or picnics for employees and their guests."

This article originally appeared in the December issue of Church Treasurer Alert, 2007.

How Do Employment Discrimination Laws Apply to Churches?

2011-11-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

ChurchLawAndTax.com features two separate free articles related toone common question—how do employment discrimination laws apply to churches? Asyou might guess, the answer is complex.

In Pastor, Church & Law, Volume 3: Employment Law,Richard Hammar writes:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of1964 prohibits employers engaged in commerce and having at least 15 employeesfrom discriminating in any employment decision on the basis of race, color,national origin, gender, or religion. Religious organizations are exempt fromthe ban on religious discrimination, but not from the other prohibited forms ofdiscrimination.

Numerousemployment lawsuits involving churches and those "other prohibited formsof discrimination" have erupted throughout the years. It's essential everychurch understand the circumstances surrounding these cases—and the outcomes.Such understanding may help a church prevent a potential legal vulnerability;more importantly, careful planning now helps churches establish best practicesprotecting the church while respecting every employee.

This week, read about one woman who sued a church for age discrimination after itfired her.

So, what do YOU think?

A Time for Thanksgiving

2011-11-08T06:14:00.001-08:00

November is a time of thanksgiving. We spend this time thinking about thosethings in our lives that we are thankful for; be it family, friends, colleaguesand God. But are we showing ouradministrative staff how thankful we are for everything that they do for ourchurch?

Showyour administrative staff how grateful you are for everything they do for you,your staff and your members. Make sureto include in your 2012 budget the membership fees for them to join theAdministrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as wellas continuing education funds to attend APA conferences. For a small fee ($75 for the membership duesand approximately $500 to attend a conference), they can become part of thisgreat organization, recognized in the Book of Order G-2.1101 – G-2.1102. The Presbytery affirms the skills anddedication of these certified lay employees by providing recognition atPresbytery at the time of their certification and by inviting these employeesto Presbytery meetings, granting them the privilege of the floor.

Byattending APA conferences, your administrative staff will improve the qualityof professionalism in the offices that are usually the first points of contactwith congregations, governing bodies and agencies of the Presbyterian Church(USA). They will learn the importance ofefficient office procedures and develop a deeper commitment and understandingof the issues, policy, history and theology of our church.

Formore information about the APA and how it will benefit your administrativestaff, contact Barbara Prieto, Florida Region President, at 305-666-8586 or rivierachurch@bellsouth.net.

NancyFine

MembershipChair, Florida Region of the Administrative Personnel Association of thePresbyterian Church (USA)

www.floridaapa.org

Florida Team Heads to Nationals in Vegas

2011-10-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

POSTED by Debbie Burleigh, Certification Chair

I’m proud to say wehave 9 from the Florida Region attending the National Conference next week in LasVegas. Please keep them in your prayers: Yolanda Bengo,Debbie Burleigh, Allyson Criminger, Deffie Drexler, Nancy Fine, Shari Lowe, PamMills, Kerri Nichols and Barb Prieto. Those of you that attended our FLRegional may remember Yzette who joined us from the Presbytery of New York City– she’ll be at Nationals as well. Deffie, Pam, and Debbie will receivetheir Level III certificates/pins and Barb will have 50 hours of Continuing Ed– way to go girls! Viva Las Vegas!

2012 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study

2011-10-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

From PCUSA News:

The 2012 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study has just been published, but what exactly is this resource and how do you use it?
There is no one answer — and that flexibility is part of what has made the book such a valuable resource for 120 years.

The book contains 365 entries, one for each day of the year. Each page holds a story from a presbytery, synod, church or mission partner. There is also a daily prayer, a list of people to remember in prayer, and daily lectionary readings. Sunday entries also feature hymns.
From there, says yearbook editor Billie Healy, it is up to the individual what they do with each day’s entry.

“You can make it as much of a production as you want,” she says. “Some days are just so busy for me that I just keep it open on my desk and when I’ve got two seconds to pray, I’ll just put my hand on the book and pray. When I’ve got time I’ll read the story and when I’ve got a lot of time I’ll go and read the lectionary verses and pray specifically for people.

“Some folks have expressed that they feel overwhelmed, that there is so much opportunity to do things on each page and they don’t do everything, but I think that’s one thing that’s key,” she says. “None of this is a ‘have-to.’ It is an opportunity to engage in mission in whatever way and in whatever time you have. God can abundantly multiply whatever you are able to give.”
As for the stories, Healy looks at the book as a sort of family album, where folks can keep up with what the rest of the church family is up to. It’s also a great resource for people to learn about the many ways PC(USA) congregations of all sizes are involved in mission.

“The Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is an invaluable tool for me,” says the Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the General Assembly. “I rely on it to know what is happening across the church worldwide.”

Sometimes congregations use it as inspiration to get ideas for new projects and programs. One message Healy hopes people get from the stories is that mission is accessible to everyone, not just large churches.

She notes the story of members of St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., who noticed unpicked fruit on trees. They found the owners, who let them pick the spare fruit and donate it to local food banks.

“It’s a small thing but it meant a huge deal,” says Healy. “This is people who said, ‘This is something we can do something about. We can use what’s there to make it better.’”
There are several stories about churches like First Presbyterian Church of Nanticoke in Pennsylvania and First Presbyterian Church of Winchester in Indiana, on the verge of closure with just a few remaining members, who found new life by getting out into their communities and serving others in whatever ways they could.

The stories touch on many subjects, from history to churches working with the unchurched and outcast to the struggles with resources and oppression faced by international mission partners.
St. James Presbyterian Church in LaPorte, Texas, gave 200 unchurched bikers support and a place to grieve after the loss of a club member. The Rainbow Sewing Center, a longtime ministry of the Church of Bangladesh, teaches women of all faiths to sew in the city of Dhaka, providing them with a way to support their families. Goodwill Presbyterian Church in Mayesville, S.C., started when 100 former slaves left the nearby white church after the Civil War and continues to thrive today, producing through the years at least 18 PC(USA) ministers as well as judges, teachers and other community organizers.

“Each of the 365 pages shares one of these stories told in a unique voice; yet the common threads of the faithfulness of God and the creativity of God’s people are consistent throughout,” Healy says.

Some congregations, such as First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville, Ill., place copies of the books in their pews. But there are many ways for people to experience the Mission Yearbook, Healy says.

The most direct is to buy the book. It is available for $14.95 per copy plus shipping with discounts available for quantity purchases. (Call (800) 728-7228, x5689 or visit the Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study website.) There are also podcasts available of the minutes for mission, daily e-mails, RSS and Twitter feeds and online reading.

Toni Montgomery is a freelance writer in Statesville, N.C., where she is also secretary for First Presbyterian Church.

Active Medical Plan Members of the BOP Get Flu Vaccines at 100%

2011-10-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Flu season ishere. Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

It’s easy foractive members of the Medical Plan to protect themselves against the flu thisseason. You can get your flu shot at a participating retail pharmacy or atyour doctor’s office—whichever is more convenient for you. Either way, it’scovered at 100%.

The Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine foreveryone as the most important step in protection against the influenza virus.A flu shot not only protects you from influenza, but can also help preventspreading the virus to others.

Getting your flushot at a pharmacy? Just show your Express Scripts IDcard. To locate a participating retail pharmacy:

sign in to your Express Scripts account through Benefits Connect or the Express Scripts website or
call Express Scripts at 800-344-3896

Getting your flushot at your physician’s office?* If you havecoverage under Highmark and you get your shot from a network physician, thephysician’s office will submit the charges directly to Highmark.

And for activeplan members, the immunization will be added automatically to your Personal Health Record (PHR)from ActiveHealth Management. If you aren’t taking advantage of yourconfidential and convenient PHR to manage your health history yet, launch yours today.

If you havequestions about your coverage for your seasonal flu shot or your PHR, pleasecall the Board of Pensions at 800-773-7752 (800-PRESPLAN).

Protect yourselfagainst the flu this season … get your flu shot today!

*A prescription froma physician is required in some states. Please check with your local pharmacy.

Securing Cribs in Your Church Nursery

2011-10-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

from Church Law and Tax Update

For the first time innearly 40 years, the federal government has approved new crib safetyregulations that affect most every crib bought, used, sold, or donated acrossthe country. The rules are complex, but it is critical for churches thatprovide cribs in their nurseries to know them.

Some of the rules went into effect this past June; additionally, beginning inDecember 2012, any facility—including churches—that provides child care andcompensates its workers must use compliant cribs.

What's not as clear is what happens in a situation in which a church doesn'tcharge a fee or compensate workers. But even such a church would be wise tolearn the new laws and consider voluntary compliance. Doing so would help toensure the safety of children in its care and help to minimize itsvulnerability to a future civil lawsuit, were the unthinkable to occur.

To help churches of all sizes and situations, we've provided an overviewthrough this free article from ChurchSafety.com

Budget for Your Continuing Education

2011-10-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Octoberis generally a time when many things happen. Our snowbirds are returningto fill the pews in our churches. The Florida plants begin their subtlechange from the heat of the summer to the cooler weather of winter. And,our organizations begin to plan their stewardship campaigns and next year'sbudget.

Oneimportant item in that budget is the continuing education line item. Butmake sure to not only have them budget for the pastoral staff's continuingeducation but also budget for your continuing education. You are avaluable asset to your organization and you need their support to learnadditional skills that will benefit you, them and your members.

Byinvesting a small portion of their budget on you, they will gain a large returnon their funds. You, as administrative staff, are eager to learn how tobetter serve your organization, be it a church or governing body. Youwant to become more efficient and more professional. But, you need theskills to do so. You want to serve God and all His children and you needto be spiritually nurtured. You need your organization to be assupportive of you as you are to them.

Don'tforget to have your church show you what you mean to them. Make sure thatthey budget funds for both your membership fee ($75) in the Administrative Personnel Association of thePresbyterian Church (USA) and continuing education funds (approximately $500)for you to attend APA conferences in the upcoming budget.

Tofind out more about the APA, contact BarbaraPrieto, Florida Region President, at 305-666-8586.

Nancy Fine

Membership Chair Florida Region of theAdministrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Annual Open Enrollment for BOP Members

2011-10-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

Annual Open Enrollment for the Optional Dental and Supplemental Death Programs: Now Through November 18
The annual open enrollment period for two optional programs, Dental and Supplemental Death, is taking place until November 18. And now it’s even easier to apply – the applications are now online on Benefits Connect!
Optional Dental Program
If you are a member of the Traditional Program with medical coverage or an active participant in the Affiliated Benefits Program whose church or employing organization offers the program to your employment classification, you can enroll yourself, your spouse, and your dependent child(ren) online by logging in to Benefits Connect, the Board’s secure benefits website, or by completing the appropriate application and mailing it to the Board.
For more information, read the recent Pensions.org news article or visit the Optional Dental Program page, which includes the 2012 rates.
Supplemental Death Benefits Program

Members who are enrolled in the Traditional Program can apply for this optional program or make changes to their existing coverage. Affiliated Benefits Program members can also apply or make changes if they are enrolled in the Death and Disability Plan and if the Supplemental Death Benefits Program is offered to their employment classification by their church or employing organization.

Although eligible members can still submit their application by mail, the Board now offers online application through Benefits Connect. Complete the online form to expedite the application process.
For additional details, read the recent Pensions.org news article or go to the Supplemental Death Benefits Program page on Pensions.org.
Questions?
If you have questions about these programs or the annual open enrollment period, please contact the Board’s Member Services Team through the online Contact Us form or by phone at 800-773-7752 (800-PRESPLAN).