Guest commentary by Nicole Farley In 2017 the Presbytery of Milwaukee received a grant, which made possible new ways of attending to church vitality within our congregations. One branch of this support has been to make Holy Cow! Consulting (an assessment tool for churches) affordable for any congregation in the presbytery. And one way that’s been done is to train leaders in the presbytery to serve as volunteer interpreters of the Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) report. I was trained to be one of the presbytery’s team of Holy Cow! interpreters, and have since walked alongside six of the 18 churches who have engaged Holy Cow! so far to consider how they might make themselves more vital. Below are some reasons you might consider engaging in such an assessment, especially in a time of transition (but, really, any time is good to learn more about a congregation). One of the things I say in opening any interpretation is that knowing where you want to go, but not knowing where you … [Read more...]
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Commentary 3 hours ago
Health and growth: An assessment tool for churches in transition
Guest commentary by Nicole Farley In 2017 the Presbytery of Milwaukee received a grant, which made possible new ways of attending to church vitality within our congregations. One branch of this support has been to make Holy Cow! Consulting (an assessment tool for churches) affordable for any congregation in the presbytery. And one way that’s been done is to train leaders in the presbytery to serve as volunteer interpreters of the Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) report. I was trained to be one of the presbytery’s team of Holy Cow! interpreters,… continue reading... -
Commentary 3 days ago
Transitional ministry and cultural proficiency
Guest commentary by Jihyun Oh Transitional ministry can happen at any time. It can happen in a 10-year pastoral call when key members of the congregation move away or die. It can happen in a 22-year pastoral call when the neighborhood around a congregation begins to change. It should happen when the congregation finds itself older and less energetic and unable to support the vision and mission that the members discerned 30 or 40 years ago. It can happen when the congregation experiences a transition in pastoral leadership. I want… continue reading... -
Looking into the lectionary 3 days ago
Trinity Sunday — June 16, 2019
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Our God is characterized by collaboration. Wisdom speaks in Proverbs about being beside God from the very beginning, a master worker, delighting in all that God called forth. Our God is characterized by gratuitous giving. Paul says in Romans that while we were weak, Christ died for the ungodly. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Truly, God’s giving knows no end. Our God is characterized by stalwart, steadfast, advocating presence. Jesus… continue reading...
Parties in Stamford case had tried to expedite process in order to get a ruling on the merits of the case January 1, 1995 Uncategorized63 views The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission -- in sidestepping the question of exactly how deeply a session should be required to probe into the private life of a gay elder who has acknowledged being in a committed, life-long relationship but has declined to say whether he is sexually active -- has put the question off but has not put it to rest.- Ministering with the Earth January 1, 1998 Book Reviews67 views By Mary Elizabeth MooreChalice. 1998. 226 pp. Pb. $19.99. ISBN 0-8272-2323-4 Ministering with the Earth is a quiltwork, both the on-the-ground activity and Moore's book about so ministering. Moore, professor of theology and Christian education at Claremont School of Theology, is fond of the metaphor, suitably pastoral and feminist.
- Remembered Voice: Reclaiming the Legacy of 'Neo-Orthodoxy' January 1, 1998 Book Reviews59 views By Douglas John HallWJKP. 1998. 145 pp. Pb. $18. ISBN 0-664-25772-0 It was in this order. I first read Tillich's Dynamics of Faith. Riveting. Next came The Courage to Be. Gripping. Then I went back and read the first volume of the Systematic Theology. Things began to make sense. Next came Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Positive.
Confronting fear and selfishness May 28, 2019 Insights columns1 comment The most fraught time in a congregation’s life is transition. A new pastor arrives, a new cohort of leaders emerges, the world we serve demands new ministry from us — and things fall apart.
The new pastor is often gone within 18 months. The new leadership cohort gets frozen out and leaves. We ignore the emerging world outside our walls.
When I began to see this happening, I developed strategies and methodologies for handling change more effectively. I led workshops, leadership trainings and spiritual retreats. I wrote a book on the subject and a weekly newsletter. Others were doing the same, because ...
Has the church found a new way forward? Bail bond march at General Assembly exemplifies the “Hands and Feet” initiative June 20, 2018 Outlook Reporting1 comment
ST. LOUIS – Hundreds of Presbyterians gathered in the convention center on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 19. However, instead of sitting down, engaging in parliamentary procedure and passing overtures and resolutions, they filed out of the convention center chanting, singing, and holding signs.
They marched over a mile through the streets of downtown St. Louis where the temperature was 94 degrees with a heat index surpassing 100 degrees. The heat didn’t dampen the spirit of the crowd, who boldly chanted “End cash bail!” as they made their way to the City Justice Center. They were there to delive...- Two PC(USA) employees "no longer employed"; Fallout from Hezbollah December 6, 2004 Outlook Features1 comment The fallout from Presbyterian actions involving the Middle East continues to rain down.On Nov. 11, the denomination announced that it no longer employs two Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) national staff members who traveled to the Middle East last month and were involved in a controversial meeting with Hezbollah, a group that the U.S. State Department lists as a terrorist organization.Gone are Kathy Lueckert, who as deputy director of the General Assembly Council was considered part of the top level of the denomination's leadership, and Peter Sulyok, coordinator for the past dozen years of the Advisory...
Health and growth: An assessment tool for churches in transition
Tagged With: transitional ministry
Regarding ruling elders: Keeping church safe
(OGA) According to a recent survey conducted by Lifeway Research, 94 percent of Protestant responders believe that teens and children are protected from abuse within their congregation and 93 percent of responders believe that adults are protected from abuse within their congregation. In a twist, 32 percent believe more pastors have abused teens and children than have been reported. I wonder if this could be reflective of the sentiment that “It cannot happen here. …” Or, is this a part of a general fear that, as reports of abuse within other denominations surface, our beloved denomination also has its own horrific stories? In either case, as ruling elders serving on the governing bodies of our congregations, we have the obligation and the ability to make changes that prevent or greatly reduce the chances of these unimaginable outcomes. The Book of Order now requires that all church councils implement child and youth protection policies to keep church events and communities safe for … [Read more...]
Nancy Taylor named acting executive director at the Presbyterian Historical Society
PHILADELPHIA (PHS) A familiar face with the Presbyterian Historical Society is stepping into a temporary leadership role. Nancy Taylor, who has led the Society’s archival and communications efforts for more than 10 years, has been named acting executive director by the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), in consultation with the PHS Board of Directors. “Simply put, no one knows PHS collections, staff, and researchers better than Nancy,” said the Reverend Dr. George Abdo, PHS board chair, and Ernest R. Higginbotham, incoming PHS board chair, in a joint statement. “She will provide terrific leadership during this time of transition and help PHS continue to serve more Presbyterians, scholars, and students.” Taylor will fill the vacancy left by the Reverend Dr. Beth Hessel, who resigned to take a similar position with the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, a historic member library and architectural archives. “Thank … [Read more...]
Receive “Looking into the lectionary” for free
Jill Duffield crafts study aids based on the lectionary Scriptures for the coming Sunday. Join our mailing list to have this content delivered directly to your inbox every Monday afternoon. Looking into the lectionary explores some of the appointed texts with an eye toward preaching and teaching. There's the occasional prayer or litany. Sometimes there will be a story or a link to one. Parsing a Greek verb or lifting up a word study is a part of the journey, too. Books that resonate, newspaper articles that raise questions, current events that cause us to grieve and rejoice: all is fodder for honing our hearing and sharpening our vision as we look with curiosity and gratitude into God’s inspired and living Word. Join our mailing list . … [Read more...]
Transitional ministry and cultural proficiency
Guest commentary by Jihyun Oh Transitional ministry can happen at any time. It can happen in a 10-year pastoral call when key members of the congregation move away or die. It can happen in a 22-year pastoral call when the neighborhood around a congregation begins to change. It should happen when the congregation finds itself older and less energetic and unable to support the vision and mission that the members discerned 30 or 40 years ago. It can happen when the congregation experiences a transition in pastoral leadership. I want to focus on this last instance of transitional ministry and how it relates to something else I’ve been pondering a lot lately: cultural competence or cultural proficiency. Cultural proficiency is one of the competencies that call seekers can select on Personal Information Forms to describe the gifts they offer as church leaders. It is listed among the Organizational Leadership qualities, and is described as the competence of having a “solid … [Read more...]
Trinity Sunday — June 16, 2019
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Our God is characterized by collaboration. Wisdom speaks in Proverbs about being beside God from the very beginning, a master worker, delighting in all that God called forth. Our God is characterized by gratuitous giving. Paul says in Romans that while we were weak, Christ died for the ungodly. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Truly, God’s giving knows no end. Our God is characterized by stalwart, steadfast, advocating presence. Jesus tells his disciples in John that ultimately nothing will be left unsaid or unrevealed. Keenly aware of human finitude and limits, God makes accommodations, sending the Holy Spirit to tell the truth and help humans grasp the mind and heart and will of their God. Trinity Sunday grants us the joy of remembering and celebrating the amazing grace, the glory, the beauty and the goodness of our God. Trinity Sunday challenges us to pattern … [Read more...]
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