At the outset of a recent webinar on vital congregations, organizers the Rev. Veronica Cannon, the Rev. Tony Oltmann and Marla Edwards had the nearly 70 participants play a game: name an outdated mode of technology beginning with “V,” “C,” “I” or “M” that your faith community might still be using.
At 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 15, the Presbyterian Mission Agency will host a webinar on Congregational Vitality, the first focus of its Matthew 25 movement. “We will delve into the PC(USA)’s Matthew 25 vision and the significance of vital congregations within our denominations,” says the Rev. Tony Oltmann, associate for the Office of Vital Congregations.
When she sat for an interview this week, the Rev. Sarah Hegar, who directs congregational ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was still basking in the glow of having welcomed six confirmands into membership the previous weekend.
The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is embarking on the next generation of Benefits Plan redesign — an exploration focused on flexibility, choice, and cost control for local churches.
The Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai, a pastor in the United Church of Canada, discussed during “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast” last week how people who feel they don’t belong in religious spaces can indeed feel that sense of belonging.
For many years, Presbyterians Today has been the flagship publication of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. Now, PMA staff are taking a “Sacred Pause” to step back, listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit and dream up what a new publication might look like. During this reimagining process, they’re looking for input from former Presbyterians Today readers and potential new readers too.
As we enter a season of dreaming and discerning what God has ahead for Presbyterians Today, we wanted to look back and celebrate the wonderful people, places and projects we’ve been blessed to share with our readers.
A new video distributed exclusively on social media last week asked, “What’s the secret to creating successful partnerships with immigrant worshiping communities?” The 45-second video concluded, “It’s all in the sauce. The secret sauce … And yes, there will be barbeque.”
“On Sunday, March 10, 1822, four men and six women swore an oath together in district school #1 on the corner of Concord and Adams Street in the village of Brooklyn,” reads Collette Foster, a member of First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, New York, in a video series celebrating the congregation’s bicentennial. “Their idea,” Foster continues, “was to organize a house of worship and to found the only Presbyterian church in their settlement of 7,000 people.”
From helping women to start businesses in Panama to amplifying the voices of unhoused people in California, partners of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People are making an impact worth celebrating.
