Princeton Theological Seminary

‘Figuring out how we share the gospel in Chandler and the world’

Each Sunday for the past few weeks, the Rev. Robert Felix has been giving parishioners at Chandler Presbyterian Church in Chandler, Arizona, real answers to honest questions. The way he goes about providing those answers — producing a short film each week based on a top faith question identified on Google Trends, then discussing the film and the question together — has proven to be an effective and innovative platform for, as he says, “figuring out how we share the gospel in Chandler and the world.”

Gifts to #Give 8/28 help pastor attend Black Theology and Leadership Institute

Last month the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth E. Coleman, pastor of the Northwest Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, attended the annual Black Theology and Leadership Institute (BTLI) hosted by Princeton Theological Seminary. Coleman’s attendance was possible thanks to a woman’s leadership development grant from the Women’s Leadership Development and Young Women’s Ministries, part of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries (RE&WIM). Funds for the grant were raised through #Give8/28 during the 2020 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Week of Action.

‘I remembered what it was like to let my spirit breathe’

Thanks to Sabbath and Sabbatical Grants from 1001 New Worshiping Communities, 35 leaders in the new church movement began taking sabbaticals earlier this summer. The response for these grants — all available grants were awarded — was tremendous. Now, some of the leaders are returning from their week- or month-long break to their pastoral work.

‘We don’t always have to get it right. We just need to wrestle with it’

About 20 minutes into Wednesday’s 90-minute webinar on prophetic preaching, the Rev. Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert paused to answer questions. After one about preaching in “purple” churches (a mix of political conservatives and progressives in the pews) Gilbert got this question from one of the 30 participants, a pastor also serving a purple congregation: Have I spent enough time understanding the complexity of the lamentation of these people?

PC(USA) seminaries advance curriculum to match the needs of the church and society

“We started our curriculum discussions asking what kind of person do we want to graduate,” said the Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lapsley, Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. That sort of design thinking has led to curriculum innovations across Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) theological institutions including Columbia Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Union Presbyterian Seminary.

VBS takes Sermon on the Mount to the garden

Vacation Bible School at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis will “bee” different, in a hybrid way, this year, according to organizers. Although “maybe 75” children were expected to take part, more than 150 children — ages 4 through fifth grade — have registered for in-person VBS, and more children will participate online, June 21–25.