Developing, Nurturing
& Supporting Leaders
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Mark Your Calendar!
219th General Assembly
July 3-10
Minneapolis, MN
Covenant Gathering
Branching Out in Faith
July 4-9
Hillsdale, Mich.
Synod Meeting
July 24
Philo, Ill.
Making the Great Connection: Your Preaching and Your Leadership
Continuing Ed
for Lay Pastors
Aug. 27-28
Urbana, Ill.
AARMS Convention
Association of Retired Ministers, Their Spouses or Survivors
Sept. 9-12
Bloomington, Minn.
ATiiM Annual Conference
Association of Trained Intentional Interim Ministers
Sept. 29-30
Utica, Ill.
Music and Worship Conference
for CLPs and Preachers
Oct. 4-7
Montreat, N.C.
POAMN Conference
Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network
Oct. 12-16
Orlando
Blessings and Burdens: Practical Approaches and Postures for the Use of Social Media In Ministry
Oct. 15-16
McCormick Theological Seminary
The Art of Transitional Ministry
Interim Pastor Training
Nov. 1-5
St. Louis
The Art of Transitional Ministry
Interim Executive Training
Nov. 5-9
St. Louis
Emergent Christianity and Tentmaking Ministry
Nov. 12-14
Mundelein, Ill.
Check our website or contact the synod office for details!
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Making the Great Connection: Your Preaching and Your Leadership
Continuing Education for Lay Pastors
The last workshop in the Great Connections series will be offered August 27 and 28 in Urbana, Ill.
Cost is $125, which includes overnight lodging, take-home workshop materials and meals. Click here for more information. Deadline to register is August 8. |
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Cindy Bolbach, Moderator of the 219th General Assembly  |
Bolbach elected GA Moderator on Fourth Ballot
Cynthia Bolbach, an elder from National Capital Presbytery, was elected Saturday night as Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010) on the fourth ballot. She was the only elder in a field of six candidates.
Bolbach employed brief answers and a winsome sense of humor to win over the 712 commissioners and steadily gained ground, rising from 149 votes (30 percent) on the first ballot to 325 votes (53 percent) on the decisive fourth ballot. None of the other five candidates exceeded 23 percent of the vote on any ballot. More |
GA 219 Commissioners Face Weighty Agenda
by Jerry L.
Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service
 If all the documents to the "paperless" 219th General Assembly in Minneapolis were printed out, they'd rival Tolstoy's War and Peace in length. By the time the Assembly concludes July 10, the 712 commissioners and roughly 200 advisory delegates will have acted on more than 300 items of business that would span about 1,400 printed pages.
Nearly half the business of the assembly comes as overtures from presbyteries and synods. Added to the reports of assembly agencies and permanent and special committees, the range of concerns presented to commissioners and advisory delegates for their deliberation and action is breathtaking in scope.
They include Middle East peace, the war in Afghanistan, ordination standards for church officers, the relationship between Christian marriage and same-sex unions, gun violence, theological issues around compensation for church workers and consideration of two doctrinal statements - the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belhar Confession.
Issues internal to the life of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) include the election of the moderator and confirmation of the recent elections of two denominational leaders, mission and per capita budgets for 2011 and 2012, a sweeping revision of the denomination's Form of Government, renewal of the PC(USA)'s emphasis on church growth called "Grow Christ's Church Deep and Wide," a new "strategic direction for Presbyterian World Mission" and a proposal to create a Commission on Middle Governing Bodies to deal comprehensively with the severe stresses facing many presbyteries and synods. More...
Click here for more about General Assembly.
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Social Media in Ministry
McCormick Campus, October 15 - 16, 2010
The use of social media has impacted our culture in ways that we could never have imagined just a short time ago. And, while some would keep the church isolated from these changes in culture and technology, many others are seeking a way for the church to use this new media in ways that build up the body of Christ and the support the ministry of the church.
"Blessings and Burdens" will explore this compelling place where our call to be the church in the world and the possibilities that social media provides us to be that church converge. Bruce Reyes-Chow, past moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and new media expert, will lead this two-day workshop that will provide a knowledge base and create a level of comfort so that participants will be able to appropriately integrate healthy social media practices into their local ministry contexts. More...
 Registration is $175, which includes the program, all materials, four
breaks and two lunches. Fees are discounted for additional attendees from the same church or organization.
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Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence  | Emergent Christianity and Tentmaking MinistryThe Association of Presbyterian Tentmakers and the National Association for the Self-Supporting Active Ministry (Episcopal) will host a conference for tentmaking pastors and those considering tentmaking as a vocation. The conference will be held November 12 through 14 at the University of Saint Mary's of the Lake Conference Center in Mundelein, Ill. The principal presenter will be Phyllis Tickle, author and founding editor of the Religion Department of Publishers Weekly. Download a  conference brochure. |
PC(USA) Website Gets a Facelift
A complete overhaul of the PC(USA) website has resulted in a new look. The site had its formal premiere on Saturday, July 3, during the General Assembly Mission Council's presentation at the 219th General Assembly (2010). The fresh new design is coupled with a new content management system, which serves up content in more dynamic and flexible pages that are geared to help users quickly find relevant and helpful information.
New tools to aid conversation around each story have also been incorporated, offering the site as a place to share ideas about ministry and mission as well as to find and share resources to inspire and equip congregations for the church's work. Check out the new look. |
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 Denominational Magazine Wants to Know About Your "Unsung Servants"
Presbyterians Today is collecting stories about dedicated staff and congregation members who deserve to be recognized, to be profiled in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
Deadline is September 1, so don't delay! More information...
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What's Up With
Your Ministry?
We'd love to
share the news! Contact Marta at the synod
with updates from your presbytery, congregation,
camp, or other organization. We'll spread the
word! |
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