JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (PNS) — The Rev. Emily Zeig Lindsey, a colleague, Pennsylvania pastor and friend, summed up the importance of theological education beautifully in a video the Theological Education Fund shared in late 2017.
“There are people waiting in our pews and in our communities, hungry to learn, and be fed, and waiting for a leader to come alongside them and help with that journey,” Lindsey says. “Seminary prepares you to do exactly that, in many ways, and teaches you to be receptive to the lessons you will learn during ministry.”
This year, we celebrate the guidance of these saints and the future pastors of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Theological Education Sunday, set for Sept. 16, 2018, with resources prepared for use in observance of this important day in your own congregation.
Resources for Theological Education Sunday
All resources, which can be found on the Presbyterian Foundation website, are downloadable. You may print them from these PDF files, or share in social media. If these items are used on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, please use the hashtag #GrowTheoEd when posting so we can find your post and thank you for sharing it.
Bulletin inserts this year feature the stories of two PC(USA) educated pastors, the Rev. Kaci Clark-Porter and the Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon.
Clark-Porter is pastor of First & Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware. She notes that her theological education from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary provided her with an important grounding in theology for her ministry.
Cannon is pastor of C.N. Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. He is a widely respected leader and mentor in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), encouraging many who are led to seminary to pursue God’s call to ministry. His work has influenced generations of church leaders.
Liturgy, written by the Rev. Beth Merrill Neel, Co-Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon, includes suggested hymns and scripture readings, as well as ideas for a brief children’s sermon. Suggested scriptures are Genesis 50:15-21; Psalm 103; Matthew 18:21-35 and Romans 14:1-12.
Social media items include downloadable items suitable for posting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. These feature Clark-Porter and include a prayer written by me for your use.
by Lee Hinson-Hasty, for Presbyterian News Service
