This issue of the Outlook introduces the candidates standing for co-moderator, moderator and vice moderator, digs deep into the latest data on Presbyterian pastors, and explores what it means to be a member of the household of God. No matter the configuration, how do our communities reflect the character of the One we follow, Jesus Christ Click here to read the issue in the Uberflip reader. Meet the moderator candidates Those standing for co-moderator and moderator and vice moderator share their sense of call and hope for the PC(USA). Vocation within the PC(USA) Frank Spencer offers a review of the data on newly ordained pastors and benefits. Adoption Adopting a child mirrors God’s adoption of us all. Embodying parenting and faith Like faith, parenting is just theoretical until it is put in action. Singing the faith Singing with children is an important part of faith formation. The power of family mottos David Lee Jones applies family systems theory to family … [Read more...]
What’s right about Carmichael Presbyterian Church in California?
Youth mission trips have been a big part of the church for more than 30 years. This congregation has enabled hundreds of youth to learn and serve from Carmichael to Belize and many, many places in between. These trips are life-changing for the youth mission team members. By working together, our youth bond and learn more about the people they serve and the world in which they live. Our youth mission team members (current and past) are grateful to CPC for their prayers and contributions that give them opportunities to serve and to see the bigger world outside of Carmichael. This year we were able to go to Honduras with members of University Presbyterian and the pastor and his wife from Elk Grove Presbyterian Church. This was an amazing trip. It was hot, hard and one of the most rewarding trips we have ever been on. We are grateful to Students Helping Honduras and the Presbytery of Sacramento for making it possible. — Lisa Torgerson, director of children and youth … [Read more...]
The church speaks in tongues
Guest commentary by Andrew Taylor-Troutman The church speaks in tongues. I know you immediately think of what’s known as glossolalia, the strange utterance of an unknown language made famous by Pentecostals. But all churches speak many languages. There is the Hello!-How-do-you-do? chit-chat in parking lots, whether paved or gravel, which are rhythmic exchanges between friends and strangers. This tongue spreads into the pews. (Hopefully, not during the prelude!) Perhaps topics such as sports are batted around. Surely the finer points of whether it has rained too much or too little are discussed. And– if we are honest – there is also gossip.Originally, the word was godsibb, which meant God and kin (like a sibling). But gossip has come to mean slander and the Bible warns against this speech for reasons painfully clear to anyone who has ever been shamed by a Christian brother or sister. Two of the holiest words from our tongues are: I’m sorry. Also: Help me. Yes, all … [Read more...]
Kitchen Table Giving: Reimagining How Congregations Connect With Their Donors
William G. Enright Amazon CreateSpace, 86 pages Reviewed by Baron Mullis What if fundraising were a fundamentally joyful activity? Bill Enright believes not only that it can be, but that it must be. Enright has been urging spiritual leaders to get savvy about talking about money for a generation and in “Kitchen Table Giving” he issues a captivating invitation to reflect on the art of leadership and the mechanics of talking about money as a spiritual leader. Reflecting on the insight that most congregation members arrive at church with their decisions about giving already made, Enright explores when and where these decisions happen, and concludes that decisions about giving are made in the heart of the home, right at the kitchen table. In six pithy chapters, the reader is invited to recognize that congregation members are already talking about money – and that they both want and need spiritual guidance. Seeking to help spiritual leaders understand how to be a part of this … [Read more...]
Dealing lovingly with the roadblockers
Every committee has at least one of them. We know who they are. They say “no” to everything. They are the roadblockers. In a church I previously served, his name is Phil. Phil is a good man. He loves the church. He has been there longer than I have been alive. And, he predictably has a reason we should not move forward on every action that pushes the church toward growth and health. It does not matter if it is a decision about changing the color of the carpet in the sanctuary, hiring a new custodial company to clean the church or revising the church bylaws. Phil will come up with a reason it is not a good idea. We all have them. They find their way onto our committees, our governing bodies and our institutions. The truly lucky leaders have more than one roadblocker. Knowing who the roadblockers are and how they typically voice their challenges offers leaders an opportunity to prepare responses in advance. Naming and strategizing responses to potential … [Read more...]
Gideon Strauss
“There is a level of familiarity, a reliability of voice, a continuity of dialogue in the pages of a little magazine. This over time allows for a certain depth of thinking and discursive solidarity that builds up the kind of cultural capital necessary for influencing cultural changes.” – Gideon Strauss, associate professor at the Institute for Christian Studies (in Comment Magazine) … [Read more...]
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