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The Presbyterian Outlook

The Presbyterian Outlook

Creating and curating trustworthy resources for the church, the Presbyterian Outlook connects disciples of Jesus Christ through compelling and committed conversation for the proclamation of the Gospel.

More Stories from this Author

Flipping the presbytery

It wasn’t necessarily that anything was “broken.” In fact, things in the Los Ranchos Presbytery in southern California were going along quite nicely, according to most anyone you’d ask.

Broke but not broken; unified but not the same

Daniel Aleshire, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, remarked during a recent interview with The Christian Century that the current financial crisis “is bringing some seminaries together and pushing other seminaries further apart.”

“You Visited Me … ”

“How do you engage the administrative work of your congregation so it feeds the  care of members and makes your church attractive for prospective members?” This was my question as I  interviewed pastors, staff members of churches, and lay leaders.

Asking the right questions

How many people left the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2008 was a recent news release headline. What jumped off the page at me was not the numbers, but the questions Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons thinks are important to ask in response to the membership loss.

Bread for ALL the World

Thirty-five years ago Presbyterians played a major role in the birth of a new ecumenical initiative against hunger: Bread for the World, which now is the nation’s main citizens’ lobby on hunger.

When is a seminary like Hogwarts?

I am a belated arrival to J.K. Rowling’s vast world of fantasy. Still about a thousand or so pages from resolving the hair-raising saga between Voldemort — I mean “You-Know-Who” — and Hogwarts’ best student wizard, Harry Potter, I have gleaned insights from this story pertinent to better preparing seminary students for the pastorate. 

PGF: “Experiment” yourselves into new ways of being church, conference participants are urged

[caption id="attachment_20873" align="alignright" width="144"]-If we don't know how to listen to one another's stories, how will we be able to listen to the stories of those in our neighborhhods- conference participants were challenged -If we don't know how to listen to one another's stories, how will we be able to listen to the stories of those in our neighborhhods- conference participants were challenged [/caption]Most conferences for church leaders include some form of practical take-away for those attending. The Presbyterian Global Fellowship’s fourth regional consultation of the year, “Moving Back Into Our Neighborhoods,” never set out to be ‘most conferences.’

Memories from seminary

As a charter member of a brand new non-denominational church — fresh out of college with a B.A. in religion and philosophy — I held high hopes of becoming the church’s pastor.

“PGF consultation looks to neighborhoods” Presbyterian Global Fellowship consultation opens with call to move back to the neighbourhoods

Editor’s Note: This is the first report of OUTLOOK coverage for the Presbyterian Global Fellowship consultation August 20-22. All reports will be posted on this Web site.[caption id="attachment_20868" align="alignleft" width="216"]“Alan Roxburgh engages with attendees of PGF’s “Moving Back into our Neighborhoods: The Work of the Missional Church” in San Diego.”“Alan Roxburgh engages with attendees of PGF’s “Moving Back into our Neighborhoods: The Work of the Missional Church” in San Diego.”[/caption]

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