Presbytery News
Synod Neighbor
Year of Leader Formation – Webinars
During the Year of Leader Formation, ruling elders and deacons will have an opportunity to join together in a webinar.
Year of Leader Formation: Investing in Ruling Elders and Deacons
Deacon Ministries – A Webinar
September 16, 2021; 7-8:30 pm (eastern)
According to our PC(USA) Book of Order, “the ministry of deacon as set forth in Scripture is one of compassion, witness, and service . . .” The ways that this ministry is lived out varies from one congregation to another, depending on culture, context, and needs of the church and broader community. In this third webinar of The Year of Leader Formation series, join a panel of deacons, pastors, and ruling elders in exploring this vital ordered ministry of the church. You will have an opportunity to hear about the ways that the gifts and skills of deacons are used within congregational ministries, community impacts of deacon ministries, and the connection between discipleship and deacons. There will be an opportunity for questions, answers, and further exploration of the way God is moving through the deacons of the PC(USA).
Registration will be available by mid-August.
More information is available by clicking here.
Beaver-Butler
Leading in a Liminal Time
Susan Beaumont will be the keynote speaker at Beaver-Butler Presbytery’s “Thriving Churches Event” on Friday, Sept. 24, at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, PA. Susan, who will speak on “How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Time,” is a consultant, coach, author and spiritual director. She is known for engaging the best of business practice, filtered through the lens of careful theological reflection. She moves easily between discernment and decision making, and nurtures the soul of the leader along with the soul of the institution.
How do you lead an organization stuck between an ending and a new beginning — when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Such in-between times are called liminal seasons — threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead.
Cost is $35 per person, and lunch is included. Registration deadline is Thursday, Sept. 16. For more information and to register, click here.
Philadelphia
The Many Faces of Grief: Processing the Losses of Covid
The Presbytery of Philadelphia is holding a webinar “The Many Faces of Grief: Processing the Losses of Covid” on Monday, Sept. 27, from 1-3 p.m. on Zoom. The facilitator is Michelle Snyder, known to many in the region as the instructor of the presbytery’s recent boundaries training. She is the managing consultant of Crows Feet Consulting. With training in theology, systems theory and organizational intelligence, she brings a unique perspective to her consulting work with middle judicatories, congregations, nonprofits and clergy.
Pastors are invited to join for a time to recognize, acknowledge and process the long-term, complicated grief from these past 18 months. There have been particular stressors placed upon clergy during this time as they seek to navigate keeping congregations healthy, honoring losses without the usual mourning rituals, postponing celebrations and canceling mission outreach opportunities. Preaching weekly to a phone is a weary exercise.
More information and registration are available by clicking here.
Presbytery of Philadelphia Calendar
Pittsburgh
Redstone
West Virginia
Small Church Conference
The Presbytery of West Virginia’s Small Church Conference will be held Saturday, Sept. 18, on Zoom from 9:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. The conference’s theme is “Saved to Serve…Thy Kingdom Come on Earth,” and it will feature the keynote and a workshop by Rev. Dr. Judi Slater plus two other workshops. Registration details and more information for this free event are available by clicking here. Registration deadline is Sept. 16.
Transforming Conflict from the Inside Out
The Presbytery of West Virginia will hold an online Zoom gathering focusing on “Transforming Conflict from the Inside Out” on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The guest speaker will be Rev. Theresa Latini, PhD, who teaches and consults in a variety of setting on topics related to team building, conflict mediation and leadership. She is the co-author of Transforming Church Conflict: Compassionate Leadership in Action (Eerdmans, 2013). A teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Theresa has served as a professor and administrator in three seminaries. She currently works as the executive director of Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center, south of Minneapolis, MN.
All of us encounter conflict at some point in time or other in our lives. Though we may not like to admit it, conflict is also present in our congregations. Rather than simply ignoring the conflict, or denying its existence, this final Expanding Your Ministry Toolbox course of 2021 will explore skills for transforming conflict into mutual connect, collaboration and creative vision. This course is available to any interested persons, and especially pastoral, educational, sessional leadership.
The registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 18. Interested persons can register and pay online by clicking here. If you wish to pay by check, mail the reservation form to Presbytery of WV, Toolbox Course, 520 Second Ave., South Charleston, WV 24901. The cost per person is $25. The Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants no later than Thursday morning, Oct. 23.