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Resources
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Bible Knowledge and Learning the Faith From Pastor Robert Austell, Good Shepherd Presbyterian in Charlotte, NC: www.gspc.net, robert@gspc.net Missional Blog/Local Church Teaching Themes: Also, some of the teaching and themes I've been using at Good Shepherd on being a missional church are on my blog, specifically on that topic: http://robertaustell.blogspot.com Year of the Bible Churchwide Focus Plan: details on our "Year of the Bible" - one sermon from each book of the Bible (1-2 got lumped together; chose a key passage rather than preaching a whole book); SS lesson plans to overview books of Bible and highlight sermon texts; reading plans for the congregation) From Geri Coker, Memorial Presbyterian Church, Klamath Falls, OR: CzechGeri@aol.com I am leading an adult study. We are doing "The Dead Theologians Society," a reading and study of the Confessions. The name of the study is a play on "The Dead Poets Society." It attracts attention and piques curiosity better than "A Study of Presbyterian Creeds and Confessions." It is strictly lay people involved and the purpose is two-fold: 1) teach those who don't know or have forgotten the essential tenets of the Reformed Faith as summed up in the 5 SOLAS (scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, God's glory alone) and 2) reclaim the Protestant standard of "personal responsibility for interpretation" in expectation of thwarting the perversion of "responsibility for personal interpretation." From Stephen Eyre, former pastor at College Hill Presbyterian, Cincinnati, OH: seyre48@hotmail.com I am doing something about biblical literacy. I have started a new ministry that seeks to engage an entire congregation in the study of a biblical passage in preparation for the Sunday sermon (Church Discipleship Services: Connecting and Equipping Through the Scriptures). (Link coming) From Jennifer Kirkbride, elder/clerk of session at First Presbyterian in Wellsburg, WV: jennyvk@stratuswave.net, One thing that our church just finished was The Truth Project by Focus on the Family. It is a 12-session one-hour each video curriculum that was EXCELLENT. We divided ours into 30-minute sessions each and used them for our senior high and adult curriculum for the last half of the year. However, I think the 12 sessions is better, which is what Focus on the Family suggests. The Truth Project is taught by Del Tackett and he does an excellent job explaining the differences between a cultural world view and the Biblical world view. Once you experience the differences and realize how far our culture has taken us from the Biblical world view, it will really opens your mind to it. The web site is: www.thetruthproject.org. From Elder James Quillin, Co-Pastor, Highland Heights Presbyterian, Cordova, TN: jquillin@bellsouth.net Ten Big Ideas in Reformed Theology (A survey) From Ron Rand, former pastor at College Hill Presbyterian in Cincinnati: ron.upbuilding@gmail.com I offer my website at www.upbuildingministries.org. Note in particular the links: MINISTRY OPTIONS for the 7 different opportunities, CLERGY COMMENTS--especially the Presbyterian Pastors and their comments, and ABOUT US for some short videos of an overview of an UpBuilding Weekend. From Ryan Rasmussen, Associate Pastor, FPC Goldsboro, NC: ryan_michelleras@yahoo.com We have implemented the Bethel Bible Series at FPC Goldsboro, NC to help increase biblical literacy in our congregation. I've spent the past two years training seven people to become teachers for the congregational phase of the ministry. We spent one year on the OT and one on the NT. Now, my trainees are prepared to teach this study that is specifically designed to reach people who are intimidated by Bible study. Go to their web site, www.bethelseries.com if you're interested in sharing this with others. In response to the schism over homosexuality, I obtained a "blue book" off the internet which tries to affirm homosexuality from every angle - biblical, social, scientific, etc. I took part of my study leave and read it carefully. Then, I responded to their (often dubious, or simply inaccurate) claims within the document. I used simple logic and basic biblical knowledge to oppose their claims. Then, I sent this to our church officers to help them properly consider this issue. I've attached what I have done if you have any interest in it. It is a lot of reading, but I am confident it would be helpful for some people. From Paul A. Tambrino, Director Adult and Theological Education, First Presbyterian of Maitland, Florida: ptambrino@fpcmaitland.org A Proposed “Distance Learning Academy for Reformed Theology” From Lewis Toland, Ph.D., elder at First Presbyterian of Dexter, NM, Sierra Blanca Presbytery: toland@plateautel.net I direct the training for CLPs in Sierra Blanca Presbytery, a geographically large but numerically small presbytery in southern New Mexico. Four or five of our six students plan to seek commissions, but one does not. I have been promoting these courses for adults to learn more about the scriptures and their heritage. On a related matter, if Sunday school matters, can you think of any other school that never bothers with exams and credentials? Why don't more education committees survey the knowledge of our students, which Stephen Prothero's new book demonstrates to be so abysmal that many students believe that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife? From Robert Austell, Charlotte, NC: Robert Austell: robert@gspc.net Local Renewal Ministry Networking Plan: I'm attaching a plan I've suggested to the local renewal group for networking for worship, fellowship, training, and mission. We are moving forward, with a shared worship service on July 8, 2007. I'm hoping by this Fall to be doing some officer training together, and maybe mission together by the Spring of '08. It's not comprehensive, just some initial ideas. Officer Retreat Resources: I have material for a 6 hr. (I did it on a Sat/Sun) officer retreat on missional themes, to teach, identify, and evaluate effectiveness at being a missional church and to help reframe current ministries in that light. From Pastor Jay Hull at Covenant Presbyterian, in Reno, NV: www.covenant-reno.org We do an annual Leadership Training Day the first Saturday in November (Prayer, Team-building activities, Study of Servant-Leadership examples and instructions from Scripture, and discussion of duties for Elders and Deacons outlined in the Book of Order). In addition we have a weekend retreat every February for our elders for prayer, evaluation and planning). I also would encourage other Presbyterians to check out our church website and especially our “BASIC Newsletters” which share the essentials of our faith with anyone interested in finding out what makes us tick. From Pastor Mike Imperiale, First Presbyterian of Salt Lake City, UT: mimperiale@fpcslc.org Yes, terry - we're up to something significant at 1st pres salt lake city
i'd be happy to share more with others about how and why we're doing this. From Elder James Quillin, Co-Pastor, Highland Heights Presbyterian, Cordova, TN: jquillin@bellsouth.net The Office of Elder in Scripture Foundational Principles of Presbyterian Order From Bob Sundquist, elder at First Presbyterian in Paola, KS: Bob.Sundquist@garmin.com Officer training is a passion of mine and something I have been pushing for and working on in our church. (How did you know?) We have developed a 10-week course (intent is to meet once a week, Sunday evenings, maybe an hour and a half or two). We are planning to use San Diego's Essential Tenets and Reformed Distinctives as part of our training. I have attached a draft syllabus, still a work in progress. I have long felt our local church is weak in understanding of the confessions and Reformed theology. (Link) From Paul A. Tambrino, Director Adult and Theological Education, First Presbyterian of Maitland, Florida: ptambrino@fpcmaitland.org He writes a weekly column for the largest newsletter in Central Iowa. The column is called “Ask Augustine.” Many of the columns were published as a book last year under the title of the column. He also has material, including powerpoints, on elder training. From
Sue Cyre, pastor now living in Fredricksburg, VA: scyre@swva.net.
She Purpose
of Individual Presbytery Based Reform and Renewal Fellowships: Rationale The members of these entities and denominational officials, however, are elected by GA commissioners. It is GA commissioners elected by presbyteries that passed the PUP report. There has long been recognized a disconnect between the commissioners of the 75% of the presbyteries who voted to place the ordination standards in the BOO and rejected repeated attempts to remove them, and the GA commissioners who repeatedly vote to elect and re-elect denominational officials and clergy and elders to denominational entities who promote positions contrary to the will of the presbyteries who sent them. Restoration of the witness of the church must begin with concerted action flowing out of fellowships of trust, mutual accountability and commitment at the presbytery level. Some presbyteries have already begun to form these fellowships. Elders and clergy who are concerned about the witness of the church from a biblical confessional perspective, meet together regularly for prayer, education, discussion, worship, study and action. One such fellowship has produced several newsletters that have gone to every clerk of session and pastor in the presbytery highlighting issues before the church and the presbytery. They have given themselves a name and set up a web site so that other concerned Presbyterians can locate them. They have begun to build a data base of clergy and elders concerned with biblical fidelity. They have organized resources for Sunday School classes and will provide speakers on a number of topics. They have also worked together to change the way GA commissioners are selected in their presbytery. They have a steering committee of about 18 elders and clergy. And they have held presbytery wide open meetings to educate and network with others. They keep in touch with national level renewal groups for suggestions on approaches to issues, resources, and national networks. You may have ideas for how a fellowship in your presbytery could get started. From Pastor Phil Olson at Church on the Mall in Plymouth Meeting, PA: (revphil@churchonthemall.com) Reformed witness doesn't separate word from deed, thus 'holistic evangelism' or 'holistic ministry' is proper terminology. Evangelism is distinct from social action/social ministry/social concern/social righteousness/social justice (or whatever you want to call it) and vice versa. Yet, the gospel witness (with two distinct sides - you can tell a head from a tail - you can tell evangelism from outreach) is one coin: mission (your definition in your request for materials confined 'mission' to global - I wouldn't separate local & global - current thinking uses terms like glocal [cf. Len Sweet, Bob Roberts, et al]). I offer resources that I and my colleagues at Evangelicals for Social Action developed. We have an A-Z text on holistic mission, Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News & Good Works by Sider, Unruh & Olson (featuring three PC/USA congregations); a CD-ROM, Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference: Ventures in Holistic Ministry by Unruh & Olson (includes over 200 pages plus 45 downloadable worksheets & is web-linked); by the end of the summer of '07, I will have a Power-Point training tool available on helping your congregation engage your community in holistic ministry (based on a class I teach as adjunct prof at Palmer Seminary, called "Community Focused Ministry"). We also have a free e-zine (e-Pistle), which has a holistic ministry channel to which I contribute. Check out www.esa-online.org , www.esa-online.org/ or email me at revphil@churchonthemall.com. From Pastor Don Baird in Sacramento, CA: (drdonaldbaird@aol.com) In Mission, we are doing two things that have greatly increased our congregation's giving and interest.
In Evangelism: During the Witness offering we raised $10,000 instead of the $2,500 we usually do to provide the Alpha program for all of the churches in the Sacramento Presbytery: materials, conferences, training, coaching, etc. Now churches in our Presbytery who want to do Alpha can. If they don't it's because they don't want to. If we have money left over we're offering the same to the Nevada Presbytery, and others, until the money is gone. From Rev. Dave Hackett, formerly of Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship, now of Visionsynergy (dhackett@visionsynergy.net) Dave sent
his two minute presentation on the Marks of a Missional Church: Wholefoods, the grocery store, has a new motto that missional churches can use as well: The motto says, "It's not something we do, it's everything we do." The top question, the organizing principle, of missional churches, is this: "What has God called us to do for the Kingdom of God?" They ask this on three levels: the personal level, the church level, and the network level:
Missional churches find their identity more in their outreach than in their fellowship. They take great encouragement in the mission they do, so they talk about it a lot. They don't pay others to do mission for them; they support ministries that help them live out the mission commitments the church has already made. For example: Instead of supporting a disabilities ministry because IT believes in caring for the disabled community, a missional church itself cares for the disabled community, and one expression of that commitment is to support a particular disabilities ministry. Missional churches have discovered the secret that Christians have the deepest experience of faith and fellowship WHEN they are in ministry and mission. Ask those who have gone on mission trips if that's true for them! 100 years ago, in 1907, my great uncle Samuel A Moffett ordained the first seven Korean Protestant pastors in Korea. Those seven went on a retreat to decide what their first act would be as a truly indigenous Korean church. Above everything else they could have chosen, their first decision was to send out a missionary. "Real churches," they said, "send out missionaries!" If we want to become a missional church, let's get our arrows pointing out! From Pastor Lucky Arnold in North Palm Beach, FL: (RevLuck@aol.com) Like many congregations we have an annual Missions Conference and bring many of our mission partners to the church to build relationships with our people because our experience has been that people give to people. We also have a stated goal to have all of our people who are able to experience one overseas cross cultural mission experience in their life. This has increased the personal connections to our mission partners and the places and people they serve. We have
been using a program by Andy Stanley called Go Fish for evangelism training
and worked in conjunction with our local FOX affiliate TV station and
several other evangelical churches to produce TV commercials that are
stylized like the billboard campaign of some years ago in which God
asked questions or made brief statements. We have sought to stir the
community by the commercials and stir our people by training them to
be prepared to share their faith. So far it is working well though it
is not inexpensive.
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