Thursday, February 28, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at United Lutheran Seminary.

Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory, helped us reframe our leadership for the sake of the church today. Rather than seeing graphs of decline or propaganda of a hopeful church, we will acknowledge the challenge of our time and hear stories of resurrection and hope from real leaders doing the work of Christian ministry in today’s drastically changing world. Change is inevitable. But how we respond to it matters.

Sponsored by Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod’s Brave New Church initiative and the Ministry and Leadership Incubator of the Presbytery of Philadelphia.

https://presbyphl.org/events/canoeing-the-mountains-an-all-day-ecumenical-equipping-event/

Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, preaches as a part of the annual Celebration of African American Presbyterian Heritage event sponsored by the National Black Presbyterian Caucus (Philadelphia Chapter) and the Presbytery of Philadelphia.

The Kindom of God is like a bowling alley?

For the faithful of Crossroads Presbyterian Church, a congregation in Limerick whose worship attendance hovers around 70, this just may be the perfect parable. Since 2014, Crossroads has partnered with their local bowling alley to host an annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl open to the entire community. The event is completely free and includes unlimited bowling, arcade games, photo booths, giveaways, and a home cooked meal with all the trimmings made from scratch. Recently I sat down with Rev. Brenton Thompson, pastor of Crossroads, and David Pawson, elder and primary coordinator of all things Turkey Bowl. Listen in to this conversation about how the faithful of crossroads have partnered with their community to open new lanes of hospitality.

Read Story Here: https://presbyphl.org/covenant-connections/

What does cultural identity have to do with the faith formation of young people?

Everything.

This is especially true for the youth and young adults of the United Ghanaian Community Church (UGCC) in Wyncote. Chartered in 2001 as the first African immigrant congregation in the PCUSA, their culture and heritage are inextricably linked to youth discipleship programs extending to members up to age 30. “Identity for us is extremely important because we believe that when you lose your culture [and] your language, then you have no identity anymore,” remarked founding pastor, Rev. Dr. Kobina Ofosu-Donkoh. "So our focus is [for our youth] to know Christ within the context of being Ghanaian.”

Read the Covenant Connections story here: https://presbyphl.org/cultural-identity-as-faith-formation-youth-and-young-adult-ministry-the-ghanaian-way/

How can congregations nurture a sense of belonging when generational gaps are wide and cultural narratives are misunderstood? For the approximately 100 members of the five Korean Churches and worshipping communities throughout the Presbytery of Philadelphia, they have collectively facilitated conversations that empower youth and adults to share stories, ask honest questions, and navigate what inclusion means in both their congregations and respective neighborhoods. A network whose membership includes first, one-point-five, and second generation Korean Americans, these interactions have been pivotal for community formation. Listen now as we sat down with Rev. Byungil Kim, pastor of the Podowon Church, and Rev. Jeannie Lee, recently ordained by our presbytery as the first woman to serve in a validated ministry alongside our Korean churches.

Read story here:

any wonder, how can a local congregation cultivate a shared understanding of mission in an age inundated by polarizing news stories and socio-political realities? For the faithful of Carmel Presbyterian Church in Glenside, they reclaimed discipleship as learning within the context of a gracious community.  As they have leaned into the messiness of faith seeking understanding, they have facilitated discussions on immigration, invited speakers to address local gun violence, viewed documentaries on climate change and systemic racism, and hosted interfaith and ecumenical partners for dialogue and fellowship. Recently, we sat down with Rev. Ashley Rossi, Associate Pastor at Carmel, to hear a bit about these generative conversations and discipleship, which even led them to serve in Puerto Rico this past summer. Listen in as we hear about their discipleship as learning and serving together.

Note, at the end of the conversation we move from a restaurant to the church offices, hence the change in background noise.

What does a congregation do when registration is too low to warrant the implementation of a previously-planned summer VBS?

For the Anchor Presbyterian Church in Wrightsville, they pivoted volunteer energies of committed middle school youth and launched an impromptu, week-long experiment in local mission. “I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to minister to the youth,” remarked Rev. Leah Miller, pastor of the Anchor Presbyterian Church. “Kids have the hope of Christ to share, just like adults do, so why not start that early. Why not give them opportunities to express and share that hope and God’s love from where they are now?”

An experiment in love of neighbor, The Week of Hope not only empowered youth in their community as participants in God’s mission, but also affirmed the congregation that they indeed had a ministry for youth. Listen in as we hear from two teenagers and their pastor.

Full Story Available Here:

When church buildings are utilized as public gathering spaces, congregations are afforded tremendous opportunities to engage their local communities. This openness also increases the need for regular conversations about safety and the readiness to respond to potential emergency situations. Over the last year, the faithful of Elkins Park Presbyterian Church have recognized the urgency of these conversations and committed to ensure their space cultivates not only hospitality and welcome in Abington Township, but also an environment of responsibility and sanctuary for congregants and visitors alike.

Read the full story here:

Welcome to Covenant Connections as we tell the stories of our churches and collaborative ministries throughout the Presbytery of Philadelphia. This week we come to you in two parts, as we share about how two of our congregations are partnering with Living Waters for the World, a movement birthed by the Synod of Living Waters that provides clean water in developing nations and communities throughout the United States. In this second part, we hear from Rev. Ryan Balsan, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Ambler. A Covenant Fund Grant Recipient, the faithful of this congregation continue to deepen their local and international mission through an on-going partnership with Living Waters for the World in Haiti. Check out what they are up to and how you can consider similar partnerships to respond to the needs of our neighbors near and far.

Welcome to Covenant Connections as we tell the stories of our churches and collaborative ministries throughout the Presbytery of Philadelphia. This week we come to you in two parts, as we share about how two of our congregations are partnering with Living Waters for the World, a movement birthed by the Synod of Living Waters that provides clean water in developing nations and communities throughout the United States. In this first part, we hear from Kary and Nanette LaFors, members of the Sefving Committee at Lower Providence Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Ted Mingle, pastor of Lower Providence. Since 2008, the faithful of this congregation have partnered with Living Waters to install 9 water purification systems in Peru, Kenya, India, and Cuba. Listen in to their ministry stories and how you can consider similar partnerships as you live into God’s mission of reconciliation.