Worshiping Communities Archives

The pastor wore peach

Posted September 12th, 2016

In the words and experience of the Rev. Jim Moseley, executive presbyter of New Castle Presbytery, “Every great effort in ministry requires both strategic thinking and ‘daring’ in equal amounts.” And maybe just a few peaches.

National Urban Ministry Network honors memory of Eugene Blackwell

Posted September 8th, 2016

In an open letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the church’s National Urban Ministry Network honored the memory of the recently passed Rev. Eugene “Freedom” Blackwell and encouraged readers to join them in continuing his fight for social and racial justice “for all of those who suffer in our cities.”

Presbytery in my pocket

Posted August 18th, 2016

In the northeast corner of the country, the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse made a dramatic decision. It reduced presbytery staff to just one person and got rid of its office space. Today, Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery has no building. The office is a laptop, and its number rings to a cell phone in Steve Plank’s pocket.

Diverse workshop offerings inspire, inform evangelism conference-goers

Posted August 12th, 2016

From “Navigating Change” to “Sustaining Spiritual Vitality,” attendees at the Go Disciple Live “Be the Light” Conference chose from a wealth of nearly 30 workshop topics toward building their skills in authentic evangelism, storytelling, social media, effective church transformation, justice, church planting, and more.

A space to try new things

Posted August 12th, 2016

The intersection of faith and art. That is what Rev. Shawna Bowman, cofounder of the Creation Lab calls this intentional space. “It grew out of a selfish desire of its creators to have and share a space that can serve as a creative outlet and safe space for experimentation,” says Bowman. “It’s about making, collaborating, and failing together.”

Watkins calls church to adapt to the new networked age

Posted August 12th, 2016

Using the same text—Mark 1:16-20—on which he preached the evangelism conference’s opening sermon, the Rev. Dr. Ralph Basui Watkins returned to Jesus’ call to his disciples to “come and follow me,” as the foundation for his plenary presentation on “Evangelism in the 21st Century.”

Worship on the beach

Posted August 11th, 2016

Following several days of severe thunderstorms and flooding, participants in the Go Disciple Live “Be the Light” Conference were more than ready on Aug. 10 to witness the sun come up and dry the rains to make way for a unique worship experience on the beach.

Mike Breen calls for church transformation from ‘consumer mentality into discipling culture’

Posted August 11th, 2016

Midway through his plenary address this morning, Mike Breen—one of the world’s leading innovators in the church planting and discipling movement—asked his audience at the Go Disciple Live “Be the Light” evangelism conference a critical question, “Where are we going with this?”

Evangelism conference-goers are charged to ‘go and tell the story’

Posted August 10th, 2016

Competing against the noise and the sheer force of a second day of torrential downpours that literally shook the tent of meeting here, the diminutive—by her own admission—Rev. Casey FitzGerald displayed her own God-given powers in presenting the art of biblical storytelling to a rapt audience of some 275 conference attendees.

Watkins challenges church leaders to drop their nets, follow Jesus, and change the church

Posted August 9th, 2016

After weathering rains so heavy that they flooded the exhibit hall and much of the ground floor on the first day of the Go Disciple Live “Be the Light” Conference, some 275 attendees at the opening worship were particularly primed to hear a sermon on Jesus’ call of the first disciples at the seaside.