Evangelism & Discipleship Archives

From ages and stages ministry to intergenerational faith formation

Posted July 31st, 2018

For the first time ever, representatives from the five “ages and stages” ministry associations that work in Christian formation were in the same room, at the same time, with the same goal: to figure out how they might more collaboratively work together with the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA).

Evangelism conference to explore new way of being together as Presbyterians

Posted July 23rd, 2018

The Presbyterian Mission Agency Coordinator for Christian Formation, Jason Brian Santos, is leading this year’s Evangelism conference at Zephyr Point, Lake Tahoe October 15-19.

Church started by the former enslaved members of another church acknowledges shared history

Posted July 18th, 2018

The plaque describing the shared history of two Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) churches is on prominent display for everyone to see as they exit the sanctuary of the 3,000-member First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Closing message at Presbyterian older adult conference: ‘Draw close to God’

Posted June 11th, 2018

In the closing message at the 2018 Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries (POAMN) conference, titled “Savoring the Journey,” the Rev. Dr. Ray Jones encouraged attendees to awaken to their purpose by drawing close to God.

Gerontology expert to Older Adult conference: Get ready for the ‘coming tsunami’ of aging

Posted June 8th, 2018

At the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN) national conference, titled “Savoring the Journey,” keynote speaker Dr. John Holton spent his evenings looking at the sky.

Preacher to Presbyterian older adult conference: get back to the basics

Posted June 7th, 2018

In his opening sermon at the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN) national conference, the Rev. Robert Watkins told attendees at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center that we in the church and culture — which is consumed with self — have forgotten how to live with and talk to each other.

Four overarching themes come out of new worshiping communities research

Posted April 2nd, 2018

After the 2017 “Living, Dying, Rising” conference took place in August in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, a sociologist from the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Research Services department conducted informal interviews of participants, most of whom were leaders of new worshiping communities (NWCs).

A love for fly-fishing and radical neighboring

Posted March 20th, 2018

Without a pastor’s love for fly-fishing, Monica Carrillo — who crossed the Arizona-Mexico border when she was 13 — might still be living in the shadows. And the Rev. Karlin Bilcher might still be unhealthy and depressed, after a terrible first experience in ministry that nearly cost him his family.

Evangelism Conference on ‘Sabbath Rest’ to help PC(USA) rethink evangelism

Posted January 29th, 2018

Presbyterian Mission colleagues, the Rev. Dr. Ray Jones and the Rev. Dr. Jason Brian Santos in Theology, Formation and Evangelism ministries (TFE) at the Presbyterian Mission Agency have been asking each other questions about the practice of Sabbath such as, “What is it?”, “Why do we do Sabbath?” and “How do we depart, once we’ve participated in Sabbath?”

Christian formation leaders identify lifelong Christian practices of faith

Posted October 17th, 2017

For the Rev. Olivia Stewart, participating in the Christian Formation Symposium — a gathering of seasoned practitioners from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — was “awesome.”