Becoming a Multicultural Church
"What does God require of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the 21st century? How do we live our faith as congregations of believers within an increasingly multicultural nation and world? What do we think and how do we feel about opportunities for crossing racial and cultural boundaries and barriers? What will be our responses to entrenched racism in the coming days? What models will we pass on to our young people who will become leaders for tomorrow? Then what is the vision that will inspire and guide us as we make our choices today?"
Letters to Jerri: On the Bible and Same-Sex Marriage
Fifteen brief essays by the Rev. Dr. D. Mark Davis: 'I have written these “Letters to Jerri” in response to a question sent to me by a friend. Jerri and I began our Christian journeys as part of a theologically conservative and biblically fundamentalist faith tradition. I have moved on from that tradition, but my commitment to biblical theology is one of the many gifts that I received from that religious upbringing that I continue to appreciate.'
A La Familia - a resource in Spanish and English
Whether you speak English, Spanish, or both, you will benefit from this guide by the Rev. Dr. Miguel De La Torre of Iliff School of Theology in Denver, with the Rev. Dr. Ignacio Castuera and Lisbeth Meléndez Rivera. A La Familia: Una Conversación Sobre Nuestras Familias, la Biblia, la Orientación Sexual y la Identidad de Género (A Conversation About Our Families, the Bible, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) offers study and discussion questions for reflection as well as action ideas.
Joy in the Year Ending; Hope in the Year to Come
We have emerged with a clear calling to keep working toward a church that is truly inclusive, whose generosity and justice reflect our Savior’s. You have told us how much work there is left to do—at General Assembly, in denominational structures, in congregations and presbyteries, in hearts and minds. And we have heard that our resources, our history, our relationships are still crucial to seeing that vision accomplished in the life of the church. It is the church that has told us how much this work still matters.
Don't Call Us Brave: Pastoral Care for People Who Are Transgender
One of the most popular workshops at Covenant Conference 2015 was led by Meghan Foote and Susan Barnes. They have graciously shared their PowerPoint presentation.
"Generous Peacemaking"
A Sermon on Isaiah 11:1-9 and Romans 15:5-7 by Kimberly L. Clayton for Covenant Conference 2015, Friday, November 6: "'The church is called blessed because it is a peacemaker.' I am intrigued by this slight difference in wording. This second image does not say what we are called to be, but instead declares what we are. A peacemaker. This clause in the Confession does not call us peacemakers—a bunch of individual peacemakers, each one of us doing our part, making peace in our own little sphere, as helpful as that would be in our individual families, my neighborhood, your school, her workplace, his circle of friends.No, listen to it again: The church is called blessed because it is a peacemaker. A big ol’ unified peacemaker. We are in this together, united, one, with one another. These days, I’m afraid, the church is called a blessed many things—but I’m fairly certain that a peacemaker is not our best known characteristic."
Remembering Pam Byers
The tribute to Pam Byers at the Covenant Conference in Denver prompted her friend and former colleague Rosemary Bledsoe to offer these memories of Pam and the early days of the Covenant Network: "Most people saw her at GAs and conferences and meetings all over the country. I saw her pushing cartloads of envelopes out to her car to take to the post office, plowing through stacks of papers on her desk, sweating out deadlines, anxiously monitoring the never-quite-adequate bank balance, stunned with fatigue, hoarse from constant conversation, frustrated, determined, and somehow usually fairly hopeful."
"Better Than a Hallelujah"
A Sermon on Isaiah 65:17-25 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, 6:1-2 by Marci Auld Glass for Covenant Conference 2015, Saturday, November 7: "The Belhar Confession reminds us that we are called to proclaim this new heaven and new earth that God is about to create. But we can’t do that in a way that tells people to be okay with the pain they are experiencing NOW, or with the injustice that is breaking their backs and their souls NOW. We aren’t called to be Pollyanna and deny the truth of people’s lived experience. As Paul Roberts said the other night, we are not called to just be nice. We are called to disrupt."
The Covenant Network: The Work Ahead
Executive Director Brian Ellison addressed the 2015 Covenant Conference on Saturday, November 7, lifting up our vision for the organization’s mission and ministry now and in the future, in a talk entitled “The Work Ahead.”
Progress, Pushback, Possibilities: A preliminary look at the 222nd GA
On Saturday morning at the 2015 Covenant Conference, national organizer Tricia Dykers Koenig offered an early look at the Covenant Network's priorities at the 222nd General Assembly (2016), which will meet next June in Portland, Oregon.
2015 Covenant Conference Video - All sessions NOW ONLINE
The plenary sessions of the 2015 Covenant Conference, Unity Matters: Living into God's Future ... Together, will be available online! Access the livestream at https://www.comf5.com/live/live-connections.
Announcing the Workshops at the 2015 Covenant Conference
The leaders: Mark Achtemeier, Susan Barnes, Michelle Bartel, Bill Calhoun, Meghan Foote, Beth Hessel, Cliff Kirkpatrick, Ken Kovacs, Kimberly Bracken Long, David Maxwell, Carol McDonald, J. Herbert Nelson, Gradye Parsons, Ann Philbrick, Paul Roberts, Libby Shannon, Patti Snyder, Lucy Strong, Landon Whitsitt, Layton Williams.Participants at the Covenant Conference, November 5-7 at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, will be able to choose two workshops from among a superb line-up. Check it out!
Sexuality Bibliography
Two professors at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Steven C. Roy and Robert J. Priest, are offering a course on "Contemporary Sexualities: Theological and Missiological Perspectives." The professors have graciously provided their bibliography, which is lengthy and represents diverse perspectives; download the Sexualities bibliography for your own use.
Living History at the Covenant Conference
At the 2015 Covenant Conference -- November 5-7 at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado -- you will be able to have your own story added to the chronicles of the PC(USA). The Presbyterian Historical Society will be present, interviewing conference participants for the Society’s Living History Films series.Register for the Conference before October 1 for the regular rate.
Join us November 5-7, 2015, in Denver!
Your chance to save on registration for the Covenant Conference, to be held in Denver November 5-7, lasts through Labor Day.Read the article for more information about ways to connect, participate, and support the conference.
J. Herbert Nelson at the 2015 Covenant Conference
J. Herbert Nelson on his keynote address to the "Unity Matters" conference, November 5-7 in Denver: "The Church of Jesus Christ is called to assist in reconciling people to Jesus Christ. Although we have witnessed significant gains through the Church and the government's judicial courts regarding LGBT concerns, issues regarding race and gender remain historically slow to resolve in the United States. The call for all communities, including the LGBT community, to engage broader historic movements of oppressed people is both imperative and immediate. The starting point for entry into these intersection of oppressions begins within the LGBT community itself. My address will connect the biblical imperative with steps for implementation."
'A Season of Welcome' Continues
Beginning in the fall of 2011, the Covenant Network gathered stories from LGBTQ individuals who heard a call to ordination and how they were experiencing the changes in the life of the church. We collected those at a special website called “A Season of Welcome.” You can find them here: https://covnetpres.org/a-season-of-welcome/. More stories are welcome! If you’d like to add your story to this permanent archive, please contact Tricia Dykers Koenig.
Letters from the Heart
Ruling Elder Bob Coates from Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida, offers a website with resources collected during his congregation's conversation about same-gender relationships. The Palma Ceia Session voted to affirm their pastors' discretion in deciding which marriages to perform in their sanctuary.