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 Presbyterian churches are changing. More and more leaders are emerging in small and large congregations, stepping up to provide positive, energetic leadership. Some may not have seminary degrees, but they feel compelled and called to assist in the ministry of their church. They teach Sunday school, serve as deacon or elder or lead a committee.
Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons believes these leaders deserve more training and empowerment to guide the PC(USA) into the future God has in store for the church.
What tools would equip leaders to fulfill their call? Based on research involving Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregational leaders and denominational staff, the
Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) determined that leaders today need the following resources:
- An online worship planner for pastoral staff to create worship bulletins and print certificates and bookplates
- Downloadable studies to answer to the basic questions of faith for new members or visitors who may come with little church experience or from other Christian traditions. Tools to answer: What does it mean to be a Christian? What is a Presbyterian? What do Presbyterians believe about ________? (fill in the blank)
- Study materials for new and veteran leaders to discern a call, to provide basic leadership skills, and to assist with service in a specific office such as elder, deacon, trustee, or teacher
- Ongoing suggestions on best practices for all leaders, including inspiring messages from other leadership in the church
In June 2009, PPC answered this need for more resources to support leaders of the church by launching a new Web site, The Presbyterian Leader. This online tool seeks to provide a one-stop location for all types of Presbyterian leadership.
Due to Presbyterian Publishing Corporation’s self-sustaining status, The Presbyterian Leader Web-based resource center is a fee-based service. However, PPC is keeping the price low enough to be affordable to small churches and considers this project a break-even venture in service to the denomination.
The Presbyterian Leader, with new material added regularly, is available for the benefit of local congregations for a reasonable subscription rate of $99 (with yearly renewals for $75). The site includes the following guidelines and features:
- One church subscription provides user IDs and passwords for up to five individuals. These five users have unlimited access to the worship planner. The only rule is that all the use and content is to be shared within the membership of the subscribing church.
- Each subscribing church may add unlimited email addresses for its church leaders — elders, deacons, church educators, music leaders, committee moderators — to receive a twice-monthly newsletter, the Presbyterian Leader Reader, directly to their inboxes. This short newsletter includes an essay on issues of interest to church leaders, such as how to lead prayer in public, dealing with church conflict, or hospital visitation, as well as informative essays on theological and church matters. Additional sidebars include prayers, Presbyterian factoids, upcoming lectionary texts, and information on church events. The Presbyterian Leader Reader may be printed out and used for session devotions.
- Free downloadable studies on Presbyterian and Christian beliefs and leader development are available to subscribers. Nonsubscribers may purchase these studies for a nominal fee.
- Leading Voices, free monthly essays by denominational leaders, may be printed out for church leaders. A mix of national and local Presbyterian leaders offer short essays on leadership from their context.
- Links to important denominational Web sites and events are continually updated.
The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is pleased to offer this online resource to the church. President and Publisher
Marc Lewis says, “We really see this as a gift to the church.
"After launching our first successful electronic publishing program a few years ago, The Thoughtful Christian, we felt prepared to use some of the same technology to create a program that would help prepare and sustain leaders in our denomination. We hope to continue working with national staff and local leaders to make this a helpful resource for the church.”
Rev. David Maxwell is executive editor for Geneva Press, The Thoughtful Christian, and The Presbyterian Leader.
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