PPC09003
June 1, 2009

PPC launches new online resource for the PC(USA)

Contact:
Andrew Yeager-Buckley, (502) 569-5970

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — June 1, 2009 marks the launch of a brand new online resource center from the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC). The new Web site, The Presbyterian Leader, will serve as an important tool for pastors, elders, deacons, educators, worship leaders, musicians, and other PC(USA) leaders who face the often daunting challenge of communicating, sharing, and teaching their faith. Marc Lewis, president and publisher of PPC says, “We are excited to provide this resource for leaders in the Presbyterian Church. We are committed to helping Presbyterian congregations in their ministries, and we feel confident The Presbyterian Leader will prove to be an invaluable tool.”

As part of PPC’s continuing efforts to provide relevant and affordable tools to the Church, the popular Presbyterian Worship Planner, upgraded to version 3.0, is now available exclusively online through The Presbyterian Leader. The Presbyterian Worship Planner is a comprehensive resource that enables preachers, liturgists, musicians and worship leaders to select and customize a weekly order of worship that can be inserted into a worship bulletin. This new online format will enable ongoing updates to resources while allowing users to download information and products immediately and affordably.

The Presbyterian Leader also contains numerous essays and studies on doctrine and belief; catechism materials; social policy summaries; and leadership studies, which include twice-monthly Leader Reader bulletins on specific church tasks and issues. “Most studies are meant for groups to read and discuss together,” describes David Maxwell, Executive Editor of Geneva Press and The Thoughtful Christian. “Each study consists of one to four sessions and each session contains a four-page participant handout and a leader’s guide to facilitate a forty-five-minute discussion. Opening and closing prayers, activities, and further recommended resources are provided. The leadership studies help prepare leaders for specific tasks such as teaching or being a church officer even as they encourage reflection on foundational issues such as nourishing one’s leadership call and working through conflict as a group. The doctrine and belief studies provide information on the Reformed tradition and specific theological beliefs of the church. Participants learn what the Bible says and what the PC(USA) says, and are encouraged to incorporate the beliefs into their role as leaders in the church.”

All site content is available for a low annual subscription fee of just $99.00, renewable at the discounted rate of $75.00. Downloadable certificates, bookplates, and other materials are provided free with every subscription. Individual resources are also available for download for a per-item fee to those who choose not to subscribe. “We hope that this site will become an indispensable resource for all leaders in PC(USA) congregations,” explains David Dobson, PPC’s Executive Director of Publishing and Editorial Director. “For pastors, this new online version of The Presbyterian Worship Planner provides quick and easy access to a range of tools to help them plan a wide variety of worship services. There are studies for new-member classes, guides for elders, deacons, and trustees, and reproducible certificates for occasions such as weddings, confirmation, and baptism. And we believe the twice-monthly Leader Reader offerings will become a regular part of session meetings in many congregations.”

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) is the official denominational publisher of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is a completely financially self-sustaining agency of the General Assembly and receives no mission funding from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). PPC publishes approximately eighty books each year and maintains a backlist of more than 1700 titles that are sold throughout the world. PPC publishes works under three imprints: Westminster John Knox Press, Geneva Press, and The Thoughtful Christian. With a publishing heritage that dates back more than 170 years, PPC maintains its commitment to publishing resources that “advance religious scholarship, stimulate conversation about moral values, and inspire faithful living.”