We can help!

The Small Church and Community Ministry Office provides services for congregations, presbyteries, seminaries and specialized ministries. Committed and effective leaders are essential for the health of a small congregation. Pastoral leadership comes in a variety of forms including full-time, part-time, tentmaking (bivocational), commissioned lay pastors and lay leadership. Training can help pastors and lay leaders keep up with our rapidly changing world.

For more information on conferences and training opportunities, contact Eva Slayton.

Conferences and training opportunities

April 9–13, 2008
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Multicultural Conference, San Antonio, Texas. For more information, visit the Multicultural Ministries Web site.

April 15–18, 2008 
SCUPE Congress on Urban Ministry, Chicago. “Advancing God’s Reign in our Cities” — this is a national urban ministry conference sponsored by SCUPE. For more information, visit the SCUPE Web site.

April 18-20, 2008
Rebooting the Church for the 21st Century, Presbyterian Clearwater Forest, Deerwood, Minn. Sponsored by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, Twin Cities Presbytery, Minnesota Valleys Presbytery, and Northern Waters Presbytery. Learn more online or call (218) 678-2325.

April 19, 2008
Faith, Action and Renewal in Rural Ministries (FARRM) Conference, Millbank, S.D. For more information, send an email or download a brochure.

April 28-29, 2008
Urban Appalachia Revisited, Covington, Ky.  Sponsored by the Coalition for Appalachian Ministry. For more information, call (865) 448-5940 or send an email.

May 2-4, 2008
Jobs With Justice National Conference, Providence, Rhode Island.

May 5-7, 2008
Synod of South Atlantic Association of Smaller Congregations Annual Conference, St. Simons Island, Ga.

May 6-8, 2008
Strengthening Rural Ministry Conference: Creative Practices in the New Rural, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Ga. For more information, call (404) 687-4587.

May 6-8, 2008
Small Church Conferences sponsored by Presbyterians for Renewal in four locations: Boise, Idaho; Glorieta, N.M.; Hancock, Mass.; and Sioux Falls, S.D.

JUNE 5-8,2008
Rural Coalition Assembly:  The Great Immigration Debate, Homestead, Fla. For more information, visit the Rural Coaltion Web site.

June 12-13, 2008
Becoming the Promised Land: Faith, Community, and the Prison Reentry Population, sponsored by Auburn Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Visit Auburn's Web site for more information.

June 21-28, 2008
General Assembly, San Jose, Calif. The Small Church and Community Ministry Office will host a Small Church luncheon on Monday, June 23, and coffee hours for rural ministry and urban ministry folks on Tuesday, June 24.  Check the General Assembly program brochure for the time and place of these gatherings. 

July 14-18, 2008
National Peacemaking Conference in Orange, Calif.

AUGUST 6-10, 2008
National Network of Presbyterian College Women Annual Event, San Francisco, Calif. For more information, visit the National Network of Presbyterian College Women Web site or call Noelle Gulden at (888) 728-7228, x5848.

OCTOBER 22-26, 2008
Seeking the Peace of the City, Miami, Fla. Sponsored by the Christian Community Development Association.  For more information, visit the Christian Community Development Association Web site or the CCDA Miami '08 Web site.

NOVEMBER 10-12, 2008
“Reforming Ministry in the Small Church,” Richmond, Va. sponsored by Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education.  For more information, contact The Center for Ministry and Leadership Development, Union-PSCE at (804) 278-4383 or visit the Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education Web site.

Congregational based community organizing training opportunities

The following faith-based community organizing networks provide training opportunities. Please contact these networks for further information about their training programs and dates.

Christians Supporting Community Organizing, P.O. Box 60123, Dayton, OH 45406; phone (937) 276-4077.

Direct Action and Research Training (DART), P.O. Box 370791, Miami, FL 33137; Phone (305) 576-8020.

Gamaliel Foundation, 203 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 808, Chicago, IL 60601; phone (312) 357-2639.

Industrial Areas Foundation, 220 W. Kinzie St., 5th Fl., Chicago, IL 60610; phone: (312) 245-9211.

National Training and Information Center (NTIC), 810 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622; phone: (312) 243-3035.

Midwest Academy, 28 E. Jackson Blvd. #605, Chicago, IL 60604; phone: (312) 427-2304.

Pacific Institute for Community Organization (PICO), 171 Santa Rosa Ave., Oakland, CA 94610; phone: (510) 655-2801.

Regional Congregations and Neighborhood Organizations, 1061 E. 54th St., Los Angeles, CA 90011; phone: (323) 755-1114.