Rev. Whit Dempsey begins at First Presbyterian in Georgetown

Dear Friends and Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown.

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On behalf of Session, it is my pleasure to share with you that we have entered into an agreement with Rev. Whitney Dempsey, to serve as Temporary Supply Pastor for our church, beginning Sunday, May 7th.

In this role, Rev. Dempsey will lead us in worship, will be available for pastoral care, and with our help, provide pastoral presence within our community.  Additionally, he will assist us with our transition steps as we move toward a formal search for our next installed pastor.

The Rev. Whitney Dempsey specializes in pastoral education and interim ministry. Working from a family system and other systems' perspective, Whitney seeks to build and support healthy pastors, chaplains, congregations and organizations.

Rev. Dempsey is a trained interim pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is a member of Denver Presbytery. Most recently he served as the Interim Senior Pastor at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Boulder, Colorado. Along with parish ministry, Rev. Dempsey serves on the Highlands Camp and Conference committee and on the Board for the Association of Professional Flight Chaplains.  Rev. Dempsey has served as an ACPE Associate Supervisor, and in that capacity, was responsible for the management and development of clinical sites that included hospitals, congregations, hospice centers, and long-term care facilities.
Before coming to Denver, Rev. Dempsey served pastorates in Northern Nevada and in North East Michigan. Along with congregational ministry, Whitney has served as a chaplain in three Level 1 Trauma Centers, including the St. Anthony Hospitals in Denver, Colorado, where he received his CPE Education Supervisory training.

Along with ministry, Rev. Dempsey is an avid runner and has completed seven marathons. Whitney can also be found in the mountains, skiing in the winters, and fly fishing, hiking and climbing in the summers with his family. Whitney is a certified ski Instructor at Keystone Resort.
Rev. Dempsey received a political science degree from Seattle Pacific University, and a Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) from the San Francisco Theological Seminary and is currency working on a Doctor of Ministry at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

We are so excited to welcome Rev. Dempsey to our church and for our time ahead together.

Blessings,
  Pam McCoy
  Clerk of Session

Radical Hospitality

Northwest Denver Mission Community

Were you inspired by the words of Joel Adams at the worship service of our March Assembly Meeting?  In case you missed it, or want to hear it again, it is now available by sound recording only, click below.
Thank you to St. Paul Presbyterian Church for recording the service and making sharing possible.

Joel has also provided us with an outline of his:

MISSIONAL INCARNATIONAL PRACTICES

  • Being Sent
  • Being Like Smitty
  • Accepting Invitations
  • Being Interruptible
  • Extending the Table
  • We Party
  • Prayer for others
     

Click here, for a complete explanation of the practices.

 

New Beginnings

New Beginnings "Why and What" Webinar

January 21 at 10:00 a.m.  Webinar “New Beginnings: Why and What?”  
March 11 at 9:30 a.m. “Come and See”  A more in – depth presentation and discussion about New Beginnings at Arvada Presbyterian Church
March 25 Deadline to decide to join New Beginnings
May 1- 4  Period of Outside Assessment which includes a congregational gathering
June 9 -10  A Friday evening and all-Saturday Leadership Training

For more information, contact Tom Sheffield.

Enter password: DenPres#1   (case sensitive)

New Beginnings Webinar from Denver Presbytery on Vimeo.

New Beginnings: What and Why.

Please Welcome Our New Stated Clerk

OLIVIA HUDSON SMITH

The Assembly unanimously elected Ruling Elder Olivia Hudson Smith as the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Denver at the Stated Meeting on January 24th. Her first official day here at the Presbytery office was, February 1st. We are excited about working with her.  She can be reached by email at olivia@denpres.org or direct 303.777.2462.  Below is information that was presented at Assembly sharing what the Search Committee learned about Olivia during the call process.

Background Information
Ruling Elder Olivia Hudson Smith has had a distinguished service to the Presbytery as a member of the Committee on Ministry, member and moderator of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry, Moderator of the Presbytery, member of the Presbytery Council, chairperson of the Mission and Ministry Work Group, member of the Leadership Work Group and, currently, chairperson of the Racial Ethnic Diversity Work Group.  Along with her Presbytery experience Olivia also brings her experience as an attorney with the City and County in Denver and multiple roles and responsibilities at Peoples Church where she has been a member her entire life.   Olivia has been a teacher in the Denver Public School System and was an attorney for the City and County of Denver.  She is a graduate of Metro State University and the University of  Denver  School of Law and is also a candidate for ordained ministry and is under care of the Committee of Preparation for Ministry of the Presbytery.

Olivia’s Sense of Call to the Position of Stated Clerk
In applying to the Nominating Committee, Ruling Elder Hudson Smith wrote:  “A call to the Stated Clerk position would allow me to serve in ministry utilizing my pastoral, administrative, and theological experience, as well as my legal and teaching experience.  It is my belief that the Stated Clerk is required to possess pastoral and administrative leadership, theological understanding, and legal familiarity, with a goal to strengthen the Body of Christ.  Our denomination, like all mainline denominations faces issues with changing demographics, ethnic and other diversity realities, changing societal values, ethical and social justice issues, pastor burnout and conflict, congregational apathy, and economic considerations as congregations decrease in size coupled with the costs associated with maintaining underutilized property and diminished resources to secure appropriate pastoral leadership.  Combined, my secular and ministry experience will allow me to support the vision of the Presbytery of Denver, with the varying dimensions in congregations, as it addresses these issues, faces new and rapidly changing concerns, and vision for the future.”