Office of Christian Formation Resources for Re-entry and More
Resources for Re-Entry, Remote Faith Formation and More!
The Office of Christian Formation supports formation ministries of congregations and connects leaders in faith communities with resources and practices that inspire fresh ways of thinking about the forming of faith over a person’s lifetime. We carry out the mission priorities of the Presbyterian Mission Agency as set forth by the Office of General Assembly.
Our office is building up:
innovations in lifelong formation and intergenerational ministries through resources, staff and programmatic initiatives in our churches to include small and non-traditional churches
development and assessment of resources for essential Christian practices and leadership development for all sizes of congregations, camp and retreat centers, in the home and out in the community and the world
the work of our Christian Formation Collective partner associations by working collaboratively with them and providing resources as they do vital work in age and stage ministries
Here is a compilation list of resources that could be helpful for you during the current COVID-19 situation and that may be helpful in developing sustainable remote faith formation for your community. In this list you will find resources to deal with the current crisis, studies for Christian education, blogs and ideas. We will update this list periodically over the coming weeks.
This original resource includes many links for COVID-19 specific resources, online church and online activities for all ages.
Remote Faith for the Long Haul
This UPDATED resource includes a pared-down list of online resources and has now been updated to include guidelines for re-entry to Education/Formation Programs
Remote Faith Formation with Guidelines for Re-Entry
While some restrictions are being lifted in some places and for some people, the ongoing threat of the Covid-19 global pandemic will require that we return to church in a way that is measured and mindful of the needs of the most vulnerable among us. Here are some resources and things to consider as you prepare to meet with your leadership.
Beginning Conversations for Re-Entry
The Office of Christian Formation engaged a group of writers to create a toolkit for faith practices that will be released in summer 2020. The completed toolkit will provide scriptural and theological grounding for each practice, as well as ways to engage for all ages. Here is a sampling from that toolkit to provide ideas of engaging in practices during these times:
Faith Practices Toolkit Sampler
Bright Sunday is the Sunday after Easter, but this Quicksheet offers suggestions for ways to hold Holy Humor Worship digitally any time you need to laugh in the face of darkness and celebrate the joy of God’s abiding presence with us.
Holy Humor Worship – A Guide to Intergenerational, Interactive, Digital Worship
The following Quicksheet resources were produced in collaboration with our Christian Formation Collective partner associations. Connect with all five of our partners listed under “Related Ministries” to the right. This list of Quicksheets will be updated regularly as new resources become available.
Presbyterian Older Adults Ministries Network:
Grandparents, Godparents and Faith
Supporting Older Adults During COVID-19
Online Memorial Services
Grief: The importance and challenging blessing of mourning
Presbyterian Youth Workers Association:
Discovering Hidden History
Making Memories & Telling Stories in the Now
Disrupted Milestones
Stay Home, Stay Connected
Sheltering at Home is a Time for Advocacy
Keeping Youth Engaged in Mission during COVID-19
North Highland Presbyterian Church is closing their doors
North Highland Presbyterian Church is closing its doors.
It is with a heavy heart we share the news North Highland Presbyterian Church is closing their doors.
Let us join our hearts and minds in prayer:
Eternal God, whom the highest heaven cannot contain, much less a building made by human hands, hear our prayer.
For the Church universal, of which this building has been a symbol, we praise you, O God.
For all the saints who, in times past and present, have formed a congregation of your people and have met in this place to offer their prayers and praise to you, we praise you, O God.
For those who have been made your children by adoption and grace, who in this place were cleansed of sin, buried with Christ in the waters of baptism, and raised to new and eternal life, we praise you, O God.
For your presence whenever your Word has been proclaimed and your sacramental gifts of bread and wine received, we praise you, O God.
For your blessing upon each of your children, welcomed and nurtured here, we praise you, O God.
For all who came to ask your blessing in marriage, seeking to love with your love, we praise you, O God.
For faithful stewards who have lived for others, serving you by loving neighbors, we praise you, O God.
For all who were gathered from this place, having lived this life in faith, who now live eternally with you, we praise you, O God.
For the knowledge that your church and your ministry among us will continue today, tomorrow, and forever, we praise you, O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Source: Book of Occasional Worship
Please send emails of gratitude, thanksgiving, encouragement and peace to Rev. Ashley Taylor.
224th General Assembly to be conducted online only
224th General Assembly to be conducted online only
Committee on the Office of the General Assembly votes for shortened assembly
Rick Jones | Office of the General Assembly - April 21, 2020
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LOUISVILLE
For the first time in the history of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the denomination’s General Assembly will be held online only. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a plan for a reduced assembly gathering that will require everyone involved — commissioners, advisory delegates, corresponding members and staff — to participate in a digital assembly.
The final decision was expected to be voted and announced on Thursday; however, staff from the Office of the General Assembly received information Tuesday that prompted a quick call with COGA.
“As we have discussed, we knew we would reach a point in time in our contract with the Baltimore Convention Center and hotels where they would not be able to meet the agreed upon services listed in our contracts and that day is today,” said Julia Henderson, OGA’s interim director of assembly operations. “This is a force majeure. We need to let them know we are canceling because they cannot meet their obligations.”
Force majeure is a clause in contracts that frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the contractual parties prevents services from being performed.
In this case, the COVID-19 virus has resulted in numerous conference cancelations. The General Assembly was scheduled to be held June 20-27. The convention center has converted space into a field hospital for infected patients.
Over the last few weeks, COGA and staff of the Office of the General Assembly have been working on contingency plans should the convention center not be available. The assembly will take place over three days; Friday, June 19; and Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27.
Details are still being worked out, but the plan includes:
Question and answer session (town hall gathering) for moderator candidates followed by the election of a new moderator/co-moderators on Friday, June 19
Opening worship, two plenaries on Friday, June 26
Critical business, three plenaries, including stated clerk election and budget, on Saturday, June 27.
Some COGA members asked whether the church would be able to recoup all deposits to this point. OGA officials believe they will. Further discussions with the convention center will take place.
Now the attention turns to preparing for the upcoming assembly.
“We will send invitations to mid council leaders to attend one or two sessions next week with OGA staff,” said Henderson. “We will appeal to them to help us to ensure commissioners and advisory delegates are ready to go. We are also urging those commissioners who are no longer available to serve to let the stated clerk know as soon as possible.”
Other planned events will include technical training for commissioners and advisory delegates, participation in a virtual Poor People’s Campaign event, Bible study and electronic group gatherings.
COGA will conduct another virtual meeting on Thursday, April 23, to continue work on finalizing the assembly agenda.
Faith Biscuits: Don Shrumm interviews Paula Steinbacher
Don Shrumm, pastor of Genesis Presbyterian Church (Littleton) has a podcast called Faith Biscuits. Don recently interviewed Paula Steinbacher, pastor of Church of the Eternal Hills in Tabernash.
Paula confesses, she is terrified to do interviews. ”It has something to do with my being on television in high school and feeling completely idiotic. In any case, my good buddy Don Shrumm invited me for an interview (or another way of looking at it is that I twisted his arm and forced him to invite me) about ministry in the mountains and I ended up singing songs from Into the Woods.”
Paula reveals, she had a great time and feels Don made her sound better than she thought.
There are two parts to the interview with Paula, be sure and listen to both.
Don also interviewed Dan Doloquist. Dan is currently serving as Interim Pastor at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Denver.
Subscribe here and listen to Part 1 here Part 2 here.
Emergency Grant Funds Now Available!
Denver Presbytery is offering grants of $5,000 to congregations in need.
On March 16, 2020, The Council of Denver Presbytery took the proactive step of forming an Emergency Procedures Commission (EPC) and was approved by Assembly last night during our Zoom Special Called Meeting. This Commission shall act on behalf of the Presbytery in emergency situations (such as the current pandemic) by addressing financial concerns that cannot wait until the Assembly next meets.
The Emergency Procedures Commission shall consist of Joel Adams, Wanda Beauman, Dana Hughes, Peter Hulac, Kendal Mullins, Olivia Hudson Smith, Bruce Spear, Justin Spurlock and Chris Wineman.
Since the formation of the EPC, we have seen the Coronavirus affecting our congregations through the threat of serious illness, fear and social isolation, job insecurity and job loss among many of our members, financial implications upon people, congregations and all governing bodies and their programs. Yet as members of the Body of Christ, we still claim our call to serve God and God’s people with energy, intelligence imagination, and love.
Denver Presbytery is committed to helping our congregations as our resources allow. We recognize that some of our congregations have been experiencing financial challenges even before the current crisis began. Given the uncertainty that the current pandemic is creating for most of our congregations, we believe it is important to offer immediate assistance to those churches that will suffer in the coming months.
The government Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act invites small businesses, including churches, to apply for financial assistance, and many of our churches are applying. In order to provide assistance to our churches before CARES Act funds are distributed, or in the event CARES Act funds are not available, Denver Presbytery is offering grants of $5,000 to each of our congregations.
To receive one of these grants, simply send an email copy of your CARES Act Loan application to accounting@denpres.org.
The Presbytery’s resources are not unlimited – and their value is declining in the present market. The Colorado Trust is the source of 74% of our operating budget, and the amount we receive each quarter depends entirely on how well the Colorado Trust's funds have done in the stock market. Given the volatile nature of the market, we are bracing for a 20% reduction in what we receive from the Trust.
In addition, the Presbytery currently serves as guarantor of $7 million in Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program (PILP) loans to several of our congregations. It is incumbent upon us to maintain a healthy level of reserves to backstop those loans.
We are all members of one Body, and together we seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we work for the vitality of our churches. Let us keep each other in prayer, and reach with all hands for the future that God is creating.
If you have questions, please contact Chuck Sparks at accounting@denpres.org.
God be with you,
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES COMMISSION
Joel Adams
Wanda Beauman
Dana Hughes
Peter Hulac
Kendal Mullins
Pat Queen (Finance & Property Resource)
Olivia Hudson Smith
Bruce Spear
Justin Spurlock
Chris Wineman
Tuesday of Holy Week Devotional from Becoming a Beloved Community
2020 Lenten Devotional Becoming a Beloved Community: A Matthew 25 journey to the cross
Tuesday of Holy Week April 7 | Grace H. Park
The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:34
Jesus’ first miracle was one of hospitality, providing more wine at a wedding to ensure the guests had plenty. In this incredible act, Jesus was following the Middle Eastern understanding of the concept of welcome and providing for others.
Years before Jesus walked on this earth, God commanded the Israelites as recorded in the book of Leviticus to open their hearts and homes to others, to strangers in their midst, to provide for and welcome them. Why did God ask them to do this? Was it to remind them of their beginnings, to remind them to rely on God for provision as they provided for others? Perhaps. But perhaps it was to remind them that God has room at the table for everyone. No one is to be a stranger — everyone has a place with God.
Fred Rogers once said, “Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort.” The Lenten season, especially Holy Week, is the time to look inward and upward, to discover more of who we are in the light of God’s love and be drawn closer to God through this time.
Loving and welcoming God, help me to invite all to the table that Christ has set for us. Help me to have a heart for those who need hospitality, for it is in this welcoming that our hearts may continue to grow and stretch. Amen