Category Archives: Youth

Invitation to a Curriculum Workshop

The First Presbyterian Church in Mt Vernon, IL located in Southeast Illinois Presbytery will be hosting a new PCUSA children’s curriculum (Grace and Gratitude), and would like to open this invitation to the congregations of the Presbytery of Ohio Valley.

When: Wednesday August 5th from 1-3pm

Where: First Presbyterian Church of Mt Vernon
2424 Broadway St. Mt Vernon IL

Please RSVP to Rev. Rachel Helgeson if you are interested in attending.

Looking for a new curriculum? Wanting something new that is grounded in the reformed theology then come check out the new Growing in Grace and Gratitude Curriuclum workshop on August 5th from 1-3pm at First Presbyterian Church in Mt Vernon, IL.

God’s grace and our response of gratitude are the foundation of the new PC(USA) denominational children’s curriculum coming fall 2015. This workshop will explore grace and gratitude as the theological hallmark of Presbyterian tradition and showcase the importance of nurturing children through an invitation to discipleship that inspires children to learn and practice hospitality, generosity, and love. God’s grace and our gratitude are the heartbeat of our faith, life, and worship—a promising theme for Presbyterian identity and the future of the PC(USA).

Fall Conferences at PYOCA

High School Conference – “Take the Challenge”

This fall, Pyoca is hosting our first annual Pyoca High School Conference, and we want you to join us October 16 – 18th! Keynotes by Bruce Reyes Chow and worship/music with Jorge Sayago-Gonzalez make this weekend one for the books.

More Info Here

UKirk Regional Retreat for Kentucky/Indiana – October 9-11, 2015 

Do you feel drained? Do often wonder if you will ever get a chance to rest? Do you long to reconnect with nature and with God?

You might need a Pause.

This year in connection with Pyoca Camp Conference and Retreat Center we are offering a Ukirk Regional Retreat for all the PC(USA) Campus ministries in Kentuckiana. We offer a chance to take a rest, learn from each other and experience the beautiful outdoors. There will be workshops, worship, prayer and peace. We welcome this chance to pause.

More Info Here

 

PYOCA Camp, Conference, and Retreat Center – www.pyoca.org

Youth Ministry Grant Initiative

The Youth Ministry Grant Initiative (YMGI) is a program of the Center for Congregations. YMGI is for congregations wanting to develop new and sustainable youth programming opportunities for 6th through 12th graders in their own congregations that:

  • reflect the congregation’s highest claims and commitments;
  • and provide significant formational experiences for youth.

This program includes financial support, as well as a thorough educational component. Congregations throughout Indiana may apply.

Information sessions are being offered in March in Indianapolis, South Bend and Bedford.

Click here for details and on-line registration for the information sessions.  Or you can go to the Center website at http://centerforcongregations.org/workshop/youth-ministry-grant-initiative-2015.

For more information:
Kara Faris
Education Director
Indianapolis Center for Congregations, Inc.
303 N. Alabama Street, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-237-7799  ext. 1109
317-237-7795 (fax)
www.centerforcongregations.org

The Confirmation Project

The Confirmation Project seeks to learn the extent to which confirmation and equivalent practices (CEP) in five Protestant denominations in the United States are effective for strengthening discipleship in youth. Strengthening discipleship includes nurturing faith in Jesus Christ and facilitating youth encounters with Christian traditions (Scripture, creeds, confessions, and practices) to support lifelong Christian vocation.

The five denominations in this project include: the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Methodist Church. This project is funded by the Lilly Foundation, Inc. and seeks to provide ministry leaders within the Christian church examples of strategies and practices that are effective in helping young Christians grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Churches in the PC(USA) will receive an e-mail link to our confirmation survey on October 1, 2014. By taking the time to fill out the survey, you can help us better understandthe depth, breadth, and effectiveness of confirmation and equivalent practices in the PC(USA). We look forward to learning from you and your ministry!

To learn more, visit our website at www.theconfirmationproject.com.

The Event 2013 Is Coming!

Saturday August 17th 3:00-8:00pm

At Camp Pyoca in Brownstown, IN

Middle School and High School Youth (and their leaders, friends and parents) are invited to a fun filled afternoon. Enjoy a giant slip-n-slide, other inflatables and more in the afternoon and then get ready for a live concert by THE GREAT ROMANCE .

Cost is $8 per student.

For more information contact:

Tami Gibson 502-931-8918
Rachel Pedersen 812-332-1514

Presbyterian Youth Triennium Prepares for more than 5,000 Participants

Louisville

Paul Seebeck
Communications Ministry,
Evangelism & Church Growth

More than five thousand participants-5,241 as of July 9 and counting – will gather for this week’s 2013 Presbyterian Youth Triennium, held July 16-20 at Purdue University.

“What a great thing, some five thousand Presbyterian youth getting a week of immersion in the faith community and gospel,” says Evangelism Ministries coordinator Ray Jones, of which Ministries with Youth is a part. “Imagine the impact on the church of youth and adults together getting a sense of what it means to be a disciple and follower of Jesus.”

The Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Ministries with Youth is the program team responsible for planning and implementation of Triennium. They began planning for this event in May of 2011.

“We anticipated 4,200 participants, hoped for more, and are really pleased and amazed to have 5,200-plus!” says Gina Yeager-Buckley, associate for ministries with youth and Triennium director. More…

Seminary News for April

Rejoice over the ways in which today’s ministers and lay leaders are being formed, as reported in this electronic newsletter from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Theological Education. This edition highlights how the denomination’s 10 seminaries and two related institutions equip leaders who reflect the diversity of congregational cultures and spiritual experiences.

Live into this season of renewal by making a commitment to seminary education with a gift to the Theological Education Fund. The TEF supports all of the denomination’s seminaries, and a gift of any amount will help.

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary will offer its Southeast Asian Lay Pastors Training May 27–31. The course introduces students to major themes in the Pentateuch. It also helps provide a general understanding of the social, political, and cultural situations that conditioned the theological message of the Pentateuch. Learn more

Columbia Theological Seminary will present Opening to the God of Your Life: Women’s Contemplative Retreat May 20–24. The retreat will explore the many names for God in Scripture. Participants will pray and play their way to a spacious place where God’s gracious Spirit can manifest in forms both ancient and new. Get details

University of Dubuque Theological Seminary’s Master of Arts in Missional Christianity is designed to equip women and men for competent leadership in missional ministry in congregations or other settings. This may take the form of ministers of outreach, urban ministry, new church development, youth ministry, or work with para-church organizations. Find out more (click cancel on the first screen.)

Registration is open for McCormick Theological Seminary’s Certificate in Executive Leadership program for 2013–2014. The program equips pastors and other key leaders of Christian institutions with the skills vital for effective leadership. The program emphasizes the development of adaptive and transformational skills and draws on contemporary leadership theory and practice. Find out more

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will offer the class Seeing with the Eyes of Faith: Visual Art as an Entry to Prayer Sept. 22–27. The class will explore the possibilities for opening our souls to God through paintings and photography, meditation with drawing, and attending to visual images evoked by literature. Learn more

Princeton Theological Seminary’s Black Theology and Leadership Institute will be held July 13–20. The continuing education event for clergy and laity will focus on training, worship, and fellowship. It is designed for those seeking to deepen their thinking and preaching by learning from preeminent scholars of theology and religion. Get details

Border Control: Mission Art at the Boundaries will be the topic discussed by Dr. Mia Mochizuki in a May 13 program at San Francisco Theological Seminary. The program is one in a series of workshops exploring the theme of borders. The workshops are part of the Muilenburg-Koenig History of Religion Seminar. Learn more

The Asian American Ministry Center at Union Presbyterian Seminary provides for the needs of Asian American students, alumni, and regional pastors in their ministry. Upcoming events include the Charlotte Area Asian American Pastors event September 30–October 2 and the Korean Lay Leadership Institute October 6–10. Get details

Auburn Theological Seminary’s 2013 Lives of Commitment Awards Benefit Breakfast will be held May 1. The 17th annual awards benefit honors bold women leaders and next-generation change makers who bridge religious divides, build community, and pursue justice. Find out more

The Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico will sponsor a trip to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan June 11–23. The lecturer will be Dr. Ediberto Lopez, a professor of New Testament and Greek at the seminary. Learn more

Students, alumni, and others in Louisville Seminary community making a difference

One only need peruse the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary website to see the significant ways in which its students, graduates, seminary leaders, and others in the institution’s community are being change agents in the broader world.

Take, for example, Bruce Berry, who earned a master of divinity degree in 1972. “I am called to administrative ministries, even in retirement. Louisville Seminary prepared me for my life’s work by providing a variety of field placements that enabled me to see how not-for-profits functioned or didn’t function.” Continue reading…

Johnson C. Smith takes spiritual journey with students, preparing them for God’s call

Taking the journey of seminary education at Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, which ultimately leads to service to the church and the world, is very much done in concert with the administration, faculty, and staff of the seminary and consortium to which the institution belongs.

“The heartbeat of the staff of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary . . . is our understanding of the call and passion of our students,” Leslie Essien, the seminary’s development officer, said in a video on the seminary website. “We also understand that this call and passion is what we are here to support.” Continue reading…