Smaller Church Mission Study Guide
A guide developed for the majority of Presbyterian congregations at the suggestion of the committees of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. and the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
Category Archives: Booklets & Journals
Organizational Diagnosis of Churches
This 85 page paper describes the theoretical background and the scientific development of the NCD survey.
Building Your Own Model For Cooperative Ministry
Building Your Own Model for Cooperative Ministry is a program for mission development with many important characteristics … Cooperative development is the key to a successful mission program. Congregations are bound together into a larger configuration; not isolated. This vision of the church is profoundly important as a vital ingredient in the remedy for the […]
Cooperative Parish Manual
Cooperative Parish Ministry (Definition) Several congregations that share a common ministry area or region covenant together to envision that parish area as the place in which Christ is calling them into cooperative planning and ministry. While each congregation maintains its own board or session, the covenanting lead to the sharing of ideas, energies, leadership and […]
In Life and in Death We Belong to God
The 213th General Assembly (2001) directed the Office of Theology and Worship to conduct a Church-wide dialogue on End-of-Life Issues. As part of the Office of Theology and Worship’s continuing work to implement this directive, we are making available in digital format In Life and In Death We Belong To God: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, and End-of-Life […]
New Times, New Call
A resource for small church leaders and presbytery committees to use to guide a dialogue about meeting the pastoral leadership needs of small churches.
Rising To The Risk
“This book tells about the success stories of vital and dynamic small congregations. You’ll see common characteristics among these small churches. They are dedicated followers of Jesus Christ led by faith to dynamic and useful Christ-like change. Others do not dictate that changes will happen; instead the members and pastors, and, in some cases, the […]
The French Confession of 1559
From the Preface: At the present time, when the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) must learn to live with the reality of its ‘cultural disestablishment,’ the French Confession is a helpful conversation partner. It is more than a mere historical curiosity, for although the French Confession is a product of 16th century Europe, it is neither out […]
Pastoral Expectations Inventory
The Pastoral Expectations Inventory provides a basis for the pastor and session to clarify and agree upon (1) priorities in the life of the church; (2) priorities in the activities in which the pastor will engage; (3) time required for the performance of those activities; and (4) the way in which members of the session […]
Living Until We Die
This study guide for Living Till We Die serves as a companion to the book, Practicing Our Faith, A Way of Life for a Searching People, ed. Dorothy C. Bass, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997. Twelve faith practices are presented in the book. The study guide focuses on six of those, exploring them through an end-of-life lens. These time-honored spiritual practices have […]