Equipping the Saints: That’s You!

Are you wondering about the best way to develop discipleship in your congregation?

Are you curious about how calling a pastor will change in the near future?

Are you concerned about your congregation’s ability to call (or keep) a pastor?

Are you uncertain about the future of the church—the local congregation or Church at large?

Would you like a word of opportunity and hope in response to these questions?

Many congregations in the Presbytery of the Susquehanna Valley have Big Questions like these. Many have bandied about these questions for a while. Some of us have asked them with growing concern. Some of us have sustained anxiety about these questions. All of us are called to seek the way of Jesus Christ, the way of peace, in all things but especially in regard to the Church’s mission.

The mission of the Presbytery is “to serve and encourage congregations as we together seek to be faithful in our calling to Jesus Christ.” In March the Presbytery will gather for an event that will do both of these things: serve and encourage congregations in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Our speaker and workshop leader, Erin Cox-Holmes, will help us address the Big Questions that I just listed above and offer us ways of thinking about them which bring hope and opportunity to us.

Mark your calendars to attend this gathering. There is no cost to those who attend, and we stand to gain the fruit of an important conversation. This workshop will be held on Saturday, March 14^th, at Nineveh Presbyterian Church (2997 NYS Route 7, Nineveh, 13813) from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Lunch will be included. Whether you are a Teaching Elder, Ruling Elder, or a congregation member who seeks the Lord’s blessing for the Church, please bring your desire, experience, and concerns to this event. Your dedication will be rewarded.

I am confident that when we together seek faithful discipleship to Jesus Christ; when we actively seek the Spirit’s wisdom in prayer and conversation; and when we earnestly desire to lift up the glory of God, then the Lord will respond with power and conviction. It is not ours to know the future. It is ours, however, to know that God will shape our future in creative ways and will always enable us to fulfill the mission that Christ has given us. When we gather to discern what God is doing, we will leave energized with a clearer vision for our future.

Be with us for this event, and be strengthened in our calling to Jesus Christ.

In Christ with You,

emrys tyler

Moderator 2015