Inspiring the Revolution of Second.

I am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.

www.iamsecond.com

October 18–22, 2010

First Presbyterian Church

Fort Worth, Texas

Sponsored by:

Grace Presbytery & the Office of Church Growth

The 2010 Transformation Conference is an event that will bring together pastors, elders, and other church leaders to talk about, dream about, learn about congregational transformation in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Register here.

To learn more, and download a brochure, click here.

The Office of Church Growth is pleased to announce the arrival of our hotly anticipated Congregational Transformation discernment process.  Like the “Starting New Churches” resource for New Church Development, “Starting New Initiatives” is not designed as a “quick fix,” but rather, is a process of prayer, discernment, conversation, and reflection for congregations to decide how they can best minister in their particular context(s)

To download the booklet, click here.

Paper copies of the booklet are available from the Office of Church Growth by calling 1-888-728-7228, ext. 5088 or emailing at meredith.kemp-pappan@pcusa.org.

8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

Calvary Baptist Church

123 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

(from the website)

The objective of Movement Day is to:

• Convene leaders from across Greater New York and other large cities to hear the trends related to cities, urban ministry, and urban leadership from the best Christian thinkers; to

• Study the best models of urban gospel movements; and to

• Collaborate in new ways to reach and renew our metropolitan communities.

Movement Day is an invitation-only opportunity to be a part of an historic gathering of leaders learning from one another across our largest cities in North America.

For more information, go here.

The mission of the Transforming Theology network is to tighten the bonds between theology and transformative action in the church and the world…The Transforming Theology project pursues a three-pronged approach for deepening the relationship between theology and transformative action. The “Transforming the Church” page describes steps being taken to strengthen the networks of Christians across the denominations who share with one another the passion for a transforming and transformative theology. The “Seminaries and Divinity Schools” page describes new initiatives in theological education that are helping to train future religious leaders according to these priorities and to disseminate them more broadly….Our task is not to establish strict criteria for what counts as acceptable or unacceptable theology. Instead, we join with all Christian thinkers who are involved in formulating, and living, transformative theologies. We are working to bring home the two-directional nature of the deep bonds between belief and action. Powerful theologies lead to powerful ministries in the church and in the world. But the feedback relationship is no less important: examining transformative ministries (and also those that fail to be transformative) helps us to understand how theologies should be extended, adapted — or radically revised.

www.transformingtheology.org/home

Montreat Conference Center

For lay leaders, clergy, commissioned lay pastors, seminary students, and all who wish to take part in fashioning a new vision for the church.

If we believe God yearns to turn the church loose to be a Gospel force in the world, how can we partner in what God is doing? Differences – of culture and color, gender and generation, political perspective and theology – are gifts to be explored and celebrated as we live into a Church Unbound.

Click here for more information.

WCD is designed for young adults who are interested in discerning and preparing for Christian vocation, regardless of occupation (pastor, lawyer, teacher, church planter, aid worker, etc.). The program is non-traditional and experiential. Participants will live a simple life in community with others whole serving the East End neighborhood and select local churches. They will regularly reflect on Scripture and the great interpreters of the faith. The community of about 12 will be a diverse ethnic community from across the nation, committed to living according to a religious rule, remaining accountable to one another, while exploring the global needs of the Church.

Participants will work 15-20 hours per week in local business as a missional presence in the East End, and they will serve in an urban church plant or church in redevelopment.

Applications, Questions, and more info at:  www.worldmissioninitiative.org/wcd

Pastor is still in the investment going from large firm in Houston to tiny church in West Texas

By Paul Seebeck
Associate for Mission Communications

ALBANY, Tex. – Well, the pay is a little less.”  Trey Little is laughing out loud at the question.  “What has it been like going from senior vice president of a big Houston investment firm, to pastor of a small Presbyterian Church in a tiny town in Texas?   “The first Sunday I preached there were 25 people in worship, and 50 members,” says Little. “I was pretty convinced I’d been called to the church to make disciples, so I immediately starting focusing on – investing in— evangelism and mission.”

In 1996, Little thought he had life figured out.  He was being paid a lot of money to sell fixed income securities.  “I wanted to make money and spend it as fast as I could,” Little’s laugh softens as he remembers what that was that like.    “I thought I was going to retire at 35, to golf, hunt and fish, and buy my kids nice things, take my family and friends on vacations.”   But then what he valued began to change.  Trey and his wife Leslie were members of Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston.    He’d been a volunteer with the youth of the church since 1991 and felt as if he was “kind of going through the motions at work” when the director of youth ministries, Ann Stewart, approached him.    “Have you ever thought about doing this full-time?’ is what she asked me,” says Trey.   “You’ve got to be kidding me’ is what I thought.  They were offering me a position that paid $26,000 dollars. I had a daughter a wife, country club expenses, but I told them we’d pray about it.”

During that time of prayer and discernment, Trey and Leslie went on their first mission trip together to Reynosa, Mexico with a group of middle school students.  The theme for the week was on following Jesus.   The leader of the trip pointed out that in Matthew 4 when Jesus called his first disciples they immediately dropped their nets – left what they were doing – and followed him.

“My wife and I began to weep,” says Trey.  “We both realized scripture doesn’t say, ‘what does it pay, Lord?’ or ‘what about the country club membership?’  The following Monday I went to Grace and accepted the job of associate youth director for high school students.”

Four years later in 2000, Trey and Leslie experienced the sense of a call to follow again.  His mentor, Pastor Dave McKechnie, told Little “he had the gifts to do pastoral ministry,” and encouraged him to consider going to seminary.   He resisted, but then one Sunday morning he thought, “I can do what Dave does.”  Little couldn’t stop thinking about the influence McKechnie had on his life for 25-years, and wondering what lives he might be able to impact for good in the same way.  When he told Leslie what was happening to him during worship, she began to cry leaving the main sanctuary.  After some time in the balcony she simply said to him, “Let’s go.”

In 2003 after graduating from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Little accepted his first call at Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church in Albany, Texas.  Two hours from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Albany is a town of less than two thousand people, with 18 churches, and little growth potential.  But even though he was from a 4,500 member church in Houston, Little saw nothing but opportunity in this tiny West Texas church and town.    “Albany is seemingly on the road to nowhere,” says Little.  “But Texas Monthly called it one of the best small towns in our state.  People come here for sanctuary, to get away from the city.  Albany has a nationally acclaimed arts center, a well-educated population that is devoted to community and faith.”

Little was convinced his work as pastor should be about making disciples. He set about doing that by encouraging the 50 members to do more than just come to church.  “I wanted them to be the church, to do mission and evangelism,” says Little.    He asked his congregation two key questions: “What does your relationship with Jesus Christ look like? Does it mean anything to you other than eternal life? “

“If it does,” (Little is answering his own question now) “then you have a story to tell, one that becomes contagious. “  The stories of church folks trying to be who they are, transparent and real, and part of the life in a small town community has created a sense of excitement  for Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church.     “We now try to never miss an opportunity to reach people through relationship, to benefit the larger community,” says Little.  “We understand we can’t have the mindset that if we just open our church doors, people will come.   Instead we’re learning to reach out to people, beyond our walls, accepting them exactly where they are.”

Now in his seventh year at the church, Little continues to invest in relationships in Albany, just like he did in the investment business, always focusing on earning the trust of a person and the right to be heard.   He’s volunteered to read at the elementary school.  He’s held bible studies in a nursing home.  He joined the chamber of commerce and served on a community planning team on how to improve life for of Albany’s citizens.   He even accepted a role in a local theatre community nativity play – with a twist – he was the Grinch – there he was in a musical, his body visibly painted green.   “Listen we struggle in church, with ‘this is the way we’ve always done it,’ yes we have grown,” acknowledges Little.    “But so often the Church bases so much of success on numbers, hopefully we’re beyond that and growing spiritually, from the inside out.”

Perhaps numbers are inadequate in defining success, but they do tell a story of something happening— of what is possible.  Worship attendance at Matthews has tripled, as has membership.   The church now has 150 members and their Christian Education attendance has quadrupled to 220.    Their budget has increased five-fold to $250,000.  “I want to invest in the lives of church and community members to help them understand what this relationship with Jesus Christ is about,” says Little. “It’s more than just showing up for church.  I don’t believe church saves you, but an essential component to Christian faith and growth is Koinonia—fellowship in the community of God.”

Little remembers what one of his best customers in the investment business said to him, as he was leaving the firm to work for the church: “You’re going from greed to need, never forget that.”   Those words, echo in Little’s mind, when he hears people wonder, “how could you give it all up?”  His response, “I don’t feel like I’ve given anything up, all I’ve done is gain.  I’ve grown closer to God. “

He’s using his gifts, in the opportunities he’s given, to invest in other people’s lives.  Only now he’s introducing them to relationships centered in God’s grace through Jesus Christ.    “I’m still in the investment business,” says Little, “I’m a high energy guy – this business is perfect for my makeup, I’m so thankful to have a new perspective on how I define success in my life, that helps me move in the journey with others from greed to need, always believing in what is possible”

The Presbyterian Mariners Family Ministry Grant is awarded on a funds available basis to eligible applicants through Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations, church organizations, or Presbyteries.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicant must be:

• Congregation, organization, or individual member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• The project must propose an event, program, curriculum or book for developing family ministry opportunities.

For more information, click here.  Deadline for application is November 1.