Presbygrow

Summer Internship – Bend, Oregon

The Trailhead, a non-traditional ministry in Bend, Oregon, seeks summer intern(s) to participate in a groundbreaking opportunity in New Church Development of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The intern(s) will work with Rev. Zach Hancock to establish this ministry through entrepreneurial effort that involves creating and managing an organic, locally sourced, ‘common table’ café, that will serve food/beverage and be the site of live music, guest speakers, opportunities for service to the community, other events, etc.

The intern(s) will be person(s) desiring to be involved in active expression of the Kingdom of God, as well as the desire to experiment with what it means for Church to gather in alternative, unorthodox, meaningful, dynamic ways that does not look like religious rite but practical action, not leading with words as much as deeds and contribution to the community. The intern(s) will be passionate about the transforming good news of Christ, while pursuing and developing his/her spiritual life, and have a passion about the spiritual searching of people, especially young adults whose backgrounds include difficult experiences, or no experience, with the traditional church.

Bend, OR is a city of 80,000+, set in the high desert of Central Oregon, situated at the foot of the Cascade Mountain Range (Portland, OR is a 2 ½-3 hour drive). Bend is a hotbed for outdoor pursuits, including: rock climbing (Smith Rock), mountain biking, Nordic skiing, Alpine skiing, trail running, kayaking, fly-fishing, etc. Young adults tend to be drawn to Central Oregon for recreational pursuits and work in tourism and the outdoors. Bend is home to Central Oregon Community College and the Cascades branch of Oregon State University.

The intern(s) will have housing provided (but could opt to pay for their own housing). The intern(s) will need personal support or a part-time job to cover food and other expenses (transportation, entertainment, etc.).

For further information regarding the opportunity and information about the intern supervisor (Zach Hancock), please contact:

Rev. Zach Hancock

970-347-7457

zhancock@gmail.com

* Applications are available from Rev. Hancock, to be submitted by March 31^st, 2010. Selection(s) will be made by April 30^th, 2010. Dates of internship are negotiable, however the expectation will be two months or more.

Camino de Vida is a New Church Development sponsored by the ELCA and PCUSA and was funded by the Synod of the Southwest.

World Christian Discipleship: an internship in missional leadership in Pittsburgh.

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

Starting May 4th,  Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the PCUSA, and Carol Howard Merritt, pastor and author of the book, Tribal Church, will be hosting a weekly internet radio show that will discuss the Church, culture, politics, and everything in between.

According to Bruce Reyes-Chow, “through our diverse church experiences and a deep common yearning to find the bridges between tradition and innovation, Carol and I will attempt to provide a place where we can discover the challenges and celebrations that God may have in store for us and the world.  We hope you’ll find the time to join us.”

I [Meredith] am encouraging anyone involved with Congregational Transformation, or those particularly interested in issues surrounding the changing church and culture,  to take the time to “tune in” to these conversations.

Click here for a more detailed description about “The God Complex Radio Show” from Bruce’s blog.

Click here to download the flyer.

Rev. Marcia Clark Myers, Director of Vocation for the PC(USA), recently gave a presentation on the challenges facing leaders in the PC(USA) that has generated a lot of Twitter traffic and internet “buzz.”  We here at PresbyGrow encourage all of you watch this presentation which is simultaneously fascinating, sobering, and hopeful.

(from the PCUSA website:)

“Take an informative and revealing look at the challenge of developing Presbyterian leaders for today and tomorrow. View the comprehensive presentation the Rev. Marcia Clark Myers gave to the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) March 24. (To view this file, you must have the free Macromedias Flash Player installed on your computer system.)”