Faith
About this blog
Thinking the Faith, Praying the Faith, Living the Faith is written by the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship.
Thinking, praying, and living the faith is at the core of ministry in the Office of Theology and Worship. In the following videos, learn more about what thinking, praying, and living the faith means to the leadership of the Office of Theology and Worship. Discover why it matters and what difference it makes in our lives, work, and worship.
Charles Wiley
Barry Ensign-George
David Gambrell
Christine Hong
Karen Russell
Recent posts
- Our Challenging Way: Faithfulness, Sex, Ordination, and Marriage
- Unity, Confessions, and the Book of Order
- Come and See
- Please and Thank You
- Back to Basics on Ash Wednesday
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Company of New Pastors
These are busy days for the Company of New Pastors.
If you’re not familiar with the program, Company of New Pastors (CNP) is a transition into ministry program that begins in seminary and continues into a pastoral leader’s first years in ministry. The program focuses on pastoral formation with an emphasis on the disciplines of daily prayer, daily scripture reading, and ordered theological reflection in company with peers, guided by experienced pastor mentors.
In seminary, there is a particular rhythm of classes and study and coffee and reading and coffee and discussion and writing and coffee and study. It’s an environment where loving God with your heart, your soul and your mind is encouraged and nurtured. Full time ministry has a totally different rhythm. In the busyness of the millions of varied tasks – both small and large – required of pastoral leaders, it can be difficult to remember to breathe, much less remember to nurture your own faith. Over the past few years, the time gap between seminary and a first call has widened, and that “between time” has its own challenges and dangers. Most new pastoral leaders serve small churches in rural areas, and there are few opportunities to foster the kind of spiritual and intellectual challenge that is built into the seminary experience.
Company of New Pastors seeks to provide some continuity between the rhythm of seminary and the multiple demands of ministry through the daily disciplines in the company of colleagues. Over the next six weeks, 50 recent seminary graduates will meet their Pastor Mentors and over the course of three days will form covenant groups. These groups will meet over the next four to five years as these new pastoral leaders move into their new reality. Next month, 75 seminary students will come to Louisville for a two day orientation as they begin their journey in CNP.
As these new and soon-to-be-new pastoral leaders begin the next phase of their journey in ministry, they will be accompanied by mentors to guide them and colleagues to support them. Updates from the CNP gatherings will be on our facebook page, and as blog entries here.
- Posted at 10:06 p.m.
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