Minute for Mission: 1001 New Worshiping Communities

May 18, 2024

“We’re Presbyterians.  We don’t DO evangelism.”

I heard these words as I served as a presbytery’s associate for mission and evangelism.  The speaker was the chair of a congregation’s Mission and Evangelism committee …

I get it.  For many of us, the E word makes many of us uncomfortable. For some of us, it triggers painful memories of manipulation and coercion, of colonization and abuse. The word comes with baggage.

But I want you to know — and I want us to celebrate — that the Holy Spirit is moving through Presbyterians to share life-giving good news with people who are hungry for relationships and thirsty for grace. It is happening in our congregations, and it is happening with the intentional and focused efforts of the PC(USA) to start new worshiping communities wherever we can.

It looks like families gathered around a neighbor’s table sharing a meal and figuring out how to follow Jesus together. It is sweaty middle-aged adults bringing one another encouragement at the end of an exhausting cross-fit session. It is advocacy for the poor. It is worship among imprisoned women and a safe space for questions among bartenders and baristas on Monday nights in a college town. It is newly arrived immigrants from every corner of the world finding hope in each other to begin a new life in a strange place. It happens in sanctuaries, neighborhood parks, school cafeterias, dance and yoga studios, on paddle boards in the lake, on trails with hikers. We believe there is no place where God is not, and Presbyterians are meeting God there, making new friends, and demonstrating the mercy and grace that is real good news. 

In a Gospel text, Jesus stands in the midst of a crowd and cries out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the Scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ This flow of living water — from Jesus himself — to the heart of courageous men and women gathering new worshiping communities — and to the hearts of the curious, skeptical, aching people around them is evangelism. It’s as easy as pouring a cup of water or a cup of coffee because we have tasted the goodness of God and saw that it was good enough to share.

To hear stories of where this water is flowing, visit our catalog of video stories here: vimeo.com/channels/1218598/videos.

Nikki Collins, Coordinator, 1001 New Worshiping Communities

Today’s Focus: 1001 New Worshiping Communities

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Brian Henson, Desktop Support Analyst, Information Technology, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)  
Jessica Hernandez, Electronic Marketing Associate, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation  

Let us pray

Come, Holy Spirit, and fill us with love for neighbor and stranger. Show us your love for the people around us and send us to befriend them and serve them and welcome them in your grace and in your power. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

New Church New Way Novemer 2021

When the world shut down in March 2020, many of us working to support the work of starting new churches expected that the number of new worshiping communities launching would take a sharp drop, and we wondered how long it would take for things to recover. In a typical year, the Presbyterian Mission Agency funds about 50–55 Seed Grants for the launch of new worshiping communities. Last year, that number did drop sharply — to fewer than 30 new seed grants awarded. However, in 2021, still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, applications for seed grants have rebounded to 50 new communities starting across the PC(USA) this year. The Spirit’s work has not stopped. God is still doing new things among us, and faithful and courageous disciples are still answering that call in spite of all of the unknowns and changes around us. The rest of this newsletter shares stories from across the 1001 network — stories of resilience and hope, reminders of God’s promise to be with us always. As 2021 draws to a close and we dare to imagine a new year, we are grateful for the goodness of God, the continued invitation to join the Holy Spirit in calling new disciples, and the beautiful glimpses of God’s reign among us. Nikki 1001 National Coordinator

1001 NWC 2020 leader report A survey finds that nearly 40% of NWC participants are unchurched, affiliated with another religion or expressed no religious faith — but the number of adult baptisms in NWCs stands out. Learn more →

Spiritual Fortitude 1001 NWC launches a monthlong series beginning with wisdom of experience articulated by the Rev. Dr. Brian McLaren. Learn more →

Money Matters An ecumenical gathering highlights ways NWCs build financial support — and as NWC leader the Rev. Miriam Mauritzen says, "Our God is generous. It is our job to keep up." Read more →

1001 ‘New Way’ podcast A conversation with Christian Youth educator Gina Yeager-Buckley, who cut up her Bible as a 3-year-old, kicks off season eight. Hear story →

NWC retreats are ‘lifesaving endeavors’ As she waits for the Nov. 15–16 retreat inviting spiritual leaders to "Wait Upon the Lord," the Rev. Libby Tedder Hugus shares her poem "Cherish," which came to her at the August retreat. Read, then register →

Gifts of Support Like many of our traditional churches, new worshiping communities are evaluating what they have learned over the past 20 months, and how to move forward. For some, this means a "restart," an intentional regathering of people together to be reminded that, despite all the pain and loneliness brought by the pandemic, God has been faithful. During this time, the resources 1001 provides — to assess, train, coach, fund and to simply be present with those trying to find their way — are in even more demand. Consequently, this moment is a particularly important and impactful time to provide financial support. Send your checks made out to 1001 New Worshiping Communities to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. Or click on the button below to make your gift online. Donate →

What is a Matthew 25 church? Matthew 25 is a living translation of Jesus Christ — strengthening relationships, transforming your church, and bringing alive your commitment to "serve the least of these" - those who are marginalized or in need — in your community and the world around us. Make no mistake, Jesus is calling us to perform ordinary acts of compassion in daily life. But we have also been called to consider the factors that led to these conditions, to confront the causes of inequality, to confess the sin of greed and to correct the problem of poverty — whether in our own nation and neighborhood, or around the world. Read more →

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resources for Congregations and Members

You are receiving this email because you signed up for information and resources related to evangelism and church growth Presbyterian Mission, an Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202 800-728-7228 | 502-569-5000

New Church New Way August 2020

Six months into the culture shift of COVID-19, the 1001 team remains committed to the key resources that support the vision of starting and sustaining new worshiping communities across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It’s a strange dance of identifying and supporting new leaders in very local contexts through online and virtual methods. This month, we will launch a new virtual Discerning Missional Leaders Assessment program and a virtual NWC Accelerator training event. At the same time, new leaders will begin apprenticeships and residencies in site-based learning experiences hosted by some of our more mature and thriving new worshiping communities. Like the rest of us, we are clearly learning as we go — shifting our training and support from in-person events to virtual classrooms and cohorts, but the work of starting new churches continues in very real neighborhoods where the PC(USA) continues to call new disciples to the Way of Jesus. Thanks for sharing the joy of this journey with us.

And they’re off! Meet the 2020–21 cohort of Residents and Apprentices who kicked off their year of learning and practice with a first-ever virtual training event, July 6–8, 2020. We may be socially distanced, but the world of starting beautiful new beloved communities continues. This site-based learning program, led by the Rev. Sara Hayden, associate for apprenticeships, residencies and leadership cohorts, has three major components: Inaugurating a contextual and transformative new ministry from scratch Participating in a cohort of peers and mentors for reflection, training and discernment Learning through a professional coach. "We invest heavily in this model of training because we believe this work cannot be fruitfully done in isolation," Hayden said. "Our peer cohort component encourages humility and mutual support." Concrete training gives participants access to insights many of us have learned the hard way — and over time. Coaching ensures the work is contextual, sustainable and gospel-formed. Learn more about our residents here. Meet our 9-month apprentices →

New book for NWC, church, middle governing body leaders "Sustaining Grace" explores the dynamic between new worshiping communities, established churches and denominational systems through the lens of stewardship and sustainability. This collection of essays speaks to a central tension in the growing movement of new worshiping communities — the mutual need of and the mutual frustration between establishment leaders and innovators, conservators and risk-takers. Standing at the contact point of that tension, 1001 New Worshiping Communities and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary engage the question of faithful stewardship with voices reflecting and strategizing on each side of the tension, broadening the conversation to include those beyond the Presbyterian Church, and bringing both the academy and practitioners from church presbyteries, new worshiping communities, and traditional church communities to offer a theologically grounded, practical and generative conversation. Available here →

Matthew 25-Actively engaged in the world The Matthew 25 invitation was officially launched in April of 2019. Over a year later there are more than 530 churches, groups and mid councils that have made the commitment to become a Matthew 25 church and work towards building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. Explore our bold vision →

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resources for Congregations and Members

You are receiving this email because you signed up for information and resources related to evangelism and church growth Presbyterian Mission, an Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202 800-728-7228 | 502-569-5000