New Church New Way September 2023 Newsletter

For the past year, the 1001 team has been paying attention to the ways justice is fostered through the work and witness of the new worshiping communities taking shape in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). As we seek to build the systems and structures that lead to flourishing, justice must be baked into the ways we support new and emerging leaders and communities. This month’s newsletters highlight some of the conversations we are having and celebrate some of the impact new Presbyterians are making in their neighborhoods. Read on, and join us as we anticipate the waterfall of justice in the reign of God.

Nikki Collins, Director Office of 1001 New Worshiping Communities

1001 NWC event on funding the future

Voices around the church will launch a conversation about funding new worshiping communities at a Stewardship Kaleidoscope pre-conference event. What has been working? What avenues should NWCs and presbyteries explore for the future? What are we missing in the ways we have been financially supporting new communities? If you will be at Stewardship Kaleidoscope later this month and would like to be a part of a Funding NWCs summit, or if you can’t be there but have some thoughts to share, contact Nikki Collins so she can bring you into the conversation. Click here to sign up for more information about coming events.

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Unification Commission listens to 1001 NWC leaders

The PC(USA) Unification Commission recently met with NWC Leaders for consultation. On Aug. 28, Unification Commission hosted a conversation between new worshiping community leaders and the commission in order to help the body tasked with unifying the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency better hear the perspectives and experiences of leaders of our newest communities often underrepresented in our governance. This session was organized as part of the listening sessions conducted by the commission in Step 1 of their process.

Read about the Unification Timeline

Wild Goose participants explore the connection between justice and faith

1001 NWC leaders recently gathered at the Wild Goose Festival under the Tent of Make Believe, a venue co-hosted by 1001 New Worshiping Communities to speak about their innovative approaches to faith and justice in their communities on diverse topics including climate change, gun control, systemic poverty and anti-racism.

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A New Season of New Way podcast

The “New Way” podcast, hosted by Sara Hayden, examines justice and advocacy efforts in the LGBTQIA community of the church with Episcopal Priest Liz Edman.

Listen Here

Join us for a NWC Catalyst!

Want to get something started but you’re not sure how? Join us for a New Worshiping Community Catalyst! The next gathering to inspire and inform creating and supporting new worshiping communities will be Sept. 28 from 5-6:30 p.m. EDT.   Sign up to receive the Zoom link:

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Matthew 25 Summit — Jan. 16–18, 2024, in Atlanta

Join us at the Matthew 25 Summit as we explore this vision together! What does it mean to eradicate poverty; how can we begin dismantling systemic racism; how will we know if we are building a vital congregation? We are offering you an invitation to innovation. A chance to dialogue, learn with and grow with others in exploration at this first-of-its-kind event! Featuring innovative speakers, thriving ministries, transformative workshops and space to imagine what’s next!

Learn More

Presbyterian Mission Agency, 100 Witherspoon Street, Lousiville, KY

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

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New Church New Way, June 2020

You don’t need me to say that everything has changed overnight. It has, and so has the work of the 1001 team in support of our new worshiping communities. Though the threat is real and some of our most vulnerable communities are feeling this crisis more powerfully than others, the resilience and courage of the 500 or so NWCs in the PC(USA) offer hope and wisdom for the larger church. This issue of New Church New Way bears witness to the work of the Spirit among us: In the relentless trust of Spanish-speaking immigrants and their leaders who stitch together safety nets for their own In the generosity vision of Presbyterians who continue to fund NWCs through the grant program of the Presbyterian Mission Agency In the sharing of insight from the house churches of 1001 for traditional congregations transitioning into small in-person gatherings Read full message →

House church in the time of COVID-19 Pastors leading 1001 house church worshiping communities are helping people be the church in small gatherings online and in the first phase of state-approved gatherings. Read more → No COVID-19 relief for taxpaying immigrants in worshiping communities A member of a South Louisville home church tells his pastor, "We the poor — all we have is God to protect us and we put ourselves in God’s hands." Click for story →

Worshiping communities awarded Mission Program Grants Five new communities have received $7,500 to help them get started; $25,000 has been given to six others as they grow and live into their mission and ministry. Grant recipients here →

New training opportunities take a virtual shape 1001 Assessments and Training are going online as travel is limited. While we will miss the energy and joy of gathering in person, we are convinced that offering new training opportunities online will stretch our reach and increase our access for leaders who are juggling ministry, family and side hustles during this pandemic. In August, we hope to pilot a first-ever online assessment and release a Spanish-language training platform for new leaders. An English version will follow in the fall. There will be four virtual Missional Summits (assessments) to train local NWC leadership teams, a virtual Accelerator designed for leaders in their first years of starting an NWC, and Discipleship Groups for leaders in all phases of starting churches. For more information about training opportunities, contact Sean Chow. To learn more about assessments, contact Michael Gehrling. Visit 1001 web page →

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 Privacy policy | Unsubscribe from all messages Website | Email | Unsubscribe from this message | Subscription Preferences Interested in additional topics? Visit the Newsletter subscription center.