From the One Big Idea Session of our 2015 National Gathering here is Thomas Daniel on “Digging Wells”. The Church in North America has become associated for what (and who) we are thought to oppose. How do we seek to shift the narrative to what we are about? We will take some time to explore…

From the Going Deeper Session of our 2015 National Gathering here is Scott Sunquist on “Mission: Why We Need to Understand the 20th Century.“  History is very important. Our involvement in mission needs more than zeal and conviction; we need an understanding of recent history and how mission has been accomplished with and in spite…

From the One Big Idea Session of our 2015 National Gathering here is Mike Breen on “Presbyterians Doing Mission in the 21st Century?“ Why are Presbyterians so well equipped to do mission in the 21st century? The answer is that the unique history and theology of the Presbyterian Tradition offers an unrivalled opportunity to take…

This year’s devotional, “To You Is the Song” is based around a beautiful poem by Eileen Berry. We follow the texts of the Revised Common Lectionary from the First Sunday of Advent through the Day of Epiphany, bringing together personal reflections, hymns, and prayers along with full color original art. This year’s devotional also includes…

By Travis Fletcher – I’d like to try to connect something which is often benign at best (a presbytery meeting) with a vision for something that gets me excited: mission. Several years ago in a little town in southwest Colorado, I was sitting in a presbytery meeting at a local church. The church was located…

Paul Detterman, National Director – Two weeks ago I looked across the aging sanctuary of what was once the second largest church in our denomination. Now it has an expressway in the front yard and a significantly smaller congregation spread across 31 zip codes. But the story of First Presbyterian Church San Diego has nothing…

by Paul Detterman, National Director – “There is a reason God gave us two ears and only one mouth…”   Much in the flurry of mainstream and social media over the past several days proves the enduring wisdom of that old saying, and of the truth of its biblical counterpart, “There is a time to keep…

My friend recently told me about a writing assignment given to his 6th grade daughter. She was asked to write an essay based on a before & after story from her life. She thought and thought, wrote and erased, and thought some more. He asked her what was giving her so much difficulty. She answered,…

By Karen Ballard – A group of awesome women that meets together weekly has been working their way through the book, The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life. It has encouraged all of us to look deep at who we are, what drives us, and who we want to be according…

By Joan Gaines – “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I…

By Paul Detterman, National Director – This Sunday, followers of Jesus throughout the world will celebrate his resurrection. In the affluence of North American congregations, it’s not only the central celebration of the church year but it is also a great day for florists, department stores, and itinerant brass players. The trouble is, Monday morning…

Dr. Marilyn Borst is Associate Director for Partnership Development with The Outreach Foundation and a member of North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. She serves on the Presiding Board of The Fellowship Community. I spend quite a bit of time on airplanes and I have noticed that an increasing number of travelers don serious headsets…

By: Paul Detterman, National Director for The Fellowship Community It happened last night. A few hundred people came out in the middle of a cluttered week when the local collegiate basketball team was playing (competing gods in this town!) to be reminded that we were going to die and that we could choose to truly…

By Paul Detterman – There is a true story in my family about a sibling a generation before me who, when caught misbehaving, would often say, “Well, I’m not as bad as the rest of the kids!” Any armchair psychologist can recognize denial when they hear it! The point, of course, was not what everyone…

G. K. Chesterton, the “Prince of Paradox” once said, “The world shall starve not for a lack of wonders, but for lack of wonder.” This is never more clear to me than each December as the “holiday” playlists arrive in stores, and everything from Handel to hip-hop brings the vibe of the season alive. Music…

It may seem like semantics – the difference between a congregation that prays and a praying congregation. They sound like the same thing – but what if they aren’t? The former describes a congregation who participates in prayer as an activity; it is a church that worships, that enjoy a good potluck together, that serves…

How do we get the church’s leaders ready for ministry in a world which has mostly moved on from Christianity? How can a denomination like ECO or a movement like The Fellowship Community prepare leaders who will be able to engage with a rapidly-changing post-modern (and even post-post-modern) cultural context? Dana Allin, Synod Executive of…

By Valerie A. Lucas- Looking back on the path that has led me here today, I realize there are 3 major things that have shaped my prayer life: unanswered prayers, the bold prayers of others, and living in the word of God. 14 years ago my dad suffered a massive stroke. My whole world collapsed,…

Lloyd Presbyterian with the Fellowship Community By Rev. Laura Spangler – What joy I experienced when our session unanimously said yes to joining the Fellowship Community, October 12, 2014.   Our vision statement at Lloyd Presbyterian Church is Following Jesus, Making Disciples and Serving God’s People. Lloyd is an historically African American Church founded in 1870.…

As the Fellowship Community “stays in…while reaching out”, the 2 or 3 Network (aka “Wee Kirk”) will do the same! The richness of small membership church ministry will reach out beyond “Wee Kirk” borders! We’ll be reaching out to share this UNIQUE ministry with folks in other denominations. In July 2014, the National Wee Kirk…