Presbyter Ian Ideas

PRESBYTERIAN IDEAS OUTLINE OF TASKS: The Ministry of Evangelism/Growth is the frontline of the Church. It is an old expression but none-the-less valued that “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” The following are areas that are the responsibility of this Unit. As the Unit does its planning, other areas may be identified as ones to be included. Within these parameters the Unit will define its goals and set the strategies for performance to carry on the work. PROMOTION: This includes designing and arranging for advertisements and promotional articles in newspapers, etc. The Unit may define other ways to put the word on the street and into homes that our Church is for them. CONTACT WITH NEWCOMERS: The Church continues to have a flow of first time worshipers. The Unit will define and initiate ways of letting these know they are welcomed and valued by the congregation. MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT: Personal contact with prospective members to inform and seek commitments to the Christian Faith and to our Church is the heart of evangelism. The Unit will define and initiate ways to lead persons into membership. MEMBERSHIP PREPARATION: This Unit will work with the Pastors to develop ways to prepare persons for membership before presenting them to the Session for reception into our Church. FACES of the Church This is a new concept for Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church, and for its church officers, the Deacons and Elders. The officers each will be responsible for maintaining contact with an assigned group of church members, affiliates, and winter residents. This program is mainly about Communication. Something we are all hoping for. Fellowship, Assistance, Evangelism and Stewardship, all evolve around Communication. FACES is one way for the congregation to better get to know the Deacons and Elders, and vice versa. It is an opportunity for members and friends of the congregation to ask questions of their Deacon or Elder, to learn more about the programs and events offered, voice concerns, ask for assistance, and even discuss issues that may be taking place in the church. So what does FACES represent? It is not a committee, and it is not a clique. It is not about bringing cookies for Fellowship. It is a way to build relationships between church officers, and its church members, friends of the church, and visitors. It is about Communication. Church Officers are required to communicate with the people on their list on a regular basis. This may vary depending on the officer. FACES is about Communication. Whether it is to discuss events or issues occurring, or just a time to talk about anything or nothing in particular. Evangelism and Stewardship

are also part of the FACES program. As relationships strengthen, Evangelism is strengthened. Stewardship is not just about money, but about giving back what the Lord has blessed us with, including talents. Evangelism and Stewardship are sharing with each other not for our glory but for the glory of our Lord and Savior. This is part of the Communication process, and part of the FACES program. This is officers getting to know the people in their groups, encouraging them to share their talents, enjoying fellowship with each other. The FACES program also provides Assistance to those who may need it. This could be arranging meals and transportation for homebound, assisting a member, receiving church CDs, communion, or visitation. Contact your assigned officer if you are in need of assistance. The officers will keep their assigned group for a year, then the list will rotate to another officer. This way you and the officers will get the chance to build additional relationships. Being Presbyterian is a way of being Christian. Presbyterian is more like an adjective than a noun. We are Presbyterian Christians. But Presbyterians have their own history, theological emphases, and ways of being Christian in the world. To be a Presbyterian means you are inserted into a family of faith that has expressed its faith and practiced being Christians in certain, recognizable ways and patterns throughout the centuries. Presbyterians celebrate our identity as Presbyterian Christians. We are grateful that God has called us into this family of faith and that we have expressed our faith in important ways. Our Presbyterian heritage can help us live as faithful Christians in the years ahead. THE GREAT ENDS OF THE CHURCH 1. The Great Ends of the Church Presbyterians recognize that the church is the people of God who serve God in this world through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We recognize the “Great Ends” or purposes of the church to be: · The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind · The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God · The maintenance of divine worship · The preservation of the truth · The promotion of social righteousness · The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world (Book of Order, G-1.0200). THE CHURCH REFORMED AND ALWAYS BEING REFORMED

A motto that came to be associated with Reformed churches during and after the Reformation is the Latin phrase Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda. It means “The church reformed, always being reformed.” This motto does not sanction change in the church, just for the sake of change; nor does it seek preservation of the past only for the sake of preservation. In Reformation times, Christians who used this phrase stressed that the church was to return to the model of the church found in Scripture without the “innovations” that had emerged through the centuries in the Roman Catholic Church. The church “reformed.” The church, however, is also to be open to the new changes that God wants to bring about for the church in the future. The church must always be ready to “be reformed.” Often, there was another phrase added to this motto: “according to Scripture.” The church is to be “reformed” on the basis of Scripture; the church is to be open to the reform God wants, on the basis of Scripture. So both liberals and conservatives in the church are challenged by this motto. We maintain continuity with our past, but are open to the future to which God calls us, as the church listens to Scripture and is led by the Holy Spirit. KEY PRESBYTERIAN CONCEPTS There are some themes that have been particular emphases of Presbyterians and the Reformed tradition. Chapter two of the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) highlights some doctrines or teachings that express the Reformed faith. These are not the sole property of the Reformed! But they mark themes that have been especially important for Reformed churches. These can be summarized and expanded as: Sovereignty. God is the majestic, holy God who creates, sustains, rules, and redeems the world. God’s providence is God’s guidance and work in history and in the lives of individuals. Election. God chooses to save a people who will serve God and seek to carry out God’s purposes in the world through lives of faithful obedience to Jesus Christ. Covenant. God enters into relationship with people: Israel in the Old Testament; the church in the New Testament. They are the people of God who proclaim and seek to order their lives by God’s Word. Stewardship. The people of God manage God’s gifs responsibly and seek to make proper use of the good gifts of God’s creation. Sin. Humans are prone to idolatry, which is worshiping anything other than God, and tyranny by which the very fabric of human life and relationships are broken. Obedience. The people of God work for justice and social transformation as expressions of their obedience to God’s Word and will in Jesus Christ.

PRESBYTERIAN LINGO Presbyterians use words to describe their church lives and practices. Some are specialized terms. Here is a sampling: General Assembly. The church’s highest governing body, meeting biennially, and including elder and clergy commissioners from all the denomination’s presbyteries. Synod. The church’s governing body beyond the presbytery level, embracing presbyteries from a specific geographical region. Presbytery. The church’s key governing body composed of clergy and elected lay leaders (elders) in a specific geographical area. Local church. The individual congregation to which people belong. Elder. An elected representative in a local church who is ordained to carry out duties of governing and spiritual care. Session. The group of elders who have spiritual and governmental oversight in a local church. Stated Clerk. The person who functions as the official record keeper and in some cases the spokesperson for a governing body such as presbytery, a synod, or the General Assembly. Clerk of Session. The official record keeper for the session in a local church. Deacon. An ordained office in a local church charged with ministries of care, witness, and service.