Joy in the Year Ending; Hope in the Year to Come
We have emerged with a clear calling to keep working toward a church that is truly inclusive, whose generosity and justice reflect our Savior’s. You have told us how much work there is left to do—at General Assembly, in denominational structures, in congregations and presbyteries, in hearts and minds. And we have heard that our resources, our history, our relationships are still crucial to seeing that vision accomplished in the life of the church. It is the church that has told us how much this work still matters.
Don't Call Us Brave: Pastoral Care for People Who Are Transgender
One of the most popular workshops at Covenant Conference 2015 was led by Meghan Foote and Susan Barnes. They have graciously shared their PowerPoint presentation.
"Generous Peacemaking"
A Sermon on Isaiah 11:1-9 and Romans 15:5-7 by Kimberly L. Clayton for Covenant Conference 2015, Friday, November 6: "'The church is called blessed because it is a peacemaker.' I am intrigued by this slight difference in wording. This second image does not say what we are called to be, but instead declares what we are. A peacemaker. This clause in the Confession does not call us peacemakers—a bunch of individual peacemakers, each one of us doing our part, making peace in our own little sphere, as helpful as that would be in our individual families, my neighborhood, your school, her workplace, his circle of friends.No, listen to it again: The church is called blessed because it is a peacemaker. A big ol’ unified peacemaker. We are in this together, united, one, with one another. These days, I’m afraid, the church is called a blessed many things—but I’m fairly certain that a peacemaker is not our best known characteristic."
Remembering Pam Byers
The tribute to Pam Byers at the Covenant Conference in Denver prompted her friend and former colleague Rosemary Bledsoe to offer these memories of Pam and the early days of the Covenant Network: "Most people saw her at GAs and conferences and meetings all over the country. I saw her pushing cartloads of envelopes out to her car to take to the post office, plowing through stacks of papers on her desk, sweating out deadlines, anxiously monitoring the never-quite-adequate bank balance, stunned with fatigue, hoarse from constant conversation, frustrated, determined, and somehow usually fairly hopeful."
"Better Than a Hallelujah"
A Sermon on Isaiah 65:17-25 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, 6:1-2 by Marci Auld Glass for Covenant Conference 2015, Saturday, November 7: "The Belhar Confession reminds us that we are called to proclaim this new heaven and new earth that God is about to create. But we can’t do that in a way that tells people to be okay with the pain they are experiencing NOW, or with the injustice that is breaking their backs and their souls NOW. We aren’t called to be Pollyanna and deny the truth of people’s lived experience. As Paul Roberts said the other night, we are not called to just be nice. We are called to disrupt."
The Covenant Network: The Work Ahead
Executive Director Brian Ellison addressed the 2015 Covenant Conference on Saturday, November 7, lifting up our vision for the organization’s mission and ministry now and in the future, in a talk entitled “The Work Ahead.”
Progress, Pushback, Possibilities: A preliminary look at the 222nd GA
On Saturday morning at the 2015 Covenant Conference, national organizer Tricia Dykers Koenig offered an early look at the Covenant Network's priorities at the 222nd General Assembly (2016), which will meet next June in Portland, Oregon.
2015 Covenant Conference Video - All sessions NOW ONLINE
The plenary sessions of the 2015 Covenant Conference, Unity Matters: Living into God's Future ... Together, will be available online! Access the livestream at https://www.comf5.com/live/live-connections.
Announcing the Workshops at the 2015 Covenant Conference
The leaders: Mark Achtemeier, Susan Barnes, Michelle Bartel, Bill Calhoun, Meghan Foote, Beth Hessel, Cliff Kirkpatrick, Ken Kovacs, Kimberly Bracken Long, David Maxwell, Carol McDonald, J. Herbert Nelson, Gradye Parsons, Ann Philbrick, Paul Roberts, Libby Shannon, Patti Snyder, Lucy Strong, Landon Whitsitt, Layton Williams.Participants at the Covenant Conference, November 5-7 at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, will be able to choose two workshops from among a superb line-up. Check it out!
Sexuality Bibliography
Two professors at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Steven C. Roy and Robert J. Priest, are offering a course on "Contemporary Sexualities: Theological and Missiological Perspectives." The professors have graciously provided their bibliography, which is lengthy and represents diverse perspectives; download the Sexualities bibliography for your own use.
Living History at the Covenant Conference
At the 2015 Covenant Conference -- November 5-7 at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado -- you will be able to have your own story added to the chronicles of the PC(USA). The Presbyterian Historical Society will be present, interviewing conference participants for the Society’s Living History Films series.Register for the Conference before October 1 for the regular rate.
Join us November 5-7, 2015, in Denver!
Your chance to save on registration for the Covenant Conference, to be held in Denver November 5-7, lasts through Labor Day.Read the article for more information about ways to connect, participate, and support the conference.
J. Herbert Nelson at the 2015 Covenant Conference
J. Herbert Nelson on his keynote address to the "Unity Matters" conference, November 5-7 in Denver: "The Church of Jesus Christ is called to assist in reconciling people to Jesus Christ. Although we have witnessed significant gains through the Church and the government's judicial courts regarding LGBT concerns, issues regarding race and gender remain historically slow to resolve in the United States. The call for all communities, including the LGBT community, to engage broader historic movements of oppressed people is both imperative and immediate. The starting point for entry into these intersection of oppressions begins within the LGBT community itself. My address will connect the biblical imperative with steps for implementation."
'A Season of Welcome' Continues
Beginning in the fall of 2011, the Covenant Network gathered stories from LGBTQ individuals who heard a call to ordination and how they were experiencing the changes in the life of the church. We collected those at a special website called “A Season of Welcome.” You can find them here: https://covnetpres.org/a-season-of-welcome/. More stories are welcome! If you’d like to add your story to this permanent archive, please contact Tricia Dykers Koenig.
Letters from the Heart
Ruling Elder Bob Coates from Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida, offers a website with resources collected during his congregation's conversation about same-gender relationships. The Palma Ceia Session voted to affirm their pastors' discretion in deciding which marriages to perform in their sanctuary.
Pre-Conference Workshops in Denver
Plan to come early to Denver so that you can join us from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, for one of two theological conversations. Professors from two of our PCUSA seminaries are planning in-depth conversations. Choose "Radical Reconciler: Reading the Bible as the Word of God," led by Cynthia L. Rigby, or "Inclusive Wedding Services," led by Kimberly Bracken Long.
Science, Scripture, and Same-Sex Love
A book review by Tricia Dykers Koenig: "Regele explores multiple disciplines in his search for understanding – biology, psychology, sociology, and demographics, along with biblical study, theology, and church history – and reflects on these learnings in light of his personal story. He provides an accessible survey of the science pointing to the probability that sexual orientation is innate, resulting from a combination of genetic and prenatal hormonal influences. The ethical conclusion: it is inconsistent with loving one’s LGBTQ neighbors to blame and penalize them for a characteristic they did not choose and cannot change."
The Addition of Belhar, the 50th Anniversary of C-67: Confessions the Church Needs for “Such a Time as This"
Stated Clerk Emeritus and CovNet Board member Cliff Kirkpatrick will lead us in exploring the significance of our confessions - particularly Belhar and the Confession of 1967 - at the 2015 Covenant Conference, November 5-7 at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver. Have you registered?