In the Reformed tradition, we affirm and celebrate the priesthood of all believers. Yet, we still set apart people we discern possess specific gifts for ministry as deacons, ruling elders and teaching elders. With ministries of leadership, oversight and compassion, these folks provide our worshiping communities with vibrancy and stability, allowing for the witness of Christ in our presbytery.

With so many churches in transition between called pastors in our presbytery, more responsibility for ministry is placed on ruling elders and deacons. Thankfully, we have wonderfully gifted elders and deacons in our presbytery who serve their churches with amazing energy and creativity. They really step up with great faithfulness during these times of transition, especially when the pastoral leadership they have is not full time.

As we are finding that fewer and fewer churches can afford full-time interim or called pastors, we need to equip even more fully the other officers of the church. Our Book of Order allows for the training and commissioning of ruling elders to provide the ministerial functions for a congregation or group of congregations. These are Commissioned Ruling Elders, and they are authorized to moderate sessions, preach and administer the sacraments.

If you are a ruling elder and sense God might be calling you to this expanded ministry, please talk to your pastor, or session moderator if you don’t have a pastor in place, about your gifts and your sense of call. If you are a pastor and have ruling elders in your congregation who you’ve seen demonstrate gifts for ministry, talk to them about becoming a Commissioned Ruling Elder to assist you and possibly other nearby churches. You can refer to Book of Order G-2.10 for more information about this commissioning.

Please contact me if you have questions or are interested in pursuing this ministry. There are a number of training resources available, and each candidate’s educational needs will be individually evaluated.

Your companion in ministry,

Wes

Matthew Black Concert & NCCP Event

NCCP had a great time celebrating at Bethany Presbyterian Church. Thank you to pastor, Jesse Larson for hosting this event. Great food, great music, and great company.

Some pictures of the recent dinner with Jeff and Christy Boyd,

PCUSA Missionaries in the Congo.

Come Join the Conversation

You are invited to join with clergy colleagues who gather via Zoom each week (Tuesday at 1-2pm) to discuss the lectionary passages for the coming Sunday. The group shares thoughts, insights, and questions about the passages. The conversations not only offer differing perspectives, they provide a forum for support and connection.

Come be a part of the conversation!

(If you would like to know more about the group or to join, please e-mail David Ratcliff at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.)

It’s General Assembly time! It’s time to pay attention! It’s time to nominate…

a Minister of Word and Sacrament, a ruling elder, and a Young Adult Advisory Delegate as well as an alternate for each in case they are unable to serve. Attached is the full explanation from the Office of General Assembly and the Nominating Form. 

Many changes were made to the Book of Order by at least 2/3s of the presbyteries after GA 225. Those went into effect on July 9^th, 2023. The Book of Order has been updated with those changes. Many like to download the digital version on their computers. The English and Korean language versions are available now. The Spanish version will be ready soon. Here is the link for the free digital version and the method for ordering the print version available for $10 plus shipping.

Mission Support Conference and Dinner

Mission keynote speaker, Rev. Hon Dr. Kefa Sempangi, will speak at the upcoming Presbytery meeting on September 9th. Dinner will follow at Campus Commons at 5pm.

Deadline for dinner reservation is September 6th.

Please RSVP to [email protected]

Tables for this event are $100

8 people per table

Pacific Region APA Conference

September 14 -17, 2023

Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center

Classes offered in person and via Zoom

When: September 25-27, 2023

Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Stewardship Kaleidoscope is an annual conference offering excellent plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences, and incredible networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and generosity. Drawing leaders from across the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), the ELCA, and other ecumenical partners, Stewardship Kaleidoscope is designed to help participants explore stewardship, in its many colorful dimensions!

Grants are available from the Presbyterian Foundation to attend this conference.

Please visit the link below to find out more information.

https://www.presbyterianfoundation.org/grant/

Some class examples:

Care and Safety on Your Campus Strategies that promote safe church campuses and preparation in the event of dangerous situations. The Insurance Board.

AND

Training Church Treasurers Practical training for treasurers and finance team members in reporting, management best-practices, and tools

to make the job easier. 

Edd Breeden, Presbytery of San Jose (PCUSA).

Ethnic Concerns Consultation, or ECC, is dedicated to bringing education and awareness of the concerns of ethnic groups to churches and all of Christendom. The ECC is a place of encouragement that provides avenues for ethnic groups to be connected to and involved in the ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Special time for youth engagement and activities for all ages is planned. The ECC invites those who seek the full diversity of the church in our growing and changing culture. All are welcome to join us at Zephyr Point in October as we come together to enable spiritual growth and cultural awareness and learn how the ECC will advocate for racial and economic justice issues in the church and society.

Event Theme: THIS IS THE MOMENT

This is not a time for complacency or continuation of the status quo – This is the Moment…..

1. To center the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, voices from within and outside the Church
2. To act for racial justice within our churches
3. To do the work of deconstruction for the transformation of the Church and the world
4. To envision how the restorative justice of God can reshape our nation and our world
5. To celebrate the diversity of Creation in all its majesty.

*A discount code is available for PC(USA) participants. Please call (665-588-6759 ext. 113) or email ([email protected]) our office for more information.

We are living in a weary world. Join fellow church leaders for a retreat that will blend respite with generative work for the immediate season and the months to come. We will explore hope on levels both theological and practical: the stories that form our communities, and the systems, structures, and practices that foster hope and purpose. Come for a rich blend of scripture, theology, psychology, pop culture, and more, as we dream, discuss, play, and build resilience together. As busy pastors and ministry leaders, give yourself the gift of a reflective time away to pause, restore, and orient ourselves in the direction of hope.

Event Theme: HOPE ALL THE WAY DOWN

The Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana is a writer, pastor, speaker, and ministry coach living in the Virginia suburbs of DC. She is author of three books, Hope: A User’s Manual, God, Improv, and the Art of Living, and Sabbath in the Suburbs. In addition to her books, her writing has appeared in TIME.com, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Religion Dispatches, Journal for Preachers, Coaching World, and the Christian Century, and in a monthly column for Presbyterians Today for three years. She was featured on PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly for her work on Sabbath and was recognized by the Presbyterian Writers Guild with the 2015-2016 David Steele Distinguished Writer Award.

She is a sought-after speaker, preacher, conference leader and writer around issues of leadership, faith formation, and congregational transformation. She served as co-chair for two years of NEXT Church, a movement within the Presbyterian Church (USA) that seeks to call forth vital ministry for our changing cultural context. She currently serves as associate pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon, VA. MaryAnn is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas and received her M.Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She is a mother of three, an imperfect knitter, and an occasional ultramarathoner. Connect with her at her website. 

*North Central California Pastors are eligible for a $75 price total

October 13-15, 2023

Zephyr Point Conference Center

Zephyr Point volunteers are always appreciated at this bi-annual event where so much work is accomplished, readying and improving the grounds for the upcoming season. How about spendinga weekend during the Spring or Autumn in the Sierras this year? If working in a beautiful setting painting, hammering, raking, sewing and having fun with other volunteers sounds like a great way to spend a weekend, consider joining

us for Sprucing Up in the Pines.

Stay in one of our cozy cabins. The cost for the weekend is our reasonably priced meals, or you can cook in your cabin and only pay the $20 per person registration fee! Let us know what your talents are and we will match you up with something

that needs to be done.

Young Adult Advocacy Conference for College Students and Seminarians

October 20-22, 2023

Louisville, KY

Submitted by Faith and Politics team at Faith PC

North Central California Presbytery

5645 Marconi Ave.

Carmichael, CA, 95608

www.nccpresby.org