Congregational Development Committee
Congregational Development concerns itself specifically with empowering and enlivening the ministry of every congregation of the Presbytery. It assists churches to grow as communities of faith through consultation, and advocacy for congregational redevelopment. Provides financial support to congregations. Meets 1st Thursday 6:30pm @ Parkminster.
2012 “Triple-Play” Grant
Congregational Development is collaborating with Mission & Advocacy and Resource & Education in the creation of a new “Triple-Play” grant process for congregations to apply in 2012 to receive funds in 2013.
We are seeking applications in which the categories of
- congregational health,
- community mission & advocacy, and
- leadership training
are combined in a single project, in a partnership of at least two Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations and at least one community agency or program.
2011 Congregational Development Committee Second Chance Grant Recipients
The Congregation Development Committee is pleased to present the following 2011 Second Chance Grant recipients:
- Community Peace Garden/Peace Circles (Albion) $950
- TGIF Board will establish a youth-designed and planted Peace Garden next to the church’s sanctuary on Village property to provide family members and friends a place to come to reflect and grieve the recent loss of two high school seniors. A second garden will be established at a location provided by Orleans Co. Community Action. The distribution of the produce will include: having the youth take it home, giving it to the local soup kitchen, and giving it away to the indigent. The TGIF Board has also decided to receive training in how to develop and operate Peace Circles for youth. We will be using the M.K. Ghandi Institute for Nonviolence which operates out of the University of Rochester.
- Coaching For Spiritual Leadership (Byron First) $665
- The Byron Presbyterian Church has been making use of Natural Church Development (NCD) as an effective process leading to improved congregational health. The church has taken the NCD survey twice. In this project we seek Presbytery’s support to cover the expense of a third NCD survey in 2011, and also support for the services of an outside “Coach” to work with Session and the congregation in interpreting and acting upon the results over the succeeding twelve months.
- New Frontiers (Irondequoit) $1,425
- IPC hopes to extend our reach to new members, existing home bound members and to our neighbors in the Irondequoit and Northeastern Rochester communities. By modernizing and renewing the resources we have, these efforts will be easier. New technologies and new programs lead us to new frontiers in our mission journey. Funds will be used on the following: Alpha Program materials and resources; Social Hall repairs; Mission and Outreach support; Technology improvements; Updated phone and internet service.
- Ready, Set, Sew-N-Grow (LeRoy) $1,425
- We have many talented people from our congregation and community that sew or have a strong interest in learning to sew, including many young people. We would like to renovate an empty room to accommodate, supply and organize a place for sewing quilts/comforters to donate to various charities.
- Friday Night Pizza (North Bergen) $2,300
- The Session of North Bergen Presbyterian made a commitment to pursue the building of a wood fired brick oven (for the preparation of pizza, bread, and other foods) in an area located next the church pavilion. In 2012, we intend offer pizza to the Byron-Bergen Community on Friday nights initially starting with 2 Fridays per month. We will provide a comfortable place to eat in the festive atmosphere of our pavilion, an asset underutilized by the community. We will simply ask people to contribute whatever they think the pizza might be worth.
- Patrick Place (Scottsville Union) $1,250
- Patrick Place will be a Comfort Care Home that provides love and support for the terminally ill in a home-like setting. This project is a partnership of Union Presbyterian with St. Mary of the Assumption Church and other churches from surrounding communities.
- Neighborhood L.O.V.E. (Listening Outside for Vision Expansion) Project (Trinity Emmanuel) $2,600
- Based on newly established relationships through neighborhood children’s participation in TEPC’s ministries with non-TEPC adult members of the community, this street-based conversation and parish-network building process will involve adults of different social and cultural realities with the congregation. Bridging these social and cultural differences are central to the process of transforming the relationships of TEPC’s adult members and the children from different backgrounds whom TEPC is already serving. This new community network of parents is key to building the transformation process at TEPC.
- Sread the Word (South) $1,425
- To increase the presence of ASL interpreters for worship, classes, and congregational forums. South currently has two NTID students and one additional person with hearing impairment attending worship. Monthly gatherings of neighborhood people will also be offered, with particular outreach extended to the graduate student population at the UR and RIT where relationships with students have already begun developing.
- Youth Worship Initiative (Twelve Corners, Geneseo, Chili, Pittsford) $750
- Youth Worship Initiative is being created to invite youth to meet together across Presbytery throughout the coming program year for fellowship and to learn about worship experiences. For our first event in October, the International Peacemaker, Dr. Emad Ramzy Philobbos, will speak about Christian-Muslim relationships and experiences that challenged, strengthened, and developed his faith in Christ. This project was first developed at a Youth Leaders dinner that included 32 leaders from 21 different churches to discuss ways to continue fellowship and worship interest that is experienced at PC(USA)’s Triennium.
Natural Church Development
A tool for developing Healthy, Growing Churches
The Natural Church Development community, based in Germany, includes over 40,000 churches in 60 countries around the world committed to being healthy, growing congregations.
The Congregational Development Committee happily supports the Presbyterian churches of Genesee Valley in their efforts to be healthy, growing churches.
In our new Natural Church Development section, you can learn about Natural Church Development, how three congregations in our Presbytery have used Natural Church Development, and how the Congregational Development Committee can help your congregation embark on Natural Church Development.
Urban Presbyterians Together
Urban Presbyterians Together (UPT) is a network of clergy and lay leaders in eleven urban congregations in Rochester. UPT offers mutual support and programs of particular interest to our urban congregations.
Mission
Membership: 12
The Congregational Development Committee concerns itself specifically with empowering and enlivening the ministry of every congregation of the Presbytery. The membership of the Committee shall be equally represented by churches in various localities and of different sizes.
The Committee will assist all churches in the Presbytery in developing and implementing plans by which those congregations will serve as primary instruments of mission in their communities. The Committee shall:
- Assist churches to grow as communities of faith through consultation, and advocacy for congregational transformation. This includes analyzing social, demographic, and congregational trends in order to assess their implications for urban, suburban, town, country, and village churches.
- Encourage congregations to engage in mission studies which renew the life and ministry of those congregations and provide direction for the future.
- Provide financial support to urban, suburban, town, country, and village congregations. Support will be prioritized according to mission and need.
- Engage with congregations and cooperate with other committees and ministry teams of Presbytery in matters of shared responsibility or interest, e.g., clearance interviews for pastors, triennial visits with sessions, community issues, mission projects, etc.
- Encourage and assist congregations in initiating and participating in hands-on mission projects.
- Review annually the use of the Committee’s funds from the Presbytery annual budget for congregational transformation.
- The Committee will assist individual congregations in demonstrating the connectedness and mutual needs of Presbyterians by:
- Encouraging trust between congregations that are detached from one another, either by geography, ethnicity, ideology, or theology, by encouraging every congregation to engage in an intentional partnership with another congregation, a ministry within the Presbytery, or an ecumenical ministry.
- Building ongoing relationships between congregations and the various bodies of Presbytery.
- Initiating support groups based on common interests.
- Assisting congregations in developing faithful giving programs which link spiritual discipline with financial discipleship.
- Working with other committees and ministry teams of Presbytery to plan social events and spiritual development opportunities for laity, elders, deacons, and clergy.
- Developing resources and tools to nurture and support emerging faith communities, and new church developments.
Formerly a division of Congregational Ministries Committee
Separate committee approved 3/28/2009
Documents
The Congregational Development Committee owns and maintains the following documents.