The Rhythm of the Synod
Faith Notes from the Called Meeting of the Synod of the Trinity
Gathering on May 5, 2008
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Leadership Development will be the priority of the Synod of the Trinity for the next three years. During a special called meeting in the 291st year of the Synod of the Trinity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Synod Commissioners voted to work with this focus by electing one Coordinating Team for Leadership Development. This new Coordinating Team will utilize Work Groups, Task Forces, and/or Action Teams to live out this priority.
Commissioners also took action to approve that “Synod organizational and financial resources will be allocated primarily to those projects, relationships, and organizations that demonstrate their intentional efforts and measurable results to identify new leaders and to train, coach, and equip all leaders.”
A job description submitted by the Synod Personnel Committee for the position of Associate Synod Executive was approved and a Search Team will be named at the June meeting of the Synod. The new Associate position will be focused on communication strategy, Synod Mission Networks, and leadership development.
Synod Moderator Mary Speedy (Elder, Carlisle) named members to a Communications Work Group that will be staffed by Synod Executive Bruce Stevens. This Group will develop a comprehensive communication plan for the Synod and report on that strategy in October 2008. Moderator Speedy also named members of a Network Task Force that will, initially, be staffed by Synod Stated Clerk Lesley Shoup and then will become the responsibility of the new Associate Synod Executive. This Task Force will work with Synod Mission Networks throughout the 16 Presbyteries of the Synod.
The Finance Committee, through Synod Treasurer Chantal Atnip, presented a motion to fund the work of the Leadership Development Coordinating Team, as well as the additional work of the Synod Leadership Team (Synod Officers) from reserve funds of the Synod. This was unanimously approved. A three year budgeting plan will be presented in October in order to give financial expression to the Leadership Development priority.
The next stated meeting of the Synod will take place on Thursday, June 5, 2008, from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM during the Summer Conference. This Conference will be held June 4-6, at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The theme, “Jesus Sent Them…Why Are We Here Now?” will focus on transformational congregations and Bible study with the Rev. Dr. Ken Bailey and the Rev. Dr. Kang Na. Information about the missional church will be provided by the Rev. Dr. Pat Keifert, Director of Church Innovations. Worship is being coordinated by the Rev, Dr. Judy Angleberger.
Submitted Joyfully in the name of Jesus Christ by,
The Rev. Lesley Imler Shoup
Synod Stated Clerk (rlshoup@msn.com)
www.syntrinity.org
March 6, 2008
Dear Friends in Christ,
The Synod Leadership Team continues to meet and plan and pray for the Synod of the Trinity!
We have:
Discussed the many thoughtful replies to the Leadership Team recommendations at the recent Synod meeting.
Talked about the items that remain to be accomplished from the Commissioners' mandate concerning the Synod Review Team's October 2007 report.
Planned for the May 5, 2008 Called Meeting of the Synod with potential motions and recommendations.
Considered the best ways to define "leadership development"; considered how to be supportive of the Presbyteries in the areas of Leadership Development that might be explored; and considered some of the programs the Presbyteries are already implementing.
Deliberated on funding Leadership Development planning and implementation in the short term and long term.
Developed a design for a Leadership Development Coordinating Team (if approved in May) and the kinds of work groups/task groups that would need to be formed immediately.
Worked on recommendations for the Personnel Committee regarding Synod staffing needs.
Assigned the Moderator with following up on appointing members to the Communications Work Group (approved in 2003) and the Network Task Force (approved in 2004).
Worked on the idea of more Synod "Table Talks" between now and the May meeting.
Sketched out a time line for accomplishing the work of the Synod officers throughout 2008.
If you have questions, comments, ideas, revelations, or even just a kind word to share with the Synod Leadership Team, please contact us at your convenience:
2008 Moderator Mary Speedy maryespeedy@hotmail.net
2008 Vice-Moderator Gary Lyon gjlyon@windstream.net
Synod Executive Bruce Stevens bstevens@syntrinity.org
Synod Treasurer Chantal Atnip treasurer@syntrinity.org
2005 Moderator Jean Kennedy jeanckennedy@comcast.net
Synod Stated Clerk Lesley Shoup lshoup@syntrinity.org
May God richly bless you as we continue the Lenten journey towards Easter celebrations of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
The Rev. Lesley Imler Shoup
Synod Stated Clerk
The Synod of the Trinity
rlshoup@msn.com
lshoup@syntrinity.org
800-242-0534 ext. 222
The Synod of the Trinity
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The Rhythm of the Synod
Faith Notes from the Winter Meeting of the Synod of the Trinity
Gathering in the Presbytery of Washington
February 21-22, 2008
During the first meeting of the 291st year of the Synod of the Trinity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Synod Leadership Team shared responses to the Synod Review report which was received at the October 2007 meeting. The Synod Leadership Team also recommended that the priority of the Synod for the next three years be Leadership Development.
Leadership Team members are the elected officers of the Synod: The Rev. Dr. Bruce Stevens, Synod Executive; the Rev. Lesley I. Shoup, Synod Stated Clerk; Mrs. Chantal Atnip, Synod Treasurer; Elder Mary Speedy, 2008 Synod Moderator; and the Rev. Gary Lyon, 2008 Synod Vice-Moderator. Assisting the Team is Elder Jean Kennedy, 2005 Synod Moderator.
Synod participants met in small groups for prayer and conversation about the responses and recommendations of the Leadership Team. Then, each small group reported to the whole Synod meeting. Responses are on the back of this newsletter.
It was agreed that a called meeting of the Synod will be held on Monday, May 5, 2008, in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, from 10 AM until 3 PM, for the purpose of discussing and acting upon the recommendations of the Synod Leadership Team which have been made in response to the Synod Review Team Report, subsequent “Table Talks,” and conversations held during the February 2008 Synod meeting.
Mary Speedy (Elder, Carlisle) was installed as 2008 Moderator and Gary Lyon (Clergy, Kiskiminetas) was installed as 2008 Vice-Moderator. A Service of Installation was held and the Rev. Linda Jaberg, Chairperson of the Washington Presbytery Council, preached. Elder Jean Kennedy, 2005 Synod Moderator, asked the installation questions. Communion was celebrated during this time of worship.
Elder Elizabeth Todd, Moderator of the Presbytery of Washington, brought greetings from the Presbytery to the Synod.
The Personnel Committee acknowledged the resignation of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Robinson as Synod Co-Executive, which was effective January 31, 2008. Personnel Chairperson Gary Close (Clergy, Redstone) recommended and Commissioners approved that the Rev. Dr. Bruce Stevens be given the title of Synod Executive.
Synod Mission Networks recognized for 2008: Adults with Disabilities Network, Disaster Assistance Network, Eastern Church Transformation Network, Peacemaking Ministries, Presbyterian Men of the Synod, and Trinity Youth Conference.
The next stated meeting of the Synod will take place during the Summer Conference which will be held June 4-6, 2008, at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania in the Presbytery of Shenango. The theme, “Jesus Sent Them…Why Are We Here Now?” will focus on transformational congregations and Bible study. Information about the missional church will be provided by the Rev. Dr. Pat Keifert, Director of Church Innovations.
Submitted Joyfully in the name of Jesus Christ by,
The Rev. Lesley Imler Shoup
Synod Stated Clerk (rlshoup@msn.com)
Some of the replies of the small groups to the recommendations and responses of the Synod Leadership Team were:
I feel sure that the priority of Leadership Development covers…
Many of the concerns throughout the Synod…building relationships and empowering people through education…practices and standards that are discernable…providing training and guidance for the Presbyteries and churches…I do not feel sure about any parts of the new priority since it seems nascent to me…connectionalism…how to be a PCUSA leader…helping to nurture our relationship with God…teaching and learning varieties of leadership…knowing how to do God’s will…teaching, preaching and healing for all ages…new ways to identify and bring “gifts” to a common table…global awareness…incorporating youth…developing lay leaders from the pews…getting people excited about leadership…developing strategies…finding what is working.
What seems to be missing…
A starting point…“staying power”…discerning the movement of God’s Spirit…a compass (or a GPS system)…Synod Commissioners catching the excitement…a distinctively Christian focus…people of faith having a story to tell…general direction in the methods and resources to accomplish the agreed-upon goals…insurance that the Synod is not digressing into the old, top-heavy model with too much “Synod generated mission”…addressing decreasing funds…trusting …awareness…extended conversation between Synod meetings…are we tying ourselves to “must do”…are we limiting ourselves…accountability between meetings…personal commitment beyond the Synod meetings…denominational connection…helping leaders develop a prayerful agenda…a simple agenda to empower the Christian community…a clear vision of our faith to be interpreted to others…everyone being welcome regardless of status or race…guidelines about what it means to be “missional”…youth…examples of a “missional church”… inclusiveness… pastor as a servant leader…clear explanation of why – and what – we are doing…giving greater glory to God.
The next generation will thank God that we…
Acted upon discernments provided in the Review Team Report….that we are open to the Spirit…stopped being a cog in the 21st century wheel…colored outside the lines…led them to Christ and nurtured them…get them off the conveyor belt…that we were counter-cultural…focused on telling the story better to the congregations…did not rely on tradition, but sought the leading of God’s Spirit…did not underutilize the talents of Synod Commissioners…took the time to get on our knees and pray…were faithful enough to leave a legacy upon which the next generation could build…that we still understood what “connected” means and why it is of value…helped them find and use their voices and gifts…we persevered but we were flexible…held individuals accountable with measurable plans…set a direction…shared our love of Jesus so that they can receive forgiveness and the peace that passes understanding…kept the holy ground…helped revive pastors…regained the strength of mentoring youth and new pastors…included more people in leadership roles.
General Responses…
Discerning needs to be “bottom up” and we do not need to go back to the old, top-down model…look to the Synod for resourcing and network building…the structure needs to be “right-sized”…Commissioners need to be the primary ambassadors and communicators to-and-from Presbyteries and congregations and the Synod…greater connectionalism can be fostered by being more open to one another – and to God – than we have been…concern for students remaining connected to the church…organize the Synods and Presbyteries to actively support and help churches…networks need to develop their own leadership…need to inspire, enable and fund leaders in ministry…work together to create spiritual wholeness…personal trust and seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit…how does the partnership model fit into leadership?...servanthood goes both ways: pouring and receiving…help Presbyteries do the best they can do…there is a passion for Leadership Development…need accountability.