The hosts of the Encounter and Nourish episodes join together to think back on all of the gifts that the second season brought to the listeners – and the hosts. Contribute your own feedback and reflections by emailing them at alongtheroad@pcusa.org.

In this episode referencing the document, Seeking to be Faithful Together: Guidelines for Presbyterians in Times of Disagreement, Ruling Elder Sara Pottschmidt joins us to reflect on navigating difficult conversations or conflicts that may raise uncomfortable feelings of disappointment, anger, or even defensiveness particularly as we serve in the various councils of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and beyond.

The Standing Rules of the General Assembly remind us that “As Presbyterians, we are called to  work for the peace, unity, and purity of the church as we seek to be faithful in God’s work in the world."

In addition to using the Guidelines linked above, commissioners, advisory delegates, and participants to the General Assembly attest that they will abide by the GA Code of Conduct.

• Seeking to be Faithful Together: Guidelines for Presbyterians in Times of Disagreement
• General Assembly Code of Conduct

Mark Koenig provides a reflection on call with a capital “C” and call with a lowercase “c”, and the way that our calls connect us to community.

More on these aspects of ministry as presented by Jack Stotts, are available here. 

The 225th General Assembly (2022) introduced and the 226th General Assembly will continue to use equity primes, prompts, and questions to lessen bias and ensure that multiple and diverse perspectives and invited and considered in order that we may "hear the voice of the Spirit contributed by all participants" in our decision-making.  Join Amanda Craft, Office of the General Assembly and Robin Pugh, Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, who serve as GA226 Equity Support Coordinators to learn more about creating and utilizing equity practices in your various contexts.
Resources:
PCUSA Equip Course on Choice Points and Equity Primes: https://equip.pcusa.org/course/view.php?id=540
OGA Leader Formation Webinar: Practicing Inclusion: https://vimeo.com/761091588

• Discernment Equity Primes for Groups/Committees (pdf)
• Equity Primes for Individuals (pdf)
• Practicing Inclusion Webinar - List of Resources (pdf)

The work of a commissioner isn't just to one meeting and then they are done? While this may be a surprise to some, Jihyun Oh helps us understand a little more about the service of PC(USA) commissioners and how the rest of us can support them. 

Hello Church People! As Mid Council Leaders with years of valuable experience, and also as former Commissioners to the General Assembly and advisory delegates, Fran Lane Lawrence, Forrest Classen, and Eliana Maxim share with us their thoughts, strategies, and ideas on how to prepare commissioners for the overwhelming mental, physical and Spiritual encounters they will have in the next General Assembly. Join us!

Deacon and college student, Axel Obed Nieves Torres, shares his story of call to church leadership and how he connected to the ministries through his God-given gifts, giving all of us a chance to reflect on our own gifts and call. 

Hello Church people! Director for General Assembly Planning, Kate Trigger Duffert, and Manager for General Assembly Business, Ken Tolley, share the ins and outs of this year's processes for Overtures, PC-Biz, and some great pointers for Commissioners, Mid Councils, and church leaders to get involved in the democratic process that GA provides. 

kate.duffert@pcusa.org
ken.tolley@pcusa.org

Joyce Lieberman helps navigate the call we have to vote – in our churches and assemblies but also in our general elections – and how our faith can, and should, connect as we consider our choices. 

Our histories, our stories are a vital part of who we are and more and more we include storytelling as part of our conferences, workshops, meetings, and ministries. Complexifying,  countering, re-examining the stories we tell, and the narratives we believe is not easy work but faithful work. Join Allison Davis and Kyna Herzinger from the Presbyterian Historical Society, Office of the General Assembly, and Lee Catoe, Editor of Unbound, Presbyterian Mission Agency, as they share how engaging our stories more critically can deepen our understanding of our collective experiences.

You can learn more about the Presbyterian Historical Society and Office of the General Assembly | Department of History colleagues Allison Davis and Kyna Herzinger.

As well as the online journal, Unbound and podcast A Matter of Faith and Presbyterian Mission Agency colleague, Lee Catoe.

Thank you for taking time to listen!

Sometimes hobbies can connect us to God and to each other and become a deeply meaningful spiritual practice. Priscilla Andre-Colton tells us all about her ministry of praying for others and demonstrating care through her ministry of making and sending cards. 

Rev. Brian Heron shares with us his experience creating conversations and actions with pastoral ministries that envision the legacy of the communities and congregations that are working on transforming their ministerial purpose. As a former Executive Presbyter and now in a transitional position, Rev. Heron provides mid council leaders with tips and guidelines on how a grief-specialized ministry can give a new life to those involved. 
You can contact Rev. Brian Heron at brian@pedalpilgrim.com

As Christians, we are called to seek justice for all of God’s children. Lee Catoe helps us unpack what justice means, ways we can be active in ministries of justice in our contexts, and resources for the journey. 

As leaders in the church we attend many meetings, but we also may be responsible for leading these groups. Marissa Galván-Valle shares her perspective on meeting preparation and how she uses Regarding Ruling Elders: A Monthly Resource for Serving Faithfully when leading session meetings. 

In this episode that accompanies the Jan. 3, 2024 Encounter episode on Church Safety and Security, guests Kathy Riley and Jim Kirk explore the importance of a comprehensive approach and attentiveness to both physical safety and emotional well-being as sessions and presbyteries live out their call to nurture the covenant community of disciples.
We recommend also listening to the Nov. 15, 2023 Encounter episode on Trauma-Informed Decision-Making which complements both the Church Safety and Security and Emotional Well-Being episodes well.

Web Resources recommended by Kathy Riley and Jim Kirk, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program

National Center for Trauma-Informed Care. SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care - Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center - Resource (chcs.org)

Another podcast through Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI). Power and Abuse in the Church | The Better Samaritan with Jamie Aten and Kent Annan | Practical ways to do good, better (christianitytoday.com)

Another resource through HDI is the Trauma-Informed Church Checklist.Trauma-Informed Church Checklist (spiritualfirstaid.org)

Link to the ESC/Resilience programs offered by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (pcusa.org)

Print Resources

Flourishing in Ministry: How to Cultivate Clergy Wellbeing. 2019. Matt Bloom. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

Wounded Pastors. 2024. Carol Howard and James Fenimore. Westminster John Knox Press.

My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. 2017. Resmaa Menakem. Central Recovery Press.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. 2014. Bessel Van Der Kolk. Penguin Books.

Trauma + Grace: Theology in a Ruptured World (2nd edition). 2019. Serene Jones. Westminster John Knox Press.

Fractured Ground: Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma. 2023. Kimberly R. Wagner. Westminster John Knox Press.

Recovering from Un-Natural Disasters: A Guide for Pastors and Congregations after Violence and Trauma. 2017. Laurie Kraus, David Hoylan and Bruce Wismer. Westminster John Knox Press. 

In this PC(USA) General Assembly year, become introduced to process of overture creation through the experiences shared by Susan DeGeorge and Gregory Simpson of Hudson River Presbytery. 

Hello church people! In our effort to highlight new things Presbyteries are thinking and acting in their ministries, we have as our guests Annika Lister Stroope, Administrative Executive and Stated Clerk; Amgad Beblawi, Ministry and Mission Executive; and Ian McMullen, Pastor to the presbyteries. Mid council leaders whose roles have been transformed in an effort of various presbyteries in Iowa to unite their resources and efforts. 
Listen, reflect, and take from this episode some inspiration in patience, persistence and partnership,

Jake Jacobs, Executive Director of Camp Henry in Newaygo, MI, shares the story of a path away from cultural appropriation to forming relationships, challenging us to look at our own ministries and continue to take steps toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. 

Our churches serve as places of community, warmth, and spiritual nourishment. Yet in the world in which we live, work, and worship, the importance of physical safety and security cannot be overlooked. Mike Kirk, General Counsel, PCUSA, A Corp, and Jim Kirk, Associate for Disaster Response, US Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, share ways in which ruling elders and sessions can be proactive about church safety and security as an outgrowth of the call to care and nurture the life of the congregation.

Resources:
Articles from the PCUSA, A Corporation website:

• Article on Cybersecurity
• Article on Weapons at Church

Additional Resources:

• Protecting Houses of Worship | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA
• Protecting Places of Worship: Six Steps to Enhance Security Against Targeted Violence (cisa.gov)
• CTEP Fact Sheet: Faith-Based Organizations (cisa.gov)
• The Power of Hello

Simon Doong, of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and co-host  of A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast, shares a part of his call story and some of the spiritual practices through which he has experienced discernment along his journey.  

Join Jessica Vazquez Torres and Tricia Dykers-Koenig  as they engage in an open dialogue about the impacts of our commitment to diversity, participation, and representation.
Groups engaging this issue may want to also return to two previous Along the Road podcasts on participation and representation (3/8/23 and 3/22/23) as additional resources as well as access the Theology of Representation, a document prepared by Dr. Raj Nadella and Rev. Dr Eric A. Thomas on behalf of the GA Committee on Representation
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wxEqkQowCMOTdr04sO24Zn9MpjzUQLV7I8h4_Y0b3v4/edit?usp=sharing

While the liturgical season of Advent provides a time of waiting and noticing, these times can extend far beyond the weeks leading up to the celebration of Christ’s birth. Sarah Moore-Nokes, PC(USA) teaching elder and certified coach, shares about the significance of these holy practices as we serve as spiritual leaders in the church. 

Your feedback is invaluable! Please take time to share in the short survey here: https://forms.office.com/r/DMaazwMH86

Jessica Vazquez Torres, National Program Director, Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training and Tricia Dykers-Koenig, Associate Director for Mid Council Relations, Office of the General Assembly explore how using The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity as a theological framework for utilizing Robert's Rules of Order in ways that promote the Great Ends of the Church and help us to interpret them as guidelines for promoting fairness and equity.

The PC(USA) is often called a connectional church. Ruling Elder Marta Pumroy joins the podcast to share her story of connecting with various councils of the church and how other ruling elders might also serve beyond the local congregation.

Interested in other ways of serving? Seek opportunities within General Assembly committees through the General Assembly Nominating Committee process at www.pcusa.org/nominations. 

As councils fulfill their responsibilities to nurture a covenant community of disciples of Christ, how might their decision-making processes be influenced by the effects of past trauma on individuals and groups? Join Ruling Elder Laurie Griffith, Associate Stated Clerk, and Associate Director for Constitutional Interpretation as she shares how trauma-informed decision-making not only fosters a sense of belonging but also promotes a more inclusive decision-making process.

For additional information please feel free to contact Laurie Griffith at laurie.griffith@pcusa.org
Learn more about the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care at https://www.cdc.gov/orr/infographics/6_principles_trauma_info.htm