PRESBYTERIAN IDEAS

OUTLINE OF TASKS:
The Ministry of Evangelism/Growth is the frontline of the Church. It is an old expression
but none-the-less valued that “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
The following are areas that are the responsibility of this Unit. As the Unit does its
planning, other areas may be identified as ones to be included. Within these parameters
the Unit will define its goals and set the strategies for performance to carry on the work.

PROMOTION: This includes designing and arranging for advertisements and

promotional articles in newspapers, etc. The Unit may define other ways to put the word
on the street and into homes that our Church is for them.

CONTACT WITH NEWCOMERS: The Church continues to have a flow of first time
worshipers. The Unit will define and initiate ways of letting these know they are
welcomed and valued by the congregation.

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT: Personal contact with prospective members to

inform and seek commitments to the Christian Faith and to our Church is the heart of
evangelism. The Unit will define and initiate ways to lead persons into membership.

MEMBERSHIP PREPARATION: This Unit will work with the Pastors to develop
ways to prepare persons for membership before presenting them to the Session for
reception into our Church.

FACES of the Church

This is a new concept for Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church, and for its church officers,
the Deacons and Elders. The officers each will be responsible for maintaining contact
with an assigned group of church members, affiliates, and winter residents.

This program is mainly about Communication. Something we are all hoping for.
Fellowship, Assistance, Evangelism and Stewardship, all evolve around Communication.
FACES is one way for the congregation to better get to know the Deacons and Elders,
and vice versa. It is an opportunity for members and friends of the congregation to ask
questions of their Deacon or Elder, to learn more about the programs and events offered,
voice concerns, ask for assistance, and even discuss issues that may be taking place in the
church.

So what does FACES represent? It is not a committee, and it is not a clique. It is not
about bringing cookies for Fellowship. It is a way to build relationships between church
officers, and its church members, friends of the church, and visitors. It is about
Communication. Church Officers are required to communicate with the people on their
list on a regular basis. This may vary depending on the officer.

FACES is about Communication. Whether it is to discuss events or issues occurring, or

just a time to talk about anything or nothing in particular. Evangelism and Stewardship
are also part of the FACES program. As relationships strengthen, Evangelism is
strengthened. Stewardship is not just about money, but about giving back what the Lord
has blessed us with, including talents. Evangelism and Stewardship are sharing with each
other not for our glory but for the glory of our Lord and Savior. This is part of the
Communication process, and part of the FACES program. This is officers getting to
know the people in their groups, encouraging them to share their talents, enjoying
fellowship with each other.

The FACES program also provides Assistance to those who may need it. This could be
arranging meals and transportation for homebound, assisting a member, receiving church
CDs, communion, or visitation. Contact your assigned officer if you are in need of
assistance.

The officers will keep their assigned group for a year, then the list will rotate to another
officer. This way you and the officers will get the chance to build additional
relationships.

Being Presbyterian is a way of being Christian. Presbyterian is more like an adjective

than a noun. We are Presbyterian Christians.
But Presbyterians have their own history, theological emphases, and ways of being
Christian in the world. To be a Presbyterian means you are inserted into a family of faith
that has expressed its faith and practiced being Christians in certain, recognizable ways
and patterns throughout the centuries.

Presbyterians celebrate our identity as Presbyterian Christians. We are grateful that God
has called us into this family of faith and that we have expressed our faith in important
ways. Our Presbyterian heritage can help us live as faithful Christians in the years ahead.

THE GREAT ENDS OF THE CHURCH

1. The Great Ends of the Church Presbyterians recognize that the church is the people of
God who serve God in this world through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We recognize the “Great Ends” or purposes of the church to be:

· The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

· The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God
· The maintenance of divine worship
· The preservation of the truth
· The promotion of social righteousness
· The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world (Book of Order, G-1.0200).

THE CHURCH REFORMED AND ALWAYS

BEING REFORMED
A motto that came to be associated with Reformed churches during and after the
Reformation is the Latin phrase Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda. It means “The
church reformed, always being reformed.” This motto does not sanction change in the
church, just for the sake of change; nor does it seek preservation of the past only for the
sake of preservation.

In Reformation times, Christians who used this phrase stressed that the church was to
return to the model of the church found in Scripture without the “innovations” that had
emerged through the centuries in the Roman Catholic Church. The church “reformed.”

The church, however, is also to be open to the new changes that God wants to bring about
for the church in the future. The church must always be ready to “be reformed.”

Often, there was another phrase added to this motto: “according to Scripture.” The
church is to be “reformed” on the basis of Scripture; the church is to be open to the
reform God wants, on the basis of Scripture.

So both liberals and conservatives in the church are challenged by this motto. We
maintain continuity with our past, but are open to the future to which God calls us, as the
church listens to Scripture and is led by the Holy Spirit.

KEY PRESBYTERIAN CONCEPTS

There are some themes that have been particular emphases of Presbyterians and the
Reformed tradition. Chapter two of the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) highlights some doctrines or teachings that express the Reformed faith. These
are not the sole property of the Reformed! But they mark themes that have been
especially important for Reformed churches.

These can be summarized and expanded as:

Sovereignty. God is the majestic, holy God who creates, sustains, rules, and
redeems the world. God’s providence is God’s guidance and work in history and in the
lives of individuals.
Election. God chooses to save a people who will serve God and seek to carry out
God’s purposes in the world through lives of faithful obedience to Jesus Christ.
Covenant. God enters into relationship with people: Israel in the Old Testament;
the church in the New Testament. They are the people of God who proclaim and seek to
order their lives by God’s Word.
Stewardship. The people of God manage God’s gifs responsibly and seek to
make proper use of the good gifts of God’s creation.
Sin. Humans are prone to idolatry, which is worshiping anything other than God,
and tyranny by which the very fabric of human life and relationships are broken.
Obedience. The people of God work for justice and social transformation as
expressions of their obedience to God’s Word and will in Jesus Christ.
PRESBYTERIAN LINGO

Presbyterians use words to describe their church lives and practices. Some are
specialized terms. Here is a sampling:

General Assembly. The church’s highest governing body, meeting biennially, and
including elder and clergy commissioners from all the denomination’s presbyteries.

Synod. The church’s governing body beyond the presbytery level, embracing
presbyteries from a specific geographical region.

Presbytery. The church’s key governing body composed of clergy and elected lay
leaders (elders) in a specific geographical area.

Local church. The individual congregation to which people belong.

Elder. An elected representative in a local church who is ordained to carry out duties of
governing and spiritual care.

Session. The group of elders who have spiritual and governmental oversight in a local
church.

Stated Clerk. The person who functions as the official record keeper and in some cases
the spokesperson for a governing body such as presbytery, a synod, or the General
Assembly.

Clerk of Session. The official record keeper for the session in a local church.

Deacon. An ordained office in a local church charged with ministries of care, witness,
and service.