Home - September 18 Presbytery Meeting To Be Held At Westminster Escondido
2008 Moderator and Vice Moderator To Be Nominated
A Summary of Writings By Our New Executive Presbyter
Around The Church- Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick Won’t Seek Fourth Term As Stated Clerk of PC(USA)
New Director of PC(USA) World Mission Brings Passion and Experience
Upcoming Events- Two Fundraising Events Set In November To Benefit Presbyterian Urban Ministries
GA’s Ervin Bullock Will Lead Peacemaking Workshop October 6
Presbyterian Mission Challenge ’07, October 5-11
Positions- Northminster Seeks Church Organist
- September 18 Presbytery Meeting
To Be Held At Westminster Escondido 
The Presbytery of San Diego will hold its September 18 meeting at Westminister Presbyterian Church in Escondido. Commissioners are advised to click on Meetings to download the docket, minutes, and reports. Rev. Jim Rauch extends a warm invitation to all to come see Westminister’s newly constructed sanctuary and sing praises to the Lord accompanied by the new church organ.
Conducting a 12:30 Pre-Presbytery discussion [see PDF] on proposed changes to the denomination’s Book of Order/Form of Government and other constitutional issues will be Rev. Mark Tammen, director of Constitutional Services of the Office of the General Assembly PC(USA). Both an attorney and a pastor, he will also preach during the worship service.
Tammen was invited by Rev. Steve Locke, chair of the task force subcommittee to the National Office, part of the Task Force on the Way Forward. Tammen has been invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with task force chairs on Monday, September 17. Then Elizabeth Crews, Vice Moderator and TFWF chair, will present an update on the work of the various task force committees during the Presbytery Meeting.
Also in attendance at the September Meeting will be our new Executive Presbyter, Rev. Dr. Clark Cowden, who was received into the Presbytery of San Diego and accepted as EP at the Special Called Meeting of Presbytery on July 24. He will address commissioners briefly during the meeting. His start date is October 8. Presbytery Council will meet with him on October 9. (This is the second Tuesday of the month; normally Council meets on the first Tuesday.)
- 2008 Moderator and Vice Moderator To Be Nominated
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Rev. Doug Kelly, chair of the nominating committee, will place in nomination for 2008 Moderator, Elder Elizabeth Crews, and for 2008 Vice Moderator, Rev. Dr. Chris Lenocker. Crews is a member of First Presbyterian Church of San Diego. Lenocker is pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church.
- A Summary of Writings By
Our New Executive Presbyter 
The Rev. Dr. Clark Cowden, who does not officially begin to work at the Presbytery of San Diego until October 8, has written and been published in numerous publications and websites. In the interest of familiarizing pastors and elders with his views on evangelism, mission, church organization, and other topics, the following summary of articles and links to websites is offered. (The Editor)-
Missional Resource Blog from the Presbyterian Global Fellowship (May 5, 2007)
- In an article entitled The Terminal, Cowden relates his experience being delayed in an airport terminal by bad weather. “In looking back on my experience, it struck me that the church is a lot like an airport terminal. The purpose of the airport terminal is not to get a lot of people to stay in the terminal as if it was their final destination. The purpose of the airport terminal is to help people make connections so they can get somewhere else.”
San Joaquin Presbytery Website, Missional Resources- Go to
www.SJPresbytery.org/missional.htm, or click on these article titles individually. Missional Process Summary From Despair to Hope Sabbatical Report by Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden The Missional Church Project by Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden Is the North American Church Like Major League Baseball? by Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden
Disturbing the 21st Century Denomination by Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden
Perspectives, an online publication of the Office of the General Assembly- Reviewing denominational statistics, this article,
Good News, Bad News, Missional Questions, raises questions about how our churches see themselves. “Once you get past the good news and bad news, you realize there are a lot of missional questions in-between the lines. Are most of our churches still utilizing an attractional model of ministry? Are we stuck on “come and see,” or are we beginning to shift to “go and do likewise”? Do we still believe that “if we build it they will come,” or are we going out into the highways and byways? There is a lot of belly-button gazing going on here. These statistics are focused on internal issues, not external issues. If we were to do a missional survey of the church, what kind of questions would we ask?”
Another from Perspectives- This article, entitled
We’ve Been Here Before, also was published by the Office of General Assembly online publication, Perspectives. “We’ve been here before. It feels like we’re on the edge of a cliff. Our life together could go either way. It could fall apart and come unglued. Or it could come together with sinews and muscles that are so much stronger than we ever could have imagined. It is what we call the life of faith.” (February 2005)
Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick Won’t Seek Fourth Term As Stated Clerk of PC(USA)- This position has been “a wonderful way to live out my call to ministry”
- by Sharon K. Youngs, Communications Coordinator, Office of the General Assembly
The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), announced Monday (Sept. 10) that he has decided not to seek another term as stated clerk.
Kirkpatrick’s current term will conclude at the end of the 218th General Assembly (2008) in San Jose, CA, next June.
“Serving as Stated Clerk has offered me a platform I would never have dreamed possible—to serve the church I love and to give expression to my passions, my sense of call, and my gifts for the things that really matter,” said Kirkpatrick in a written statement.
He continued, “At the same time, I am also eager to have more quality time with my family, to be able to devote myself more fully to the responsibility I have undertaken since 2004 to serve as president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and to share in the life of the church, both locally and globally, in new and creative ways.”
Kirkpatrick’s successor will be determined through an election at next year’s General Assembly.
For the full story, more . . .
Around the Church
- New Director of PC(USA) World Mission
Brings Passion and Experience 
As the term “missional” begins to be used more and more within the Presbytery of San Diego and other sectors of the denomination, the selection of the Rev. Hunter Farrell as Director of World Mission portends a renewed emphasis on “living out what God is calling us to do in the world,” he says in an article in the Summer 2007 issue of World Mission Highlights.
His work as a PC(USA) missionary in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) convinced him the church can be an effective agent of change. He departed Zaire knowing international mission would be his life’s work. “I don’t think I ever looked back,” Farrell says. “A call to cross-cultural mission is a call to who I am. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” more . . .
Two Fundraising Events Set In November
To Benefit Presbyterian Urban Ministries
Two fundraising events are scheduled during November to support and expand the services provided to the urban poor and homeless by Presbyterian Urban Ministries (PUM, formerly the Crisis Center).
A fall musical benefit will be presented featuring a number of accomplished vocal and instrumental artists who are volunteering their time and talents to assist PUM. It is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Sunday, November 4, at Faith Presbyterian Church, located at 5075 Campanile Drive [Gmap]. Tickets will be available for a donation of $15 each through your church’s Deacons or other volunteers or at the PUM offices on Market Street. This event is a great way to start the holiday season.
A fund raising golf tournament will be held on Friday, November 16, at Admiral Baker Golf Course, just off Friars Road in Grantville. Registration will start at 9 a.m. with tee off for the shotgun-scramble format at 11 a.m. Foursomes from all San Diego Presbytery churches are invited to play against each other in the spirit of competition while raising money for and awareness of one of the most important missions in our city. Applications to participate in this special event will be available early in September through contacts in each church. The tournament promises to be an entertaining event.
All proceeds from both events will be used to support PUM programs to help the poor and homeless in the San Diego area. Your assistance in making possible the continuance of this unique and vital ministry to people in need is sincerely requested and will be deeply appreciated.
PUM is a ministry of the Presbytery of San Diego. PUM has a very small paid staff and many volunteers who seek to minister to and assist our less fortunate sisters and brothers, more than 3,900 of whom were served last year.
For nearly forty years the PUM’s mission has been to serve persons in the midst of personal crisis, to accompany them in a supportive and respectful manner, and to assist them in securing resources that will bring stability to their lives. The goals of PUM programs are to help people in need physically and spiritually and to change lives through a holistic transformational ministry that brings them to Christ. See: www.UrbanPSD.org
Upcoming Events
GA’s Ervin Bullock Will Lead
Peacemaking Workshop October 6
Ms. Ervin Bullock, the General Assembly Liaison with Presbytery Peace and Justice Teams across the nation, will be in San Diego to present a workshop for all Peacemaking Teams in the PC(USA) congregations in San Diego on Saturday, October 6, from 9 am to 1 pm, at Faith Presbyterian Church - [Gmap].
The workshop is designed to help congregations start or reinvigorate effective peacemaking programs. To make a reservation, including lunch, contact Kyle Holberg at 619 470-7195.
Upcoming Events
Presbyterian Mission Challenge ’07, October 5-11- By Phil Damon, Grace Presbyterian Church, Vista
Sue Kinsler, a Presbyterian missionary serving in South Korea, will be a guest of the San Diego Presbytery from October 5 to 11. We encourage you to meet her or invite her to your church. She will be sharing her mission experiences, which include many visits to North Korea to help children and disabled persons ( www.LighthouseKorea.org).
Her visit to our presbytery is part of Presbyterian Mission Challenge ‘07, a denomination-wide attempt to encourage increased support of Presbyterian mission personnel. Her mission page and letters are at: www.PCUSA.org/missionconnections/profiles/kinslera.htm. Currently, eighteen Presbyterian missionaries receive support from nine of the thirty-one San Diego churches; our hope is that you might help increase that support.
On Sunday, October 7, Sue Kinsler will visit Faith Presbyterian Church, 5075 Campanile Dr., San Diego [Gmap], 619 582-8480. She will provide a Moment-for-Mission at the 9:30 a.m. service and lead a presentation/discussion at 11:00. Those wishing may join a no-host lunch at a nearby restaurant following the discussion.
At 6:30 p.m., Sue Kinsler will be in Carlsbad at Christ Church Rancho La Costa, 7807 Centella St., Carlsbad [Gmap]. There will be dessert, followed by Rev. Kinsler’s presentation. RSVP 760 753-3290.
If you have questions or would like to schedule Sue Kinsler at your church that week, call Phil Damon, 760 726-0182.
Upcoming Events
Northminster Seeks Church Organist
Job Description:- Provide organ leadership for traditional Sunday worship and a few special occasions
- Play prelude, postlude, and offertory
- Accompany small choir on organ, piano, or keyboard
- Accompany congregational singing
- Rehearse with choir one weekday evening and preceding Sunday service
- Consult with pastor and appropriate worship leaders
- Collaborate with other music leaders of the congregation
This person would have experience playing a diverse range of music
(classical, hymnody, and modern) on church organs and be familiar with church organizations and worship services.
Send Resume to:- Northminster Presbyterian Church
- Attn: Isabelle McCutchen
- 4324 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
- San Diego, CA 92117-1945
www.NPCSD.org
Positions