elders and deacons
What is ordered ministry and why is it important to the Presbyterian Church? What does one need to know to be an effective leader in the Presbyterian church? These videos will explore and answer these and other questions about ordained leadership in the Presbyterian tradition.
Lesson 1: Ordered Ministries
Wait. I thought I signed up to be a Deacon or a Ruling Elder. What's this "Ordered Ministry" thing?
Lesson 2: being leaders
Being a leader in the Presbyterian Church is not about accomplishing particular tasks. It's about discerning where God is leading and then helping a congregation follow. But how do we do that?
lesson 3: who is the church?
Any consideration of who or what the Church is has to begin with a consideration of who GOD is and what GOD is up to. The good news of the Gospel is not about us. It's about God.
lesson 4: what is the church?
How do we know that the Church is the Church? What are the "marks" of the Church?
lesson 5: being a confessional church
The Presbyterian Church calls itself a "confessional church." We use official theological documents to help us interpret scripture.
lesson 6: the confessions
The Confessions of our church are "reliable expositions of what scriptures leads us to believe and do." But where did these confessions come from? Why were they written, and what point were they trying to make?
Supplemental Resources for "The Confessions"
Lesson 7: A Brief statement of faith
What do Presbyterians believe? A lot of things. What does the Presbyterian Church teach? Find out in this brief look at A Brief Statement of Faith.
lesson 8: principles of order and government
Presbyterian Leaders agree to live life in a certain way, and to be corrected when we don't. What are the principles that guide us?
lesson 9: the councils of the church
When Presbyterians
"do church", they do it intentionally, together in groups. We call
these groups "councils."
lesson 10: the dynamics of worship
One of the primary responsibilities of the Session is to provide for a congregation's worship life. What are the basic ideas and rhythms that we need to be aware of?
lessons 11: the word in worship
What do we mean when we say "The Word of the Lord"? Are we talking about Jesus or the Scriptures? Short answer: Yes.
lessons 12: the sacraments in worship
The Sacraments are the simplest way we know to tell the story of God's Grace. Baptism and The Lord's Supper will not let us forget the truth of God's Grace.
lessons 13: prayer and song in worship
For most people, it is the prayers and music in worship that are the introduction to the Christian Faith.
Download the Study Guide for "Prayer and Song in Worship"
