4 churches in Pittsburgh area form New Wineskins Ministry Network
The Layman Online, January 19, 2006
The pastors of four congregations in western Pennsylvania have formed what they call the nation’s first ministry network for mutual support, encouragement and joint ministry based on the documents of the New Wineskins Initiative.
The network also has prepared what it calls a “Ministry Network Development Strategy” that may serve as a blueprint for other congregations considering forming such a network, as well as a covenant that participating congregations sign.
All four churches are members of Pittsburgh Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Rev. Dr. Richard G. Wolling, a spokesman for the network, said the churches that have entered into the “ministry covenant” are Beverly Heights United Presbyterian Church in Mount Lebanon, Lebanon Presbyterian Church in West Mifflin, Mt. Vernon Community Presbyterian Church in McKeesport and Round Hill Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth. Wolling is the senior pastor of Beverly Heights United Presbyterian Church.
The newly-formed group, called the New Wineskins Ministry Network of the South Hills, already has sponsored a joint worship service and has organized the directors of the congregations’ student ministries for planning future youth activities. Joint efforts in missions and worship also are scheduled.
The formation of a ministry network, a statement released by the group said, is the “first and most local step that groups of congregations may take in organizing for mutual support, encouragement and joint ministry. The pastors and clerks of session each signed a network covenant that says “…we intend and agree to support one another’s ministry through prayer and by sharing resources, nurturing fellowship, offering encouragement, and holding each other accountable.”
The network’s statement said that each congregation, through the action of its session, is an endorsing member of the New Wineskins Initiative, a denomination-wide effort to bring renewal and reformation to the denomination. That effort has produced two major theological papers and a draft constitution. The group plans a second convocation in July.
The New Wineskins Ministry Network of the South Hills has released the text of its strategic blueprint, which is as follows:
Ministry Network Development Strategy
Four pastors of churches in the Pittsburgh Presbytery returned from the New Wineskins Convocation in July 2005 with a strong sense of God’s leading to make a start at implementing the New Wineskins Initiative design as outlined in the draft constitution. As of December 14, 2005 the four sessions moderated by these pastors had voted to covenant together in the formation of a Ministry Network. The following is an outline of the strategy that was followed leading up to the formation of the South Hills Ministry Network of the New Wineskins Initiative and the plans that will be implemented in the 6-8 months that follow:
Identification of like-minded leaders – Pastors and elders in a given area need to identify one another as those who share a common concern about the PCUSA, a common sense of God’s pleasure in the promotion of the New Wineskins Initiative, and a common desire to begin to live in the light of the New Wineskins design. In fact, it may take one pastor or one elder to take initiative to begin to make contacts with others of like mind and heart. In the South Hills of Pittsburgh the four pastors met soon after the Convocation of 2005 and then again on two other occasions throughout the Fall of 2005.
Information sharing – The level of knowledge regarding the condition of the PCUSA and of the development of the New Wineskins Initiative varies from pastor to pastor, elder to elder, and congregation to congregation. People need to be informed and that will take initiative on the part of elders and pastors to inform themselves and to make their Sessions and congregations aware of what’s going on. New Wineskins will not be seen as an antidote to the current condition of the PCUSA unless people understand how bad the situation is. It should be noted that simply beginning to talk about these matters will cause great palpitations in the hearts of pastors and laypeople alike. People immediately begin to think of the denomination splitting, of the congregations dividing, of the churches losing their buildings. These are hard discussions to have but they are vital and courageous leadership is required.
Pastoral Fellowship – Independent of the formation of the South Hills Ministry Network the group of pastors in Pittsburgh will continue to meet as a Pastor’s Support Group. We will meet approximately every 6 weeks for at least two hours. Our agenda will be comprised of 4 major items: Fellowship and mutual encouragement, challenge from the Word of God, prayer, strategy for developing and implementing the New Wineskins Initiative. A primary agenda item for our group will be the identification of pastors who will potentially become (with their congregations and Sessions) involved as New Wineskin Initiative participants and promoters. These potential participating pastors will be invited to join our Pastor’s Support Group in which they will be informed, encouraged, resourced and challenged to lead their sessions and congregations toward becoming a New Wineskins Endorsing Congregation and a member of a Ministry Network.
Agenda for the Ministry Network – The South Hills Pastors Support Group identified a number of items that we believe to be strategic in the early development of our Ministry Network. These agenda items will be turned over to the Ministry Network pastors/elders team for further consideration and execution. Currently, key elements of the agenda are:
- Joint worship services. Worship is job #1 for the believer and for the church of Jesus Christ. We plan to worship together from time to time. A joint contemporary worship experience and celebration of the Lord’s Supper has already taken place. Plans will be made for a joint service during Lent 2006 and a pulpit exchange in the Spring 2006. The pulpit exchange is important, we believe, in order to place before our congregations, the pastor/leaders from other congregations of like mind and heart, granting a sense that involvement in the New Wineskins Initiative is greater than just that of an individual congregation.
- Joint meetings of the congregations’ missions committees/leadership teams. At the heart of the New Wineskins Initiative ethos is the promotion of the kingdom of God in places that are both near and far. In these joint meetings we will learn from one another and challenge and encourage one another in the work of missions in which each congregation is involved. Planning will be done for a joint ventures in missions as well.
- Joint experience in youth/student ministries. There is virtually no congregation whose youth/student ministries cannot benefit from the critical mass built by joining a number of youth groups together for a large, enthusiastic venture in fun, fellowship, mission and worship!
Ongoing resourcing – There is a tremendous amount of resourcing that must be done for individual pastors, elders, sessions and congregations. Those already involved in a Ministry Network must also be willing/prepared to be available to speak to individuals, groups, sessions, congregations in the sharing of information, strategy and practical helps in moving toward full involvement as an endorsing congregation and a member of a functioning Ministry Network.
Every pastor, elder, session, congregation and presbytery is different from every other one and local strategies will differ from what is being implemented in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. There are, however, some common needs, regardless of the area or situation in which one finds oneself. These common needs are information, initiative, commitment, courage and faith. Without these nothing will happen but more disheartened and aimless complaining and hand-wringing. We’ve had enough of that. It’s time to move!
For more information about the New Wineskins Ministry Network of the South Hills, contact Wolling at (412) 561-5100.