Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Steven Ballard, Co-Founder of OnlineGiving.org to discuss the changing landscape of the church post-COVID and meaningful ways to use technological tools to create ministry interactions with church visitors and members.
As we come to the season of Advent, we celebrate our God who came to this world to seek after us. During this time of year, we have a unique opportunity to join God in His work of seeking people as we utilize opportunities at Christmas to share the Gospel story through the Three Circles.
Commissioned Global Worker with EPCWO and member of the National Church Health Leadership Team, Thomas Davis, has provided a one-page, front and back, guide to the Three Circles at Christmas and further steps to engage those you share with.
As we celebrate Christmas this year we challenge followers of Christ to share with those around them the entire story of why this baby came to this world!
CLICK HERE FOR THREE CIRCLES CHRISTMAS EDITION PDF
Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Johnny Long, Executive Director of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, to discuss the challenges of overseeing ministries at the local church and the exciting mission efforts going on within the EPC.
Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Bob Garment, Chief Parliamentarian of the EPC, to have an engaging conversation around staying faithful to biblical truth, while also striving for unity in the church, as well as the role policies and procedures can play in creating a vibrant environment for meaningful Christian relationships within the denomination.
Episode 100 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” Stated Clerk Dean Weaver moves into the interviewee chair and this time receives the questions instead of asking them.
Special Host Mark Farrell and Dean Weaver, discuss Dean’s faith journey and some of his favorite podcast from the last 100 interviews, as well as his ideas and vision as the EPC enters into the future.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Assistant Stated Clerk, Michael Davis, shares a video explaining big changes in communications at the Office of the General Assembly.
Watch the video above for special information about what’s new at the Office of the General Assembly and then get to know three of the members of the Creative Communications Team of the EPC! Watch their videos and read more about them below.
Beginning with the newest member of the team, we are delighted to introduce Gianna Lazzaro as our Creative Communications Coordinator! Gianna is a proud graduate of Wheaton College, where she earned her degree in English Writing. Gianna’s education at Wheaton equipped her with both writing and communication expertise as well as a deep sense of faith and values, aligning her perfectly with the mission of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Originally from Philadelphia but raised as a lifelong Pittsburgh fan, Gianna now cheers for two teams on Sunday nights despite those who insist she choose between the Eagles and the Steelers. Gianna has a true love of storytelling, which manifests in her creative writing lift as an essayist and screenwriter. Her satirical essay, “How To Write an Autistic Character in 15 Easy Steps,” was honored at the Johns Hopkins Humanities Symposium in 2021 where she presented her piece and sat for a panel of up and coming creative writers. Gianna enjoys reading, hiking, and playing with her new puppy, Peanut.
Savannah Baker serves both the EPC World Outreach and Benefit Resources, Inc. as the Communications Coordinator. In her undergrad, she studied English at Olivet College. There she grew in her love for all things communications.
In August 2023, Savannah and her husband, Bruce, moved from Mid-Michigan, where she was born and raised, to Orlando, FL. This past summer, she began taking classes at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, where is pursuing an MA in biblical studies. Her desire is to use her education to help equip the body of Christ in whatever capacity that may lead.
Savannah is excited to step into this role with both World Outreach and Benefit Resources. She was raised in a Christian home and has always had a deep love for the Church. She is so grateful she now gets to serve in this way.
Ritchey Cable has a deep love for the church as well as a heart for the EPC. He enjoys using creative means, especially in digital media and filmmaking, to reach the culture with the Gospel and challenge current thoughts with ideas from a biblical worldview. He is excited to join the OGA in his new role as Digital Content Lead.
Ritchey was born and raised in Conroe, Texas. He came to faith in Christ when he was nine years old. Later, he attended Baylor University where he met his wife, Melissa, and graduated with a degree in Marketing.
After graduation, Ritchey attended Covenant Seminary and had the opportunity to participate in the early days of EPC church plant, Riverside, in Webster Groves, Missouri.
After seminary, Ritchey accepted a call as Associate Pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Alexandria, Louisiana. After seven years at Grace, Ritchey became the senior pastor of Gashland EPC in Kansas City, Missouri. During his eleven-year tenure there, he watched the Lord do a compelling work of revitalization.
Ritchey has chaired the Nominating and Church Revitalization Committees at the Presbytery level and currently serves as the Church Health Coordinator of Mid-America Presbytery.
For the last 20 years Ritchey has sought to engage and shepherd the culture through film. Most recently Ritchey completed work on, The Author, a film he wrote and produced, which releases in November. He is shooting a second film later this year.
Ritchey and Melissa have three children, Parker (20), Cooper (18) and Sophie (15) and have loved calling Kansas City their home for the last decade.
Fun facts about Ritchey: In his spare time Ritchey cheers on the Chiefs, runs a 24-hour tech service for his immediate family to troubleshoot all their technological needs, and unfortunately, laughs at his own humor more than anyone else who hears it.
Episode 99 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” Ritchey Cable, an EPC TE who recently transitioned from pastoral ministry into a new season of cultural engagement through film, shares what led him to pursue filmmaking that meaningfully engages the culture from a biblical worldview as well as discusses his new role as the denominations Digital Content Lead.
Host Dean Weaver and Ritchey Cable, discuss the cross section of Christianity and the arts, and the importance of Christians engaging and leading in this arena. They also discuss meaningful opportunities for others in the EPC to share their stories.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
As the world knows, on October 7th the terrorist group Hamas launched a military operation into Israel. The shock waves of the attack are shaking that region and impacting our World Outreach workers and partners. We grieve at the incredible losses and mourn with those suffering across the world. We are monitoring the situation very closely and are in constant contact with our workers. We have already evacuated one of our teams to a secure location. Our workers are safe, and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure they remain out of harm’s way. As the scriptures direct us, we are praying for the peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6)
Thank you for your prayers and financial support. Gifts to the International Disaster Relief Fund make it possible for us to take action and care for our workers during calamities such as this. Please continue to pray for our workers, for the innocent who are suffering, and for God’s shalom to break through the violence.
Dean Weaver, Stated Clerk of the EPC
Gabriel de Guia, Executive Director of EPC World Outreach
Episode 98 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” Tim Filston, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Thomasville, GA as well as blogger at FaithAndDoubt.com, shares his own personal experience with doubt and how Christians can be helpful to those who find themselves in a challenging season.
Host Dean Weaver and Tim Filston, discuss the events that often create questions of doubt and how so often Christians don’t allow for such questions. They delve into helpful and practical ways that we can respond to these opportunities.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Joi Williams, Ruling Elder at Hope Church in Richmond, VA and Professor of Applied Engineering Technology at Virginia State University, joins Host, Dean Weaver, for this new episode of “In All Things”.
Dean and his guest discuss her journey to become a Ruling Elder as well as her thoughts and initial impressions as a new member of the EPC’s National Leadership Team.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Rosemary Lukens, Chairman of the National Leadership Team and Ruling Elder for Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, and Victor Jones, Moderator-elect of the 43rd General Assembly and Ruling Elder for Westminster Presbyterian Church join host Dean Weaver, for this new episode of “In All Things”.
Dean and his guests discuss a variety of topics related to how God is working with the denomination at the National level.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Episode 93 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Lisa Brockman, Ruling Elder for First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla., and sixth-generation Mormon who came to faith as a college student at the University of Utah.
This week, host Dean Weaver and Brockman conclude their discussion of her path from a devout Mormon childhood to accepting Christ. Brockman relates how her decision to follow Christ affected her relationships with Mormon family members—especially after she wrote her book, Out of Zion: Meeting Jesus in the Shadow of the Mormon Temple.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Episode 92 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Lisa Brockman, Ruling Elder for First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla., and author of Out of Zion: Meeting Jesus in the Shadow of the Mormon Temple.
In part one of a two-week conversation, host Dean Weaver and Brockman discuss her path as a sixth-generation Mormon—including her childhood dream of a temple marriage—to accepting Christ as a student at the University of Utah. She recounts how her spiritual journey was influenced by Josh McDowell, Larry Crabb, and James Spencer. She also describes coming to the realization that the biblical God is the only God who will not abuse His authority.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Every disaster is a call to prayer. That is where we start.
At this time, we are unsure of what is the best way to help in Maui or what the needs might be in the western part of the US after the hurricane and earthquake.
There are no EPC churches on Maui, so we are looking for the best avenues to assist the people affected by this tragedy. The large relief agencies are there now, and we will be reaching out to them to see how we can connect with them and the people working there now providing services to those displaced.
Regarding the West Coast and Hurricane Hilary, we are waiting to hear back from the two EPC Presbyteries there to see what their congregations’ needs are. Once we know that, we can make decisions on how to assist there.
Many of you have emailed asking how your churches can support those in Maui or those that are affected by the West Coast hurricane. As we pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit on how best to use our resources, we would encourage you to give to the EPC Domestic Emergency Relief Fund. You can mark your donations Maui Wildfires or Hurricane Hilary if you desire. You can give thru this link: https://epc.org/donate/emergencyrelief or thru the QR Code below.
We will keep you informed as we move forward. Please join us in prayer for all of those whose lives have been torn apart by these disasters.
We are continuing to welcome registrations for our 2023 EPC Pastor-Spouse Retreat, which will be held October 23-27 at Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
As a reminder, this invitation is for all EPC pastors, and if you’re married I hope your spouse will join you for this opportunity to be refreshed by the Lord. Please register by September 15 if you plan to join us!
We will be led on this retreat by the staff from PastorServe, who will encourage us in …
Pursuing Relational Health
Healthy relationships are crucial to our well-being and ability to thrive in life and ministry. “Relationships are where the rubber of the gospel meets the road of everyday life…where redeemed, restored people live the good news.”
But relationships, whether strong or struggling, have been under tremendous pressure in recent years, and those pressures have done something in us and between us.
We’ll unpack some of those pressures and their impact and explore practical ways to strengthen our relationships in every area of life: family, friendships, church, and community. Each day we’ll interact around key practices that lead to relational health, giving an opportunity to consider God’s gracious invitation to grow in and through our relationships.
The cost for this retreat is $550 per person ($1,100 per couple) and includes accommodations for four nights on Glen Eyrie’s breathtaking grounds and 11 delicious meals in the Castle Dining Room.
I hope you will consider joining us at Glen Eyrie October 23-27! For complete information and to register, see www.epc.org/2023pastorspouseretreat. Please register by September 15 to claim your spot!
Grace and peace to you in Jesus,
Annie Rose
Director of Ministerial Support & Development
Episode 89 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Samuel Sesay, missionary evangelist with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sierra Leone and President of EduNations.
Host Dean Weaver and Sesay discuss his journey to faith from a Muslim background within the syncretic religious environment of Sierra Leone. Sesay also describes the mission and vision of EduNations, which operates 15 Christian schools with more than 3,500 students in predominantly Muslim villages in the West African country, as well as how the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sierra Leone—which has witnessed more than 1,000 baptisms in the past eight years—was birthed from the ministry of EduNations.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Registration is now open for the 2023 EPC Pastor-Spouse Retreat, October 23-27 at Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Annie Rose
“Study after study the past few years reveal the same thing: that pastors are feeling the wear and tear of ministry like never before,” said Annie Rose, EPC Director of Ministerial Support and Development. “Our goal for this retreat is to provide time and space for our pastors and their spouses to rest, connect, and be encouraged by the Lord.”
Facilitators are Wade Brown, Jeannie Martin, and Dave Meserve from the EPC’s ministry partner, PastorServe. The three will lead large-group discussions each morning and provide free coaching sessions each afternoon.
“Unless you sign up for one of the free coaching and care sessions, the afternoons are completely open with no scheduled activities,” Rose said. “My prayer is that our church leaders will understand the value of renewal for their pastor and his or her spouse and bless them by helping them attend the retreat.”
The cost for the retreat is $550 per person ($1,100 per couple) and includes accommodations for four nights and 11 meals in the Glen Eyrie Castle Dining Room. For more information and to register, see www.epc.org/2023pastorspouseretreat.
Don Fortson is the guest for episode 84 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.” Fortson serves as Professor of Church History and Pastoral Theology at the Charlotte, N.C., campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books on Presbyterian history, including Reformed and Evangelical Across Four Centuries: The Presbyterian Story in America and Liberty in Non-Essentials: The Story of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Host Dean Weaver and Fortson discuss how his most recent book, Reformed and Evangelical, fills a need for a comprehensive, current Presbyterian history, as well as how it traces the symbiotic relationship between Presbyterians and evangelicals. In addition, Fortson describes Presbyterian heritage of evangelistic renewal, and how the EPC may be uniquely positioned to respond to revivals such as what occurred in early 2023 at Asbury University in Kentucky.
Fortson also describes how gifts of the Spirit and the ordination of women are examples of how the EPC lives out its motto of “In Essentials, Unity; In Non-Essentials, Liberty; In All Things, Charity.”
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
Shelley Kral
Shelley Kral, Associate Pastor for Longview Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Longview, Texas, is the guest for episode 80 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.” Kral is the preacher for the Tuesday morning worship service at the EPC’s 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit, June 20-22 at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Host Dean Weaver and Kral discuss her path to ministry from Southern California to a Lutheran college in the Pacific Northwest to Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando to Longview in East Texas. Kral also describes a vision she and her husband had for a pastoral retreat center eventually resulting in the creation of Enoch’s Stomp Vineyard & Winery near Longview. She also explains how the vineyard illustrates the truths of John 15.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
The EPC’s 43rd General Assembly/Gospel Priorities Summit features training and equipping sessions based on the denomination’s four Gospel Priorities of Church Planting, Church Health, Global Movement, and Effective Biblical Leadership. This year’s Assembly takes place June 20-22 at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Addressing the priority of Global Movement, a variety of gatherings and equipping sessions will focus on how EPC World Outreach serves EPC congregations to reach the 3 billion people in the world with least access to the gospel.
Tuesday, June 20
Wednesday, June 21
Thursday, June 22
In addition to the equipping and networking opportunities, the annual World Outreach banquet—now known as the Gospel Priorities Dinner—will be held on Tuesday, June 20. World Outreach global workers will share stories of how they have witnessed God working among some of the least-reached peoples in the world. An additional World Outreach dinner on Wednesday, June 21, will provide opportunity to hear how God is at work in the five strategic priorities of EPC World Outreach: prayer, least-access peoples, partnership and sending, word and deed, and church engagement.
In the evening worship service on Tuesday, World Outreach will commission its newest global workers. The speaker for the service is Mike Kuhn, Director of the International Theological Education Network (ITEN) of EPC World Outreach.
Online registration with a cost of $345 per person runs until June 15. The registration fee includes lunch each day, while on-campus dinners Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are optional at a cost of $30 per person. Late registration begins June 15 with a fee of $395 per person.
For more information about these and other World Outreach activities, see www.epc.org/ga2023worldoutreachevents. For more information about the 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit and to register, see www.epc.org/ga2023. For full details about all the equipping opportunities on the EPC’s four Gospel Priorities, go to www.epc.org/ga2023gospelprioritiessummit.
#epc2023ga
Retreats and gatherings designed to support and encourage EPC pastors, their spouses, church planters, and other leaders are scheduled for October and November 2023.
“We want our pastors and their spouses to thrive in both life and ministry,” said Annie Rose, EPC Director of Ministerial Support and Development. “The events we have planned for this fall are designed to not only bless those who attend, but also have a lasting impact on their families, congregations, and communities.”
Church Planter Retreat
XP/Administrators Gathering
Pastor-Spouse Retreat
ECO/EPC Small Church Summit
“Registration for these events will open later this summer and be communicated through our normal channels,” Rose said. “Please save the dates for the event that best fits you and your ministry!”
You have questions … we have answers about the EPC’s 43rd General Assembly/Gospel Priorities Summit. This year’s Assembly takes place June 20-22 at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo.
“I get lots of questions about GA,” said Marti Ratcliff, General Assembly Team Lead in the EPC Office of the General Assembly. “I am happy to answer those calls and emails, but we thought it would be helpful to communicate the answers to those that I get most often.”
Q: I submitted the Ruling Elder Commissioner Certification Form for our church. Do these REs still need to register for GA?
A: Yes, all Commissioners (TE and RE) need to register for the Assembly. This is separate from being certified by their church.
Q. I only want to attend one session during the Assembly. Do I still need to register?
A. Yes, but if you are only attending one session on one day you can purchase a Day Pass at a reduced rate. This is available through the online registration form.
Q. Is there a discount for Commissioner spouses to attend GA?
A. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide a spouse discount this year. We do everything we can to keep costs down but everything, especially in Colorado, has gone up since last year. The cost to put on GA is approximately $300,000. Our average in-person attendance—except for the virtual and hybrid Assemblies in 2020 and 2021—has been about 1,000. This is how we calculate the registration fee each year. Also, we check with other denominations and organizations that hold similar events. We have been the outlier related to spouse fees. Even with a flat rate this year, our registration fee is less than similar meetings.
Q: I saw a category on the registration form for WO Child. Can I being my kids and register them as a WO child?
A: No. We only provide childcare for our World Outreach global workers. This is not solely an EPC decision, but also involves the host church and state regulations regarding vetted childcare workers.
Q: What hotels have a discounted EPC General Assembly rate?
A: None. The cost and administrative load involved with hotel contracts for GA has become prohibitive. We now recommend online hotel booking sites like expedia, kayak, hotels.com, etc., to find a room that fits your budget. In addition, vacation rental homes such as Airbnb and vrbo are an increasingly popular option for people who are open to sharing accommodations.
“I am very excited about our time together at Cherry Hills in June and look forward with anticipation for what God is going to do in our midst,” said Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk.
Online registration with a cost of $295 per person runs until May 15. The registration fee includes lunch each day, while on-campus dinners Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are optional at a cost of $30 per person. The $50 early registration discount ends on May 15, when the fee increases to $345 per person. Late registration begins June 15 with a fee of $395 per person.
For more information and to register, see www.epc.org/ga2023.
Brandon Addison
Brandon Addison, Church Health Coordinator for the Presbytery of the West and a ministry coach with Tin Man Ministries, is the guest for episode 69 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.”
In the conclusion of a six-part series on church health, host Dean Weaver and Addison discuss how a healthy church helps its members have a healthy understanding of discipleship. Addison also describes how a church is a relational system, the value of inter-generational connection, and the value of coaching for both pastors and congregations.
Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.
The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.
In response to the ongoing revival at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky., EPC Stated Clerk Dean Weaver provides insights based on updates from an EPC Teaching Elder who has been on the campus for several days.
The gathering, described by many as a “spontaneous revival,” began on February 8 following the school’s regularly scheduled 10:00 a.m. chapel service.
Home to about 1,600 students, Asbury is a multi-denominational school with roots in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition.
The EPC’s World Outreach partner in Sierra Leone, EduNations, experienced two disasters in the past two weeks. EduNations builds and operates schools in under-resourced communities in the largely impoverished west African nation.
On February 2, a dormitory building in their Senior Secondary School in Rokassa was destroyed by fire. The blaze was contained to one building, and no injuries were reported.
On January 24, a storm in the village of Mayatta tore the roof off a building that housed teacher’s offices, staff room, and classrooms for grades 4, 5, and 6. Books, supplies, and furniture were ruined by wind and rain.
EduNations placed the cost to rebuild the damaged structures and replace the lost contents at $50,833:
“Thankfully, nobody was injured in the fire, but the damage was catastrophic and left the building demolished and completely destroyed all of the belongings of the 39 staff and students who lived in that dormitory,” said Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk and Founder of EduNations. “In Mayatta, the principal and teachers did their best to rush as many academic and teaching materials to another building as soon as they could, but many books, school and office supplies, and furniture were gravely affected.”
The EPC’s International Disaster Relief Fund is accepting contributions to help EduNations rebuild. Secure online donations can be made at www.epc.org/donate/internationaldisasterrelief, which also includes instructions for donating by check and text-to-give.
“As we have seen in recent months with Hurricane Ian and the tornado in Selma, Ala., the generosity of the EPC when disaster strikes is one of our hallmarks,” Weaver said. “Now it’s our brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone who find themselves in dire circumstances.”
On January 24, a storm in the village of Mayatta, Sierra Leone, tore the roof off a building that housed teacher’s offices and classrooms for grades 4, 5, and 6 at the EduNations Hope Academy Primary School.
