Information for ministers, educators, church administrators, clerks, and congregations | | |
▪ Budget Listening Sessions & Called Mtg. Nov. 13 (Stated Mtg. Oct. 18)
▪ Volunteer for POJ Cleanup Day Oct. 30
▪ Indigenous Peoples' Day Oct. 13: How to Identify Native Lands
▪ Spotlight on:
- King's Chapel Presbyterian with Rev. Kerry
- Hawkins Memorial Anniversary Oct. 26
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▪ Denomination News:
▪ Continuing Education Opportunities:
- Practical AI for Churches Webinar Oct 28
- SPEAK UP for Palestine! PJN's Annual Meeting Nov. 14-15
▪ Church & Community Events Many New Events Recently Added - Don't Miss!
▪ Employment Opportunities
| | The Presbytery of the James is seeking several willing volunteers to assist with a much-needed basement cleaning project. Lunch will be provided. Please sign up below. | | |
Acknowledging the Land: A Sacred Practice for Our Church
At the 2018 General Assembly, the PC(USA) voted to begin all official meetings with a land acknowledgement—a practice of naming and honoring the Indigenous peoples who are the original stewards of the land we now inhabit.
This practice is a meaningful step toward truth-telling and reconciliation. But how do we do it in a way that is genuine and not just a formality? Rev. Lauren Sanders, an ordained PC(USA) minister and Indigenous Care Chaplain, offers wise guidance: “How and when you give your land acknowledgment, how that looks, where that is, and how we all engage with it, does need to come from our heart.”
She explains that there are no strict rules. In a worship service, it could be an opening, a prayer, a confession, a response to the sermon, a benediction, or something else entirely. The most important part is the heart behind it: “truly recognizing that the land you’re on was once inhabited and tenderly cared for by Indigenous peoples and that those people were forcibly moved and the land was stolen from them.”
As we observe Indigenous Peoples' Day (Oct. 13), we are invited to begin this heartfelt work.
How Can Congregations Get Started?
We encourage you to explore the native history of your church's location. A helpful resource to begin your investigation is available through Native Land Digital's mapping tool and other resources, which provide "a starting point for deeper conversations and engagement with Indigenous communities."
By learning and reflecting, we can incorporate a land acknowledgment practices that are right for our unique congregations, honoring the past as we faithfully serve in the present.
| | King's Chapel Presbyterian Church with Rev. Kerry | | |
For Sunday, Sept. 28, I accepted an invitation from King’s Chapel Presbyterian Church to worship and fellowship with them! Such a wonderful invite! King’s Chapel is located west of Ashland Presbyterian Church in Ashland, Virginia. These two congregations are located a bit north of Richmond, just off I-95. (Exit off I-95, head west through the bustle of Ashland proper, and into the county. But not too far into the county!)
Heading west and going up a hill, you will see King’s Chapel on the right side of the road. The entrance is just before you “crest the hill,” and in their wisdom and experience, it is only an entrance. As I said, you are about to crest the hill, meaning you cannot see what is coming the other way should you try to exit that way!
King’s Chapel is that idyllic “country church” building we all think of! White siding, a tall steeple, gravel driveway, stone steps, white fence, covered porches, and trees galore. To one side, a cemetery overlooks a field and a farmhouse in the distance; on the other side, the fellowship hall.
Since I was a “visitor,” I took a seat in the sanctuary to watch the members come in, and see them fellowshipping, chatting about life, and finding their pew. As a quiet visitor, you can learn a lot about a congregation in these informal times (yes, technically eavesdropping, but in a sincere way) when their voices and topics give you a great sense of who they are. And these are good people!
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I always hope my photos provide a sense of the room, how it “is” to be there. If you can “feel” the openness of the sanctuary, then you can grasp the tenor of the worship. There were announcements, prayers for the people, hymns, duets, and, of course, Scripture readings and a sermon. One thing I remember was the many voices leading the worship, with six or more with a part in the liturgy, blessing the other twenty-or-so of us in worship.
Following worship, we moved to the fellowship (and snacks) to allow time for people to meet me and to chat about “presbytery stuff.” King’s Chapel is one of our smaller churches, and currently works with supply preachers, some of whom are Presbyterians, but that hope exists for a more consistent, if not weekly, leader. In the meantime, though, they are a congregation accomplishing worship and ministry.
They are four years away from their centennial--a century of being God’s church in that place. May we all find ways to support them in this milestone. Their hopes for the future are no different from any of our other congregations, whether big or small. I am confident they will reach one hundred years, and I hope the POJ will play a larger role in the four years to come.
And until my next stop, blessings!
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Hawkins Memorial Presbyterian Church: 120th Anniversary & Homecoming Celebration October 26 | Join the celebration on October 26, 11 a.m. at Hawkins Memorial Presbyterian Church (7816 White Oak Rd., Ford, VA) as they commemorate their 120th year with homecoming festivities and dinner on the grounds! Please RSVP by Oct. 12 by clicking below. | | |
Take advantage of the wealth of Advent resources available - here are just a few!
| | Continuing Education Opportunities | | Practical AI for Churches PRC Webinar | |
October 28, 2 - 3 p.m. (ET)
Artificial Intelligence may sound complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. This Practical Resources for Churches webinar will explore simple, hands-on ways small and mid-sized churches can use AI to lighten the load of ministry—without big budgets or technical expertise. From drafting newsletters and supporting volunteers to brainstorming sermon ideas and strengthening outreach, you’ll discover practical tools that make ministry more effective and sustainable.
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During this annual meeting, we hope to offer programming that will inspire us to continue to Speak Up for Palestine. We will feature talks and workshops led by local Palestinian student activists, world-renowned Palestinian artists, and writers and thought-leaders who have put everything on the line to Speak Up for Palestine. We will also spend our time together reflecting on ways in which we have failed to speak up and moments in which we have been complicit through silence. We pray that our time together will rejuvenate and reinvigorate us to keep on Speaking Up for Palestine until Palestine is truly free.
The PJN’s 2025 annual meeting that will take place in Madison, WI at Christ Presbyterian Church on November 14 & 15. We hope to see you there! Learn more and register now by going to the annual meeting event page.
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Deadline: Nov. COM Mtg Materials Due
Oct. 16
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Disaster Relief Trip
Oct. 18-25
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Deadline: Register for Polity 101
Oct. 22
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Retirement Celebration of Rev. Dr. Steve Starzer
Oct. 12, 10:30 a.m.
Fairfield Presbyterian Church
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The Great Search 2: Earth & Soul Annual Retreat
October 14-16
Roslyn Conference and Retreat Center
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Youth Group at Pace Center VCU
Oct. 19, 5:30-7 p.m.
Pace Center VCU
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❄️Winter Camp❄️
December 28-30, 2025
www.camphanover.org
| | Don't miss new events recently added to the Church & Community Event page! | |
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Pastor / Head of Staff, Full-time (Clergy) – Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church, Columbia, MD
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Hospice Volunteers – Affinity Care of Virginia
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Covenant Pastor, Part-time (Clergy/CRE) – Byrd Presbyterian Church, Goochland, VA
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Worship Accompanist, Part-time (Clergy/Lay) – Providence Presbyterian Church, Gum Spring, VA
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Childcare Center Director, Full-time (Lay) – Forest Hill Child Care Center (at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church), Richmond, VA
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Interim Associate Pastor or Coordinator for Faith Formation, Full-time (Clergy/Lay) – The Presbyterian Church, Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg, VA
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Nearby Presbyteries and PC(USA) Calls & Jobs
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HAVE NEWS TO SHARE WITH THE POJ?
The Current is published most weeks of the year. Submit an announcement for an upcoming issue by emailing our associate for communications with the word "newsletter" somewhere in the subject. Submissions due Thursdays at noon for the following week. Send text (including a link to your website) in the body of your email or an attachment. Attach photos to your email if desired.
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Our Mission
To support leaders, congregations, and ministries in growing followers of Jesus Christ who joyfully live out God’s mission in the world.
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