Information for ministers, educators, church administrators, clerks, and congregations | | |
▪ GA Commissioners Meet & Greet 9/14
▪ Grant Workshop for Local Projects 9/15
▪ POJ Fall Dates to Remember
▪ Find Midweek Pause at The Gayton Kirk
▪ View from the Pews at River Road Pres
▪ Deep Dive—Church in the AI Age:
▪ Ancestral vs. Artificial Intelligence
▪ Pastoral Care Toolkit in Age of AI
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▪ The Algorithm & the Almighty: A Social Witness Policy
▪ Protecting Kids on Zoom & Livestream
▪ Protecting Kids from Gun Violence
Fall Action Circle 9/30-10/28
▪ Calendar Highlights
▪ Employment Opportunities
| | GA Commissioner Virtual Meet & Greet 9/14 | |
Greetings all!
This coming Monday evening, Sept. 14, you are invited to spend time with some of our General Assembly Commissioners at a special Zoom gathering from 6:30-8 p.m. You'll hear how they convened with 500+ other commissioners from across our country for one large and lengthy "session meeting."
Yes, "session meeting." That is a word that may convey what was happening, so I am hopeful that those who have served on a session before might be able to connect with, and maybe now converse with, our commissioners.
This will be an open forum; the commissioners will speak of the things they did while in Milwaukee: what committee they served with, how often they met, the number of other commissioners they got to know, the variety of viewpoints shared in committee meetings and from the floor of the General Assembly, and how all of this impacted their appreciation of what happens at a General Assembly.
This is not scripted, save for how the commissioners will begin their thoughts and observations about GA. Afterwards, there will be time to ask questions about this, and any GA. We have a chance to see what happens "out of sight" in preparation for the deliberations from the floor.
If you have ever wondered about how or why the denomination did this or that, this is a time to ask your questions. If you have served on a session, a church committee, something at the presbytery level, or something in local or state politics, and have had someone come up to you, referencing a decision made by a representative body you were a part of, and say, "Why did YOU do that?" then this might be a good thing to attend!
Blessings and thanks to the commissioners themselves, to the staff that will make this possible, and to all who can attend. And, if you miss it, or later hear some good things about it, I think we will be recording it as well!
I will again invite you to attend on the 14th at 6:30 p.m. Click here to join!
Thanks, all!
| | Grants Available for Grassroots Projects! | |
Please share this information with your networks and ministries!
Is your grassroots group working to promote human dignity, self-reliance, and long-term solutions to poverty or oppression? If your project is led and controlled by those who benefit from it, empowers participants, and could use additional funding, you may qualify for a grant. Attend our upcoming free workshop Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. to ask questions and see if you qualify. No denominational affiliation required.
When? September 15, 2026, 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Where? Manchester Family YMCA (7540 Hull Street Road, Richmond, VA 23235)
How do I register? Click here to register. Registration closes the day prior to the event.
What else? Lunch will be provided. Share this flyer with your network/congregation.
| | Upcoming POJ Dates & Deadlines | |
- GA Commissioners Meet & Greet - Sept. 14
- Self-Development of People Grant Workshop - Sept. 15
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Deadline: Reports of Teams, Committees, Commissions, Staff - Sept. 17
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Deadline: Submit Materials for Oct. COM - Sept. 17
- Pastor Appreciation Month Begins - Oct.1
- Meeting Packet Available Online - Oct. 2
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GA Racial Justice Info Session with Chad Wayner - Oct. 5
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Deadline: CPM Materials - Oct. 6
- Pastor Appreciation Day - Oct. 11
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Deadline: Submit Materials for Nov. COM - Oct. 15
- 124th POJ Meeting with Hamilton Glass (ARC Faith & Art program) - Oct 17
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Deadline: Register for Fall Polity Class - Oct. 28
- Presbyterian Polity Fall Class (Mondays in Nov.) - Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23
| | RVA Artist, Hamilton Glass | | A View From the Pews at River Road Presbyterian Church | |
Greetings friends! Kerry here, writing about my Labor Day holiday activities.
I went to church with my wife, daughter, and son-in-law, who are members of River Road Presbyterian Church. Let me note that this article is not about River Road Presbyterian, at least not like my other articles.
Worshipping from the pews with my family has been rare for me these last twenty-five years. All of my pastor colleagues know this; most folks in congregations know this as well. The view, the sounds, the atmosphere, the feeling, the Spirit in the room, is different for those sitting in the pews. Not better, not worse, than being in the pulpit, but different. Keep reading...
| | | | Find Midweek Pause at The Gayton Kirk | Join us at The Gayton Kirk (11421 Gayton Rd., Henrico, VA 23238) for a peaceful 30-minute midday prayer in the spirit of Taizé, featuring contemplative songs, scripture, and silence every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. | | Midday prayer in the spirit of Taizé centers on singing, prayer, readings from the Bible, and periods of silence. Simple songs are sung in a repetitive manner to aid the worshiper in obtaining a meditative mood. Taizé worship does not incorporate a sermon or Holy Communion. It is candle-lit and contemplative, creating a quiet space for reflection and communion with God and one another. All are welcome. | | |
DEEP DIVE —
Church in the AI Age: News, Resources & Policy
| | Ancestral vs. Artificial Intelligence | The below summary is from a recent Presbyterian News Service article by Beth Waltemath. | |
The 2026 AI & Church Summit in Nashville centered Indigenous voices, grounding the AI conversation in real impacts on land, water, and communities. The Rev. Chebon Kernell (pictured above) reframed the acronym entirely: "I believe in AI," he said, defining it as "ancestral intelligence" — wisdom that preserves language, culture, and community across generations. Speakers tied data-center expansion to a longer history of extraction, with Mackenzie Roberts warning, "The cost is our land. The cost is our common home. The cost is our souls. The cost is our humanity." Kernell named this as "just the next chapter in a long history of extraction," including mainline Christianity's complicity in those patterns.
Yet the summit insisted AI adoption remains a choice, not an inevitability. Asked whether he could support any form of AI, Kernell replied: "All I know is that the end of the spectrum that I sit on protects life. It protects our well-being." That became the gathering's guiding principle: ask whether any technology protects life, community, and the sacred connections that make us human — a faithful framework for congregations discerning how, or whether, to engage AI.
Read full article here.
| | Pastoral Care Toolkit in the Age of AI | The below summary is from a recent Presbyterian News Service article by Beth Waltemath. | |
A new ecumenical toolkit launched at the AI & Church Summit in Nashville equips pastors to address emerging pastoral challenges such as griefbots, voice-cloning scams, and AI companions. Developed by a team from four Protestant traditions including the PC(USA), the resource shifts focus from clergy use of AI for tasks to applying existing ministry skills in new contexts. As the Rev. Olivia Lane, a PC(USA) teaching elder, explained, “This church AI toolkit is a free vetted collection of resources built to help congregations and pastors do the work of faithful ministry with, we hope, less guesswork and more capacity.” The creators emphasize that these situations “are not primarily technology problems but pastoral-care challenges that churches already have experience addressing,” with the goal being to help pastors apply “existing pastoral skills in unfamiliar contexts.”
Read the full article here.
| | The Algorithm & the Almighty: Social Witness Policy Approved by the 227th General Assembly
| This social witness policy discusses artificial intelligence and Christian faith and was adopted by the 227th General Assembly (2026). Beginning with a summary (pages 2-4), the policy offers a theological and biblical framework for understanding artificial intelligence and ethical guidance for its use in professional, ecclesial, and personal contexts. The policy also provides definitions of artificial intelligence, background on its development, and a broad overview of its impacts on society. | | Child Protection Practices & Opportunities | | |
Practical Resources for Churches' children and youth specialist, Elizabeth Christie, has issued an urgent warning following a concerning firsthand experience where in spite of all standard Zoom safety practices, a meeting had been covertly recorded and posted online.
She offers suggestions on how to protect kids when on Zoom or during livestreamed events or services here.
Presbytery of the James encourages congregations to evaluate and update their child/vulnarable adult safety policies regularly.
| | Protecting Children from Gun Violence Fall Action Circle | | |
Concerned about Gun Violence against Children? You are not alone.
Join with other congregations across the nation in this Fall Action Circle offered by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Gun Violence Prevention Ministry and led by educators, pastors and other faith activists.
What is it? Protecting Children from Gun Violence Fall Action Circle
When is it? Sept. 30-Oct. 28, 2026, Wednesdays 12-1 p.m. on Zoom (plus 1 hour of prep)
How do I learn more and register? Learn More/Register HERE
How do I share the info? Click HERE for an easy-to-share info sheet
Please share this news with congregations, peace and social concerns teams, church safety teams, and beyond. Thank you!
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Celebration for Rev. Shady Clark, Jr. 50th Pastoral Anniversary
Sep. 27
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▪ Christian Formation Week begins 9/13
▪ Disability Inclusion Sunday 9/13
▪ Theological Education/Seminaries Sunday 9/20
▪ International Day of Peace 9/21
▪ Native American Day 9/22
▪ Evangelism Sunday 9/27
▪ Gifts of New Immigrants 9/27
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Director of the Pace Center at VCU (Clergy or Lay/Full Time) – Pace Center, Richmond, Virginia
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Building Administrator (Lay/Part-Time) – Forest Hill Community Center of the Presbytery of the James, Richmond, Virginia
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Youth Ministry Team Member Internship (Lay/Part-Time) – Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia
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Children’s Ministry Team Member (Lay/Part-Time) – Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia
| | Nearby Presbyteries and PC(USA) Calls & Jobs | | |
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