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31-March-1997 
97138 
 
             Presbyterian Institutions Collaborate in 
           Pilot Spirituality Project For Congregations 
 
                         by Julian Shipp 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Three Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) institutions -- Auburn 
Theological Seminary, the Center of Continuing Education of Princeton 
Theological Seminary and the Christian Faith and Life Program Area of the 
Congregational Ministries Division (CMD) -- are collaborating in a $250,000 
pilot project in congregational spirituality funded by the 
Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. 
 
     At a time when many church members are voicing a hunger for a deeper 
and more authentic spiritual experience, the three institutions will 
attempt  to discern how they and similar religious bodies can support more 
effectively spiritual formation ministries in eight Presbtyerian 
congregations participating in the endeavor. Each church will send a team 
of several participants, including a pastor and at least one member of the 
congregation's session, to a series of workshops beginning in May 1997 and 
concluding in January 1999. 
 
     The workshops, held at Stony Point Center at Stony Point, N.Y., are 
designed and led by a three-person team composed of the Rev. Irvin Moxley, 
a Presbyterian pastor and spiritual director from Cleveland Heights, Ohio; 
Wendy Wright, a Roman Catholic laywoman, professor and author from Omaha, 
Neb.; and the Rev. Dick Junkin, a Presbyterian minister who until recently 
served as dean of the Institute for Christian Formation at Stony Point. 
 
     The project will focus on such disciplines of the Christian life as 
prayer, scripture, life in the world, discernment, and Sabbath-keeping. The 
individual workshops will be designed not only to further the participants' 
growth in faith and discipleship, but also to encourage them to model and 
share their learnings so as to foster the spiritual maturity of their 
congregations. 
 
     Joyce Tucker, dean of continuing education at Princeton Theological 
Seminary, said it is a privilege to work with teams of congregational 
leaders over an extended period of time. "That's the way to help 
congregations make a difference in the lives of their members and 
communities," Tucker said. 
 
     For her part, Anne Noss, CMD associate director of the Christian Faith 
and Life Program Area, said the project will help participants learn more 
about living the life of the Spirit in the context of life in the wider 
church and world. "This project is totally in keeping with our Reformed 
understanding of the integration of spirituality and service," Noss said. 
"We are very grateful to Lilly Endowment for making this effort possible." 
 
     The eight congregations participating in the project are Fifth Avenue 
Presbyterian Church in New York City; South Salem Presbyterian Church in 
South Salem, N.Y.; West Delhi Presbyterian Church in Delhi, N.Y.; First 
Presbyterian Church in Englishtown, N.J.; First Presbyterian Church in 
Ramsey, N.J.; Second Presbyterian Church in Rahway, N.J.; True Light Korean 
Presbyterian Church in Ridgefield, N.J.; and Christ's First Presbyterian 
Church in Hempstead, N.Y. 

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