wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] PC(USA) to hold national peer ministry training

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8635 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05070
February 2, 2005

PC(USA) to hold national peer ministry training conference

Summer event will help students learn about mutual ministry 

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - The first national Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) College Student
Peer Ministry Training conference is set for June 15-19.

The four-day event, which is being called Peer 1, will be held on the campus
of the University of Louisville, less than five miles from where 24-year-old
Rick Upchurch serves as an intern with the Collegiate Ministries Office at
the Presbyterian Center in Louisville.

What began as peer ministry work in college five years ago has led this
Frankfort, KY, native to seminary, to the yearlong internship, and now to a
key role in planning the conference.

"If it weren't for that peer ministry position I'm not sure what I'd be doing
now," says Upchurch, who attends Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
when he's not busy interning. "I know that experience told me clearly that I
had a call to go into ministry. And now I'm planning an event to help college
student peer ministers learn skills that I discovered only after I tripped
over them." 
 
Peer ministry most often involves college undergraduates who are serving a
campus ministry through leadership of programs with other students. 

Upchurch's work was typical of the current crop of peer ministers involved in
PC(USA) campus ministries. He tracked down known and unknown Presbyterians,
conducted Bible studies, designed retreats, and had leadership roles in the
Sunday morning worship of a local church. 

"The collegiate peer ministry programs are proving to be one of the best ways
to introduce students to the theological concept of responsible servanthood,"
says the Rev. Bob Turner, the PC(USA)'s associate for collegiate ministries,
which is helping sponsor the event. "They truly do needed service in a
setting of supervised reflection about their faith development and spiritual
gifts."  

The event is also being sponsored in partnership with the denomination's
Presbyterian Student Strategy Team, the newly organized Presbyterian
Association for Collegiate and Higher Education Ministries (PACHEM), and the
national United Ministries in Higher Education office.	

The conference will include opportunities for participants to conduct service
projects around Louisville, guest speakers, and workshops on a range of
topics from holding Bible studies to fund raising.

"The campus will serve sort of as a laboratory for students to learn how to
do things when they get back to their own campuses," Upchurch said. "Either
holding dorm room-type Bible studies or using a student activities center for
access to students. All the ins and outs of doing peer ministry. As far as
accountability, working with other people, and definitely fund raising."

A separate conference will be held on the University of Louisville campus at
the same time for PC(USA) collegiate ministry staff who serve local churches
and individuals with higher education ministry responsibilities for
presbyteries, synods and other regional bodies.

Additional information about these conferences, other summer collegiate
ministry events and PC(USA) higher education ministry resources will be
available soon at http://www.pcusa.org/pcc or http://www.pachem.org.

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