Church and Community Events
To include your announcement or event on this page, send details to Kelley Hope. Include text for the announcement in the body of your email. A link to more information on your website also is helpful. Please do not send graphics.
March
Mr. Rogers Day Resources
March 20
Celebrate the ministry of Fred Rogers on his birthday, March 20. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Office of Theology and Worship, and Office of Christian Formation have a variety of resources for use in different context and settings.
April 2024
Small Church Leaders Gathering
April 4, 7 p.m.
Small church leaders, you are invited to a virtual networking gathering from the Office of Christian Formation. These online gatherings will be held six times in 2024 with the next on April 4 at 7 p.m. The times and dates vary. Participate when you can to share in conversation and learn, ask questions, receive and share resources for ministry and support one another. Each gathering will start with a question or topic related to Faith Formation leadership in small churches, then discussion can go from there.
NEXT Church National Gathering
April 8-11
The 2024 National Gathering of NEXT Church will be April 8-11 in Falls Church, Virginia. Choose one of six pathways–each with a different focus and content leader–to dig deep into. Your chosen pathway will meet five times during the gathering. Each pathway includes coaching to help you move from head knowledge to impactful action when you leave the gathering.
Legacies of the Holocaust for Faith Communities and the Future
April 9-11
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. has announced the topic for its 2024 Congregational Leaders Workshop. April 9-11, the museum welcomes faith leaders for Beyond Horror and Shame: Legacies of the Holocaust for Faith Communities and the Future. Applications are due February 23. There is no cost for the workshop and non-local participants can have their travel and lodging costs covered.
Third Act Seminar
April 18
On April 18, the Board of Pensions will hold its complimentary Third Act seminar and luncheon at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA. Board of Pensions retirees, spouses, and survivors are invited to register online by April 5. Join the Board’s educators to break bread together and enjoy fellowship with retired colleagues as we discuss the seminar’s focused topic, aging and brain health.
Women’s Retreat
April 19-20
Get away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Spend a night at Camp Hanover with someone else doing the planning and preparing. They’ll take care of the cooking; you relax and enjoy yourself. The retreat consists of a planned program, quiet time, activities, and worship.
Earth Day Sunday
April 21
The PCUSA partners with Creation Justice Ministries to offer Christian education materials to equip faith communities to protect, restore, and more rightly share God’s creation. In 2024, the theme Plastic Jesus-Real Faith in a Synthetic World helps congregations think more deeply about the ways that plastics impact our lives and God’s creation.
Camp Hanover Fun Day
April 21, 2-5 p.m.
Visit Camp Hanover for a great afternoon of camp activities. At this free event, guests of all ages can experience fun in nature. Invite another family to come with you and explore together!
reKindle Grant
April 30
The Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary is accepting applications through April 30 for its rekindle grant program. Awards of up to $10,000 are available to help congregations become thriving communities and focus attention on a mission priority. The funds can be used consultations, new program development costs, stipends for program participants and/or program leaders, retreats and events, and resources and travel in support of the grant activity.
May 2024
Mental Health Grants
May 1
May 1 is the deadline to apply for a Presbyterian Mental Health Ministry grant. The funds can help Presbyterian congregations, mid councils, and seminaries to initiate or advance mental health ministries. An application guide is available.
Older Adult Sunday
May 5
The first Sunday in May, May 5, is Older Adult Sunday. Many congregations celebrate older adults for the full week following Older Adult Sunday; others make this a monthlong event. Check out these resources, including a worship service, to plan your activities.
Small Church Leaders Gathering
May 8, 1 p.m.
Small church leaders, you are invited to a virtual networking gathering from the Office of Christian Formation. These online gatherings will be held six times in 2024. The times and dates vary. Participate when you can to share in conversation and learn, ask questions, receive and share resources for ministry and support one another. Each gathering will start with a question or topic related to Faith Formation leadership in small churches, then discussion can go from there.
PW Book Discussion
May 13
The Presbyterian Women Churchwide’s Justice and Peace Committee is hosting book discussion groups again in 2024. The next event is May 13 to discuss Transforming: the Bible & the Lives of Transgender Christians. The discussions will be held on Zoom on the second Monday of every other month.
Family Camp
May 17-19
Family Camp is fun and fellowship for all ages. At Camp Hanover, everyone is family: parents and kids, multiple generations, and groups of friends. The agenda is flexible; you to do what you want and what is helpful for you and your loved ones. Participate in as many or as few activities as you desire.
Reflective Leadership Grants Deadline
Applications open May 28
Duke Divinity's Leadership Education program offers grants of up to $15,000 to help Christian leaders reflect on accomplishments, broaden perspectives, and discern next steps. Applications open March 18. Join a Q&A session via Zoom to learn more.
Summer 2024 and Beyond
Clergy Couple Retreat
July 29-August 1
Attention clergy couples! Registration for Called Together 2024, July 29-August 1, is now open. Called Together is a retreat at Massanetta Springs for couples in any stage of professional ministry. Whether you're a family of 2 or 6, all are welcome!
Synod of the Mid-Atlantic Grants
August 1
Synod of the Mid-Atlantic awards grants for projects that support disaster relief, hunger action, presbytery initiatives, African American initiatives, new and small churches, peacemaking, and more. Applications are reviewed twice per year, in August and February.
Small Church Leaders Gathering
August 6, 3 p.m.
Small church leaders, you are invited to a virtual networking gathering from the Office of Christian Formation. These online gatherings will be held six times in 2024. The times and dates vary. Participate when you can to share in conversation and learn, ask questions, receive and share resources for ministry and support one another. Each gathering will start with a question or topic related to Faith Formation leadership in small churches, then discussion can go from there.
Camp for Clergy
August 11-15
Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation invites pastors to a nurtured retreat in Colorado in August. Enjoy time and space for private or collaborative planning, worship and music guides, and field trips. Camp for Clergy takes place at the YMCA of the Rocky Mountains Estes Park Center. Spouses, partners, friends, and children are welcome.
Learn more >
Camp Hanover Homecoming
August 30-September 2
Tour of Scotland
September 13-23
Three Chopt Church invites you to join them on a tour of Scotland September 13-23, 2024. Learn about the history and events which heralded the founding of the Presbyterian denomination. The motorcoach tour includes stops in the Isle of Iona, Loch Ness, Inverness, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
Leadership in Ministry Richmond
September 16-18
Leadership in Ministry is a twice-a-year, peer-based, clergy leadership development program. It is part of the Pastoral Excellence Programs of the Center for Lifelong Learning of Columbia Theological Seminary. Many participants have attended for several years, with some participating for over a decade, reaping the benefits of long-term commitment to personal and professional growth.
Young Adult Advocacy Conference
October 18-20
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Young Adult Advocacy Conference will take place this fall on the Charlotte campus of Union Presbyterian Seminary in North Carolina. The “Jesus and Justice” gathering on Oct. 18-20 will be the second in a series of young adult conferences that are designed to provide advocacy and leadership training to college students, seminarians, and young adults in general.
2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium
July 28-31, 2025
Save the date! The next Presbyterian Youth Triennium will be in July 2025.
Recurring Events
Grief Support Groups for Spanish Speakers
Monthly
Legacy Hospice and Full Circle Grief Center offer free bilingual grief support groups for Spanish-English speakers. The groups will meet on the last Tuesday of each month and has flexible times and multiple locations in Richmond. Please share with Spanish speakers in your community.
Church Disaster Preparedness Calendar
If disaster struck your community or congregation/ministry, would you be prepared? Check out this monthly calendar from Synod of the Sun that has small, but important, tasks that will build invaluable skills, plans, and procedures for your congregation and your partnering communities.