by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | September 4, 2018 | | Blog
We know the tough realities: We are living in a very different world than we did 20-30 years ago. Not only has the economy changed, but there is a high mistrust of institutions including the church. Sadly, many (most?) people just don’t consider belonging to a church... Read more
by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | June 12, 2018 | community organizingleadership | Blog
At the end of 2017 Albany Presbytery voted to approve two ongoing strategies as the presbytery’s mission. The first was a strategy on Congregational Renewal, which involved each congregation establishing a Ministry Plan. The second was to emphasize five skill areas... Read more
by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | January 19, 2018 | campsummer camp | Blog
Do your kids a favor. Some Sunday soon ask the adults in worship two questions: “How many of you went to church camp when you were a kid?” then ask those with their hands up, “How many of you believe church camp was one of the most formative experiences of your life... Read more
by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | December 11, 2017 | book reviewmessage | Blog
I was introduced to Donald Miller’s book, Building Your Story Brand, at the Synod’s “Come to the Table” event this past September. It is a fairly, quick read, and though it was written for businesses, the book has profound implications for how congregations present... Read more
by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | November 24, 2017 | | Blog
This year and next, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is not the first Sunday of Advent. This is a rarity in the liturgical schedule. I remember the last time this happened in Kathy’s and my tenure at Trinity. We decided to take advantage of it and bought last minute... Read more
by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | October 24, 2017 | Congregational Coachinggoalvision | Blog
One thing I have noticed about Sessions and leadership teams across the presbytery is that we are most reluctant to name concrete goals for our churches. Now I understand the fear of naming a goal or a vision. We don’t want to feel like a failure if we don’t reach... Read more
by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | October 3, 2017 | educationtransitiontransitions | Blog
How does the church move forward when nearly everything we learned in the past no longer applies? Another way to phrase this question was posed by Tod, “If western societies have become post-Christian mission fields, how can traditional churches become missionary... Read more
by Rev. Dr. Tim Coombs | September 27, 2017 | communionelderPCUSA | News
Churches without pastors often struggle to schedule supply preachers for worship, sometimes choosing to go with a member of their congregation if they cannot find an available pastor or commissioned ruling elder. This task, however, gets even more difficult on Sundays... Read more
