The Presbytery of Seattle has voted to call The Rev. Scott Lumsden as Executive Presbyter, effective May 1, 2008.  Rev. Lumsden succeeds The Rev. Jerry Poole, who has fulfilled the role of Interim Executive Presbyter since September 2006.

Rev. Lumsden brings to the position a deep commitment to the life and mission of the local church; expertise and experience in the dynamics of congregational transition and transformation; and a depth of knowledge of polity and process that interprets context rather than dictates conclusions.  "Scott has the ability to really listen to a person or a group of people and articulate back what he is hearing.  Scott then has an uncanny way of reframing the whole situation that takes us all to a new place  - a grace-filled place with new God-given possibilities.  I like that!” comments Joyce Emery, Transitional Executive, Synod of Alaska-Northwest.

Wondering where to worship during Holy Week? Check out this schedule and find a service in your neighborhood.

Friends:
In my travels around our presbytery I have appreciated the varieties of worship styles demonstrated by various congregations.  I have discovered a few ideas from which other congregations may benefit

One of them is “the interview.” Twenty years ago many congregations, especially those of the conservative flavor, offered testimonials as a part of their worship services.  People would step forward to share news of what they believed God had been doing in their lives.  Sometimes those became, intentionally or not, brief sermons, maybe not so brief.  Many church leaders brought such practices to a stop partly because they could not control their length and partly because they grew weary of the content or of the limited number of persons who could be counted on to offer such “testimonials” on the spur of the moment.