The national conference for Elders and Lay Leaders in Edmonton was such a tremendous success that General Assembly unanimously approved a mandate to continue the pre-Assembly training sessions over the next five years. There was a record attendance of more than 150 people at the June 4th event at Dayspring, Edmonton.
"For the first time ever at a Presbyterian conference, we almost ran out of food," says Roberta Clare, director of the Elders' Institute at St. Andrew's College in Vancouver, B.C.
With a co-sponsorship from the Life and Mission Agency of the PCC, the Institute designed workshops that focused on topics such as 'Caring for our Elderly' and 'The Role of the Elder in Korean churches'.
A major goal for the Institute, however, remains: revitalizing the youth in the Presbyterian church. With this in mind, Clare is developing a new program to reach youth in remote areas of the country. Together with the Synod of British Columbia, Clare hopes to offer spiritual support for kids who "don't feel like they're involved in the church at the moment."
The program will begin with a six-week online course in the fall called 'The Wisdom of the Elders and the Energy of Youth: a Course in Spiritual Mentoring'. Made possible by a grant from the national Women's Missionary Society, this course will train elders and lay leaders to discuss issues of faith with youth online.
"At the Elders' Institute, that is our primary goal — revitalizing the youth. However, it always seems to be at the cost of the older people," says Clare. "But I think this will revitalize everybody. I don't think we need to be apologizing that we're an older church." – AC
