Happy Pride Month! Listen in our conversation with board members from Presbyterian Promise, an LGBTQIA+ organization in our Presbytery for education, outreach, and advocacy. This year is the 25th anniversary of Presbyterian Promise, and we are so excited to celebrate alongside them this month!In this episode, we hear from:Rev. Jenny Peek, Chaplain at Yale University, co-moderatorLeah Miller, First Presbyterian Church of New Haven, co-moderatorEllen McDonnell, First Presbyterian Church of Stam...

Won't you bee my neighbor? 🐝 At First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, CT, more commonly known as the Fish Church, bees truly are neighbors! In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance Ocampo chats with Rev. Shelley Donaldson, Associate Pastor at First Pres in Stamford, and with John Bitner, who has been a member for 30 years and served as a deacon and elder. Shelley and John share how they transformed an old garden bed into 5 hives and the variety of t...

In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo speaks with Rev. Ben Bond (Faith Inclusion and Belonging Associate at RespectAbility) and our Communications Manager Katie Grosh, about disability and church communities. Ben shared tips about how to be more accessible and welcoming in your congregational communities, including giving visual descriptions, attending to a variety of physical and sensory needs, and shifting attitudes. Ben also gave a Disability 101 ov...

In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo speaks with Christian educators and pastors in our Presbytery who attended the recent Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE) conference in St. Louis Missouri. Tara Church, Patrick Notley, Karen Hammond, and Mark Montgomery all share their takeaways from the conference and what the future of Christian Education holds.Featured on this episode:- Tara Church, Director of Children's Ministry at First Presbyte...

The church is changing. Wilton Presbyterian Church is thriving with innovative staffing and programming! In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, the Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo talks with Wilton Presbyterian Church's triple-pastor team:Rev. Jessica Jones - Co-Pastor, Pastoral Care and EducationRev. Chris Tate - Co-Pastor, Outreach and TechnologyRev. Mark Montgomery - Co-Pastor, AdministrationGet to know each of them, and how they work together in this unique model of church leadership....

Get to know our PSNE Moderators! In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo interviews our Moderator, Rev. Kevin White, and our Vice Moderator, Rev. Dallas Bradel. Especially as our stated meetings are online this year, it's important to have opportunities to get to know one another in different ways. This is both an introduction to Kevin and Dallas, as well as a behind-the-scenes look into what the job of Moderator / Vice Moderator is like! Connecting our...

Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship. Today, Shannan Vance-Ocampo speaks with Bruce Reyes-Chow about his new book, Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith.In this primer on progressive, expansive, generous Christianity, writer and pastor Bruce Reyes-Chow offers his own "faith m...

Friday December 1st is World AIDS Day, but HIV and AIDS is something that Rev. John Merz thinks about everyday. John is the CEO at Advancing CT Together (ACT), which addresses the root causes of poverty, addiction and health inequities through strength-based services and advocacy to ensure all people in Connecticut have equitable resources necessary to achieve multi-generational health, wealth and happiness. Learn more at these links below:Why Congress Must Reauthorize A Life-Saving Program t...

How can we work in our churches and communities to address systemic poverty? Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo talks with Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson (Coordinator at SDOP), Juliet Owuor (Young Adult Volunteer at SDOP), Keyarra Johnson and Jazz Kearse (Jubilee Arts: Youth in Business), about the mission and impact of Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP).Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People is a ministry that affirms God’s concern for humankind. We are P...

In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, Rev. Shannan Vance Ocampo speaks with Rev. Julie Emery about an exciting summer sermon series: The Gospel According to Ted Lasso. Rev. Julie joined Westminster Presbyterian as lead Minister in 2014. She brings creativity and a passion for inclusive worship and preaching and a heart for social justice. Julie grew up in Michigan and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from the University of Michigan. She received her Master o...