First Presbyterian Church Residency Program is a two-year pastoral program for a first-call pastor in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., or an individual recently graduated from seminary with the desire to learn more about pastoral ministry. With oversight from the pastor and the Session of the church, the resident will learn how to serve a medium-sized congregation as a solo pastor. In addition to the everyday functions of congregational ministry, the resident will also acquire insight into how to be a public leader in the community of Paducah and beyond. Please see the descriptions below for more information about the program's two parts.
The Solo Pastorate Congregation Ministry emphasis focuses on the everyday functions of ministry within the church. It consists of three rotations and a breakdown of weekly, monthly, six-month, and yearly expectations.
* Weekly-Each week, the resident will meet with the pastor for conversations and readings about local church ministry. They will attend and contribute to weekly staff meetings, assist in leading worship every Sunday, and be active in pastoral care home and hospitals visits, making phone calls, and being an overall pastoral presence to the congregation.
*Monthly-The resident is expected to work with the pastor, putting together liturgy and other elements of worship for that Sunday, and preach at the discretion of the pastor. They will work with the Deacons, serve on the Finance Committee and another committee of their choosing.
*Every six months-The two years are split into three, six-month, rotations, minus the last six months of the resident's tenure at the church. These rotations are in addition to the weekly, monthly, and yearly duties of the program. The three rotations are as follows:
~Music Rotation: Working with the Director of Music to learn about planning church music for worship services and other programs, singing in the choir, and supporting other music opportunities in the church.
~Stewardship Rotation: Working with the session of First Presbyterian Church to plan for the upcoming Season of Generosity that takes place in September. This rotation includes reading books about church stewardship, learning best practices for supporting Season of Generosity and how to have thoughtful and faithful conversations about the finances of the church.
~Session Rotation: For six months, with the help and guidance of the pastor, the resident will lead session meetings, providing a devotional at the beginning and moderating the business portion. They will also plan the yearly session retreat after ordination and installation of new elders.
~The Last Six Months: The final months are set aside for the resident to search and interview for new jobs with the full support of the congregation of First Presbyterian Church.
*Yearly-It is expected that the resident will attend Montreat Youth Conference and Music and Worship Conferences with the youth in June. In addition, the resident will take one week of Continuing Education leave for a program that is approved by the pastor.
The Community Engagement emphasis focuses on being a public faith leader in a community. Like the Solo Pastor Congregational Ministry emphasis, there are weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly expectations that coincide with the everyday church duties.
*Weekly-The resident will be a presence in the community by serving mission organizations in Paducah, such as Paducah Cooperative Ministry, Community Kitchen, or another program of their choosing. During their weekly meeting with the pastor, they will debrief their time in the community and discuss the benefits and difficulties of being the missional church.
*Monthly-Focusing on being a front-facing pastor, the resident will partner with church members to visit different commissions, chambers, and boards in the city. In their second year, they will apply to sit on a board, commission, or chamber of their choosing, representing the church at monthly meetings.
*Quarterly-It is expected that the resident will attend the presbytery meetings of the Presbytery of Western Kentucky with the pastor and a commissioner from the congregation.
*Yearly-Attend events within the community.