FPCA Hosts Author for Seminar on Change


Author Tod Bolsinger offered almost 70 church leaders a guide to Christian leadership in times of dramatic change during an inspiring presentation January 25. His book, Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory, compares the challenges to those faced by explorers Lewis and Clark when they realized there was no river passage to the Pacific. Tey instead would have to find a way through the unexpectedly massive Rocky Mountains, where their canoes would be useless.


Bolsinger is a former Presbyterian pastor, and now an executive coach in transformational leadership and the vice president and chief of leadership formation at Fuller Teological Seminary. He asked FPCA leaders to identify our church’s greatest challenges and begin discussing the adaptations required to overcome them. Trying harder at what already has been done— paddling harder, in Lewis-and-Clark parlance—will not solve these problems, he pointed out.


He said building our way to the future requires leaders to recognize their church’s DNA before embarking on needed adaptations. He encouraged them to determine what they’re unwilling to change and then be prepared to change everything else, experimenting, learning, and building on those results.


Bolsinger acknowledged that leaders will face resistance to change but argued that people do not resist change but, rather, loss. Tis requires empathy, but he urged leaders to recognize that the mission— whatever they decide it is—trumps all.


—Bill White


Chris Palmer Ordained


It has been said that Christianity is always one generation away from extinction. Te truth is, no matter what has happened in the past, the future of the Christian faith is dependent on successive generations, empowered by the Holy Spirit, seeking to follow and share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


For the fifth time in three years, one of our members has responded to God’s call to teach and preach the good news to future generations as a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA).


Christopher Palmer was ordained as a minister by Lehigh Presbytery in our sanctuary on Sunday, January 5. Chris is a lifelong member of our church, having participated actively in many ministries over the years and served as one of our summer interns in 2015. A graduate of William Allen High School; the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland; and Princeton Teological Seminary, Chris is serving as a Lake Fellow in Parish Ministry at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.


Chris is married to Katherine, also a graduate of Princeton Seminary, and is the son of the Rev. Dr. Gregory and Debbie Palmer.


—Stephen Emick 11


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