Find a Church Greetings! These are exciting times to be members of the body of Christ! Everywhere you turn there are opportunities for conversation concerning the transformative power of Christ. The Presbytery of Lake Erie is a regional gathering of 61 congregations within the Presbyterian Church (USA) in which these exciting opportunities are engaged. The 61 congregations are situated in 7 counties in northwestern Pennsylvania and western New York State. Each of those congregations seeks to engage the communities in which they live with God’s Good News. One particular focus has been on missional church thought. Lesslie Newbigin exemplifies this effort to re-engage the culture with the Gospel of Christ. A native of England he spent most of his adult years ministering through the Church of South India. In his retirement he returned to England where he was stunned to discover the culture had shifted quite dramatically since his younger years. Having been a missiologist in India he began to analyze the changes and the implications of sharing the Gospel in a culture that had once been quite Christian but had become less so. He laid the groundwork for much of the missional conversation now occurring across North America and Europe. A number of the churches within the Presbytery of Lake Erie are seeking to engage this same conversation. The conversation may not be easy yet it is crucial in remaining faithful to God’s call upon our lives. Included in the conversation are questions such as these: -How does the church respond when simply opening the doors on Sunday morning is not enough to draw people to the Gospel? -How does the church respond to a culture that seems increasingly disinterested in Christianity? -What is the mission of our particular church in our particular community? -How can church buildings be utilized for ministry rather than become the focus of ministry? -Is it possible for a church to shift from being pastor focused to ministry focused? -What is the role of Christian education in a Biblically illiterate world? -How best does the church make disciples when people are being drawn in so many different directions all at once? -Is risk taking necessary in the sharing of the faith in our community? If so, where do we begin? -How does our church become a vehicle through the Reign of God is extended into our community? These are complex questions but they may be only the tip of the iceberg as the churches of Lake Erie Presbytery look toward the 21st century. These questions are being engaged at a different pace in each congregation yet they are foundational to the Gospel message. Come along and join thousands of other Presbyterian Christians in the Presbytery of Lake Erie in these exciting conversations! In Christ, Rev. David S. Oyler, General Presbyter