Active Shooter Preparedness Workshop March 19 at College Hill 

An Active Shooter Preparedness Workshop will be held on March 19, 2026, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM, at College Hill Community Church, 1547 Philadelphia Drive, Dayton.

The workshop will be presented by the Dayton Police Department and is co-sponsored by the Third-Thirty Network of Presbytery of the Miami Valley and the College Hill Community Church Older Kids Ministry. A light lunch is included.

For questions about the workshop, email Jose LaMont Jones at joselamont48@gmail.com

Registration

Training for Lay Preachers begins in June 2026

The Cultivating the Gift of Preaching Initiative (CGPI) is now recruiting participants to be part of its third year of training emerging lay preachers.

CGPI is a ministry in the Synod of the Covenant focused on training lay preachers. It is funded by a $1.25m Lilly Compelling Preaching Grant. The goal of CGPI is to strengthen the witness of the Church to the good news of Jesus Christ, by identifying, training, and providing ongoing support to emerging preachers.

Applications are welcome from any member of a PC(USA) congregation withing the bounds of the Synod off the Covenant who has a call to preach. Applications are also welcome from CREs who desire more formation in preaching.

This year, the program begins with a 5-day conference at Alma College in Alma, MI, June 4-8, 2026.

Learn more and apply

Free Webinars for February and March 2026

Here are the February and March 2026 Webinars from Practical Resources for Churches and Presbytery of the Miami Valley.

The schedule offers a diverse range of topics, and you’re sure to find something that interests you!

These webinars are free for all churches of Presbytery of the Miami Valley because of our membership in PRC.

Click on the title for more information and to register.

5 Steps to Help Your Church Be Friendlier to Guests
Tuesday, February 10, 2:00 PM (ET) 

Have you ever wanted your church to be friendlier to newcomers? In many churches, the problem isn’t that people don’t want to be friendly, they just don’t know how. What if your church had a plan that could increase the friendliness quotient of our church immediately, painlessly, and permanently?

Fields of Green: Unlocking Ministry Potential Through Asset Stewardship
Thursday, March 5; 2:00 PM (ET)

This webinar invites congregations to rethink their buildings and campuses as assets for ministry, not liabilities. Sharing stories of various congregations, this workshop will offer practical strategies for churches on how they can use their space to serve the wider community, generate revenue, and expand mission impact.

Increase Giving Through Story-Listening
Tuesday, March 24, 2:00 PM (ET)

People give to places where they feel seen and heard and known.  But we seldom ask our congregants to share what our congregation means to them.  Creating opportunities for people to tell their own stories of transformation increases their sense of belonging, and contributions of time and money follow organically.  Participants will leave this highly interactive session with a dozen practical, no-cost suggestions for eliciting powerful stories in anticipation of pledge drives.

Free Webinars for Fall 2025

The Fall 2025 Webinars from Practical Resources for Churches and Presbytery of the Miami Valley have been announced.

The schedule offers a diverse range of topics, and you’re sure to find something that interests you!

These webinars are free for all churches of Presbytery of the Miami Valley because of our membership in PRC.

Learn more and register

Tod Bolsinger in Dayton on August 23
A PMV Leadership Training Event

Tod Bolsinger, MDiv, PhD, will lead a presbytery-sponsored church leadership training event on August 23, 2025, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 7001 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton.  (CFC Room downstairs).

The $20 cost covers lunch and a copy of Tod’s book, Canoeing the Mountains. 

Tentative Schedule

9:00-9:30 – Gather and Introductions

9:30-10:45 – Session 1: Leading in Uncharted Territory:
Preparing for an Unpredictable Future

10:45-11:00 – Break

11:00-12:15 – Session 2: From Trust to Transformation:
Leading Adaptive Change

12:15-1:00 – Lunch

1:00-2:15 – Session 3: The Most Important Aspect of Leadership:
Thriving through Sabotage.

2:15-3:00 – Session 4: The Anvil for Forming Resilience:
The Critical Relationships for Leading Through Change

Tod is the co-founder and principal of AE Sloan Leadership, Inc, an executive coaching and consulting firm that works with church, non-profit, university, and marketplace leaders in leading change. The mission of AE Sloan Leadership is “Helping Faith Leadership Thrive as Change Leaders.”

Tod has served as Executive Director of the De Pree Center Church Leadership Institute, as a Senior Fellow of the De Pree Center for Leadership, as Associate Professor of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, was the founder of the Fuller Leadership Platform, and served as a Vice President of Fuller Seminary for six years. Prior to his educational career, he served as a Presbyterian pastor for 27 years.

Tod is the author of Canoeing the Mountains, Tempered Resilience, It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian and Show Time: Living Down Hypocrisy by Living Out the Faith.

Registration and Payment 

Ruling Elder Training for

Presiding at the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Sunday, May 18, 2:00-5:00 PM
First Presbyterian Church, Fairborn

The Presbytery of the Miami Valley will once again offer Ruling Elder Training for Presiding at the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 2:00-5:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church of Fairborn, 1130 Highview Drive, Fairborn.

It can be challenging for congregations without regular pastoral leadership to find a minster of Word and Sacrament to preside at the Lord’s Supper. The presbytery is able to train and authorize ruling elders to preside at the Lord’s Supper as a way of providing care to the presbytery’s congregations.

The training will cover the theology of the Lord’s Supper using Scripture, the Book of Confessions, Directory for Worship, a service for the Lord’s Supper, and a practical time for ruling elders to break bread and bless the cup.

Packets of materials will be provided for each registered participant.

Executive Presbyter Terry Kukuk will lead the training.

Registration deadline is May 14.

Registration

Boundary Training for Church Sessions

The Book of Order now requires Boundary Training for members of church sessions at least every three years. More important than the requirement, however, is that Boundary Training provides an opportunity for meaningful conversations within sessions about how churches can create safe, welcoming, and transparent communities.

Presbytery of the Miami Valley is partnering with Practical Resources for Churches (PRC) to provide this training. PRC is a nonprofit, non-denominational, education-based service organization providing consultants, educational webinars, workshops, and resources.

PRC has created a series of free and short (no more than 15 minutes) video modules on a variety of topics that, together, fulfill a session’s Boundary Training requirement and open the door to discussion.

A document has been prepared that includes the video links, discussion questions, along with general directions and guidance.

A  password is required to open the below document. To request a password, send email to PMV.

Get the video links & training materials