Presbyterian Student Fellowship (PSF) at Vanderbilt University

Over their spring break, Vanderbilt University's Presbyterian Student Fellowship sent a group on a mission trip down to New Orleans, Louisiana to continue in the effort to rebuild homes that Hurricane Katrina destroyed in 2005. These PSFers recorded this video for us while they were on that trip to let us know how they see the living Church in our world today! Vanderbilt's PSF shows us that the Church is alive through loving and helping those in need. Thanks PSF!

Check out the Vanderbilt PSF website HERE!

follow them on twitter!
and visit their facebook group!

Alive in Action...

Living Congregants,
We just wanted to share a little story about how the Church is ALIVE project is a lot more than just video.

Just this past weekend, Kevin Cartee - Director of Outdoor Ministries for Foothills and Trinity Presbytery - and about 100 folks from 11 churches gathered for their annual middle school retreat of Trinity and Foothills presbyteries in South Carolina.

This has always been a good time, but this year there was a twist: After listening to a conference call with one of the Church is Alive staff, the retreat-goers were split into groups and charged with not only discerning how THEY thought the church is alive but also challenged to design a church of the future.

We hear they had some pretty cool ideas (including a design for a gazebo church with moving sidewalks), and that there was a lot of great discussion about how the church is alive. Some of their thoughts:
"Worship is for EVERYONE."

"Young people DO understand that it's important to communicate - be they elders or anyone else - and have everyone be a part of the Body of Christ."

"We got talking about a whole lot of things and truthfully just ran out of time!!"

Retreats like this are just one more example of how the church is alive today. If you hear or know of any other retreats like this - or if you would like to host one of your own - don't hesitate to let us know by sending and email to video@thechurchisalive.com!

The Church is Alive in Palo Alto, CA!

It's....ALIVE!!

The Youth Group of First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto, CA sent us this creative video explaining why they think the church is alive.

They remind us that "we base our Church on Jesus as the body of Christ," and that "people keep each other alive in a community." What a prophetic message to hear! The youth of this church are reminding all of us of our calling to live and serve together, as we are called to be the body of Christ. How much clearer can it get? Let us think of the message this group sends us every time we participate in communion, meditating upon the "body of Christ." And remember, the grape juice is for the kids!

Here's their website

(nice "church is alive" shout-out on their youth page!)

Thanks Youth Group of FPC Palo Alto!

The Church is ALIVE because of LOVE

This latest submission comes to us from Atlanta, Georgia via Laura Brekke. Brekke believes the church is alive because of LOVE.

Brekke is in the process of applying for seminary (she has interviews tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday!), and she's been to Guatemala twice on mission trips with her college - Queens University of Charlotte. She's also applying to be a counselor at Montreat this summer.

Thanks Brekke!

Read her blog

Check her out on facebook