Georgia Presbyterian Cursillo

A Note to Clergy -

Cursillo – “Cursillo de Christiandad” - is a short course in Christianity. It is a three day spiritual retreat in which the main activity is learning about God's love and Christ's will for us. It provides a foundation for both individual and community spiritual growth.

The weekend is an experience in Christian sharing and living. During the three days, 15 talks are presented -- five by pastors, and the rest by lay people - all dealing with different aspects of living one's life in God's grace.

The weekend includes chapel each day, communion, small group discussions, sharing, music, singing, laughter, and prayer. Georgia Presbyterian Cursillo (GPC) weekends are held three times a year at the very comfortable Pinnacle Retreat Center in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains of Clayton, Georgia.

Presbyterian Cursillo is … Biblical. Reformed Adheres to Presbyterian doctrine

Presbyterian Cursillo is not … A conversion experience A couples retreat Political

Presbyterian Cursillo is faithful to the teaching of scripture and to the reformed doctrine of the Presbyterian Church. Five of the weekend talks are given by PC(USA) clergy. In fact, the first Talk of the weekend, “Reformed Theology” is delivered by a clergy member. The rest of the talk-givers must follow tightly composed outlines that adhere to reformed theology. The Presbyterian Cursillo operation manual was written by Rev. Fred Keith as part of his doctoral thesis at Columbia Theological Seminary.

The purpose of Presbyterian Cursillo is to help the people who attend our weekend retreats better understand God's love for them and begin to understand and appropriate Jesus' will for their lives. It helps turn members into leaders. Sometimes married couples attend together – and we have heard great stories about the positive impact of the weekend on marriages -- but we make an effort to allow each person to have his or her own experience during the weekend. We leave our differences at home and come together united in God's love.

While Cursillo is lay-led, each renewal weekend does have at least three ordained PC(USA) pastors on staff as “Spiritual Advisors.” Some of the clergy who have been involved in Cursillo include:

Rev. Pem Cooley, Cherokee Presbytery Rev. Paul Evans, North East Georgia Presbytery Rev. Julie Ferguson, Cherokee Presbytery Rev. Sandy Fox, Greater Atlanta Presbytery Rev. James Harper, Greater Atlanta Presbytery Rev. Sam Henderson, Cherokee Presbytery

Rev. Maryellen Hittel, Cherokee Presbytery Rev. Leon Jeffords, Greater Atlanta Presbytery Rev. Ben Laughlin, Cherokee Presbytery Rev. Tom Lewis, Cherokee Presbytery Rev. John Martin, Cherokee Presbytery Rev. Monty Nelson, North East Georgia Presbytery

Here's what some of these pastors have to say about Cursillo:

“Cursillo has broadened our members' awareness of the joy and magnitude of the Lord's ministry through PC USA and has re-enforced connections to sister churches in the Presbytery.” Rev. John Martin

“I have seen many [members who attended Cursillo] make a positive impact on the Church in Commerce. … They are working for the harmony and peace of our Church in meaningful ways.” Rev. Monty Nelson

“Since becoming involved with Georgia Presbyterian Cursillo in 1997, I have seen many people attend a Cursillo weekend and return to their churches spiritually renewed. The 3-day weekend is filled with joy, worship, and wonderful talks that promote self-reflection on various aspects of the Christian faith. In a short 72-hours, people who were once strangers become friends, have meaningful discussions with one another, and leave with a renewed sense of purpose in their life and service to the church.” Rev. Julie Ferguson

Georgia Presbyterian Cursillo was formed in 1995. In 2012 we celebrate our 17 th anniversary and will hold our 40 th Cursillo retreat weekend. In this time, more than 40 Georgia congregations have sent participants to GPC weekends. These include:

Austell Presbyterian Bartow Cumberland Presbyterian BelAir Presbyterian Belle Terrace Presbyterian Carrollton Presbyterian Church of St. Andrew Clairmont Presbyterian Columbia Presbyterian Deer Creek Shores Presbyterian Eastminster Presbyterian (Marietta) First Presbyterian Atlanta First Presbyterian Calhoun First Presbyterian Cartersville First Presbyterian Cleveland First Presbyterian Commerce First Presbyterian Cornelia First Presbyterian Douglasville First Presbyterian Gainesville First Presbyterian Marietta First Presbyterian Milledgeville

First Presbyterian Winder First Presbyterian Woodstock Lawrenceville Presbyterian New Lebanon Presbyterian North Avenue Presbyterian Oak Mountain Presbyterian Oakhurst Presbyterian Parkway Presbyterian Peachtree Presbyterian Providence Presbyterian Redeemer Presbyterian Rehoboth Presbyterian Rockmart Presbyterian Roswell Presbyterian Shallowford Presbyterian Smyrna Presbyterian Southminster Presbyterian St. Luke's Presbyterian Swainsboro Presbyterian Wiley Presbyterian

During the past 17 years, we also have been involved in starting three Presbyterian Cursillo communities: Tennessee Valley Presbyterian Cursillo, Alabama Presbyterian Cursillo, and Florida Presbyterian Cursillo.

The Cursillo weekend is only a beginning. What participants learn and share during the weekend will hopefully be taken back and put into practice in their local congregation and community. They will be supported by many others who have attended a weekend before or with you. Small groups of people who have attended a weekend meet regularly to affirm one another and to share the Christian life of Grace. These activities inspire, challenge, and encourage Christian action in homes, churches and communities.

We're so serious about engaging pastors that the $100 registration fee is waived for Georgia Presbyterian clergy and their spouses attending Cursillo for the first time. We would love to have you join us.