The First Friday Club of Chicago welcomes the Reverend Shannon Kershner, pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church, as our March speaker.

"Resurrection Moments In A Time Of Lent"

When the Christian Church calls us again this Lent to participate in a 40 period of prayer, fasting and generosity, it seems that fewer people are listening to that call. Church attendance continues to decline and the influence of Churches seems to be waning.

To many it appears that the Good Friday experience of suffering and death trumps the hope and fullness of life proclaimed at Easter.

Reverend Shannon Kerschner, pastor of one of the most significant Churches in Chicago, Fourth Church, will reveal to us in the middle of Lent 2016 the “resurrection moments” she perceives in the Christian community today. Those “resurrection moments” are to be incorporated in each one of our lives.

The Reverend Shannon Johnson Kershner is Pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, a vibrant and diverse worshiping community of more than 5,000 members. A presence in the city of Chicago since 1871, this downtown congregation is committed to serving the needs of the community, both locally and globally, a commitment that can be seen in its many well-regarded outreach programs, most notably its nonprofit organization, Chicago Lights.

She was called as Pastor of Fourth Church in 2014, after having previously served as Head of Staff at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She has also served congregations in Texas and Georgia. Reverend Kershner also serves on the Board of Trustees at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and as a member of the strategy team of the NEXT Church movement in the PCUSA.

Her sermons have been published in the Journal for Preachers and Lectionary Homiletics, and she has been a preacher and worship leader at various worship and preaching conferences.