The Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters, whose “For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World” and “Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip” were both published by Flyaway Books, an imprint of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, appeared Wednesday as part of the Association of Partners in Christian Education’s annual event being held in Birmingham, Alabama. Read more »
January 25, 2023
The Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters, author of a pair of acclaimed children’s books, gets APCE annual event off to a thoughtful start
The Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters, whose “For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World” and “Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip” were both published by Flyaway Books, an imprint of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, appeared Wednesday as part of the Association of Partners in Christian Education’s annual event being held in Birmingham, Alabama. Read more »
As he began to talk exclusively with unchurched people, Dr. Tom Bagley heard the same thing again and again from people who were spiritually curious about God and faith: They wanted nothing to do with the church because of its hypocrisy, judgmentalism and exclusivity. 
The idea for the new podcast “Forging Faith” being offered by First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak, Michigan, was hatched two years ago when a church member told his pastor, the Rev. Emma Nickel, that the church should try it. 
When someone loses a loved one, we often say things like, “God needed another angel.’’ Really? I don’t think God works that way. There are times when I don’t want theological nuance. All I want is feel-it-in-my-gut-assurance. I want to feel God in my innermost self. 
“Welcoming all in the name of Christ” might be easy to write into a church’s mission statement, but the challenge comes when faced with living it out and extending a hand to those in the transgender community. An inclusive, loving welcome is possible, though, with education and courage to open up those sanctuary doors. 
It was standing room only in mid-November at Orchard Path, a Presbyterian Homes & Services senior living community located in Apple Valley, Minnesota. On that fall afternoon, the community gathered to hear a piano concert entitled “Four Ladies in their Eighties.” The concert was performed by Orchard Path resident Vicki Hall and her sisters Jan Goris, Val Duininck and Carol Hall. 
By extending an invitation to love everyone no matter what, as Jesus did, Pamela Atkinson, who grew up in the slums of London, has helped shape the life of First Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City. It has even earned her the nickname “the Mother Teresa of Utah.” 
“Are you in deep relationship? Do you notice the multitude of relationships that are happening right beneath our feet, and how they are interacting and cooperating in this complex web of life?” These are the questions that the Rev. Chantilly Mers asks of herself and others looking to reconnect to the land in Brooklyn, New York. 
The First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa — believing where there’s God’s will, there is always a way — envisioned a way to care for God’s beloved creatures. 
Valentine’s Day is one of those commercialized holidays that boost the bottom lines of candy companies — and florists. But when I was a little girl, Feb. 14 wasn’t about flowers or even the chocolates in the heart-shaped box that my mother would put on top of my cereal bowl in the morning. (It was always a beautiful sight to see that loving gesture brightening what would have been just another ordinary wintry day for my brother, sister and me. I tried my best not to get into the candy before heading to school, emphasis on “tried.”)