The creativity, resilience and commitment of new immigrant churches in the PC(USA) are reasons to celebrate. Since the success of a conference focused on new immigrant worshiping communities in Atlanta held in 2023, 1001 New Worshiping Communities has been planning opportunities for regional gatherings of immigrant church leaders. Read more »
July 12, 2024
Regional gatherings celebrate and equip immigrant churches
The creativity, resilience and commitment of new immigrant churches in the PC(USA) are reasons to celebrate. Since the success of a conference focused on new immigrant worshiping communities in Atlanta held in 2023, 1001 New Worshiping Communities has been planning opportunities for regional gatherings of immigrant church leaders. Read more »
“What’s the worst that could happen?” musician Ike Sturm asked his co-composer and bandmate, Jesse Lewis, as they stood with their instruments and recording gear on top of a glacier in Alaska.
Lewis answered, “There’s a lot on the line, actually.” Sturm and Lewis make up the atmospheric jazz and folk acoustic duo Endless Field. Lewis, a guitarist, and Sturm, a bassist, compose and record songs out in the wild.
Sturm is also the convener of a new worshiping community that meets in the Times Square neighborhood of New York City. He is the latest guest on the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement’s podcast, “New Way,” hosted by the Rev. Sara Hayden and produced by the Rev. Marthame Sanders. 
A series of conversations on how to take meaningful action to undo the harms of the Doctrine of Discovery continued this week with a spotlight on opposition to a proposed open-pit mine on what some Native Americans see as sacred land in Santa Clara County, California. 
Are there elements of community organizing that churches can learn from?
That was among the questions the hosts of “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast” had for the Rev. Dr. Aaron Stauffer, Director of Online and Lifelong Learning and the Associate Director of the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice at the Vanderbilt Divinity School during an episode that launched last month. 
The Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), of which the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is one of 35 member denominations, is providing resources to help shape Sunday prayers, worship, and liturgy to mark a day of prayerful solidarity and calls for justice in Gaza and the broader Middle East on July 21. 
The Rev. Neema Cyrus-Franklin, Around the Table’s project coordinator for its nationwide initiative supporting faith practices in the home, recently appeared as a guest on the “New Way” podcast. 
When Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri learned that the 226th General Assembly of the PC(USA) would be celebrating the 75th anniversary of One Great Hour of Sharing — complete with a limited edition, enamel pin featuring Gracie, the Offering’s beloved mascot — she didn’t want to miss out. 
Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert, a nationally-recognized expert on African American preaching and the dean of Howard University School of Divinity, shared his thinking on “Prophetic Preaching in a Tone-Deaf Culture” Tuesday during an online presentation for New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Watch Gilbert’s talk, which was followed by a question-and-answer session, here. 
Two Columbia Theological Seminary professors have been invited to participate in an important peace and justice conference in East Africa later this month. 
Beechmont Presbyterian Church hosted a very successful Vacation Bible School this year! Ninety-three children, youth and adults were involved in Camp Firelight. At times, it was quite the circus — but generally a happy circus.