Among the winners announced Thursday during the Associated Church Press’ 2019 Best of the Church Press Awards was the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II. Read more »
March 20, 2020
Stated Clerk among the winners in church press contest
Among the winners announced Thursday during the Associated Church Press’ 2019 Best of the Church Press Awards was the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II. Read more »
On Easter Sunday, 1949, four years after the end of World War II, the One Great Hour of Sharing offering brought relief to neighbors in need within the United States for the first time. In the 1960s, it expanded to include international needs. 
The latest webinar in a series on how churches can address American gun violence highlighted the need to refocus discussion on the communities most deeply affected by the problem and the societal pressures that may lead to shootings. 
Presbyterian congregations are learning that extended time off for pastors is not a luxury but a must for healthy and vibrant ministry. 
As 300 people, including a pastor from Ireland, gathered via Zoom for conversation on best practices for streaming worship services, the host, the Rev. Marthame Sanders, began by asking for grace to abound — and that those gathered would remember that nothing can separate us from God’s love. 
This St. Louis congregation embraced the Matthew 25 invitation and is revitalizing itself by encouraging its members to become engaged in hands-on mission. 
The history of the Roma (Romani) and Sinti people in Europe is filled with discrimination and bias. That’s why mission co-workers Burkhard Paetzold, Al Smith, and the coordinator for the Middle East and Europe, Luciano Kovacs, helped plan and participate in a conference in Budapest recently, to reflect on the Churches’ history, relationship and interaction with the Roma. The conference was organized by the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME). 
Compassion, Peace & Justice Training Day, set for April 24 in Washington D.C., has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. 
As she pondered how to lead worship while keeping the safety of congregants who may be affected by COVID-19 uppermost in her mind, the Rev. Lynn Rubier-Capron remembered her childhood, when she used to see movies at the drive-in. 
Last year, I took more than two dozen flights. In many cases I could have taken a bus, but for little extra cost, I opted to save time. A flight from Lima (on the Pacific coast) to Tarapoto (in the Amazon) takes a little over an hour. The bus takes more than 25 hours. So, for about $25 more per flight, it seems worth it to travel by air. I know my knees are grateful. But, like so many things in life, there are usually more costs than those that simply make a dent in our wallets. There are environmental costs, too.