During Tuesday morning plenary at the national evangelism conference “Sabbath Rest, Holy Surrender, Full Life,” 135 attendees were encouraged by Ryan McKenzie, director of program ministries at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, to “silence themselves.” Read more »
October 17, 2018
PC(USA) evangelism conference explores ‘What is Sabbath?’
During Tuesday morning plenary at the national evangelism conference “Sabbath Rest, Holy Surrender, Full Life,” 135 attendees were encouraged by Ryan McKenzie, director of program ministries at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, to “silence themselves.” Read more »
A national report ranks Louisiana 49th in children’s well-being, but Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services is working to change that. It is also healing children and preserving families in Texas, which ranks 47th in children’s well-being, and Missouri, which ranks 26th. 
The Rev. Alex E. Awad, a peace and justice advocate and former missionary with the United Methodist Church, spoke to U.S. audiences this fall as part of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program’s International Peacemakers initiative. He’s served in Israel/Palestine as an educator and pastor for more than 30 years and spoke about his experiences in the Holy Land, the conditions faced by Palestinians under occupation, the impact of Israeli settlements, and the role of the church in ending the current injustices found in his homeland. 
As we entered each village, people (especially the women) greeted us with singing, dancing, clapping and broad smiles.
During our weeklong mission trip, we visited people and projects in remote villages of the Zomba district in southeastern Malawi assisted by Villages in Partnership (VIP, a nonprofit organization established in 2008 by Presbyterians in New Jersey). 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS) has received a $936,102 grant to help support the Clergy Coaching in Community and Context initiative. The grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry. 
She was taken to the clinic with a sore on her heel so deep that bone was exposed. The Achilles tendon had broken away a disintegrated portion of her heel bone. Brought to our makeshift surgical suite at the Manos Amigos clinic in La Entrada, Honduras, the patient was touched by people in our medical mission team who used their God-given gifts in the most compassionate, flexible and ingenious ways, despite lacking the technology they would have had in the United States. Used in the surgery were some samples of a new skin-growing material that just happened to have been donated to a podiatrist on our team. 
For five weeks during the summer, nearly 50 youth in West Baltimore can be seen working on their reading and math skills, or they might be packing up for a day on a local farm or at an area museum. It’s all part of the Rosemont Community Interfaith Coalition, which is focused on ending the violence in the Maryland city by offering positive experiences and hope for youth. 
In his opening remarks at the national evangelism conference at the Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, the Rev. Dr. Jason Santos shared a quote from The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel’s classic book on Jewish spirituality. 
The Global Food Week of Action began Sunday, Oct. 14, and runs through Oct. 21. The week provides Christians around the world a chance to address food justice and sovereignty issues. Food Week of Action includes World Food Day (Oct. 16), International Day for Rural Women (Oct. 15), and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (Oct. 17). This year, the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) celebrates more than 100 congregations as Hunger Action Congregations (HAC) that advocate for food justice not just one week during the year, but year-round, as part of their ministry outreach.