Samantha Williams’ passion for her organic pancake-mix business is not driven solely by entrepreneurial ambition. It is also fueled by her sense of Christian vocation, which began to form more than a decade ago while she served as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV). Read more »
January 23, 2018
Seeking food justice, end to homelessness in the pancake-mix business
Samantha Williams’ passion for her organic pancake-mix business is not driven solely by entrepreneurial ambition. It is also fueled by her sense of Christian vocation, which began to form more than a decade ago while she served as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV). Read more »
The word “epiphany” (from the Greek epiphaneia or theophaneia) means “appearance” or “manifestation” of God, and has roots in the word for sunrise or dawn. In our lives of faith, some epiphanies are dramatic and send our lives down a different path. Others are subtler, even commonplace, and influence how we see ourselves and the world. Either way, whether God whispers to us or knocks us for a loop, we are in for a change. 
What is a small, isolated Presbyterian church to do if it can’t afford to hire an ordained pastor? As that dilemma becomes more common, several Midwestern presbyteries and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies are collaborating on coursework to train elders for greater responsibilities. 
Presbyterians throughout the denomination are remembering with admiration the life and service of the Rev. Charles Leo Stanford Jr. Stanford died Dec. 18, after nearly 60 years of ministry with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He was 83. 
“Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. … 
War has a human face. Every shadow, every line, every wrinkle is part of the story. In a recent visit to South Korea, a PC(USA) peace delegation witnessed firsthand the human face of war. The delegation visited the War & Women’s Human Rights Museum. There they watched video interviews with “comfort women” — women kidnapped or lured by the promise of jobs and forced into sexual slavery in what were known as “comfort stations” for Japanese soldiers during World War II. The women in the video spoke no English. There were English subtitles to help translate. The subtitles, though, weren’t necessary. The women’s faces said it all. 
Following an opening devotional by team member Rebecca Snedeker-Meier, the 2020 Vision Team of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) started their meeting today to begin forming their draft recommendation to the 223rd General Assembly of the denomination meeting in St. Louis this summer. 
The All Agency Review Committee is spending three days – Jan. 22-24 – with its members sitting in a conference room at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) national offices in downtown Louisville, figuring out what to include in their report to the 2018 General Assembly. 
The Presbyterian Writers Guild is accepting nominations for its 2018 Best First Book Award, honoring the best first book by a Presbyterian author published during the calendar years of 2016–17.