October 20-22 marks the 26th annual National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths, a time for people of all faiths to devote to, and unite in, their concern for children, commit to improving children’s lives, and advocate for justice on their behalf. The 2017 Children’s Sabbaths theme is “Moving Forward with Hope: Love and Justice for Every Child.” Read more »
October 19, 2017
Upcoming weekend marks 26th annual observance of Children’s Sabbaths
October 20-22 marks the 26th annual National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths, a time for people of all faiths to devote to, and unite in, their concern for children, commit to improving children’s lives, and advocate for justice on their behalf. The 2017 Children’s Sabbaths theme is “Moving Forward with Hope: Love and Justice for Every Child.” Read more »
The meeting room at Laws Lodge on the campus of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary was buzzing with groups clustered together, debriefing on the past three weeks. Most of the 15 international peacemakers gathered here for a day of conversation before heading back to their homes, an opportunity to talk about their experiences and interactions with U.S. congregations, students and communities. 
Mission co-worker Douglas Dicks is going home. Not to his boyhood home in Virginia but to his spiritual home in Israel/Palestine. 
After World War II, denominational leaders felt called to promote unity. In 1943, they established World Community Day, a day set aside for ecumenical study and prayer. Many denominations were doing their own justice and peace work, but leadership determined that one day of joint study would strengthen unity among them. 
Before the sun set on Thanksgiving Day, stores across our country opened their doors to shoppers seeking an early start on Black Friday specials. This “busiest shopping day of the year” is etched deeply into our culture and our economy. In the past decade, another retail phenomenon has developed in the days following Thanksgiving. The technological revolution and savvy marketers have given us Cyber Monday, which is filled with promotions aimed at online shoppers. 
The Rt. Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), recently issued a statement urging peace and dialogue in response to ongoing persecution and marginalization of the country’s Anglophone population. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is an ecumenical partner of the PCC and has previously engaged in advocacy on the church’s behalf. 
The Presbytery of Philadelphia, which is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year, recently welcomed 2,000 worshipers to a special Saturday service in North Philadelphia. 
On the day PC(USA) member Francis Ntowe’s sister was buried, there were six other funerals in her small community in Cameroon.
“One of them was a pastor, and all of them had died from HIV/AIDS,” he said. 
Building a church and its membership from the ground up is no small feat. Doing it in a country that persecutes members of your faith makes it doubly difficult. But the Rev. Manh Nguyen, pastor of Evangelical Community Church in Hanoi, Vietnam, continues to grow his church despite a government that frowns upon religion.
For the Rev. Olivia Stewart, participating in the Christian Formation Symposium — a gathering of seasoned practitioners from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — was “awesome.”