One of my favorite seminary professors once said that you can sum up all of Paul’s letters in eight words. Eight words!
The first four words are “You are God’s children.” That’s what the first 11 chapters of Romans are all about: The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who have faith. Read more »
August 24, 2017
Bible Explorations: Acting like God’s people
One of my favorite seminary professors once said that you can sum up all of Paul’s letters in eight words. Eight words!
The first four words are “You are God’s children.” That’s what the first 11 chapters of Romans are all about: The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who have faith. Read more »
During World Humanitarian Day on August 21, Dr. Rebecca Samuel Dali received the 2017 Humanitarian Award from the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation at the United Nations office in Geneva in recognition of her courageous efforts in reintegration of women abducted by the Boko Haram into their local communities in the northern Nigeria. 
The Presbyterian Church of Rwanda has created a program for youth to get the training to start small businesses. Unemployment is a particularly big challenge among ages 18–26. Sometimes there are 5,000 applicants for one job.
With the support of World Mission’s regional liaison Nancy Collins, and a grant from Presbyterian Women, the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda created a program that is showing strong results called “Best Future from Today.” 
In response to its directive from the 222nd General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) has come up with a new way of measuring the progress it makes with companies engaged in conversations around environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. 
With Reformation Sunday approaching October 29, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is providing a wide range of resources for churches commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. 
STORM LAKE, Iowa – Synod School, a ministry of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, recently drew a record 686 participants to the Buena Vista University campus.
Synod School takes place every summer, as the only remaining synod school of its type within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The theme this year was “Let Justice Flow.” 
Like many high school graduates, Mindy Vande Brake was searching for purpose in her life. The St. Cloud, Minnesota, native went to college close to home, but couldn’t settle on a major that she found exciting. She decided to get some work experience and found herself in the restaurant industry. 
In the seventh installment of Theological Conversations for 2017, the Theology, Formation and Evangelism ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) presents Seeking a Correctable Conscience by John L. Thompson of Fuller Theological Seminary.
Seeking a Correctable Conscience — with the subheading Here I stand … but d’you mind checking my exegesis?” — looks closely at the words “Here I stand,” attributed to Martin Luther during the Reformation. Thompson’s paper is designed to create conversations about “freedom of conscience,” a topic that Christians have discussed for centuries — ever since Martin Luther spoke of his conscience being “captive to the Word of God.” 
Recent immigrants who serve as clergywomen found helpful guidance and encouraging contacts at the New Immigrant Clergywomen’s Leadership Institute last month in Daytona Beach, Florida. Female clergy from around the country gathered to collaborate and develop leadership skills to better serve their congregations and the church. Developed by PC(USA) Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries (RE&WM), Leadership Institutes are designed to help racial-ethnic, immigrant and women leaders strengthen skills and relationships, learn new ideas, be encouraged to expand personal comfort zones and receive inspiration, guidance and support from national church leaders and executives. 
In 1996, the year after I graduated from seminary, presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ordained 408 new ministers of Word and Sacrament. Many of them continue to serve and lead in the PC(USA) two decades later in critical ways. In 2016, the PC(USA) ordained about half (47 percent) of the number we did in 1996, with only 214 ordained. While we have fewer congregations in 2016 than 1996, it is only 17 percent less, not 47 percent! The need for qualified ministers of Word and Sacrament will increase as Baby Boomer generation pastors continue to retire over the next decade or so. The median age of a Presbyterian minister in 2017 is over 60 years old. The PC(USA) pastorate mirrors the demographics of about 20 mainline denominations in the U.S.