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Matthew 25
Like many global partners of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Compassion Protestant Society (CPS), the diaconal arm of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), is working to cultivate thriving lives for vulnerable families. In 2021 alone, CPS assisted nearly 2,000 families.
Three churches in southern Indiana have separate focuses to their Matthew 25 work. But through a thoughtful process of establishing a cohort to strengthen each of the three ministry efforts, the three congregations — First Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, First Presbyterian Church in Columbus and Fairlawn Presbyterian Church in Columbus — have begun, in the words of the Rev. Kelley Jepsen, transitional associate pastor at FPC in Bloomington, “to think creatively, to dream more broadly and to find concrete ways to begin moving from learning into action.”
Tuesday is World Water Day and Living Waters for the World (LWW) is celebrating the call of Matthew 25, the gift of pure water and the gift of water partners.
While the misery and devastation millions of Ukrainians are facing currently dominate the headlines, broadcasts and many podcasts, the Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, who coordinates Presbyterian Disaster Assistance response in Latin America and the Caribbean, continues to see the long-term effects of natural disasters and the spike in refugees that’s resulted.
Thursday’s Being Matthew 25 broadcast, which you can view here or here, was all about neighborliness.
A new Disability Inclusion Toolkit from the Office of Christian Formation will help Presbyterian continue along the path of congregational inclusivity.
In an effort to deepen its commitment to the Matthew 25 invitation, Anchorage Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, has been holding a series of weekly sessions it’s calling A Place at the Table. Sunday’s discussion on affordable housing in and around Louisville featured Tony Curtis, executive director of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition. Curtis’ slides are here and his talk may be viewed here, along with a previous talk by retired attorney Bill Wilson about the history of housing and redlining in Louisville.
The Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns and Presbyterian Women are calling on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to stand with transgender, nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ youth and their families.
In the final of three forums celebrating Black History Month last week, the Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson, coordinator of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP); the Rev. Carlton Johnson, coordinator of Vital Congregations; and Christian Brooks, the representative for domestic issues at the PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness, addressed the 2022 theme “Resiliency to Recovery.”
In an increasingly interconnected world, never has hope seemed so close.
And yet, for Paola M., so very far away.
