Mission Yearbook

Minute for Mission: Presbyterian Men

One of the prevailing ills in our society is domestic violence. Sometimes called “domestic abuse,” its victims can include spouses/partners, children, the elderly, or anyone within a household or family unit. And depending on the victim, the abuse may take various forms, including physical, verbal, sexual, psychological and economic. Victims also may be women or men, though the incidence is much greater among the former.

2018 Walton Award winners announced

Serious JuJu, a new worshiping community for youth and skaters in northwest Montana, and Faith Presbyterian Church of the North Georgia Mountains have been named winners of the 2018 Sam and Helen R. Walton Awards.

The Death Café phenomenon

The Rev. Talitha Amadea Aho decided early in her ministry that she wanted to counter this prevailing denial of death in American culture. Inspired by the work of hospice organizations, she was determined to host a congregational conversation on death and dying. When a friend introduced her to the resources of the Death Café movement, she knew she had the perfect way to “take away the sting” of gazing into the abyss.

When Americans say they believe in God, what do they mean?

A Pew Research Center survey of more than 4,700 U.S. adults finds that most Americans — 80 percent — say they believe in God, but only about half of the respondents (56 percent) believe in God as described in the Bible.

PC(USA) 2018 Book of Common Worship now available

Five years in the making, the 2018 Book of Common Worship (BCW) for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is now available. There are three new sections in the BCW — on creation and ecology, justice and reconciliation, and interreligious events. Included in these sections are services for: • Blessings of the Animals • Resources for prayer and worship after a violent event • Guidelines for gathering neighbors of other faiths or no faith for times of celebrations, or when there is conflict or crisis

Compassion, Peace & Justice Training Day is held in Washington, D.C.

More than 220 Presbyterians gathered this spring at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., for Compassion, Peace & Justice Training Day, which kicked off Ecumenical Advocacy Days. The annual gathering brings Presbyterians together to engage in issues of national and international interest. The theme for this year’s event was “A World Uprooted: Responding to Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People.”

Think your church needs 100 people to make a difference? Jesus changed the world with just 12

Not too long ago our presbytery meeting was held at a cathedral-like church with thick stone, intricate stained glass and a grand, high pulpit. As I climbed the steps to the pulpit, I swear the air got thinner. When I got to the top and behind the mic, I felt like I was commanding a starship. There was a smooth wooden shelf encircling the area, like an expansive console surrounding me, but without flashing computer screens. I felt like I could pilot the church straight to heaven. As I looked down upon my colleagues something inside me felt strange. Then I realized what it was. I had pulpit envy.