Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger …
At a time in her life when Joan Hurlock especially needed spiritual and emotional support, she found herself drifting away from her faith community.
Hurlock, a member of Carmichael Presbyterian Church near Sacramento, California, had spent years caring for others as a public health nurse and educator. When Paul, her husband of more than 50 years, became chronically ill, she gradually shifted her focus to caring for him at home. Although well prepared for her role as caregiver, Hurlock felt overwhelmed and overburdened. But not wanting to leave her husband alone, she spent less and less time at church.
Layne and Crawford Brubaker have taken church planting to the next level. Quite literally. With Okra Abbey, a new worshiping community (NWC) in the Pigeon Town neighborhood of New Orleans, the Brubakers and ministry colleague Vincent Grossi are doing more than just blooming where they’re planted— they’re cultivating community by growing vegetables and by nurturing faith and trust among their diverse neighbors.
Today, African-American mission co-workers continue the transforming work of God’s mission, answering the call to service through Presbyterian World Mission. Leisa Wagstaff, currently serving in South Sudan, shares her personal reflection on this irresistible call. Like the mission workers who served a century before her, Leisa has found herself personally transformed. That is the essence of God’s mission.
Menaul School in Albuquerque much to celebrate in 2017. The day/boarding school, founded in 1896, recently received a $1.5 million gift from the Collie and Hill families, longtime supporters of the school.
The National Committee of the Self-Development of People (SDOP) wrapped up its first meeting of the year by voting to re-configure some of the processes of completing its work. Reduced giving and the retirements of nearly half the SDOP staff in 2016 have prompted the committee to make changes to better meet the needs of communities seeking assistance.
On the final full day of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) annual event meeting in Denver, participants attended a sampling of more than 60 workshops, participated in a holy humor worship service and honored fellow educators for excellence in their work and careers.
The following is a reflection written by Beatrix Weil, who attended the 2017 College Conference at Montreat Conference Center, Jan. 2–5. Over 1,000 students attended the 2017 conference, titled “Beyond Babel.” Weil, a third-year student at Princeton Theological Seminary under care of the Presbytery of Long Island, participated in the conference’s special Seminarian Track, hosted by the PMA’s office of Christian Formation.
Jesus is calling all of us to be his witnesses at home, work and every place we visit—to be his change agents and for the gospel to transform us and transform the people we are working with.
“There are times when God says to us, ‘don’t just sit there, do something.’ At the same time there are certainly times when God says, ‘don’t just do something, sit there.’ Be still, just a minute. Be still and know that I am God,” said the Rev. Jon Brown, pastor of Old Bergen Church in Jersey City, New Jersey—a union church of the Reformed Church in America and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He spoke at a worship service of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) annual event meeting held January 25-28 in Denver.
