Becca Stevens, one of the keynote speakers for this year’s 1001 New Worshiping Communities and Vital Congregations national gathering in Kansas City, Missouri, remembers how she felt when she started a residential community for women who have survived trafficking, prostitution and addiction.
Nancy Wind, the leader of the new worshiping community Isaiah’s Table in Syracuse, New York, She recently partnered with the Matthew 25 Farm in Central New York. Its mission is to give away fresh vegetables and fruit to those in need in their neighborhood.
Lee McDermott is concerned. Opioid addiction is rapidly sweeping out of control in his neighborhood. And while the Presbyterian pastor in a rural southwestern Pennsylvania community is not only worried for those who are struggling with these habits, he’s also troubled by the fact that many religious leaders refuse to face the problem. And many congregants don’t want to talk about it. As a result, families end up living in fear and shame.
Providing Support for Those Seeking Recovery from Addiction April 22, 2016 First Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Aberdeen, Washington, is a noisy place on Friday evenings. There are newcomers and regulars,… Read more »