Those gathered in Karlsruhe, Germany, for the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches focused on caring for Creation Thursday during a press conference that featured panelists hailing from places as far-flung as the Arctic Circle and the Caribbean.
“Our congregation wants to go on a short-term mission trip outside the U.S. Are there PC(USA) global partners that can host us?”
“I am planning a trip next summer for families in my church. Does the PC(USA) have a devotional guide for intergenerational trips?”
Last year, I took more than two dozen flights. In many cases I could have taken a bus, but for little extra cost, I opted to save time. A flight from Lima (on the Pacific coast) to Tarapoto (in the Amazon) takes a little over an hour. The bus takes more than 25 hours. So, for about $25 more per flight, it seems worth it to travel by air. I know my knees are grateful. But, like so many things in life, there are usually more costs than those that simply make a dent in our wallets. There are environmental costs, too.
The Near East School of Theology (NEST), a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) global partner, recently joined the Christian conservation organization A Rocha for a day of projects aimed at protecting God’s many beautiful creations in Lebanon.
The Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, believes that God has intricately woven our lives together at this time in history so we may be part of the healing work of God’s Creation.
As stewards of God’s Creation amid myriad challenges — devastating fires, floods, droughts and storms — we are to continue to bring glory to God and be a blessing to God’s people, particularly people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned or poor, she said.
