COVID-19 has us all sheltering in place and employees of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are still working from home. But on Friday there was a great sense of oneness as the staff came together to celebrate Juneteenth.
May Friendship Day, a Church Women United initiative, is most often celebrated on the first Friday of the month of May around a theme of shared concern for Christian women and their communities. The predecessor to May Friendship Day, May Fellowship Day, began in 1933 after two Christian women’s groups planned gatherings based on similar concerns: child health and children of migrant families. These groups united and over the years eventually became what we now know as Church Women United. The May celebration has been continually observed since 1933; in 1999, Church Women United changed the name from May Fellowship Day to May Friendship Day.
The Book of Genesis may spell out God’s plan of salvation. But the Rev. Dr. Renita Weems told nearly 800 people attending the closing worship at this year’s Big Tent that “sometimes I wish God would save us without asking us to participate in salvation. Just get on with it, God! But God continuously invites flawed, inconsistent people to participate with God.”
In 2012, the General Assembly made a bold commitment — to create an environment within the denomination that would lead to the flourishing of the existing church and the birth of at least 1001 new communities of worship and witness. The Presbyterian Mission Agency went to work creating a system of resources to support this call to equip presbyteries, help potential leaders discern God’s call, develop a system of grants, build leadership capacity and create a network of coaches prepared to accompany a new worshiping community through all the stages of development. As a result of establishing partnerships and collaboration with other North American denominations, the reach of these resources extends far beyond the PC(USA).
I still remember the first words from the first church leader I met as I first arrived in Manila: “You are welcome here, but
you are not needed here.” Those words, spo0ken with wisdom and love almost two decades ago, would shape the course of my time as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) in the Philippines. I didn’t know it then, but that same sentiment shaped the YAV program at its inception. And it continues to guide our vision for the program as volunteers serve around the world and witness the holy ways the Spirit is leading them.
As Presbyterians commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation two prominent Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) theologians say it is an opportunity for the church to reconsider history — and how it tells the story of the past 500 years.
In a season marked by special dinners and other festive events, members of a New Jersey congregation are remembering a special commemoration of their own.
Earlier this year the Missions Committee at First Presbyterian Church of South Amboy held a potluck to honor former Police Chief LeRoy Kurtz and other New Jersey police officers. The committee surprised Kurtz with the help of his family and church members.
The room was filled with sounds of praise and joy as the National Caucus of Korean Presbyterian Churches (NCKPC) celebrated the opening worshiping service at its 46th annual meeting in April in Seoul, South Korea. More than 500 people were welcomed to the “motherland” by the Rev. Byeongho Choi, caucus vice moderator and pastor of Bethany Korean Presbyterian Church near Atlanta.
To celebrate 180 years of international mission engagement, Presbyterian World Mission has been reflecting on the changes that have taken place over the years.
What is Lent?
MB: Lent is a Christian season of practice, celebrated by some Christians, though not all. It’s not a prescription for holiness, but an invitation to relationship. Lent has its roots in the very early church, with some of those roots in preparation for baptism. During Lent the Scriptures remind us of God’s expectations for Israel, Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and his journey to the cross.
