It’s anything but business as usual for guests and staff at the Ladle Fellowship, the homeless persons outreach ministry of First Presbyterian Church in San Diego. As cases of COVID-19 increase across the nation, volunteers and church staff are continuing to serve their neighbors in need.
The early 1970s was a similar time of harsh political polarization, with issues of race and poverty a prominent part of our conversations and a Church wondering how to address them.
According to the Rev. Billy Song of St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Lomita, California, Los Angeles County has about 60,000 people experiencing homelessness. About two-thirds are living on the streets or in tents.
In scholar Matthew Desmond’s powerful book “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” the quote “the rent eats first!” speaks volumes about the crisis of affordable housing in America. The work of the City Roots Community Land Trust seeks to change this. City Roots is a community-led organization whose work and advocacy brings hope in addressing the lack of housing availability and affordability for low-income families.
Two men on the Mission Committee of First Presbyterian Church of Monroe, Mich., took the 2000-01 Presbyterian Planning Calendar’s “Year of the Child” theme to heart. “We ought to do something for children this year,” they said.
The Fiangonan’i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara (FJKM), PC(USA)’s partner denomination in Madagascar, believes strongly in spreading the gospel and helping people improve their lives. The FJKM also believes that Christians have a responsibility to help preserve Creation. Church leaders often quote Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (NIV). Helping people improve their lives while helping to preserve Madagascar’s unique biodiversity is especially challenging given the extent of hunger and poverty in Madagascar and the environmental degradation threatening many species with extinction. The climate crisis is intensifying these challenges.
“Seeing Jesus: Social Justice Activities for Today Based on Matthew 25” includes 60 social justice activities for children, teens and adults to live out the Matthew 25 vision.
The riveting documentary “Flint: The Poisoning of an American City” is coming to your neighborhood. In fact, you can watch it right from the comfort of your own home — thanks to streaming services and cable television providers.
What brought the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People to a town widely known by the nickname “Sin City” for its first national committee meeting of the decade and its 50th anniversary year?
