Presbyterian churches across the denomination will turn their attention to people and communities in need this spring. April 8 is Self-Development of People (SDOP) Sunday, an opportunity for congregations to focus on the work to help disadvantaged people and low-income community groups.
Norman Fong grew up in a housing project. Coming from a low-income family he learned early in life what it was like to be evicted and not know where to go.
Karen Brown has a passion for helping people start new businesses. The Baltimore, Maryland native grew up in the Presbyterian church and quickly found her niche in ministry.
Sarah Jane Moore grew up in a small Illinois farm town where few spoke of diversity. The town had no minority residents, and only a few people of color attended her college.
Sarah Jane Moore grew up in a small Illinois farm town where few spoke of diversity. The minority population stood at zero percent and only a few people of color attended her college.
October 20-22 marks the 26th annual National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths, a time for people of all faiths to devote to, and unite in, their concern for children, commit to improving children’s lives, and advocate for justice on their behalf. The 2017 Children’s Sabbaths theme is “Moving Forward with Hope: Love and Justice for Every Child.”
For almost a half century, Larry Low has been helping people and communities to become resilient. Ordained to the ministry in 1973, the retired social worker from Seattle has found purpose working through the Committee on the Self-Development of People.
The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People has a long list of volunteers who champion the ministry’s mission. For the Rev. Johnny Monroe, it’s been a lifelong commitment.
“I guess I’m what you would call a cradle Presbyterian. I was born into Presbyterianism,” he said. “Back in the late 1800s after slavery, missionaries from the northern church established schools and churches in Sumter County, South Carolina, including the Goodwill Presbyterian Church and Goodwill Parochial School, where I grew up.”
The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) approved grants totaling $89,800 to fund five self-help projects in the United States and one in Belize. The national committee met recently to approve funding made possible through the One Great Hour of Sharing offering.
The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People has a long list of volunteers who champion the ministry’s mission. For the Rev. Johnny Monroe, its been a lifelong commitment.
