Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of stories about congregations engaged in significant outreach and evangelism ministries, reflecting the General Assembly’s commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide.” — Jerry L. Van Marter
Most outreach programs are started by established churches looking for ways to serve their communities, but in Elk Grove, Calif., a new church development is taking a different approach.
New Hope Presbyterian Church — part of Sacramento Presbytery — formed in February, and while a core group has been established, the church has had a rather ambitious plan in mind to spur growth …
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Presbytery meetings are familiar to many Presbyterians. What might not be so common is broadcasting them live on the radio. Add to that a real-time participation with a community in Kenya via Skype, and the meeting doesn’t seem so normal anymore. That’s the plan for northern Illinois’ Blackhawk Presbytery, which will hold its Sept. 8 presbytery meeting as a “Celebration of Mission.” A worship service that will combine scripture, liturgy, music and storytelling, the Celebration of Mission has been a theme for the presbytery before, helping unite members by lifting up good work. “There are times in which our … |
The World Council of Churches has called upon the Israeli government to “implement an open-ended freeze” on all settlement construction and expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem “in preparation for negotiating peace in good faith” in the region.
“Even as Israel’s own right to exist evokes sympathy and solidarity around the world, its policies of expansion and annexation generate dismay or hostility,” the WCC public statement asserts.
The statement — adopted by the church grouping’s main governing body, its central committee, on Sept. 2 — also calls on world governments to “distinguish between the legitimate interests of the …
A global gathering is underway this week in Johannesburg, South Africa, bringing together members of Reformed churches worldwide who believe churches must be active in advocacy for economic justice and environmental protection.
The event — billed as the “Global Dialogue on The Accra Confession: Covenanting for Justice in the Economy and the Earth” — is convened by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) in cooperation with the South Africa Council of Churches (SACC).
Organizers expect approximately 60 people from 23 countries to participate in the Sept. 3-7 program at the Willow Park Conference Center in Johannesburg. Participants include theologians, …
A tiny southern Utah nonprofit that helps women and children who leave the polygamous lifestyle has received a $40,000 grant from a women’s organization affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The grant is from the Creative Ministries Offering Committee of Presbyterian Women (PW), which awards several Thank Offering grants annually. It about doubles the HOPE organization’s annual budget and will fund Jump Start, a life-skills program aimed at helping children ages 6 to 17 build self-esteem, develop interpersonal skills and understand mainstream society, HOPE President Elaine Tyler said.
“We are so honored,” Tyler said. “It’s going to make a huge …
Of the various annual college guides, by far the most popular is the U.S. News & World Report guide to America’s Best Colleges.
Among U.S. News’ top 50 liberal arts colleges are four Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)-related schools — Davidson College (tied for 8th), Macalester College (29th), Lafayette College (35th) and Centre College (tied for 46th).
Close behind are Rhodes College (tied for 54th); Agnes Scott College (tied for 59th); Austin College and the College of Wooster (tied for 68th); Coe College, Hampden-Sydney College, Lake Forest College and Lyon College (tied for 97th); Hanover College and Presbyterian College (tied …
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of stories about congregations engaged in significant outreach and evangelism ministries, reflecting the General Assembly’s commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide.” — Jerry L. Van Marter
LOUISVILLE — Back-to-school season — full of school clothes and supply lists — is challenging enough for those who have plenty of resources to manage.
So image what it’s like for those of limited means, struggling to make every penny stretch to start the school year on good footing.
That’s the population Hands of Christ, a non-profit ministry of the Charleston Atlantic …
On June 1, three members of Tres Rios Presbytery accompanied the Revs. Milton Mejia and Adelaida Jiménez and their two sons, Iván and Andrés, back to Colombia. The Mejia family was returning to Colombia after three years of work and studies in the United States.
The U.S. delegation — Erik Breden and the Revs. Craig Meyers and Mary Breden — spent a week in Bogota, hosted by the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC). They were able to visit several congregations and see how they are serving the needs of their neighborhoods, as well as visit the area south of Bogota, …
Learning to manage one’s life is a form of success, but giving up that success is necessary when trying new things, said speakers at the closing of the Presbyterian Global Fellowship meeting here Aug. 21-22.
The theme of the regional gathering, hosted by the Presbytery of San Diego, was “Moving Back into the Neighborhood.” The goal was to identify practical ways for congregations to make gospel connections with their communities.
PGF seeks to reclaim the missional purpose of the church and works to transform mainline congregations into missional communities following Jesus Christ.
On the first day, the …
On Aug. 20, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano met with leaders in the faith, labor, business, law enforcement and immigrant advocacy communities to discuss immigration reform.
Several member organizations of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition — which includes the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — participated in the meeting.
Following the meeting, the coalition issued the following statement:
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is grateful to Secretary Napolitano for recognizing the vital role of faith communitiesin the conversation on immigration reform. During the meeting, President Obama repeated his commitment to achieving reform, stating that ‘immigration is a problem begging to be fixed.’
Each …