Princeton Theological Seminary’s School of Christian Vocation and Mission will hold a weeklong summer educational program titled “Perspectives on Vocation for the 21st Century” July 18-22.

The Institute of Theology, the seminary’s original continuing education program, which began in the summer of 1942, will focus on the “vocation” theme by offering morning programs and afternoon electives that discuss this important facet of Christian life. Participants will also enjoy daily worship services, opportunity to attend several workshops, time to reflect quietly, and a chance to explore the Princeton area.

Representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths, speaking on June 27 at the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel’s (ICCI) annual lecture, considered the highly sensitive subject of religion's role in Israel’s 63-year-old democracy.

When GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty goes to church, he knows he'll hear a 27-minute sermon ― never longer, never shorter. But whether he’ll hear a biblical endorsement of the Republican platform is far less certain.

Recognizing that much of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program’s work creates a lot of contention and debate in the church, the program will use Big Tent to focus on reconciliation and understanding in the midst of disagreement.

Sara Lisherness, director of Compassion, Peace and Justice ministries for the General Assembly Mission Council, says that “most important is the ingathering of God’s people. Each plenary is to be done in the context of worship to emphasize the centrality of worship and prayer to peacemaking.”

Plenary sessions will focus on Christian servanthood ― speaking truth lovingly and unashamedly, seeking to be inclusive by listening to those with whom we disagree, and reclaiming our voices for evangelism.

There’s something going on in the world of Presbyterian new church development — something exciting, shifting and possibly bigger than anyone realizes.

The third phase of the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission wrapped up its sixth and final meeting on June 25 in Jerusalem by discussing how greater theological agreement can lead to concerted action in ministry.

With cries of “Rebuild now! Rebuild Now!” parishioners and supporters of a Greek Orthodox church that was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks rallied at Ground Zero on June 26 in hopes of resuming negotiations to rebuild the church.

The numbers from a Monmouth College trip to the Eastern European nation of Moldova don’t tell the entire story, but they are a good place to start.

Miles traveled: 17,850
Planes: 8
Days: 9
New friends: Dozens
Lives changed: Countless

As the numbers show, getting to and from the former Soviet state wasn’t easy, but it was well worth the effort, a sentiment stated by David Byrnes, the chair of Monmouth College’s board of trustees, who helped organize the travel party of six students and three adults.

Last September, Byrnes made his first trip to Moldova, working with Philip and Chrissie Cameron, a couple dedicated to changing the lives of the nation’s 12,500 orphans. The Camerons’ work at Stella’s House and Simon’s House in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau focuses on saving the lives of teenage children who, upon being forced out of state orphanages in the year of their 16th birthday, often end up victims of sex or slave trafficking.

The stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is adding his voice to those of Presbyterians in the United States and Colombia opposing the passage of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

In a letter to President Obama, the Rev. Gradye Parsons says, “Real, substantial, and lasting efforts must be made to address the serious displacement crisis and the violations of human rights and labor rights in Colombia before a trade agreement should move forward.”

Presbyterians in both countries have been speaking out against the CFTA in recent weeks, thorough fasting, a call-in campaign and a prayer breakfast.

Opponents of the …

The Rev. France Davis doesn’t want any nude Adam-and-Eve figures at his Calvary Baptist Church — even if they were painted by Michelangelo himself. Davis is unequivocal in his view that there is nothing inspiring or redeeming about naked figures in religious art.