One hour. More and more, that’s all that busy, tired families say they have for worship and Christian education on Sunday morning. How do pastors and church educators meet harried families where they are?

The church doesn’t have a mission. Church is mission, embodying God’s “fullness of life” economy in Christ for all and living this out in partnership.

Across the United States, one of the major struggles for people with criminal convictions is finding work. For many employers, having a criminal record ends the conversation with a prospective employee.

On a day that represents a celebration of love, you’ll find most people wearing red to commemorate. But for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of the General Assembly, the color to wear for Valentine’s Day this year is black.

Saying he’s “been yearning to come” visit staff at the Presbyterian Center, the Rev. Dr. Alton B. Pollard III, president of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary since Sept. 1, did just that Thursday, quoting this Valentine’s Day scripture from 1 John: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God …”

Incluso en las iglesias más tranquilas, las personas ocasionalmente se ofenden o se oponen a la forma en que se hacen o no las cosas. A veces, el problema se manifiesta y se resuelve. Sin embargo, en otras ocasiones las personas que se sienten preocupadas no están dispuestas a hablar sobre sus sentimientos con la persona o las personas involucradas.

Even in the most placid churches, people will occasionally get offended or object to the way things are being done or not being done. Sometimes the problem is brought out into the open and dealt with. At other times, however, the people who feel troubled are not willing to speak about their feelings with the person, or persons, involved.

가장 조용한 교회일지라도, 사람들은 때로는 기분을 상하게 하거나 일이 만들어지고 지켜지지 않는 방식에 반대할 것입니다. 때로는 문제가 공개되어 처리됩니다. 그러나 다른 때에는 문제에 해당되거나 관련된 사람들이 자신들의 감정을 말할 의향을 잃기도 합니다.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4) — God calls us to join hands with one another, regardless of the continent or country or context in which we live.

Not only do pastors have the privilege of walking alongside parishioners, “we also aid them and guide them, helping to craft and form them into disciples of Christ,” the Rev. Zeta T. Lamberson said during a workshop last week at the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators event. “That doesn’t just happen. We must be intentional and think about how to do that.”