The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance solidarity visit following Hurricanes Milton and Helene concluded last week with a day in Holston Presbytery in Tennessee, where resilience, innovation and togetherness were on display just as they were throughout the 10-day visit.
In a nonpartisan vigil that provided a brief respite on what was an anxious night for many voters, the Rev. Jihyun Oh cried out to “the God of peace and justice” for the fortitude to keep doing the work that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has long pursued.
Advent is a time of prayer and waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises. The Advent liturgy and worship resources published in the annual Lectionary Companion of the Call to Worship journal remind readers and faith leaders of this eternal hope, especially in the midst of wondering what election results and new administrations will hold for our common life together.
“I’m going to cry a little bit,” the Rev. Blair Moorhead wrote on her Facebook page the day she learned that more than $44,000 in her graduate school loans had been forgiven. “If you’ve wondered if you are worth it, you are. Apply. Ask for and receive help in applying,” she said in reference to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and the coaching service offered by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through a partnership with PeopleJoy to help guide the process.
The next-to-last day of the solidarity visit Presbyterian Disaster Assistance held with churches and mid councils affected by the September hurricanes focused on Salem Presbytery in north-central North Carolina.
The process of redefining what ministry will look like in the new Interim Unified Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) became a little clearer on Monday. Plans were announced that will reconfigure several programs impacting the ministries of Theology, Formation & Evangelism; Compassion, Peace & Justice; the Presbyterian Historical Society; and Communications.
If every picture tells a story, then the Presbyterian Historical Society has over 60,000 compelling ways to share the story of religion news reporting in the mid-20th century.
The Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett is a pastor — but also embraces his role as a “cheerleader and storyteller for the grand mission history” of his church, First Presbyterian Church of Hastings, Nebraska, and the larger Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, a key provider of relief following Hurricane Helene, hasn’t done its yeoman’s work alone.
“Presbyterians love elections,” the Rev. Betsy Lyles Swetenburg said in a sermon at Northridge Presbyterian Church in Dallas on Sunday before clarifying that she wasn’t talking about presidential elections. “Our life together as a community of faith is marked by elections,” added Swetenburg, who described how elections, committees and leadership bodies that vote on items of business guide Presbyterian polity and rule “our day-to-day business.”