This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. The 51st International conference on Dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims (JCM) on ‘What is Home’ was held in Kigali, Rwanda from 5th February to 11th February2024, organized in partnership between Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR) and United Evangelical Mission (UEM). 65 participants from Tanzania, Kenya, DRC, and Rwanda attended the meeting. Presentations from the th ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. In the ever-evolving narrative of climate justice, there exists a profound intersection with faith. For many, the urgency of protecting our planet stems from deeply held spiritual beliefs that advocate for stewardship of the Earth and compassion for all living beings. Yet, despite the intrinsic connection between faith and environmental advocacy, the journey towards climate justic ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. A month ago, in a Goodwill I found a used no-frills record player. Elina, my daughter, grabbed it before someone else stole it from her. We’ve been on the lookout for an LP player for months. As soon as we tested to see it worked at home, she threw my coat at me and said we are going record shopping. Did you know records cost $33 dollars! At least! Thirty three dollars gets you th ..read more

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. “Can businesses be good and ethical?” I once asked a mentor, the founder of a realty company in urban Pennsylvania. “I think so” he said.  “Businesses can be bad at times, but the business-customer relationship also creates a certain level of parity that otherwise doesn’t always exist in society. I also think businesses can do good and play a positive role in the community ..read more

Loneliness is an increasing problem nationwide. How are pastors in Mission Presbytery staying connected during their calls? What Texas is to states, Mission is to presbyteries: one of the largest and most diverse in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with dozens of congregations near San Antonio and Austin, and large swaths of countryside where farm supply stores and oil wells outnumber houses of worship. Mission includes 120 churches in South Central Texas, an area stretching from the Rio Grande Valley north to the Hill Country. The presbytery lists 300 Teaching Elders and more than 19,000 lay ..read more

Last month I joined the ‘Mourning Choir’ in my hometown of Louisville despite being a mediocre singer at best. The Choir formed after the October 7 Hamas attack, the loss of 1,139 Iraeli lives, and the continuing loss of more than 25,000 Palestinians. This crisis period has brought Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others into community to profess our shared value for the life of every single person. While anti-Muslim and antisemitism incidents have increased, the time has brought people together to sing Ceasefire Carols, and to hold vigils, rallies and interfaith events all calling for a ceasefi ..read more

As Womanist theologians, the pastors of Liberty Community Church in Minneapolis, MN seek the healing of their Northside neighborhood through co-creating spaces of rest and resistance with individuals victimized by the sex trafficking trade and within a community suffering from the effects of systemic poverty and structural racism. Rest and Resist — PC(USA) congregation heals through a Womanist ethic from Presbyterian Mission Agency on Vimeo. This video is the third and final video in a series about Liberty Community Church in Minneapolis, MN. You can watch the first two videos here and here ..read more

A year ago I arrived at Princeton Seminary for The Art of Transitional Ministry training. I had no idea why I was there. The Just Brave Enough team I had graduated from Union Presbyterian Seminary a few months earlier and had yet to receive a Call. Truthfully, I hadn’t begun to look—I hadn’t even created my PIF. I did not feel called to congregational ministry. I was still working my healthcare job—I had been a lactation consultant in a pediatrics practice for more than 10 years—a job I loved and found meaningful and fulfilling. I had signed up for the training with a vague idea of finding a ..read more

As a new church development nearly 25 years ago, Liberty Community Church listened to the voices of young people in their community to develop programs that would improve their sense of safety and hope for the future. A survey conducted by two teenagers and community forums with families and neighbors set in motion an evolving and expanding set of services: youth drop-in services, a Freedom school in the summer, afterschool and youth programs focused on academics, arts enrichment, financial literacy, and college enrollment. View the testimonies of the leaders of Liberty and their 21st Century ..read more

Calendared amidst the commercial craze of Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes #GivingTuesday, a timely reminder that life is more about giving than getting. It is a verifiable fact that generosity enhances our well-being.[i] #GivingTuesday is celebrated the week following Thanksgiving and kicks-off the year-end charitable season. About 40 percent of all charitable giving occurs between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As I paused to reflect on the many #GivingTuesday promotions I found on the internet, two questions popped into my mind: Why do I give? How did I first learn to give? My answer caugh ..read more