Mission Yearbook: Presbyterian Youth Collaborative brings North Carolina churches together

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The first PYC gathering was visiting a pumpkin patch in fall 2025.

The Presbyterian Youth Collaborative (PYC) is a new and innovative youth ministry start-up within the Presbytery of Charlotte born out of an idea from Director Genie Richards and a shared sense of calling and responsibility between Providence Presbyterian Church and Sardis Presbyterian Church. Rooted in the faithful ministries of these two congregations, PYC represents a significant milestone: a move toward collaborative, parish-style youth ministry that responds honestly and creatively to the realities facing the church today.

Based out of Providence Presbyterian Church and Sardis Presbyterian Church in South Charlotte, North Carolina, PYC currently serves approximately 60 middle and high school students from both congregations. PYC officially launched in fall 2025 with a strong turnout and enthusiastic buy-in from both youth and parents, signaling both trust in the vision and need for steady faith community for teens. As the ministry grows, PYC hopes to become a resource for the wider Presbytery of Charlotte in years two through four, particularly for congregations seeking sustainable models of youth ministry and curious about parish-style ministry.

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PYC is a welcoming, inter-church youth ministry rooted in the grace and love of Jesus Christ. We walk alongside students in grades 6–12 as they grow in faith, build strong relationships and explore their unique call in the world. The program is guided by three goals: supporting congregations in sustaining healthy youth ministry amid limited resources and staffing challenges; addressing the decline in young adults engagement in the PC(USA) by helping youth see themselves as part of something larger than one congregation; and immersing young people in Presbyterian theology, heritage, and culture so they feel connected to their Presbyterian identity and confident as beloved children of God.

In a time of declining giving, limited staff bandwidth, and volunteer burnout, PYC offers a shared solution. Congregations pool resources, share the rising costs of trips, camps, and service opportunities, and draw from a larger base of faithful volunteers. This collaboration lightens the load on individual churches while creating richer experiences for youth.

Teenagers today live in one of the most competitive and stressful seasons of life. PYC intentionally creates a third place apart from performance, where youth can simply be. Through worship, Scripture, prayer, shared meals, conversation, creativity, and service, young people are discovering a church that sees them, values them and invites them to claim faith as their own. We see God at work daily through transformed confidence, deeper relationships and growing ownership of faith. One of the most beautiful surprises and examples of God working through this ministry is the growing number of regular friends and visitors. We’ve found that many young people not affiliated with a church are quite curious about youth ministry but see not belonging to a congregation as a barrier of entry. Because PYC is not led by any one church, it opens the door to curious young people. 

The ministry includes weekly Sunday youth group gatherings, monthly Mustard Seed Groups for middle and high school students, and a full inter-church confirmation program where youth learn together across congregations while remaining rooted in their home churches, along with regular weekend trips, summer camps, and service trips locally and across North Carolina. PYC is open and affirming, fully welcoming LGBTQIA+ youth as they are. We are grateful for two congregations willing to take a faithful risk on something new and encouraged by the early fruit already visible in this shared ministry.

PYC is led by Richards and supported by a committed pastoral team: the Rev. Dr. Allysen Schaff, associate pastor for Contemporary Worship and Community Building at Sardis Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Dr. Joe B. Martin, senior pastor at Sardis Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Dr. Jody Moore, senior pastor at Providence Presbyterian Church; and the Rev. Dr. Lal Rodawla, associate pastor for Congregational Life at Providence Presbyterian Church and co-moderator of the Presbytery of Charlotte. Together, they model shared leadership and a belief that Christ calls congregations to in community together. If anyone is interested in learning more or starting something similar, we want to share what we’ve learned! Please reach out to Richards at genie@ppc1767.org or genie.richards@sardis.org. 

Genie Richards on behalf of Sardis and Providence Presbyterian Churches 

Let us join in prayer for:

Jenny Branson, Executive Assistant, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program
Jennifer Cash, Copy Editor, Media & Publishing, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us pray:

God, thank you for this messy, beautiful work of growing in faith together. Thank you for teenagers showing up, asking questions, and teaching us more about grace than we could imagine. Help us hold space for curiosity, for belonging and for the Spirit moving in ways we don’t control. May these youth see your love in friendships, in shared meals, in service, in the church and in each other. And may we, too, learn to trust that you are building something larger than we can see.

Mission Yearbook: First United Presbyterian Church of Fairbury, Nebraska, finds a mission to connect

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First United PC (provided)

Mission Possible began with a bold challenge to the confirmation students of First United Presbyterian Church of Fairbury, Nebraska: What if we trusted God enough to take on a mission that felt too big for us?

Rather than starting small, our youth chose a challenge rooted in the real needs of our rural community. In southeast Nebraska, reliable transportation is essential for daily life. Without it, families struggle to work consistently, get children to school, access medical care or even buy groceries. Recognizing this reality, Mission Possible committed to purchasing, repairing and giving away vehicles to local families in need.

The goal was ambitious, but with the support of our congregation and community, the youth have already given away four cars. Each one represents more than transportation. It represents independence, stability and renewed hope. For the families who receive them, these vehicles open doors to employment, education and everyday life that many take for granted.

Mission Possible is entirely youth-led, and in that leadership our congregation has been changed. As our church continues to thrive and grow, it has been our young people who are leading us boldly into the future, reminding us that mission is not about age or resources, but about faithfulness and trust in God.

This work has also grown out of a broader shift in our congregational life known as Connect. Through Connect., we have been learning to focus less on programs and outcomes and more on genuine human connection. Instead of asking how to attract people to church, we ask how to love our neighbors well — by listening, showing up, and responding to real needs with humility and care.

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First United PC (provided)

The Connect. movement is changing the way we see one another and the people beyond our walls. It is drawing us back into the slow, faithful work of knowing names, stories and lives. We are learning again that love cannot exist at a distance — we cannot love neighbors we do not know.

Mission Possible is one powerful expression of that culture. It embodies a church learning again that faith is lived in relationship, that service flows from listening, and that the gospel is made visible through love in action. Some connections lead people deeper into the life of the church. Others simply lead to stronger, healthier lives in the community. We trust God with the outcomes.

Our story is still unfolding. But through Mission Possible and Connect., we are rediscovering that the church does not exist to preserve itself, but to bear witness to God’s love in the world. We give thanks for a generation of young leaders, a congregation willing to follow and a God who continues to remind us that every mission truly is possible.

Dave Conde; Ministry Coordinator; First United Presbyterian Church; Fairbury, Nebraska

Let us join in prayer for:

Katie Carter, Manager, Faith-Based Investing & Shareholder Engagement, Presbyterian Life & Witness
Cole Sites, Facility Specialist, Building Services, Administrative Services Group                           

Let us pray:

Faithful God, we thank you for the courage of our youth and for the call you place upon your church to serve our neighbors with love and compassion. Bless the work of Mission Possible and the relationships formed through Connect. Teach us to listen before we act, to trust you boldly and to serve faithfully without fear. We also lift before you our brothers and sisters in Presbyterian churches and across every denomination. Lord, be with all who seek to follow Christ in every place and tradition. Strengthen your church wherever it gathers. Renew its witness. Unite us in love for neighbor and faithfulness to your gospel. May our lives and our congregations bear witness to your grace and may every mission we undertake bring hope to those in need. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: The Brandermill Church in Midlothian, Virginia, is born of unity and growing in grace

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Children pray over The Brandermill Church’s leadership. (provided)

When residents moved into Brandermill, a planned community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, in the mid-1970s, they envisioned more than just a neighborhood. They dreamed of a new dimension in church life. In March 1974, the Virginia Council of Churches invited denominations to reach across traditional lines and create something unprecedented: an ecumenical congregation that would unite rather than divide.

The Richmond District of the United Methodist Church (UMC) and Hanover Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (PCUS) answered that call. Under the leadership of Rev. D. Clyde Bartges, worship began in February 1977, and by Nov. 6, 1977, The Brandermill Church was officially chartered with 126 members. Our founding covenant declared a sacred commitment: to serve as one body under Christ’s Lordship, witnessing to our unity in him.

Nearly 50 years later, that ecumenical spirit remains our heartbeat. Though now affiliated with the PC(USA), we continue honoring both Reformed and Evangelical traditions. Our congregation reflects beautiful diversity — about half our members live in Brandermill, half come from surrounding communities, and all come from varied Christian backgrounds, united in our mission to “engage disciples to worship, study and serve.”

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The centrality of the table and God’s Creation. (provided)

Our commitment to intergenerational ministry — “Growing Young Together” — brings seasoned disciples alongside our youngest members, creating bonds that span generations. From our thriving weekday preschool to adult discipleship programs, we nurture faith at every stage. Our six Marks of Discipleship — prayer, worship, Scripture reading, service, relationships and giving — form the rhythm of our shared life, creating what we call a “PoWeR SuRGe” of faith.

We believe in the priesthood of all believers, that every Christian has direct access to God and a calling to ministry. Through committees, teams, and our elected Church Council, we practice the Reformed principle of shared governance, discerning God's will together through prayer and the Spirit’s guidance.

The Brandermill Church stands on the shoulders of giants — our great cloud of witnesses from both PC(USA) and UMC traditions who sustain and inspire us. We are proof that unity in Christ transcends denominational lines, and that when we invest our voice, energy, spirit and time in God’s work, extraordinary things happen.

Rev. Christopher M. Tweel; Senior Pastor and Head of Staff; The Brandermill Church; Midlothian, Virginia

Let us join in prayer for:

Heath Carter, Senior Editor of The Journal of Presbyterian History, Presbyterian Historical Society
Jackie Carter, Project Manager, Media & Publishing, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us pray:

Gracious God, who calls us to be one body in Christ, we thank you for The Brandermill - - born from a vision of unity and sustained by your grace. Bless all ecumenical congregations seeking to witness to your love across denominational lines. May our commitment to worship, study and serve together inspire others to build bridges tather than walls. Gyide us as we nurture faith across generations, that young and old alike may discover, nurture and share your gifts. In Christ's name. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Transgender Day of Visibility

On this Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the joy and resilience of transgender and genderqueer people in our churches and our communities. This day, observed on March 31, is a time to affirm the presence, dignity, and contributions of trans and gender nonconforming people.

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Photo by Kyle via Unsplash

We affirm that gender nonconforming people are visible in Scripture as eunuchs. Using today’s terms, we might consider them genderqueer, not operating within conventional gender norms. This connects with the experiences of transgender, non-binary, and intersex people and also gender non-conforming butches, twinks, drag queens, kings, and monarchs. God calls eunuchs as prophets (Nehemiah), teachers (Hegai in Esther 2:3–15), and missionaries (the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26–40).

Today, in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), trans, non-binary, intersex, and genderqueer people serve as pastors, elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, ushers and in all kinds of leadership roles. God does not call genderqueer people in spite of our gender identity but promises to build monuments and give us names “better than sons and daughters” beyond the binary of male and female (Isaiah 56:4–6).

In our present political moment in this country, there are efforts to reduce the visibility of trans and genderqueer people in education, sports and through bodily changes in health care. These efforts are sometimes bipartisan, like legislation in West Virginia to statements from California’s governor. It is a scary time for trans people. These actions are part of a broader wave of anti-LGBTQ+ backlash that includes efforts to undermine gay marriage and other fundamental rights. In times such as these, visibility is not just an act of celebration; it is a witness against injustice.

Transgender Day of Visibility falls in the Lenten season, where Christians traditionally have fasted or given something up or taken something on as a spiritual discipline. We invite Christians to consider instead of giving up chocolate to give up on concepts that fail to feed us spiritually. Let us not fast from dinner but fast from oppressive ideologies.

Trans joy is nourished not by the fear and restriction of human institutions but by the abundant life that Christ offers. The psalmist proclaims, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8), an invitation to trust in the God who feeds us with love and justice. And at the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, saying, “This is my body, given for you” (Luke 22:19). Christ’s body, broken and transformed, reveals resurrection power. So too, trans bodies are joyful bodies and are part of God’s redemptive story.

And we remember now, like we do every celebration of the Lord’s Supper, that through breaking bread, Christ’s body was ripped into two. In the promise of new life that we are given, we too are promised transformation. It is through the changing of our bodies, sometimes even the tearing of it, through ripping new clothes and surgical cuts, that trans people experience joy and can see transformation become possible.

Hard times call for a time to cry, a time to lament (Lamentations 1:16). But Scripture also tells us just as it is important to feel the feelings of sadness, in the same verse that there is also a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4–5). We should remember trans joy is resistance. Trans visibility is found in drag brunches, in reading groups, in gay bars, in laughing with chosen family, sitting anxiously at the clinic, and in worshiping together in affirming communities. It is found in every trans person who claims their name and their identity with boldness. It is witnessed by every cisgender ally who makes a stand against injustice.

On this Transgender Day of Visibility, we affirm that trans people are beloved, visible and full of joy. We celebrate trans and genderqueer people, and we commit to ensuring that trans visibility is not merely symbolic, but met with justice, affirmation and love. God desires life for all of us, not mere survival. Jesus came that we may have life abundantly (John 10:10).

May we all go on our way rejoicing.

Advocacy Committee for LGBTQIA+Equity

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff:

Olanda Carr, Senior Ministry Relations Officer, Development Office, The Presbyterian Foundation
Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Denominational Identify & Formation, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us pray:

God of Abundance, on this Transgender Day of Visibility, we give thanks for the joy, resilience, and gifts of leadership that our transgender, non-binary, intersex and genderqueer siblings bring to your church. We celebrate that all people are created in your image and called beloved, and we lament the injustices that seek to diminish the visibility and flourishing of trans people. Empower us to seek justice and honor the joy that comes with the fullness of each person’s identity, and to work for a world where trans lives are lived with affirmation, safety and abundant life.

God of Justice, thank you for the sacred visibility of your trans and gender-expansive children. In a world that tries to erase, regulate, or reduce them, reminds us that you call us by name and promise life beyond every binary. Break apart every lie that says we are too much or not enough. Fast us from fear, from silence, from the comfort of neutrality. Root us instead in your truth and let justice and love roll like a river through our churches, our streets and our laws until every trans life can flourish. Amen.

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How to Remit One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Gifts Remember to remit your One Great Hour of Sharing funds as soon as possible to respond to Christ’s call to ministries of compassion for the world’s most vulnerable.. Congregations Congregations remit through their normal receiving agency (usually the presbytery) or by sending funds to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. Mid Councils Mid Councils remit to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643751, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3751, or you can use Payer Express. LOG ON TO PAYER EXPRESS The needs of our world are great. Thank you for your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing. For when we all do a little, it adds up to a lot. If you have any questions, reply to this email or call us at (800) 728-7228, Ext. 5047.

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Mission Yearbook: Scripture says to ‘make a joyful noise,’ not a perfect noise

When Hunter Steinitz, M.Div., co-moderator of Presbyterians for Disability Concerns (PDC), once said that if the dedicated team of PDC volunteers had a motto, it might be, “We are small but mighty,” she could just as well have been describing the workshop she co-led recently.

Titled “Inclusion is Worship,” the workshop at the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE) 2025 Annual Event attracted a “small” group from across the PC(USA), all “mightily” advocating for disability inclusion in church and society.

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Hunter Steinitz

And calling for action now.

“The problem isn’t with the disability,” Steinitz said, “but with the barriers that get in the way.”

And yet despite the many barriers to full inclusion, attendees offered signs of hope.

“Our church is pretty much all accessible except for one upstairs room,” one participant shared with the group, “so that a girl with disabilities couldn’t go to the youth group room. Then, because they made a policy that no church activities can happen in a non-accessible space, the youth group room moved. I thought that was so amazing because often their reaction is to not do the right thing. I was thrilled with how that worked out.”

At the workshop, Steinitz — a ruling elder at Riverview United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh and the oldest woman in the U.S. with a rare genetic skin condition called Harlequin ichthyosis — was joined on Zoom by PDC clerk Marijo Hockley, M.Div., and in Memphis by the Rev. Dr. Deborah Huggins, PDC co-moderator, who shared in facilitating the conversation.

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The Rev. Dr. Deborah Huggins

Huggins, associate pastor of youth and children at Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, New Jersey, is also president of the Presbyterian Health, Education, and Welfare Association (PHEWA). Hockley serves as the community life coordinator for New Life Presbyterian Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

As participants considered together — and in small groups — how and whether people with disabilities are embraced and included in their respective worship spaces, Huggins appealed to Steinitz and Hockley as disability liberation theologians for their guidance on interpreting relevant passages from Scripture.

“It can be very difficult for people with disabilities to lean back and find the hope that we have [in Jesus],” Hockley began. “Jesus heals them not because there is something wrong with them, but because there’s something wrong with society. … Because society is ill, Jesus heals the person with disabilities.”

In the broader context of biblical exegesis, Steinitz further explained the workshop’s title, “Inclusion is Worship.”

“Inclusion is worship because the body of Christ is made up of all these diverse members, all of them with a role to play,” said Steinitz, referencing 1 Corinthians 12:12. “That is very much true of people of faith with disabilities. Because they have gifts that they want to share, it’s all about giving them the opportunity.”

Both Steinitz and Hockley emphasized that while churchgoers have the expectation that everything be perfect, that’s not what scripture teaches.

“As many of you know, it’s hard for people to sit still and be perfect all the time,” said Steinitz. “But what does Scripture say? ‘Make a joyful noise’ — not a perfect noise, not a well-rehearsed noise, but a joyful noise.”

Added Hockley, “Worship is not a Broadway show. We should be a faith family when we’re sitting in church. Things are not going to be perfect, but they are perfect in the eyes of God.”

Using a handout designed by PDC, participants began to build customized action plans for their own worship settings. They received — and were able to suggest additions to — a “Worship is Inclusion” resource list.

Attendees also received a copy of “Speaking Words that Welcome,” a QuickSheet produced by the PC(USA) Interim Unified Agency’s Office of Christian Formation.

If the workshop had a single takeaway, it was perhaps the charge to be creative.

“You don’t just have to preach from the pulpit or be liturgist from the chancel,” Huggins said. “Church isn’t perfect. Church will always be messy.”

For more information about Presbyterians for Disability Concerns or to contact a Disability Consultant, click here.

Emily Odom, Former Associate Director of Mission Communications, Interim Unified Agency, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)(Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

José Manuel Capella-Pratts, Global Ecumenical Liaison for Latin America and Caribbean, Interim Unified Agency
James Carey, Director of Investments & Portfolio Management Services, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation 

Let us pray:

Lord, strengthen, guide, and bless us as we labor together to bring your love to those who need it most. We thank you for those who serve. May their obedient efforts continue to bear fruit in the lives of many. In your name we pray. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Peru trip’s lessons inspire actions for leaders in PC(USA)

Last summer, a small delegation of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders journeyed to Peru. Over eight days, they traveled from remote Andean villages to the coastal capital of Lima and into the depths of the Amazon jungle. Along the way, they met with church leaders, theologians, activists and local citizens. They worshiped, dialogued, and learned about the profound damage that conquest and extractive mining have inflicted — and continue to inflict — on the environment, Indigenous communities, and other marginalized populations. When they departed, they carried a promise: what happened in Peru would not stay in Peru.

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The Peru delegation included staff from the Interim Unified Agency, the Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly (2024) and mid-council staff. (Contributed photo)

Global engagement is a key value of the PC(USA), and international trips are common — especially for denominational leaders. However, while many past trips centered primarily on observing or serving communities abroad, this delegation approached the visit with an eye toward action back home. The Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly (2024), brought a personal connection to the trip’s focus on the impacts of extractivism — a challenge he sees on the Carolina coast where he lives. The trip’s conveners were determined that participants would return not only with memories, but with insights and commitments they could apply in their U.S. communities.

Alongside Larson, the delegation included denominational staff from ministries focused on ecumenical and interreligious engagement; compassion, peace and justice; as well as disaster assistance. Representatives from presbyteries across the country also participated. 

Speaking about the commitment to tangible follow-ups from their trip, the Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, director of Humanitarian and Global Ecumenical Engagement in the Interim Unified Agency, said, “We have not generally aimed for specific ‘deliverables’ when following up on such visits. This, we realize, is a lost opportunity for our Church, as well as for the partners who have taken time and effort to share their work and vision with us. This time, instead of limiting the trip to staff leads and the Co-Moderator, we intentionally invited leaders from two presbyteries involved in Joining Hands work in Peru: the Rev. Annanda Barclay from San Jose and Dr. Clarice Hutchens from Giddings-Lovejoy.”

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La Oroya is home to a smelting operation and is considered one of the most polluted places in the world. (Contributed photo)

In addition to its support of the Joining Hands Network in Peru, the Presbytery of San Jose has an ongoing commitment to addressing Indigenous land rights and the environmental consequences of the Doctrine of Discovery. Barclay also co-moderates the board for the Center for Jubilee Practice, which supports churches and Christian organizations in “confronting their legacies of liberation and developing restorative communal practices.” Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery has advocated for environmental justice within the U.S., endorsing General Assembly overtures highlighting the intersection of environmental issues and social inequities. Hutchens, a scientist and business executive, focuses on environmental sustainability and the integration of Western science with Indigenous knowledge.

This diverse group of Presbyterians brought their own expertise and passions to bear during their time in Peru. Now that they are home, they are committed to finding ways to integrate what they learned into their local contexts. While much is still being discerned, some concrete ideas have emerged.

Group members reconvened in August to share their ideas for next steps, which Kraus said include “outreach to a number of other presbyteries within whose bounds similar issues of environmental racism, extractivism, and Indigenous rights are in play.” She said they are working toward a follow-up trip to include some of those presbyteries in hopes of longer-term dialogue. Kraus also said a series of short videos could lift up the connection between experiences of partners in Peru and struggles in the U.S.

Meanwhile, in Peru, the work to undo the damage of conquest and the pervasive threat of extractivism continues. Eduardo Arboccó, head of Peru’s Joining Hands Network, emphasized the need to support Indigenous defenders — particularly women — who bear the heaviest burdens of exclusion in a society still marked by colonialist, sexist and classist practices. He said efforts going forward will focus especially on the northern Amazon, where Indigenous communities face heightened risks from foreign and domestic companies, and where environmental defenders often struggle to make their voices heard. The network also hopes to continue partnering with other Christian organizations, including the PC(USA), as they work toward justice and healing for the earth and human communities harmed by extractivist industries.

Layton Williams Berkes, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Kelly Cahill, Administrator, Plan Operations, Board of Pensions
Peter Campbell, Team Lead Consultant, Information Technology Infrastructure, Administrative Services Group, A Corporation                                   

Let us pray:

Gracious God, thank you for opportunities to see our neighbors’ plights in a new light. May we follow your example to help those in need as much as we possibly can. In Jesus’ name. Amen.