Mission Yearbook: Caucus of young adults ponders faith, purpose and technology

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William Gibson, at right, and the Rev. Sabrina Slater spoke to the Young Adult Caucus Wednesday during the 27th Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. (Photo by Rick Jones)

In a world where algorithms increasingly shape human interaction, young adults gathered at the World Communion of Reformed Churches’ 27th Council to ask what faith looks like in a digital age — and how to hold on to hope when despair seems to dominate the headlines.

One morning, about 30 young adults aged 18 to 35 came together to wrestle with questions of faith, technology and purpose. Leading the conversation was William Gibson, a candidate for ministry in the Church of Scotland and a PhD candidate in Theology at the University of Glasgow.

Gibson invited participants to reflect on how digital tools — including artificial intelligence — affect their faith lives. “What concerns and what hopes do you have about digital tools and platforms?” he asked, prompting lively small-group discussion. One participant reflected that “digital platforms, including AI, influence how we think, instead of the other way around.”

Gibson shared his own experience of using technology to build community, describing how he and his wife started a house church that began as an online discussion group. “Eventually, that virtual connection became a strong, in-person community of about 40 people,” he said.

He then posed a deeper question: Can social media itself be a form of Christian witness?

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The Rev. Sabrina Slater, the pastor at Christ the King Fellowship in Spencer, New York, speaks to the Young Adult Caucus at the 27th Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. (Photo by Rick Jones)

A young adult from the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan offered a moving example. After a barrier lake overflowed and flooded homes in eastern Taiwan, her congregation used Instagram and Facebook to coordinate clean-up efforts. “Social media can be a kind of witness when we use it wisely,” she said. “It lets people see there is a link between church and society.”

When the discussion turned to artificial intelligence, Gibson acknowledged its practical benefits — speed, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness — but also noted its ethical challenges, especially its impact on labor and the environment.

“The proclamation of the church is our creative, collective task together,” Gibson said. “It’s about observing the world, learning from it, and responding to God’s act of creating. Our proclamation requires a creative response to politics, nationalism, patriarchy and war.”

He emphasized that what is at stake is not only faith but humanity itself. “The central question,” he said, “is about our humanity — our capacity to create and imagine. The process is just as important as the end result.”

Participants reflected on how faith can counter the performative tendencies of the online world. “Our witness should recognize that we all have different gifts,” one said. “We’re not in competition for the most likes.” Another added, “The digital world pushes values of self-glorification. We should be authentic, not performative.”

Later that morning, Rev. Sabrina Slater, a PC(USA) pastor at Christ the King Fellowship in Spencer, New York, led a session centered on hope. “I’m confident God will be with us and has something to offer us,” she said. “I’m excited for that.”

Slater invited participants to introduce themselves and reflect on what they brought to their time in Chiang Mai. Then, she posed a challenging question: What are the hopeless things we see around us?

The responses came quickly — injustice, violence, polarization, corruption, poverty, colonization, genocide, war, apathy, starvation and the climate crisis, among others.

Reflecting on Jeremiah 4:22–28, especially verse 27 — “The whole land shall be a desolation, yet I will not make a full end” — Slater noted, “We named so many things that tell us the Earth is in desolation, and yet we’re here. Scripture says ‘not to a full end,’ and that gives us this space.”

In small groups, the young adults turned to other texts — Genesis 1:27–2:3, Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, and Matthew 11:28–30 — and shared their reflections. One participant called the gospel reading “an invitation to rest in Jesus and partner with him in the work he has for us.”

“There is still work to be done,” Slater said, “but it’s OK to pause. One way we can hope is to seek God, ask God for hope, read Scripture, tell stories and listen to where God is in our midst.”

Her final words carried the tone of both challenge and comfort: “Be curious about where people are finding hope — and listen to those stories.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Richard Embry, Systems Developer, Digital Strategy & Information Systems, Administrative Services Group
David English,  AVP Financial & Investment Planning Professional, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Dear God, we pray for young people seeking to discern your calling in their lives. We pray for the ministers who love them, challenge them and offer them the living water of life in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: 1001 leaders share a sacred pause at gathering

“O God, as we reflect on this divine invitation that you've afforded us to gather on this night for this experience, to worship and to selah, to pause and to breathe, to be reminded and to remember again your purpose for our lives, the call on our ministries ... we have gathered here, O Lord, to encounter you,” prayed the Rev. Dr. Winterbourne LaPucelle Harrison-Jones, his voice rising over an interlude of music composed by his wife, Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones. “And what a joy it is to know, O Lord, that we do not come to this garden alone. We are here together in community bounded by this amazing network of leaders.”

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Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones leads the choir at opening worship for the 1001 New Worshiping Communities national gathering. 

Recently at the YMCA of the Rockies, nestled in the mountains outside Estes Park, Colorado, the 1001 New Worshiping Communities National Gathering opened with a worship service invoking the week’s theme, “Come Away and Rest a While.” The service invited leaders of new communities from across the country to pause, reflect, and reconnect with God and one another.

Musicians Ike Sturm, founder of Finding Our Way Home, and Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones led the community in worship through music by blending jazz, ambient sound and choral harmonies that created a contemplative atmosphere.

The Rev. Dolly Dong, campus minister and pastor of Linden Road Chinese Community Ministry in Ohio, preached on the Hebrew word “selah,” found throughout the Psalms. “Selah is the rest area of our life journey,” Dong said. “It is a time to pause and ponder upon the truth that has been said or sung.”

Drawing from her own experience of burnout and recovery, Dong shared how selah became a spiritual anchor. “Last year, as I was praying, God gave me the word selah to meditate on daily,” she said. “I skipped this word many times when reading Scripture, but now I see its deep meaning. It’s a sacred pause, a moment to reflect and rest.”

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The Rev. Dolly Dong.

Dong’s sermon was grounded in Scripture, including Psalm 46 and Mark 6, where Jesus invites his disciples to “come away and rest.” She challenged attendees to consider whether they would accept that invitation if Jesus appeared before them today. “Can you 100% say that you would immediately stop and follow his invitation?” she asked.

Rev. Dr. Harrison-Jones continued the theme of rest and reflection in his pastoral prayer, invoking the words of theologian Howard Thurman: “Oh, how good it is to center down.” He invited the gathered community to consider what they were truly seeking in the days ahead — healing, joy, clarity — and to covenant together to find it through silence, laughter, solitude and community.

The worship service concluded with a communal prayer and candlelight reflection as participants sat quietly, breathing deeply and centering themselves in God’s presence.

“The rest was evident and palpable in the crowd,” said the Rev. Sara Hayden, host of 1001’s “New Way” podcast. She called the “welcome, music, words, intentions, ambience and the rest … sublime.”

Among those moved by the experience were the Rev. Rafael Viana and his wife, the Rev. Ivette Llano, leaders of immigrant congregations serving Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking communities, El Camino and Casa Brasil. Viana, who was attending the gathering as a new worshiping leader and as a member of the Mission Development Resources Committee, which awards grants to new worshiping communities, described the constant mental activity that ministry often demands. “This reminder — that we need to rest in God — is powerful,” he said.

Llano described feeling refreshed as she left the assembly hall on the gathering’s first evening. “The worship felt like descanso and refrigerio — rest and refreshment,” she said. Viana nodded in agreement. “Ah, yes, if you put those together, it’s amazing.”

For Viana, Llano and many others, the gathering offered more than just a break from routine. It was a sacred pause — a selah — in the midst of busy lives and demanding ministries. And as the evening closed, the words of Harrison-Jones lingered in the mountain air: “Oh, how good it is to center down.”

Beth Walteman, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Life & Witness Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Lindy Ebbs, Raiser's Edge Data Administration, Funds Development Operations, Administrative Services Group
Cynthia Embry, Senior Financial Reporting Accountant, Financial Reporting, Administrative Services Group       

Let us pray:

Gracious God, we give thanks for opportunities to be the good news for one another. Strengthen us as we strive to glorify you. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

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Armenian Church Collage

They left their homeland in fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing …

A heartbreaking tragedy is unfolding in Armenia due to continuous greedy and barbaric invasions by Azerbaijan. More than 120,000 innocent people of Artsakh (the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), who endured starvation for over nine months under severe blockade, have been forced to flee their homeland to save their lives. They left in fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing, abandoning an irreplaceable cultural and religious landscape that includes at least 300 Armenian heritage sites, ranging from exquisite medieval monasteries to historic cemeteries adorned with iconic Armenian engraved cross stones. Recent history, just over the past two years, demonstrates the inevitable risk of dismantling, destruction, and falsification of these cultural and religious sites. 

Their escape was perilous and fraught with danger. Numerous casualties and assaults occurred along the journey until they reached Armenia. Furthermore, young men crossing the border faced the risk of unlawful detention, with many destined to join the list of over 500 missing individuals.

As of Sept. 30, 2023, more than 120,000 forcibly displaced people are in Armenia, all in critical condition: their bodies exhausted from malnutrition and continuous flight, their hope shaken by injustice and betrayal, and their minds severely traumatized by war. Most require urgent medical attention. Once nourished and healed, they will need shelter and employment to care for their families. Later, they will face a range of psychological and physiological consequences from the trauma of relocation and adjusting to a new life they never chose. We can all empathize with their plight to some extent. 

What can we do together now to assist in immediate relief?

• Provide medication and rehabilitation services to those severely harmed.
• Provide food and means to cover basic human needs.
• Provide free physical and psychological treatment to the injured at the Dr. Norayr Baboumian Sevan Rehabilitation Center.

What do we plan to do later as a development program for those who have already settled?

• Provide knowledge, skills and capital to start small businesses.
• Involve children and youth in our Education and Civil Society projects to speed up their integration into their new environment.

With approximately 120,000 people affected, including children and the elderly, additional resources will enable us to assist more individuals. We are grateful to be on this noble journey together with you, inspired by your trust and generosity. 

We firmly believe that acts of kindness can change the world, motivating us to remain committed to a mission that supports countries facing dire circumstances. No gift is too small. Whether you contribute to covering daily or monthly basic human needs or support a long-term sustainability plan, we know it will be life-changing for these children and their families. 

For details about the Jinishian Memorial Program, please visit pcusa.org/about-pcusa/agencies-entities/interim-unified-agency/ministry-areas/global-ecumenical-partnerships/mission-networks/jinishian-memorial-program. 

May God bless and protect you and your loved ones.

Eliza Minasyan, Executive Director, Jinishian Memorial Program, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff:

Christopher Drane, IT Specialist, Information Technology, The Presbyterian Foundation
Angela Duffy, CFO, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation    

Let us pray:

On the day I called, you answered me; you made me bold with strength in my soul (Psalm 138:3). In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Panel discusses advocacy’s importance at young adult conference

A panel of young adults and activists recently gathered to share their thoughts on advocacy and to offer suggestions to the church on how to meet the needs of people in their age group. 

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Clair Lewis of Iowa State University speaks during a panel discussion at the 2025 Young Adult Advocacy Conference at First Presbyterian Church in Lansing, Michigan. Other panelists pictured (from left to right) are Rachel Halbo of Princeton Theological Seminary, Clare Balsan of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, and Rylan Smith of Michigan State University. (Photo by Alex Simon)

The panel was part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Jesus and Justice Young Adult Advocacy Conference (YAAC), an event held in Michigan to sharpen the social justice skills of participants and to help them stand up for what they believe in.

Hayley Scheir, a mission specialist for committee support for Presbyterian Life & Witness, hosted the panel, made up of college and seminary students and people who have served in advocacy roles for the PC(USA) or are still doing so.

“We're really excited to have this panel all be made up of young adults because we strongly feel that young adults have something important to bring to the church and a unique perspective and experience that is important for us to elevate and make sure that it's heard by everyone within the church and within our communities,” Scheir said.

Panelists shared various aspects of their past and present activism, including doing work for PC(USA) advocacy offices or in their own schools and towns. Speakers included two representatives from the Spartan Food Security Council (SFSC), a student organization that works to address hunger-related issues at Michigan State University and in the community through service, advocacy and education.

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Timothy Pinches was a summer fellow for the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C. (Provided photo)

“The goal of SFSC is to make people realize that even though you're a broke college student, you have the right to good, healthy, culturally appropriate and accessible food,” said Rylan Smith, an MSU student who’s part of the group.

Lydia Jendretzke, an animal science major, said she’s drawn to advocacy because “I really enjoy giving back to my community through volunteer work, and before the Spartan Food Security Council, I had taken a world poverty, food and population class, and learning the statistics of how much poverty exists in the world, the amount of food that goes to waste while there are millions of people starving, I was just called to the (SFSC) organization.”

Concern for other people is also a motivating factor for Timothy Pinches, a student at Kalamazoo College who previously served as a summer fellow for the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness, which puts on the YAAC with its sister office, the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations (PMUN). 

“I feel like it’s so apparent in the world today how much pain and suffering is all around us,” the panelist said. “I think that's what really draws me to advocacy is just the sense that we all need to get up and do the work.”

Multiple members of the panel said they are considering becoming lawyers to help address inequities. “I think over the past couple of years, especially, we're seeing the dangers rise and the tensions rise within our judiciary,” said Clair Lewis, an Iowa State University student who serves as president of The Vine, a campus ministry affiliated with Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames, Iowa. “It’s important that people who are going to be good advocates for everybody are actively involved in participating within our legal system.”

MSU student Sam Putt said he is considering going into law to help people who are at risk of getting “screwed over by the justice system because they just don't have the resources for proper representation.”

Near the end of the panel, participants offered recommendations for how the church can meet the needs of young people and what young people have to offer the church. 

Panelist Steffan Johnson, a mission specialist for the PC(USA)’s Young Adult Volunteer program, said older generations don’t always receive what young people have to say. But there are young people who “are extremely wise, and they just need someone who's willing to listen,” said Johnson, who’s pursuing a doctorate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Pinches added, “When you say you want the youth to be involved, you need to then be willing to step up and go to them and listen to what their concerns are and hear that and be willing to give them the capacity to change things.”

Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Life & Witness (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Carla Dobson, VP, Director of Philanthropic Services, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation
Susan Jackson Dowd, Executive Director, Presbyterian Women       

Let us pray:

Loving God, give us the strength, will, and wisdom to follow the path that leads to life anew transforming us into plows of peace, hope and love. Amen.

God's Mission Our Gifts: Your May Mission and Service Stories and more!

Scroll down for congregational stewardship news! 2026 Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat   The Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat will once again offer space for rest and renewal in 2026. In mid-May, The United Church of Canada Foundation will invite your community to take part in supporting this gathering by mail, email, and social media. A donation link is already available for those who wish to make an early gift or include it in communications. We invite you to keep an eye on your mailboxes (physical and digital!) and share these resources when they are available. Your May Mission and Service Stories May 3 Healthy Food, Healthy Relationships [Image credit: Carlington Community Connection]   At Carlington Community Connection in Ottawa, a simple act of welcome – coffee, conversation, and a listening ear – is helping to ease isolation and restore dignity in everyday life. Through shared meals and practical food support, relationships and wellbeing are strengthened one visit at a time. May 10 Held in Hope [Image credit: ACT Alliance and Hungarian Interchurch Aid]   In Ukraine’s Eastern Carpathian Mountains, mothers and children displaced by war found a moment of rest and renewal through a retreat of care. In the midst of grief and exhaustion, they were given space to breathe, reconnect, and begin to regain strength for the journey ahead. May 17 The Work of Water [Image credit: Cordillera People’s Alliance] In the Philippines, Indigenous farming communities are facing growing water challenges as climate change and environmental change affect daily life and food production. A community-led solar water project is helping restore reliable access to water and strengthen livelihoods for families. May 24 The Work of Compassion [Image credit: Indigenous Ministries and Justice, The United Church of Canada] Across Northern Canada, Indigenous ministers carry the weight of grief and loss while serving communities in moments of deep need. The Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat supported through Mission and Service offers rare space for rest, connection, and shared healing among those who support others. May 31 Belonging without Barriers    [Image credit: Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility] At Pearce Williams Summer Camp in Ontario, inclusion is ensuring that children of all abilities can fully experience the joy of camp life. With trained staff and adaptive supports, every child is welcomed not just to attend, but to truly belong. Let’s Get Ready! Congregational Stewardship and Generosity   Discipleship. What does it mean to you? Maybe you conjure visions of indoctrination rooms where people are taught the “right” answers to specific questions? I am reminded of the catechism books from many many years ago. Maybe you envision people out on the streets sharing food and clothing? Maybe for you it’s about changing unjust systems? Maybe it’s what happens on Sunday mornings during worship or in small groups exploring their faith? I was reminded last week, that even though we all react differently to this word and have different ideas around it; we tend to recognise discipleship when we see it and we do believe it is important to the life of every congregation. I would argue, it is at the heart of every congregation. Helping people to live the way of Jesus is what we are about. And of course, one of the key practices of discipleship is generosity; aka Stewardship. So, my question for you this month is “How does your Community of Faith teach and nurture people to be generous?” Is it during the sermon time? Is it linked to the offering during worship? Is it at Board or Council meetings? How does your Community of Faith disciple people to be generous? (Here’s a hint: It should be all of the above and more!) You want more generous people in your congregation. We want more generous people in your congregation. People actually want to be more generous. So let’s get together and see what happens. Take care. And remember, God loves you!   May is PAR Month How will you Inspire, Invite and Thank people who are not giving consistently to try it? By using PAR (Pre-Authorised Remittance) to give monthly, of course. And consider how will you Inspire, Invite and Thank people already using PAR to increase their monthly giving.   All the resources you need for PAR month are now available in one easy file under Downloads at the bottom of the United Church PAR webpage. Sample letters. Social media. Sermon. Planning template. And watch for the new PAR Video (hopefully before May!). Resources You Need! NEW Free Capital Campaign Resource kit In secular fundraising they say that if done well, capital campaigns can raise 10 times the annual amount given for operating. Think of the church or ministry you love. What would it mean to raise 10 times your annual donation amount? Improved facilities? New programs?  There is a lot of untapped potential generosity if your Community of Faith hasn’t engaged in a capital campaign in a while. Get the free Capital Campaign Resource kit. Ideas, plans, samples. And don’t forget the Stewardship Starter Kit, Digging Deeper Kit, Stewardship Program Kit, Planned Legacy Giving Kit.  All available on this web-page: Free Stewardship Resource kits   Stewardship Seconds (NEW Update for January-June 2026!)   Short, pithy sayings that pack a punch, to help infiltrate stewardship thinking into your community of faith. Add them to newsletters, worship, announcements, webpages, wherever people gather!  Find them at the Stewardship in Worship webpage. Offering Introductions & Dedication Prayers (NEW Update for January-June 2026!)   The offering time in worship is NOT about collecting money! It is about growing generous disciples and stewards. These Offering Introductions, and Dedication Prayers, for each Sunday of the year, will help. Find them at the Stewardship in Worship webpage. 2026 Lectionary Worship Starters UPDATED   Sermon ideas, theme hymns, RCL based. Five-week worship series on giving and generosity. Available now on the Stewardship in Worship webpage. New Stewardship BLOG The Rev. Brenna Baker explores the question “What should I leave to my Community of Faith?” It might not be what you think! Getting Started in Stewardship This is where it all begins. Communities of Faith completing this course have better outcomes. After this FREE 90-minute online course you will better understand: Stewardship is not fundraising. Stewardship is discipleship. Why people give? What can you do next? Find out more and sign up on CHURCHx. Get the Stewardship Support You Need   The people and resources to help you succeed are here.   Team Changes. Welcome to the Rev. Sarah Giles!! Sarah will be covering for Vicki Nelson while she is on medical leave. Those of you in the Prairie to Pine, Living Skies, Northern Spirit, Chinook Winds, and Pacific Mountain regions can reach Sarah at sgiles@united-church.ca Big News for Eastern Canada!! Coming soon! New staff will be hired (hopefully this month) If you are in those regions, you are still welcome to reach out using stewardship@united-church.ca. We hope to have a staffing update for you, soon.

Gifts with Vision News Our small but mighty Gifts with Vision catalogue has been updated – featuring brand new gifts, as well as your existing favourites. Take a look now! Questions? Email Gifts with Vision. You can also call us at 1-844-715-7969. Why be a Mission and Service Volunteer? What do you feel called to do? There's a place for you! You’d like to do more for Mission and Service but you’re not sure how to get started: your congregation hasn’t really done anything about Mission and Service for a few years now, and you’re pretty sure it’s not just about the two-sided envelopes anymore. We want to give you the support and resources you need to get started again.  As a volunteer, you get a weekly email with information you can use, plus resources to help you spread the word about Mission and Service in your community and online. You can also virtually meet other Mission and Service volunteers and learn what works for them!    Contact us today to learn more!      Mission and Service Volunteer Program    The United Church of Canada Foundation  ms@united-church.ca    1-800-465-3771  GOD’S MISSION, OUR GIFTS is your newsletter. We want to provide news and information that you can use in your community of faith, whether you’re a minister, a board member, an administrator, a treasurer, or anyone else who wants to make a difference.   What else would you like to see? What can we do to help your community of faith get where it needs to go? Send us your thoughts! Donate Facebook Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn   Your generosity enables the United Church to love, serve, and minister in the world. Make an online donation or learn more about your options to support the work of the church.

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