Mission Yearbook: The Assistance Program cares in community

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Andrew J. Browne is Executive Vice President for Engagement & Church Relations (photo courtesy of The Board of Pensions).

The Assistance Program has a longstanding history of supporting active and retired members of the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and their families in times of need. With 12 grants, it is a concrete representation of our connectional Church.

“Through the Assistance Program, we support members in all corners of the PC(USA) during challenging times or when unexpected needs arise,” said Andrew J. Browne, Executive Vice President, Engagement & Church Relations for the Board of Pensions. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our faith community through the Assistance Program, and as its needs evolve, we continue to find ways to meet those needs.”

In 2025, the Assistance Program awarded more than 1,500 grants totaling nearly $8 million and made several enhancements to program offerings, including expanded eligibility for Minister Debt Relief and the addition of memory care facilities as qualified living situations for Housing Supplements. 

“The Assistance Program, available to members of the Benefits Plan of the PC(USA), supports the pursuit of wholeness,” said Browne. “Supporting those we serve through all life’s challenges is foundational to our mission at the Board of Pensions and to who we are as Presbyterians.”

In 2026, further enhancements were made through the introduction of a new Child Care Support grant, effective April 1, which offsets a portion of child care needs for children ages 0-6 years. The initial pilot phase of this grant provides $500 per month per child and up to $1,500 per month per family. The Child Care Support grant is available to PC(USA) ministers of the Word and Sacrament and commissioned pastors employed by PC(USA) congregations who meet the eligibility requirements.

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Ruth Adams is Director of the Assistance Program at the Board of Pensions (photo courtesy of Ruth Adams).

"Supporting the high cost of child care is one of the most practical and meaningful ways we can bolster church leaders and their families,” said Ruth Adams, Director of the Assistance Program. “We want them to thrive. Child Care Support offers one more helpful resource as they fulfill their calling to serve others.”

Grants from the Assistance Program provide financial support across a variety of needs, with eligibility requirements varying by type of assistance. Benefits Plan members, both ministers and employees who serve the Church and members who work for PC(USA)-affiliated organizations, are eligible to apply for assistance grants.

Grants available through the Assistance Program provide support for the following:

• Minister wholeness, including Minister Debt Relief, Minister Educational Debt Assistance, Clergy Wellness Support, Sabbath Sabbatical Support and Child Care Support.
• Unexpected challenges and unique family needs, including Emergency Assistance, Adoption Assistance and Transition-to-College Assistance.
• Stability, financial security, and well-being for retirees, including Housing and Income supplements and medical grants.
• Educational debt relief for individuals employed by PC(USA)-affiliated organizations. 
• Urgent relief for individuals affected by natural disasters.

More details on eligibility and application information are available here.

The Board of Pensions supports wholeness in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) community and care for Benefits Plan members. For information, contact info@pensions.org.  (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Dawn Diggs, Manager, Compliance, Operations, The Presbyterian Foundation
Carla Dobson, VP, Director of Philanthropic Services, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation         

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, the source of our strength, you are good to provide for our needs in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Thank you for your guidance and wisdom to carry out the work you have called us to do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: The Rev. Jihyun Oh has hope for exiled people

After an ecumenical solidarity visit to Cuba, the Rev. Jihyun Oh used the prophetic call from Isaiah 50:4–9a as the scriptural basis for the homily she delivered online during a recent Chapel Service.

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The Rev. Jihyun Oh

Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Executive Director of Presbyterian Life & Witness, described the call on Isaiah’s life, “a call to sustain the weary, the weary who have been living in exile, the ones who have been separated from their homes,” including “the soil they know and the familiar sounds, perhaps the wind blowing through familiar trees and valleys” and “the foods that provide comfort.”

Isaiah “is called to sustain the weary who are living in profound separation — physical, emotional and spiritual separation — even if they are with family and others they know,” Oh said. “What God gives the prophet for this call is a trained tongue so that the prophet knows how to sustain the weary.”

The word for “training” used here can refer to teaching about one’s tradition, Oh said. “The prophet is given language and knowledge and skills, so the prophet knows how to sustain the weary with a grounding in tradition,” she said, “a grounding in their sense of self and to their connection to the broader people of God.”

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Photo by Brett Jordan via Unsplash

We are told that the prophet listens every morning — “listens to the teachings, listens to the reminders, listens to the grounding that the prophet needs to be able to sustain the weary,” she said. That assurance has been welcome news for Oh as she journeyed to Cuba and back and thought about her own family’s history and the history of Korea, including its occupation by Japan and imperialism by China, as well as its history of immigration.

“That has made me wonder about exile in a different way,” she said, “wondering about who is exiled or living in a sort of exile today.”

That can include Indigenous communities “who have long been exiled from the land of their ancestors and are living separated from many of their traditions,” Oh said. It can also include enslaved persons and diaspora communities descended from enslaved persons “who are also living in that sense of having been separated from home in a different sort of way.”

People living under occupation “have been forced into a sort of exile, even if they have been allowed to be in their homes,” she said. The group of exiles can also include people in the LGBTQIA+ community and especially transgender people, “for whom forces are continuing to seek to separate them from their own selves in a sort of exile from self,” Oh said.

Those in exile certainly includes “communities and nations living in conditions of isolation and separation from the modern broader human community, like those in Cuba, through forces that they have zero control over, who are having to seek connection and relationship but are continually being pushed away from those connections,” she said.

During her time in Cuba, Oh was moved that members of the ecumenical community “remembered the legacy of the PC(USA) from the days of apartheid in South Africa.”

“They lifted up the story of how those within the denomination refused to believe the stories that were coming out and being told to them,” she said. “They said, ‘we will go see for ourselves,’ and went to be with those who were weary and were living in the state of being separated within their communities or their own homes.”

Upon their return to the United States, they “faced so much pushback, so much spitting and insults — so many things from communities who did not want to believe or hear the words of the denomination that stood with those in South Africa,” Oh said. “It reminded me of all those traditions — not just the ones written in the Bible, but all of them — the work of the saints that has been continuing ever since.” That includes the work of “the saints of today, who are telling us something new about how God is working in the world.”

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Ann DeVilbiss,  Production Associate, Publishing & Editorial, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Louis DiBiase, AVP, Trust Officer, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation          

Let us pray:

Gathering God, remind us of your abundance. Move us to be people willing to share what you have given us, for your gifts never run out. In the name of our Lord Jesus, the abundant one. Amen.

Minute for Mission: World Community Day

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World Community Day began in 1943 as a day for church women across denominations to come together to pray and participate in ecumenical Bible study on peace and justice. World Community Day celebrates 83 years in 2026. The theme for this year’s World Community Day is “Peace Begins with Me,” based on John 14:27 (NIV).

As Christians — even and especially during times of turmoil and division — we are peacemakers. We give voice to the voiceless and bring God’s light to dim places. Through advocacy, diplomacy and compassionate service, we strive as Christians to bring peace to all. Yet we acknowledge that true, lasting peace comes only from the peace of Christ: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).

Resources for World Community Day are available from Church Women United. Write to 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1374, New York, NY 10115; email info.churchwomenunitedinc@gmail.com; call 212-870-1030; or visit churchwomenunited.net/cwustore.

Carissa Herold is marketing associate for Presbyterian Women in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Inc.

Let us join in prayer for:

John DePaul, Director, Enterprise Reporting & Analytics, Information Technology, Board of Pensions
Mark DeSantis, Vice President, IT Infrastructure & Security, Information Technology, Board of Pensions

Let us pray:

Peace begins with me, Holy One. Strengthen me — strengthen your people — in finding ways to bring peace to our families, churches, communities and nations. Thank you for the blessing to be a blessing to others, and for the gift of carrying your peace and light into the world you so abundantly love. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: A mountain of faith - San Francisco’s Mt. Davidson and its ecumenical legacy

On April 10, 1955, around 5:42 a.m., worshipers gathered atop Mt. Davidson for the 33rd annual Easter Sunrise Service. KYA broadcast the service from 5:30 to 6:15. The Rev. Dr. John A. Gardner, elected executive director of the San Francisco Council of Churches five months earlier, preached “Hail Him Lord of All!”

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Easter sunrise service atop Mt. Davidson, San Francisco, 1946, Religious News Service photograph collection.

Gardner, an ordained Presbyterian minister, helped lead the ecumenical movement in San Francisco and Chicago during the 1950s and 1960s. Born Nov. 17, 1904, in England, he immigrated with his family to Chicago in 1913. He became pastor of Essex Community Church in 1926 and used group activities to draw young people into church life during the Great Depression. In 1937, he moved to First Presbyterian Church in Midland, Michigan, remaining there until the San Francisco Council of Churches called him in 1954.

Gardner led the council for three years. At the 1955 Easter service, he said, “We, too, have been waiting through the night for this dawning light. And the night itself is a symbol of every dark, uncertain passage. With the new day we sense the miracle of the trees and the sky and the sea. Here in this sacred spot we gather as the children of God, as those who seek light, with hearts open to the central miracle of existence.”

The first Easter Sunrise Service on Mt. Davidson was held April 1, 1923. A program described the 1955 gathering as the 33rd consecutive, nonsectarian service, noting that as many as 50,000 people had climbed the mountain for Easter worship.

Mt. Davidson is the tallest of San Francisco’s hills, crowned by a 103-foot steel-and-concrete cross. Materials in the Rev. John Ashworth Gardner Papers at the Presbyterian Historical Society describe its construction: 750 cubic yards of concrete, 30 tons of reinforced steel and 30,000 feet of lumber for forms. Its arms span 39 feet. The cross was first illuminated March 24, 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a gold key in Washington, D.C., sending a signal over Western Union wires to switch on the lights.

At its 1956 annual meeting, the council celebrated the previous year’s work, including the 16,000-person “Festival of Faith,” an interfaith prayer service for peace and the United Nations. It also announced that the Mount Davidson Easter service, sponsored since 1923 by a citizens’ committee, had become a council project. Gardner had preached in 1955, with music provided by church choirs.

In “Dr. Gardner’s Message,” the council’s executive director called 1955 “a thrilling year,” citing the Festival of Faith, the Easter Sunrise message and his colleagues’ support.

McKenna Britton, Presbyterian Historical Society (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Nicholas Campbell, Associate for Data Oper. & Accounting, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program
DeGaria Gowdy, Associate II, Partnerships Beyond the PCUSA

Let us pray:

Lord of all times, nations and peoples, help us to see each other through your eyes, celebrating the love you have given that binds us together. We ask your blessing upon the churches and peoples so that we might be and make disciples in your name. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: PDA webinar explores how faith communities can play a big role in preventing addiction

During the second of six online installments in a series called the Disaster Care Academy offered by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and its partners, participants learned how faith communities can play a vital role in prevention, early intervention and resilience-building when it comes to mental health and the avoidance of drug and alcohol addiction.

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Emily Morrow-Mueller is senior prevention programs manager for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (contributed photo).

Emily Morrow-Mueller, the senior prevention programs manager for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, led the 90-minute webinar.

Before getting to how faith communities can play what is a significant role in the fight for a healthy society, Morrow-Mueller offered descriptions of promotion, prevention, treatment and maintenance.

Promotion is about helping people thrive by improving mental and emotional health for everyone, she said. Examples run from more neighborhood bike paths to improved sleep habits.

Prevention is reducing risk and protecting mental health early on. It can be universal, such as anti-bullying programs; selective, including offering support groups for at-risk groups; and educated, targeted at people with early warning signs including alcohol and drug abuse. Prevention strategies can work upstream to eliminate or reduce the root causes of, say, substance abuse, or downstream.

Treatment and maintenance are included in recovery. “It’s about getting better and staying well over time,” she said.

Risk factors are predictive for half or less of the population, while protective factors are predictive in up to 80% of the high-risk population, she said.

Morrow-Mueller then spent time exploring the different domains or contexts for promotion and prevention strategies as well as treatment and maintenance. Those contexts are individual, family and relationships, community, and societal, and Morrow-Mueller also touched on some of the risk factors associated with each.

She then turned to a brief discussion on Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs, including abuse, neglect, separation or divorce, a family member with mental illness, a family member addicted to drugs or alcohol, a family member who is in prison, or witnessing a parent being abused.

Positive Childhood Experiences, or PCEs, are supportive and nurturing experiences in childhood that help a child grow up to be healthy and resilient and able to cope with stress. It impacts lifelong health, behavior and successful relationships.

PCEs, she said, “can buffer the effects of ACEs.”

“The presence of one caring adult can change a life,” she said, and faith leaders are often the ones to buffer those ACEs effects. As Mother Teresa put it, “Faith in action is love, and love in action is service.”

Then she answered the question many were on the call to consider: What is the role of the faith community in all this?

Faith communities have “a long history of leading positive change and supporting the well-being of members,” Morrow-Mueller said. Churches are available and accessible. Many people turn to their faith community when they’re in a crisis because they see it “as a safe place,” she said.

People who serve faith communities have a lot in common with prevention specialists, she noted, including engaging populations across the lifespan, focusing on community wellness and resilience, and employing evidence-based approaches.

Action steps that faith leaders serving in their local faith community can take include:

• Address mental health and addiction in sermons
• Host workshops and panels to explore mental health topics
• Use church bulletins and newsletters to “serve as a gentle reminder that support exists,” Morrow-Mueller suggested
• Educate the community and the congregation
• Strengthen relationships and support systems through mentorship programs, small groups or youth circles
• Engage in “compassionate leadership,” which “helps build trust across the community,” she said
• Foster strong family relationships through parenting workshops and family activities
• Strengthen economic and social stability through resource navigation, skill-building programs and community networks
• Promote positive identity and purpose through values-based education and leadership opportunities, and celebrate milestones
• Provide safe and structured environments through after-school programs and other safe spaces

“Ultimately, your leadership helps create an environment where young people feel guided and grounded,” she told the faith leaders present. “You are strengthening their well-being in meaningful and lasting ways.”

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Ezra Krumhansl, Director, IT Infrastructure, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation
Tamron Keith, Chief Financial Officer, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation 

Let us pray:

Dear God, we thank you for the witness community, who reveal to us that the most important thing we can do is be present for our neighbor in need, just as you are present for us in Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Help Applying for a World Communion Offering Grant

Resources to Help You Apply for a World Communion Offering Grant

You have until Jan. 15, 2027, to apply for a World Communion Offering grant. Any council of the church engaged in reconciliation work is eligible to apply. The following resources can help make the application process easier.

Grant FAQs This section answers common questions about the World Communion Offering grant. It covers everything from who can apply and how often to what documentation is needed to complete the application. Check out our Grant FAQs.

Visual Guide This step-by-step guide includes screenshots showing what to expect as you complete the application. Use it as a reference if you get stuck or have questions about the process. Download our visual guide.

Video Tutorial Watch this tutorial to see exactly how to apply for a grant in real time. Pause or rewind the video to see any steps you have questions about, or follow along as you complete the grant application. Watch the Video Tutorial.

Apply for a Grant

If you need additional help, contact Marla Edwards in the Grant Management Office at marla.edwards@pcusa.org or 502-569-5088.

Thank you for generously supporting the Churchwide Special offerings.  If you have any questions, reply to this email or call us at (800) 728-7228, Ext. 5047.

Christmas Joy Offering Resources for Children and All Ages

Christian Education Resources from the Christmas Joy Offering

The Christmas Joy Offering has resources for congregations of all sizes, including an intergenerational lesson plan, activities and lessons tailored to children of various ages.

Intergenerational Lesson Plan Use this lesson plan, based on Micah 6:8, for an intergenerational experience. It can be offered as a stand-alone event or incorporated into weekly congregational gatherings.

Download Intergenerational Lesson Plan

Activities for Children Use these activities when you have extra time at the end of Sunday school, children’s church or a small group session. You can also use them to create your own special one-time event for children.

Download Activities for Children

Younger Children Lesson Plan Use this lesson plan to introduce younger children to Micah 6:8 and the Christmas Joy Offering. It is geared for preschoolers and children in the lower elementary grades.

Download Younger Children Lesson Plan

Older Children Lesson Plan Engage older children with this lesson plan, designed for upper elementary and possibly some younger middle school students. Teach them about Micah 6:8 and the Christmas Joy Offering.

Download Older Children Lesson Plan

Thank you for generously supporting the Christmas Joy Offering. If you have any questions, reply to this email or call us at (800) 728-7228, Ext. 5047. Update your preferences for the latest information on the Christmas Joy Offering.