Mission Yearbook: Alaska Native congregations’ challenges are discussed in online program

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The Rev. CeCe Armstrong and the Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderators of the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), traveled to Alaska earlier this year. (Photo by Rich Copley)

A recent episode of the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s Solidarity Hour provided insight into the unique challenges and cultural richness of the Alaska Native communities that are part of the Presbytery of Yukon.

The episode featured the Rev. CeCe Armstrong and the Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderators of the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), who reflected on a fall 2025 trip to Alaska that also included fellow webinar guest the Rev. Irvin Porter, a U.S. Global Ecumenical Liaison for Native American Congregational Support for the Interim Unified Agency of the PC(USA).

The Rev. Elizabeth Schultz, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Yukon, also spoke during the Solidarity Hour, an online series by PHP’s Global Solidarity Collective that helps Presbyterians learn about and be in solidarity with communities affected by colonialism and systemic oppression. 

“It's a monthly space for U.S.-based Presbyterians to learn, reflect and take action together toward healing the ongoing harms of the Doctrine of Discovery,” Eileen Schuhmann, associate for global engagement and resources for PHP, explained during the program. 

Viewers got a chance to hear about the October trip, which included visiting multiple churches, such as  Utqiaġvik Presbyterian Church, and meeting many people of faith.

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U.S. Global Ecumenical Liaison Cindy Corell hosted the webinar. (Screen capture)

“I come home from that experience with abiding gratitude for the hospitality, with a huge appreciation for the vastness of the space of Yukon Presbytery that is a presbytery unlike any of our others,” Larson said. 

The trip also provided insights into the ways that common Christian practices and terms, such as elder, don’t always mesh well with Indigenous traditions, and revealed  “how we show up as a church and how we partner and how we do solidarity work,” Larson said.

Larson noted that some of the struggles that Alaska Natives have endured are similar to those suffered by Indigenous people in other parts of the country. Some of those common threads include families that have experienced the negative impacts of boarding schools or efforts to separate them from their native languages.

Although many of the churches in Yukon presbytery are small, they are vital to their communities, Schultz said. 

“These churches are the hubs of these communities,” she said. “Even when they are in some state of disrepair, they are still the place where everybody gathers for a funeral, or a significant religious event, throughout the year.”

However, efforts by the greater church to decolonize mission have left voids, and there are day-to-day struggles, Schultz explained.

For example, in these communities of 200 to 300 people, “we don't have young families going sometimes,” and there can be “intergenerational trauma and the reality of addiction and social struggle in these communities,” she said.

Many people still hunt for their food, and “it does not work to overlay Presbyterianism” by saying that “a church needs to have Sunday morning worship services, and you need to have a session of eight elders,” she said, and “mission pastors are no longer coming.”

Schultz also noted that several factors, including the sheer vastness of the Yukon presbytery, can make ordinary things like having a once-a-year, in-person presbytery meeting difficult.

“We welcome in and try to fly in all of our … Alaska Native members, so that they continue to stay connected and be a part of our family,” she said.

However, it can cost $1,400 to travel from a distant community, weather can be problematic, and even meeting online can be a struggle, she noted.

“In Alaska, the communities don't have internet service that's consistent, so sometimes their Zoom works, sometimes it doesn't,” she said. 

Porter shared about his work, noting that he started with the PC(USA) in June 2013 to provide support for Native American congregations. Since 2001, he’s also been a part-time pastor of Church of the Indian Fellowship in Tacoma, Washington. 

In his work for the PC(USA), he works with 98 Native American congregations throughout the country, including Alaska, doing training workshops for leaders, such as elders, deacons and clerks of session, and being the primary contact for scholarships and other grants.

He also discussed the Native American Church Property Fund and how it has helped to repair buildings that are more than 100 years old in some cases.

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Yvette Russell, Vice President, Customer Engagement, The Board of Pensions
Alicia Samuels, VP of eCommerce & Marketing, Electronic Resources & Strategic Business Development, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Let us pray:

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of seeing the transformation in our community and in our own hearts as we walk out your love in a different way. We praise you, God, for giving us your second great commandment — to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.

WCC NEWS: Rev. Kevin Keegan reflects on sharing the Living Gospel in a fractured world

Rev. Kevin Keegan is the Asia-Pacific regional director for MegaVoice, which specializes in distributing solar-powered audio Bibles to remote and marginalized communities. Photo: MegaVoice 14 July 2026 Would you share with us some barriers people face in trying to access life-giving message?  Rev. Keegan: Throughout Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world, I have encountered many barriers that prevent people from accessing God’s life-giving messages through His Word. Some barriers are related to literacy. Globally, more than 750 million adults have low or no literacy, making printed Scripture inaccessible for many.  For example, in remote mountain communities in the Philippines, I met Indigenous church leaders who could not read a Bible, yet through oral Scripture and audio engagement they had memorised large portions of God’s Word and were planting churches among their own people. Other barriers are physical. I have met blind believers who first encountered Scripture through audio Bibles and who now serve as preachers, teachers, and leaders in church plants among blind communities. Without audio access, they would have remained dependent on others to access Scripture for them. Once in Indonesia I spent time with people affected by leprosy, where loss of sensation in the fingers made it difficult to hold or turn pages of a printed Bible. Yet I watched them confidently use audio Scripture devices, returning repeatedly to passages that brought comfort, strength, and hope. In Vietnam I witnessed barriers of hearing. Deaf communities remain among the most underserved globally. Through MegaVoice Visual Bibles in sign languages, Scripture becomes accessible in a fully visual form, allowing people to receive God’s Word in the language of identity and belonging – and allows them to communicate together. A personal example from closer to my home is the major barrier of ageing. In both remote regions and developed nations, many elderly people struggle with failing eyesight, reduced mobility, or dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. I have witnessed people become calmer and more settled when listening to familiar Scriptures and hymns. Anxiety often eases, agitation reduces, and moments of recognition return—sometimes expressed through singing, tears, or quiet joy. There are also barriers of language and culture. In the Indigenous tribal mountain regions of South-East Asia, I have heard repeated testimonies of people weeping when Scripture was first heard in their mother tongue—their heart language. They said it felt as though God was speaking directly to them, that He knew them now. Then there are barriers of geography, poverty, persecution, conflict, and even technology. More than 700 million people still lack electricity, and over 2 billion people remain without reliable internet or mobile data. While digital mission tools are expanding, vast numbers are still excluded. All these people are not unreached because God is silent. They are unreached because access is broken. MegaVoice exists to help overcome these barriers so that the Good News can be truly received.   Would you share example of a solution that offers access?  Rev. Keegan: One powerful example of overcoming barriers to God’s Word, and the transformation it can bring, comes from Indigenous ministry among the Higaonon people in Northern Mindanao. Local ministers recognised that most adults had little or no formal education, making text-based discipleship ineffective. Rather than importing external models, they leaned into what was already embedded in the culture: oral storytelling. Together, partners, church-planting pastors, Indigenous leaders, and we at MegaVoice, listened carefully, prayed together, and worked side-by-side to understand how Scripture was already being communicated in these communities. Rather than arriving with a finished solution, we sought to discern what God was already doing among them. Out of this shared journey, an approach emerged based on Bible storytelling and audio Scripture in heart languages. People listen, retell, discuss, and reflect together—learning in ways that are natural to their culture and deeply rooted in their everyday life. The results have been significant: new churches have formed, Indigenous leaders have emerged, and Scripture is being carried within communities that were once considered hard to reach or unreached. MegaVoice supports this work through simple, durable, solar-powered audio Scripture devices designed for places where literacy, electricity, and connectivity are limited. That same commitment extends into prisons, refugee settlements, disaster zones, and trauma-affected communities, where access to Scripture is often fragile or entirely absent. In such contexts, audio Scripture devices often become more than a source of teaching; they become companions of hope and healing—carrying Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and sometimes even counselling and trauma support content that helps people process grief, displacement, and fear. In these places, the Word of God is not abstract. It becomes survival, dignity, and presence. The deeper shift, however, is this: Scripture is not something simply delivered to people —it is something they receive, live, and pass on as their own.   Please describe the transformation that happens when the spoken word becomes the language of the heart. Rev. Keegan: Our first experience of the world is oral. We hear before we read. We learn through voice, rhythm, story, and relationship. Language enters us first through sound and presence. This is why heart language matters so deeply. It is the language of memory, identity, and belonging. When Scripture is heard in that language, it is no longer distant or formal—it feels like home. But this is not only true for Indigenous communities. Even in highly literate societies, we recognise this experience. When we hear our own language—or even the accent of home—while far away, something in us responds immediately. We feel grounded. We feel known. Oral Scripture works in the same way. It reaches memory, imagination, and emotion. It allows Scripture not only to be studied, but to be encountered as a living voice. In this sense, oral engagement is not a lesser form for some people. It is a gift that can speak to all of us and, in a particular way, a gift often most clearly recognised among the poor. God’s concern for the marginalised, the poor, and the oppressed is seen throughout Scripture.  The Gospel consistently moves toward those on the edges—those who are overlooked, excluded, or left behind, speaking in their language to their hearts. Photo: MegaVoice How has technology transformed access?  Rev. Keegan: Technology has transformed access to Scripture in extraordinary ways. Digital apps, streaming platforms, translation tools, teaching resources, and music now enable billions of people to learn, worship, and grow in faith. For many, these tools are a great blessing. But more than 2 billion people still do not have access to reliable mobile data or the internet, and over 700 million live without electricity. Large parts of the world remain outside digital-first mission strategies. This is why so-called “older technologies” such as solar-powered audio Bibles remain essential. Advances in solar charging, battery life, and durability have made these devices smaller, stronger, and more reliable than ever. Even in wealthier nations, exclusion still exists. Many elderly people struggle with smartphones, apps, and fast-changing technology. Others are excluded by disability, cognitive decline, or digital complexity. While digital tools expand reach, they cannot be the only approach. MegaVoice seeks to hold both realities together so that no one is left behind—whether they are online or offline, connected or disconnected, digitally fluent or simply needing something simple and accessible to hear God’s Word. However, while technology is a wonderful servant, it is a poor master. The goal is never the app, platform, or device. The goal is people encountering the living Word of God. The church is called to use all available means so that Scripture is truly accessible to all people.    What is your hope for a world in which all people can encounter God’s word? Rev. Keegan: My hope is shaped by Jesus’ words in John 10:10b — “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This fullness of life is not only spiritual abundance in an abstract sense. It is also about justice, freedom, dignity, and the removal of barriers that prevent people from encountering truth. When people are excluded from God’s Word because of literacy, disability, language, poverty, geography, or age, they are also excluded from the fullness of understanding, belonging, and hope that Scripture brings. I long for a world where every person can encounter God’s Word without barriers. A world where blind believers hear Scripture and become teachers. Where deaf communities receive God’s Word in their own visual language. Where Indigenous communities hear Scripture in their heart language and know they are seen, known, and valued. Where elderly people rediscover peace through familiar hymns and Scripture that calm fear and awaken memory. Where those in prisons, refugee camps, and disaster zones receive hope, dignity, strength and peace through the living Word of God spoken into their suffering. In all of these contexts, the Gospel is not only heard—it is understood, received, and lived. And in that receiving, something of God’s justice becomes visible: that no human being is ever intended to be outside the reach of His voice.   Would you like to share a final story? Rev. Keegan: Along this journey, I have witnessed many remarkable stories, but some moments stay with me long after they have passed. Recently, in a remote community, a woman shared a story through tears. Her elderly father had never learned to read and, for most of his life, had shown little interest in faith. She loved him deeply and prayed for him often, but she struggled to know how to reach him. One day, she left her audio Bible playing quietly in their home, speaking God's Word in his own heart language. At first, he paid little attention. But the words continued to fill the room. Over time, he began to listen.Then he began to listen more carefully. What started as background sound became something deeply personal. The Scriptures seemed to speak directly into his circumstances, his questions, and his heart. With emotion in her voice, she told me, “Now he listens every day.” She does not yet know where his faith journey will ultimately lead. But she knows this: he is no longer distant. The God she loves and trusts is drawing him closer, one listening moment at a time. In that simple home, Scripture became far more than information. It became an encounter. My hope is simple—that every person, everywhere, would have the opportunity to encounter the living Word of God in a way they can receive, understand, and carry with them. Because when God's Word is truly heard and understood, it becomes more than a message. It becomes hope. It becomes relationship. It becomes home.   Learn more about MegaVoice See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Mission Yearbook: PC(USA) helps Sri Lankan church through crises

When Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on Nov. 28, killing at least 474 people and leaving hundreds missing, two of the three congregations in the Presbytery of Lanka found themselves vulnerable. The Presbyterian churches in Colombo and Kandy —  both in the hardest-hit districts — now face yet another crisis in a country already struggling under the weight of economic collapse, political instability and the lingering effects of a 30-year civil war. 

For the Rev. Saman Perera, moderator of one of Sri Lanka’s smallest denominations and pastor of Scots’ Kirk in Kandy, the cyclone underscores why partnerships with churches like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) matter more than ever: “We very much value and appreciate the ways that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have partnered with us over the last year,” Perera said during an interview at the World Communion of Reformed Churches General Council in October.

Video URL: https://vimeo.com/1139494540?fl=pl&fe=sh

Those partnerships have proved critical as Sri Lanka has lurched from crisis to crisis. The World Bank declared the nation bankrupt in 2022, and the country now operates under International Monetary Fund restructuring requirements that have driven up costs for basic necessities. 

“There are a lot of taxes imposed in various things,” Perera said. “The water bills, electricity bills are highly increased. This affects a lot of our poor community.”

Video URL: https://vimeo.com/1139494572?fl=pl&fe=sh

The human cost is visible in Perera's congregations. Senior members struggle to afford prescribed medications. Families need help with school expenses. Some parishioners cannot afford bus fare to Sunday worship. “As a pastor, when I look at my church, I see a lot of people who struggle,” he said. “As a church, we need to move with our community. We need to look after them properly.” 

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Chimanda feeds livestock he received through the Climate Resilient Food Security program of the Presbytery of Lanka in partnership with the PC(USA) Global Ecumenical Partnerships. (Contributed Photo)

A year ago, the Presbytery of Lanka received a grant from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for its Climate Resilient Food Security Support for Rural Poor project. The grant, secured through collaboration between Perera and the Rev. Cathy Chang, one of three Global Ecumenical Liaisons supporting Asia and the Pacific, has over the course of 2025 assisted 60 families in 10 locations across Sri Lanka with home gardening, livestock and livelihood development supplies.

Chang expressed gratitude for the ongoing activities of the Presbyterian Hunger Program and this past year’s climate-resilient food security project through Global Ecumenical Partnerships, calling them demonstrations of “our collective impact of improving the lives of Sri Lankans.” 

The Presbytery of Lanka celebrated its 180th anniversary in 2025, tracing its origins to 1845, when Scottish missionaries established a church in Kandy. Unlike other denominations focused on evangelism, the Church of Scotland initially functioned primarily as a chaplaincy service for Scottish planters who came to Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then known, during British colonial rule. In 1954, the congregations in Colombo and Kandy formed the Presbytery of Lanka, creating a distinctly Sri Lankan Presbyterian identity with its own local leadership. 

Only after the 1970s did local Sri Lankans join in significant numbers, transforming the church’s mission and identity. The Presbytery of Lanka participates in wider ecumenical relationships through the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. 

Today, with only three established congregations, Perera finds the church’s size makes global connections essential rather than optional. 

"We feel a little bit isolated because we are not part of a closely connected partner church,” Perera said, noting how Methodist and Anglican churches in Sri Lanka benefit from wider world communions and international identities. “More than that, always we appreciate if we could have somebody with whom to just relate and to discuss our issues. Those are very important in our context.” 

The value of such partnerships became especially clear last fall during Perera’s time at the WCRC General Council in Thailand — the first such gathering in several years following pandemic-related postponements. Nearly 10 days of deep conversation with Reformed Christians from around the world provided both motivation and direction.

Video URL: https://vimeo.com/1139494592?fl=pl&fe=sh

“It gives us a kind of motivation and direction for the next seven years,” he said. “It will enhance what we are doing in our own context. It will help us to frame the work that we are already doing.” 

Videographer Randy Hobson contributed to this report.

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Jashalund Royston, Research Associate, Research Services, Administrative Services Group
Carol Rusciano, Foundation Trust Officer, Operations, The Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Holy Spirit, you bring us life both as we receive Christ’s love and as we give it to a world that needs it so desperately. May others see Jesus in us, and may we see God’s face in the faces of those we seek to serve! In the strong name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Rural community in Haiti gets clean water thanks to PDA collaboration

In the heart of Meyer, Haiti, a rural community just 10 kilometers east of Jacmel, a new wave of hope is on the horizon.

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A collaboration between Living Waters for the World and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has produced a source of safe drinking water in Meyer, Haiti (Photo courtesy of Living Waters for the World).

Thanks to a transformative collaboration between Living Waters for the World Haiti and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Meyer has received a water purification system that promises to bring health, dignity and relief to families who have struggled far too long without reliable access to clean water.

Among the many voices celebrating this change is Father Guy Bellange, leader of the local parish, who has personally experienced the hardships caused by the lack of clean water.

“I don’t like purifying water with chemicals,” he said. Instead, Bellange had been traveling into the city of Jacmel to fill containers with what treated water he could find.

This routine, which is time-consuming and physically demanding, has now come to an end with the installation of the Living Waters for the World purification system. Bellange is not only grateful for the system — he’s also committed to its success. He has pledged to assist with its maintenance, understanding that clean water is not just a convenience but a necessity for community well-being.

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Potable water is now close at hand in Meyer, Haiti (Photo courtesy of Living Waters for the World).

Nurse Monia Jean, who leads health education for Living Waters for the World Haiti, said, “A local mother shared with me how difficult it has been to provide safe water for her children. Families like hers have had to walk long distances or spend money on chemicals to ensure safe drinking water. Now, they have reliable access to clean, affordable and sustainable water right in their neighborhood.”

For this mother in Meyer, the new system means peace of mind. It means no longer worrying about whether water will make her family sick. And most importantly, it means hope — hope that her children will grow up strong, healthy and with every opportunity to thrive.

As Bellange embraces the system and prepares to serve in a new way, his message is clear: “When clean water flows, so does hope, dignity and the promise of a better future.”

A new Living Waters for the World water system is now installed in the community of Meyer, Haiti, in partnership with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. The system, installed solely by Haitians, is located at a very large Catholic church. The church has more than 1,000 parishioners and also operates a school on site. Upon dedication of the system on June 1, 2025, clean water is now being provided to the school children, the church community, and the Meyer community at large. The church and the people of this community have been in severe need of clean water for many years and have shown great interest in the new water system. More than 300 enthusiastic people attended the dedication celebration.

Living Waters for the World (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Samuel Putt, Summer Fellow, Office of Public Witness – Washington, Presbyterian Life & Witness
Chloe Snyder, Summer Fellow, Office of Public Witness – Washington, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us pray:

God of mercy, we are privileged to be called to join Christ in the world as we seek to do ministries of justice and kindness and to bring glory to your name. Give us the courage to act boldly and let all that we do be conducted in a spirit of humility and love. In Christ’s name. Amen.

World Communion Offering Grant Update - New Information

World Communion Offering Grant Information If you are a council of the church (session, presbytery, or synod) doing reconciliation ministry around racial justice, gender justice, peacemaking, global witness or eccumenical/innerfaith relations may apply for a grant, even if you don’t receive the World Communion Offering.

Grant Timeline Applications open: September 7, 2026 Application close: January 15, 2027 Award notification: March 2027

Grant Applications Applications will use the PC(USA) grant management system and should take about 15 minutes to complete if you have the required documentation. Read the list of required documentation in the FAQs on our website. You will need to create a username and password to access the PC(USA)’s grant management system to apply. More informaiton about the application process will follow.

Grant Awards Grant recipients will be eligible to receive $500-$1000 and will be notified in March 2027. All grant funds, once received, are expected to be used within the next 12 months.

Where to learn more about the World Communion Offering Grants Make sure you update your preferences and check the box labeled World Communion Offering grants to receive the most up-to-date information and resources regarding the grants.

Read our Grant FAQs

If you were forwarded this email and want to stay in the loop on the World Communion Offering grants Sign up for the Special Offerings email list and make sure you check the box labled World Communion Offering grants.

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

Mission Yearbook: A holistic approach to faith and money is discussed at workshop

Grace Duddy Pomroy had never heard the word “stewardship” before coming to Luther Seminary. But as her mother dropped her off, she told her she was no longer paying Grace’s bills. Grace quickly sought work on the campus and found her future at the Stewardship Leaders Program at Luther Seminary.

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Grace Pomroy speaks during a Stewardship Kaleidoscope workshop (Photo by Gregg Brekke).

Pomroy, now the program’s director, conducted an interactive workshop at the Stewardship Kaleidoscope Conference in New Orleans. The workshop, titled “Faith & Money: Expanding the Conversation,” sought new insights from Bible stories that typically make pastors “itchy” when preaching on stewardship. She said that she intended the workshop, which was a hybrid of in-person and online participants, to “speak more to the heart than to the head.”

Pomroy’s approach was influenced by a six-month experiment called the Faith and Money Learning Lab. She worked with a group of lay leaders and pastors who were interested in using money faithfully in every area of life, not just the part set aside for the church. Together, they wondered, “Do we care about how our values influence all the ways we use money?” and “Does God care about how we use the percentage of money we don’t give to charity and/or church?”

From this lab, Pomroy developed a set of spiritual practices that the other leaders used in their congregations in various contexts. They then offered their stories of what worked and what did not, refining the practices.

After telling the story of the workshop’s inspiration, she led the participants in a meditation, asking them “What does God’s love sound like?” She asked the same question using the other senses. One participant said, “being around Lake Michigan and hearing the waves and feeling the water.” Another admitted, “I had a super weird taste come to mind. I did not grow up in church, but there was a woman who always gave lollipops at my grandma’s church. We called her the Lollipop Lady.”

Next, a participant read Mark 10:17–27, the story of the rich young ruler, from The Message. Pomroy then led a meditation called “I wonder I notice” in which she read the text a second time and invited people to interrupt her reading with questions about what they wondered and noticed. Responses included:

“I wonder what ‘eternal’ means.”

“I wonder how old (the ruler) is.”

“I wonder if he (the ruler) was lying.”

Pomroy admitted that “I used to be more judgmental of the rich young ruler, but I now identify more with his situation as one who likes to check all the boxes and ask, ‘Did I do this well enough?’”

Next, Pomroy shared some of what she and her colleagues learned at the Faith and Money Lab:

• The Bible speaks for itself — a spiritual practice can’t prepare us to hear what God has to say to us through Scripture.
• They should help listeners hear the story in a new way — for example, by engaging the senses.
• Lean into stories — the text itself as well as the stories of those in the room. Both have a lot to teach us.
• Ground rules matter, such as the importance of confidentiality and giving “permission to try” new things.
• Invite congregants and other partners to take actions and be accountable.

Pomroy then introduced one of the New Testament’s most famous stories: Zaccheaus, the tax collector of Jericho, from Luke 19:1–10. She asked, “What do you think of first when you hear this name?” As most of the workshop’s participants hailed from a North American context, they mostly responded with the song “Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man” that was very popular at one time.

Pomroy wrapped up the workshop by reminding those present that they might use these practices in many aspects of church life: sermons, offering, Bible studies, small groups and team meetings. As people gathered their things, they continued to wonder and reflect on the workshop’s ideas. It was clear that a “faith and money” conversation transcends the boundaries of church life, and Pomroy inspired many to take that message back home.

Those who are interested in learning more about these faith and money practices can do so in this article and this online course.

The Rev. Jody Mask for the Presbyterian Foundationx Press (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Brianna Pennington, Summer Fellow, Office of Public Witness – Washington, Presbyterian Life & Witness
Henry Royal, Summer Fellow, Office of Public Witness – Washington, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us pray:

God our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and friend: Through Christ you demonstrate, in fullness, the depth of your love. May we reflect his compassion, which permeated all his actions, as we serve. Amen.