Thursday, August 21, 2025

Mission Yearbook: Worship focuses on ‘the fullness of God’

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Rev. Dr. Dave Davis and Rev. Stephanie Anthony
The Rev. Dr. Dave Davis and the Rev. Stephanie Anthony led worship Thursday at the Chapel in the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky (photo by Mike Ferguson)

Ahead of their recent joint meeting, members of the Presbyterian Church, A Corporation Board and the Unification Commission joined for a moving worship service in the Chapel at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville. The Rev. Stephanie Anthony of the A Corp Board and the Rev. Dr. Dave Davis of the UC led worship, with Phillip Morgan providing piano accompaniment.

For his meditation, Davis relied on Ephesians 3:14–21, Paul’s prayer for readers across the generations.

“This prayer ought to be a prayer for every family, every day,” Davis said, “as memorized, as deep within, as the Lord’s Prayer, as routine as the nighttime prayers offered at a child’s bedside, as common as the table grace passed on from generation to generation.”

“It really should be … a prayer we offer for one another, for ourselves, for our congregations, for the church, for the staff of our General Assembly, and yes, for all God’s people, that we might have the power, the means, the bandwidth to comprehend with all the children of God what is the breadth and length and height and depth, that we might have some inkling of what reaches from east to west, from the north to the south, that we might have some glimpse of that which is invisible, that we might have some sense of the weight that is beyond measure, that somehow we might see that the Lord is good every day, and to know the love of Christ.”

We can’t just know that love, Davis said. We have to feel it and live it.

“The love of Christ surpasses all knowledge, but for good’s sake — for God’s sake,” Davis said. “The love of Christ has everything to do with what we think, what we conclude, what we decide, what we teach our children, how we live, how we act and how we vote.”

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind’ — there’s no either/or here,” Davis said, including the thinking of the Rev. Dr. Peter Gomes in his sermon “Loving Minds and Thinking Hearts.” Gomes preached that to know love “is not an oxymoron,” Davis said. “It’s a prayer, actually, to know the love of Christ so that you and all might be filled with the fullness of God, which is to be filled with the love of Christ himself, which is to know the love of God, which surpasses all knowledge every day.”

“God can do more in us than we can ever dream about,” Davis said. “The fullness of God so fills us, the love of Christ so overwhelms us, the piercing light of Christ so shines on us, the matchless grace of God so washes over us, that God can use us, work with us, transform us in ways beyond what we can see. It’s not just a prayer. It’s not just praise — it’s a promise.”

Nine years ago, Davis used a sabbatical to minister to four tiny congregations on the Scottish island of Islay, home to 2,000 people, 20,000 sheep and 12 distilleries, he noted.

During worship, Davis found himself stumbling while leading the Lord’s Prayer, saying his cadence was out of sync. It came down to the petition, “thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven,” as Davis and most U.S. Presbyterians render it. The folks in the Church of Scotland put the pause elsewhere — “thy will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven.”

“One Sunday I just stayed silent,” Davis said. “That’s when I heard the difference.”

That change in cadence “brings some urgency, some expectation, some immediacy, a sense of right now, a timeliness that God has the power to work with us, through us, beyond us, despite us, to accomplish far more than we could ever ask for or imagine — now, every day, right now,” he said. “The love Christ offers comes with such fullness that hearts and souls and minds can be inspired and spark and change and guide and protect and calm now, all in service to making the world more like what God intends, now — even as the mind-numbing, soul-sucking powers and principalities of this present darkness rage.”

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Maura Weil, Archive Technician, Presbyterian Historical Society
Gina Yeager-Buckley, Manager, Youth & Triennium, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Interim Unified Agency

Let us pray:

Loving Jesus, lead us to the goodness of ourselves and others that is deeper than any gifts or challenges we embody. Open us to discover our full humanity through mutual depending and belonging. Amen.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Minute for Mission: Public Education

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Beechmont Presbyterian Church, Louisville, Kentucky
Beechmont Presbyterian Church in Louisville is home to La Escuelita Learning Hub. La Escuelita embodies what churches can do to support public education and child advocacy by providing homework help, enrichment activities, ESL support and therapy for over 30 children, and case management for families connecting them with educational, health and social services. (credit: La Escuelita)

Recently, a friend asked, “How did you become Presbyterian?” I shared that I joined a Presbyterian church at 17. I’d been invited to the church’s youth group by a newfound friend in my first year of high school. I thought that Presbyterian was a funny name for a church. At the time, the pastor (now one of my mentors) invited me to consider joining. Knowing I would have to explain all of this to my mother, I asked the pastor to “tell me, in one word, what Presbyterians are about.” His answer was swift and profound — “Alonzo, Presbyterians are about education.” Over 30 years later, as an ordained pastor working in the national ministries of this “church with a funny name,’’ I carry his words in my heart deeply and I am still empowered by them.

Presbyterians are about education, and education is about growth and empowerment. Support of public education is also an attestation of possibilities of growth and empowerment for all children. Jesus’ radical hospitality and his invitation to all children should remind us as people of faith, that all children are created in God’s image and included in God’s life. Supporting public education shows our commitment to living in God’s life by meeting the needs of all children. Access to quality education plays an integral role in building the fullness of life for which God created them. Recent attacks on public education threaten this fullness by impeding access to vast educational opportunities for children, especially those in vulnerable and marginalized communities (children are the most poverty-stricken group in the U.S.).

Here are four ways that we as Presbyterians can covenant to live into supporting and defending public education. You can find this education covenant in its entirety here: pcusa.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/EaC-Covenant.pdf.

  • Be involved in direct service. This means that we can create ministries and early childhood programs within our churches to address impediments to children’s academic, developmental and social needs. We can walk with families, listen to communities and invest in organizations and programs that meet the needs of young people and their families.
  • Create opportunities to engage in raising consciousness about these issues. Here, we become aware of the lack of access to education as one of the root causes of poverty. Effectively ending poverty in this country means that children must have the basic skills that will allow them to live lives of self-determination. Schools cannot accomplish this alone. It is also here that we can better familiarize ourselves with our historical commitment to education and commitment to advocacy and call to engage in justice and public life.
  • Engage in systemic change, which allows us to partake in a deeper engagement in advocacy and public witness. One quick way to do this is by signing up for Action Alerts from the Office of Public Witness. Attend school board, city council and campaign town hall meetings and advocate for legislation and safety net programs that benefit children and their families.                                                                                                                                                         
  • Practice Christian disciplines by including children, families, teachers, administrators, and all who work with children in the church’s worship and spiritual life. We should be intentional about connecting Scripture to what is happening in public life. We should integrate the concerns of educators, children and families in spiritual practices like prayer, worship and Bible study. Congregations can take up a collection for teachers to offset out-of-pocket school supply expenses.
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Lucy Craft
Lucy Craft Laney (Presbyterian Historical Society)

In Matthew’s Gospel, Christ warns against those who place “stumbling blocks” in the way of children (18:6). As people of faith, we are called to commit ourselves to the missional work of removing stumbling blocks from children and young people by supporting and defending public education. In doing so, I am inspired by Lucy Craft Laney (1854–1933), the pioneering Black Presbyterian educator and civil rights advocate who was born in slavery and in 1883 organized a school for Black children in the basement of Christ Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia. Fighting segregation, racial animus, terror and poverty, Laney believed that education was also integral to survival. Education equips all of us. Thriving communities (and democracies!) benefit from access to quality education. For many children in our country, access to public education is integral for their survival.

Here are some links that I believe you will find helpful in learning more about how you can be involved in the work of supporting public education and its intersectional issues.

Educate a Child website: pcusa.org/about-pcusa/agencies-entities/interim-unified-agency/ministry-areas/self-development-people/educate-child-transform-world

PC(USA) Policy on public education: pcusa.org/resource/loving-our-neighbors-equity-and-quality-public-education-k-12

PC(USA) Poverty Page: pcusa.org/how-we-serve/justice-peace/poverty

More on Lucy Craft Laney: pcusa.org/news-storytelling/blogs/historical-society-blog/lucy-craft-laney-and-haines-institute

Rev. Dr. Alonzo T. Johnson,  Manager of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self Development of People and Convener of the Education Roundtable

Let us join in prayer for:

Laura Wampler, Operations & Accounting Associate, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Sallie Watson, Associate Director, Mid Council Relations, Interim Unified Agency

Let us pray:

Holy God, teacher of all, show us how to have courage in removing stumbling blocks and taking care of the least of these. Loving God, teach us again the lessons Christ taught us in welcoming and caring for all children. Remind us in our sacraments that we are called to love, accept, provide, advocate, strengthen, protect and include all children. In Christ the teacher we pray. Amen. 

The Peace & Global Witness Offering video is here!

New Video — Pursue What Makes for Peace

Peacemaking is a core aspect of who we are in Christ

Peacemaking extends beyond the Scriptures we tell and the stories we share.
It’s in every interaction we have with one another. 

In this Season of Peace, we have created a short video you can show your congregation that shares interactions of active peacemaking to address injustice in many forms.

Paired with our other resources, this video can be a helpful tool to share the gospel of peacemaking!
 
Download the Video from Vimeo
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Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Mission Yearbook: Nobody could ever say that the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Reinink isn’t a “man of letters.”

And now he’s proven it on national television.

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Rev. Dr. Jon Reinink
The Rev. Dr. Jon Reinink, pastor of Irvington Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, appeared Wednesday on "Wheel of Fortune" (photo by Sony Pictures Television photographer Eric McCandless).

The pastor of Irvington Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis and man of letters — who holds degrees in mathematics, French, divinity, Christian education, organizational behavior and sacramental theology — recently pursued letters of a different kind as a contestant on “Wheel of Fortune.”

And although Reinink didn’t ultimately prevail, he said he had “a lot of fun” and was able to fulfill a childhood dream in the process.

A longtime fan of the popular game show, Reinink started watching “Wheel of Fortune” as a kindergartner in his native Canada.

“My sisters and I learned our letters by watching ‘Wheel of Fortune,’” he said, recalling his earliest memories of the hangman-inspired game show. “We all watched the show together as a family because it was on at 7 o’clock. Even though ‘Jeopardy!’ was on next, it was always too boring for us, and we never understood any of the questions anyway. Besides, at 7:30, it was already time for bed!”

Although Reinink’s life changed dramatically when he moved to the U.S. in 2010 to study at Princeton Theological Seminary, his love for game shows remained unchanged, with “Wheel of Fortune” continuing to top his “must-see TV” list.

Since being ordained as a teaching elder in 2014 by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, Reinink has served in variety of positions including pastorates in Pennsylvania and Missouri and a stint in the PC(USA)’s office of Special Offerings and the Presbyterian Giving Catalog.

It was while he was in between ministry calls that he decided to apply to be a contestant on “Wheel of Fortune.”

“Because I had six months off, I thought to myself, ‘Why don’t I just throw my name in there,’ and I was actually chosen to audition,” he said. “Then, after going through the whole interview process on Zoom back in October of 2023, I didn’t hear anything at all until March of this year, when they invited me to come to L.A. for a day!”

As he prepared for his big Hollywood adventure, nerves jangling, Reinink said that one aspect of “Wheel of Fortune” that he found to be helpful — even liberating — as he contemplated competing on national television was the element of luck.

“If you do terribly on the show, you can always chalk it up to luck,” he laughed. “I knew I couldn’t make too much of a fool of myself.”

Of the experience of being on the show itself, Reinink said he had “so much adrenaline pumping the entire day” that he barely remembers much, if anything, about what happened during the episode.

“I was in the spot closest to [host] Ryan [Seacrest] and I got to chat with [co-host] Vanna [White],” he said, “They’re very nice, very friendly. But honestly, I don’t remember a whole lot of the details except that I almost solved one of the puzzles and then I hit the ‘bankrupt’ wedge. To tell you the truth, I didn’t do all that well!”

But win or lose, Reinink’s church members are still his biggest fans.

“We canceled all of our church meetings on Wednesday night so that everyone could watch Pastor Jon,” said Lori Chapman, Irvington’s church administrator. “And it’s funny, because we’ve had two other church members, Joe Stuckey and Matt Harris, who were on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in the past year or two.”

Reinink said that all three of them had applied independently of one another.

“It’s not like it’s a club or something,” he said, “but it kind of is now.”

Since having come back down to earth after his whirlwind West Coast visit, the wheel-spinning pastor has only one further adventure planned: a trip to the United Kingdom to officiate at his cousin’s wedding.

“We’re also about to embark on a capital campaign at the church,” said Reinink. “I think I’ll give all my ‘Wheel of Fortune’ proceeds to that. After expenses, of course!”

Click here to watch a clip from the “Wheel of Fortune” episode. (The password is xD?ej!4VAqLj.)

Emily Enders Odom, Associate Director of Mission Communications, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Beth Waltemath, Communication Associate, Communications Ministry, Interim Unified Agency  
Judy Walton, Vice President, Lending Services, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program 

Let us pray:

Compassionate God, thank you for strong witnesses. Unify your body through genuine affection and mutual support so that all may know that we are Jesus’ disciples. Amen.

Monday, August 18, 2025

Mission Yearbook: Honoring the fallen and supporting the living

“One has indeed personally to come under the shadow of war to feel fully its oppression; but as the years go by it seems now often forgotten that to be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than to be involved in 1939 and the following years. By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.” — J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973)

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Chad Madden Unsplash
Photo by Chad Madden via Unsplash

This season is more than just a change on the calendar. It is a time to remember the people. It is time set aside to remember those who fell in the service of our country, and it is time set aside to care for those left behind: fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, friends and loved ones. Across the nation, many will take time out of their day to honor those who have fallen while fighting in the service of their country at places like Valley Forge, the trenches at Argonne, the hills of Cuba, the beaches at Normandy, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, in the streets of Mogadishu, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. For some, the remembrance is patriotic; for many others it is deeply personal.

The Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies has over 120 chaplains serving in the military and Veterans Administration hospitals. Many have either “personally come under the shadow of war and have fully felt its oppression” or are ministering within a broader community where that reality is an indelible part of their life journey. For chaplains, it is a time to share a prayer, offer a shoulder to cry on, to counsel, or to walk in silence, but never alone — and hopefully become an indelible support in a time of remembering. While some of us will never know or fully understand the sacrifices made when a father, mother, son or daughter is sent off to war, there are many who will, and they will need communities of care, support and compassion — and that is the church. That is why we take time to remember.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” — Proverbs 34:18.

The Rev. Dennis Hysom, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is executive director of Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies. Reach him at dhysom@presfedchap.org.

(Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Donald A. Walker, Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, Board of Pensions
Jacklyn Walker, Administrative Office Manager, Global Ecumenical Partnerships, Director’s Office, Interim Unified Agency 

Let us pray:

Eternal and living God, surely your goodness and your mercies have followed us all the days of our lives. Today we pause to remember that our blessings,  
liberties and rights have been secure at great sacrifice to others. Loving Lord, we ask you to console and strengthen those who mourn the loss of their loved ones. May this day be a time to remember the grief of our loss and turn our eyes forward seeking the fruit of your peace ahead. Amen.

Sunday, August 17, 2025

Minute for Mission: Young Adult Volunteers’ Commissioning

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2024-2025 YAVs at their commissioning service
The 2024–25 Young Adult Volunteers at their commissioning service in Douglas, Ariz.

The Sunday before I left for YAV orientation, my home church in Canton, Ohio, held a small commissioning for me at the end of worship. It was so special to be sent surrounded by those I know and love. At the time, I didn’t realize it would be the first of three commissioning services, but looking back, it feels like the perfect way to start a year, grounded in being sent by familiar faces.

On the last day of my YAV orientation, the 2024–2025 class of Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) gathered for a commissioning service at a small church in Douglas, Arizona, making this my second commissioning in just a few days. The congregation was small, but their love was huge. They welcomed our group, which may have been bigger than the congregation itself, with warmth, open arms and deep care. Our commissioning was such a holy and heartfelt sendoff. It was the last time we would all be together before being sent across the world to begin our year of service.

A few months later, I found myself being commissioned again, this time in New York City, where I served my YAV year. At first, it felt a little strange to repeat a ritual I had already done twice, but as I stood in Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, surrounded by a supportive congregation of those I had yet to meet, I realized how sacred this moment was, too. The Rev. Emily Brewer, a YAV alum, member of the NYC YAV Board, and a constant light through the course of my YAV year, led the commissioning with love, prayer and a deep understanding of what this year asks of us.

At that moment, it hit me: The commissioning never really ends. It wasn’t just a one-time blessing; it’s something we live daily. Each day we showed up in our sites, in our communities and in our justice work, we were living out the Great Commission. We are constantly being sent. Being commissioned three times wasn’t redundant; it was grace. It was a beautiful reminder that even when we feel far from the start of the journey, God’s sending spirit meets us again, exactly when we need it.

Isabella Ramos, Young Adult Volunteer, Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, Interim Unified Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

David Votta, Housekeeper, Stony Point Center, Interim Unified Agency
Michael Wade, Production Supervisor, Hubbard Press   

Let us pray:

God of the traveler, thank you for sending us, again and again, through familiar doors and into unknown places. Remind us that each day is a new commissioning, a new chance to live with love, courage and purpose. Go with us as we serve, listen and grow. Amen.

Friday, August 15, 2025

Mission Yearbook: Three decades of calling: Presbyterian College honors Celtic Cross legacy

Presbyterian College celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Celtic Cross program this spring with a heartfelt luncheon during the “Thriving in Ministry” conference, honoring the transformative church leadership program that has shaped generations of students pursuing both professional and lay ministry.

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Celtic Cross celebrants
Presbyterian College graduates who benefited from the Celtic Cross program gathered this spring to celebrate its 30th anniversary (photo courtesy of Clinton College)

Held as part of PC’s Ecology of Calling Initiative, supported by a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, the event brought together alumni, students, mentors and the program’s founder, the Rev. Dr. Bob Smith, to reflect on the legacy and future of a program that has left an indelible mark on the church and the college alike.

Smith, a 1961 graduate of the college and the retired director of church relations, founded the Celtic Cross program in 1994 to address a growing need: keeping students connected to the church during their college years.

“I spent my whole career working with young people, except for the years I was in Congo,” Smith said. “And I saw these kids coming here, coming out of programs like I directed. I thought, we need to have something to continue the relationship, because most kids drop out of the church during college years.”

With help from students and support from faculty and staff, Smith created an experience that paired students with mentor pastors and congregations. The program also provided opportunities for worship leadership, mission trips and participation in national church gatherings including the General Assembly.

“It really is great,” Smith said, looking around the luncheon at alumni he worked with years ago. “They’re the reason I did it. This was just an opportunity to extend those relationships.”

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Rev. Dr. Bob Smith Celtic Cross
The Rev. Dr. Bob Smith, retired director of church relations at Presbyterian College, chats with one of his former students during a luncheon celebrating the Celtic Cross program (photo courtesy of Presbyterian College)

By conservative estimates, more than 300 students have participated in Celtic Cross over the past three decades. Roughly a third have pursued professional ministry as pastors, chaplains, missionaries or church staff members.

“We celebrate that with pride and joy,” said the Rev. Dr. Buz Wilcoxon ’05, the college’s Lassiter Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life. “But we also celebrate that about two-thirds are regular people who are also wonderful leaders of the church — elders, deacons, volunteers, and faith-informed leaders in their lives.”

For Wilcoxon, the program proved life-changing on multiple fronts.

“When I was trying to figure out what school to go to, Celtic Cross and Student Volunteer Services were the two programs that tipped the scales and told me that PC was the right place,” he said.

At one of the first events held during freshman orientation — a Celtic Cross-sponsored ice cream social in the fellowship hall at First Presbyterian Church of Clinton, Wilcoxon met his future wife. As a participant in the Celtic Cross program, Wilcoxon was also mentored by the Rev. Allen McSween at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Greenville, where he served during his first call to ministry as associate pastor.

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Celtic Cross folks talk
Over the past three decades, at least 300 students have participated in the Celtic Cross program at Presbyterian College (photo courtesy of Presbyterian College)

“I’ve said for a long time, Celtic Cross gave me a PC education, my call and my first job, and the love of my life,” he said. “So, I am eternally grateful for this program, for Dr. Bob’s vision in founding it.”

Dr. Peter Hobbie, professor emeritus of religion, was one of the program’s most influential mentors. His name came up frequently during the luncheon.

“It’s really not about me, though,” Hobbie said. “I think it’s the institution and what it’s always stood for. I’m hoping it will be here a long time.”

The Rev. Joe Evans ’02, now senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, Georgia, echoed that sentiment.

“I am confident that I would not be a Presbyterian minister at all were it not for my participation in Celtic Cross and the influence of Peter Hobbie,” Evans said.

As the luncheon concluded, the recurring theme was clear: Celtic Cross didn’t just prepare students for ministry. It built lasting relationships, provided spiritual grounding, and shaped lives in ways no one could have predicted — especially its founder.

When asked if he envisioned a program that would last for decades, Smith chuckled and replied, “Never in a million years.”

And yet, because of a vision born out of love for young people and the church, hundreds of lives have been touched — each one bearing the mark of a Celtic Cross.

Presbyterian College, Special to Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Tina Valdes, Customer Service Representative, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Miguel Vargas, Building Manager, Presbyterian Historical Society 

Let us pray:

Gracious God, we give thanks for moments when we can see the work we do in your name. We are grateful that new life can arise from loss and possibility from disaster. We give thanks for those who give of themselves so that others might have hope. Amen.

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Mission Yearbook: Gifts of older adults are celebrated

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Teal graphic saying "Older Adult Ministries in May" POAMN logo

The Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN) took the month of May to honor the sacred time of older adulthood.

Beginning with the official special emphasis Sunday on the first Sabbath day of the month, churches and ministries around the country celebrated the unique contributions of older adults in creative and enlightening ways. As this special emphasis day always falls sometime in Eastertide, what better way to bear witness to the power of resurrection than to celebrate those who have been faithful disciples decade after decade, following God’s will for their lives with resilience and through reinvention.

In a recent newsletter, POAMN shared photos and links of congregations throughout the PC(USA) honoring older adults in their community through special activities and liturgies found in the 2025 Older Adult Ministry Resource Guide

On April 24, the Older Adult Ministry of the Presbytery of the James in Virginia debuted a “self-paced virtual conference featuring local subject matter experts” with three presentations to help congregations celebrate older adults.

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Graphic for Presbytery of St James using light teal font and watercolored background
The Presbytery of the James

Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tiburon, California, held an event on April 27 to dispel the myths of growing older. The event featured local aging experts and included an information fair.

Opequon Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia, held its Older Adult Sunday worship on May 4 with singing by the “Young at Heart” choir. Celebrations continued with the monthly Happy Days gathering of its older adult group and a special luncheon at the end of the month to announce the Older Adult of the Year.

The Older Adult Sunday worship at First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo, California, featured older adults sharing stories of when God called them. 

On May 4, Seven Mile United Presbyterian Church in Ohio honored six older adults, calling them “mighty prayer warriors [who are] committed to their faith and the work of the church.”

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Tucker, Georgia, also celebrated older adults on May 4. The church recently started monthly discussion and support sessions for older adults and caregivers to facilitate conversations about the challenges of an aging body, brain and lifestyle.

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Choir of Opequon Presbyterian Church in blonde wood pews.
Photo contributed by Obequon Presbyterian Church in Virginia. 

Just as Eastertide is not the only time of year that Christians celebrate the power of resurrection, honoring older adults is not confined to worship or timebound events. To mark the occasion of their first Older Adult Sunday, Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, featured a printed collection of Montview memories shared by members who are 75 and older. The document recognized the remarkable history of the church and the important contributions that older adults made to the church community.

Every year, POAMN publishes updated resource guides on its website with suggestions on how to honor older adults in your congregations and nourish their spiritual lives and gifts.

POAMN is a partner of the Interim Unified Agency through the Office of Christian Formation.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Mel Tubb, Mission Coordinator I, Advocacy Support, Executive Director’s Office, Interim Unified Agency
Mienda Uriarte, Interim Deputy Executive Director, Global Ecumenical Partnerships, Interim Unified Agency 

Let us pray:

Loving God, we give thanks for the wisdom, grace and steadfast faith of our older adults. Bless them with joy, strength and the assurance of your presence each day. May their lives continue to inspire and guide us in love and service. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Worship focuses on ‘the fullness of God’

Image The Rev. Dr. Dave Davis and the Rev. Stephanie Anthony led worship Thursday at the Chapel in the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Ke...