The Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis, Co-Moderator of the 225th General Assembly (2022), gathered with a group of young adult delegates and young adult volunteers (YAVs) at the close of the second day of the 67th Commission on the Status Women Tuesday to share stories and experiences as young adults in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It was an open space with frank and vulnerable discussions, so the names of the young adults are not included in this report to respect them and their voices.
The pandemic taught the Rev. Rachel Penmore to pay closer attention to “the smaller pieces” of campus ministry.
“What makes me come alive is when people feel known, when I’m interacting with students or other folks and they feel seen and heard and known,” said Penmore, the director of campus ministry at UKirk at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Penmore was a recent guest of the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty, senior director for Theological Education Funds Development for the Committee on Theological Education of the PC(USA) and the Presbyterian Foundation, during his “Leading Theologically” broadcast, which can be seen here.
“We plan and God laughs” is identified as a Yiddish proverb, the title of a book or two and the headline of multiple online articles meant to help people navigate periods in life when personal plans seem to disintegrate in front of their eyes. When we hear or read the proverb, it can be difficult not to nod along, especially when the phrase encapsulates something most of us have experienced: a perfect resume or proposal sent, but no word back; a flawless itinerary dissolved by the smallest delay; an event set to begin, upended by a storm; a setback or an entirely “new normal.”
Following the recent 2022 College Conference at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina, Anisha Hackney said she learned as much, if not more, than the young adults attending her “Minding the Gap: Living and Working with Different Cultures” workshop.
Who have been your most influential teachers? All types of teachers — at school, at church, at work and in families — help shape who we become. We are grateful for all our teachers.
The Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” avant-garde film wasn’t well-received back in 1967. But its iconic status and concept proved stunningly successful in the middle of a pandemic.
The men were taken first, and then the women and children were brutalized. Witnesses saw the Euphrates run with blood, and women plunged into the river to escape the terrors of the desert march.
The Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium, in coordination with its ecumenical partners, is announcing a 2021 Lent and Easter daily devotion series titled “Journey to the Cross.” Available through a phone app (d365 daily devotionals) and website, d365.org, it was created for youth, young adults, and anyone interested in practicing prayer and daily biblical reading and reflection.
Take a minute to look back on your life. Who all have you lived with? In the earliest parts of our lives, we might live with parents or grandparents or other caring adults. Perhaps siblings. Over the years, we might live with friends and extended family, family of choice or even sometimes with strangers. And sometimes we might find ourselves living alone.
