The Muhammad Ali Center and Flyaway Books will co-host “Believing in a Better World: Talking with Children about Race and Racial Violence” from 7-8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, September 23. The free, virtual event will celebrate the release of “For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World,” a timely picture book by author Michael W. Waters and illustrator Keisha Morris that tells the story of a boy named Jeremiah and his family who discover hopeful forms of activism and advocacy in response to racism and gun violence in their community. The picture book includes a discussion and activity guide (available here) created by the Muhammad Ali Center that adults can use with children to further discuss racism, gun violence and social change.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders and members are invited to participate in an exercise that will help a consultant redesign the denomination’s website.
The Rev. Dr. John Wurster, pastor and head of staff of St. Philip Presbyterian Church in Houston, will be honored as Interfaith Ministries’ 2020 Humanitarian of the year during an online celebration called “For All Humanity” that’s being held beginning at 6 p.m. Central Time on Oct. 14.
Presbyterians of a certain age can still sing — still do sing — the songs of Richard Avery and Don Marsh: “Every Morning is Easter Morning,” “Hey! Hey! Anybody Listening?” “We’re Here to be Happy,” “We are the Church,” and so many other songs are memorable for their catchy tunes and their lyrics embracing an authentic faith and calling for justice for all God’s children.
When the Rev. Dick Powell was tapped as a candidate for the job of President and CEO at Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly, he had one demand: “If I can’t stay in the Board of Pensions plan, I’m not coming.” More than a decade later, Powell and every other full-time employee at the camp and conference center in the Texas Hill Country is a member of the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The Rev. Lori Neff LaRue plans the popular Well-Being Retreat across a year. When COVID-19 canceled the 2020 gathering, she had a little over two months to devise an online alternative. Her question: How could we do it in a way that feeds peoples’ souls while utilizing a virtual platform?
For too long the women of the Bible have been depicted in one-dimensional terms. On one side are saints, such as Mary, while on the other are “bad girls,” such as Eve and Jezebel. Just as often, the female characters of the Bible are simply ignored.
In 2014, the Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape study revealed that nearly 8% of the U.S. population comprised adults who had been raised evangelical but had either switched to another religious tradition or no longer identified with any religious tradition at all, roughly 25 million Americans. White evangelicalism, in particular, has seen many leave the faith in droves, especially after white evangelical support of Donald Trump coalesced during the 2016 election. Many of those who have left have branded themselves #exvangelicals, exvangelicals, or post-evangelicals. How should these post-evangelicals move forward? Many wonder if they should leave Christianity and Jesus altogether.
During Friday’s wrap-up of three days of online meetings, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation Board of Directors circled back to the topic of financial projections in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
