COVID Archives

The story of Rising TIDE will float your boat

Posted May 25th, 2022

Monday’s Between Two Pulpits, an online conversation put on each week by Special Offerings’ interim director Dr. Bill McConnell, was a how-to in effective after-school ministry, as told by two pastors who decades ago co-founded Rising TIDE at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California.

Using our setbacks as steppingstones

Posted May 19th, 2022

The Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon used his prodigious and engaging hermeneutical skills Wednesday to cap a NEXT Church National Gathering that has taken a deep look at rest and restoration.

Rest is resistance

Posted May 17th, 2022

After obtaining a PhD and teaching for a few years, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes decided to enroll in seminary, where her eyes were opened in an unexpected and unpleasant way.

‘May Christ heal us from our dis-ease’

Posted May 16th, 2022

In the midst of awful current headlines and centuries of injustice, God’s word for today came to the NEXT Church National Gathering underway at Montreat Conference Center from the Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia, Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly (2014).

Mission leaders meet to talk about being thoughtful travelers during mission trips

Posted May 13th, 2022

As travel restrictions begin to loosen worldwide and churches start thinking about long- and short-term mission trips, a group of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission leaders, World Mission staff and mission co-workers joined together on Zoom Wednesday night to talk about how to be thoughtful travelers when visiting global partners in the aftermath of the pandemic.

‘Get acquainted and get familiar with your intended community’

Posted May 11th, 2022

The Rev. Zoë Garry and the Rev. Ezequiel Herrera operate in different ministry settings. But as they found out during an hour-long conversation last week, which can be heard here, they share at least two traits: both are church planters, and both serve God and new worshiping communities in the Synod of the Sun.

‘God is moving God’s own people much faster than we could ever move ourselves’

Posted May 9th, 2022

How people engaged in mission are recalibrating their work post-pandemic was the topic of last week’s panel discussion offered by the World Mission Initiative at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

‘My mother was very clear about God’s provision’

Posted May 4th, 2022

During an appearance on “Between Two Pulpits” that mostly focused on education, the Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson began to reminisce about his mother teaching him the 23rd Psalm.

Praying for others

Posted April 26th, 2022

I have never used the praying hands emoji as much as I have the past two years. I serve as a chaplain in a city trauma center, so I pray a lot. But the COVID-19 pandemic provoked more need for prayer than I have ever felt before; thus, the use of the praying hands emoji increased as the pandemic continued.

A church changed by COVID

Posted February 20th, 2022

Congregations now feel the full impact a two-year global pandemic has had on their ministries, leading them to assess the cost of connecting in new ways.