As news comes in of the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is organizing a response that will help sustain life and restore hope in the coming days.
Though she’s the reentry pastor of Hagar’s Community Church, the Rev. Riley Pickett has never been inside the Washington Corrections Center for Women. That’s because Pickett’s ministry begins when residents of the largest women’s prison in the state of Washington are released.
Last summer, I received a call to join Olympia Presbytery in planting a new worshiping community, Hagar’s Community Church, at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) — the largest women’s prison in Washington state.
As the team tore down the last of the vines covering the garden gates, Young Adult Volunteer Regi Jones realized they had just helped to unwrap the gift of Okra Abbey for the Pigeon Town neighborhood in New Orleans.
What began as the St. Charles Avenue Branch of the First Presbyterian Church, renamed St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC) in 1920, has had a strong commitment to global ministries for more than a century.
In September, the church held a month-long celebration and produced a commemorative book to focus on past and present mission work to inspire SCAPC members to even greater efforts to serve Jesus Christ worldwide. Photographs and documents from the Presbyterian Historical Society and SCAPC’s own collection appeared on display at the church, highlighting international mission activities and projects over the years.
What began as the St. Charles Avenue Branch of the First Presbyterian Church, renamed St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC) in 1920, has had a strong commitment to global ministries for more than a century.
A week after an EF2 tornado tore a path through parts of New Orleans, disaster officials and volunteers are still trying to determine the extent of damage. The National Weather Service confirmed that 12 tornadoes struck seven states on February 7.
Layne and Crawford Brubaker have taken church planting to the next level. Quite literally. With Okra Abbey, a new worshiping community (NWC) located in the Pigeon Town neighborhood of New Orleans, the Brubakers, together with ministry colleague, Vincent Grossi, are more than just blooming where they’re planted—they’re cultivating community by growing not only vegetables, but also by nurturing faith and trust among their diverse neighbors.
