As well traveled and as fully versed in Presbyterian mission as he is, Tom Elander was still surprised by what he witnessed and learned at the U.S.-Mexico border last winter.
When the prophet Elijah, deep in the throes of an existential crisis, fled to Mount Horeb in search of God, he was met instead with the sound of sheer silence.
Natalie Pisarcik knows just how he felt.
The Season of Peace returns Sept. 5-Oct. 3 with an artistic twist, showcasing the talents and motivational words of David LaMotte, Michele Slone, David Barnhart and others.
While the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program had hopes to return to an in-person International Peacemakers program this fall, the pandemic had different plans.
If necessity is the mother of invention, the pandemic is probably its poster child, calling on Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) programs and their leaders to remain creative and nimble.
Travel study opportunities through the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program are expected to resume this year following a hiatus necessitated last year by the pandemic.
The statistics for gun violence jump off the page:
40,614 gun violence deaths in the United States this year
919 children under age 12 have been shot
985 teens have been killed
10 million guns flow into the United States every year
During the final day of the virtual workshop “Dipping Deeper Into the Well of PC(USA) Ministries,” more than 50 Christian educators, pastors and other Presbyterian leaders heard panel discussions and wrestled with questions on how to form lifelong disciples who are grounded in the Reformed tradition and equipped for peacemaking, witnessing and working for justice and equity for all God’s people.
