Posts Categorized: Children

Christmas Joy: From Homelessness to Hope

Not Another Statistic As a high school senior, Devon Kelly had no place to call home and little hope. Beginning at age 14, he slept wherever he could find a place to lay his head. He stayed with cousins, friends, his grandmother, and his aunt. Sometimes he spent the night outdoors on a park bench…. Read more »

Christmas Joy: Menaul School Puts Children on New Path

The Struggles of New Immigrants Tony and Lilia Acabal carried deep memories of the struggles they faced as new  immigrants years ago. Tony’s family escaped violence-riddled Guatemala in 1987 when he was 15. A  decades-long civil war, which claimed the lives of 200,000 people, posed danger at every turn. Lilia’s family came to the United… Read more »

Celebrating the Christmas Joy Offering with Our Youth

Engaging the children of your congregation with the four General Assembly mandated churchwide Special Offerings has never been easier or more important. There are numerous ways children can connect with the Christmas Joy Offering. We have a number of resources available online to help you as you engage your young people. This year’s curriculum was… Read more »

We Bee-long to Jesus

Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chatham, New Jersey, typically supports a Mission of the Month – ranging from food pantries to animal shelters to housing for domestic violence survivors – that receives a great response from its members. So when Pastor Kathi Heath suggested spending their summer focused on beekeeping in the Presbyterian Giving Catalog,… Read more »

Peace & Global Witness: Youth Building Interfaith Community

Peace at all times in all ways Peacemaking is something that happens among leaders of countries warring over issues, rights and land. Certainly, this is true, but it is also true that peace is made by many others — even you and me! Conflict arises in our families and communities. Instability threatens our livelihoods. Even… Read more »

Peace & Global Witness: Mending Lives Near and Far

Inside Out We all have known challenges — some greater than others, and not all the same. Far from it. And today we want to introduce you to someone who faced a tremendous challenge: the task of re-entering the workforce carrying the stigma of a criminal conviction. His name is Craig Rockenbach. Employers tend to… Read more »

Peace & Global Witness: Supporting Our Siblings in the Middle East

Peace at all times in all ways Peacemaking is something that happens among leaders of countries warring over issues, rights, and land. Certainly, this is true, but it is also true that peace is made by many others — even you and me! Conflict arises in our families and communities. Instability threatens our livelihoods. Even… Read more »

Celebrating the Peace & Global Witness Offering with Our Youth

Engaging the children of your congregation with the four General Assembly mandated churchwide Special Offerings has never been easier or more important. There are numerous ways children can connect with the Peace & Global Witness Offering. We have a number of resources available online to help you as you engage your young people. This year’s… Read more »

2019 Summer Commitment Giving Catalog

Summer is here! And this summer, as with those in the past couple years, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog is inviting you to make a life-changing difference for people in need with practical gifts of water and livestock. What makes this summer different from those before is that this year your gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar… Read more »

Nurture Your Children’s Helpful Instincts

When children hear about people in need, they want to do something. The Jerry Can curriculum engages young worshippers in understanding the needs of others, especially in times of disaster, and showing what they can do to help. This curriculum centers on Jerry Can, a fun, energetic character that connects our response to disaster with… Read more »