Posts Categorized: Special Offerings

Christmas Joy: Being With Us

“Many hands make light work.” “Teamwork makes the dream work.” “If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot.” There are lots of ways to say it — but working together really does make bigger and better things possible. And, lots of times, working together makes it more fun, too.  In fact,… Read more »

Celebrating the 2020 Christmas Joy Offering with Our Youth (during COVID-19)

Celebrating the 2020 Christmas Joy Offering with Our Youth (during COVID-19) As we continue through this time of uncertainty and social distancing, engaging the children of your congregation with the four churchwide Special Offerings has never been more important. There are numerous ways children can connect with the Christmas Joy Offering, sharing the joy of… Read more »

Peace & Global Witness: Hagar’s Community Church

Separated from the world, but not separated from God’s love The Washington Correctional Center for Women is both the largest and the only maximum and medium security prison for women in the state. It’s surrounded by barbed wire, and you have to go through five locked gates to get to the main population. But while… Read more »

Peace & Global Witness: Peace in the Midst of War

“In a war zone, everyone is a target.” During this Season of Peace, we are reminded that peacemaking is active not passive, doing not waiting. Jaff Bamenjo (BA-MEN-JO), the coordinator of the Network for the Fight Against Hunger in Cameroon (RELUFA) and an International Peacemaker, has a very clear understanding of why this is important…. Read more »

Peace & Global Witness: Building God’s Household of Peace

The peace of Christ be with you Congregations of many denominations extend the peace of Christ with a blessing during their service. “The peace of Christ be with you (and also with you).” It is a blessing offered and a blessing returned in kind. The peace of Christ is part of what our faith offers… Read more »

Pentecost Offering Sparks a Flame

This blog post, written by Ashley H. Hostetter, Ruling Elder of Beulah Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, was originally used as a Minute for Mission. Whoever decided to make the Pentecost Offering a youth-focused gift really knew what they were doing. I can think of no better metaphor for a child’s potential than fire. A… Read more »

Four for Four as an Expression of Matthew 25

Watch and download Matthew 25 – The church is not a building The work of the Special Offerings testifies to the idea that “the Church” is not a building, but something that arises from action. For the church to be the Church, we must open the doors to those in need — an understanding that… Read more »

Pentecost: Building a Strong Foundation

Right Here, Right Now Rev. Dr. David Gambrell spends of plenty of time with young people. He is a father of two daughters, he volunteers to teach confirmation classes at Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky and he was one of the youth leaders who preached at the 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium. He says Triennium… Read more »

Pentecost: One YAV’s Journey of Faith

From Northern Ireland to Nashville Rev. Ashley McFaul-Erwin would not likely be a pastor for the Presbyterian Church today if she’d stayed in her homeland of Northern Ireland, and especially if she had never found the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program. From Northern Ireland to the U.S. seems like quite a big leap, but it’s… Read more »