Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Blogs

Where Your Heart Is…

A Weekly Offerings Stewardship Blog

Pentecost: The Little Church That Could

So our young people may live and thrive Few things disturb a community more than the sudden passing of one of its young people. This was certainly true of Winneconne, Wisconsin, population about 2,000. But when people learned of a local teen who had committed suicide, First Presbyterian Church of Winneconne decided it needed to… Read more »

Pentecost: Surprised by the Spirit in New Orleans

The Holy Spirit is moving Can there be any more inspirational words to hear from a young person than these? “The Holy Spirit took me, and changed me in ways that I wasn’t expecting.” During Pentecost, we celebrate that the Holy Spirit has opened the doors to faith in Jesus Christ. While serving as a… Read more »

Pentecost: Teaching English, Showing Love

Serving young immigrants and refugees Keeping up in school is hard enough, but for many students around the country, learning a new language while also learning other subjects can be daunting. How can children be expected to survive—let alone thrive—in such a situation? Seeing an opportunity to help these children improve their chances of success… Read more »

Pentecost: A Camp for Wholeness and Hope

Where did you first learn about God? Who pointed out the glimpses of God in everyday life? For many, it happened during the early years of life. It was in Sunday School classes at the local church where stories were shared of Jesus’ miracles and God’s love. It was at summer camp and youth conferences… Read more »

Pentecost: Messages of Faith, Written on the Heart

Meaningful affirmations In an age when fleeting social media messages saturate the lives of teens, Kylie Carlson treasures the lasting impact of some powerful words scrawled on tiny slips of paper. For three years, she has kept the messages that were stashed in her “Compliment Bag” at the 2016 Presbyterian Youth Triennium. They were put… Read more »

Lord, in your mercy…

As we prepare for the Pentecost Offering, which supports our young people as they build a life of faith, we ask you to join us in this prayer written by the youth of First Presbyterian Church in San Bernardino, CA. This prayer was originally used as a Prayers of the People during worship on November… Read more »

Pentecost: Enabling Students to Transcend Poverty

Rising TIDE Christopher Hall’s life was not always smooth sailing, but it could have turned out very different had he not been boosted by a Rising TIDE. Rising TIDE, which stands for “Train Individuals to Develop and Excel,” is an after-school ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California. Christopher, who was born into… Read more »

Celebrating the Pentecost Offering with Our Youth

Engaging the children of your congregation with the four churchwide Special Offerings has never been easier or more important. There are numerous ways children can connect with the Pentecost Offering, especially considering this Offering celebrates how God’s Spirit works in the lives of young people. We have a number of resources available online to help… Read more »

Pentecost: Building a Life of Faith

Who was the first person to teach you about Jesus? Who was the first person to  show you how to honor God with your life? Who helped you open the doors to new understandings of God and of faith? When did these things happen? For many of us, they happened during our childhood. They happened… Read more »

OGHS Sixty Second Sermon Reflection

A church walks into a bar…and then what? We invite you to watch this short video and reflect on what you’ve seen by answering the questions below. Thank you to Rev. Ryan Landino, Lead Presbyter for Transformation at the Presbytery of Great Rivers, for creating this Sixty Second Sermon for One Great Hour of Sharing…. Read more »