Posts Tagged: board of pensions

Christmas Joy: Living with Joy and Dignity

Facing Financial Hardship Grocery shopping had become an anxiety-filled experience for the Rev. Gloria Casasus-Urrutia. Ten years after her 2006 retirement as organist at her church,  Porta Coeli in San German, Puerto Rico, she found herself thrust into severe financial hardship. “I had to write down the price of each item and add everything up… Read more »

Christmas Joy: It Made a Huge Difference

Car Accident Brings Woes After her car went flying off the road and rolled over in a stubbled cornfield, first responders believed the accident had taken the life of the Rev. Shelley Wiley. She had fallen unconscious while driving because of an epileptic seizure, a condition that had been diagnosed years earlier and, until her… Read more »

Christmas Joy: Recovery from Hurricane Maria

Disaster Strikes After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico last year, Presbyterian pastor Manuel D. Silva bore the dual burden of caring for his family and his congregation. The property damage wrought by the storm was in the billions, and many on the island were without electricity for months. When the storm hit, Manuel’s wife, Sylvette,… Read more »

Christmas Joy: “Arms of the Church Around Us”

We want to share with you a love story… …a love story between Ralph and Mary Hamburger that began at a Presbyterian church when Ralph introduced himself to Mary after hearing her play the piano. Today, after 65 years of marriage, the love story continues at a Presbyterian retirement home. Ralph, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)… Read more »

Christmas Joy: The Perfect Gift

Every generous act of giving … is from above. — James 1:17 In the lead up to Christmas, many of us spend time in search of the perfect gift — the gift that communicates to friends and family how much we know and love them. We search our memories for indications of what gift might… Read more »

Christmas Joy Gifts Bring Happy Endings After Tragedies Strike

Christmas Joy Offering Gifts Help Bring Happy Endings After Tragedies Strike From Celebration to Trauma In 2014, Elisabeth Scotland’s college graduation day turned from joy and celebration to  trauma and heartache in an instant. After receiving her diploma from Boston University, Elisabeth, along with family and friends, went to a baseball game at Fenway Park. While… Read more »

Board of Pensions Minute for Mission – Jim Irwin

Time does not erase family’s gratitude for Board of Pensions assistance program Jim Irwin was looking forward to college graduation and medical school when he received news of his father’s death on a cold February day in 1962. Jim’s father, Rev. James Walter Irwin, had had a fatal heart attack at the age of 58…. Read more »

Overcoming the challenges of limited hearing

Minute for Mission—Board of Pensions Rosie, a lovable Australian labradoodle, provides more than companionship to Rev. Wendy McAninch: She also alerts her to important sounds that Wendy is unable to hear. Wendy has been gradually losing her hearing for about 20 years and has been helped by hearing aids, but continues to experience tinnitus, a… Read more »

Follow Christ’s Lead This Advent Season

Reclaiming Advent and Christmas Every year, society expects us to celebrate the holiday season even bigger and better than years before. This year, coming together to reclaim Advent and Christmas can be both humbling and fulfilling. As we excitedly await the birth of Christ, it’s important to remember the reason for the season: the newborn… Read more »

Christmas Joy – On the Move

Minute for Mission: Board of Pensions Rev. Thomas “Tom” Gard and his wife Laurel believe the Board of Pensions is a godsend. This recently retired teaching elder from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, is referring to the Shared Grant contributed to by the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys, the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, and the Board’s Assistance… Read more »