December 5, 2023
Posts Tagged: christmas joy offering
December 17, 2021
Reaching for the Stars
For Sarah Valentina Hernandez Solache (SO-LA-CHAY), the colorful city of Zitácuaro (ZEE-TA-QUARO) in the highlands of Mexico — where millions of Monarch butterflies bathe the fields and forests in a sea of orange during their annual migration — was, and always will be, home. But, despite its beauty, Valentina readily admits that it simply wasn’t… Read more »
December 14, 2021
Finding the Right Road
Like many people, the Rev. Meg Shoeman needed time to find the right road, the right path for her life. Meg, who earned her M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2007, candidly confessed that hers has been a “very long journey.” She left the ordination process after graduation and chose another career path because of… Read more »
December 10, 2021
When Home is a World Away
At first, nothing about Stillman College reminded Johnykqua [Jon-e-kwa] Bevans and Rayondre [Ray-on-dray] (Ray) Roberts of their home on the tropical island of Grand Bahama: not Alabama, not the food, not their classmates and not the as-yet unfamiliar Presbyterian tradition in which the college is steeped. But then there was the choir. Stillman’s nationally-renowned concert… Read more »
December 7, 2021
A Little Extra Help to Keep the Home Fires Burning
Seems like in one way or another, Jack and Kate Eisel have always been busy putting out fires — unless they were building them. The couple met fireside in 2009 at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, where Kate was the conference manager, and Jack, a recently retired pastor, was volunteering in the maintenance department. “Since… Read more »
December 4, 2021
A Gift Opens Doors — Proverbs 18:16
In the story of God, as we tell it, there is a barrier that exists between the Created world and its Creator. A wall. Sin, we say, separates us from God, and separation from God is unbearable. And our story goes on to say that God, seeing that we had no hope in ourselves of… Read more »
November 19, 2021
Celebrating the 2021 Christmas Joy Offering with Our Youth
Engaging the children of your congregation with the four churchwide Special Offerings has never been easier or more important, whether you are engaging them in-person or virtually. There are numerous ways children can connect with the upcoming Christmas Joy Offering, sharing in the joy of the perfect gift, Jesus Christ. This year’s curriculum was written… Read more »
December 16, 2020
Christmas Joy: A Life Changed, But Still Fully Lived
Rev. Dr. Stewart M. Pattison has been living with multiple sclerosis for years. As his health has recently forced him to retire, gifts from the Christmas Joy Offering have come to have special meaning for him. A portion of gifts received go toward supporting church leaders in their times of critical financial need. This is… Read more »
December 14, 2020
Christmas Joy: Creating Positive Change in the World
Officially, the Presbyterian Pan American School (PPAS) is a Christian international college-preparatory boarding school located in Kingsville, Texas, but to Adelite Hategeka it is a second home filled with family from around the world. “My favorite thing about the school is the people you meet,” she says. “We rely on each other and learn how… Read more »
December 10, 2020
Christmas Joy: A Love Story
A legacy of love and faith Rev. Ken Tracy has spent much of his more than 30 years with the PC(USA) helping congregations work through conflict and revitalize their membership — a mission grounded in love. If you have the opportunity to talk with Rev. Tracy for even a few minutes, it’s easy to understand… Read more »