Posts Tagged: christmas joy

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 »

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 »

Christmas Joy: Applying Heart and Mind

Experiences in Rwanda Growing up in Rwanda, Joshua Karangwa often saw rural women and children carrying heavy cans of water on their heads for miles just so their families could survive. His memory of people engaged in this back-breaking endeavor pierces his heart and challenges his mind. Joshua, a 2018 graduate of Presbyterian Pan American… 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: Menual School Molds Spiritual Formation

Meet Luci While a summertime academic emphasis is not unusual for high-achieving high school students, Lucianna (Luci) Astorga’s educational focus between school years has been much different than that of most of her scholastically minded peers. Since the eighth grade, this honor roll student’s summer priority has been on earning tuition for the upcoming academic… 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 »

Worship Resources for the 2018 Christmas Joy Offering

‘Tis the season…for the Christmas Joy Offering. If you are looking for worship resources to connect your congregation with this Offering, our office has you covered. Our worship resources, written by the Rev. Thom M. Shuman, Stated Supply Pastor, Honorably Retired Galloway Presbyterian Church, Galloway, Ohio, and Associate Member, Iona Community, include: Readings Call to… 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 »

Christmas Joy Offering Helps Form PCUSA’s Future Leaders

The Christmas Joy Offering helps form future leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Their student days may have been a generation apart, but both Lemuel Garcia-Arroyo and his nephew Jasiel Hernandez found the Presbyterian Pan American School (Pan Am) to be an incubator for Christian leadership in their lives. Two Generations of Students Lemuel, now… Read more »