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August 2024

It is the pleasure of the Ministry Engagement and Support Team to bring you this quarter’s many helpful and informative resources listed below.

From Special Offerings — Support the Peace & Global Witness Offering
As congregations receive the Peace & Global Witness Offering on World Communion Sunday, we recognize they do so with many concerns on their hearts for our siblings around the world. Climate change, violence and the refugee crisis in so many countries are humanitarian disasters of particular concern.

The Offering offers congregations ways to support relief efforts for these issues while also supporting the peacemaking work of their mid councils and the PC(USA). Twenty-five percent of the Offering stays with the congregation and 25% stays with your mid council to support peacemaking and reconciliation in your own community and region. Find resources (available in Spanish and Korean).

This year’s reflections for A Season of Peace will highlight Presbyterians both well-known and little-known who have challenged injustice, broken down barriers and dividing walls, advocated for the marginalized, stewarded the common good, taught peace and been agents for the transformation of society. Sign up here.

When we all do a little, it adds up to a lot!

From the Presbyterian Giving Catalog

True or false — $25 can improve the food security and livelihoods of families around the world.

TRUE — Thinking Outside the Box to Make an Impact

The Presbyterian Giving Catalog is centered around the power of small gifts to make a big impact. Now, we’re challenging ourselves to think even bigger — together.

10 years of progress — We are grateful for the support we have received over the past decade and are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, together. One thing is for certain — we need the help of our churches and organized groups to share this good work with their communities.

For instance, the gift of a Family of Chickens through the Giving Catalog can provide food, feathers and fertilizer, improving the food security and livelihoods of farmers and families around the world.

One simple yet powerful way to support all of the various causes found in the Presbyterian Giving Catalog is to host an alternative giving table or market at your church and include the Giving Catalog. And we are thrilled to announce our new Big Impact Box — a comprehensive box with everything you need to organize and set up your campaign.

Thank you for being part of our mission. Together, we can make an even greater difference.

Order your BIG IMPACT BOX today!

Questions? Reach out to us at presbyteriangifts@pcusa.org today.

Kick-Off Sunday — Celebrate with a SPLASH!

Let’s celebrate the traditional beginning to the church programming year by focusing on the global need for clean water.

Here's how you can highlight this need to your church community:

Bulletin Insert: Download and share this inspiring story about the impact of safe water in South Sudan.

Jerry Can Curriculum: Download and implement some of the included activities with the children of your church, teaching them the importance of clean water.

Social Media Awareness: Download and share these graphics/infographics about the global water crisis.

From the PILLARS Program

A simple way to have an inspiring impact

The PC(USA)’s recurring giving program, PILLARS, is the easiest and most effective way to support the Church’s mission and ministries, including the causes that are most important to you, year-round. A graphic promoting PILLARS is available for you to download and include in your church bulletins and e-newsletters. A second graphic is available for you to download, print and distribute.

The graphic includes a QR code that links to the PILLARS webpage, pcusa.org/pillars, where potential donors can sign up to be notified about inspiring opportunities for convenient monthly, quarterly or annual giving.

Contact Joey Brown at joey.brown@pcusa.org or 502-569-5068 for more information or to have some of these PILLARS resources mailed to you.

From the PC(USA) Store

Free Guides for Sharing Stories with Children: These guides, along with additional free resources, help families and churches share picture books with children, offering prayers, questions to wonder about and engagement activities that bring the story to life! New guides are added each month, so be sure to bookmark the page. All guides are available in English and Spanish, with the Spanish-language guides providing a translation of the book’s text or a summary translation. Guides are also available in Korean when the featured book is also available in Korean. The Read * Pray * Wonder * Play guides are created in partnership with the Office of Christian Formation’s “Around the Table” Initiative. Access now: pcusastore.com/FlyawayBooksGuides

New Study Bible Available for Preorder: Coming this October, The Westminster Study Bible is perfect for sermon preparation and meaningful Bible study. Packed with accessible and enlightening notes, sidebars that let you explore and expand the text, essays that examine the historical and cultural contexts of the Bible, and visual aids like charts and maps, this study Bible helps us understand both the ancient world of the Bible and how it speaks to us in the modern world. The study Bible will only be available in English. Look Inside with Our Digital Preview | Learn More | Preorder

From the Office of Evangelism

Evangelism Sunday Resources

The ultimate goal of evangelism is that of building relationships that draw people closer to God and God’s intention for Creation. We hope you will use these resources to help you and others think about how to share the Good News with all those around you.

The links here will take you to a host of ideas for use with all ages and in a wide range of contexts, from personal devotion to community engagement to small groups or Sunday morning worship. Some of these resources directly address evangelism through the Matthew 25 vision focusing on racism, poverty and congregational vitality, and some resources are centered around other gospel texts.

Evangelism: A Lifestyle That Exudes Justice

app.groupize.com/organizations/pcusa/events/evangelism-conference-2024

Oct. 3–5

Join us for this journey into a more expansive and authentic understanding and practice of evangelism!

For too long, the focus of evangelism has been to grow our churches or convert people to a certain way of believing in God. This expression of evangelism has hurt many people and promoted injustice. Come explore how we are called to embody the good news of God’s healing and compassion through A Lifestyle that Exudes Justice!

In-Person ($175): Presbyterian Center, Louisville

Virtual ($75): Join online to watch live worship and plenary sessions

From the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP)

2023 PHP Impact Snapshot: Learn how your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing and the Presbyterian Hunger Program made an impact around the world in 2023.

presbyterianmission.org/resource/2023-php-impact-snapshot

PHP Post — Summer 2024: Learn how young adults are shaping change for the future.

presbyterianmission.org/resource/php-post-summer-2024

From the Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium

In the midst of a beautiful and broken world, we have a vision for ministry with young people that unites youth in Christ with all other generations and proclaims the love of God without end. Here are a few of the latest free Quicksheet resources we offer to support youth leaders, congregations and parents/guardians:

presbyterianmission.org/resource/quicksheets-90-let-me-introduce-you-to-gen-z

presbyterianmission.org/resource/datoveloz-90-dejeme-presentarle-a-la-generacion-z

presbyterianmission.org/resource/quicksheets-91-the-taylor-swift-phenomenon

presbyterianmission.org/resource/quicksheets-97-a-guide-for-youth-to-manage-busy-schedules

presbyterianmission.org/resource/datoveloz-97-una-guia-para-que-la-juventud-gestione-sus-agendas-ocupadas

presbyterianmission.org/resource/quicksheets-98-books-podcasts-and-coaching-resources-for-parents-of-teens

presbyterianmission.org/resource/datoveloz-98-libros-podcasts-y-coaching-recursos-para-padres-y-madres-de-adolescentes

From the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program

Sign up now for the Season of Peace devotional, running daily Sept. 8 through World Communion Sunday on Oct. 6. This monthlong pilgrimage is designed to deepen the pursuit of peace for congregations, small groups, families and individuals as we consider the lives of exemplary Presbyterians who worked to bring peace and justice to all. (We’re not yet certain if there will be translation available.)

Peacemakers are itinerating Sept. 13–Oct. 7 in a presbytery near you! Click here to find the dates, locations and hosting team contact information to engage in these transformative visits. (The Follow the Peacemaker page is not available in Spanish or Korean.)

From the Office of Innovation

The challenges we hear about time and time again are related to church property. That’s why we’ve partnered with Rooted Good, a visionary organization dedicated to empowering communities, to provide several valuable resources we offer free of charge:

“How to Develop Well”: This guide helps congregations develop their property in a way that aligns with their mission.
“How to Rent Well”: This resource offers practical advice on renting church property effectively and ethically.
“What About Taxes?!!!”: A comprehensive guide addressing tax-related questions for churches generating revenue.

We would also like to share another new resource — the Good Futures Accelerator.

The Good Futures Accelerator is designed to empower congregations to align money and mission by exploring how to creatively use their church buildings and property to further their mission, build financial resilience and transform their community. You can learn more about the Good Futures Accelerator and download the three free resources at the Office of Innovation website: pcusa.org/innovation.

If property is a concern in your presbytery, we invite you to check out these amazing resources! If you would like more information, feel free to contact DeEtte Decker at deette.decker@pcusa.org.

Special Days and Emphasis Sundays

Listed below are the special days and emphasis Sundays through mid-November. If a date below is not hyperlinked to available resources, please visit the Special Days and Emphasis Sundays site for ongoing updates.

September

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Sept. 1, 2024)

National Suicide Prevention Month begins (Sept. 1, 2024)

Disaster Preparedness Month begins (Sept. 1, 2024)

Season of Peace begins (Sept. 1, 2024–Oct 6, 2024)

Labor Day and A Social Creed for the 21st Century (Sept. 2, 2024)

Presbyterian Higher Education (Sept. 8, 2024)

Christian Formation Week begins; Christian Formation Celebration Sunday (Sept. 8, 2024)

Disability Inclusion Sunday (Sept. 8, 2024)

Sept. 11 Anniversary (Sept. 11, 2024)

Theological Education/Seminaries Sunday (Sept. 15, 2024)

Evangelism Sunday (Sept. 15, 2024)