At the beginning of my ordained ministry, I encountered a book called “Best Advice: Wisdom on Ministry from 30 Leading Pastors and Preachers” (2009) edited by William J. Carl III (https://www.cokesbury.com/9780664232436-Best-Advice). It has a number of excellent segments that are great primers and friendly reminders for navigating this beautiful world of ministry we are all so devoted to. However, there…
Today, I had a very inspiring meeting on the monthly All Pastors’ zoom call that I want to tell you all about. We did something a little different, launching a new theme-driven game plan that may serve as a fantastic way to bless our all of our cohort gatherings moving forward. What are these cohorts? One of several online “drop-in…
After two and a half years of managing the pandemic like a ninja, getting vaxed, boosted, wearing a mask everywhere, and only doing the elbow bumps, I have tested positive for COVID-19, likely the highly contagious Omicron BA.5 subvariant. As I write this from bed, I’m relatively ok, but it was a pretty difficult first four days, and without really…
This weekend, the nation felt the shockwaves to the news of the reversal of Roe v. Wade, which stripped 50 years of precedent ensuring established access to reproductive healthcare. While there are few words that can be spoken that haven’t been spoken before (and better), on behalf the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, I particularly wish to lift up the pain, outrage,…
For time to time, Presbytery leader Ryan Landino will take random questions from across the presbytery! This will be an experiment that we hope will be a monthly offering. As I lead best by asking questions, I appreciate the questions you have asked and are asking! “I HEARD YOU GOT PUPPIES! IS THIS TRUE?” YES! “Are they real siblings?”…
Blog Post by Christi Tennyson PCHAS Development Officer “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” These provocative words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu resonate with me because they describe how Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services embodies its mission. Many people…
Many of us have spent the last two years living from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting. While others of us have already been meeting in-person, overall I am noticing that as our patterns shift, a question commonly emerges: “to zoom, or not to Zoom?” “Should we have all committee/team/workgroup/session meetings in-person now?” Except when it is hurtful, I do not…
As we continue to suffer a seemingly ceaseless wave of violence and mass murder from across the country, our presbytery stands in solidarity with the grieving people of Uvalde, Texas and the approximately dozen more communities traumatized by the mass murders that were permitted to occur this last weekend alone, ranging from Philadelphia, PA, Chester, VA, Macon, GA, Hempstead, NY,…
From time to time, Ryan will take questions from across the presbytery and try to address them by newsletter! This will be an experiment that we hope will be a monthly offering. As I lead best by asking questions, I appreciate the questions you have asked and are asking! Stay tuned for end of the month opportunities to ask questions,…
A message from General Counsel Mike Kirk as our prayers and lamentations continue We like to think of our churches as places of safety and refuge. A place to commune with God and join in fellowship with our church community. Unfortunately, others view churches as targets. White supremacist Dylan Roof murdered nine people at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church…