Supporting and connecting with God’s work in Lent

From lending assistance in hours of need to supporting long-term, sustainable development, One Great Hour of Sharing is one of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s primary means of bringing hope to a hurting world. The Special Offering, traditionally taken during Lent, supports the work of three Compassion, Peace & Justice (CPJ) ministries: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP), and Self-Development of People (SDOP).   In this edition of Justice & Peace Monthly, we take a look at the work of the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) ministries, as well as the other CPJ ministries and exciting opportunities to engage with them, from workshops and conferences to Lenten devotionals. Please read on, and prayerfully consider how you may support One Great Hour of Sharing. Learn more →

March 14 is SDOP Sunday! Once a year, Presbyterians across our country celebrate the ministry of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP), a ministry of community building, self-reliance, and hope funded by OGHS. Learn more → A Philosophy of Welcome in the Midst of Covid-19 “Jesus just said feed my people. So, we do.” – The Presbyterian Hunger Program, one of the OGHS ministries, introduces us to the food ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Learn more →

PDA announces new refugee and immigrant advocacy grant opportunities Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, one of the OGHS ministries, has dedicated $100,000 per year in 2021 and 2022 in targeted grants to support the work of those speaking out for just immigration policies. Learn more → Join us for CPJ Training Days April 7-9 Join us to learn, organize and advocate around environmental justice! Compassion, Peace & Justice Training Days offer an opportunity to support this global movement with CPJ ministry leaders and partners in a virtual event. Read more and sign up →

Sign up for virtual Anti-racism training Join the Office of Gender, Racial & Intercultural Justice for an Introduction to PC(USA) Anti-Racism Policy at 6 p.m. ET on March 23. The two-hour virtual session will focus on concepts centered around racism and an in-depth look at the anti-racism policy of the church. Sign up → Listen to ‘A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast’ Simon Doong of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and the Rev. Lee Catoe of Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice answer questions about faith, social justice, and church life and discuss church policy in this new podcast. Subscribe to the podcast →

APCE opens the door to UN sustainable development goals Representatives of the Presbyterian Ministry to the United Nations gave a workshop at the annual Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators conference to introduce their Sunday School curriculum. Learn more → Unbound centering people with disabilities during Lent “Disabling Lent: An Anti-Ableist Lenten Devotional” features devotions from people in the disabled community and allies every Sunday in Lent and every day during Holy Week, including Palm Sunday and Easter. There are text and audio versions of each devotion. See the devotional →

Hunger Program asks us to ‘Tread Lightly for Lent’ The Presbyterian Hunger Program, one of the OGHS ministries, invites us to turn this tide on climate change this Lent with a resource of actions intended to create more mindful behaviors throughout the year. Get the resource →

Washington Office webinars focus on aftermath of January 6 insurrection A webinar series from the Office of Public Witness focused on issues of faith, race, and gender in exploring the aftermath of the violent insurrection at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6. Learn more →

Winter storms impact churches, presbyteries in Synod of the Sun As winter storms and uncommonly cold temperatures combined with mass power outages to create a crisis in Texas late last month, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance worked with several Presbyteries in the region to assist. Learn more → SDOP COVID-19 grants support youth, immigrant groups in LA In 2020, the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, one of the OGHS ministries,  awarded grants to support partners responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a look at work supported in the Los Angeles area. See the video→

Matthew 25 – Actively engaged in the world We recognize Christ’s urgent call to be a church of action, where God’s love, justice and mercy shine forth and are contagious. Jesus calls us to act boldly and compassionately to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned and poor. Over 860 churches and mid councils have accepted the Matthew 25 invitation to help our denomination become a more relevant presence in the world by building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. Read more →