PPL September 2022 eNews | Pray for God to Equip YOU to Champion Life!

Compelled by the Gospel, PPL equips Presbyterians to champion human life at every stage PPL ENEWS September 2022 Back to the School of Prayer   by PPL Board Member, Rev. Lowell Avery Dear PPL Family, I find that I continually need the Lord to teach me to pray. The following is part of what He’s been teaching me lately. Perhaps you will find this expanded version of the Lord’s Prayer helpful. Our Father, what a joy and comfort it is to know that You watch over us personally and want each of us to have an earthly father who does the same. And because You are in heaven, You see the big picture, You know how we fit into Your master plan for the salvation of the world. May Your name be hallowed by all creation, for You indeed are holy. You have made us in Your holy image, and we pray that all human beings be regarded as such, including unborn babies and infants, people with disabilities, the mentally ill, the old and weak. READ MORE

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow! by Deborah Hollifield, PPL Executive Director   "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him." Psalm 91:15   Is June 24, 2022 seared into your memory? The anniversary of this date should always be remembered as the national pro-life celebration that it is: the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Case by the decision of the Supreme Court on that day in Dobbs v. Jackson. Was it the marches, the debates, the baby bottle drives, the Marches for Life that brought about this turn? Surely those efforts were not in vain, but we had been brought to the brink of victory many times before, only to be pushed back by legal and legislative defeat. What brought us victory – and saved the lives of millions of unborn children – was the very hand of God, in God’s own timing, in response to fifty years of prayer by God’s people. READ MORE HERE

Is God Calling You to Join PPL's Prayer Team? Prayer has been a priority in PPL's ministry from the beginning. Our prayer partners make 4 commitments: Pray at least twice a week using the Life Support Prayer Calendar (available on the website, by weekly emails, or in print by mail every 4 months). We encourage prayer with other Christians at least once a week. Encourage others to join in the Life Support Prayer ministry. It's easy to join with the online form below or by an email or phone call to PPL. Encourage public prayers by the church for efforts to protect preborn children and for the care of their mothers and families. As you are led, renew your commitment yearly. SIGN UP FOR THE PRAYER TEAM HERE

MEET PPL BOARD MEMBER, REV. LOWELL AVERY I have been involved with PPL for about 25 years and serving on the board since 2010. I grew up in north Florida but have lived in New York state since 1989. I love traveling, but I really love coming home. PPL is important because we are helping the church address the most important and urgent social issue of our time.  Rev Avery is the pastor of Cleveland Drive Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Cheektowaga, NY  Read more about our other board members here.

Will you click the donate button today? PPL has started a new fundraising campaign with a goal of $100,000. With rising costs of almost everything we know our actual expenses will hover around the $80,000 mark. That's the bottom line. We have added to our goal, funds to re-publish one of our most popular resources: Pregnant With Promise, a 2010 Bible Study by Marie Bowen on the character of God as shown through the pregnancy stories of the Bible and funds to convert the Baby Chris blog series by Deborah Hollifield into book format.

Why the name "Baby Steps" campaign? Many people feel a small gift is not enough to make a difference and wait until they are able to make a larger contribution--and that day never comes. Will you take a "baby step" today and make a gift of any size? Choose an amount you know you can give every month and set up a recurring donation.  $10 a month for 12 months is $120! $100/month will be a major gift of $1200 by the end of the year. Baby steps grow into giant leaps empowering PPL to equip the church to champion life! Click the DONATE button to learn more about this campaign. (Don't worry, you can exit without making a donation if you really want to do that!)

Other ways to give To donate via text from your phone: Text "give" to 1 (717) 537-0909. Follow the prompts on the page that opens to make a gift to equip Presbyterians to save human lives! To donate by check, simply mail your check to: PPL, PO Box 5239, Lancaster, PA 15606-5239. Set up a monthly recurring check through your online bill pay with your bank. Give an IRA disbursement and avoid paying income tax on it. Call us for information about giving stocks. Click the donate button below to help PPL make a difference today!

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PRESBYTERIANS PROTECTING LIFE PO Box 5239 Lancaster, PA 17606

SojoMail - I wasn’t prepared for the Holy Land

Beyond the Bad News Headlines of the Holy Land Lauren W. Reliford I’ll admit: I wasn’t expecting to find much hope in Israel/Palestine. Earlier this summer, I traveled to the Holy Land with a cohort of U.S.-based leaders within Reform Judaism or Black communities — two groups that share a history of working alongside each other for civil rights, both in the ’60s and today. The purpose of our trip was simple: to better understand the lived experience of people in Israel/Palestine who are caught between the giant power structures of the region’s longstanding conflict. Many things about the trip surprised me: I wasn’t prepared for the open stares I received as a Black person walking around in the Middle East, a reminder that Black people can experience racism and feel unsafe anywhere. I wasn’t prepared for delicious hummus that tasted totally unlike the tubs I bought in the grocery store back home. Nor was I prepared to see what the occupation looked like during a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp; I’m not sure there’s a way anyone could prepare for that. I especially didn’t expect to hear from so many people who believed justice and liberation was for everyone — Jews and Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians. Like many people in the United States, most of what I know about Israel/Palestine comes from bursts of bad news headlines about rockets in Gaza or extremist rhetoric from both sides that further dehumanizes the region’s people. READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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Our Latest ‘Sexism Is a Cardinal Sin’ Catholic Women Tell Vatican (by Mitchell Atencio) Kate McElwee spoke with Sojourners about the Women’s Ordination Conference direct action at the Vatican earlier this week. Nathan Fielder’s Absurdly Profound Exploration of Forgiveness (by Abby Olcese) The Rehearsal is a fascinating journey through the mind of a man determined to control difficult situations so no one gets hurt. Why Faith Leaders Joined Farmworkers During Their 335-Mile March (by Mitchell Atencio) Farmworkers are marching to urge California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would allow mail-in ballots in elections. No, the Supreme Court Is Not God's Court (by Amar D. Peterman) Christians have never agreed on the best way to understand God and politics.

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From the Magazine More Than a Comeback Story (by José Humphreys III) Reducing groups of people to just the struggle is a way of shrinking their stories.

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Are you brave enough to talk about money? Faith and Money Network’s study groups meet via video conference to study and discuss faith-driven approaches to daily life’s money choices. New group starts September 14! Senior Pastor for UCC church in Northern Virginia   Little River United Church of Christ is a progressive, open and affirming community of believers in Annandale, Va. We seek a full-time Senior Pastor who can lead us in our faith journey and guide us as we grow and diversify. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong preaching and leadership skills. Exploring evangelicalism's predominantly white cultural identity and history  Dr. Soong-Chan Rah joins the PEACE TALKS Podcast to talk about the persistent narrative of white superiority and the dangers of Western cultural captivity. The pastor, author and speaker explores how Christians are called to give up our historical cultural dominance and embrace a greater mutuality, equality and reciprocity.  President and CEO, Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport is seeking a justice-focused and empathetic President and CEO to deepen the organization’s impact through staff leadership, community member partnership, and client service. United Church of the San Juans, Ridgway, Colorado Nestled in the beauty of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, The United Church of the San Juans in Ridgway, Colorado, is seeking a permanent pastor in a part-time relationship. Our negotiable compensation package far exceeds the minimum financial requirements of our denominational affiliates, PC(USA), ELCA, UCC and UMC. This is an opportunity for a bi-vocational ministry as well. We invite interested candidates, who are ordained or accepted by one of our affiliates, to contact our Pastor Search Team via email at ucsjpst@gmail.com to request a ministry overview.

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WCC NEWS: Press conference: “We've seen the climate crisis coming for a long time”

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The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: Youth organize for climate justice

In the midst of the Ecumenical Youth Gathering (EYG), a group of young people from around the world have organized a strike for climate justice. Assets of youth organizing on the steps during lunch Photo: Mike DuBose/WCC 01 September 2022 All are invited to a #FridaysforFuture Climate Protest led by young people, 2 September Gathering from 13:00 near the Ettlinger Tor tram stop 13:20 symbolic march along exhibit area towards stage in front of Novotel Hotel 13:30-14:15 progamme including voices of young people, song, calls for global solidarity and action. In the midst of the Ecumenical Youth Gathering (EYG), a group of young people from around the world have organized a strike for climate justice. “It’s very important for me to raise awareness about climate change,” said Subin Tamang, a 25 year-old from Nepal. “I see the effects in my country.” In Nepal, the terrain is mountainous and many people work in agriculture for income. Tamang described how drought has dried up the spring water, making the land barren, and so workers cannot harvest wheat and rice, a staple in the Nepalese diet and major export. “There is a huge economic impact,” he said. The EYG Climate Group is made up of about 25 stewards under the age of 30. Since arriving in Karlsruhe, they have met daily during their lunch breaks to share stories of how the climate is changing in their regions of the world and plan the strike. “What stands out for me is hearing from people from Fiji, Philippines and the Pacific region,” said Tia Phillip, speaking of the conversations the EYG Climate Group has held. “High sea levels have been affecting them already and it foreshadows what will happen to us.” Phillip, a 28 year-old mental health counselor, is from Antigua and Barbuda, twin Caribbean islands that have been experiencing more frequent and destructive hurricanes, drought and other environmental shifts. Although she is proud of the way her church and government have embraced methods to mitigate the effects of climate change like banning plastic bags and setting laws to prevent overfishing, she still feels worried that it is not enough. “I am fearful that the Caribbean islands may disappear,'' she said, adding, “In 50 years, that’s in the scope of my lifetime, and the lifetime of my nieces and nephews.”  Back home in Nepal, Tamang is an organizer of a Baptist youth climate justice group. In his church, they host climate change workshops for the young people. The first series was in 2019 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more are planned for the future now that his church has established ways to meet in-person safely. He feels passionate about engaging faith in climate work and that churches have a role in taking action towards helping communities without resources adapt to climate changes around the world. “This is about everybody,” he said. Ecumenical Youth Gathering (EYG) Livestream of the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany Photos of the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland