While wrestling with depression and a lack of clarity in her faith, Rev. Molly Smerko asks a friend, “How did you get unstuck?”. The resulting year of exploring spiritual practices has grounded her in a new way.
"What is the future of our congregation? Where is the Holy Spirit leading us?"
"Faces change but exploitative systems remain the same."
Neal D. Presa, a teaching elder of the Presbytery of San Diego and a delegate of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, shares his thoughts.
Rather than being suspicious of other viewpoints, Aaron Neff has learned to embrace disparity as a potential vehicle for the Holy Spirit.
Dodd-Sterling United Methodist Church and St. Luke's Presbyterian respond to their community's food insecurity while caring for one another.
The Office of Theology, Formation & Evangelism of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, PC(USA), in partnership with Montreat Conference Center, is hosting the hybrid conference “Evangelism: Addressing Harm, Embracing Hope” on Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2022.
PC(USA) minister at large Janice Stamper shares an account of the devastation following a major flood in July. She encounters death, loss, destruction, and glimpses of God’s presence too.
A poem by Paul Hooker.
In this excerpt from Mark Elsdon’s book We Aren’t Broke, he encourages a move from the fear and greed of scarcity to a recognition of God’s abundance.
Whether it was struggling with reading as a first grader or wrestling with Hebrew as a seminarian, Rebecca Gresham’s education taught her that she can do hard things, even if it requires multiple attempts and some failure. This is a lesson she brings to her ministry: There is always a way forward.
Ashley Brown spent a month with her beloved, dying grandmother before she passed. In this essay, she reflects on their conversations about death and the unending gift of love.
"If a church’s vitality is measured less by what it takes in (people or dollars) and more by what it gives out (meeting needs outside its walls), the downturn in Sunday service attendance could become a catalyst for greater vitality," writes Sheldon W. Sorge.
"Rather than deny our own capacity to help, let us explore the resources we have and imagine new ways we might meet the needs before us."
Who is our neighbor?
Responding to an article previously published by the Outlook, Lee Hinson-Hasty ponders the future of pastoral leadership. Are we asking the right questions? Are we looking at the right data? Are we investing in future leaders?
Gregg Brekke reports on the path forward to the PC(USA)’s 226th General Assembly (2024), and how these initial decisions were made.
Thomas Wesley Moore IV was called to be an interim pastor within five years of his ordination. He shares why working with churches in transition is important.
College chaplain Jeremy Wilhelmi encourages college students to be curious as they claim their own faith, often for the first time.
Julie Raffety, a minister of Word and Sacrament, shares her experience as a female pastor, why it makes her angry some days, and how God calls her to fight for something better.
A photo essay of how the Outlook spent our time at GA225.
"But love – real love that speaks truth, works collectively for change, sacrifices while simultaneously honoring our own integrity – that’s life-changing; it offers clarity and stability."
Rev. Elana Keppel Levy shares how one high school class taught her about the judgments she made about others.
Rev. Eliza Jaremko, who recently turned 40, looks back on her what she's learned since her ordination at age 27.
College chaplain Maggie Alsup remembers with gratitude the chaplain and pastor, both women, who shepherded her through her college years. They stand as models for the call she now feels in her life.
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