Grants Available for Senior Programs in Indiana

Any PC(USA) church in Indiana may apply for a Smock Foundation grant. Churches could receive up to $25,000 for programs that promote well-being for seniors in their congregation.

For program guidelines, contact Alice Kopfer by email or phone (260-461-6451). Deadline to apply is August 30.

Thomas Schafer, 90, Dies August 5

The Rev. Thomas Schafer, retired minister and professor, passed away peacefully in Columbus, Ohio, where he had been visiting family. 

Schafer was ordained in 1943 and taught church history at McCormick Theological Seminary from 1958 until his retirement in 1986. His obituary was published in the Chicago Tribune on Aug. 15.

 
The Stuff God is Putting Together

by the Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

One of my favorite books is How Buildings Learn, by Stewart Brand. It is a book about what happens to buildings after they are built.

We tend to look at buildings as static objects with a utilitarian future. Brand argues that good buildings are those that adapt to new uses, different inhabitants, and changing customs. Buildings that can adapt and are indigenous to the local culture usually survive and thrive. Read on...