Nancy DeCoux knits a stocking hat at Westminster Presbyterian in Austin. Photo courtesy of Austin Daily Herald.

In a number of churches, you are sure to find a group of (mostly) women who gather weekly to knit and talk about life.  You might think this is a sweet little group of "little old ladies" who get together every week for fellowship and coffee and that's about it.

We've probably never wondered what these folks are knitting and for whom.  If we did, we would realize they are making a difference in their neighborhood and around the world.

Westminster Presbyterian in Austin, MN has a yearly event organized by the Presbyterian Women.  In the February 15 edition of the Austin Daily Herald, writer Matt Peterson writes about the event and how the hats, dresses, scarves and other items help people in Austin as well as in Romania.

Aldrich Avenue Presbyterian in Minneapolis hosts the Knitting Collective, which is part of the Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Ministries.  An article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes a number of members from Aldrich Avenue meet with Latino and Somali immigrants for tea, fellowship and the knitting of prayer shawls.  The program is designed as a way for the new arrivals to relax and have fun. 

Several other churches in the Presbytery also have knitting or sewing ministries that help their neighbors near and far.  These include, Dayton Avenue Presbyterian in St. Paul, First Presbyterian in Hudson, WI; the House of Hope Presbyterian in St. Paul; and the Presbyterian Church of LeSueur.

 

 

 

 

Changes in Louisville
The Office of the General Assembly will undergo a reorganization.   

The new structure and leadership design approved by the committee was the result of a comprehensive process conducted by Dudley Hamilton Associates, a New Jersey-based global management consulting firm.

Although the process of redefining the OGA's vision, mission, and strategic direction was initiated in large part to reduce and realign the agency's operating budget for 2013-2014, the OGA's goals for reorganization transcended a traditional restructuring geared solely to meet financial challenges.

"Restructuring the agency was never all about the economics," said Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons. "It began with our collective desire to shape a new future for the OGA in service to the PC(USA)."

Immediately after the vote, COGA Moderator Vincent Thomas said that the decision was evidence that COGA embraced "a new vision" for the OGA.

"The new structure will enable OGA to better serve the PC(USA) by being more focused, flexible, and intentional, " Thomas said.  "We are, however, very aware of our decision's impact on the OGA staff, both those who will depart OGA and those who will continue, all of whom love the PC(USA) and view their work as a ministry."

Keep reading about the OGA reorganization.  

Editor's Note: Vincent Thomas, the Moderator of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly is a Ruling Elder at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. 

During this Lenten Season we are joining other faith groups in prayerful engagement and direct action to reduce our culture of violence and to bring peace to our homes, streets, and public venues. Our role as Christians is to be peacemakers.

This petition, calling for common-sense federal measures to reduce gun violence, is one small piece of a larger strategy to address the culture of violence that pervades our nation.

We will gather signatures for this petition throughout Lent and will deliver the completed petition to Members of Congress in the Easter season.

As you move through your Lenten discipline, make this petition - signing it, circulating it, inviting your friends and congregation-members to sign it - one of your personal commitments.