And looking at those who sat around him, he said,

Rev. Dr. Glen Davis was the interim minister at St. Andrew's-Chalmers, Uxbridge, Ont., last year. During that time he was also leader for a mission trip to Malawi. In December, Glen spoke at a Saturday morning breakfast about his trip; what he observed of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and how the church is responding. This event was open to the community and many people from outside the congregation attended and were moved by Glen's presentation.

Welcome to CANACOM YAM work camp 2006 from the spice island of Grenada! Grenada is known for its spices—nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cocoa—and the scent fills the air at Saturday markets. The theme for our work camp came from our particular context: Enabling the Spice Within (using the gifts of the Spirit for the mission of the church). Every three years CANACOM (of which The Presbyterian Church in Canada is a founding member) sponsors a work camp for young adults ranging in age from 18-30, which is hosted by one of the member churches.

For 10 years now, the youth of the Presbytery of Ottawa have been joining together for a monthly youth worship service. These services began in 1996 as a way of connecting youth and youth groups within the presbytery so that they might hear about Jesus and the Christian faith in a way that is understandable and relevant to them. It was also the hope of Blair Bertrand, then youth leader at Westminster and a key instigator of the Ottawa services, to keep youth connected to an ongoing community of worship in between the spiritual highs youth often experience at summer camp and youth retreats. These services were not meant to compete with regular Sunday morning worship, but rather to give youth the opportunity to experiment with the experience of worship.

It was a pretty typical youth group meeting. We were having a discussion and I introduced what I thought was a pretty well known biblical passage. When I received glazed eye stares from the group, I asked if they indeed did know the passage. One honest young man said, “Dude, you can't possibly expect me to know that Bible story. With the amount of Simpsons that I watch, I don't have any brain space left for reading.” And he was correct. He watched so much TV and read so little that his brain couldn't grasp what I was asking him to do.

The child sat nestled against her young mother's side when the delegation from The Presbyterian Church in Canada walked into her hospital room. No more than four years old, her warm brown eyes followed her visitors closely, not knowing why she was such an attraction. Her mother, whose age was difficult to tell but seemed no more than 21, was dressed in a fuchsia sari; her head covered.

Forty years ago a major decision was made at General Assembly. After days of debate, the question of the ordination of women as elders and as ministers of word and sacrament was put to a vote. Despite a number of recorded dissents, the recommendation passed and women were able to be ordained.

I was in Nigeria, working with the the Board of Missions (now the WMS) when the General Assembly made the decision to ordain women as teaching and ruling elders, and my memories of that first debate are all secondhand. I have a much clearer memory of the second debate in the early 1980s (often referred to as the “liberty of conscience” debate).

Esther Lupafya wakes up around six o'clock every morning. Before an hour has passed, before she can have her morning shower, several people have already knocked on her door seeking money, medicine, guidance and food.

I am not a retreat kind of a person. At least, that is what I thought before my recent experience at the Presbyterian Women's Weekend Retreat at Camp Kannawin. Located on Sylvan Lake in central Alberta this retreat gave me a safe and beautiful environment to explore my own spirituality. I learned how to express my faith and it helped me find ways to incorporate worship into my daily life. The theme was taken from Psalm 103:1: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” By looking at my gifts and then exploring new avenues for personal and congregational worship, I finally understood that by engaging in active worship on a daily basis, I can inspire others.

Christo Greyling is a tall man with a ready smile. He moves with the easy grace of an athlete and speaks with the soft lilt of his South African roots. Standing in front of a crowd or speaking one-to-one, Greyling conveys the impression he is deeply interested in the welfare, ideas and conversation of others. But, mostly it's that smile that lights up a room.

What are you going to do with your life?” The question seems innocuous enough. When I was very young, maybe about six or seven or possibly younger, I was certain that I was going to be an Olympic speed skater. My father had taught me to skate when I was very young and we would always go to the rink on Saturdays. I would race against the big boys, and I would always win. Looking back, I am quite sure that they probably let me win. But I decided, at age five, that I would one day be an Olympic speed skater.

Churches around the world have an integral part to play in the eradication of the AIDS pandemic, said Rick Warren, bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life. “Government has a role,” he said. “But it is highly overrated. Non-governmental organizations and business also have a role, but if we're ever going to eradicate the pandemic then we cannot do it without churches.”

Philip Pullman in his young adult fantasy series His Dark Materials introduces the protagonist Lyra Belacqua to the alethiometer, a golden compass-like object that takes its name from the Greek for truth. The alethiometer can allow its user to discern the truth, but only if the user is skilled in its use. As a girl on the cusp of puberty, Lyra displays an extraordinary gift for using the alethiometer. This intuitive ability disappears with a kiss; when Lyra becomes a sexual being, she can no longer see the truth through the alethiometer. She must relearn the discernment, spending countless hours studying and practicing something that once came so easily to her.

Beatrice is seven years old. She lives in Zambia. She loves to run and play around the mud-brick houses with grass-thatched roofs.

The facts of the decision to ordain women to ministry, both to the eldership and to word and sacrament are before me as I write. The timeline for decision-making is so easily set out. In 1953, the Synod of Manitoba sent an overture to the General Assembly on the place of women in the church, and in the following year clarified that “yes” the overture included the ordination of women. In 1955, the dialogue began and continued with a committee and then a new committee — more overtures, a “no” decision. More committees at work, another vote and in 1966 the decision is made. It all seems very Presbyterian!

“Pastor!” “Pastor!” “Canada!” “Canada!”

The Presbyterian Church in Canada sent eight international partner delegates, three national committee members and three staff to the ecumenical AIDS pre-conference. PWS&D committee members Dianne Ollerenshaw and Kate Ballagh-Steeper and international affairs committee member Ian McDonald joined staff Guy Smagghe, Karen Plater and Bella Lam as part of the 500 delegates from faith-based organizations around the world.

Stigma is considered one of the major drivers of HIV/AIDS in the world — the systemic judgement of those affected into a guilty or innocent […]

Sixty-five million people have been infected with HIV/AIDS since it was first diagnosed in 1981. Over 25 million have died. In 2005, some 2.8 million died from AIDS-related diseases and over four million were newly infected. Two-thirds of all those living with HIV are in sub-Sahara Africa, where 24.5 million are infected. The majority of those of who have the virus (HIV) are unaware of their positive status. UNAIDS, a coalition of United Nations programs addressing HIV/AIDS, calls it “one of the greatest security and development issues facing the world today.”