The Covenant Network of Presbyterians is celebrating the ministry of its national organizer, the Rev. Tricia Dykers Koenig. Tricia will leave the organization’s staff this month after 16 years of service. Members of the board gave the stalwart organizer much of the credit for major changes in church policy over the past decade, admiring Tricia’s effectiveness and praising her tenacity.

It is our hope that evolving organizations—including our own—are intentionally increasing their diversity, recognizing their privilege and committing to listen to groups that have sometimes been excluded from their life and leadership. As an expression of own ongoing work for inclusion and justice, the Covenant Network stands in solidarity with the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns and Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns and urges attention to their letter.

One item of business that has garnered some attention at the General Assembly this week, Item 11-05, is an overture calling for an “apology” to LGBTQ people by the church. The Covenant Network supports the action being recommended by the Assembly’s Social Justice Committee, which is to answer this overture with an alternate statement.

J. Herbert Nelson on his keynote address to the "Unity Matters" conference, November 5-7 in Denver: "The Church of Jesus Christ is called to assist in reconciling people to Jesus Christ. Although we have witnessed significant gains through the Church and the government's judicial courts regarding LGBT concerns, issues regarding race and gender remain historically slow to resolve in the United States. The call for all communities, including the LGBT community, to engage broader historic movements of oppressed people is both imperative and immediate. The starting point for entry into these intersection of oppressions begins within the LGBT community itself. My address will connect the biblical imperative with steps for implementation."

We are grateful to the Rev. Dr. David Kegley, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Olympia, Washington, for sharing his sermon series. Watch and listen, or read the sermons here.

MARRIAGE MATTERS... and the wedding can be a witness to our faith.Listen to the testimony of David and Lee.

A Sermon by Ken Kovacs on Psalm 86 & Romans 13:8-10: "Love of God, we know something about that, although we’re not very good at it. Love for neighbor, we know something more about that, although we’re not very good at that either. But what does it mean to love yourself? It’s clear that the ability to love one’s neighbor is inextricably linked to the ability to love one’s self. But how does one love one’s self without being or becoming selfish? Our response will shape the way we understand the Christian life. So with apologies to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, how do you love the one you’re with? “One” here meaning oneself, this one, this self within, who we are. How do we love ourselves?"