Saturday, January 3

The Presbytery of Carlisle

Pennsylvania

PCIA members Jane Wilshusen, Tom Rogers, Rev. Sandy Strauss, Judy Frankart, Rudie Jackson, Elizabeth Kury, Jill Williamson, and Bobbie Kitzmiller visit the Pennsylvania state capitol. Photo by James Frankart.

Presbyterian Citizens in Action (PCIA) meets monthly to study selected social justice issues and to communicate its views as people of faith to legislators. It also encourages congregations to learn about public issues and to participate in the political process. The group, whose members belong to churches of the Presbytery of Carlisle, has been meeting for more than ten years.

PCIA is guided in its efforts by Jesus’ ministry of compassion and justice and by the long Presbyterian tradition of speaking truth to power in the public square. PCIA gathers and shares with fellow Presbyterians in the presbytery nonpartisan information on issues it is studying. The information is guided in content by the positions of the General Assembly and of the Office of Public Advocacy of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, directed by the Rev. Sandy Strauss.

Other PCIA activities include election-time Candidates’ Nights, in which candidates share their views and respond to audience questions. PCIA has also organized legislative workshops to teach the tools of advocacy and learn from legislators how to be an effective advocate. One congregation organizes visits by congregational members to legislators. Currently, PCIA is encouraging churches in the Presbytery of Carlisle to adopt a Commitment to Social
Justice modeled after the PC(USA) Commitment to Peacemaking.

PCIA encourages your congregation to be a voice for justice in the public square.

The presbytery’s 52 churches have 14,641 members.

Let us join in prayer for
Presbytery Staff
Rev. Mark Englund-Krieger, executive presbyter
Heather Sigler, associate for congregational services
Suzanne Souder, associate for communication and office management
James Speedy, stated clerk

PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Benjamin Albers, GAMC
Jeanette Andersen, BOP
Joelle Anderson, GAMC

Prayer
Loving God, may we, in our time and place, follow in the footsteps of Jesus and in the long tradition of our own denomination by speaking truth to power for the cause of peace and justice for all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Lectionary
Ps. 111, 149 Ps. 107, 15
Gen. 28:10–22
Heb. 11:13–22; John 10:7–17