Blog

PHW Book Club Discussion: Eating Well Week 1 (Overview)

February 21, 2013 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our health matters. We will be posting updates through the PHW Facebook page, but our PHW blog page will have the discussion posts in full with responses from staff. Just look for […]

PHW Book Club Discussion: Eating Well Week 1 (Overview)

February 21, 2013 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Bulletin Insert from PFADP

February 21, 2013 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Our friends at People of Faith Against the Death Penalty have provided a bulletin insert for churches interested in helping work to repeal the death penalty. PFADP, which began as a program of the Council, has been a leader in this movement. There has not been an execution in North Carolina since 2006, and leadership by […]

Bulletin Insert from PFADP

February 21, 2013 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Preparing the Way: Caring for Creation – A Lenten “Carbon Fast”

February 21, 2013 By Susannah Tuttle, Director of Strategic Engagement

From Chapter 2 of Preparing the Way: A Social Justice Study for Lent. We’re offering this free resource to you and your congregation as we walk through the season of Lent together. Download the full PDF here. Scripture: Psalm 103: 8-14 (NAB) Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger, abounding in kindness. God does not […]

Preparing the Way: Caring for Creation – A Lenten “Carbon Fast”

February 21, 2013 by Susannah Tuttle, Director of Strategic Engagement

The NRA Takes Aim at Latinos

February 20, 2013 By chris

In a recent column for the Daily Caller, Wayne LaPierre – the official spokesman for the NRA and a recent witness in Congress – urges his readers to buy more guns to protect themselves from Latinos. Without citing any sources, he launches into this fear-mongering tirade: During the second Obama term, however, additional threats are […]

The NRA Takes Aim at Latinos

February 20, 2013 by chris

Program and Registration for 2013 Legislative Seminar

February 18, 2013 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

If you are interested in attending, but have not pre-registered, you may call our office at 919-828-6501 on Tuesday, April 9 until 5:00 p.m. Gene Nichol, Director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the UNC-CH School of Law will be the lunch speaker at this year’s Legislative Seminar.The day’s topic for Nichol, who […]

Program and Registration for 2013 Legislative Seminar

February 18, 2013 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

The Green Bible is a Must Read

February 17, 2013 By Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

If you haven’t discovered The Green Bible yet, you are in for a joyous surprise. This 2008 edition of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is made unique by its emphasis on ecological and environmental themes. Using the technique we all remember from the red letter versions of the King James translation, The […]

The Green Bible is a Must Read

February 17, 2013 by Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

Lectionary: Celebrating Abrahamic Faiths (4th Sunday in Lent)

February 17, 2013 By chris

From Acts of Faith: Free Lectionary Resources for Prophetic Worship

Date: 4th Sunday in Lent - March 10, 2013
Topic: Celebrating Abrahamic Faiths
Focus Text: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

From the pastoral reflection: “Nadia dramatically called us into the reality of her life and away from our being disengaged onlookers. Angrily, she described the early morning hours onslaught as she, her husband, and three little children huddled on their bedroom floor, bullets ricocheting around the room for half an hour. They assumed they would die in the hail of gunfire. But surviving the experience, the family began cleaning up their devastated home and quickly recognized the telltale imprint of American military hardware: spent shells that they knew came from American-made equipment."

Lectionary: Celebrating Abrahamic Faiths (4th Sunday in Lent)

February 17, 2013 by chris

From Acts of Faith: Free Lectionary Resources for Prophetic Worship

Date: 4th Sunday in Lent – March 10, 2013
Topic: Celebrating Abrahamic Faiths
Focus Text: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

PHW Update: New Funding Opportunity for Congregations

February 15, 2013 By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

The NC Council of Churches is happy to announce a new partnership with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Foundation to increase access to healthy, local food through the distribution of Healthy Eating Equipment grants in select parts of the state. The grants can be used to support any work around food access, […]

PHW Update: New Funding Opportunity for Congregations

February 15, 2013 by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

PHW Launches Book Club

February 14, 2013 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our health matters. Our first choice of reading will come from the free “Eating Well” NC Council of Churches Food Curriculum. We will be posting updates through the PHW Facebook page, […]

PHW Launches Book Club

February 14, 2013 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Preparing the Way: The Abundance of Enough

February 14, 2013 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

From Chapter 1 of Preparing the Way: A Social Justice Study for Lent. We’re offering this free resource to you and your congregation as we walk through the season of Lent together. Download the full PDF here. Scripture: Exodus 16:4-8; 13-18 (NRSV) Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for […]

Preparing the Way: The Abundance of Enough

February 14, 2013 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

For the Good of All God’s Children — Accept Federal Money Offered to NC

February 9, 2013 By Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

If you are following the actions of the 2013 NC legislature, you know that the idea of accepting federal funds that will cover health insurance for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians is in danger of being rejected by our legislature. The Senate has already declined to accept these funds (SB4), and we are told the House […]

For the Good of All God’s Children — Accept Federal Money Offered to NC

February 9, 2013 by Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

White Water, Black Gold: We Can’t Have Both

February 8, 2013 By Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

On the eve of the National Preach-In on Climate Change, I just watched an amazing movie called White Water, Black Gold. It’s a beautifully crafted and accurate exploration of one of the hidden costs of continued development of tar sands oil in Canada’s North Country. That cost is clean water. This Canadian production is available for free viewing until February 18th and is well worth the 57 minutes it takes to watch it. Elegantly juxtaposing video of pristine examples of God’s glorious creation with shocking shots of lands and waters defiled by human industry, this movie calls us to action and to change.

White Water, Black Gold: We Can’t Have Both

February 8, 2013 by Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

Preparing the Way for Lent: Introduction

February 7, 2013 By Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

From the Introduction of Preparing the Way: A Social Justice Study for Lent. We’re offering this free resource to you and your congregation as we walk through the season of Lent together. Download the full PDF here. Lent is the season of the Christian Year that includes the six weeks from Ash Wednesday until the […]

Preparing the Way for Lent: Introduction

February 7, 2013 by Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

“God Made a Farmer” – But What About Farmworkers?

February 6, 2013 By chris

As I watched the Super Bowl with my family on Sunday night, one ad stood out. It was the beautiful slideshow of farmers, accompanied by the eloquent words of the late Paul's Harvey's speech entitled "God Made a Farmer." The ad was a moving tribute, evoking powerful emotions while praising the often unrewarding daily labor of farming.

But why were all the farmers white? Why didn't the ad depict the reality of farmworkers, the millions of men and women whose hard labor makes possible the abundance on our plates?

“God Made a Farmer” – But What About Farmworkers?

February 6, 2013 by chris

As I watched the Super Bowl with my family on Sunday night, one ad stood out. It was the beautiful slideshow of farmers, accompanied by the eloquent words of the late Paul’s Harvey’s speech entitled “God Made a Farmer.” The ad was a moving tribute, evoking powerful emotions while praising the often unrewarding daily labor of farming.

But why were all the farmers white? Why didn’t the ad depict the reality of farmworkers, the millions of men and women whose hard labor makes possible the abundance on our plates?

Join the Let’s Learn NC Campaign for Tuition Equality

February 5, 2013 By chris

Tuition Equality: Good For Our Students, Good For Our State Today marks the launch of a new campaign seeking tuition equality for all North Carolina students. Let’s Learn NC is all about fairness, opportunity and equal access to education. This statewide grassroots campaign advocates for the same college tuition for all North Carolina students, because […]

Join the Let’s Learn NC Campaign for Tuition Equality

February 5, 2013 by chris

Lent and Getting Back to Basics

February 4, 2013 By Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

The 40 days of Lent are a wonderful time for Christians to explore deeply our relationship with God and God’s creation. Everything we need to survive and thrive is on this planet, this blessed and beautiful gift, yet it is in peril because we have collectively forgotten to be grateful and to honor and care […]

Lent and Getting Back to Basics

February 4, 2013 by Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

Preparing the Way: A Social Justice Study for Lent (free download)

February 1, 2013 By chris

Click here for a free download of our new 2013 social justice study for Lent: Preparing the Way. This simple 10-page document combines traditional Lenten themes and Bible passages with contemporary issues including hunger, care of creation, and immigration. We invite you to join us in this season of reflection and preparation.

Preparing the Way: A Social Justice Study for Lent (free download)

February 1, 2013 by chris

What’s Wrong with Photo ID?

January 31, 2013 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

One of the most insidious proposals coming up in the General Assembly session is the one to require people to show photo IDs in order to vote. It has the potential to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters in NC. Proponents argue that it will prevent voter fraud, but they are unable to point to […]

What’s Wrong with Photo ID?

January 31, 2013 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Toward a Healthier New Year

January 31, 2013 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Are the holidays over already? Well, yes. But what remains for many of us are the extra pounds packed on from Thanksgiving to the New Year holiday. Darn. I came across this podcast, and found it interesting to hear from a chef…who is also a doctor who advises: how to avoid future holiday pounds how women can help men address […]

Toward a Healthier New Year

January 31, 2013 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Make it an Adventure

January 30, 2013 By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

There are few things I love more than setting out on a grand adventure. I know there are folks out there who prefer the safety, security, and dependability of home. But…there is that thrill of anticipation, that rush of excitement when something new is coming. There is the surge of nervous energy when a risk is taken, […]

Make it an Adventure

January 30, 2013 by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

The Push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Begins

January 30, 2013 By chris

It's been an exciting week as President Obama and a bipartisan group of key senators have started the real work of getting comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) passed this year. On Monday, the "Gang of Eight" released a framework for the new legislation. On Tuesday, the President gave a speech outlining his vision for CIR. You can watch his speech here.

The Push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Begins

January 30, 2013 by chris

It’s been an exciting week as President Obama and a bipartisan group of key senators have started the real work of getting comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) passed this year. On Monday, the “Gang of Eight” released a framework for the new legislation. On Tuesday, the President gave a speech outlining his vision for CIR. You can watch his speech here.

Interfaith Call-In Day to Prevent Gun Violence Feb. 4

January 28, 2013 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Gun violence has long been an issue of concern for the North Carolina Council of Churches. Every injury endured and life lost, whether on a downtown street corner or in a suburban classroom, runs directly counter to message of the Prince of Peace. As Council leaders said in their 1998 policy statement on Children and Gun […]

Interfaith Call-In Day to Prevent Gun Violence Feb. 4

January 28, 2013 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Durham’s Faith Summit on Child Poverty

January 26, 2013 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

The NC Council of Churches has been engaged with issues related to child poverty for decades. We were one of the founders of the Covenant with NC’s Children, a leading advocacy group on behalf of children, especially the most vulnerable ones. And we were instrumental in creation of the Caring Program for Children, enabling a […]

Durham’s Faith Summit on Child Poverty

January 26, 2013 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Important Upcoming Events for NC Social Justice Advocates

January 25, 2013 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

You probably already know that the General Assembly goes into session on Wednesday, January 30. They’ve already had a one-day organizational meeting. You probably also already know that this will be a difficult session for those of us who have worked for years (or even decades) for justice for all North Carolinians, especially the most […]

Important Upcoming Events for NC Social Justice Advocates

January 25, 2013 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

2013 Conference on the Common Good — February 18

January 25, 2013 By Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

2013 Conference on the Common Good — February 18

January 25, 2013 by Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

NC AG: Immigrants with DACA Can Have Driver’s Licenses

January 22, 2013 By chris

In an incredibly short-sighted move, the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) stopped issuing driver’s licenses several months ago to young immigrants who had been granted a two-year work permit under the DACA program. That program, enacted by the Obama administration last year, blocks deportation for young immigrants who came to the U.S. before they […]

NC AG: Immigrants with DACA Can Have Driver’s Licenses

January 22, 2013 by chris

Raleigh City Council Approves Bring The War Dollars Home Proclamation

January 17, 2013 By Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

I was thrilled to attend the Raleigh City Council meeting on January 15 where Council members passed a Bring the War Dollars Home proclamation to send to our North Carolina congressional delegation. I was proud that our capital city of NC has local leadership that recognizes how spending money on wars along with other excessive Pentagon expenditures […]

Raleigh City Council Approves Bring The War Dollars Home Proclamation

January 17, 2013 by Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Speaking Life In a Dry Valley

January 11, 2013 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

The NCCC’s annual staff Christmas lunch is a time of good cheer for the old and new staff. I was warmly surrounded by spiritual leaders who strive to do as Ezekiel did, speak to where there seems to be no hope—and speak the word of God to renew life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). I sat next to […]

Speaking Life In a Dry Valley

January 11, 2013 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Preach-in on Global Warming: How To’s

January 11, 2013 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

The 2013 National Preach-In on Global Warming is less than a month away! On the weekend of February 8-10, join with other people of faith across America to ask President Obama to address climate change as a moral issue and safeguard vulnerable communities at home and abroad. Here’s what to do: 1) Register for NCIPL’s Preach-In: What, Why, […]

Preach-in on Global Warming: How To’s

January 11, 2013 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Protect Yourself and Others This Flu Season

January 10, 2013 By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

Over the holidays, North Carolina State Health Director, Dr. Laura Gerald, put out a press release urging all North Carolinians over the age of 6 months to get their annual flu shot. Public health professionals have deemed this year’s flu season to be the worst in recent years. By the end of December 2012, North […]

Protect Yourself and Others This Flu Season

January 10, 2013 by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

Equal Education, Unequal Pay

January 9, 2013 By chris

For decades, we've been working toward equal pay and equal treatment for women in the workplace. Sadly, there is still much progress to be made - illustrated by this powerful graphic below created by Kayla Evans.

Equal Education, Unequal Pay

January 9, 2013 by chris

For decades, we’ve been working toward equal pay and equal treatment for women in the workplace. Sadly, there is still much progress to be made – illustrated by this powerful graphic below created by Kayla Evans.

2013 Ecumenical Prayer Calendar

January 4, 2013 By Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

This Prayer for Unity and monthly ecumenical prayer calendar include by name the judicatories and congregations that are members of the North Carolina Council of Churches and the names of their current leaders. Your prayers for reconciliation are invited for all Christian bodies in and beyond the state. Click here to download a PDF of […]

2013 Ecumenical Prayer Calendar

January 4, 2013 by Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

New Year’s Resolution to Drop the Habit

January 4, 2013 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

No, I’m not talking about the attire worn by a group of women deeply committed to God. I’m referring to tobacco cessation. Many people resolve to quit smoking or otherwise using tobacco as a New Year’s resolution. If that is your resolution, then the trick to being successful is – well, there is no trick. The […]

New Year’s Resolution to Drop the Habit

January 4, 2013 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Celebrate the 2013 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

January 4, 2013 By chris

The Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute has prepared material for the celebration of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which runs from January 18-25, 2013. You will find prayer services, prayers of the faithful and musical suggestions at their website. The theme for 2013 is "What Does God Require of Us?" (cf. Micah 6:6-8). In North Carolina, there will be several observances of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Celebrate the 2013 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

January 4, 2013 by chris

The Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute has prepared material for the celebration of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which runs from January 18-25, 2013. You will find prayer services, prayers of the faithful and musical suggestions at their website. The theme for 2013 is “What Does God Require of Us?” (cf. Micah 6:6-8). In North Carolina, there will be several observances of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Film Depicts Relocation Due to Climate Change

December 30, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

I recently watched the trailer for the new movie, The Hungry Tide. The film documents history in the making, as the Pacific Island of Kiritiba prepares to be perhaps the first nation relocated due to climate change. Let’s just pause for a moment and reflect upon that. An entire nation relocated. Can you even fathom […]

Film Depicts Relocation Due to Climate Change

December 30, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Good News for All Creation

December 27, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

When I found out that the current issue of Unbound focuses on “Hope for Eco-Activists: Discovering an Environmental Faith,” I joyfully, yet naively thought, “of course, another article on faith and the environment.” I say “naively” because while I work day-in and day-out on the intersection of climate change and faith, sometimes I forget that […]

Good News for All Creation

December 27, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Better Dental Care With a Bag of Apples

December 26, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Executive Director George Reed wrote an article recently about the importance of dental care for children. His link to Kathy Higgins’ remarks brought our attention to the contradiction of spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on items that we “want” such as big musical concerts against the claim that we “don’t have the money to support those […]

Better Dental Care With a Bag of Apples

December 26, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Have a Green Christmas

December 22, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Grist’s recent article A Million and One Ways (at Least!) to Simplify the Holidays makes it clear that low-carbon holidays are perhaps becoming more of a trend than any recent year past. Still, the commercials and stores on every corner trying to sell that last minute stocking stuffer make it hard not to slip back […]

Have a Green Christmas

December 22, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

After Sandy Hook — Sign-On Statement

December 20, 2012 By Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

We join in the shared grief of our nation and especially offer words of comfort to all of those who have had loved ones torn from them.

After Sandy Hook — Sign-On Statement

December 20, 2012 by Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration

We join in the shared grief of our nation and especially offer words of comfort to all of those who have had loved ones torn from them.

Lectionary on Gun Violence

December 15, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

The horror of what has occurred in Connecticut is unimaginable, and the days ahead will be a test for all of us. The Council’s resources include a lectionary on gun violence which might prove helpful to people of faith going forward. While this resource cannot possibly explain how something like this happens, it provides a […]

Lectionary on Gun Violence

December 15, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Blessings of the Christmas Season

December 13, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

The staff and volunteer program associates of the North Carolina Council of Churches wish you a blessed and peaceful holiday with words by Sr. Evelyn Mattern.

Blessings of the Christmas Season

December 13, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

The staff and volunteer program associates of the North Carolina Council of Churches wish you a blessed and peaceful holiday with words by Sr. Evelyn Mattern.

Update on Free AED and CPR Program

December 13, 2012 By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

In the spring of this year, the NC Council of Churches and our partners, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC and the American Red Cross, awarded 34 free Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and CPR training to congregations across the state. This was done in an effort to reduce the number of deaths from sudden […]

Update on Free AED and CPR Program

December 13, 2012 by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

Help Sustain Wind Power Tax Credit

December 10, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Sunshine, wind and waves are all free gifts from God and expressions of God’s amazing power and love. North Carolina is blessed with all three in abundance. That puts our state in a wonderful position to lead the nation and the world in clean, renewable energy production – energy that does not pollute the air, […]

Help Sustain Wind Power Tax Credit

December 10, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

The Not-So-Sweet Truth

December 9, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Partners in Health and Wholeness is trying to reach you in every way possible. Why are we trying to reach you? Because we have some truths that could help change how we view health for ourselves and for each other. People of faith who are interested in these health topics try really hard to get […]

The Not-So-Sweet Truth

December 9, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

First NCIPL Regional Partner Groups Formed

December 8, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

NCIPL is so happy to announce that two Regional Partner Groups have been formalized. Regional Partner Groups are self-organizing, local, interfaith affiliates of NCIPL. They work to address climate change collectively and at their home congregations in ways that are locally relevant. NCIPL supports climate mitigation and adaptation efforts identified by partner groups and encourages […]

First NCIPL Regional Partner Groups Formed

December 8, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Baptist Peacemaker Highlights Churches’ Care of Creation Work

December 8, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

A recent article in the Baptist Peacemaker focuses on what churches are doing to address creation care and global climate change. In addition to mentioning our NC Interfaith Power & Light program, it features four North Carolina congregations with ties to the NC Council of Churches: •Myers Park Baptist, Charlotte – one of the Council’s […]

Baptist Peacemaker Highlights Churches’ Care of Creation Work

December 8, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

NC House Select Committee on Immigration Wraps Up with a Whimper

December 7, 2012 By chris

With this report, the Committee is in effect conceding that it cannot push for Arizona or Alabama-style legislation. While there is no doubt that some members of the General Assembly will cynically attempt to pass new measures that target immigrants, the immigrant rights community in North Carolina can stand proud. There are many battles that lay ahead, but at least for now disaster has been averted thanks to the courage of undocumented protesters and the strong immigrant rights partnerships that are being forged across the state.

NC House Select Committee on Immigration Wraps Up with a Whimper

December 7, 2012 by chris

Needed: Lobbyists for the Voiceless

December 7, 2012 By Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Congress is overwhelmed with lobbyists for corporations, Chambers of Commerce, AARP, the Department of Defense, etc. But those living in poverty are short on lobbyist as the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ is debated and cuts as well as revenue sources are considered. People of faith and compassion are being called to serve as lobbyists for the […]

Needed: Lobbyists for the Voiceless

December 7, 2012 by Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

2012 A Victory for NC and for PFADP

December 7, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

For the first time in the modern era, no one was sentenced to death in North Carolina during 2012. The milestone marks a victory for people throughout the state and for the organization People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, which began as a program of the North Carolina Council of Churches. As PFADP, which […]

2012 A Victory for NC and for PFADP

December 7, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Emotional Eating During the Holidays

December 3, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

I have to admit that the Eat Smart, Move More’s Holiday Challenge to maintain and not gain has been weighing on me…no pun intended. I sometimes emotionally eat during the holidays. I do it because I miss my grandmother and certain dishes remind me of her. I understand that others who are experiencing this season […]

Emotional Eating During the Holidays

December 3, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

The Case for Fair Taxes

November 27, 2012 By Justin Hubbard, Former Duke Divinity School Intern

The challenge of faith communities is not to deduct a set of moral principles from scripture that houses a model for a fair tax system. There are no formulas or bureaucratic maps that arise out of biblical texts that we might apply to our current context and tax system that will magically make the system fair. Rather, the biblical texts provide a framework to understand the Christian witness towards the common good and a Christian ethic of love and care for the vulnerable and exploited.

The Case for Fair Taxes

November 27, 2012 by Justin Hubbard, Former Duke Divinity School Intern

Date Change: Latino Pastor Dinner in Robeson Co.

November 26, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Partners in Health and Wholeness will host a dinner to connect Latino pastors with free resources and grants for churches. It takes place Thursday, Dec. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Goodwin Heights Baptist Church, 704 Godwin Avenue in Lumberton. Please note this is a change in date from a prior announcement. The meeting will be conducted in Spanish and is free. Please e-mail Joy Williams, for more information.

Date Change: Latino Pastor Dinner in Robeson Co.

November 26, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

The meeting will be conducted in Spanish and is free. Please e-mail Joy Williams, for more information.

Planting the Seeds of Abundant Harvest

November 21, 2012 By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

Recently, I have been reading about the controversies surrounding factory farms and companies that generate genetically modified seeds capable of mass producing and surviving under any conditions. In this debate that originates from the intricacies of industrial farming, there are good points being made from many perspectives, such as the legal, business, scientific and farming. […]

Planting the Seeds of Abundant Harvest

November 21, 2012 by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

Electioneering and the IRS

November 21, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

In the weeks just before November’s general election, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association paid to place full-page ads in newspapers including the [Raleigh] News & Observer to The New York Times. These ads quoted Billy Graham calling on voters to “cast [their] ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support the […]

Electioneering and the IRS

November 21, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

The Passing of Bishop James McCoy

November 19, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

Last week, North Carolina lost a religious leader we hardly knew. Bishop James McCoy had been named back during the summer to be the Presiding Prelate of the Eastern North Carolina Episcopal District of the AME Zion Church. He took office here a couple of months ago, was officially installed only a couple of weeks […]

The Passing of Bishop James McCoy

November 19, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Focus and Early Registration for 2013 Preach-in on Global Warming

November 18, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Since 2010, NCIPL has encouraged individuals and faith communities to participate in the national Preach-In on Global Warming. The Preach-In allows faith communities across the nation to coordinate their message of profound concern to lawmakers. This year the Preach-In will be February 8-10 and National IPL has chosen the following focus: Following his re-election, President […]

Focus and Early Registration for 2013 Preach-in on Global Warming

November 18, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Thankful for Your Support

November 16, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

From farmworkers to food; climate change to personal health; immigration to rural life; good government to peace. The North Carolina Council of Churches continues to work toward a time when “the least of these” are recognized and valued as beloved children of God. When elected leaders work together for the common good. When health and […]

Thankful for Your Support

November 16, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Blessings of the Thanksgiving Season

November 16, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing - words by Robert Robinson

Blessings of the Thanksgiving Season

November 16, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing – words by Robert Robinson

Food Day Flash Mob a Success

November 14, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Experiencing Food Day across the nation was a big success. Many people came together to celebrate healthy, sustainable, affordable, and fair food. The real success, that we can have a system that is healthy, sustainable, affordable, and fair, comes through the actions you and I take. But for now, working to bring awareness and the […]

Food Day Flash Mob a Success

November 14, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

What the Election Means for Immigration

November 8, 2012 By chris

Thankfully the election is over and the American people can look forward to their leaders governing for a season before returning to full-scale re-election mode. While the economy continues to dominate headlines in both the Business and Politics sections of the paper, one of the most pressing issues facing the 113th Congress is comprehensive immigration reform. Election night demonstrated the growing power of Latino voters and the renewed demand for results on immigration policy.

What the Election Means for Immigration

November 8, 2012 by chris

PHW Featured in NC Medical Journal

November 2, 2012 By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

Willona Stallings, PHW Program Coordinator, co-authored a section on working with faith communities to improve population health in the September/October issue of the NC Medical Journal (NCMJ). Stallings highlighted the intrinsic strengths of congregations across NC and the US to create community change, namely their existing infrastructures (e.g., space for promoting physical activity) and built-in […]

PHW Featured in NC Medical Journal

November 2, 2012 by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

New Pilot Program: Neighbors Together

November 1, 2012 By chris

Practicing Hospitality, Building Bridges, Making Friends The debate about immigration policy continues to divide people of good will across our nation and our state. Immigration divides us, in part, because of both the breadth and the depth of the issues involved – from powerful global economics to fast-changing local cultures, from the complex world of […]

New Pilot Program: Neighbors Together

November 1, 2012 by chris

Prayers for Those Impacted by the Storm

November 1, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Our prayers are with our sisters and brothers who continue to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and also with those who are working tirelessly to provide relief. The road ahead of them is long. May we remember their struggle as we move into the seasons of Thanksgiving and Advent. Anyone wishing to provide financial […]

Prayers for Those Impacted by the Storm

November 1, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Mini-grants to Support Congregations in Promoting Health

October 30, 2012 By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), the Council’s faith-based health initiative, is now offering mini-grants to support congregations in your efforts to promote healthy, active lifestyles. In order to qualify, a congregation must first become PHW-certified – i.e., offer healthier church meals; name a health contact person; maintain tobacco-free buildings and take part in other […]

Mini-grants to Support Congregations in Promoting Health

October 30, 2012 by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church Connects Health to Faith

October 27, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Sabrina Morris, a nurse at Cape Fear Valley Health, is helping to connect health as a faith issue within Fayetteville’s Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church with the support of her pastor, David C. Camps Sr. Over the summer, the health ministry team at MCMB served healthy snacks to congregants, boosting health morale within the church. The health ministry team has […]

Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church Connects Health to Faith

October 27, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Our Responsibility to Vote

October 25, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Our middle son and I went to early vote on Saturday, taking advantage of his visit home for fall break. He is 18, and this is his first general election. We have impressed upon him and his older brother that how they vote – for whom and what – is a matter of thoughtful, personal […]

Our Responsibility to Vote

October 25, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Latest National Survey on Climate Change Beliefs

October 25, 2012 By Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

The Center for Climate Change Communication, a joint project of Yale and George Mason Universities, released last month its most recent national survey of American’s beliefs about climate change. It turns out that in this sample that scientifically represents the nation, 70% of Americans now recognize that climate change is happening and more than half […]

Latest National Survey on Climate Change Beliefs

October 25, 2012 by Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

Critical Issue — Children’s Dental Health

October 24, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

I’ve got critical issue overload. How about you? So probably the last thing you want to hear about is one more issue that really needs to be on our radar screens but isn’t. But here it is – dental care for children, especially for children who live in or near poverty. Last Sunday, Kathy Higgins […]

Critical Issue — Children’s Dental Health

October 24, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

North Carolina Beyond Coal

October 23, 2012 By Richard Fireman, Former NCIPL Public Policy Advisor

Since 1965, my first year of medical school, I knew that coal kills (see Alan Lockwood’s The Silent Epidemic: Coal and the Hidden Threat to Health). Since 1989, when I read Bill McKibben’s The End of Nature, I knew that climate change was the most serious threat to humanity and all other life on earth […]

North Carolina Beyond Coal

October 23, 2012 by Richard Fireman, Former NCIPL Public Policy Advisor

Welcome Duke Divinity Interns!

October 18, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

We are delighted to welcome Justin Hubbard and Scott Schomburg, the Council’s interns from Duke Divinity School for 2012-2013. Justin received a Bachelor’s of Individualized Studies in Psychology, Sociology, and International Politics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. After working for a few years at the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Administration, he moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Welcome Duke Divinity Interns!

October 18, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

We are delighted to welcome Justin Hubbard and Scott Schomburg, the Council’s interns from Duke Divinity School for 2012-2013.

Justin received a Bachelor’s of Individualized Studies in Psychology, Sociology, and International Politics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. After working for a few years at the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Administration, he moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

NCIPL Certificate of Participation Now Online

October 18, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Completing a Certificate of Participation for North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light just got easier. The certificate, which has been offered since 2006, allows congregations to pledge support for the mission and goals of NCIPL. And now it’s available online. NCIPL works with faith communities to address the causes and consequences of global climate change […]

NCIPL Certificate of Participation Now Online

October 18, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

On Finding Comrades: The 2nd Annual Faith & Immigration Summit

October 17, 2012 By Scott Schomburg, Former Duke Divinity School Intern

Before the room could come into focus, I found myself in conversation with pastors, organizers, and advocacy groups, recognizing both a patience and an urgency that seems to come with this work. Our day together unfolded a compelling narrative of faith leaders in North Carolina moving forward in solidarity to make communities better for immigrants. This story of challenge and hope, of conflicting conceptions of justice, and of faith leaders forming a public voice, captured my attention early.

On Finding Comrades: The 2nd Annual Faith & Immigration Summit

October 17, 2012 by Scott Schomburg, Former Duke Divinity School Intern

Advent Guide Focuses on Social Justice

October 11, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Because the season of Advent is a time of awaiting the Christ child and the risen Christ, it is a perfect time to think about social justice issues. Christ’s ministry, which is explored in other seasons of the Christian year, focuses on lifting up those whom society regarded as worthless or weak, including the poor, […]

Advent Guide Focuses on Social Justice

October 11, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Rendering to Caesar

October 9, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

Ed: This post is part of a new series called “Reclaiming the Bible’s Prophetic Voice,” in which Council staff consider the biblical and theological roots of their work. You can read more from the series here. Mark Chapter 12:13-17 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Hero’dians, to entrap […]

Rendering to Caesar

October 9, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Why the Faith & Immigration Summit Matters

October 8, 2012 By chris

This is really a unique event for North Carolina, bringing together people across the state who are connected to both faith communities and immigrant communities. While the immigration debate rages, congregations are really on the front lines – offering English courses, meals, job training, and pastoral care to people facing very challenging situations. The Summit will help equip faith leaders to both deal with these difficult realities and to mobilize support for immigrants in their own contexts.

Why the Faith & Immigration Summit Matters

October 8, 2012 by chris

The Passing of Carolyn King

October 4, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

Our friend Carolyn King passed on Tuesday evening after a long “medical adventure” (to use Sr. Evelyn Mattern’s term) with cancer. She and her husband Cy have been leaders in the work for peace and justice for decades. Because of that history, they received the Council’s Distinguished Service Award in 2009. If you didn’t […]

The Passing of Carolyn King

October 4, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Sacred Potluck Challenge — Enter by Nov. 10

October 4, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Entering into fall, notions of harvests and feasts abound. As people of faith, we are called to make our eating decisions, our “foodscapes,” as sacred as possible. We must ask ourselves: how can our dietary choices best honor the rest of life? NCIPL’s Sacred Potluck Challenge is an opportunity for North Carolina congregations to answer […]

Sacred Potluck Challenge — Enter by Nov. 10

October 4, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Clean Air, Clean Water, Good Jobs

October 2, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Over the past few months, North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light has been a proud part of a coalition of nonprofits and businesses participating in a statewide ad campaign emphasizing the link between clean air, clean water and good jobs. The slogan for the campaign was “All Three for NC.” The ads can be viewed on […]

Clean Air, Clean Water, Good Jobs

October 2, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Choreographing A Flash Mob

October 2, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Why a statewide flash mob to celebrate National Food Day? Because I have big dreams, and even if I fail in achieving them, I can be encouraged knowing that I was not afraid to dream big and to go for it. But now, I’m humbled knowing that so many others hold the same dreams, and […]

Choreographing A Flash Mob

October 2, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Immigrants are Big Business for Private Prison Companies

October 2, 2012 By chris

Did you know that the detention of immigrants is big business? Over the last several years we've witnessed the disturbing trend of private, for-profit prison corporations benefitting from new anti-immigrant laws. These prisons operate like hotels, where each and every bed that is filled provides profits for the company. Every empty bed, on the other hand, costs money. These companies have a financial incentive to detain as many immigrants as possible, and they have poured millions of dollars into lobbying efforts ensuring maximum profits.

Immigrants are Big Business for Private Prison Companies

October 2, 2012 by chris

Did you know that the detention of immigrants is big business? Over the last several years we’ve witnessed the disturbing trend of private, for-profit prison corporations benefitting from new anti-immigrant laws. These prisons operate like hotels, where each and every bed that is filled provides profits for the company. Every empty bed, on the other hand, costs money. These companies have a financial incentive to detain as many immigrants as possible, and they have poured millions of dollars into lobbying efforts ensuring maximum profits.

Become An emPOWERed Congregation

September 27, 2012 By Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

Balancing a congregational budget is difficult. Caring for congregants, paying staff and clergy, funding mission work, and just plain paying the bills all place incredible demands on a congregation. But what if paying utility bills tied into mission work? And caring for buildings, grounds and congregants all went hand in hand? NCIPL’s emPOWERed program addresses […]

Become An emPOWERed Congregation

September 27, 2012 by Allison Reeves Jolley, Former Outreach Coordinator - NCIPL

“Strangers” Are God’s Gift to the Church

September 26, 2012 By chris

In Church, when we talk about immigration, the first question isn’t whether immigrants contribute more than they take or how to secure the border. The first question is: “Who is my neighbor?” Are immigrants our neighbors? How do we as Christians treat people who don’t have the “right” status? How do we treat those whom society rejects and treats as invisible? This is a major question throughout the Bible.

“Strangers” Are God’s Gift to the Church

September 26, 2012 by chris

Worker Justice Leader in the Triangle This Week

September 24, 2012 By Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Kim Bobo, a religious and workers’ rights activist and executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice, will meet with other faith and worker rights activists in the Triangle this week to highlight worker-justice issues. She is a highly regarded expert in her area of work and is the author of “Wage Theft in America.” In his review of […]

Worker Justice Leader in the Triangle This Week

September 24, 2012 by Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Tweet on Behalf of Children in Poverty

September 24, 2012 By Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Half in Ten reminds us that one in five children in the US lives in poverty (sadly, it is one in four in North Carolina) yet the presidential candidates are not discussing poverty in a meaningful way. The Coalition for Human Needs is joining with Half in Ten and Every Child Matters to try to change this discussion. […]

Tweet on Behalf of Children in Poverty

September 24, 2012 by Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Watch the Webinar: The Politics of Immigration in Washington, DC

September 20, 2012 By chris

On September 18, the NC Council of Churches hosted a free one-hour webinar focused on immigration at the federal level. Between the recent Supreme Court ruling on Arizona’s SB1070 and the Obama Administration’s announcement of deferred action, Congress has been engaged in a lively debate on many other issues related to immigration – and people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake. Learn about the latest bills and how your congregation can make a difference. Click here to watch a free recording of this webinar.

Watch the Webinar: The Politics of Immigration in Washington, DC

September 20, 2012 by chris

Evaluation

September 15, 2012 By chris

Please help us evaluate the 2012 Faith & Immigration Statewide Summit. Your feedback will help make future events even better. Thank you.

Evaluation

September 15, 2012 by chris

Please help us evaluate the 2012 Faith & Immigration Statewide Summit. Your feedback will help make future events even better. Thank you.

Join the Food Day Flash Mob

September 14, 2012 By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

Partners in Health and Wholeness is organizing a statewide Flash Mob on October 24 at 12:05 p.m. There is no single set location for this Flash Mob, which is celebrating Food Day, a national event. Local communities will decide their site. Food Day is a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. I’m asking people all […]

Join the Food Day Flash Mob

September 14, 2012 by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator

All Kale, All the Time?

September 13, 2012 By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

It may seem premature to state this…but I love my new job: Partners in Health and Wholeness Regional Consultant. I started working with the North Carolina Council of Churches on Monday. So here we are, day four. And what can I say? Things are going pretty well. So far I have been to a […]

All Kale, All the Time?

September 13, 2012 by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

Reclaiming the Bible’s Prophetic Voice

September 7, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

Recently, I heard a powerful message from the Rev. William Barber. Many Council folks know him. He’s the President of the NC NAACP and pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciple of Christ) in Goldsboro. The power of his message was not in fiery delivery. It was a low-key conversation with a group of fifty or so progressive leaders, sitting in a circle in the chapel of University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. The power was in the profound thoughts he expressed and in the clear rightness of his words.

Reclaiming the Bible’s Prophetic Voice

September 7, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

What We Do

September 6, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Explaining what the NC Council of Churches does is both exceedingly simple and exceptionally complex. I should know – it’s a big part of what I do for a living. In simple terms, we are a faith-based organization working on issues of social justice, peace and Christian unity. How we do that is where things […]

What We Do

September 6, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Canaries in the School Bus Lane

September 6, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

You probably know how the phrase “canary in the coal mine” came into being, but it doesn’t hurt to repeat it. Before there were other ways of monitoring for dangerous gases in coal mines, like carbon monoxide, miners took caged canaries with them into the tunnels. If gases were present, they would kill the canaries […]

Canaries in the School Bus Lane

September 6, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Manage the Unavoidable and Avoid the Unmanageable

August 29, 2012 By Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

NCIPL is all about helping faith communities find positive responses to climate change. It’s a big mission dealing with an extremely complex and rapidly changing problem. Science tells us that the climate has already changed and is extremely unlikely to change back to the stable conditions I was born into in the middle of the 20th […]

Manage the Unavoidable and Avoid the Unmanageable

August 29, 2012 by Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

Any Solutions to Farm Labor Shortages?

August 29, 2012 By Daryn Lane, Former Student Action with Farmworkers Intern

While the July 26 article “N.C. wary of possible farm labor shortage,” in the Raleigh News & Observer, included statistics and testimonies detailing our allegedly pending shortage of farm laborers, it left unstated the obvious conclusion: we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Or in this case, we can’t have our fresh produce and eat it too.

Any Solutions to Farm Labor Shortages?

August 29, 2012 by Daryn Lane, Former Student Action with Farmworkers Intern

The Food We Waste

August 24, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

You may have seen news yesterday about a just-released report from the Natural Resources Defense Council on food waste. I read the full report – only 26 pages, and eminently readable. Here’s a taste (!) of it: “Food is simply too good to waste. Even the most sustainably farmed food does us no good if […]

The Food We Waste

August 24, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Urge Congress to Promote the Common Good, Protect the Vulnerable

August 24, 2012 By Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Laypeople, clergy and organizational leaders can urge Congress to protect programs vital to vulnerable people as well as to protect the country’s economic security by e-mailing their elected leaders or signing on to a letter prepared by the Coalition on Human Needs. The letter calls upon Congress to promote the common good, protect those in need, and […]

Urge Congress to Promote the Common Good, Protect the Vulnerable

August 24, 2012 by Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate

Warming Climate and Melting Glacier Lead Vatican to Change Ritual

August 14, 2012 By Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

This piece in National Geographic Daily News is a wake-up call from local mountain dwellers in Europe. The Aletsch glacier is the source of the Rhone River system, and it is melting fast. In 1674, at the peak of the Little Ice Age, the glacier was growing rapidly and threatening villages. The Catholic Church began an […]

Warming Climate and Melting Glacier Lead Vatican to Change Ritual

August 14, 2012 by Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

Remarks from Strive to Revive

August 14, 2012 By George Reed, Former Executive Director

The following are some of Executive Director George Reed’s remarks at the statewide launch of the Strive to Revive campaign on August 7: We see preserving health as an issue of faith. We who are Christians follow a religious leader whom we still call “The Great Physician”. Forty percent of the stories in the gospels […]

Remarks from Strive to Revive

August 14, 2012 by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Dynamic Pastor and Determined Teens Lead Together

August 13, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Most people don’t think of flying basketballs, high rebounds, and tough competition when you say “I’m meeting with the pastor.” But Dave Halloway, pastor at Godwin Heights Baptist Church in Robeson County, is running some tough b-ball games. Usually, when I meet with pastors, I am dressed up in some fancy outfit with heels. But […]

Dynamic Pastor and Determined Teens Lead Together

August 13, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Strive to Revive: All Places of Worship Invited to Apply

August 9, 2012 By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director

Places of worship across North Carolina are invited to apply for a free Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and CPR training through a program called Strive to Revive (STR). STR is a three-year partnership between the North Carolina Council of Churches, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the American Red Cross and Representative Becky […]

Strive to Revive: All Places of Worship Invited to Apply

August 9, 2012 by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director