wfn.org | PC(USA) terror crisis web site constantly updated

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #6841 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

14-September-2001
01323

PC(USA) terror crisis web site constantly updated 

Offers worship and educational resources, advice for coping

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - Working to spiritually buoy its membership in the wake of
Tuesday's terrorist attacks, officials of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have
beefed up the denomination's web site with worship resources, tips for
ministering to children and pastoral letters from church leaders.

The "cyber-campaign" to inform and support the church started just hours
after the devastating strikes on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Since then, staff members at the PC(USA)'s national offices in Louisville
have posted and updated material about every two hours to a site dedicated
to the tragedy. Pages on the crisis site - www.pcusa.org/crisis - are topped
with the heading, A Time of National Crisis.

"Right now we're working toward having worship resources available for
people who need them for the weekend," said Dianna Ott, PC(USA)'s web
managing editor. "Long-term, we'll want to think about other pieces for
pastors, counselors, Christian educators, parents and individuals, to help
them deal with this by using the Presbyterian voice to give support."

Worship resources are being added constantly, as are prayers, hymns and
Scripture references. A page with suggestions for helping children deal with
the crisis recommends storytelling and assurances of love. An abundance of
links to the home pages of organizations inside the church and beyond is
provided. A news and events page is included as well.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has a page - www.pcusa.org/pda -
which includes information on denominational relief efforts and instructions
on how to contribute money for emergency assistance and support for
pastoral-care teams to work in affected areas. PDA has also posted a
resource, Things to Look For on Sunday, providing ideas for Sunday worship
and materials Christian-education leaders can use this Sunday to better
respond to the concerns and needs of church members and their children.

A PresbyNet link called "Talk About It," which enables Presbyterians to
sound off together over the church's computer communication and electronic
conferencing system, is available at http://pcusa.org/presbynet.

Contributing to the coordinated effort to compile the worship and
educational resources available at the site were the denomination's Office
of Communication; Office of Theology, Worship and Discipleship; PDA; the
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program; and the Office of the Executive Director
of the General Assembly Council.

The Peacemaking Program, in consultation with the PC(USA)'s Child Advocacy
Office, developed a lesson plan to be used as a resource for teachers of
elementary-age children in the church. With some adaptation, Helping
Children Respond to the Events of September 11, 2001, can be used with
children of other ages, too.

"One of our main goals in providing these resources was to help those adults
who would be coming in on Sunday morning (to Sunday school) and dealing with
children who have been facing these events all week," said Martha Miller,
interim associate for resources and publications for the Peacemaking
Program, a certified Christian educator. "We're trying to help children cope
in light of faith, and give the teachers some resources to use for the
children in our churches across the country."

The material includes a seven-step "session plan" of activities to help
children express their feelings about one of the darkest days in American
history. Finger painting, drawing and molding clay are among the
recommendations. A checklist of suggestions for ministering to children,
adapted from a United Methodist educator in Florida, was also posted. The
denomination's Church & Society magazine plans to update material in a 1988
issue that focused on terrorism.

You can also reach the crisis web site by logging on to www.pcusa.org,
scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking on National crisis, news,
information & resources.
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