First Presbyterian Church of Valparaiso

Even at my age, being a Camp Counselor is really a rewarding experience. I just concluded being a Counselor with the 31 Explorers (4th & 5th graders) at Geneva Center last week. We all know from the news about the difficulty employers are having in hiring full-time employees in all kinds of businesses. Well, finding part-time volunteers to counsel at Summer Camp this year was just as challenging. So… since I promised they could consider me as a “counselor of last resort” …the

Hello again friends! I have to say, I am really loving this blogging thing! Being able to share my thoughts, ideas and stories has brought me such joy. This one, however, is one that I have been struggling with; but I know that my church family is a safe space to express what I am feeling, so here it goes… As this blog goes into publication we will be just shy of the one-year date since the lives of all four of us Lawsons will have been forever changed. It is the date of the

I have been thinking a lot lately about what it means to “live in community.” Our Sunday morning Adult Faith Formation group took a look at how we might find common ground when we live and work with folks who think differently. We read The Rule of St. Benedict, which is perhaps one of the oldest guides to living in Christian community: The community members, for their part, are to express their opinions with all humility, and do not presume to defend their own views obstinate