Health & Well-being

Moy Mendez: A community center is fulfilling a need for fresh vegetables and healthy proteins

Hope Center in Blue Island, Illinois, has begun to focus on growing food and fish for their community and teaching them how healthy foods can make a positive impact.

Healing America’s broken heart, one neighborhood at a time

After a church member’s murder, a Massachusetts pastor developed a strategy to help communities deal with collective trauma. It can also be applied within our national landscape of division and anxiety.

By Liz Walker Founding Director, Cory Johnson Program for Post-Traumatic Healing

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When the river rises in the Hill Country: Memory, belonging and the work of repair

A writer who grew up in Kerrville, Texas, where recent floods have caused devastation, reflects on the meaning of place.

By Shannon Hopkins Co-founder & lead cultivator, RootedGood

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Belonging could remake the world

A new book of meditations from more than 20 contributors offers a pathway from crisis to hope through the promise of belonging.

By Erin Weber-Johnson Partner and senior consultant, Vandersall Collective

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An organization working with immigrants cultivates joy and hope while offering support services

Casa Chirilagua serves as a hub for programming, outreach and connection in northern Virginia.

By Marissa Martinez Journalist

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How do we live our lives while the world burns?

A mother considers the best way to respond to near-endless news stories about conflict. Is it OK to continue with daily life — weeding the garden, washing dishes and caring for children — while the world is on fire?

By Andrea Palpant Dilley Writer

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Being a teenager can be particularly hard right now, but hope lingers on

As they head into summer, teenagers may find that world events mean a less restorative season than usual. Adults can help by being attentive and truly listening to them.

By Khristi Lauren Adams Author

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How gathering at the table helped renew church leaders in South Texas

At a series of in-person gatherings, United Methodist Church leaders shared celebrations, challenges, resources and values — with transformative results, writes a director in the UMC’s Rio Texas Conference.

By Tanya Campen Director of intergenerational ministries, UMC Rio Texas Conference

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How to preach the good news when you are suffering

It’s difficult to preach a message of hope when you feel hopeless. But there are ways to revitalize your preaching while still being honest, says a pastor at Reservoir Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

By Lydia Shiu Pastor and co-founder, Progressive Asian American Christians

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‘Parks & Recreation’ is the comfort our souls need

Rewatching a decade-old sitcom reminds us of hope in community and the value of local action, writes the director of communications for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.

By Emily Lund Director of Communications, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity

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How do you care for federal workers losing their livelihoods and vocations?

Soup, a reserve fund and protests — these are some ways that a church in Atlanta is responding to families reliant on jobs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By David Lewicki Co-pastor, North Decatur Presbyterian Church

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