Bible Readings for May 30, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for May 30, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 2 Samuel 15:23-16:23; John 18:25-19:2; Psalm 119:113-128; and P...

Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, May 31, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the needs below.

• Adam & Shaina Hile
• Antonio Jimenez
• Bade Mohn
• Barbara Yarchuk
• Betty Phillips
• Betty Terwint
• Bob Varner
• Brooke
• Butch, Cass's brother
• Cara Maguire Defibaugh
• Carla Hepler
• Cathy Hale
• Corbin
• Dan Wallace
• Denny Myers
• Don Free and Family
• Duane Quinn
• Eddie Conner
• Evelyn Barkafelt
• Fred Summerville
• Gabe
• Gavin Blazosky
• Jane
• Jason
• Jayden Shorts
• Jeb Rapp
• Jeff Raybuck
• Jerry & Tracy Hawks
• Jim Mahle
• Jim Mason
• Joann Klamer
• Joe Amaato
• Joe Rainey
• Karen Defibaugh
• Kaylyn Bashline
• Kirby McCall
• Lana Todd
• Landdon Chalmers
• Len Gaulin
• Levi Jack
• Mary Young
• Mason Martin
• Matt
• Mike Curran
• Nancy Blauser
• Pamela
• Patty Divins
• Rev. Bruce & Fab Gander
• Robin Marlow
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Ron Lerch
• Rowan Pinson
• Rudy
• Ryan Cornecki & Family
• Sam & Carol Mason
• Tadd French
• TJ
• Tyler & Tamlynn
• Van Watkins
• Vickie White Templin
• Wes Summerville
• William Ford
• Zach Schieberl

Motorbikes for Rwandan Pastors

We can help our Rwandan brothers and sisters in Gitarma Presbytery by raising funds for the purchase of motorcycles. Each motorcycle costs only $2000! 

Many pastors in Rwanda must walk to their churches or to visit their parishioners. It can sometimes take 2 hours on foot to get where they need to go. Motorbikes are an inexpensive way to allow pastors to navigate the dirt roads and mountain trails. It is often easier to ride motorbikes on the dirt roads of Rwanda than it is a car due to the poor quality of the roads. But many congregations in Rwanda are already burdened with updated building standards set by the Government of Rwanda. Motorbikes are often beyond the reach of most churches. The gift of a motorbike allows for pastors to be more effective in their ministry, and permits more outreach among the community they serve. A motorbike is a relatively inexpensive gift with HUGE benefits for our partner congregations.

Bible Readings for May 29, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for May 29, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 2 Samuel 14:1-15:22; John 18:1-24; Psalm 119:97-112; and Prover...

Mission Yearbook: Pastor shares lessons on resilience learned after Hurricane Katrina

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Mission Yearbook: Pastor shares lessons on resilie...: Hurricane Katrina devastated the congregation where the Rev. Jean Marie Peacock served as associate pastor. Two parishioners lost their live...

The Program and Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, May 31, 2026

On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’ll explore six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:

• May 24 - Freedom That’s Empowered
• May 31 - Freedom That’s Liberating
• June 7 - Freedom That’s Enlightened
• June 14 - Freedom That’s Limited
• June 21 - Freedom That’s Active
• June 28 - Freedom That’s Challenging 

On Sunday, we'll discuss how our freedom in Christ frees us from sin. Below is the bulletin and program for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

The Kiski Weekly - May 24, 2026

Below is the most recent edition of The Kiski Weekly, the newsletter of the Presbytery of Kiskiminetas. 

The SPC Kindness Kids Celebrate Pentecost

 

On Sunday, May 24, our Kindness Kids celebrated Pentecost. After making streamers, they paraded down the aisles after our worship service, leading the congregation to fiery cupcakes in the narthex. We thank Debbie Rudiger for leading our Kindness Kids, our worship team for the cupcakes, Donna Pryor for Pentecost pens, and our young people for their dedication. Below are some pictures of this activity. The SPC Kindness Kids meet every Sunday morning during the Sligo Presbyterian worship service.

The SPC Kindness Kids Make Thank You Gifts for Their Teachers

 

On Sunday, May 17, our Kindness Kids made "Thank You" cards for their teachers. We thank Debbie Rudiger for leading our Kindness Kids and our young people for their dedication. Below are some pictures of this activity. The SPC Kindness Kids meet every Sunday morning during the Sligo Presbyterian worship service.

On the Road from Jerusalem: A Study of Acts (Will He Make It? - Acts 27:1-44)

In our Wednesday morning Bible study, we're using the Acts of the Apostles to discuss the growth of the earlier church from its birth in the city of Jerusalem to Paul’s arrival in Rome. During our time together, we’ll look at the following:

• Session 1 - Preparing for the Journey (Acts 1:1-2)
• Session 2 - Transition (Acts 1:3-26)
• Session 3 - Birth (Acts 2:1-47)
• Session 4 - The Work Begins (Acts 3:1-26)
• Session 5 - When Faced with Opposition (Acts 4:1-37)
• Session 6 - But... (Acts 5:1-42)
• Session 7 - Problem Solved (Acts 6:1-15)
• Session 8 - When Something Bad Happens (Acts 7:1-60)
• Session 9 - Step Two (Acts 8:1-40)
• Session 10 - Saul (Acts 9:1-43)
• Session 11 - Clean People (Acts 10:1-48)
• Session 12 - Phase Three Begins (Acts 11:1-30)
• Session 13 - Even Above Kings (Acts 12:1-25)
• Session 14 - The New Kid Takes the Stage (Acts 13:1-52)
• Session 15 - Approaching a New Community (Acts 14:1-28)
• Session 16 - Issue Resolved (Acts 15:1-41)
• Session 17 -  A New World (Acts 16:1-40)
• Session 18 - Know Your Audience (Acts 17:1-34)
• Session 19 - The Big Time (Acts 18:1-28)
• Session 20 - Christ and Culture (Acts 19:1-41)
• Session 21 - Farewell (Acts 20:1-38)
• Session 22 - Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-40)
• Session 23 - A Personal Testimony (Acts 22:1-30)
• Session 24 - The Plot Thickens (Acts 23:1-35)
• Session 25 - The Way Continues (Acts 24:1-27)
• Session 26 - Different Singer, Same Song (Acts 25:1-27)
• Session 27 - A Message to God’s People (Acts 26:1-32)
• Session 28 - Will He Make It? (Acts 27:1-44)
• Session 29 - Without Hindrance (Acts 28:1-31)

In our twenty-eighth session, we looked at Acts 27:1-44 and discussed Paul's voyage to Rome. The discussion and passage are below.

Acts 27:1-44 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

Since much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous, because even the Fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I can see that the voyage will be with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. Since the harbor was not suitable for spending the winter, the majority was in favor of putting to sea from there on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, where they could spend the winter. It was a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest.

When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete. Since the ship was caught and could not be turned head-on into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. After hoisting it up they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and so were driven. We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard, and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss. I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor, and, indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we will have to run aground on some island.”

When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. But when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea on the pretext of putting out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and set it adrift.

Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive, for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.” After he had said this, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. (We were in all two hundred seventy-six persons in the ship.) After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

In the morning they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach on which they planned to run the ship ashore, if they could. So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes that tied the steering-oars; then hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. But striking a reef, they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none might swim away and escape; but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land and the rest to follow, some on planks and others on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

Bible Readings for May 28, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for May 28, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 2 Samuel 13:1-39; John 17:1-26; Psalm 119:81-96; and Proverbs 1...

Mission Yearbook: Indiana church abolishes over $1 million in medical debt for neighbors

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Mission Yearbook: Indiana church abolishes over $1...: Last fall, First Presbyterian Church of Columbus, Indiana, celebrated its 200th anniversary (Photos by Rich Copley). As part of its 200th an...

Bible Readings for May 27, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for May 27, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 2 Samuel 12:1-31; John 16:1-33; Psalm 119:65-80; and Proverbs 1...

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, May 24, 2026

On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’ll explore six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:

• May 24 - Freedom That’s Empowered
• May 31 - Freedom That’s Liberating
• June 7 - Freedom That’s Enlightened
• June 14 - Freedom That’s Limited
• June 21 - Freedom That’s Active
• June 28 - Freedom That’s Challenging 

Since Sunday, May 24 was Pentecost, we discussed how our freedom in Christ is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Below is a video of the service, a presentation of the sermon, and the bulletin & program for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.