October 5-19, 2025
9:30 a.m. | Assembly Room
This October in Adult Education, we’ll reflect on Faith in Action. Join us as we explore environmental justice with young Presbyterians, learn from the witness of Malawian communities, and hear stories from Nassau’s own pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.
October 5 | Emma Marshall
Thinking Environmentally with Presbyterian Young Adults
Care of creation is a vital and activating issue for many, especially for millennials and Gen Z who are emerging into adulthood in a world marked by seeming scarcity, natural disasters, and uncertain futures. Presbyterians for Earth Care (a grassroots organization of the PC(USA)) has been working with Presbyterians ages 18–35 to develop a deeper understanding of what environmental activism looks like, now and in the future. Join us as we explore some of these frameworks for creation care and environmental justice — and begin to develop your own environmental narrative of faith, at any age!
Emma Marshall graduated with her MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary in May of this year. She is continuing on to complete her Masters of Social Work at Rutgers University. She is serving this year at Nassau as the Fellow for Mission & Outreach and Adult Education, and she also works as the young adult organizer with Presbyterians for Earth Care. Emma is a candidate for ordination in the National Capital Presbytery and in her free time, she likes to hang out with her dog, Daphne
October 12 | Liz Heinzel-Nelson
Suffering with Christ in a World of Plenty
The Apostle Paul speaks of sharing in Christ’s sufferings, yet in our culture of abundance this can feel distant and abstract. What does Christian suffering look like when we live in a world overflowing with material wealth, educational opportunity, and advanced medical care? Through the ministry of Villages in Partnership in rural Malawi, we will reflect on how God is at work in communities where daily hardship and deep joy in Christ coexist. Their witness can challenge and inspire us toward a deeper discipleship—one that longs for a world where everyone has enough.
Liz Heinzel-Nelson is the Founder and Executive Director of Villages in Partnership (VIP). Formerly the Director of Youth Ministries at Allentown Presbyterian Church, Liz and her family spent a year living and serving in Malawi, Africa. On returning in 2009, she founded VIP and has since dedicated her life to inviting others to walk alongside the poor and most vulnerable. She leads teams to Malawi several times a year and is passionate about connecting people and resources from the developed world with villagers in Malawi to lift both out of their respective poverties. Liz is married to Stephen and is the mother of four grown children and three grandchildren.
October 19 | Nassau’s Camino Pilgrims
Stories from the Camino de Santiago
In July 2025, a group of Nassau’s youth and adults traveled to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago, a medieval Christian pilgrimage route leading to the Cathedral of St. James. Along the way they encountered challenge and joy, as well as deepened community and faith. In this class, Nassau’s Camino pilgrims will share reflections, stories, and images from their journey, inviting us to consider how pilgrimage can shape our own journey of faith.
