Mission Yearbook Archives

2016 Season of Peace

Posted September 22nd, 2016

The 2016 Season of Peace is under way, with the theme “Come to the Table of Peace.” The emphasis is designed to encourage congregations to seek or enhance their focus on becoming peacemakers. The Season of Peace leads up to World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October. Various denominations observe World Communion Sunday, which promotes Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) the Season of Peace culminates with the receiving of the Peace & Global Witness Offering on the first Sunday in October.

Peacemaker hopes Presbyterians will open their hearts to refugees

Posted August 26th, 2016

In September of 2015, thousands of Syrian refugees found themselves stranded at a Budapest train station, making their way across Hungary toward the Austrian border. For most, the travel had been difficult, as they were turned away from other countries or settled in communities that were not very welcoming.

Tech expert leaves Amazon job to create prayer app

Posted August 26th, 2016

Chris Lim, a ruling elder at Indonesian Presbyterian Church in Seattle, wanted nothing less than what God wants—that God’s kingdom come. In fact, he wanted to use his expertise in technology to hasten its coming.

Presbytery Disaster Assistance continues relief efforts in the wake of Gulf flooding

Posted August 26th, 2016

The flooding the weekend of August 13–14 dumped nearly 22 inches of rain in parts of Louisiana and other Gulf states, according to the National Weather Service. The American Red Cross and other agencies said it was the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and some said the damage was more widespread than in Hurricane Katrina.

Healing Hearts focuses on children’s emotional wounds

Posted August 26th, 2016

In conjunction with the Women’s Department of the Church of Christ in Congo, Presbyterian World Mission co-worker Christi Boyd recently helped facilitate the first Healing Hearts training event in the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

After closing its central office, presbytery finds benefits of flexibility

Posted August 26th, 2016

In the northeast corner of the country, the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse made a dramatic decision. It reduced presbytery staff to just one person and got rid of its office space. Today, Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery has no building. The office is a laptop, and its number rings to a cell phone in Steve Plank’s pocket. As the lone presbytery employee, Plank has the dual job title of stated clerk/communicator. He works with a volunteer leadership team of 15 elected positions and four ex-officio members.

Minute for Mission: Evangelism Sunday

Posted August 26th, 2016

Evangelism is all about relationships . . . . In meetings with church leaders, I continue to grow in my faith and in what it means to follow Christ. Through these encounters I am going deeper into what I already know in my heart: that evangelism is good news, relational, messy, and takes time.

Hispanic Latin Presbyterian Women renew commitment to unity, service

Posted August 26th, 2016

Despite tension and polarization in church and society, Hispanic Latin Presbyterian Women (MHLP, in the Spanish acronym) came together recently under the theme “Connect . . . Grow . . . Serve” for their triennial assembly. Almost 200 Spanish-speaking Presbyterian women from congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico gathered in Fort Worth, Texas, to celebrate Encuentro VIII.

Minute for Mission: Native American Day

Posted August 26th, 2016

Bill and Lori Picard, Nez Perce tribal members of Lapwai, Idaho, exemplify concerned and visionary discipleship. In 1997 their son Quanah died in an automobile accident. Three years later their son Skylin also died in an automobile accident. But God called the couple to turn tragedy into discipleship.

Minute for Mission: Global Week of Action against Gun Violence

Posted August 26th, 2016

Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. (Leviticus 19:16 NLT) Do Not Stand Idly By (DNSIB) is more than a catchy phrase; it is a biblical mandate and founding principle that guides the work of a campaign started by the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation, an ecumenical coalition of congregations across the country. We seek to stand with and work on behalf of those who have been impacted by gun violence. This national campaign seeks to get safer, smarter gun technology into the marketplace and to pressure manufacturers to work toward safer, smarter dealer networks.