Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Teichert Prayer Letter for October

Karl and Jenny Teichert are serving the Lord as missionaries with OC Africa, in South Africa. They moved to Johannesburg in November, 1997 with their four children; Ann, Scott, Stephen and John. Karl serves as the Southern Africa Director of the Southern Africa Regional Team. Their vision is to see a healthy, Bible-based church established in every un-reached village and community in South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia and beyond. Their strategy is to partner with key African church leaders to research, train, and mobilize the body of Christ to complete the Great Commission. They are striving to equip local leaders in Southern Africa to reach their nations for Christ and send missionaries into other countries as well. Karl’s ministry focuses on research, church planting, and leadership development training. In addition to caring for their four children, Jenny enjoys ministering through hospitality and equipping Sunday school teachers

October Prayer Letter ...

Dear Family and Friends,

From Jenny: Last month we had a short-term team here from Enumclaw, Washington. It was exciting to see once again how coming to a different culture can really affect a person. Each team member put their hearts and their ALL into serving the people in the Finetown community. By the end of their time here, they had built strong relationships with the South African people. They served through hospice care and work projects, going into the community with health care workers, teaching first aid, and coming alongside the preschool teachers that Heather and I have had the opportunity to work with.

I was privileged to go out and walk the dusty streets of Finetown with two community care workers. I was shocked to find out that these workers volunteered their time and had very little in terms of resources or food, but they would offer what they had to the patients they cared for. We would go from house to house visiting patients with TB, AIDS, and diabetes, monitoring their health and ensuring that they had been taking their prescribed medicine or antiviral medications. It was encouraging to hear stories of how many patients’ health had been improving.

However, in one case we visited with a young man named Joseph who had TB. He had been taking his medication and getting better, but because of family influences, he chose to see a witch doctor (traditional healer). He showed us the cuts on his aching feet where the witch doctor had “treated” him by cutting them with a knife, rubbing various herbs into the wounds. After four days, we returned to visit Joseph again and his condition had worsened. He was in his bed, unable to walk, and could barely sit up. The community care workers told us how discouraging it was when patients stop taking their medications and resort to witch doctors for help; they try to give good care, only to see the patients become debilitated or in some cases die.

Like the team from Enumclaw, I was touched once again by the great needs in this country. I was struck by the love and compassion these community care workers had for the people. I asked them why they did it, and they told me because they had parents and family members who had died because they had no one to care for them or ensure that they took their medication; they want to make a difference in their community. They had such joy as they walked through the streets. They told me they can go through 10 pair of shoes each year! The short-term team has already helped meet needs by providing uniforms and new shoes for the community workers!

We were blessed to have them here! Thank you for praying for South Africa and the Finetown community.

With love and much thanks,
The Teicherts

OC Africa is an interdenominational ministry committed to developing, equipping, and mobilizing church leaders to multiply healthy, Bible-based churches in every community in Southern Africa and the world. OC is a faith-based mission who depends on the Lord to provide committed, financial supporters and partners. The contributions from these individuals help generate ministry opportunities around the world, impact missionaries and their global work, and provide a means for the International Mobilization Center to function. CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can be a part of mobilizing church leaders around the world by donating to OC.

It's About Education ... and Compassion

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics.

The same will be happening right here, in the Tall City.

The MC Student Government Association, Midland/Odessa Area AIDS Support (MAAS) and the Texas Department of State Health Services will host a ceremony honoring those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and those who are dealing with AIDS on Tuesday, November 30, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the F. Marie Hall Academic Building, Rooms 110/111. The ceremony will also include the reading of an official proclamation by Midland Mayor Wes Perry. The public is invited to attend.

On Wednesday, in observance of World AIDS Day, these same groups will offer FREE HIV/AIDS testing and 10-minute counseling sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the F. Marie Hall Academic Building, Room 110/111.

For more information, please contact Stephanie VanCuren at (432) 685-4543.

According to reports prepared by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. UNAIDS goes on to report that, despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children.

In the News ... "Stonegate to pass on spirit of giving through mall ministry"

Stonegate to pass on spirit of giving through mall ministry
By Kathleen Thurber
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - It may be just a bottle of water and some crackers, but for the volunteers from Stonegate Fellowship, the gift is meant to represent much more.

Volunteers will station themselves inside Midland Park Mall starting Friday and return each weekend through holiday shopping to pass out refreshments in hopes of showing the community that the church - and the Christmas season - is about giving.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Advent Devotional for November 30

"This Advent Season, start — or end — your day with these meditations provided by faculty, students, and alumni/ae of the Austin Seminary community. We believe our 2010 Advent Devotional reflects the richness and depth of the theological education offered at Austin Seminary."
CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary


Advent Devotional for Tuesday, November 28

Jesus is calling followers. He is seeking; he is being sought. Andrew and Peter follow; and then, we are told, Jesus “found Philip.” Philip, in turn, “found Nathanael.” Discipleship begins with Jesus seeking and people sharing.

Nathanael, who is not one of the twelve and who is otherwise unknown (John 21:2), is sitting under a fig tree. To him, Philip’s account of Jesus is unconvincing. How does he know Jesus is the one about whom Moses wrote? Nathanael ridicules this poor confession and along with it the hometown of Jesus himself. But then, remarkably, he stands up and follows. Apparently he does not really believe his disbelief.

Jesus, perhaps miraculously, recognizes the guileless heart of Nathanael and tells him about seeing him under the fig tree. Nathanael perceives the divine in Jesus and his vision. He confesses a good confession: “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Like all confessions, it may be true, but it is not enough. Jesus now ridicules Nathanael’s confession. You believe because of that? “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Encounters with Jesus, with God, resist the telling. No miracle fully portrays Jesus; no confession fully names him. The data of our relationship with God does not give adequate account of either us or God or the relationship. We cannot satisfactorily explain why or even what we believe. Nevertheless, in the presence of Jesus we think that the borders between heaven and earth are opened, that angels are running loose in the world, that fig trees can be sacred sites, that we can be disciples, and that we with our poor words can speak good confessions. And so, we tell our stories.

Eternal God, who calls us into service, who leads us into new paths, give us today guileless hearts with which to follow and honest words with which to speak. Amen.

Lewis Donelson
The Ruth A. Campbell Professor of New Testament Studies



For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

Monday, November 29, 2010

In the News ... "Holiday season doesn't slow down charities"

Holiday season doesn't slow down charities
Nathaniel Miller
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Even as most people are getting over the Thanksgiving feast, some Odessans don’t have enough food to get through the day.

Local charities are gearing up to help those who are less fortunate.

“I’m being worried about having enough food for people asking for help right now,” Catholic Charities Executive Director Faye Rodriguez said.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story.

Advent Devotional for November 29

"This Advent Season, start — or end — your day with these meditations provided by faculty, students, and alumni/ae of the Austin Seminary community. We believe our 2010 Advent Devotional reflects the richness and depth of the theological education offered at Austin Seminary."
CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary


Advent Devotional for Monday, November 28

They sat in company with the others, their eyes straining
against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His.” Thus wrote Zora Neale Hurston of Janie and Tea Cake and the others who had perilously underestimated the deadly force of an imminent hurricane. “They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.” Hurston’s phrase pinpoints the most surprising twist, of many, in the Book of Jonah. The eyes of the hated Ninevites were watching God, while Jonah’s eyes were cast down in anger and bitterness. The Book of Jonah knows that God is the God of sovereign freedom, forgiving and loving whom God will, even if it is our enemy.

There is a message of hope for all of us here, hope for the in-breaking of God’s undeserved mercy. But there is something deeply disturbing here, as well. There is the offense of God’s mercy toward the Other who violates the moral order of the world as we understand it. During Advent, the Book of Jonah demands that we acknowledge the “untamed dissonance,” in the words of Phyllis Trible, of the freedom of God in the world. The season of Advent offers us an invitation to steep in this ambiguity of a new way of seeing the world, a new ordering of the magnitude of Christ’s judgment and compassion for the world, even as we resist it.

“It’s uh known fact, Phoeby, you got tuh go there tuh know there,” Janie summarized after a long season of loving and resisting how the world was ordered. “Two things everybody’s got to do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves.” Maybe this Advent we will make some progress.

God of newness, fearing change, we dare not raise our eyes. Longing for your loving gaze, we see only ourselves. Blinded by our failures, we ask for courage to behold the suffering earth, the weeping alien, the struggling soldier, the demoralized neighbor, the hungry child. In your light, may we see light. Amen.

Carol A. Tate
Austin Seminary Coordinator of Chapel Music and DMin student



For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Advent Devotional for November 28

"This Advent Season, start — or end — your day with these meditations provided by faculty, students, and alumni/ae of the Austin Seminary community. We believe our 2010 Advent Devotional reflects the richness and depth of the theological education offered at Austin Seminary."
CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary


Advent Devotional for Sunday, November 28

Advent is about a defining hope—namely, the birth of our Lord Jesus. He was born into a world of conflict and struggle, a world in many ways quite like our own. Nations war, injustice flourishes, and the human family is torn to pieces. Nonetheless, Christian communities continue to remember the birth of Jesus each year in the season of Advent and, in the process, renew our commitment to our defining hope.

One of the biblical passages foundational for our defining hope is Micah 4:1-4. Appearing immediately after a passage announcing devastating destruction that will come upon Jerusalem and the land is this beautiful, powerful declaration of a time of peace and cooperation among the nations. While somewhat provincial in the imagery used (e.g., Zion as the highest of mountains and the center of the world), the vision is as wide as the love of God. All peoples will recognize the sovereignty of God and seek instruction concerning God’s ways. All nations will accept God’s adjudication of disputes. All peoples will turn their machinery of war into the tools of peace. Every individual will live with a sense of well-being and security.

These images are part of the defining hope that has guided Christians for centuries. These words describe the world as we expect it will one day become. We know that such a world has as yet not been realized. We believe that Jesus confirmed Micah’s vision. Thus, we seek to make concrete in every way possible, whenever and wherever, the peace and security envisioned by Micah between nations and for individuals. We have no illusion about establishing God’s reign by our own power, but we do seek to live in a manner that proclaims the defining hope that is our guide.

Generous and gracious God, in Jesus Christ you have entered our world and laid claim to our lives. Guide us as we strive to demonstrate the hope that Micah proclaimed and which you confirmed in and through your Son, our Lord. Amen.

W. Eugene March
Jean Brown Visiting Professor and Lecturer in Old Testament



For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Advent Conspiracy, Pt. 1

There's a conspiracy afoot in the Tall City, and across the country ... though it's not the kind of conspiracy you'd find in a Dan Brown novel. Advent Conspiracy is an international movement working to restore the spirit of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption - a movement of Christ-followers who want to ...● Worship Fully,
● Give More,
● Spend Less, and
● Love All.

It's a conspiracy without a hidden agenda ... speaking openly, conspirators remind us that the story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? ... Welcome to the Advent Conspiracy.

[Worship Fully]
It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift a song up to our God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a king is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest.

In the News ... "Volunteers thank God as they feed the needy"

Volunteers thank God as they feed the needy
By James Cannon
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Several churches, restaurants and charitable organizations banded together to feed the homeless and less fortunate on Thanksgiving Day.

All were in good spirits, as the helping spirit was in the air, and most said they were driven by God to help the community.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

In the News ... "TALKIN' TEXAS: Pastor commemorates 50 years of service"

TALKIN' TEXAS: Pastor commemorates 50 years of service
By Tumblewered Smith
Contributor/Columnist
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MARFA, TEXAS - Lloyd Conner was born in Miles in 1931, the seventh child of Virgil and Virdie Conner ... Conner pastored churches in Albany, San Angelo and Marfa, where he also served the Texas Baptist River Ministry and managed the Piasano Baptist Encampment between Alpine and Marfa. He currently is pastor of Marfa's First Baptist Church. In August the church held a celebration service for Lloyd's 50 years in the ministry.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the TALKIN' TEXAS column

Monday, November 1, 2010

In the News ... "Habitat is 'swamped' with volunteers for Apostles Build"

Habitat is 'swamped' with volunteers for Apostles Build
By Joan Huff
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Midland's Habitat for Humanity, partnering with 10 local churches in The Apostles Build, is almost two homes ahead of schedule. The project began October 1 and will continue until the second weekend in November. Administrators with Habitat said the turnout has been almost overwhelming.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story