West Texas Missioner

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-31T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 31, 2012

THE PRESBYTERY OF CRISTO - In the weeks after the January 8, 2011, shootings in Tucson, Arizona, an impromptu memorial sprang up outside the University Medical Center. There were narrow paths between thousands of offerings: candles, flowers, messages of goodwill, and prayers for peace. One volunteer removed her shoes. She moved through the labyrinth with resolve. Her bare feet connected to that holy ground that unites us and connects us to who God created us to be. She paused, lingering in front of a prayer. She fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes. She accepted a hug and gave a hug. And there is the sense that out of a senseless act of violence, God might be working to bring a community together.
CLICK HERE to read more.

ChinaAid Picks 2011’s Top 10 Cases of Persecution of Churches and Christians in China

2012-01-30T17:05:00.000-06:00

Shandong Province: Rubble from demolished church

"MIDLAND, TEXAS – 2011 can be regarded as China’s “year of political and religious persecution” or “year of Beijing terrorism.” Last year saw the revival of extreme leftist ideology and a severe deterioration of the rule of law, bringing with it not only the most severe deterioration in political and religious freedom for the Chinese people since the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution and the 1989 military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement, but also blatant human rights violations and a worrying economic crisis. Because of the Arab Spring Jasmine Revolution in 2011, a systematic crackdown on churches and prominent Christians that was launched in the second half of 2010 was extended and lasted for the whole of 2011.

Beijing: Church members outside police station
singing worship songs to encourage brothers
and sisters detained in the police station

ChinaAid’s selection of the top 10 persecution cases for 2011 is based on the severity, impact and significance of each incidence of persecution and is a highly representative list. These cases occurred in different parts of China and involved both urban and rural house churches, as well as “Three-Self” churches and Catholic churches. The victims included pastors, human rights lawyers, political dissidents and artists

CLICK HERE for more on this story from China Aid

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-30T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 30, 2012

THE SYNOD OF THE SOUTHWEST - Several years ago, the synod started a class in northern New Mexico with 14 people who were considering a call to become commissioned lay pastors (CLP). One of the main goals was to bring to the mountain churches a sense of permanence by utilizing their own members. Three people completed the required courses and in December 2010, John Detterick, Shirley Sandoval, and Gay Veit, together and individually, were commissioned and became Los Mensajeros (The Messengers), serving El Rito Presbyterian Church, Chacon; First Presbyterian Church, Mora; and First United Presbyterian Church, Las Vegas, bringing to their ministries a variety of gifts.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-29T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 29, 2012

MINUTE FOR MISSION: CRIMINAL JUSTICE - "In faith responding to our Creator, we celebrate the full humanity of each woman, man and child, all created in the divine image as individuals of infinite worth, by working for: ... A system of criminal rehabilitation based on restorative justice and an end to the death penalty."

These words from the Social Creed adopted in 2008 by member communions of the National Council of Churches, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), call us to a vision of restorative justice that is grounded in our understanding of the enduring possibility of repentance that is part of the hope we have in the Christian life.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-28T00:05:00.000-06:00

Partners: "Behind the Headlines"

2012-01-27T17:05:00.000-06:00

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This blog is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than newsletters allow for. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development.

I met a lady at the store the other day. She is a prolific knitter and has made hundreds of warm hats for IDPs hiding in the jungle during the cold season. “I guess I can stop knitting now that things are going so well in Burma,” she said. “Please don’t,” I begged her. “The needs today are as great as ever!"

We still have our work cut out for us, but there is change happening in Burma. Just last week the government signed a ceasefire agreement with the Karen National Union. There are many points that still need to be agreed upon and adhered to for it to have significant meaning, but this may very well be the beginning of the end of a violent conflict in Karen state that has lasted for 60 years. During the same week the government also released about 300 political prisoners, among them some of the most prominent dissidents.>

Partners is cautious yet hopeful about the changes. This is what we have been waiting for, praying for and hoping for for so many years. Could it be that the children of Burma will get to experience free, full lives in our lifetime? Could it be that we soon will be able to visit reconciled communities living in peace?

While we see positive steps, we continue to receive first-hand reports that reveal a very different reality, one that stands in direct conflict to what is being reported in mainstream media. In Kachin state the violence continues. Daily bombings are causing innocent people to flee their homes, schools to close, and thousands to live in hiding and in constant fear. Civilians get killed and women raped. People are starving and suffering from a lack of medicine and warm clothing. This may all change tomorrow, but years of healing and re-building will need to take place.

Our job is far from done! We continue to send much needed emergency supplies to the populations that are in hiding in Kachin state. The need for training of medics and midwives is as great as ever, and we continue to train the local communities. The need for education is ongoing, and Partners continues to build schools all over Burma. The need for development is ever increasing, and Partners staff are working hard to create agricultural methods that will provide the most sustainable life for people in villages. The need to know God’s love is universal – and that is ultimately why Partners staff share it with the people we meet.

Please continue to watch what is unfolding in Burma, reading beyond the headlines to get to the deeper truth. Please continue to give financially so we can continue to help those whom no one is helping; and develop this nation that has been suffering for so long.

Please keep praying for real and lasting change in Burma.

In His service,

Oddny Gumaer
International Advocacy Officer
Partners Relief &Development International

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

From ServLife International: "January 2012 Message"

2012-01-26T17:05:00.000-06:00

ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams.

"Making a World of Difference"
By Jeff Romack
ServLife International

Okay, I'll admit it. I am something of a football fan. I'm not exactly a raving fan but I do enjoy the game if not all the hype that so often goes with it. This, of course, is the season that is especially good to fans of the game what with the college bowl games and now the NFL playoffs. All that leads up to the Super Bowl which, by the way, will be held here in Indianapolis next month but that is another story.

I'm sure you've noticed that players and coaches alike have a jargon peculiar to their sport. And because sports play such a significant role in American life we often end up borrowing terms from the world of sports for our own wider use. Now everyone can "hit a home run, " "score!" or make a "slam dunk!" but sometimes, unfortunately, we also "strikeout.'"

One expression of the sports vernacular that I've heard recently is an exceptional athlete referred to as a "difference-maker." A "difference-maker" is a special player that is able to change the course of a game by virtue of a combination of innate ability and the development of that ability to high level. This takes an uncommon commitment on the part of the individual. Difference-makers are what separate championship level teams from the rest of the pack.

Okay, so here is where I borrow some of the jargon to say that the donors of ServLife, those that pray for us and give to the causes that we advocate for and serve; you are our "difference-makers!" All that we do to serve orphans and children-at-risk, all that we do to train and support church planters in the remote corners of the earth, all that we do to help create and support means of sustainable income for the poor - all of it depends on you-- and us -working together to make a difference in this world of need.

Making a world of difference is our vision and our hope at ServLife. For those of you that are already on our team, we are glad to be in it with you. For those who have yet to get in the game, we are looking for more difference-makers to get involved. Won't you consider one or more of the possibilities below?

We also want to make you aware of a new member to our staff. We are pleased to announce that we have hired Adam Nevins as our new Director of Operations. Adam has been a part of our community for a long time, and brings diverse experience from the business, church and nonprofit realms.

Having founded a nonprofit and an active volunteer with many more, Adam has a passion for seeing Jesus minister to the spiritual and physical needs of humanity through the Body of Christ. His eight years as a worship pastor fueled his understanding of true worship and justice, as well as cultivating a pastoral heart.

Adam and his wife Christin have been married for 12 years and are blessed with three children: Carolyn, Emily and David. They have had the joy of adopting from India, attend Common Ground Christian Church, and have raised their family in an inner-city Indianapolis neighborhood for the last 8 years.

Adam concluded his work as a Project Manager at a local multimedia firm last December and joined our staff at the beginning of this year. Welcome, Adam!

You can make a difference in this world of need ...

• Pray with us and for us. CLICK HERE and join those who pray for ServLife
   and all we do.
• Give to train and send a church planter to the frontiers of the gospel.
   CLICK HERE to make a one-time gift, or give on a monthly basis.
• Make a difference in the life of a child . . . give . . .hope. CLICK HERE to
   become a ServLife child sponsor.
• Serve the poor through micro-lending. CLICK HERE to give to the ServLife
   Hope Fund.

Thanks for all you do,
Jeff

ServLife International is a non-profit organization planting communities of the Kingdom and restoring hope to children-at-risk and the global poor.

ServLife International, Inc.
P.O. Box 20596
Indianapolis, IN 46220
USA

In the News ... "Sisters, laity to receive papal honors"

2012-01-26T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

WEST TEXAS - After a life of dedication and servitude to the Catholic Church, three Odessans will be awarded papal honors on February 20 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo.

Sister Esperanza Razura of the Catholic Churches of South Odessa and Sister Regina Javier of Midland’s Our Lady of Guadalupe will receive the “Pro Ecclesiae et Pontifice,” the highest pontifical medal given to those who serve the Catholic Church in an exemplary manner. Anita Diaz, elementary education director at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, will receive the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-26T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 26, 2012

ARGENTINA/PARAGUAY/URUGUAY - El Pastoreo Social Services Center has been serving the community of El Pastoreo in Rosario, Uruguay, for more than 50 years. It was created to help a community with all types of needs while opening the door for evangelical witness. The neighboring Waldensian communities supported the Center but as time passed, the community grew and the initial sense of ministry seemed to diminish. Then a devastating fire destroyed almost all of the facilities. Dismay and disbelief overwhelmed the church as well as the community. Cries of "How will we go on?" and, more important, "Is it worth going on?" were heard. The community had changed; its people's needs had changed. How were they to proceed?
CLICK HERE to read more.

Christian Far East Ministry: New Project Requests

2012-01-25T17:05:00.000-06:00

Devestating floods, deadly cyclones and repressive governments notwithstanding, our friends in mission based in southeast Asia continue to spread the love of Jesus Christ, not only through their actions, but through the written Word of God. Following is an update we received from Mark and Astrid of the Christian Far East Ministry. We met with them both, learned from them and contributed to their efforts during our Thailand Mission, in 2008. Their work extends beyond the borders of Thailand into other southeast Asian countries, as well.

Christian Far East Ministry: New Project Requests

Dear Friends of Christian Far East Ministry,

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Holiday, and we'd like to thank everyone who prays and supports this work in Asia.

In October I put out a list of some needs here in Asia that we didn't have specific support for, and the Lord has been so good through is people to provide for some of the needs. Some people have been asking about the current needs, so it's time I reported to you all that the Lord has provided for. Here is our current report.

Christian Far East Ministry
Report of Sponsorship Provided for New Projects from Letter Dated October 2011
January 2012

The Lord has provided for these projects:

The Leper Church Building in Myanmar has been supported, and the money was sent to their village in December. They immediately bought cement and bricks and they have finished about 80% of the building already. Attached are some pictures of the project.

The Leper Children's school fees were also paid for. The parents wept when they received this support. The pastor had gone into debt in to pay for the kids school fees. He did it in faith that the Lord would somehow provide for them, and now he has. And just in time as the debt was due to be repaid by the end of 2011. The pastor asks that people will pray for the school fees for the kids for the next school year that begins in May 2012.

The Christmas Outreach in the region where the lepers live was also provided for. They bought a cow and a pig and roasted them and gave free meals to the villagers who then heard the Christmas (Gospel) message.

Some money was given for pastors' support in Myanmar and Cambodia. We are so grateful for these donation. The funds have been distrubted, but this is an on going need.

We received some funds for the Bible transportation and that was greatly needed.

The children's home in Thailand has put up all the security bars and windows so the children will be safe, cool, and mosquito free. The children are sleeping better and doing better in school as a result. So this is a better Christian witness.

The Projects that have not yet been provided for:
At the children's home in Thailand that put up the security windows and doors, the shop that did the work knows that this home is doing a good job helping poor children, so they did all the work, even though the home told them they were still US$ 690 short of funds. The told the people running the home that they can pay the rest whenever they can come up with it. The home is now praying to pay off this debt. They are also praying for 12 more fans at about $35 each.

The Agape home in Vietnam still needs an additional $350 per month this year to continue.

The new children's home in a northern province of Myanmar, Shekinah North One 1, still needs support to start building. We will pray for funding this year and see if the Lord allows us to do this ministry. The family that we'd like to support to do this ministry has already taken in to their own home the one widow woman who was on the streets and contemplating suicide. She is so much happier now and in her gratitude she helps out around the family's home all the time. She has come to Christ and is studying the Bible.

Pastor support is an on going need.

We still over 20,000 Bibles that we need to ship around South East Asia to reach the poor and persecuted and refugee Christians. It costs us about US$1 per Bible to transport the Bibles to the people.

The roof for the church in Cambodia has not yet been provided for. (see our original October letter below for more details on all projects).

New Projects:

1. Pastor Timothy in Cambodia has started a radio ministry. He is asking for support to expand the signal range. But I don't have prices for this yet.

2. Astrid will be visiting a refugee children's home next week that has lost all of it's support. We may begin to support it. The home is run by a Nobel Peace Prize winner who is an ethnic Karen woman. This camp is very far south of the other camps we visit, so travel will be a consideration in helping this home.

May the Lord richly bless you all!
Mark and Astrid

NEW INCORPORATION - Christian Far East Ministry has now been incorporated in America. All gifts may now be given directly to Christian Far East Ministry, PO Box 1411, Glendora, CA 91740. "If it is easier for you to continue to give through Faith Community Church or His Servants Ministry, you can as our relationship with these ministries has not changed. But if you are mailing checks to the Glendora address, you may now make all gifts payable to Christian Far East Ministry. We’d like to thank Faith Community Church and His Servants Ministry for their assistance and support throughout the years and their continued assistance. We’d also like to thank all of you who support us and pray for us as we could not do this ministry without your partnership."

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

2012-01-25T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 12/25/12

HAITI - Please continue to keep close in prayer the children and people of Haiti who still struggle to recover from a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake two years ago. Give thanks to God that almost a million people have moved out of tent cities—many received help with rent or home repair. Pray for the 500,000 children and people who still remain in dangerous tent cities…20,000 of whom live in a squalid camp in downtown Port-au-Prince.
A report from the Washington Post
• Give God thanks that the cholera epidemic, which started in late 2010 and killed 7,000 people, is now under control. Please continue to pray for the health of the children affected by this water-borne disease.

INDIA - Pray for the children of Mumbai’s massive slum known as Dharavi. An estimated one million people live and work in this contained residential and commercial “city” within a city. Pray for families who struggle to make a living in the informal economy of this infamous slum.
A report from the New York Times
• Please pray for children who grow up in this unhealthy environment—there aren’t enough toilets (most are communal pay toilets) or clean water sources (ten families share a single water tap). Pray for children living in this densely populated slum where sewage flows through open channels; diarrhea, malaria, tuberculosis, asthma, and premature tooth decay are common sicknesses affecting children; education is unreachable or expensive for many; and where daylight struggles to reach through the tightly packed shanties.
• Pray God will be at work in the hearts of those with the authority and power to make a difference for Dharavi’s children and people. Pray God will give wisdom to those government leaders who struggle to understand and deal with the complicated informal city that is Dharavi slum. A government movement to raze the slum and sell the high-value property on which it sits has Dharavi residents and leaders concerned that the booming, informal economy of the slum would be destroyed and poor people would be pushed into new slums out of Mumbai.

UNITED STATES - Keep in prayer the students, teachers, and staff at Creedmoor Elementary School, a rural Texas school at which the majority of students are considered economically disadvantaged. Pray God will provide for each child in this school … that they will have sufficient food, school clothes and supplies, and constructive parental involvement. Pray God will support and sustain Creedmoor’s teachers for this challenging work. Pray God will help each of them be a shining light of love, grace, and mercy in the lives of the children with whom they work.

ZAMBIA - Please pray for the children of Zambia who are lured, forced by circumstance, or coerced into commercial sexual exploitation. Pray for those who are sexually abused either through prostitution, trafficking, child sex tourism, child marriage, or child pornography. Pray God will bring them freedom from this abuse and healing to their bodies, minds, and hearts.
A report from Women's eNews
• Pray that those with the power to provide protection to children from commercial sexual exploitation or sexual abuse will recognize the damage this abuse does to children and act in the best interests of Zambia’s children. Pray God will bring transformation to Zambia’s legal systems and cultural traditions so they will protect sexually abused children. Please pray law enforcement officers won’t criminalize or arrest prostituted children, but will treat them as victims of crime.
A report from the Children In Need Network

FACES OF CHILDREN - Please keep in prayer Faces of Children prayer partner Rebecca Nicholson and her family during their season of sorrow. Rebecca’s father, Wilkie Miller, died January 11, 2012.
• Pray God will protect 11-year-old Max* and his 8-year-old sister Laura*, the niece and nephew of a Faces of Children prayer partner, from their father’s increasingly violent behavior. Pray for God’s healing presence in the lives of these children and their mother. Pray their father/husband will learn to cherish his family instead of terrorizing them.
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection.

If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-25T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 25, 2012

CHILE - The Evangelical Presbyterian Church is involved in ministries that occupy an important place in our lives. Prayer is a foundation in our communities of faith. Solidarity is also very important. The earthquake of February 27, 2010, in the south-central area of our country, heavily damaged the Talca and Rancagua churches. Other churches acted in solidarity, helping and accompanying the most affected people. Sisters and brothers showed a love that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Invitation to Prayer

2012-01-24T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Epiphany (Again)

“Gracious God, giver of love and peace, you call us to live together as one family: Give us grace to learn your ways, that all people may have the necessities of life and no one must struggle to survive; in the name of the Source, the Word, and the Spirit. Amen.”

Collects for the Church Year, by the Reverend Elizabeth Rankin Geitz

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

We are about to move into the fourth week after Epiphany and Ash Wednesday will be here soon — February 22, to be exact. Hard to believe we’ll begin the season of Lent in a little over four weeks. Didn’t we just celebrate Christmas?

Ever since I was a child, I’ve found this time in the church year—the time between Christmas and Easter—a bit puzzling. First we celebrate the birth of the Christ child, and then 15 weeks later, his death and resurrection. That’s hardly four months between the two major observances on the Christian calendar. I’m sure there are perfectly good reasons for this and if I asked my seminary-educated friends, they’d explain it to me (hopefully in terms I might understand).

Yet it still feels too soon to move into another season of the church. The Christmas decorations haven’t been put away for very long and now we’re pulling out Easter ones? As a little girl, I interpreted this time frame in a more literal way. I wondered when Jesus had time to grow up, hang out with his family, learn about the carpentry business, teach the disciples, or perform miracles if he was only a few months old. (Yes, I was a precocious child—my poor parents!)

Perhaps I should push my puzzlement aside about this perplexing period between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday—this interval called Ordinary Time* on the Christian calendar—and spend it living out the Epiphany prayer above. Perhaps, in this in-between time, I might be better off focusing on the Giver of love and peace, the One who calls us to live together as one family. At least I think that’s where the Holy Spirit is leading me. What are your reflections on or thoughts about this between-church-seasons time?

On Wednesday, January 25, 2012, the Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, to pray for the children of our community and world. Lunch ($5) and fellowship will follow. I hope you will be able to join us.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our world.

Christ’s peace and joy to you and yours,

Chris

In the News ... "'90 Minutes in Heaven' author to speak in Midland"

2012-01-24T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Don Piper, author of the New York Times Bestseller “90 Minutes in Heaven,” will be the guest speaker at the fourth-annual National Prayer Breakfast Midland, at 6:45 a.m., Wednesday, February 15, at the Midland Center. The event gives Midlanders the opportunity to pray together for our community, state, nation and leaders, as well as to hear Piper’s account of his life-after-death experience as chronicled in his popular book.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-24T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 24, 2012

BOLIVIA - The earth is renewed by the young: "encountering, enacting, and sharing life" was the theme of the Fourth Youth Environmental Congress, held in Lima, Peru, in 2011. Fruit of collaboration between different networks of the Joining Hands program, the congress brings together youth and young adults from Peru, Bolivia, and the PC(USA) partner presbyteries to learn about issues of common concern in the areas of creation care and human rights, and to share about the work they are doing.
CLICK HERE to read more.

ChinaAid: Beijing Shouwang Church Announcement on Outdoor Worship Service

2012-01-23T17:05:00.000-06:00

"MIDLAND, TEXAS – Since the indoor meeting place the church rented for Sunday service cannot be used as the government interfered for many times, the church made a decision last Friday to continue to have outdoor worship service on the third platform of Zhongguancun Square.

As far as we know, on Sunday morning, at least nineteen believers were taken away for going to the planned location to join the outdoor service, either at the spot or on their way there.

CLICK HERE for more on this story from China Aid

In the News ... "'One More Home' initiative kicks off across Permian Basin"

2012-01-23T07:56:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Leaders from churches across the Permian Basin had one simple but admittedly difficult request for their congregations Sunday: to welcome a bit of chaos into their lives.

Messages encouraging families to consider foster care flooded the sanctuaries and auditoriums of churches across the Basin on Sunday as 17 participating churches kicked off the One More Home initiative. Through this call to action, local pastors and agencies hope to inspire 200 families to enter the foster system in the next 18 to 24 months.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-23T00:05:00.000-06:00

Video Vault: Introduction to 'One More Home'

2012-01-22T17:05:00.000-06:00

The "ONE MORE HOME" Initiative is an initiative by pastors and agencies in our community to call the body of Christ to step up and respond to this significant need in the community by releasing 200 families into the foster system in the next 18-24 months.

One More Home Short Intro Video from onemorehome on Vimeo.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-22T00:05:00.000-06:00

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-21T00:05:00.000-06:00

In the News ... "Carolers donate to Family Promise"

2012-01-20T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Audrie Palmer
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Nineteen Christmas carolers presented a check Thursday to a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping the homeless. Voces Dei raised $3,300 in donations during the Christmas season for Family Promise of Midland.

The group is comprosed of singers who sing at various events in the community for an offering. All money goes to a charity. This year, Voces Dei selected Family Promise as its recipient agency.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-20T00:05:00.000-06:00

In the News ... "Local Churches Team Up to Provide More Foster Families in the Permian Basin"

2012-01-19T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Jason Britsch
Reporter
KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - --"For the churches to team up like this, it means so much to us, it means so much to these kids, it means an actual home for these children," said Amber Chapman, High Sky Children’s Ranch.

Eighteen churches in the Permian Basin started the initiative [this week] of One More Home, recruiting the community to step up and keep foster kids closer to home.

CLICK HERE to read/watch the rest of the KOSA story.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-19T00:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

2012-01-18T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 12/18/12

AFGHANISTAN - Please keep the children of Afghanistan’s government-run orphanages held close in prayer. Pray for children who have had their food, clothing, and bedding stolen by those hired to care for them.
• Pray that the directors and staff of these orphanages will have a change of heart towards the orphans in their care. Pray they will value children over money, political ties, or ingrained corruption.
• Give thanks to God for the work of the new director at the National Directorate of Orphanages in Afghanistan and his indignation at the suffering so many of these vulnerable children endure. Pray that God will provide this director, an orphan himself, with the resources and tools needed to protect all children in government-run orphanages.
A report from the New York Times

BULLYING - Please pray for children who are bullied…who are intentionally tormented in physical, verbal, or psychological ways. Pray for their physical and emotional health—bullying can affect children’s sense of self-worth and future relationships. Pray that children who experience bullying will find a trusted adult in whom to confide.
• Please pray for girls and boys who experience sexual harassment — who have been subjected to unwelcome comments or jokes; inappropriate touching or sexual intimidation; harassment through texts, emails, social networking sites; or have had sexual rumors, innuendos, or photos spread about them.
A report from the New York Times
• Pray for children who are marginalized by or considered unimportant because of their different learning styles; the shape, size, or color of their bodies; their lack of athletic skill or intellectual ability; their disability or illness; or their lack of wealth.
A report from the Daily Mail
• Pray for children who desperately want to fit in, but are ostracized—given the cold shoulder—by their peers. Pray for God’s comfort and encouragement. Pray that a network of support will surround these children.
• Please pray that adults who are made aware of bullying will respond to the situation and not ignore it. Pray for school administrators and teachers who deal with bullying situations…that God will give them wisdom and courage to handle the challenges of bullied children and child bullies.
Bullying page on Kids Health website
• Pray for children who use violence, name-calling, threats, or other physical tactics to get what they want from their victims. Pray for children who bully by shunning others or spreading rumors about them.
• Give God thanks for programs like Rachel’s Challenge that exist to help students make a positive difference in their world. Praise God that so many students have embraced this program and that bullying and violent behavior on many school campuses has been replaced with kind and compassionate behavior, enabling students to learn in a safer and more respectful environment.
Rachel's Challenge website

UNITED STATES - Give God thanks and praise for the “One More Home” initiative to develop 200 more foster homes during the next two years in the Permian Basin (17 West Texas counties make up this area). More than half of the children picked up by Child and Family Protective Services in the Permian Basin are sent out of the region because there aren’t enough foster homes.
A report from the Midland Reporter-Telegram
One More Home website
• Thanks be to God for the 14 churches involved in this initiative and pray that more will recognize the desperate need for foster homes in the area and become involved with the project.
• Pray for children who are removed by CPS and placed in foster care outside their community. Pray for those who lose their families, friends, homes, and communities when they are removed. Parental visitation, when allowed, is more difficult when children are placed in a different county from their home county. Pray for children who are moved often or must stay long periods in emergency shelters because of the lack of foster homes.

FACES OF CHILDREN - Give thanks to God for the life of Jane Riddle, a Faces of Children intercessor in Washington, who died January 6, 2012. Please keep Jane’s family and friends held close in prayer as they celebrate the life of this amazing woman of prayer.
• Give thanks to God for the opportunity to share the ministry of Faces of Children with members of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas last week. And thanks be to God for the new prayer partners from Westlake Hills who committed to pray for children through Faces of Children
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection.

If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net

In the News ... "Former county attorney embraces role as chaplain"

2012-01-18T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."

These words are personal for Mark Dettman, who might be known by some Midlanders as a former county attorney.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-18T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 18, 2012

MINUTE FOR MISSION: CHRISTIAN UNITY - The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity comes from Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth. "We shall be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15: 51-58). What a fascinating theme for a focus on Christian unity! So much of the ecumenical work of the church is healing divisions born out of past struggles over differences between Christians - differences that resulted in labeling who's right and who's wrong - who will win and who will lose. At the same time, we are mindful of new divisions that emerge as a result of "irreconcilable differences.'' Unfortunately, one of the legacies of the Presbyterian/Reformed traditions is our proclivity for schism. Some divisions have been healed through reunion efforts, only to have other schisms emerge. Each scenario creates its own set of winners and losers.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Pastor, family have new beginning in Asia"

2012-01-17T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - As the month that signals the start of the New Year, January is inherently full of changes for most people.

And no change is more significant to the Rev. Cory Ward and his family than becoming missionaries in Asia for the Christian nonprofit MANNA Worldwide. MANNA is an organization that partners with regional missionary groups to care for children in need by feeding and educating them.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-17T00:05:00.000-06:00

ChinaAid: FLASH: “Disappeared” Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng Imprisoned in Remote Far Western China

2012-01-16T17:05:00.000-06:00

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

FLASH: “Disappeared” Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng Imprisoned in Remote Far Western China
Distributed by ChinaAid, January, 2012 ...

"WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the first time since his most recent forced disappearance 20 months ago, the whereabouts of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng were confirmed on Sunday.

ChinaAid learned that Gao Zhisheng’s older brother, Gao Zhiyi, received written notification on Sunday of Gao’s incarceration in Shaya Prison in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in far western China. The notification was signed and dated on Dec. 19 by the prison."
CLICK HERE for more on this story from China Aid

Invitation to Prayer

2012-01-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Epiphany

“O God, who became vulnerable for our sake, you challenge the powers that rule this world through all who work for justice, freedom, and peace: Fill us with your passion that we may have the courage to persevere against evil in all its disguises; in the name of your Beloved, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Women’s Uncommon Prayers, by Elizabeth Geitz

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

I was drawn to this prayer because it reminds me that all of us involved with Faces of Children are engaged in this work for justice, freedom, and peace about which Geitz writes. However, it’s not the kind of work or involvement society might think of immediately. The average person probably wouldn’t consider prayer to be an effective form of work in helping children.

Yet, I firmly believe God is at work through our individual and corporate prayers for children in challenging the powers that rule this world. I’ve witnessed so many answers to prayer ... so many ways in which God has worked through prayer…that I am humbled by God’s power and God’s grace.

Just last week, I was blessed to meet in person Emmanuel and Grace (these are their real names—love it!) …children who, against all odds, escaped poverty and exploitation in Africa and were reunited with family in the United States. These beautiful children grinned with joy and happiness when told they had been prayed for by so many of you. They looked me in the eye and said, with deepest sincerity and love, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

And now, I pass this “thank you” from Emmanuel and Grace along to you because you did the hard work of prayer. It isn’t easy to open your heart to the pain and suffering of children, but your passion for them and prayers of concern for them helped you persevere. You became an instrument of God’s work by praying for Emmanuel and Grace. You prayed and God, who is with us always, listened and answered. Thanks be to our generous God of grace.

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. to pray for the children of our local and global community. The Midland Faces of Children prayer group meets in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. Please join us for this time of prayer, and afterward for lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our world.

Giving thanks to the God of Grace and Emmanuel and you,

Chris

In the News ... "Churches work to provide 'One More Home' to foster children"

2012-01-16T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Kathleen Thurber
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - With twin 6-year-old boys and a 2-year-old girl, Pastor Daniel Stephens assumed he and his wife, Kayla, were done adding to their family.

Kayla wasn't so certain. The Bible teaches Christ's followers to care for orphans, and Kayla said she felt like the Lord asked them to adopt.

Their story is one the Stephens family hopes will become more common in 2012. While their own experience started out of a desire to adopt, Daniel Stephens said they learned about statistics that indicate Midland-Odessa is doing an abysmal job in caring for its children.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-16T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 16, 2012

CUBA - There has always been something special to me about gardens, something soothing and miraculous about looking out over beds of tender plants. A garden is a feast for the eyes and salve to the soul.

For the church is in the business of "cultivation" ... cultivating spirits and hearts in the love of God in Jesus Christ; cultivating minds in the knowledge of God; cultivating friendships, mutual regard, and concern among people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Why would the church not also cultivate gardens of fresh vegetables to nourish the bodies of the seminary community and to share with neighbors.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Video Vault: Lack of adequate child sex trafficking laws in the U.S.

2012-01-15T17:05:00.000-06:00

ECPAT-USA is is a non-profit children's rights organization whose mission is to protect all children from commercial sexual exploitation, and is the US Chapter of Thailand-based ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) International, working at the community, national and international levels.

NEW YORK - Arresting children involved in prostitution does not rescue them. That is the clear message of “What I’ve Been Through Is Not Who I Am,” a new documentary released byECPAT-USA and WITNESS that tells the story of Katrina, a formerly sexually exploited teen who was arrested many times. It was only after she accepted an offer of help from a safe haven that she was able to escape.

“Most states’ laws allow children to be arrested for prostitution. Instead of a jail cell we need to give them a safe place to heal. They are not ‘bad’ children, they are abused children,” says Carol Smolenski, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to protect sexually exploited children.

“We believe this film will bring much needed visibility to this issue,” says Kelly Matheson, WITNESS Program Manager for the Americas. “When decision makers hear Katrina’s personal story and understand that we are jailing children who are bought and sold for sex, it would be devastating if they did not change the system.”

Children under 18 years old who are sold in the commercial sex industry should be offered protection and a way out of the life of prostitution. This is the message of the new 21-minute documentary released today by two human rights organizations, ECPAT-USA and WITNESS. In the documentary, Katrina, tells the story of being lured into the sex industry while still a teen, and the abuse she suffered from a trafficker who keep her in that life. Her compelling and emotional story takes us from Atlanta to New York City to Atlanta again, from desperation to recovery and success. Her story illustrates the failure of the criminal justice system to help these youth.

The documentary brings together a diverse set of experts from juvenile justice, law enforcement, child rights, and service providers to speak about the traumatic effects of commercial sexual exploitation of children. They make the case that arresting children is not the right approach for ensuring their recovery from the trauma of prostitution.

The video was created to educate public policy makers, especially state legislators, about the best way to help children involved in the sex trade and ask them to make changes on behalf of these youth. Legislative reform measures and new approaches, recommended in the film, can shift our collective responsive from a punitive one to a restorative one.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-15T00:05:00.000-06:00

In the News ... "'Rock the Desert' brings in more bands"

2012-01-11T07:55:00.000-06:00

Climbing Blind

Staff Report
OA Life
Odessa American

ODESSA-MIDLAND, TEXAS - Rock the Desert continues to work to bring in bands for its August 2-4 concerts. The festival confirmed via twitter on Tuesday that Climbing Blind would be performing at the annual Christian rock event.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Invitation to Prayer

2012-01-10T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Epiphany

“The wise ones hurried from the East.
They are the wise of the world.
They are the ones wise in science, for they read the ‘intelligent design’ of the stars.
They are the wise ones of the economy, for they come with gold.
They are the wise ones of politics, for they sought a king.
They are our delegates, as we stand carrying all the learning of the academy,
of the market,
of the laboratory,
of the halls of power.

They came, tenaciously and eagerly and regally.
They came and bowed down before your foolishness.
They sensed the contradiction
between his vulnerability and their sagacity,
between his innocence and their calculation,
between his exposure and their many concealing robes of power

They worshiped him!
They recognized that he called into question all that they treasured,
so they yielded their best to him,
their preciousness,
their secret potions,
their rich perfumes.

And we stand alongside them with
our wealth,
our control,
our smarts,
our sophistication,
our affluence.

Give us freedom like theirs
to yield,
to worship,
to adore,
to have our lives contradicted.

Give us grace like theirs to embrace the foolishness of the child,
that the first will be last and the last first,
that the humble will be exalted and the exalted humbled,
that we may lose the world and gain our lives.

Give us the imagination like theirs
to go home by another route
on the path where foolishness is wisdom
and weakness is strength
and poverty is wealth.

Make our new foolishness specific
that the world might become —
through us — new.”

Prayers for a Privileged People, by Walter Brueggemann

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, and also for those who harm them. Your prayers are indeed gifts of love!

We will meet on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. to pray for the children of our local and global community. The Midland Faces of Children prayer group meets in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. Please join us for this time of prayer, and afterward for lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our world.

Thank you for your prayers for the children of our world!

Christmas and New Year’s blessings to you and those you love,

Chris

In the News ... "Volunteer recognized for logging almost 6,000 hours"

2012-01-10T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Kathleen Thurber
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - For Mildred Stone, giving back has become second nature.

When she recently was asked to attend a luncheon where she’d be honored for her service, Stone replied that she appreciated the offer but that she would have to decline. She said she volunteers because she enjoys the work, not because she wants anyone to know of her contributions.

“I just like to do it and kind of stay in the background,” she said.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

ChinaAid: Nearly 50 Shouwang House Church Members Detained on New Year’s Day in Beijing

2012-01-09T17:05:00.000-06:00

Distributed by ChinaAid, January, 2012 ...

"BEIJING, CHINA – On the first Sunday of 2012, nearly 50 members of Shouwang Church in Beijing were detained following the church’s decision to continue its outdoor worship services that began in April, ChinaAid has learned."
CLICK HERE for more on this story from China Aid

In the News ... "Catholic filmmaker, author to speak at all-parish event"

2012-01-09T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Megan Lea Buck
Features Editor
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Stephen Ray and his wife, Janet, took their family to the Holy Land in 2000. The trip wasn't the first for Steve and Janet, but the opportunity to visit key places mentioned in the Bible made the experience significant for their children.

"When we took our kids it had a profound effect on our kids' lives," Stephen Ray said. "I thought to myself, wouldn't it be great if we could take everyone."

After the family returned to the States, Ray had an idea that would allow him to "take everyone" on a trip to the Holy Land. In the middle of the night, he woke up knowing he had to create a video series to document the history of the Catholic faith.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-08T00:05:00.000-06:00

In the News ... "Second-grader finds cause in starving Africans"

2012-01-07T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Meredith Moriak
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - To Kyle Mahan, a second-grader at Santa Rita Elementary, there’s no time like the present to give back to others and be philanthropic.

After seeing a news report about starving children in Africa and being shocked by the physical weakness of their bodies, Kyle said he wanted to do something to help.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-07T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 7, 2012

GUATEMALA (continued) - The Union Sinodica Femenil is the national women's organization of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala. Established in 1951, the Sinodica now has a membership of about 3,000 women and includes 18 presbyteries and 5 different language groups. The mission of the Sinodica is to train, orient, and accompany Presbyterian women in their different ministries. This is often difficult because of the status of women in the society and in the church.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Parenting event to be held Saturday"

2012-01-06T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Meredith Moriak
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The transition from childhood to adolescence is not an easy one for parents or children. There often seems to be a bit of turbulence. Nationally-known family and teen consultant, Mark Gregston, will speak about those issues Saturday at Midland College.

Gregston, an author, speaker, radio host and the founder and director of Heartlight, a therapeutic boarding school in East Texas, has worked with families for more than 30 years.

During Saturday’s Turbulence Ahead seminar, Gregston will host two sessions “What’s happening to my teen?” and “Parenting teens in a confusing culture.”

The event is coordinated by Charis Ranch, a newly-formed Christian therapeutic counseling program for struggling teens ages 13-17 that currently offers mentoring, guidance and animal connection programs to teens who are struggling, said Executive Director Bella Lucero. The ranch hopes to open a year-long residential program in the future, she said.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-06T00:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

2012-01-05T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 12/4/12

IRAQ, UNITED STATES - Pray for women widowed during decades of violence, war, and uprisings in Iraq. Approximately nine percent of Iraq’s women — about 900,000 — are widows, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Planning. Pray for those with children, and especially for widowed mothers who struggle to provide for their families. Please pray that more programs designed to help widows become economically self-sufficient will be available. Pray God will bring comfort to children who have lost their fathers to violent deaths.
A report from the New York Times
• Pray for the children and people of Iraq following the departure of American troops and almost nine years of war. Pray the multitude of issues facing this country—how to divide the country’s oil wealth, how to share power between Iraq’s three main sectarian groups (Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds), how to establish an impartial justice system—may be resolved peacefully and justly.
Another report from the New York Times
• Give thanks to God so many American soldiers have been able to return from Iraq in time for the Christmas holidays. Pray for these service personnel as they adjust to life back in the United States with their families and friends. Please pray for God’s comforting presence for children whose fathers or mothers will never come home from war.
A report from the Washington Post
• Pray for the thousands of former and current U.S. military personnel who experience post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder resulting from traumatic events. Many have difficulty maintaining relationships with spouses and children and often experience feelings of isolation. Pray for families who are unsure how to help these wounded loved ones who have such devastating, but invisible injuries.
A report from the Chicago Tribune
• Pray for military veterans and current service personnel who have been injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pray they will receive the right treatment and medical care for their conditions.
• Give thanks to God for the work of the staff and volunteers with the Wounded Warrior Project in providing support for so many injured military men and women.
Wounded Warrior Project website

UNITED STATES - Please continue to pray that God will bring healing to 6-year-old Ty who hasn’t responded well to new chemotherapy treatments. Pray his condition improves—he has come out of the coma he was in, but now he’s unable to form words properly, is lethargic, and can’t stand up. Please keep Ty’s parents and little brother Casey in prayer, as well. Pray God will bring them all comfort, assurance, and peace during this frightening time.
• Pray for 15-year-old Ian who was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor, an aggressive and extremely rare form of cancer. Ian is one of only 200 documented people who have been diagnosed with this rare cancer since 1989. Pray for God’s healing presence with Ian during this difficult time. Give thanks to God for Ian’s positive attitude and determination to train for cross country track again in the spring. Praise be to God for Ian’s track teammates and church family as they rally around this young man and his family, providing encouragement and support.
A report from WDAY-TV
• Please continue to keep 11-year-old Dallas in prayer as he adjusts to life in the foster home in which he was placed after his mother was arrested. Give thanks to God that he is doing very well in school now. Pray that his mother Betty* will make better choices for herself and Dallas in the future. Pray she will be able to provide more stability in Dallas’ life.
• Give God thanks that 17-year-old Thomas* is doing well in the alternative high school he attends now. Thomas was expelled from school last year for possessing a firearm — he accidentally shot a friend in the abdomen. Pray Thomas will focus on school and commit to attending regularly. Recently, he skipped school and was involved in a traffic accident that totaled a neighbor’s car. Pray for Thomas’ mother and father as they struggle to parent this young man. Thomas’ father is disabled because of a cancerous brain tumor and his mother has Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that is aggravated by stress.
Chron's Online website

FACES OF CHILDREN - Please continue to keep 26-year-old Brittany, the friend of a Faces of Children prayer partner, held close in prayer as she begins aggressive radiation treatment for cancer that has spread to her skull. Pray God’s healing power will completely cure Brittany and that this miracle will be a testimony to the people in her life of God’s mercy and love. Pray that God will wrap arms of comfort around this young woman and bring her peace
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.
• If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net

* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection.

In the News ... "Church to host showing of 'Courageous'"

2012-01-05T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Midland Bible Church will provide the movie and food, but some members recommend that attendees bring a few extra tissues — just in case.

The congregation’s men’s and outreach ministries are hosting a showing of the movie “Courageous” at the church’s auditorium at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5 and admission will include a steak dinner and a chance to win door prizes including 30 copies of the movie on DVD, two $25 Mardel gift cards and a 46-inch HD television.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-05T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 5, 2012

MEXICO (continued) - Seven-year-old Abril plays tambourine as we sing "El Senor Marchando Va!" or "The Lord Marches On!" Four months earlier drug cartels abducted Abril's father, just as they have so many others. As I watch this thin, awkward little girl press on as she looks to her mom, I am struck by God's power. At this moment in the service, I realize God is unstoppable as he carries this little girl and all of us onward, no matter what. This small, Presbyterian mission church, on the edge of the dusty, dangerous town of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, appears just as awkward and vulnerable as Abril, but here you can see the Lord marching on!
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Parishes adapt to Roman Missal revisions"

2012-01-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Advent marks a change in season for churches waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but this year it also brought a new change to the way Catholics celebrate Mass.

Changes to the Roman Missal, the official prayer book used at Mass, came into effect Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent for English-speaking parishes around the world. The revisions brought new English translations from the original Latin that affect prayers both priests and their parishes have used for decades.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-04T00:05:00.000-06:00

In the News ... "Tebow to rock the desert?"

2012-01-03T07:55:00.000-06:00

Staff Report
OA Life
Odessa American

ODESSA-MIDLAND, TEXAS - Rock the Desert festival officials have announced on Twitter that they are in the process of booking Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow as a speaker for an "RTD event" with the band Switchfoot, sometime between February and May.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-03T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 3, 2012

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (continued) - In the mountains of Cochabamba, Bolivia, in celebration of the bicentennial of Latin American Caribbean independence in 2010, the Forum of Ecumenical Theological Education of Latin America and the Caribbean (FETELAC) was formed. According to FETELAC, the reality of Latin America and the Caribbean is dynamic because of the growth of new religious expressions, the renewed manifestation of original and Afro cultures and religions, and new social and political movements.
CLICK HERE to read more.

ChinaAid: Chinese House Church Alliance’s 2012 New Year’s Message: Nothing can separate us from the love of God

2012-01-02T17:05:00.000-06:00

Distributed by ChinaAid, January, 2012 ...

"MIDLAND, TEXAS – 'We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.'
(II Corinthians: 8-9)

In God’s grace and keeping, the Chinese House Church Alliance and all house churches in China usher in 2012, a year full of hope. In the past year, the Chinese government continued its policy of persecution against house churches and did so with increasing intensity.
CLICK HERE for more on this story from China Aid

Invitation to Prayer

2012-01-02T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Christmas … the Very Next Day

“Had we the chance, we would have rushed
to Bethlehem
to see this thing that had come to pass.

Had we been a day later,
we would have found the manger empty
and the family departed.

We would have learned that they fled to Egypt,
warned that the baby was endangered,
sought by the establishment of the day
that understood how his very life
threatened the way things are.

We would have paused at the empty stall
and pondered how this baby
from the very beginning was under threat.

The powers understood that his grace threatened all our coercions;
they understood that his truth challenged all our lies;
they understood that his power to heal nullified our many pathologies;
they understood that his power to forgive
vetoed the power of guilt and the drama of debt among us.

From day one they pursued him, and schemed and conspired
until finally…on a gray Friday …
they got him!

No wonder the family fled,
in order to give him time for his life.

We could still pause at the empty barn —
and ponder that all our babies are under threat,
all the vulnerable who stand at risk before predators,
our babies who face the slow erosion of consumerism,
our babies who face the reach of sexual exploitation,
our babies who face the call to war, placed as we say, ‘in harm’s way,’
our babies, elsewhere in the world,
who know of cold steel against soft arms
and distended bellies from lack of food;
our babies everywhere who are caught in the fearful display of ruthless adult power.

We ponder how peculiar this baby at Bethlehem is,
summoned to save the world,
and yet
we know, how like every child, this one also was at risk.
The manger is empty a day later …
the father warned in a dream.
Our world is so at risk, and yet we seek after and wait for
this child named ‘Emmanuel.’
Come be with us, you who are called ‘God with us.’”

Prayers for a Privileged People, by Walter Brueggemann

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

Please join us in prayer for children on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. Please join us for this time of prayer, and afterward for lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our world.

Thank you for your prayers for the children of our world!

Christmas and New Year’s blessings to you and those you love,

Chris

In the News ... "First Baptist starts resource site to 'speak hope'"

2012-01-02T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Christian Nichles knew teenagers wanted to speak hope to their peers -- they just weren't quite sure what to say.

After students across the Permian Basin began stepping up to speak out against teen suicide, the teens Nichles works with as minister of students at First Baptist Church-Midland turned to him for help when they had trouble answering their friends' tough questions.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-02T00:05:00.000-06:00

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2012-01-01T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2012 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the prayer of Paul for the Colossians, that these faithful brothers and sisters would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (1:10).

Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 1, 2012

MINUTE FOR MISSION: COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY - You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Isaiah 62:3)

As his pastor and friend, I had a strong urge to reach out and touch James's hand.

He was lying in a hospital bed. There were no medicine-filled tubes connected to his swollen and discolored body. The cancer had already wreaked havoc. Medically, there was nothing left that could get James well. His death was just a matter of time, a short time.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-31T00:05:00.000-06:00

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-30T00:05:00.000-06:00

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-29T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 29, 2011

TURKEY - God is at work calling people to knowledge of himself even in places where Scripture is not so easily available. This year, in order to study at university, one young man moved to the city where our church is located. He came to faith in Christ five years ago, and for the first time he was able to take part in a church. He explained that while working on a school project, he came across the Bible for the first time in the religious section of a library. He opened it and started to read the Parable of the Sower, but did not finish reading Jesus' interpretation of it. He was very puzzled by its meaning but since the library was closing, he had to leave.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-28T00:05:00.000-06:00

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 27, 2011

ISRAEL/PALESTINE/JERUSALEM (continued) - The team members are a mosaic of the people of Palestine. United and guided by God's love, they celebrate diversity: a Christian producer, a Muslim director, a female cameraperson, a male soundperson, a Lutheran make-up artist, an Orthodox line producer, a second cameraperson from al-Walaja village, a light professional from Jerusalem, among others.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-26T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 26, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: ISRAEL/PALESTINE/JERUSALEM - Laou Kont Makani — "If You Were in My Place'' in Arabic - is a twelve-episode, studio-based magazine show to be aired all over the Arab world. It includes unprecedented use of an interactive situational comedy format in Palestine. The studio audience, in this case Palestinian youth, creates the show by deciding on the ending of each segment while on the set. The show aims at raising awareness and empowering young Arabic-speaking generations, especially women, through debating significant issues and featuring young leaders.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-25T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 25, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: NATIVITY OF JESUS CHRIST/CHRISTMAS DAY - "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths" (Micah 4:2).

Ministering with a thousand senior adults was my final job, professionally, before I retired in 2007. Who would ever think that I would wind up in a church, after starting out in a medical career? God truly led me to the church. What a blessing to be in a place where I could learn so much from the living history of those older adults. Certainly after sixty-five Christmases, most people have learned about the nature of giving.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 25

2011-12-25T00:05:00.000-06:00

"This Advent Season, start — or end — your day with these meditations provided by faculty, students, and alumni/ae of the Austin Seminary community."
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, December 25

Luke 2:8-20

Among our cherished photographs, there’s a picture of our younger daughter, Claire, when she was maybe three years old. She’s dressed like an angel—white robe, tinseled wings—and she’s one of maybe fifty angels in her age range in that year’s Christmas Eve service in our church in Atlanta. The picture is taken just a few moments before the earliest of three services on that Christmas Eve began, the one designed especially for families. Older children and youth fill out the rest of the cast—Joseph, Mary, the shepherds and magi and barnyard animals—and the liturgy is, well, chaotic. In the background of the picture, other angels are romping with excitement; but Claire is looking side-ways at the camera—her bottom lip protruding and tears welling up in her eyes. “Claire, sweetie, why are you so sad?” one of us says. “It’s Christmas Eve and you’re an angel!”
“I don’t want to be an angel,” she protests. “I’m afraid that I might fly away from my family!”

Angels are everywhere in this text. They overpower shepherds in their field, and one of them says what God’s messengers in the Bible are almost always saying when they draw near: “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news…” Then more angels strike up a Hallelujah before they go back up into heaven. However much they frighten those shepherds that night, they also point them toward a destination. It is Bethlehem—the exact spot where God wants them to be.

I’m not an expert on angels, but I’ve encountered my share of them over the years. They manage to come into my life at just the moment when they’re needed most. Which means that they are never flying away from their family—the family of God—but are rather always flying toward their family. And always—always!—they are bringing God’s everlasting assurance. “Do not be afraid.”

Over and over again, they come to the very spot where God wants them to sing in something new; and, by God’s grace, they and their message make a redemptive, transforming difference—in Bethlehem, or Kabul, or Cairo, or Port-au-Prince, or Lufkin, or Lubbock, or Conway, or Pine Bluff, or Lafayette, or Shreveport, or Ada, or Tulsa, or Santa Fe, or Boulder, or…

Thank you, O God, for the news of this Christmas Day. Help us make time today, at the manger, to listen to the songs of angels, and to not be afraid! Through Jesus Christ, who came to his family—never to leave again. Amen.

Theodore J. Wardlaw
The W. C. Brown Professor of Theology

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.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-24T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 24, 2011

ARMENIA - In December 2008, a woman applied to an Armenian NGO for social assistance. She was referred to the Rev. Fr. Ghevond Gapoyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The young mother was living with HIV/AIDS. Her husband had died and left her with three children and his mother to care for in an unheated home. The priest arranged for gas service and the purchase and installation of the pipes, equipment, and gas stove. The money was raised by the clergy from private donors and the diocese. Father Gapoyan became a close friend of the family, and he pays regular visits, provides pastoral counseling, and helps with clothes for the children, food, and social benefits.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 24

2011-12-24T00:05:00.000-06:00

3 Simple Ways to Encourage Missionaries at Christmas

2011-12-23T12:05:00.000-06:00

The following was recommended to us by our friends at The Upstream Collective, a missional network committed to intentional relationships across cultures. It's from Teach Overseas, an "interdenominational ministry that offers you the wisdom of experience with a cutting edge sensibility. Since 1981, we have transformed lives in a dozen different countries through hundreds of summer and year-long programs teaching conversational English."

3 Simple Ways to Encourage Missionaries at Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time all over the world! People serving God in other countries find this an especially relevant time to share about Jesus. Like you, overseas workers also want to enjoy twinking lights, jingle bells, and the scent of fresh pine and home-baked cookies.

However, unlike you, many missionaries don’t live in places with Christmas trees, gingerbread, or even churches. They don’t hear Christmas carols and upbeat songs in shopping malls; they might not even have shopping malls. Most of all, missionaries miss the warm fellowship of friends and family back home. Combine this with the cold, dark days of December, and you’ve got a recipe for homesickness!
This Christmas, make a special effort to bring joy to those bringing Good News to others. Following these simple steps can make a world of difference!!!

Remember. The most horrible feeling for a missionary is to feel forgotten. Take time to send an extra special Christmas card (international postage is 98 cents). If you send a personal Christmas newsletter to someone in a sensitive country, be sure to cross out any words that might be offensive in the host culture.

Pray! Christmas is an active time for ministry. Pray for the Christmas parties and outreaches they will be organizing. Pray for divine opportunities and natural opportunities to share about Christ. Send an email telling your missionaries that you are especially praying for them in this season.

Give. Extra financial support is always appreciated. Put a missionary on your Christmas gift list and write an extra check for his/her account. An extra $20 to $50 can go a long way. It takes a little extra to host parties and outreaches. Most likely these funds come from an already tight budget. I assure you that most missionaries will pass on the extra blessings they receive to local friends!

This Christmas, you can bring JOY to the world by blessing those serving Him overseas. Thank you for your partnership!

In the News ... "Seniors shine in Spanish nativity play"

2011-12-23T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Mary sat contently next to Joseph with her hands together, almost in prayer. Around her, the room was bursting into song and dance. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" gave way to "Feliz Navidad," and "Silent Night" transformed into "Noche de Paz."

When the play ended the actors dispersed, save Mary and Joseph who continued to giggle and dance on the stage.

A sign hanging in the hallways says, "We're not senior citizens, we're recycled teenagers.".
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-23T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 23, 2011

LEBANON - Since 2004, the Forum for Development, Culture, and Dialogue (FDCD) has conducted projects in the Middle East focusing on peace, dialogue, and reconciliation. One pivotal initiative has been a capacity-building project for Iraqi nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working on conflict resolution and advocacy for peace. A component of this project has been an annual series of workshops for Iraqi and Lebanese youth on intersectarian conflict and peaceful conflict transformation, for which FDCD has offered training. In Lebanon, our young Iraqi participants felt they were listened to and were able to connect with Lebanese youth, who have also experienced the trauma of war.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 23

2011-12-23T00:05:00.000-06:00

"This Advent Season, start — or end — your day with these meditations provided by faculty, students, and alumni/ae of the Austin Seminary community."
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, December 23

Zephaniah 3:14-20

It is day ten of the Bastrop County (Texas) wildfires. Two major fire areas have contributed to the destruction of over 35,000 acres of wooded land and nearly 1500 homes. Being a pastor in a community devastated by fire disaster is a new experience for me.

On one hand, it is so gratifying to be a part of the local community. My wife and I were evacuated along with many, but came back to find the church and parsonage without damage. We give thanks for the valiant effort of firefighters and first responders. While grateful to be a part of this community, I am also overwhelmed by the generous response of neighbors from around the state who are giving from generous hearts. On the other hand, walking with folks to inspect the remains of their burned-out homes is sobering. It is gut-wrenching. I pray for them to have the capacity to experience grace in the ashes. I pray for them that loss of home can be transformed by the hospitality of the gathered community.

In thinking ahead to a better time on a new day, the advent of hope is a message the community longs to hear. Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) says, “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Even though I do not attribute the lack of rain and the hottest summer on record to any act of disobedience of the people of our county, the words of hope given after the prophet’s announcement of judgment can be a source of good news to those displaced and scattered by the fire. There is a day of renewal in the midst of this disaster, and the community that grows from this and out of this experience will be stronger in the Lord.

Where the pathways of hospitality and hope intersect, there you will find the Lord. May each day bring new opportunities to walk these paths and discover renewal. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Paul E. Harris (MDiv’10)
Pastor, Cedar Creek United Methodist Church
Cedar Creek, Texas

In the News ... "Christmas Church Services - Midland"

2011-12-22T07:55:00.000-06:00

"Nativity Silhouette" from That Artist Woman

By Joan Huff
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS -Midland churches are busy this Christmas season with special music events, plays and additional services. Several congregations are working on month-long service projects in the community. In addition to helping church members, these projects make an impact on other people as well.

This year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. Most churches that normally have several worship services are combining them in to one on Christmas Day, although a few are keeping their same schedules.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-22T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 22, 2011

SYRIA - I often think about the future of our Christian presence in a region driven by extremism, religious conflicts, and forced evacuation of Christians who have witnessed to their faith since the early days of Christianity. It is difficult to find absolute answers to those challenges because in most cases we humans think and act without attempting to discern the will and wisdom of God in every moment of our lives. But it is easier to find those answers if we live in faith and exercise a renewable spiritual life.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 22

2011-12-22T00:05:00.000-06:00

Did Christmas Really Happen?

2011-12-21T22:05:00.000-06:00

To view the full text of the accompanying essay or to download the script for the video, visit: www.denisonforum.org/why-christmas

In the News ... "Nurturing Student Faith"

2011-12-21T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Just say the word “college” to anyone, and you’ll get a mix of emotions, notions and memories about what the years of higher education are supposed to entail.Aside from the more rigorous academic obligations, for many young adults the college experience means a period of change, discovery and newly formed independence.But as students progress through college, research shows that they’re trading in traditional religious values for more independent spirituality.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-21T05:05:00.001-06:00

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 21, 2011

EGYPT - My husband and I serve with Christian Action in Orient, a mission agency of the French, Swiss, and Dutch Reformed churches, in collaboration with PC(USA). Here we work beside Egyptians to build the kingdom of God by living with and serving people in need. My husband teaches French in a school of the Synod of the Nile. I work with the synod in a Fowler orphanage, which houses almost eighty girls. A Catholic nun who heads this house teaches them that God loves them and that they have value in God's sight. To the girls, she is a parent, a role model, a director, and a spiritual mother.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 21

2011-12-21T00:05:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2.0

2011-12-20T22:05:00.000-06:00

For your Christmas pleasure, from the folks at Presbyterian Church USA Reasearch Services ...

http://youtu.be/vZrf0PbAGSk

ENJOY!

ChinaAid: Chinese Officials Shut Down Outdoor Christmas Party

2011-12-20T17:05:00.000-06:00

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Chinese Officials Shut Down Outdoor Christmas Party
Distributed by ChinaAid, December, 2011 ...

"BEIJING, CHINA – Chinese police and government officials scuffled with Christians and smashed sound equipment for a public Christmas celebration in an eastern village known for unofficial house churches and producing ornaments
CLICK HERE for more on this story from China Aid

Traveling Mission

2011-12-20T12:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays from ECPAT-USA!

We're now in the full swing of the holiday season, and ECPAT-USA has some great gift ideas for your shopping list. Whether for someone you love (or for yourself!), you can give knowing that your gift is making a positive difference in the lives of children

A TassaTag is a 4” x 6” bright, heavy, hand-woven cotton luggage tag that helps you spot your luggage more easily while reclaiming children's lives. It is practical, environmentally sensitive, fair trade, and with it you can make a difference.

With a TassaTag you support ECPAT-USA. This is a non-profit children's rights organization whose mission is to protect all children from commercial sexual exploitation, and is the US Chapter of Thailand-based ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) International, working at the community, national and international levels.

With a TassaTag you support The Regina Center in Nong Khai, Thailand, which provides education and income generating skills and opportunities for women. All proceeds from sales are returned to the producers. The project enables women to stay in their villages and keep their children in school, which are two major strategies in reducing sex trafficking.
CLICK HERE to learn more about this projectCLICK HERE to learn more about sex slavery and traffickingCLICK HERE to order TassaTags

With a TassaTag you will be part of the ECPAT project by increasing the recognition of the TassaTag logo as a symbol against the sexual slavery and trafficking of children, raising greater awareness of this major illegal trade around the world, and being a voice positively addressing a serious children's rights issue.

In the News ... "Jesus House provides gifts, wrapping paper for some"

2011-12-20T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Nathaniel Miller
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Walking into Jesus House of Odessa on Friday morning, one might have mistaken it for a shopping center instead of a church.

Setting up about 600 toys on several tables and categorizing them by sex and age range, the organization at 1335 E. Sixth St. gave the parents at the La Promesa South apartments a chance to Christmas shop for their children.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-20T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 20, 2011

INTRODUCTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST - Jeremiah the prophet decries the hypocrisy and lies of false prophets who deceive their people. They say "peace, peace'' when there is no peace. In our modern experience of the sinful world in which we live, we know that there are politicians, bankers, advertisers, propagandists, and others who deceive. Those prophesy "a lying vision'' and promise security when in reality they render their people vulnerable.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 20

2011-12-20T00:05:00.000-06:00

"This Advent Season, start — or end — your day with these meditations provided by faculty, students, and alumni/ae of the Austin Seminary community."
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, December 20

1 Samuel 1:1-8

They are a devout family; Elkanah, Hannah, the barren wife, and Peninnah plus her sons and daughters. “Year after year” they journey to Shiloh for the festival to worship and sacrifice. Hannah would be regarded a family failure and incomplete due to her childlessness. This annual going to church exacerbated her plight because the rival wife used this time “year after year to provoke her—to irritate her!” As the family savored the food, Hannah did not eat but wept as the taunts assaulted her. So it was year after year.

Could we not be mindful of those who dread the festivities of this season when their lives are anything but festive, and those for whom worship is not a time for refreshment but of remorse and guilt?

But this year Hannah does not finish the family meal. In response to Elkanah’s clumsy affirmation of affection in “bitterness of soul,” she goes to the Temple to pray and “weep in anguish.” Eli, the priest, observes her rocking back and forth, lips moving in prayer. Wrongly he accuses her of being drunk. But far from pouring herself too many drinks she testifies she has been “pouring out her soul to God” and declares boldly, “I am no daughter of worthlessness.” Satisfied with her explanation and her prayerful desire for a son, he tells her to “go in peace” and declares “May God grant what you have asked.”

Is her’s not the kind of truth telling called for in our own prayers: Truth about our lives, our brokenness, our unfulfilled dreams, a reminder that “a broken and contrite heart God will not despise”?

With Eli’s words “her face was no longer sorrowful.” His words created in her hope. I have seen people experience transformation brought by hope. In the days ahead may you experience that transformative power of hope which does not disappoint and surely is also the “evidence of things not seen.”

Mighty, Eternal God, “our hope is in no other save in Thee: Our faith is built upon Thy promise free” and in these days “make us calm and sure.” In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Louis Zbinden
Trustee Emeritus

ChinaAid: Christmas in China ... a SILENCED Night for Tina Tian

2011-12-19T17:05:00.000-06:00

Released by ChinaAid, December, 2011 ...

"This Christmas, we invite you to walk with the persecuted faithful by providing a Christmas gift that will go to family members of prisoners like Tina Tian."
- Bob Fu

"MIDLAND, TEXAS – Across China this Christmas, some Christian families will not be exchanging gifts and singing joyous carols with family members and friends. Instead of “Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, All is bright,” for these families, Christmas Eve will be a SILENCED night because a mother or father or other family member is missing – either serving a prison sentence or in police custody for their faith.

A young mother sitting in a prison 175 miles southwest of Beijing will think of her two young sons – one just a year-old, the other 8-years-old – and wonder if they have watched the Christmas video message she left for them and her husband last year, just before she had to return to prison after the birth of her second child to finish serving a three-year sentence for printing Bibles and Christian books.
CLICK HERE for video from ChinaAid, and information on how YOU can help

'Tina' is not the only Christian in China whose Christmas will be SILENCED.

The whereabouts of Christian human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng remains a mystery nearly three years after he disappeared into police custody in February 2009. Is he still alive to celebrate Christmas this year?

And Uyghur Christian Alimujiang remains imprisoned, serving a 15-year prison sentence. How will his wife and two little boys celebrate this fourth Christmas without him?

You can help break the SILENCE of this Christmas by sending a Christmas card to 'Tina' in prison:"

Ms. Hongxia Tian
No. 4 Section of the Women’s Prison
P. O. Box 55
Lu-quan city, Hebei Province
P. R. China
Zip:050222

Invitation to Prayer

2011-12-19T12:05:00.000-06:00

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Forever
The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!Revelation 22:20

“In the sending of your Son, O God, I see the depth, the height, the breadth of your love for me. Not only as I peer into his manger…nor as I ponder his cross. I need to gaze into the open tomb as well. It is there I see that this relationship you have so painstakingly pursued with me will last forever! It changes me. It alters my living. Because it makes me eternal and eternally beloved. That cannot help but change the way I treat every person I ever meet. That cannot help but encourage me to invite them into relationship with you. As I leave your manger, point me toward your cross…and beyond! Make me eager to share your ever-living love!”

Stirring up Advent: Daily Prayers for the Season, by Peter Mead

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

As I glanced at the calendar to make sure I’d typed the correct date, I noted with a bit of apprehension that we are ten days away from Christmas. This devotion by Peter Mead has been helpful in redirecting my focus. It’s helped me shift from worry about what still isn’t done for the holiday to celebration about the very best gifts available to us all—a newborn in a manger, an empty cross, an open tomb, a love that is unconditional and unending. Thanks be to God!

May your Christmas be full of the celebration of these gifts and the knowledge that you are eternally beloved!

Please join us in prayer for children on Wednesday, December 21, 2011, at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. The kitchen will be closed that day, so we will not be having lunch at the church.

If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our world.

Christ’s peace and joy to you and yours,

Chris

In the News ... "Lifehouse Fellowship Church grows from living room to old Crestview Baptist building in three years"

2011-12-19T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Meagan Lea
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS -When Jeremy Sutton invited Midlanders into his home for a Bible study in October 2008, he had no idea he would be pastoring a church of 140 members three years later.

"We started with three families and within three months we had grown to over 40 people in our living room. It went from a Bible study to a full-fledged church," he said.

Sutton founded Lifehouse Fellowship Church where he now serves as pastor. Earlier this year, the church moved into the building on Thomas Avenue formerly occupied by Crestview Baptist Church.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-19T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 19, 2011

PRESBYTERY OF SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA - The Presbytery of Santa Barbara, the mission agency of the churches of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties, supports Christians in Albania in establishing a Protestant Reformed witness. Since 1991, the Rev. Art Beals has been the lead worker in both Albania and Turkey. In recent years the presbytery has partnered with a church in Tirana to support strategic work with university students, Bible interpretation and study, and church planting. In 2010, the presbytery ordained the first two Albanian nationals, Zefjan Nikolla and Altin Hysi, as PC(USA) pastors. They and their elders and deacons lead the Emanuel Reformed Church of Tirana, reaching out in Albania for Jesus.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 19

2011-12-19T00:05:00.000-06:00

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-18T05:05:00.000-06:00

Advent Devotional for December 18

2011-12-18T00:05:00.000-06:00

In the News ... "Two churches to host 'A Night in Bethlehem'"

2011-12-17T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - A journey through a busy marketplace transports visitors far back in time as they take in the sights, sounds and smells of the nearby businesses. The newcomers are on a search for a baby who has been rumored to be the son of God.

Two churches will welcome crowds this weekend to experience first-hand the Christmas story through "A Night in Bethlehem" activities. First Christian Church will host its event 6-8 p.m. Sunday, and First United Methodist Church will have performances 5-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-17T05:05:00.000-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 17, 2011PRESBYTERY OF SAN GABRIEL, CALIFORNIA - The Presbytery of San Gabriel affirmed its commitment to be a presence of resurrection hope in the world by adopting a presbytery-wide mission initiative. With Living Waters for the World as a focused mission effort, these Presbyterians are bringing together churches of different sizes, cultures, and theological understanding in a unified effort to bring clean water to places near and far. The first of these mission endeavors will be in Peru. They hope to establish sustainable partnerships with Peruvian churches so these relationships will bear fruit far beyond individual trips. As part of raising funds for this project, the presbytery held an auction that raised more than $3,500. This is just the beginning of what they believe will bring new life to their churches as they grow Christ's church deeper and wider.CLICK HERE to read more.

Advent Devotional for December 17

2011-12-17T00:05:00.000-06:00

In the News ... "'Miracle on Tyler Street' in its fourth year of blessing community"

2011-12-16T07:55:00.000-06:00

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The 23-foot tree is lit bright at night, beckoning families to visit the wintry village that surrounds it. The lights sparkle in children's eyes as they take in the structures that make up Greater Ideal Family Life Center's fourth annual Miracle on Tyler Street.

More than 200 volunteers and friends of Greater Ideal have worked for months to make the village a reality so all area families can receive a Christmas blessing.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

2011-12-16T05:05:00.002-06:00

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 16, 2011PRESBYTERY OF SAN FERNANDO, CALIFORNIA - On Sunday, October 25, 2009, a crowd of more than one hundred people gathered to celebrate the birth of a new church in the Presbytery of San Fernando. Northland Village Church received forty members and will serve the Silverlake/Atwater area of Northeast Los Angeles, while focusing on a ministry of reconciliation. These members will serve as a “launch team” to develop the congregation’s vision.CLICK HERE to read more.

Teichert Prayer Letter for December

2011-12-13T17:05:00.000-06:00

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.

December Letter ...

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
     Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government
     and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and
     upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

~ Isaiah 9:6-7

Dear Family and Friends,

May you have a blessed celebration of our Savior’s birth during thisholiday season. Trusting that Christ’s righteousness, justice, and peace arerevived in your life.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and generous support for us in theLord’s mission to Southern Africa. We are deeply grateful for your enduringpartnership and friendship.

For His Kingdom and Glory,

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.

Spreading the Word in SE Asia: Dorms built at KT Refugee Children’s Home

2011-12-09T17:05:00.006-06:00