Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Photo provided by Alison Wood

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 23, 2023

YOUNG ADULT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM - A new group of Young Adult Volunteers arrived in Tucson in August 2022, where they were met with more than the usual level of rejoicing: This program year marks the 20th anniversary of the Tucson Borderlands Young Adult Volunteer program! For two decades now, young adults have sought the voice of God in their lives and in the U.S./Mexico borderlands through a year of service ...

• CLICK HERE to read/see more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Contributed Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 2, 2023

IMMIGRATION SUNDAY - “We still have more to offer,” said Stevanie, a young-adult DACA recipient and member of Marturia Presbyterian Church. As the Supreme Court deliberates on how protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will continue, we are reminded of the millions of people who are in the United States under temporary immigration statuses.

The temporary statuses provide relief from deportation orders and provide access to work authorization but are precarious. They must be renewed every year to every two years, and individuals must put their lives on hold during each renewal process. Regardless of the amount of time someone has been a recipient of these temporary statuses and vetted for renewal, there are no pathways to permanent residency or citizenship. These protections can also be revoked with the change in presidential administrations. Life is precarious ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Photo courtesy of Lesvos Solidarity

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 14, 2023

EFI LATSOUDI, INTERNATIONAL PEACEMAKER FROM GREECE - A human rights activist who serves refugees and asylum seekers in Greece will be bringing her message of solidarity and inclusion to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) later this year while serving as an International Peacemaker ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From Synod of the Sun, PC(USA) ... March 2023 Newsletter"

The Synod of the Sun is is a network of Presbyterians from 11 Presbyteries, approximately 700+ Congregations, in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Over 150,000 members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Synod of the Sun of the serves Christ by connecting, equipping, and empowering Presbyterians for Christ's mission within and beyond the Synod's bounds.

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Synod Assembly Selects Rev. Dr. Steve Shive as Bridge Interim Synod Leader/Stated Clerk

At the Spring 2023 Assembly of Synod of the Sun, the Rev. Dr. Steve Shive was unanimously affirmed to become the Bridge Interim Synod Leader/Stated Clerk of Synod of the Sun. Steve comes to us having finished his call as Interim Presbytery Executive for Grace Presbytery and will begin his ministry with us on March 15th.

“His current relationships with the other Presbytery leaders, his previous work with the Synod of the Sun, and his background in interim ministry make Steve an incredible choice for Bridge-Interim,” said Rev. Jeff Cranton, Moderator of the Synod’s Personnel Committee. “We are blessed to have his expertise as we move into the future God has planned ...

• Click here to read the rest of this report ...


A Collective Lent

By Kathy Lee-Cornell
Director of Partnership for Disaster Recovery

I’ve always loved the honesty of Lent. When else but on Ash Wednesday can you remind everyone, no matter how young or old you are, you are dust and to dust you shall return. Period.

This year, as I was considering what things I might give up and practices I might take on, it dawned on me how individualistically I have often approached Lent. One of my most important tasks in leading the Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery is helping individuals to connect with something that often feels enormous and too overwhelming for one single person to feel like they have a place in the world of disaster ministry ...

• Click here to read the rest of this post ...


The Plight of the Southern Border

By Hill Kemp
Director of Partnership for Disaster Recovery

As the sun sets over south Texas, Caly Fernandez looks out over the tent city holding 9,000 people and sighs knowing that the desert night temperature will soon dive and those people face another night of misery. This Matamoros tent city is but one of many she advocates for as Director of Puentes de Cristo (Bridges for Christ). She knows the lucky ones have a blanket to cover themselves and their kids to try to keep warm. But the unlucky ones might have only a towel or their threadbare clothes.

Just two decades ago there were dozens of churches and hundreds of volunteers to look after the hapless migrants on both sides of the border ...

• Click here to read the rest of this post ...


Mo Ranch Launches Summit46

Mo-Ranch is launching a BRAND-NEW Conference this summer just for tweens! During Summit46, youth who are entering 4th through 6th grade come together to be inspired to grow in their faith by learning and living the words and deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ. Youth participants will gather together in the Hill Country for an unforgettable Mo-Ranch experience that’s filled with new friends, spiritual enrichment, worship, study and recreation.

Activities and recreation will include everything from taking a challenge on the Mo ropes course, games, energizers, vespers and popsicle parties, to sports, evening movies, swimming in the beautiful Guadalupe, singing God’s praises and more! Join us June 19-22, 2023 for this inaugural event!

• Register now at moranch.org/attend-a-conference. We can’t wait to see you!


¡Reserva le Feche/Save the Date!

From @austinseminary ... "The Reed" for March 2023

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 people for ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources for the nurture of the church; to practice and promote critical theological thought and research; to engage a range of voices and perspectives within and beyond the life of the seminary; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

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Stations

As you make your way toward Holy Week, you're invited to read Rev. Paul Hooker's Lenten poem, "Stations," HERE ...


MAYM student projects go public!

Stay tuned — two of the final projects completed by student groups in Professor Andrew Zirschky’s January course, “Partnering with Parents in Child and Adolescent Faith Formation,” are being adopted for development by outside organizations. Real Kids Real Faith (a Lilly-funded organization) will be working with one group of students to further develop for public release their project focused on “parent-child questions for wonder.” The Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT), which partners with Austin Seminary on the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry (MAYM) program, will be working with a second group of students to market their project focused on parenting curriculum. Dr. Zirschky says, "This opportunity for students to take classroom work and expand it for use in the field gives them great experience, exposure, and even the possibility of royalty income down the road."

Winsome Podcast

Austin Seminary's newest podcast, "Winsome," was conceived by two graduates who now serve in the the administration. Taking their cue from the most cherished word in our Mission Statement, Sarah Allen (MDiv’07, DMin’19), director of ministerial formation and advanced studies, and William West (MDiv’16), director of financial aid, converse with members of the Austin Seminary community about all things faith, life, vocation, and the beloved Polity Bowl.
•  Listen here or on other podcast platforms ...

President Irizarry on TheoEd

 

On February 5, President Irizarry took to the TheoEd stage in downtown Austin to give a talk, "The World We can See: On Discerning God's Vision."

• You can watch the presentation here ....

Support Our Students

Your gift to our Annual Fund supports the formation of Christian leaders.

• Click here to support our students... 

Teaching Borderlands

April 24-25, join us for a panel presentation and discussion about Latinx theological education from the perspective of a team of Latinx educators who will offer insights on the context of "teaching borderlands." Using their own embodied experience in the classroom, they will discuss a multivalent pedagogy which seeks to uncover the racialized logic that currently prevails in seminary classrooms. Our goal is to work en conjunto (together) and reimagine Latinx learning by thinking more ethically, courageously, and critically about the U.S. borderlands.

• Learn more and register here ...

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• Subscribe to the Austin Seminary Reed

In the News ... Photo Album: "Venezuelan migrants pray in front of Sacred Heart Catholic Church"

EPT Photo by Gaby Velasquez

• After crossing into the U.S.

By Luis Torres, Photographer
• El Paso Times

EL PASO, TEXAS - The number of undocumented migrants staying at Sacred Heart has been decreasing, though many remain at the the historic church in the Segundo Barrio, hoping to receive political asylum in the United States....

• See the rest of this EPT photo album ...

In the News ... "El Paso police arrest 2nd man accused of harassing migrants near Sacred Heart Church"

EPT Photo by Gaby Velasquez

• Incident follows last week's arrest of another El Paso man who allegedly pointed a gun at migrants taking refuge at the historic church

By Daniel Borunda, Reporter
• El Paso Times

EL PASO, TEXAS - El Paso police arrested a second man accused of harassing migrants [last] Tuesday afternoon near Sacred Heart Church ...

• Read/watch the rest of this EPT report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Photo provided by Alison Wood

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 23, 2022

YOUNG ADULT VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM - A new group of Young Adult Volunteers arrived in Tucson in August 2022, where they were met with more than the usual level of rejoicing: This program year marks the 20th anniversary of the Tucson Borderlands Young Adult Volunteer program! For two decades now, young adults have sought the voice of God in their lives and in the U.S./Mexico borderlands through a year of service ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Border Refugee Assistance Fund Responds to Expansion of Title 42"

• A joint project of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso and the HOPE Border Institute

Staff Report
• El Paso Herald-Post

EL PASO, TEXAS - Following the Biden administration’s expansion of Title 42 to include Venezuelans at the US-Mexico border, the Bishop of El Paso, the Most Rev. Mark J. Seitz, and the Hope Border Institute announced the investment of over $100,000 to meet the emergency needs of migrants arriving to the Ciudad Juárez – El Paso border community ..

• Read the rest of this EPHP report ...

In the News ... "Memorial honors victims of femicide in Juárez"

EPT Photo by Omar Ornelas

• “It destroys my heart to come and see where my daughter ended up”

By Lauren Villagran, Reporter and Omar Ornelas, Photographer
• El Paso Times

JUÁREZ, MEXICO - It was a solemn day, a decade in the making and one small step on the road to justice for the mothers of some of the 25 girls and women, victims of femicide in Juárez whose remains were found in 2013 and 2014 ...

• Read/watch the rest of this EPT report ...

In the News ... "As El Paso struggles to heal, Walmart shooter's rhetoric builds in GOP"

AP Photo by Eric Gay

• Shooter said he responded to "Hispanic invasion"

By Martha Pskowski, Reporter
• El Paso Times

EL PASO, TEXAS - When Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appeared on a July 5 Fox News segment about fentanyl, his comments quickly turned to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We are being invaded," he told the host.

“We’re being attacked as we were on Pearl Harbor," he followed up.

That same day, Kinney County Judge Tully Shahan signed a disaster declaration. The South Texas county had previously called for help to “defend our borders” from undocumented immigrants. Now Shahan called on Gov. Greg Abbott, as the state’s Commander-in-Chief, to “declare the existence of an invasion on its border with Mexico.”

Patrick and Shahan’s words were familiar to the people of El Paso.

Nearly three years earlier, a white man north of Dallas wrote a diatribe ...

• Read/watch the rest of this EPT report ...

Photo Album: Bell toll memorial honors August 3rd victims

EPT Photo by Gaby Velasquez

• Music, moments of silence, words of condolence inspiration

By Gaby Velasquez, Photographer
• El Paso Times

EL PASO, TEXAS - City Council members gathered to observe a memorial at City Hall in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 ...

• See the rest of this EPT photo album ...

El Pasoans remember Walmart mass shooting victims through prayer

EPT Photo

 • 'Amor Eterno'

By Lauren Villagran, Reporter
• El Paso Times

EL PASO, TEXAS - The morning sun shone on black crosses, each painted with the name of one of the 23 victims.

Community members carried them in solemn procession to the thrum of a single drum and planted them in a semi-circle in a park that for months in the wake of the shooting was home to a makeshift memorial of photos and flowers and mementos.

Through testimony, prayer and song at Ponder Park, El Pasoans remembered those killed in the Walmart mass shooting on Aug. 3, 2019 ...

• Read, watch the rest of this EPT report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Photo by Ammi Robles

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 8, 2022

CHILDREN’S ENRICHMENT CENTER AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER - The Rev. Mark Adams, a mission co-worker at the U.S.-Mexico border, tells an unsettling story about Jaciel, a 6-year-old boy at Frontera de Cristo’s New Hope Community Center ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Provided Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: May 29, 2022

MISSION WORKER SUNDAY - Called to serve at the invitation of our global partners, Presbyterian mission co-workers are important bridge people, helping us understand issues of ministry around the world. Through their quarterly letters, mission co-workers describe how partners are engaged in the Matthew 25 vision in their own contexts. Here are a few highlights they have shared recently with their supporters ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "West Texas Food Bank feeling the surging demand of food and fuel inflation"

KOSA Photo

• The border crisis has also caused a rippling effect on food

By Stephanie Douglas, Reporter
• KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - s gas and grocery prices continue to rise, food pantries in West Texas are feeling the effects to keep up with the surging demand.

Each month, the West Texas Food Bank distributes a million pounds of food.

Craig Stoker, WTFB Marketing Director says it’s a number likely to increase by summer with more facing food insecurity in the community due to inflation.

“We have seen over 400 cars every week that we have had our pantry this month and we don’t expect that to go down anytime soon,” said Stoker.

But the community is not the only ones feeling the rise in cost of goods, it’s the food bank too ...

• Read, watch the rest of this KOSA report ...

In the News ... "Unaccompanied minors a challenge"

OA Photo by Eli Hartman

• Rev. Perez took opportunity to encourage hope

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Rev. Freddy Perez joined the priesthood to dedicate his life to serving others, which took on new meaning when he was the only clergyman ministering to 500 unaccompanied minors detained last spring and summer at a former man camp on the south side of town.

Parochial vicar of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Shrine at 1401 Garden Lane, the Rev. Perez says it was a profound experience to meet and try to help the children and teenagers who’d been taken into custody for illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I learned that preaching hope to children who had been separated from their families was a daunting task,” he said. “I was able to witness to them that we should never cave in to fears but instead live in the joy of Christ. I reminded them that we were all family and that they were never alone.”

Perez grew up in San Angelo working in his family’s restaurant and after graduating from Lakeview High School he earned a degree in philosophy at Mexican-American Catholic College in San Antonio, a master’s in divinity at the Oblate School of Theology there and a master’s in ecclesiastical administration and management at the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

Perez first became interested in the priesthood at age 13 when he was inspired by his parish priest, the Rev. Joe Vasquez. “Seeing that a priest was a man like Christ solidified my calling,” he said.

His parents Martin and Teresa now own a restaurant in Sweetwater. He has a brother.

“I preach about the Christ who is with us and is the one we give witness through, living out our baptism and learning about the kingdom of Christ in the here and now,” said Perez, 35, who serves with Our Lady of Guadalupe’s pastor and rector, the Rev. David Herrera. “I also preach about social justice and human dignity because we have an inherent dignity that is brought about by being a creation of God.”

Along with his traditional priestly duties, Perez is using social media to market the church and bolster its outreach. “I’m a hard-working millennial with a good understanding of what it is to live in this day and age and of how to better ourselves as a church through technology,” he said.

Perez said the church’s shrine, the only one in the San Angelo Diocese, has been rebranded and turned into a pilgrimage center that “can be a place of peace and refuge on your journey.

“It is also a place for the daily devotees who come and pray,” he said.

Bishop Michael Sis said Perez, who previously served at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Midland, is hard-working and dedicated priest whose ministry has a great positive impact on people ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Contributed Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 11, 2021

GRACE PRESBYTERY AND MIGRANT TEENS - Nearly 19,000 unaccompanied minors entered U.S. border custody in March, an all-time monthly record. The onslaught of lone minors overwhelmed the U.S. government’s infrastructure and intake process ...

.... An emergency meeting of interfaith leaders — including representatives from the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Church, Jewish Family Services and Grace Presbytery — was convened to receive daily updates and to prayerfully coordinate efforts to provide two weekly Sunday worship services, a morning Catholic Mass and a Protestant evening worship service.

Grace Presbytery leaders, members and congregations responded immediately ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Photo by Jenea Sanchez

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 31, 2021

PRESBYTERIAN BORDER MINISTRY - On a cool Arizona Sunday afternoon, mission co-workers Miriam Maldonado Escobar and the Rev. Mark Adams gathered with group of Christians on the border between Agua Prieta, Mexico, and Douglas, Arizona, for a prayer pilgrimage in solidarity with the “Not Another Foot” movement to call for an end of the massive border wall spanning the entire Southern border of the United States ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Contributed Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 15, 2021

SELF-CARE AND RESILIENCY TECHNIQUES - Those attending the recent online Presbyterian Border Region Outreach conference enjoyed a 90-minute respite during a workshop given by the Rev. John Cheek and the Rev. Suzanne Malloy.

Their topic was self-care and resilience. Each presenter has a long history in both realms ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Photo courtesy of Arte de Lágrimas

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 13, 2021

'ART OF TEARS' MINISTRY - Six years ago, Nohemi Cuéllar and her husband, the Rev. Dr. Gregory Cuéllar, used a tried-and-true method to launch a ministry that helps young immigrants entering the U.S. through South Texas to express their stories, their fears and even the faith that’s sustained them. ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and 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.

Photo courtesy of the Rev. Elizabeth Toland-Smith

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 12, 2021

GOSPEL HOSPITALITY - “Gospel Hospitality and the Kingdom of God,” the conference held online by Presbyterian Border Region Outreach, recently concluded with a worship service.

The Revs. Holly Clark-Porter and Kaci Clark-Porter, a clergy couple serving Grace Presbyterian Church in El Paso, Texas, led a worship service from a powerful and moving spot: the Grand Candela monument erected in fall 2020 to memorialize the 23 people killed on Aug. 3, 2019, allegedly by a Texas man who authorities say posted a document online before the shootings railing against immigrants ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.