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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 17, 2023

FAITH FORMATION LEADER CONNECTION ONLINE MEETING - When Kat Green first arrived at her current call as director of Children’s Ministry at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, Maryland, recruiting volunteers was her first priority ...

• 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.

Dr. Anna Carter Florence

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 16, 2023

REV. DR. ANNA CARTER FLORENCE, GUEST ON ‘LEADING THEOLOGICALLY’ PODCAST - n the tradition of beloved writers including Frederick Buechner, the Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence has written “A is for Alabaster: 52 Reflections on the Stories of Scriptures,” recently published by Westminster John Knox Press. Carter Florence, the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary, appeared alongside the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty of the Presbyterian Foundation on his show, “Leading Theologically” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "H-E-B, Meals on Wheels of Odessa to distribute 700 holiday meals

• In conjunction with annual Feast of Sharing-Odessa, Friday, December 8

By Zachary Bordner, Reporter
• KMID-TV/KPEJ-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - In partnership with Meals on Wheels of Odessa, H-E-B will be celebrating the holiday season by distributing more than 700 holiday meals to homebound neighbors as part of HEB’s annual Feast of Sharing celebration.

According to a release, H.E.B. partners and community volunteers will be passing out meals, bags of fruit and vegetables, and other food items and festive goodies to fellow Texans in Odessa ...

 • Read/watch the rest of this KMID/KPEJ 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.

The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Caldwell

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 27, 2023

REV. DR. ELIZABETH CALDWELL, A GUEST ON ‘A MATTER OF FAITH: A PRESBY PODCAST’ - Even as they look forward to Advent soon, Presbyterians will be peeking into Lent by mid-February. With her book “Pause: Spending Lent with the Psalms” scheduled for publication by Westminster John Knox Press on Jan. 2, 2024, the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Caldwell discussed the rhythms of the Lenten season recently with Simon Doong and the Rev. Lee Catoe, who host “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... “Local food ministry celebrates groundbreaking for new building"

KWES Photo

• Mission Agape unveiled their new 7,700 square foot Distribution Center Wednesday morning

Staff Report • KWES-TV

MIDLAND TEXAS - Mission Agape broke ground on its new 7,700 square foot Distribution Center Wednesday morning at 4501 Thomason Drive.

Mission Agape is a faith-based food ministry committed to ending hunger in the community.

The groundbreaking marks a major step toward expanding their services and reaching more people who need food ...

 • Read/watch the rest of this KWES 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.

The Rev. Jihyun Oh

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 14, 2023

REV. JIHYUN OH, GUEST ON ‘A MATTER OF FAITH’ PODCAST - If you want to know how and why the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is known as a connectional church, ask the Rev. Jihyun Oh.

That’s precisely the connection Simon Doong and the Rev. Lee Catoe, the hosts of A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast, made last week ...

• 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.

The Rev. Mark Ramsey

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 9, 2023

WA PC(USA) PASTOR WHO KNOWS HOW TO ASK GOOD QUESTIONS OF THE CHURCH - The Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty of the Presbyterian Foundation kicked off the third season of his “Leading Theologically” podcast looking at the joys of ministry alongside guest the Rev. Mark Ramsey, executive director of The Ministry Collaborative. Listen to their 30-minute conversation here ....

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From Synod of the Sun, PC(USA) ... 'Liminal Conversations' This Thursday: "How is the Diminishing Impact of our Churches and the Death of many Churches Affecting our Presbyteries and Churches Emotionally and Spiritually?"

Amidst the changes and chances of the COVID-19 pandemic, churches and entities throughout the The Synod of the Sun found ways to not only survive but also find unique and beautiful ways to minister to God's people in need. Mission and ministry takes form in supplying basic necessities, or caring for the environment. Connections have been made via video feed and blankets. Love is supplied via learning how to read and drive-in diapers.

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Living in Liminal Space returns this Thursday!

Living in Liminal Space: A Conversation Seeking Wisdom on the Way, on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month at 10:00 am (CT) via Zoom

The conversation this Thursday, November 9th, will be with Fran Hilton Shelton, founder of Faith & Grief Ministries. The topic will be How is the Diminishing Impact of our Churches and the Death of many Churches Affecting our Presbyteries and Churches Emotionally and Spiritually?

For twenty years, Fran served PC(USA) congregations in Texas, primarily in pastoral care and was affectionately called “Funeral Fran” by the love of her life and last husband, Bob. She has the courage to take deep finesses in duplicate bridge, stamina to be a member of four book clubs and a spirit for life that sparks contagious laughter.

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6032633136

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What Is Living In Liminal Space?

Living in Liminal Space: A Conversation Seeking Wisdom on the Way.
On the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month at 10:00 am (CT) via Zoom
The Zoom link for each event can be found on the appropriate day on the Synod Calendar at: https://www.synodsun.org/calendar
These conversations are hosted by Steve Shive, Bridge Synod Leader for the Synod of the Sun. Some of the time there will be conversation around focused questions.

Some of the gatherings, there will be an informed presenter followed by Q&A. This may evolve and it may emerge into something else.

These conversations are for everyone – disciples and seekers of all ages, roles-ministers, elders, and members from the Synod and beyond. There will probably be few definitive answers and more exploration of unknown lands. The conversations will promptly end by 11:00 am (CT).

UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

From Equal Exchange ... "NOVEMBER 8: Avocado Growers Share Their Story"

Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world.

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NOVEMBER 8: Avocado Growers Share Their Story

November is Avocado Month and we’re celebrating 10 years working with our avocado farmer partners at Pragor Organic Growers in Michoacán, Mexico. Pragor is a small player in a large, lucrative, and volatile industry. Yet as leaders in the organic avocado movement, the group continues to highlight the essential role and resilience of small farmers in the industry. Joining us from Pragor, Gustavo (President and member) and Roberto (General Manager), will share their reflections on the decade of the Equal Exchange avocado supply chain. We hope you’ll join us!

• Register to Attend ...

• Here's How To Get Started ...

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Join Us!

We invite you to join our growing community of citizen-consumers who are getting even more deeply involved in Equal Exchange.

We need consumer participation in our organization to build a deeply democratic trade system made up of farmers and their democratic organizations, workers and their democratic organization, and citizen-consumers who now have a democratic space in Equal Exchange as well as their own network. Join us in changing trade, together!

• Learn how YOU can help Equal Exchange ...

Local Equal Exchange partners include Grace Presbyterian Chuch, Midland, TX.

FBR Report: "No Safe Place” – A New Documentary

The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement. They bring help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma (Myanmar) and the Middle East. Groups send teams to be trained, supplied and sent into the areas under attack to provide emergency assistance and human rights documentation. Together with other groups, the teams work to serve people in need.

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FBR Photo

"No Safe Place” – A New Documentary

21 October, 2023,
Burma

Dear friends,

“No Safe Place” is a new documentary following the Free Burma Rangers on a relief mission in Karenni State, Burma. Please watch and share with your friends.
English: https://youtu.be/vmKPDNRVDII

လုံခြုံသောနေရာမရှိ – ကရင်နီပြည်နယ်ရှိ ကယ်ဆယ်ရေးမစ်ရှင်တစ်ခုတွင် Free Burma Rangers များ လိုက်ပါဆောင်ရွက်ခဲ့သော မှတ်တမ်းရုပ်ရှင်အသစ်။
Burmese: https://youtu.be/72jP21O4X28

ไร้ที่ปลอดภัย – สารคดีล่าสุดที่ถ่ายทำขณะติดตาม Free Burma Rangers ไปในภารกิจบรรเทาทุกข์ในรัฐกะเหรี่ยงแดง ประเทศพม่า
Thai: https://youtu.be/0Jwws1NToC0

Also on Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-5026084

Thank you for praying for Burma.

God bless you,

Free Burma Rangers

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• CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can get involved in FBR and its mission ...

“LOVE EACH OTHER.
UNITE AND WORK FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND PEACE.
FORGIVE AND DON’T HATE EACH OTHER.
PRAY WITH FAITH, ACT WITH COURAGE, NEVER SURRENDER.”

From Synod of the Sun, PC(USA) ... 'Liminal Conversations' This Thursday: "The Church's Vocation in Disaster Resilience"

Amidst the changes and chances of the COVID-19 pandemic, churches and entities throughout the The Synod of the Sun found ways to not only survive but also find unique and beautiful ways to minister to God's people in need. Mission and ministry takes form in supplying basic necessities, or caring for the environment. Connections have been made via video feed and blankets. Love is supplied via learning how to read and drive-in diapers.

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Living in Liminal Space returns this Thursday!

Living in Liminal Space: A Conversation Seeking Wisdom on the Way, on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month at 10:00 am (CT) via Zoom

The conversation this Thursday, October 26, will be with Kathy Lee-Cornell, Director, Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery. The topic will be The Church's Vocation found in Disaster Resilience.

Kathy is a pastor and licensed social worker who has served congregations and nonprofit ministries across Texas. Kathy has previously chaired the Advisory Committee for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and served as the site coordinator for the Young Adult Volunteer Program in the Presbytery of South Louisiana.

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6032633136

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UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

Thursday, November 9:

The conversation will be with Fran Hilton Shelton, founder of Faith & Grief Ministries. The focus of the conversation will be "How is the Diminishing Impact of our Churches and the Death of many Churches Affecting our Presbyteries and Churches Emotionally and Spiritually?"

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: October 19, 2023

1001 NEW WORSHIPING COMMUNITIES AT WILD GOOSE FESTIVAL - Record high temperatures in July didn’t deter thousands of spiritual pilgrims from gathering in the western North Carolina mountains for four days of inspiring worship, book talks, panels, music and dancing — lots of dancing.

In its 12th year, the Wild Goose Festival has become a nexus for people reimaging and reigniting Christianity alongside repairing the world. There’s so much imagination present that its website won’t put the festival in any one box: “It’s hard to sum up in a few words. We try, when we say things like: It’s a four-day spirit, justice, music and arts festival. But it’s so much more than that.” ...

• CLICK HERE to read/see more.

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: “Watch the Replay of Miracle of Mobility Live”

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.

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FWM Image

Friday Story: “Watch the Replay of Miracle of Mobility Live"

Thank you to everyone who watched the Miracle of Mobility livestream on Sunday and gave toward our goal of providing 21,000 wheelchairs to those in need in developing countries.

In case you missed it, you can watch the replay here!

Please feel free to share this link with friends, family, and anyone you know who might be interested in watching: MiracleofMobilityLive.org.

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 Baim Hanif via Unsplash

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 15, 2023

"LEADING THEOLOGICALLY" PODCAST - For the Rev. Joanne Rodríguez, executive director of the Hispanic Theological Initiative at Princeton Theological Seminary, “en conjunto,” or “on the whole” describes the way HTI helps Latine scholars through their doctoral studies and into the academy or wherever it is that God is calling them.

That holistic approach is clearly working ...

• 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 Rich Copley/Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 10, 2023

ST. ANDREW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH POP-UP MINISTRY - St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa, constructed its beautiful and versatile campus seven years ago

While the Pop-Up Ministry Room is not the most eye-catching of St. Andrew’s varied ministry spaces, it’s easily the most versatile, with plenty of storage and display space for clothing and food distribution as the need arises. Church leaders liken the large space to the Room of Requirement in the Harry Potter novels ...

• 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.

The Rev. Dr. Jan Edmiston

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 24, 2023

REV. DR. JAN EDMISTON, FORMER CO-MODERATOR GUEST ON "LEADING THEOLOGICALLY" PODCAST - In the Presbytery of Charlotte, which the Rev. Dr. Jan Edmiston serves as general presbyter, seven churches predate the United States. “People in our churches run banks and universities and hospitals and seminaries. I feel really fortunate to be here,” she told the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty of the Presbyterian Foundation during a recent episode of Leading Theologically, which can be viewed here or here.

And yet, as Edmiston told Hinson-Hasty concerning a recent blogpost of hers, she and her husband went out for brunch after each had preached during Easter services. There was “zero indication that it was Easter morning,” she wrote in her widely read blog “A Church for Starving Artists. “No ‘Happy Easter’ from the host. Nobody was dressed up. There were no ‘Easter Specials’ on the menu. For the first time in my life, I’m not sure most of my neighbors knew — or cared — that it was Easter morning. And I live in the Bible Belt.”

Edmiston, Co-Moderator of the 222nd General Assembly (2016), said she’s recently noticed “a lot of anxiety, a lot of stuckness and fear, a lot of despair and diseases of despair that our churches are dealing with, but also hope” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From ServLife International ... "Nirula’s Education"

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.

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ServLife Photo

Nirula’s Education

“Nirula says over and over again, ‘I need to go to school, I don’t want to be late, my friends are already on the way.’ I can see the excitement in my child about this school and her education.”

Nirula is one of three children in her family. They live in a small village in India where educational opportunities are limited. Nirula’s father is a police officer and her mother is a teacher in her village, between their incomes they only make a meager amount. They live on a small plot of government land but they do not own the land or small home they live in. Nirula’s mother Shalome shared “Right now we are praying, we are earning, and hoping that somehow we can buy a small piece of land to have our own home and land in the days to come” ...

• CLICK HERE to watch and read all of Nirula’s story ... 

• CLICK HERE to give a gift to help families and our partners in India and Nepal ...


Join Our Mission

ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal.  Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org

Support a Pastor Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. • Support Them ...	Sponsor a Child For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. • Sponsor Now ...	Fight Poverty The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. • Learn More ...

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 Adam J. Nevins
 Executive Director
 ServLife International, Inc.
 P.O. Box 20596
 Indianapolis, IN 46220
 USA

In the News ... "Midland Salvation Army opens up cooling station for the summer"

KWES Photo

• Finding out about this cooling station is a lifesaver for many people in need

By Christina Burgess, Reporter
• KWES-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - When the triple digit heat hits, the The Salvation Army of Midland's cooling station becomes filled with patrons.

"What we found out is in these hot summer months people are passing out in the parks," said Salvation Army Captain Robert Coriston. "A family we brought in today was in a tent that just turned into an oven. We wanted to find a way where people can come hang out, be safe, stay hydrated, cool maybe, watch movies, play board games in between the three meals we serve."

While inside cooling off, the Salvation Army provides meals, games and ice cold water. This year they're also providing free water bottles and electrolyte packets ...

 • Read/watch the rest of this KWES 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: June 18, 2023

OFFICE OF GENDER, RACIAL & INTERCULTURAL JUSTICE - Radical welcome, defined as “the spiritual practice of embracing and being changed by the gifts, presence, voices and power of The Other: the people systemically cast out or marginalized within a church, denomination and/or society,” was the focus of a recent webinar put on by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Gender, Racial & Intercultural Justice ...

• 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 Seven Weeks via Unsplash

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 17, 2023

INTERFAITH POWER & LIGHT - Interfaith Power & Light, a partner of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), recently held a webinar exploring both the political and the faith-based aspects of the Farm Bill, which expires Sept. 30 and is reauthorized every five years.

Karyn Bigelow, co-executive director of Creation Justice Ministries, put the question directly: Why should faith-based communities care about the Farm Bill, most of which goes to provide food assistance to people who need it, including students? ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.