From ServLife International: September 2011 Message

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.

"Got Fire?"
By Jeff Romack
ServLife International

Just yesterday a friend sent me a link to a recent article in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal. I don't often read the WSJ but when I saw the title of that article, "How Missionaries Lost their Chariots of Fire," I knew I had to read it. You can check it out here, How Missionaries ... , if you like.

While I don't agree with all that was said in that article, the author gets it right in the end when he writes that God's mission involves both serving those in need and sharing the gospel but it is sharing the gospel that distinguishes our loving service to meet human need from the humanitarian aid given by many organizations. As the author points out, "Both are motivated by the desire to help others, but Christians are spurred by that Jesus thing."

At ServLife we are very much motivated by the "Jesus thing" and not ashamed of it. That Jesus gave his life for us and for the sake of the whole world is what makes us tick. ServLife is committed to planting communities of the Kingdom and to bringing hope to children-at-risk and the global poor. We are serving life by sharing the gospel and responding to human need. This is what lights our fire. How about you; got fire? Why not light your flame at ours?

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Speaking of sharing the fire, did you know that Servlife has trained and now supports each month more than 120 indigenous church planters serving in India and Nepal?

One of the great new realities of the Christian movement is that the church is now a global reality. Linked to that, mission can no longer be characterized as the activity of western Christians going East (or South) to share the gospel. The church exists for God's mission in the world and, these days, mission happens from everywhere to everywhere!

The ServLife church planters illustrate this point.

While the Christian movement is a global reality to be celebrated there is another piece of that reality of which we must not lose sight. There are yet many peoples in many places where the gospel is not. ServLife is doing its part to address that situation. Our efforts to plant "communities of the Kingdom" are being done on the very frontiers of mission, the growing edge of Christian faith in the world. The indigenous church planters we support go to the hard places where the church has not yet taken root and where there are few, if any, believers. We are not laboring to plant a church just down the road from one of another kind. We are pioneers.

In pioneering situations, by definition, the material resources needed to evangelize in those places must come from outside those communities. In time, when a church has been planted, the local Christians will give of their own resources to reach out to their own. At the outset; however, workers and resources to support them must be sent from outside. This is where we need your help.

Today, we have workers in 10 of Nepal's 14 zones (states) and across seven (7) states in north India. We need your help to keep these men at work on the frontiers of mission and to train and send more.

Will you give dollars to support those who are giving their lives to share the gospel with the unreached in India and Nepal?

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Each year, in Kathmandu (Nepal) and again in Raxaul (India), we call together all our workers on the field to celebrate all that God has done, is now doing and what He will do in the coming year ...

These Leader's & Church Planter's Conferences are a big highlight for the people that have been doing the difficult work of sowing and reaping all year long. Here they receive a little bit of teaching and a great deal of encouragement. It's not easy being on the frontiers of faith without others close at hand to offer support but that is often the situation they must endure. By the close of our time together everyone is ready to go back to the harvest fields with renewed strength and vision.

To call together our church planters from across India and Nepal takes financial resources for travel and food that our workers (124 of them!) do not have and for which we must all stand together in faith trusting God to provide. That provision comes when God's people step up to contribute what they have to give to the cause of taking the gospel to the frontiers.

This year our conferences will be held November 8-12 (Nepal) and November 17-20 (India). Our budget is $14,000. At this point, our balance on hand is $zero. Can you help? To give safely and securely now go here: 2011 Leader's & Church Planter's Conference

We are asking all of our friends to simply pray and ask if they are to give to this need. And, by the way, you're welcome to join us for this time, too!

Thank you for letting us share what is happening in the world through ServLife ... together with you!

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Help fan our flame into fire ...

• Pray with us . . . join the ServLife Prayer Team.

• Give to support our church planters on the frontiers of the gospel. A one-time gift or on a monthly basis.

• Help make our Worker's Conferences in India and Nepal possible. Give here.

• Surprise a child with hope ... become a ServLife child sponsor.

• Serve the poor via micro-lending ... give to the Hope Fund.

Together in hope,
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

Service of Healing and Wholeness, next week at First Prez-Midland

First Presbyterian Church of Midland will hold a Service of Healing and Wholeness, Wednesday, October 26, 6:30p.m. in the Chapel. The service will center on prayer for the needs of the world, others, and ourselves.

The church is located at 800 W. Texas (on the northwest corner of Texas and A streets), just west of downtown Midland. Whether in need of healing and wholeness for yourself, or if you are led to be in prayer for another, please join us for this service of prayer.

"You are medicine for me when I am sick.
You are my strength when I need help.
You are life itself when I fear death.
You are the way when I long for heaven.
You are light when all is dark
You are my food when I need nourishment!"
Ambrose of Milan (340 - 397)

"In a day and age when the concept of healing is delegated to doctors’ offices and hospitals, the church confesses that for Christians the practice of healing is much greater. The image for Christians is 'not cure but wholeness.' Wholeness may be received even when a cure is not. Sickness, suffering, and dying are occasions not only for professional care but also for an openness to the meaning of divine grace and the assurance of forgiveness ... The Scriptures reveal a God who desires shalom for God's people. God's shalom is well-being and wholeness. It is shalom that God offers to all who suffer. Shalom is mediated through God's forgiving and healing love made known to us in Jesus. It is rooted in his life, death, and resurrection. In him, we have the assurance of final victory over sickness and death."
The Companion to the Book of Common Worship

For more information, please call FPC-Midland at (432) 684-7821.

Teichert Prayer Letter for September

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.

September Letter ...

Dear family and friends,

Lesotho is known as the “Mountain Kingdom.” It is nested inside the country of South Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDs. Over 40 percent of the population live in rugged mountainous regions. Many people still need to hear about the saving power of Jesus Christ, and many new disciplemaking churches are needed in these remote areas.

Karl had the opportunity to facilitate a church planting seminar in Morija, Lesotho, from June 20-24 through the Church Planting Alliance. He was joined by a church team from Madisonville, Kentucky, and Thomas Maphophe from northern South Africa. We are praising the Lord for the 65 leaders who enthusiastically participated in the training and the 55 leaders who were certified to train others.

The local Lesotho leaders responded very positively to the training. Many of them met together again in July to review the material and follow up their action steps. Karl will return in November to encourage the leaders and provide additional training. Please pray for these leaders as they plant many disciple-making churches among these remote villages of Lesotho.

We are so grateful for your friendship and partner-ship in the Lord’s mission. Thank you for standing with us!

Karl and Jenny Teichert

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.

An Urgent Plea

Dear Champions for Burma,

I have had an urgent request from Steve Gumaer for the people served by Partners Relief and Development. Funding is essential to provide food, medicine and supplies to 31,000 recently displaced people whose homes and villages have recently been destroyed by the Burma Army.

Steve wrote: “I attach the delivery report. It shows just one of many deliveries we have done in Shan and Kachin State in the past two months. We have continued our regular budget work at the same time as we have given extra funding to these critical needs. I'm not sure how to sustain this work, this line of relief, but as long as we can, we will. Those people have nobody else to lean on and it feels more like a moral duty to do everything we can than a neat program. You know what I mean? ... I know that if the people of Burma could thank you, they would do it too - in four part harmony with big smiles, they would say Tablu Doma! (Thank you very much!)”

Please respond to this desperate situation if you are able to help.
1. Click on partnersworld.org/usa ;
2. mail a check to: Partners Relief and Development, 2066 Redlands, CA 92373 ;
3. donate to: First Presbyterian Church - Midland and mark "Urgent for Partners Relief and Development"

Please storm heaven with loving prayers for the Shan and Kachin people, and Steve and Oddny Gumaer.

Thank you for being Champions,
Margaret

Margaret Purvis
Margaret@purvisop.com
Phone: 432-682-7346

Partners Blog: "Press Release Regarding Political Prisoner Amnesty"

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.

Press Release Regarding Political Prisoner Amnesty

"Partners Relief & Development welcomes the release of about 120 political prisoners in Burma. We do, however, urge the government of Burma to release ALL political prisoners as we have noted that the most prominent ones have still not been set free. Nearly 2000 political prisoners are still in jail, many of them with sentences as long as 65 years or more.

We are encouraged by the positive changes that are happening in Burma. But in order for true change to happen, the government needs to end its atrocious deeds in the ethnic areas of the country."
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

In the News ... "Churches join together to build Habitat home"

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - Volunteers from Mid-Cities Community Church broke ground on a new home in Midland Saturday, marking the beginning of this year's Apostles Build for Midland County Habitat for Humanity.

Ten churches have pledged to help build the house at 310 S. Adams St., which will be Habitat's 110th in Midland County since its inception in 1988. Each church in the Apostles Build has reserved one or two weekends to work on the house, as well as pledged financial contributions to the project.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Invitation to Prayer

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).

Called beyond Comfort Zone

"“We are among your called.
We have heard and answered your summons.
You have addressed us in the deep places of our lives.
In responsive obedience we testify, as we are able,
to your truth as it concerns our common life.

We thank you for the call,
for the burden of that call,
for the risk that goes with it,
for the joy of words given us by your growing spirit, and
for the newness that sometimes comes from our word.

We have indeed been in the counsel of your summoning spirit,
and so we know some truth to speak.

But we are, as well, filled with rich imagination of our own,
And our imagination is sometimes matched and overmatched
by our cowardice,
by our readiness to please,
by our quest for well-being.

We are, on most days, a hard mix of true prophet and wayward voice,
a mix of your call to justice and our hope for shalom.

Here we are, as we are,
mixed but faithful,
compromised but committed,
anxious but devoted to you.

Use us and our gifts for
your newness that pushed beyond all that we can say or imagine.
We are grateful for words given us;
we are more grateful for your word fleshed among us."
Prayers for a Privileged People, by Walter Brueggemann

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

We will meet for prayer on Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 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 responding to God’s call to pray for the children of our world. Thank you for allowing God to push you out of your comfort zone!

Blessings,

Chris

In the News ... "Center chooses families of the year"

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The typical definition of a family usually includes mom, dad and the kids. But for a pastor, family is also about God and the church.

And for the Rev. Griffin Jones, lead pastor at CrossRoads Fellowship Church, and his wife, Donna Jones, it’s their faith in God that has kept their family close. It’s also the reason they were named the Samaritan Counseling Center’s Family of the Year.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

John Bunyan: The English Pioneer of the House Church

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.

Pastor Xiqiu “Bob” Fu: "John Bunyan, the English Pioneer of the House Church

Released by ChinaAid, October, 2011 ...

"BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – In the 17th century, Bunyan was a pastor at the Church of England’s St. John’s Church. Because he broke the Anglican rule forbidding preaching outside the church and preached on the streets of Bedford to crowds of people from different social classes, he was accused of illegally establishing private meeting sites and illegal preaching and was persecuted by the Anglican Church."
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

 

Faces of Children: Call for Prayer, and Action

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).

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

Lisa Thompson, a friend of Faces of Children and a dedicated advocate for trafficked or commercially sexually exploited children and women, often sends us information about what’s going on around the country and world in the battle against modern day slavery.

She sent the article below to her list serve last week and we felt it was worth sharing with you. As Margaret Purvis, our ministry founder recently wrote, “Sometimes a cause deserves to be highlighted. It gives those who wish to participate an opportunity to express their passion for the well being of children as an action in addition to prayer.”

• CNN REPORT: 'Toddlers and Tiaras' and sexualizing 3-year-olds

• PTC PETITION: Tell TLC To Stop Sexualizing Toddlers!

Thank you for bringing children before God in prayer. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about what’s happening to them and for asking God in what other way you may serve these vulnerable ones.

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.

Blessings,

Chris

In the News ... "Christians, athletes flock to Fields of Faith"

By James Cannon
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Young Christians descended on Grande Communications Stadium in droves to hear rock music and experience a group evangelical worship experience Wednesday night.

The atmosphere was lively as students fellowshipped with each other from the region. Most wore white Fields of Faith T-shirts and bobbed their heads to the Christian rock music.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 17, 2011

CUBA - In 2009, Havana Presbytery celebrated twenty years of partnership with the Presbytery of Long Island and ten years with the Presbytery of Chicago. We thank God for the rich experiences that have borne fruit for us in every sense. When the partnership agreements were established between the presbyteries, there was a rule that the agreement lasted for three years. However, both sides concluded that after three years of working together, their relationship could not end because a family-like partnership had been established.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 16, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: WORLD FOOD DAY - David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, describes our time as one in which we are called by God to be involved in a "great liberation" on an "exodus from hunger." On World Food Day we celebrate the strides made in the exodus from hunger. And we pray for strength to continue the exodus with those who are still bound in hunger's gravitational pull.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Diocese celebrates 50th anniversary"

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - Legend has it when Pope John XXIII, whose birth name was Angelo Roncalli, searched for the headquarters of the new West Texas diocese in 1961, a town with his namesake caught his eye.

"That's where it's going to be," he said, pointing to the town of San Angelo. Today, that same diocese spans 37,433 square miles in 29 counties, and is a network of 73 missions and parishes that about 82,000 West Texans call their church homes.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 15, 2011

COSTA RICA - On a mission trip In 2006, I was introduced to a ten-year-old girl and a church family who would change the way I approached mission and God and viewed my neighbor and myself. Francinny sat waiting to be introduced as, simply, a little girl with an enlarged liver. A second memory is of the sincerity of the elders at the Costa Rican Presbyterian Church in Higuito as they prayed for the children of the church.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "50th Anniversary jubilee Mass: Think of it as a family reunion"

By Jimmy Patterson
Contributor
Midland Reporter-Telegram

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - By virtue of our very nature, we like to be with other people. We were not meant to be alone. And so the faithful among us often tend to flock together with others in either small, intimate faith communities or at their neighborhood church or parish. This coming together with others is such an important thing to us, we even call it "our church family."

At 11 a.m., Sunday, 82,000 Catholics from the 73 churches and missions in the Diocese of San Angelo have been invited and encouraged to attend a Mass in honor of the diocese's 50 years of spreading the faith in West Texas.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 14, 2011

NICARAGUA - We need our partners. Without them we can get by, but we don't want to do it alone.'' This was the message to Davidson College Presbyterian Church from their ASDECK (Association for Community Development of Kilambe) partners in northern Nicaragua. Aristeo proudly showed the Davidson visitors his farm, which is being used as a teaching model. The visiting group and their hosts shared updates about friends and family members that had been held up in prayer by each partner. God's grace and presence were clear in the relationship that had formed through the years.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 13, 2011

HONDURAS - Upon arriving in Copan, Honduras, in September 2009, a sixteen-member team from Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church in Duluth, Georgia, discovered they were the first to do mission work in the area since a government coup occurred four months earlier in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Uncertain of the ramifications of the country's power struggle, some mission teams made last-minute cancellations - leaving much work to be done in nearby villages.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 12, 2011

EL SALVADOR - Since 2002, Highland Presbyterian in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has been working with the Reformed Calvinist Church of El Salvador (IRCES). On one trip, a group from Highland spent five days in the village of Masacua. One afternoon, we met with six women of the church. They presented the Ruth Project — a cottage industry that makes school uniforms.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 11, 2011

GUATEMALA (continued) - How far would you be willing to travel to get to church? Thirty minutes? Forty-five? What about three hours at least – riding three buses and walking part of the way? That's what Pastor Juan Lopez does twice a month to reach Iglesia Presbiteriana Elim, a small congregation in a very poor village in the lowlands area of southwest Guatemala.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 10, 2011

GUATEMALA - The National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala is reaching out to the Q'eqchi' ethnic group, whose members are among the most neglected in our country. Our church has six Q'eqchi' presbyteries. The territories where the Q'eqchi' people live are difficult to reach, especially during the rainy season, because the roads are not paved.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 9, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS - "Physical aggression occurs in one in three teen dating relationships" (Sarah Avery-Leaf and Michele Cascardi, Dating Violence Education, quoted on the Domestic Violence Statistics page of the American Bar Association). This is a shocking figure. It is important that the church understand and address teen and dating violence, and find creative ways to help teens deal with these issues.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 8, 2011

MEXICO - Pasos de Fe, a mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, helps Christians on both sides of the border better understand each other. One example is the lives of Kevin and Marisela.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "50 Years: The Story of the Diocese of San Angelo"

Staff Report
Odessa American

WEST TEXAS - Jimmy Patterson, author of the forthcoming book, 50 Years: The Story of the Diocese of San Angelo, will sign copies of the book and give presentations on the diocese’s history in a series of three appearances around the diocese the week before the Church's 50th anniversary.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 7, 2011

MEXICO - The church was already deep - in both its physical length and spiritually. Now it needed to be wider, the side walls expanded to allow more room for growing numbers of people. This was the case in the indigenous Mexican village of Matzam, Chiapas. So friends from Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, visited their Tzeltal friends for a third time.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

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 10/03/11

AFRICA - Pray for pregnant women in Africa who lack access to decent medical care because of a shortage of funding, doctors, midwives, health workers, essential medicines, and basic supplies. Pray for the families and children of those who have died during childbirth. An estimated 170,000 African women die each year from pregnancy-related causes.
A report from the New York Times
• Give thanks to God that many African countries are abolishing patient fees for public health care. Pray for government leaders who have authority over these health systems. Pray they manage them with integrity and transparency, and make care for the vulnerable a priority.
• Pray for viable solutions to the complicated issues surrounding the impact of foreign aid on Africa's struggling public health systems. The United States and other donors have given African nations billions of dollars to fight infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, yet most of those African governments have reduced their spending on domestic health care.


THAILAND - Give God thanks and praise for the Garden of Hope's children's ministry project TawSaeng (Thai for "to shine") in a bar/massage parlor district near Chiang Mai's night bazaar.
TawSaeng web page
• Pray for the 38 hill tribe children with whom TawSaeng staff and volunteers minister on a daily basis. Many of these displaced children were ripe for exploitation or sexual abuse as they sold flowers or trinkets in the bar district near their slum homes. Praise God they're at the drop-in center now and not on the streets late at night.
• Thanks be to God for the dedication of TawSaeng's staff and volunteers who reach out to these hill tribe children and provide them with healthy meals, educational assistance, school supplies and uniforms, social survival skills training, and an opportunity to play and study in a safe environment at the children's drop-in center. Give God thanks for providing the resources needed to pay rent and cover the cost of several projects.
• Pray that God will provide the documentation, resources, and training needed for the parents of these ethnic hill tribe children to obtain jobs that pay living wages. Pray for God's encouragement and peace for parents who took their children out of poverty in the village only to find it again in the city.

UNITED STATES - Continue to keep 11-year-old Dallas held close in prayer as he experiences the hard consequences of his mother Betty's * questionable decisions. Betty was recently arrested for driving without insurance and ended up in jail over a holiday weekend. Dallas was placed in foster care when his sitter called police to report Betty for neglect. Please pray that God will bring stability and consistency into Dallas' life. Please pray for his emotional and psychological health. Pray that Betty will maintain her hard won sobriety throughout this difficult experience. Please pray that Betty will make better choices for herself and Dallas in the future.
* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection
• Pray for the children and families of Minot, North Dakota who, because of heavy flooding last August, were forced from their homes and into temporary housing. Pray for those living in hotels who will now have to move to Red Cross shelters because the hotels are already booked for Norsk Høstfest, North America's largest Scandinavian festival.(http://www.hostfest.com/concerts/index.asp) Pray for those living in tents and campers in their backyards who will also have to move to shelters because the weather is getting colder. Please pray that all of the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) trailers needed to house these families will be put into place quickly.
• Please continue to pray for Ben who suffers from psychological problems as a result of severe physical and emotional abuse in his childhood. Last year Ben had to be placed in a mental hospital because of these issues. Pray for Ben's adoptive parents as they face even more challenges. Four of the children they adopted from a sibling group of five are showing signs of mental illness. Pray for these children as they go through this tough time. Pray for healing and for the peace of God that surpasses all understanding for Ben, his brothers and sisters, and his adoptive parents.

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.
• Please pray for Brittney, the 26-year-old friend of a Faces of Children prayer partner, as she begins treatment for a very rare form of cancer in a tumor on her neck. Pray that God will comfort and provide for this young woman who must have very radical surgery to treat this type of cancer.
• 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 ... "Interim pastors help churches transition"

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Darrell Eastman has sure had a busy summer. After beginning his new position as Director of Christian Life and Youth Ministries at Westminster Presbyterian Church, with the church’s youth going to workshops, mission trips and Rock the Desert.

But as the year heads into the fall season, Eastman has finally slowed down a little – if you call reestablishing the church’s education program, starting a men’s ministry and hosting a slew of upcoming events slowing down.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 6, 2011

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN - A turning point for growing the church deep and wide in Latin America and the Caribbean came in 1929. Who could have imagined that the Protestant community of a couple of million members would grow to about sixty million members today? That year, church leaders of the Americas organized a mission congress without help from the foreign mission boards. With the theme, "Christ Calls at the Doors of Fourteen Nations,'' the event marked the opening of a new chapter of mission and evangelism planned and organized by Latin American people.
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Tabernacle Experience stops by Odessa"

By Lyxan Toledanes
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Compared to sky high buildings and other wonders of modern architecture, the sight of a makeshift tent in an enclosed sandy courtyard isn’t exactly what you would call impressive.

But once you step inside the tent, representing the Tabernacle of Moses, your first impressions could change into a profound experience.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 5, 2011

STOCKTON PRESBYTERY - Delhi Community Presbyterian Church, in the San Joaquin Valley, is a small church of sixty members with a big vision that they call "Impacting Our Community for Jesus Christ." One way this is lived out is through a food ministry. Delhi is a relatively poor community and it seems that hunger has always been present there, so the Delhi church opened a food closet.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Word from Uganda: "Wish List"

Missionary teacher Natalie Rolfe writes, "'When He calls me, I will answer ... I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.' My call was Mbale, Uganda and that is where I have returned to serve for another year. Specifically, I am teaching phonics at Lulwanda Children's Home, an orphanage and school for 90 kids." Natalie also keeps an online journal of her service at the weblog, When He calls me, I will answer ...

Wish List

If you, your church or your organization is planning a trip to Mbale, Uganada this year - or sending a 'care package' - please consider the items from the following 'Wish List,' posted in on Natalie's blog.

Lulwanda Children's Home ideas:
• Ink Cartridges
o HP 920 (for officejet 6500)
o HP 21 and 22 (for deskjet D1360)
o HP 45 and 78 (for officejet G85)
o Toner Canon C-EXV18-TONER (for copier Canon iR1018J)
• thumb (flash) drives
• games (Trouble, Scrabble, Chutes & Ladders, etc.) and cards
• colorful magazine advertisements and old calendars (magazine papers need to be a bit thick like "real simple" and "martha stewart"
• toy cars
• crayons and markers
• flashlights
• penss
• coloring books
• beads (bigger seed beads, tube beads, or other fun ones)
• clasps for necklace making
• balls (soccer, volley, basket ball, tennis)
• sports bras
• tee-shirts
• underwear/panties
• socks
• plastic shoe boxes with lids
• kids DVDs
• magazines - "Martha Stewart" and "Real Simple"
• "uniformed"/ matching sets of clothing-- I know sometimes private schools have surplus of matching uniforms (whether misprinted or being replaced by new design)- nice or sportswear

Care package ideas for me :)
• Face moisturizer with SPF
• curly hair moose (TresAme)
• curl sculpting cream (Fructis curl sculpting cream)
• Clean and Clear face wash
• Dove deodorant
• Toothpaste (Crest ProHealth)
• Maybelline Purestay Powder foundation (Buff)
• Maskera, Loreal Telescopic (black brown)
• Bonine motion sickness medicine
• TV series on DVD (one's you have finished are great)
• iTunes giftcards
• Amazon giftcards
• Games: Flinch, Sequence, Commotion, cards, anything else
• Pam cooking spray
• chocolate chips
• cereal - Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Multi-Grain Cheerios
• Luna bars- chocolate peppermint or chocolate and peanut butter
• candy - M&Ms (peanut and peanut butter), Hot Tamales, Laffy Taffy, York Pepperment Patties, party bag (KitKat,
Milky Way, Snickers, Twix), Skittles, Baby Ruth


If you are interested in supporting LCH by sponsoring one of the 90 children, go to www.ugandaorphans.org If you are interested in financially supporting Natalie in her mission, you can send checks (with "Natalie Rolfe" in memo) to: Midland Bible Church, 2800 North A Street, Midland, TX 79705

Invitation to Prayer

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 for Those in Distress ... The Liturgy of St. Mark

"Almighty and everlasting God,
the comfort of the sad,
the strength of those who suffer,
let the prayers of your children who cry out of any tribulation
come to you.

To every soul that is distressed,
grant mercy, grant relief, grant refreshment;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
The Book of Common Worship, Daily Prayer, by Westminster/John Knox Press

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

Thank you for praying so faithfully for the children of our local and global communities. Even though we may not get to see all of the answers to our prayers, please know yours are valued messages of hope and love for the children of our world!

This coming Wednesday, October 5, 2011, the Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet 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.

I give God grateful thanks for you every time I pray through the Faces of Children list!

Blessings,

Chris

In the News ... "MAAS Celebrates 20 Years of Support and Education"

By Stephanie Rivas
Anchor/Reporter
KOSA-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - It's a disease that comes with stigmas and prejudice, but HIV and AIDS have no boundaries. It can strike a husband, a wife, a partner or even your child.

But there is help for those who turn to Midland/Odessa Area AIDS Support. The group began with one family who had no place to turn.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the KOSA report

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 4, 2011

THE PRESBYTERY OF SAN JOSE - "We don't really have any poor people living here, do we?" asked a church member as others rapidly loaded barrels with canned food for a local food bank. Sadly, many people are unaware that a quarter of the residents in Silicon Valley live below the poverty line. Two programs recently launched here are changing that misconception about who our neighbors are.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Midland Group Shares Review of Liao Yiwu's "God Is Red"

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.


Midland Group Shares Review of Liao Yiwu's "God Is Red"

Released by ChinaAid, September, 2011 ...

"ELLEN BORK, for the Wall Street Journal – There is the authorized version of life in China propagated by the Communist Party, and then there is the unauthorized version. Liao Yiwu is one of the foremost authors of the latter, for which he has paid a steep price."
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

In the News ... Odessans fill the 'Empty Bowls'

By Nathaniel Miller
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Odessans opened up their hearts and wallets Friday during the 13th annual "Empty Bowls" fundraiser at St. John’s Episcopal Church, to help raise money for the West Texas Food.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 3, 2011

THE PRESBYTERY OF SAN JOAQUIN - By 2004, the bar adjacent to First Presbyterian Church of Visalia was well-known to the local police department, which made hundreds of service calls on the establishment. When the church discovered the opportunity to purchase the building in 2005, it bought it with the mission of bringing unchurched people to faith in Jesus Christ through a multichurch, city-wide partnership via conversation, art, and music.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Video Vault: "World Communion Sunday"

Today is World Communion Sunday, and I thought the following video, a scene from the movie, Places in the Heart, was especially appropriate. Those of you who have scene the film will know the special significance of this scene.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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: October 2, 2011

MINUTE FOR MISSION: WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY/PEACEMAKING OFFERING - Lynn Hasselbarth's first Communion in Peru when she was a Young Adult Volunteer fell on World Communion Lynn writes, "This is, I think, where the idea of World Communion begins – the ability and willingness to physically live in one place but let your heart and soul reside in many places, among many people – to hold hands with someone from halfway across the world through a deep knowledge of their circumstances and a shared belief that we are connected through our relationship with God."
CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "New Children’s Facility On the Way for Mid-Cities Church"

Staff Report
KWES-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - A new children's facility is on the way at Mid-Cities Church in Midland.
CLICK HERE to read/watch the rest of the KWES report