Invitation to Prayer: TOMORROW

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).

Compassionate Preayer

“Compassionate prayer on behalf of others is central to the Bible…As disciples of the compassionate Lord who took upon himself the condition of a slave and suffered death for our sake, there are no boundaries to our prayers. Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed this with powerful simplicity when he wrote that to pray for others is to give them ‘the same right we have received, namely, to stand before Christ and share in his mercy.’

When we come before God with the needs of the world, then the healing love of God which touches us touches all those whom we bring before God with the same power. This experience of God’s healing love can become so real, so immediate, that at times we can even sense God’s healing grace in the lives of others, although they may be far away physically, mentally, or spiritually.

Thus, compassionate prayer does not encourage us to flee from people and their concrete problems into a self-serving individualism. By deepening our awareness of our common suffering, it draws us all closer together in the healing presence of God. It reaches out not only to those whom we love and admire, but also to those whom we consider our enemies.

Prayer cannot exist together with hostile feelings. The fruit of prayer is always love. In prayer, even the unprincipled dictator and the vicious torturer can no longer remain the objects of our fear, hatred, and revenge, because when we pray, we stand at the center of the great mystery of divine compassion.”

Anchored in God Through Prayer by Henri J. M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet in the new Family Life Center conference room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. We will have lunch ($5) and fellowship after our prayer time. I hope you will be able to join us then.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations 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.

Grace and peace,

Chris

In the News ... "CCF gears up for fundraiser, capital campaign"

MRT Photo by Tim Fischer

• Centers fundraising dinner to feature Archie Manning as keynote speaker

Steve Kuhlmann, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - After 57 years of renting in Midland, Centers for Children and Families recently announced the purchase of a permanent home on Andrews Highway.

“With increasing rental prices in our building, as well as limiting our client services because of our space limitation we really realized that it’s time for Centers to have a home of its own,” Abbie Kauffmann, development director at Centers, who is heavily involved with the capital campaign for the new facility.

Following a lead gift from Concho Resources, Centers was able to raise enough money to meet its goal to “purchase the building outright” without taking out a loan. Kauffmann said all of the money is “coming from donors who are really wanting to help us to have this capability” ...

 • read the rest of this MRT 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 12, 2014

HONG KONG - Every May to July, the Hong Kong Christian Council cosponsors a summer internship to engage theology students and church youth in the rich tradition of the ecumenical movement. The Ecumenical Summer Institute gives Hong Kong young people from various church backgrounds the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between Christian faith and social justice and to explore how churches are involved in the development of society.

Interns serve in different Christian NGOs, human rights groups, and local churches ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

ChinaAid: "Detained Shandong believers' lawyers file application for bail"

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.

Detained Shandong believers' lawyers file application for bail
Distributed by ChinaAid, July, 2014 ...

CAO COUNTY, SHANDONG, CHINAA – everal lawyers representing believers in China’s coastal Shandong have filed applications to get their clients released on bail after officials detained the Christians on “suspicion of utilizing a cult organization to undermine the implementation of the law” almost a month ago.

On June 25, government officials broke into a factory where a group of 22 Christians was practicing hymns. Of the believers, four were with their children and one woman was pregnant; they were immediately released. Several were held under administrative detention while the remainder of the group was placed under criminal detention ...

• more on this story from China Aid  

In the News ... "Rock the Desert Music Festival Has Come to an End"

KOSA Image

• Looking forward to next year

Caitlin Crawford
KOSA-TV

ODESSA/MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Rock the Desert music festival has come to an end, and after three full days of music, crews from around the nation are packing up and returning home until next year.

We went backstage to speak with a new production company that made several changes at the festival this year. Over twenty-thousand people attended the multi-day event Thursday through Saturday.

During three full days of music, artists including, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Skillet, the Newsboys, Family Force 5, Phenomenon and Crowder, performed on two different stages ...

• read/watch the rest of this KOSA report ... 

Invitation to Prayer: WEDNESDAY

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).

Compassionate Preayer

“Compassionate prayer on behalf of others is central to the Bible…As disciples of the compassionate Lord who took upon himself the condition of a slave and suffered death for our sake, there are no boundaries to our prayers. Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed this with powerful simplicity when he wrote that to pray for others is to give them ‘the same right we have received, namely, to stand before Christ and share in his mercy.’

When we come before God with the needs of the world, then the healing love of God which touches us touches all those whom we bring before God with the same power. This experience of God’s healing love can become so real, so immediate, that at times we can even sense God’s healing grace in the lives of others, although they may be far away physically, mentally, or spiritually.

Thus, compassionate prayer does not encourage us to flee from people and their concrete problems into a self-serving individualism. By deepening our awareness of our common suffering, it draws us all closer together in the healing presence of God. It reaches out not only to those whom we love and admire, but also to those whom we consider our enemies.

Prayer cannot exist together with hostile feelings. The fruit of prayer is always love. In prayer, even the unprincipled dictator and the vicious torturer can no longer remain the objects of our fear, hatred, and revenge, because when we pray, we stand at the center of the great mystery of divine compassion.”

Anchored in God Through Prayer by Henri J. M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet in the new Family Life Center conference room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. We will have lunch ($5) and fellowship after our prayer time. I hope you will be able to join us then.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations 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.

Grace and peace,

Chris

In the News ... "Church celebrates 40th anniversary of Spiritual Explosion event"

• EDITOR'S NOTE: I am late getting to this report. The kick-off parade has taken place, but there are other activities in the week ahead.

Steve Kuhlmann, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Faith Temple Church of God in Christ (COGIC) will sponsor the 40th annual Spiritual Explosion event next week, kicking it off with a parade Saturday morning.

Scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Lamesa Road and Lee Street, the parade will end at the Faith Temple COGIC campus where there will be a picnic, singing and other activities.

“It is our endeavor to unify all faiths, all creeds,” said W.C. Kenan, pastor at Faith Temple COGIC. “It’s an event where we bring in some of the best speakers and leaders that we know that we can have an impact in encouraging the people of God to unify.”

Revolving around the theme of “Moving Forward with God,” Spiritual Explosion services will be held 7 p.m. Wednesday through Aug. 15 at the Midland Center. Featured speakers will include pastor Ji Nelson from Riverside, California, Bishop J.L. Keith Jones from Albuquerque, New Mexico and Bishop Corby Bush from Dallas ...

 • read the rest of this MRT 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 11, 2014

CHINA - University education is a dream for most young people in mainland China. The entry system is highly competitive, and only those with exceptional ability and grades get the chance to study at the university level. However, some outstanding students who are accepted cannot afford the cost. Some come from rural areas where their parents’ income cannot pay expenses for four years, an inability that has even led some to commit suicide.

In response to this situation, the Hong Kong Christian Council started Project Torch to help these deserving young people ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Odessa Men Starting Journey to Become Priests"

KWES Image

• Send-off celebration set for August 13

Justin Kree, Reporter
KWES-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - Three young men from Odessa are starting their journey as priests.

"It's kind of unique to have three from Odessa. Two from this parish and one from a neighboring parish. It's never happened in my 42 years as a priest. Father Mark Woodruff said.

Father Mark Woodruff says the need for priest is felt around the world ...

 • 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 10, 2014

MINUTE FOR MISSION: HIGHER EDUCATION / COLLEGIATE MINISTRY - “Why do you love campus ministry?” It’s a question I hear often from folks in all walks of life. There is so much joy to be found, so much to learn, and so many ways to walk with these young adults as they figure out questions of calling, of majors, of relationships, of who and what God is calling them to be. Psalm 105 reminds us to give thanks to God, and that is what college folks do ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "First United Methodist to pack meals for hunger relief ... THIS SUNDAY"

• For schools, medical clinics in high-need areas

Staff Report
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - First United Methodist Church is partnering with the international organization Stop Hunger Now to help alleviate hunger worldwide. From 8:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday, the church congregation will attempt to meet the goal of packing 10,000 meals for distribution by the aid organization ...

 • read the rest of this MRT report ... 

MRT Photo by Cindeka Nealy

In the News ... "Midland priest to celebrate 25th anniversary"

MRT Photo by James Durbin

• Celebration will begin with a mass at 5 p.m. TODAY at Our Lady of Guadalupe

Steve Kuhlmann, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Rev. David Herrera, priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Shrine, celebrates his 25th anniversary in the priesthood this month. A quarter century after he was ordained at the age of 27, Herrera said it’s all “just kind of surreal.”

“I can’t believe that it has been 25 years,” he said. “I’ve had a great life.”

Years ago, a young Herrera had no intentions of becoming a priest. The Odessa native was dating his high school sweetheart when he was first approached by a priest at his church about going into the seminary ...

 • read the rest of this MRT 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 9, 2014

INDONESIA (continued) - The majority of Indonesians of all faiths are committed to ending the marginalization of women and minorities. As a result of lobbying and educational efforts by women’s groups, several new laws now protect women from domestic violence and mandate their representation in political leadership and developmental policies. For example, Indonesia recently passed a national law requiring that 30 percent of candidates for political office be women.

Despite encouraging changes, the challenges remain daunting. ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: "Let Freedom Ring"

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.

---

Friday Story: "Let Freedom Ring"

Greetings and happy Friday!

On this 4thof July, as many of us celebrate the freedom we have, I want to thank you for giving freedom through the gift of mobility to over 781,000 recipients around the world. This week’s story of life-changing transformation comes to us from Zimbabwe:

In the Dete area of western Zimbabwe, lives a seven year old boy named Praise. Praise’s mother died a few years ago, but he is cared for by his aunt. He suffers from hydrocephalus, and therefore is unable to walk. Praise’s aunt would love to take him to both school and church but having to carry him is too much on her body ...

• read the rest of this story ...

---

Want to take one of these wheelchairs  for a test drive? During normal business hours, visit the lobby at the Texas Street entrance of First Presbyterian Church-Midland, at the northwest corner of Texas and A streets, on the west side of downtown Midland. You can give the gift of mobility. The cost of $72.00 is a bargain to us ... but it is a life-changing gift to impoverished and disabled recipients ... and there are times when your contribution will be matched, reaching not one - but TWO, and sometimes FOUR recipients. Please note on your check "Wheelchair Gift."

In the News ... "Rock the Desert celebrates its 15th anniversary "

MRT Photo by James Durbin

• Three-day Christian music festival wraps-up today

Steve Kuhlmann, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - This year marks the 15th anniversary of Rock The Desert festival, a three-day Christian music festival featuring Christian bands, some of which have had mainstream success — such as Skillet and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

The festival kicks off Thursday afternoon and runs through Saturday evening. More than 30 performances are scheduled.

“It’s just a big, fun festival, a big celebration — especially this year,”said Brittany Spencer, festival assistant for Rock the Desert. “(It’s) unlike anything else that happens in the West Texas area. There is always something for all ages. It’s just a good family fun atmosphere (and) a way to worship with your community among a lot of other believers who have come together” ...

 • read the rest of this MRT 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 8, 2014

INDONESIA - Malia Lenakoly, a student at Jakarta Theological Seminary, plans to become a pastor in Maluku, in eastern Indonesia, after graduating. Throughout her life, she has been accustomed to making friends with people of other religions. Her family visits Muslim neighbors during special days on the Islamic calendar. At Christmastime, the same neighbors stop by to wish her family a merry Christmas.

Malia acknowledges that over the past 10 years a fundamentalist movement tied to bombings and violence has emerged within Islam and Christianity. But those incidents did not affect her or anyone she knows, because they were aimed at Westerners and international media.

According to Malia, only a very small percentage of the people in Indonesia are fundamentalists ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Volunteers drive Rock the Desert festival "

OA Photo by Mark Sterkel

• Event to continue through Saturday night

By Jared Wilson, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA-MIDLAND, TEXAS - Frisbees and footballs were floating through the hot Thursday afternoon and people sat under their tents enjoying the music, Barbara Willis was in and out of Rock The Desert festival headquarters ensuring that the festival gets off on the right foot.

Willis has been a volunteer at RTD for 13 years, so it is some very familiar territory for her. Yet despite the hot temperatures and massive responsibility, she keeps coming back and volunteering her time to the community at RTD.

“I think what keeps me coming back is the promise of what can happen out here,” said Willis while directing traffic at the headquarters on day one of RTD ...

• 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 7, 2014

VIETNAM - Ho Chi Minh—a city many still know as Saigon—is a place of bustling activity, with motorcycles flooding every intersection like bees swarming a hive.

But the church in Vietnam is buzzing as well. It’s not in grand cathedrals that one will see this activity of the Spirit but in a network of house churches tucked away in small neighborhoods and out-of-the-way places.

These house churches—some 120 compared with only nine formal church buildings—have grown into the 7,500 members of the United Presbyterian Church of Vietnam (UPCV ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Letting the good times roll "

OA Photo by Courtney Sacco

• RTD announces the addition of year-round skate park

By Jared Wilson, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA-MIDLAND, TEXAS - The annual Rock The Desert festival for 2014, has a theme of 10,000 reasons. Well now audiences have one more to add to that with the addition of a brand new skate park for crowds to enjoy year-round.

For Office Director Allison Tull and her family, the newest addition is a dream, in the form of a 12,000 to 15,000 square foot building, which has finally come to life.

“It has kind of always been a dream of ours,” Tull said about the park. “From the very first festival in 2000 we had a skateboard ministry and that was kind of the kid we wanted to draw in so this was a decision everyone was on board with. We want to reach those kids and this is really cool to see. But if you would have said six months ago that we were going to have this for the festival we would have no idea” ...

• 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 6, 2014

THAILAND (continued) - When Poramet Charoynoot was 12, his father left. About the same time, he began attending one of the schools of the Church of Christ in Thailand. Poramet is from a Buddhist background—like 95 percent of Thai people. “When I first came to the school, I saw the school motto was ‘Respect to the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,’” he says. “But I didn’t understand, and I thought, ‘Why does a school have to respect the Lord? And who is the Lord?’”

Can you imagine being 12 and never having heard of Jesus? ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

School Supply Bake Sale and Lemonade Stand: TOMORROW

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Wednesday, August 6th

9:00 - 11:00

Lemonade and Dessert Sale

In the Texas Street parking lot of First Presbyterian Church-Midland, just across the street from the main entrance to Midland High School.

Come support our children as they raise money to buy School Supplies for St. Andrew's Mission and Casa de Amigos!

Invitation to Prayer: TOMORROW

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).

Experiencing the First Love

“Prayer means entering into communion with the One who loved us before we could love. It is this ‘first love’ (1 John 4:19) that is revealed to us in prayer. The more deeply we enter into the house of God, the house whose language is prayer, the less dependent we are on the blame or praise of those who surround us, and the freer we are to let our whole being be filled with that first love. As long as we are still wondering what other people say or think about us and trying to act in ways that will elicit a positive response, we are still victimized and imprisoned by the dark world in which we live. In that dark world, we have to let our surroundings tell us what we are worth….As long as we are in the clutches of that world, we live in darkness, since we do not know our true self. We cling to our false self in the hope that maybe more success, more praise, more satisfaction will give us the experience of being loved which we crave. That is the fertile ground of bitterness, greed, violence, and war.

In prayer, however, again and again we discover that the love we are looking for has already been given to us and that we can come to the experience of that love. Prayer is entering into communion with the One who molded our being in our mother’s womb with love and only love. There, in the first love, lies our true self, a self not made up of the rejections and acceptances of those with whom we live, but solidly rooted in the One who called us into existence. In the house of God, we were created. To that house, we are called to return. Prayer is the act of returning.”

The Road to Peace by Henri J. M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet in the new Family Life Center conference room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. We will have lunch ($5) and fellowship after our prayer time. I hope you will be able to join us then.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations 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.

Grace and peace,

Chris

In the News ... "Main Street Church of Christ starts ‘rebuilding phase’ with new minister "

MRT Photo by James Durbin

• "God's Perfect Timing"

Steve Kuhlmann, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Main Street Church of Christ has found a new sense of purpose after bringing in Adam Elliott to become the church’s full-time minister.

Born and raised in Midland, Elliot has been working full-time in ministry in the Tall City since 2009. However, it wasn’t until January that he was given the opportunity to do full-time preaching.

“Preaching and just the teaching in general is probably my favorite passion, that’s where I get charged and recharged personally,” said Elliott. “My main goal as far as the ministry is concerned is to try to help people realize that just their regular day-to-day life is what God has given them to be on mission for him.”

Before accepting a position with Main Street Church of Christ, Elliott had been working in outreach ministry at Fairmont Park Church of Christ.

“Ultimately it was kind of God’s perfect timing,” said Elliott ...

 • read the rest of this MRT 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 5, 2014

THAILAND - Rev. Dr. Sharon L. Bryant, a mission coworker serving at the request of the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT), sent the following reflection from a young adult serving as a volunteer in one of the schools of the CCT.

God is calling, seeking those who will answer (Isa. 6:8). He stands in the places of our everyday lives, calling us to extraordinary experiences. In whatever places in life we are, God calls us, me ... you.

I don’t have a lot of experience with mission; I just knew I wanted to be a part of it. I heard God call as I lived out my everyday life. I dared to answer, “Here am I; send me.” That’s just what God wanted ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

ChinaAid: "Wenzhou pastor resigns, prepares self for martyrdom"

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.

Wenzhou pastor resigns, prepares self for martyrdom
Distributed by ChinaAid, July, 2014 ...

WENZHOU, ZHEJIANG, CHINA – A pastor formerly of China’s coastal Zhejiang province reported that Pastor Zhan Yingsheng of the persecuted Wenzhou-based Salvation Church resigned from his position and relocated to the church’s clock tower where he plans to live out his life fasting, praying and preparing himself to be martyred.

Zhan wrote a will in which he discussed his decision. Following the will is a letter of resignation Zhan sent to the Pingyang County Chinese Christian Congress/Three-Self Patriotic Movement ...

• more on this story from China Aid  

School Supply Bake Sale and Lemonade Stand: WEDNESDAY

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Wednesday, August 6th

9:00 - 11:00

Lemonade and Dessert Sale

In the Texas Street parking lot of First Presbyterian Church-Midland, just across the street from the main entrance to Midland High School.

Come support our children as they raise money to buy School Supplies for St. Andrew's Mission and Casa de Amigos!

Invitation to Prayer: Wednesday

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).

Experiencing the First Love

“Prayer means entering into communion with the One who loved us before we could love. It is this ‘first love’ (1 John 4:19) that is revealed to us in prayer. The more deeply we enter into the house of God, the house whose language is prayer, the less dependent we are on the blame or praise of those who surround us, and the freer we are to let our whole being be filled with that first love. As long as we are still wondering what other people say or think about us and trying to act in ways that will elicit a positive response, we are still victimized and imprisoned by the dark world in which we live. In that dark world, we have to let our surroundings tell us what we are worth….As long as we are in the clutches of that world, we live in darkness, since we do not know our true self. We cling to our false self in the hope that maybe more success, more praise, more satisfaction will give us the experience of being loved which we crave. That is the fertile ground of bitterness, greed, violence, and war.

In prayer, however, again and again we discover that the love we are looking for has already been given to us and that we can come to the experience of that love. Prayer is entering into communion with the One who molded our being in our mother’s womb with love and only love. There, in the first love, lies our true self, a self not made up of the rejections and acceptances of those with whom we live, but solidly rooted in the One who called us into existence. In the house of God, we were created. To that house, we are called to return. Prayer is the act of returning.”

The Road to Peace by Henri J. M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet in the new Family Life Center conference room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. We will have lunch ($5) and fellowship after our prayer time. I hope you will be able to join us then.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations 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.

Grace and peace,

Chris

In the News ... "Missionaries deliver divine mercy "

• Philippines trip assists earthquake victims

By Roselva Ruiz, Reporter
Odessa American

MIDLAND, TEXAS - On May 12, five members of Young Adult Ministry, along with Fr. Bernardito Getigan, pastor of San Miguel Archangel Catholic Church of Midland, boarded a flight to the island of Bohol, Philippines for a mission trip.

Missionaries on the trip included Nik Ruiz, Kathy Venegas, Miranda Vasquez, Sarah Lujan and Young Adult Minister Roselva Ruiz.

During the trip, the missionaries immersed themselves into the life and culture of the Filipino people, and provided assistance to the victims of the earthquake that took place seven months ago, on Oct. 15, 2013. Fourteen days were spent in Antequera on the Island of Bohol.

“To see the needs of the people and the damage the earthquake had made was difficult to experience. It was emotional to hear their stories,” Roselva Ruiz said ...

• 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 4, 2014

SRI LANKA - after the deaths of more than 100,000 people during 26 years of civil war and a tsunami in 2004 that killed 30,000 and displaced another 500,000, the country of Sri Lanka is still trying to rebuild and to restore its fragile economy.

Part of the government’s recovery strategy is generating tourism, so resort and hotel development is under way along parts of the country’s vibrant green coastline and among the fragile lagoons where fisherfolk live and work. This means that fishing families continue to be displaced ...

• 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 3, 2014

MINUTE FOR MISSION: HOMELESSNESS/AFFORDABLE HOUSING - Home is the foundation for families. But according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, more than 7.1 million American households find even a modest rental home is unaffordable and unavailable. In the United States, families are too often faced with the choice of paying rent or buying groceries ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Midlander to perform debut gospel album at free concert"

• TODAY at True-Lite Christian Fellowship Church

Steve Kuhlmann, Reporter

Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Midland man Pervis Evans will headline a free concert Saturday featuring the songs of his debut gospel album, “Forever Worship.” Evans wrote eight of the 10 songs on the album, drawing on his life as inspiration for the lyrics.

“The songs were written not to be a part of a CD,” said Evans. “They were just out of life experiences, things that I was going through and I think that that comes out when I perform or when I minister. I have to have lived it for it to come across to someone else as authentic. So you’re definitely going to feel that, I think, in the lyrics and the sound.”

The son of a preacher, Evans grew up singing in the church. His talents were noticed even as a child as he sang with — and occasionally led — the adult choir. Despite the joy he found in singing, Evans was unsure of what he wanted to do with his talents ...

 • read the rest of this MRT 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 2, 2014

BANGLADESH - Born into a poor Christian family, Manuel Soren grew up in the small Santal tribal village of Nosrotpur in northwest Bangladesh. Sensing Manuel’s zeal to serve God, his pastor recommended him for admission to St. Andrew’s Theological College in Dhaka, which trains all clergy and lay leaders in the Church of Bangladesh, a PC(USA) partner.

After Manuel completed a diploma in social ministry, the Church of Bangladesh chose him to be part of a team to share the gospel among other tribal people living in rural villages near his home ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: "Eleven Years of Magic"

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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Friday Story: "Eleven Years of Magic"

Greetings and happy Friday!

Could you imagine being a soldier stationed in Iraq serving your country and coming home safe only to fall out of a coconut tree and become paralyzed? Well that is exactly what happened to Manuel de Jesus. On April 19, 2008, Manuel de Jesus Villegas Aviles was enjoying a soccer match under the hot El Salvadorian sun and climbed a tree to get a coconut. While up in the tree, he became dizzy and fell. He was rushed to the hospital but had suffered severe head and spinal cord injuries. He was in a coma for 16 days and when he woke the doctors informed Manuel de Jesus that he would never walk again. He remained in disbelief and prayed to God for help ...

• read the rest of this story ...

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Want to take one of these wheelchairs  for a test drive? During normal business hours, visit the lobby at the Texas Street entrance of First Presbyterian Church-Midland, at the northwest corner of Texas and A streets, on the west side of downtown Midland. You can give the gift of mobility. The cost of $72.00 is a bargain to us ... but it is a life-changing gift to impoverished and disabled recipients ... and there are times when your contribution will be matched, reaching not one - but TWO, and sometimes FOUR recipients. Please note on your check "Wheelchair Gift."

In the News ... "8-Year-Old Boy Sells Lemonade; Gives all Profits to Help Food Shelter"

Staff Report
KOSA-TV

BIG SPRING, TEXAS - Sometimes it doesn’t matter how old you are when it comes to helping those in need. That statement stands particularly true for one eight-year-old Big Spring boy who decided to raise money for a local food bank after realizing one of his classmates needed help. At first sight, eight-year-old Logan Henry seems to be your average little boy. “You know he doesn’t see it as he is doing anything spectacular that is just what he does,” said Logan’s mother Stephanie Henry. “I help people very much because I am a cub scout and that’s what I do,” said Logan. Last year after finding out that one of his friends was struggling, and that many kids only get one meal a day, Logan knew he had to help ...

• read/watch the rest of this KOSA 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. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 1, 2014

INDIA - Sharmila (Shar-me-lah) is a Dalit Christian and computer-science student in her final year at CSI Ewart Women’s Christian College, Church of South India. A member of a people denied education for 2,000 years, she reflects on her educational aspirations.

"I want to teach a class while my father watches me. ‘Study well; you can become a teacher,’ he told me when I was young. This is my desire, since no one in my family ever studied before. So many people who want to study don’t have the money. I can’t help everyone, but I can help one child, right from the start, all the way through college ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.