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: January 12, 2015

SYNOD OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC -The Hispanic/Latino Council of the Synod of South Atlantic is organized into three chapters, each with its own coordinating committee. They share a focus on spiritual and leadership development and a vision to start new worshiping communities.

In the Central Chapter, El Redentor Presbyterian Church in Oviedo, Florida, celebrating 33 years of mission work, joined with Seminole County Schools to address child hunger ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

"I Am Second" Video Collection: Kaká

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Inspiring the Revolution of Second
 

I Am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.

You are here for a reason. We all have needs and could use some help. Talk to us. Call, chat, or email. 24 hours a day.

Go a step further, talk with the people in your life. Spread the revolution of Second. Share the videos with friends. Gather a group of friends to discuss the films. Start an I am Second group.

Volunteer at concerts. Serve through I am Second community service events. Organize your own I am Second events. Sign up for an I am Second Expedition to help people in other countries. Check out Live Second for other opportunities. Connect with us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
I am Second is designed to help people discover their purpose in life. Have you discovered yours?
To find out more about the people and leadership team behind I Am Second you can check out Who We Are.

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: January 11, 2015

MINUTE FOR MISSION: HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS - Whether working to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of children with ECPAT-USA or partnering with the Campaign for Fair Food and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Human Trafficking Roundtable connects Presbyterians to partners in the United States and around the world to end human trafficking. By linking congregations, presbyteries, and groups such as Presbyterian Women and Presbyterian Men to anti-trafficking organizations in this way, the Human Trafficking Roundtable helps to make the world a safer and more just place for all God’s children ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Upward Devotional: Happy New Year!

It’s January, and that means part of my Saturdays are spent in gymnasiums … one in my church, and another in the public high school across the street. It’s the start of the Upward Basketball and Cheerleading season here, in Midland, Texas. Volunteers are helping the program in a lot of different ways … as coaches, referees, time/scorekeeprs, and delivering devotionals to the fans during halftime breaks … I’m one of the volunteers doing the devotionals, and here was my presentation for today …

Good afternoon, everyone … and happy new year to all of you! Let me have a show of hands here … how many of you made New Year ‘s Resolutions for 2015? … okay … now, how many of you are still keeping those resolutions?
Resolutions — looking at ourselves, looking around us and thinking, “this could be better … I could do better” — resolutions are a good thing to have … for ourselves, for our family and for our community. And while resolutions have become a customary part of celebrating the new year, they are a good thing any time of the year. On a Thursday afternoon in November, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln spoke to a crowd at a cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania, honoring the soldiers who were buried there, saying “we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”

And you know what? God approves of resolutions, too … encouraging us to put the past behind us, and move toward a better future …

“Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history. Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness.” – Isaiah 43:18-19 (CEB)


That kind of resolution could make for a great future … let’s all resolve, all of us, right here-right now, across this great nation and around the world, let us to meet that future together.
Thank you, everyone, enjoy the game!

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: January 10, 2015

YELLOWSTONE PRESBYTERY - In Yellowstone Presbytery, every congregation is encouraged to become a compassionate and prophetic voice of mission within its community. St. Andrew Presbyterian in Billings is answering the call by hosting a community garden; First Presbyterian in Miles City by offering a growing preschool; and First Presbyterian in Bozeman by reaching out to students at Montana State through PresbyCats, a pilot campus ministry in the PC(USA)’s UKirk network. Other congregations are teaming up to send mission teams across the state and to Central America. Please join us in thanking God for the 25 Yellowstone congregations joining in God’s mission ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Mid-Cities to host sports-related seminar"

MRT Photo by Tim Fischer

• Church's 3:23 Ministries has “exploded"

By Steve Kuhlman, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Mid-Cities Community Church, in partnership with 3:23 Ministries , will host sports character-based speakers from Proactive Coaching on Sunday at the Mid-Cities campus.

Mickey Eckles, Mid-Cites pastor and founder of 3:23 Ministries, said the event will target three audiences: coaches, parents and athletes.

“What we love about (Proactive Coaching) is that they’re challenging coaches, parents and athletes to be men and women of integrity, the value of teamwork, to work hard and to give it all you’ve got,” said Eckles.

Although the main motivation for bringing the speakers was for the participants in 3:23 Ministries’ sports teams, he hopes the whole community can benefit as well ...

• read the rest of this MRT report

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: "Community x2"

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: "Community x2"

Greetings and happy Friday!

It is so exciting to hear stories from our distribution partners about recipients that have been able to become more involved with their community after receiving the gift of mobility. Lilian’s story is unique because she used her wheelchair as an opportunity to become involved with the community and help others at the same time:

Born in Uganda, Lilian was diagnosed with polio as a young child and lost the use of one of her legs. For most of her childhood and adolescence Lilian was able to use a walking stick to move around, but as she grew older, her healthy leg could no longer support her, forcing her to crawl from place to place. Wife and mother of four, she continued to work hard to help put food on the table, despite her setbacks ...

• 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 ... "Documentary ‘Abraham’ to premier in Midland"

Courtesy Photo

• Film-screening and three-day mission at St. Stephen's

By Steve Kuhlman, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Filmmaker Steve Ray will be in Midland [January 10-13] to debut his new film, “Abraham” and to speak on the three evenings leading up to the premier of the film.

“Abraham” is the eighth film in Ray’s 10-part series “The Footprints of God: The Story of Salvation”. Ray said it was because of Midlanders’ generosity that he was able to secure the funding he needed to get the series back on track.

Ray said he wanted “the people who donated (to) be the first ones to see the documentary that we made because they’re the ones who got it started and that’s why we’re coming to Midland ...

• 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: January 9, 2015

PRESBYTERY OF WYOMING - With 29 congregations, most with fewer than 100 members, the Presbytery of Wyoming faces many challenges, not least the work of caring and connecting across 97,184 square miles. With the exception of the three congregations in the capital city of Cheyenne, most of the presbytery’s churches are at least a hundred miles from another PC(USA) congregatio ...

• 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: January 8, 2015

PRESBYTERY OF WESTERN COLORADO - “One local, one global. That’s the goal. And we’ll be in it for the long haul.”

This vision, for a local and a global partner with whom our congregation could serve and learn while blessing others for the sake of Christ, is the vision God cultivated among us at First Presbyterian in Grand Junction, one of 15 congregations in the Presbytery of Western Colorado. Desiring to follow the Great Commission and make disciples of all groups of people, we targeted these two frontiers for long-term mission relationships ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Partners Blog: "The Travelling Professor"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Burma.

The Traveling Professor

"How old is Grandfather Robin?" the medic asked.

The Karen give familial names to anyone who they accept as one of their own, so to speak. Robin Wales has been travelling in Burma and Thailand for decades training on malaria microscopy and is ‘Grandfather’ to countless medics.

"He is 84," I replied.

"Wow!" The medic replied, "I hope I’ve half the energy when I reach that age" ...

• read the rest of this post

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Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, working with communities impacted by war in Burma. For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partnersworld.org/

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. 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: January 7, 2015

PRESBYTERY OF UTAH - After a difficult childhood,  Lou Anne found herself unable to function in society. In and out of homelessness and jobs, she read about Crossroads Urban Center in Salt Lake City, applied for services, and was very grateful for food assistance and a $100 deposit on, in her words, the “best apartment I have ever had.” She has now lived there four years and has become a Crossroads volunteer herself.

Crossroads is a multifaith grassroots organization that helps people with low incomes or disabilities address basic needs and quality-of-life issues ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

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).

Choosing to Live in Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

“I have found it very important to try to let go of my wishes and instead to live in hope. When I choose to let go of my sometimes petty and superficial wishes and trust that my life is precious and meaningful in the eyes of God, something really new, something beyond my own expectations begins to happen for me.

To wait with openness and trust is an enormously radical attitude toward life. It is choosing to hope that something is happening for us that is far beyond our own imaginings. It is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life. It is living with the conviction that God molds us in love, holds us in tenderness, and moves us away from the sources of our fear.”

O God, by the redemptive grace of Jesus, help us to give up our compulsions to control completely our future and to turn more of our lives over to you.”

Living in Hope: Advent Meditations from the writings of Henri Nouwen by James E. Adams

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center conference room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, Afterwards, we'll share lunch ($5) and fellowship.

I hope you are able to join us as we pray for the children of our local and global communities.

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.

New Year blessings,

Chris

In the News ... "PERRYMAN: United States need to find a solution to hunger"

• Investing in food banks, charitable food distribution networks reduces cost of hunger, serves as economic stimulus

By Dr. M. Ray Perryman, Columnist
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Beyond the excruciating experiences of those directly afflicted, hunger is a pocketbook issue that adversely impacts every corner of the U.S. economy and every individual irrespective of socioeconomic circumstances. In recent columns, I’ve talked about a study we performed as a public service that focused on the economic aspects of hunger. (You can download the study on our website at www.perryman group.com). In addition to enormous human costs, hunger imposes severe costs on the economy. Not having sufficient food leads to a number of problems, both individually and for society as a whole. Providing for basic food needs for all citizens is a worthy societal goal, and expanding and supporting food banks and the charitable distribution network they support can facilitate meeting this need ...

• read the rest of this OA column ...

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: January 6, 2015

PRESBYTERY OF PUEBLO, COLORADO - W ith its 16 congregations, the Presbytery of Pueblo took a step of faith this past year by supporting our small, rag-tag group eager to start a new worshiping community in the south part of Colorado Springs. Though I could drone on endlessly about our missional strategies and the demographics of the fascinating Ivywild neighborhood we are focusing on, I think God’s work among us is better illustrated by a simple story ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

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).

Choosing to Live in Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

“I have found it very important to try to let go of my wishes and instead to live in hope. When I choose to let go of my sometimes petty and superficial wishes and trust that my life is precious and meaningful in the eyes of God, something really new, something beyond my own expectations begins to happen for me.

To wait with openness and trust is an enormously radical attitude toward life. It is choosing to hope that something is happening for us that is far beyond our own imaginings. It is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life. It is living with the conviction that God molds us in love, holds us in tenderness, and moves us away from the sources of our fear.”

O God, by the redemptive grace of Jesus, help us to give up our compulsions to control completely our future and to turn more of our lives over to you.”

Living in Hope: Advent Meditations from the writings of Henri Nouwen by James E. Adams

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center conference room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, Afterwards, we'll share lunch ($5) and fellowship.

I hope you are able to join us as we pray for the children of our local and global communities.

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.

New Year blessings,

Chris

In the News ... "A lesson of service"

OA Photo by Edyta Blaszczyk

• Odessa church offers ESL classes; students have many motivations

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - There are multitudinous reasons to learn English in a country where it is the primary language, but a couple of them are to understand what people are saying and to speak with the correct pronunciation.

That’s according to five English as a second language students at Iglesia Segundo Bautista at 1605 Milburn St., where instructor Jency Robinson has 22 students enrolled and averages teaching a dozen from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday nights ...

• 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: January 5, 2015

PRESBYTERY OF PLAINS & PEAKS, COLORADO AND NEBRASKA - The Presbytery of Plains and Peaks comprises 39 congregations along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the eastern plains of Colorado, and the panhandle of Nebraska.

In September 2013 much of the presbytery was under water as a result of days of heavy rain. Several churches sustained damage, ranging from wet carpets, leaking roofs, and parking lot damage to the complete flooding of the basement of Weldon Valley Presbyterian Church in Goodrich ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

"I Am Second" Video Collection: Annie Lobert

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Inspiring the Revolution of Second
 

I Am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.

You are here for a reason. We all have needs and could use some help. Talk to us. Call, chat, or email. 24 hours a day.

Go a step further, talk with the people in your life. Spread the revolution of Second. Share the videos with friends. Gather a group of friends to discuss the films. Start an I am Second group.

Volunteer at concerts. Serve through I am Second community service events. Organize your own I am Second events. Sign up for an I am Second Expedition to help people in other countries. Check out Live Second for other opportunities. Connect with us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
I am Second is designed to help people discover their purpose in life. Have you discovered yours?
To find out more about the people and leadership team behind I Am Second you can check out Who We Are.

In the News ... "First Baptist Church of Fort Stockton Shelters 675 Stranded Travelers During Winter Storm"

KOSA Photo

• Doors open until every last stranded traveler found a way home

By DeAnn Lopez, Reporter
KOSA-TV

FORT STOCKTON, TEXAS - The First Baptist Church in Fort Stockton gave 675 stranded travelers a place to sleep and food to eat during the recent winter storm.

Dorman Herman, the president of the church's first response team, says this isn't the first time they've set up a shelter due to weather ...

• read 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: January 4, 2015

UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY - Among the international students at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, one from Ethiopia saw significant seeds of ministry take root in 2014. Gilo Agwa was granted asylum status in 2012 and welcomed his family to the United States in 2014. That year, Gilo completed his MDiv while continuing his leadership ministry among diaspora Anuaks in the United States. Gilo has a particular concern for the spiritual and holistic nurture of immigrant and refugee families ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Top 10 Faith & Philanthropy Stories of 2014"

Staff Report
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Midlanders celebrated their prosperity by giving back to the community in 2014, as evidenced by record-breaking fundraisers and successful capital campaigns for nonprofits and churches. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Faith & Philanthropy stories for 2014. Some of these stories had the biggest impact on the community; some of them had the biggest impact on our hearts ...

 • 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: January 3, 2015

PRESBYTERY OF GLACIER - The congregations in Dayton and Hot Springs may be small in number (Dayton, 28; Hot Springs, 11), but they are great in spirit and vitality!

Each congregation has reached out to the children in its small community by hosting an after-school Christian education time. Both churches are located very near their public schools, so hosting elementary children after school was a natural fit ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Salvation Army Numbers Peak During Harsh Winter Weather"

KWES Photo

• Doors open throughout the year, no matter the weather

Zora Asbury, Reporter
KWES-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Almost 7,000 people have looked to The Salvation Army for shelter in 2014. This new year, the organization is starting off strong with numbers higher than in recent months.

The last few days have been below freezing, which has caused many people to look for shelter. The Salvation Army is lending a helping hand by allowing the homeless to stay in their dorms during these cold winter days.

"Get them warm, get them fed, get them comfortable, that's priority right there," Mike Holland, Shelter Manager for The Salvation Army of Midland, said ...

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

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: "Community x2"

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: "Community x2"

Greetings and happy Friday!

Our wheelchairs often provide more than just the gift of mobility. In this week’s Friday Story, Guillermo also received the gift of community:

Guillermo wanted to be part of his community, but his lack of mobility forced him to remain close to home. All of this changed two months ago when Camino de Vida, our partner in Peru, gave him his very own FWM wheelchair and invited him to their church. And this past Sunday, he finally made it ...

• 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 ... "Volunteer for the Food 2 Kids monthly events"

OA File Photo

• Volunteers needed twice a month


Staff Report
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS -Want to help feed the hungry in Odessa? Volunteer for the Food 2 Kids West Texas to pack snacks for children who do not have regular meals on weekends ...

 • 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: January 2, 2015

PRESBYTERY OF DENVER, COLORADO - Be good, be well, be beautiful.” So translates the Shona word nakai. A task force of four ministers and elders in the Presbytery of Denver selected this word for its ministry to Zimbabwean women living with breast cancer. In 2013, Rev. Kim Graber visited Zimbabwe and heard four desperate stories of women with cancer. She learned that early diagnostic tools, education, and treatment options were lacking. Breast cancer is sometimes linked to witchcraft, and medical treatment is avoided. Nakai’s compassionate disciples therefore investigate ways to introduce culturally sensitive education about breast cancer diagnoses and treatment ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Faces of Children: Prayer Concerns for This Week

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

Prayer Concerns for the Week of 12/31/14

Israel/Palestine

• Please keep in prayer the more than 600 children who attend Jerusalem’s Hand in Hand school, a place where Palestinian and Israeli children study together in a bilingual setting. Jewish extremists are suspected of setting the school on fire late the night of November 29, 2014.
• more on this request ...
• Pray for Jewish and Arab students who are frightened by the violent threats left on the walls of their school. Pray for the first graders whose classroom was torched. Pray God will give them courage and peace in the face of this disturbing violence. Pray for their protection from further violence.
• Pray for the staff and administrators at the school as they work to calm the fears of students and parents, as well as their own worries. Thanks be to God for the commitment to co-existence they model through their work.
• Please pray for parents who are frightened to send their children to school. Pray God will bless them with the peace that surpasses all understanding.
• Give thanks to God for Jerusalem’s Hand in Hand school in which its student population is equally divided between Jews and Arabs. Thanks be to God for the four other schools in the Hand in Hand network throughout Israel. Please pray the relationships forged here between students from different ethnic, racial, religious, social, and national backgrounds will carry over into their communities.
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Pakistan

• Please be in prayer for all of the children and staff affected by a recent, violent attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan. Militants from the Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility for the December 16 attack on a government-run school that killed 132 children (many of whom were children of military personnel) and nine staff members and injured 125 others.
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• Pray for those hurt when militants, disguised as soldiers, broke into the school and went classroom to classroom, shooting students and staff indiscriminately. Pray God will bring healing to those who were shot or injured by bombs set off by the militants. Doctors report many of the victims have head and chest wounds.
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• Pray for children who watched their friends die in the attack on their school. Please keep them close in prayer as they grieve their friends and process the trauma of the violence they experienced. Pray God will bless them with the peace that surpasses all understanding and lift any lingering fear they may have.
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• Pray for children who are responding to the trauma of this experience by wanting to extract revenge on the perpetrators.
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• Please pray for the parents and loved ones of children killed by militants in this attack on the government school. Pray God will comfort them during this season of loss and overwhelming grief.
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• Keep in prayer all schoolchildren, teachers, and staff throughout Pakistan as the Taliban has threatened to attack more schools in the country.
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• Give thanks to God for the way in which the citizens of Pakistan are uniting because of the massacre of these 132 innocent schoolchildren. Pray for peace and healing in this region.
• Pray for those who use violence against children to achieve their own means.

United States

• lease pray for a young set of twins who were recently orphaned in the murder/suicide of their parents. Their father Chad is believed to have shot their mother Sandra and then killed himself. Pray God will provide healing and comfort for toddlers Caiden and Emmarie during this frightening season. Pray for their caregivers as they help these little ones cope with the trauma and violence they’ve experienced.
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• ray for Sandra’s parents as they deal with the death of their daughter by such violent means. And pray for Chad’s parents as they also experience great loss and grief. Please pray for the couples’ extended family, friends, and co-workers who are stunned by this inconceivable act of violence.
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Faces of Children

• Please keep close in prayer the daughter and granddaughter of Faces of Children intercessors Susie and Steve. Their daughter Sarah learned recently that the baby she is carrying has a heart defect and will need surgery when she is born this spring. Please pray God will bring peace to Sarah and healing to baby Sylvie.
• 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.

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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 ... "Icy weather prompts concern for homeless, aid"

OA Photo by Courtney Sacco

• Temperatures lingered below 20 degrees

By Corey Paul, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Odessa Salvation Army reached a three-year record Tuesday night of people staying at the shelter that aid workers expected to match during an icy New Year’s Eve.

Pinpointing the amount of homeless in Odessa is tricky — Odessa Links Point-In-Time survey estimates about 350 in the city on any given day — but leaders of charity organizations in town warned of the dangers those outside face in the sub-freezing temperatures.

“We want everyone to get in,” said Lt. Joe Contreras of the Salvation Army, which reported 39 guests Wednesday morning at the Odessa shelter. “Don’t stay out for the sake of some material possession or something like that. When it’s freezing like this, it’s not a joke. You can literally freeze to death” ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... "New Year time for hope, pastors say"

OA Photo by Mark Sterkel

• Time to make Odessa a home for its newcomers

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - There is always a difference between what a city is and what it could be, and four Odessa pastors this week laid out a cornucopia of hopes for the New Year, including a realignment of the city’s purposes and its perceptions of itself ...

• 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: January 1, 2015

SYNOD OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS - The Synod of the Rocky Mountains began shifting its focus of mission and ministry over a decade ago. Covering an area of more than 460,000 square miles, the synod recognized that ministry to children, immigrants, homeless persons, and the poor was best carried out at the grass roots, where personal involvement and a human touch could make a difference ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.