Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 22, 2015
It wasn’t long before I presented the idea to the faithful folks at the Wednesday-evening devotion and prayer group ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 22, 2015
It wasn’t long before I presented the idea to the faithful folks at the Wednesday-evening devotion and prayer group ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Partners Blog: "Naw Eh Blue Paw’s Story"
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.
Naw Eh Blue Paw’s Story
My name is Naw Eh Blue Paw. I’m 38 years old, married with four children. One of my daughters is handicapped from a preventable condition. I have a passion for disease prevention. In Lo Ta Village, many people used to die from malaria. Also many of our children died young from diarrhea, fevers and coughing. Now the situation is so much better. I have been the village health worker since we started the program here in 2011. I have learned the correct way to care for fevers and diarrhea – that can save a child’s life. I’ve learned how to assess for and treat malaria. Now, for a simple case, my neighbor does not have to hike three hours to the clinic whilst feverish and in pain ...
• read the rest of this post
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/
In the News ... "Going against the grain"
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| OA Photo by Mark Sterkel |
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - Going against the grain has always been the Rev. Jimmy Braswell’s hallmark, and the cheerful St. Andrew Cumberland Presbyterian Church pastor expects to continue down his long road of telling the truth regardless of the responses he gets.
The 59-year-old native Odessan was a math and science whiz at Permian High School but had felt a calling to the ministry since junior high and followed it despite what he says was a relative lack of aptitude.
“It’s been hard all along,” Braswell said. “I had average grades at seminary. But I felt like people needed to hear the truth ..."
• read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 21, 2015
PRESBYTERY OF GREATER ATLANTA, GEORGIA - The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta is made up of almost 100 congregations and nearly 40,000 members. We have congregations that represent people and cultures from across the globe. We are of every theological persuasion, and our congregations, which come in all sizes, can be found in urban, suburban, and rural settings. We are therefore always looking for ways to unify our diverse presbytery, in particular through missions and justice opportunities that can speak to all Christians ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
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).God Loved Me Before I Was Born
I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31:3
“Jesus came to share his identity with you and to tell you that you are the beloved sons and daughters of God. Just for a moment, try to enter this enormous mystery, that you, like Jesus, are the beloved daughter or the beloved son of God. This is the truth. Furthermore, your belovedness preceded your birth. You were the beloved before your father, mother, brother, sister, or church loved you or hurt you. You are the beloved because you belong to God from all eternity.
God loved you before you were born, and God will love you after you die. In scripture, God says, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ This is a very fundamental truth of your identity. This is who you are whether you feel it or not. You belong to God from eternity to eternity. Life is just an opportunity for you during a few years to say, ‘I love you, too.’”
"O God, as we know for sure that the sun always shines even on cloudy days, so may we know that you love us even when we don’t feel that love.”
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 21, 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.
Thank you so very much for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our local and global communities. Your prayers matter! I’ve witnessed God answering prayer after prayer that we have surrendered to God and you have been a part of that important prayer work. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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.
Praying for you with a glad heart,
Chris
In the News ... "Breaking Bread on track to raise funds for expansion"
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| MRT Photo by James Durbin |
By Steve Kuhlman, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - While the price of oil may be casting a shadow of uncertainty on the coming months, Midland’s Breaking Bread Soup Kitchen is proving the community still remains just as dedicated to looking after its own.
Armed with a $100,000 matching grant from the Permian Basin Area Foundation and two years to raise their half of the money, the nonprofit’s staff set out to begin their fundraising campaign on New Year’s Day. After less than two weeks, Executive Director Trisha Weatherford said the soup kitchen already had amassed more than $60,000 in donations.
“They gave us two years and in 13 days we’re already getting close, so we’re really excited about that,” Weatherford said. “That’s huge ...”
• read the rest of this MRT report
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 20, 2015
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Monday, January 19, 2015
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).God Loved Me Before I Was Born
I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31:3
“Jesus came to share his identity with you and to tell you that you are the beloved sons and daughters of God. Just for a moment, try to enter this enormous mystery, that you, like Jesus, are the beloved daughter or the beloved son of God. This is the truth. Furthermore, your belovedness preceded your birth. You were the beloved before your father, mother, brother, sister, or church loved you or hurt you. You are the beloved because you belong to God from all eternity.
God loved you before you were born, and God will love you after you die. In scripture, God says, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ This is a very fundamental truth of your identity. This is who you are whether you feel it or not. You belong to God from eternity to eternity. Life is just an opportunity for you during a few years to say, ‘I love you, too.’”
"O God, as we know for sure that the sun always shines even on cloudy days, so may we know that you love us even when we don’t feel that love.”
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 21, 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.
Thank you so very much for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our local and global communities. Your prayers matter! I’ve witnessed God answering prayer after prayer that we have surrendered to God and you have been a part of that important prayer work. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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.
Praying for you with a glad heart,
Chris
In the News ... "Escape from Ukraine"
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| Courtesy Photo |
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - Jay Don Rogers and his wife Mary Lee were doing what they always did, train preachers, work with churches and help the poor, when they found themselves in one of the most dangerous places in the world.
It became so forbidding so quickly that they simply walked out of their apartment last March in Donetsk, Ukraine, with two suitcases, caught a train and returned to their home at Vancouver, Wash., and then their native West Texas, where numerous Churches of Christ support their work.
They were in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev from mid-August to mid-October to arrange their return this month, somewhat removed from that east European nation’s warring east side ...
• read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 19, 2015
MINUTE FOR MISSION: CHRISTIAN UNITY - Today begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant Christians join in study, prayer, and action seeking the unity of the church. This year’s theme is drawn from the familiar encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well as recorded in John. It’s an encounter between two people who normally would have nothing to do with each other—people separated by social and religious boundaries. Jesus crosses the divide and asks the woman from Samaria for a drink of water. This opens the door to a deeper conversation in which differences are acknowledged, commonalities are considered, and evangelism explodes.
The quest for Christian unity often involves the risk of making ourselves vulnerable, recognizing that we are called to live an interdependent life of faith ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
"I Am Second" Video Collection: Gabe Salazar
Inspiring the Revolution of 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
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 18, 2015
MINUTE FOR MISSION: RACE RELATIONS - True or false: Race is a social construct. Would it surprise you to learn that this statement is true? Well, it is. There is widespread agreement among scholars that race, as understood in the United States, is a social construct rather than an innate characteristic of a person or group of persons. There is only one race, the human race. Evidence from the Human Genome Project indicates that all humans are more than 99.9 percent genetically identical. There are more differences within groups (all races) than across groups ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Upward Devotional: Good News
Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you so much for being here today, rooting for your kiddos, and all the youngsters on the court ... another good day of Upward Sports here in Midland. And that's good news for our community.
You know, I used to make my living as a news editor, reporter and photographer, here in Midland and Odessa, and across West Texas. I'm not in that business any more, but I still follow the news closely ... Reading the newspapers, watching television and visiting websites.
Sometimes, that can be depressing ... terrorist attacks in Paris, airline crashes in Indonesia, and politicians in Washington bickering like children.
And, really, you don't have to go to the other side of the world for troubling news. Is it me, or is the local news filling more and more with stories of crime, and auto accidents, and fires, and hardship?
It's not a bad world we live in ... it's a good world ... BUT, it's a good world where bad things DO happen, and who can blame people for being cynical, depressed ... even afraid? I know this ... and you know what? God knows this, too. When our minds and our hearts are troubled by the bad things going on around us, when we're afraid, God has our back ...
In the Book of Isaiah, we read ...
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous hand." – Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
And remember ... GOOD things happen, too. Has anyone seen that report about those two young men who climbed up the sheer cliff face of Capitan, in Yosemite, with nothing but their hands and feet? Wow! And there are a lot of good people, and a lot of good things happening under this roof, in this gym, right here, right now. Let us all look for ways to do good, and to encourage others to do good, around the world and right here at home.
Thank you, everyone, enjoy the game!
REMINDER ... African children’s choir continues Midland performances Sunday
Staff Report
Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Asante Children’s Choir will perform in Midland this week as they continue their tour of the American Midwest.
The choir is an outreach of Asante Ministries, an organization dedicated to caring for African children — many of whom are orphaned and homeless — through education, nutrition and medical assistance.
According to the Asante Ministries website, “The Choir is dedicated to spreading love, hope and joy while raising awareness for the desperate plight of orphans and other vulnerable children” ...
• read the rest of this MRT report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 17, 2015
The Florida panhandle received more than 26 inches of rain in 24 hours. Roads were washed away. Homes were flooded. Some of the worst flooding was on Piedmont Road in Pensacola, home of Trinity Presbyterian Church. Many refer to what happened in that area as the Piedmont Road flood ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Friday, January 16, 2015
From @FWMission ... Friday Story: "Free Like the Butteflies"
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: "Free Like the Butterflies"
Greetings and happy Friday!
Freedom is defined as living without physical restraints and is something we desire for each of our recipients. We want them to have freedom from the despair of living without mobility and freedom to live their lives to the fullest. This week I want to tell you about a boy from India, and how his brand new wheelchair brought him freedom:
After 8 long years of hoping, Sobin’s parents finally had the child they so desperately desired, but they were saddened by the hardships their child would face because he was born with cerebral palsy. Despite their fears, Sobin’s parents were persistent and worked hard to provide a healthy and happy home while teaching him how to become self-reliant ...
• 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."
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 16, 2015
FLINT RIVER PRESBYTERY, GEORGIA - Encompassing the southwest corner of Georgia, Flint River Presbytery is made up of 47 congregations, three campus ministries, a presbytery-wide youth group, the presbytery staff at its Albany headquarters, and one coffee shop: 53 worshiping communities of one sort or another.
In order that we all might better serve as compassionate and prophetic disciples in the region, our presbytery has established the Reformation Project ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Partners Blog: "My experiences with cross-cultural medical training"
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.
My experiences with cross-cultural medical training
I had the opportunity to visit Shan Medical Training in Shan State in September for two and a half weeks, taking a break from my job as a Paramedic Lecturer in Auckland, New Zealand. The adventure across the border was a stunning introduction to what are the most beautiful places I have ever been. The students were the most attentive and hard working students I have ever encountered. What struck me when teaching these students is the significant depth of knowledge that they already had and could apply. This made teaching an enjoyable challenge as they required advanced material and well structured lessons ...
• read the rest of this post
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/
In the News ... "Experience leavens Brown’s ministry"
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| OA Photo by Mark Sterkel |
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - The Rev. Clyde Brown did a variety of things before the ministry, but in the light of an early childhood memory, he figures that was always his destiny.
Growing up near Ville Platte, La., where his dad worked at a saw mill, Brown was 5 years old, watching his mother wash clothes for the Army, when he asked, “Mama, are all the soldiers going to Heaven?”
She replied, “Those who know Christ will go to Heaven,” imparting a purpose in him that grew stronger with time, although with starts and stops along the way ...
• read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
Today in the Mission Yearbook: January 15, 2015
Our presbytery is also home to some of the most economically disadvantaged counties in the country ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
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