The RETURN of Burgers & Blessings ... TONIGHT at Grace Presbyterian-Midland

Image by Laura Up In the Clouds

• Continuing our summer gatherings of faith, fellowship and food into July

Please join us Wednesdays, during the month of July, at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield Street in Midland, Texas. The dinners begin at 6:00 p.m. and are very casual.

Burgers, hot dogs and "the fixings" will be provided by the church; you just come, bring a side dish or dessert, and the gift of your company.

We hope to see YOU there!

In the News ... "'Paul Faulkner, 92, enriched marriages for years with fellow Abilene Christian grad"

ARN File Photo

• Faulkner died July 5 and was honored during a celebration of life service Saturday

By Greg Jaklewicz, Reporter
• Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Paul Faulkner, who for years enriched marriages through counseling with his college buddy Carl Brecheen, died July 5 and was honored during a celebration of life service Saturday in North Richland Hills.

Faulkner was 92.

He was the roommate of Brecheen at then-Abilene Christian College, both graduating in 1952.

He taught freshman Bible classes for years.

The Marriage Enrichment Seminar he started in 1974 with Brecheen was popular for years. In 1989, the duo was honored by their alma mater with the Excellence in Mass Communication Evangelism Award.

Faulkner was goiven the Teacher of the Year Award in 1982 at ACU, and the Faulkner and Brecheen couples were honored in 2001 with the university's Christian Service Award. He also received Distinguished Christian Service Awards from Harding and Pepperdine universities and an honorary doctorate from Pepperdine.

Faulkner was director of now Abilene Christian University's Marriage and Family Institute, which he founded in 1979, when the two men chose to film their seminar, which had been given across the nation.

Its popularity exceeded expectations.

"We stand amazed," Brecheen said in 1989. "It has been amazing to me that anyone would want to listen to me talk."

Faulkner's reputation previously was as an athlete. He threw the javelin and was a pole vaulter, winning events for ACC at the Texas, Drake and Kansas Relays. He was a member of the ACC team that won three straight Texas Conference track championships (1950-52).

He was inducted into the university's hall of fame in 1994.


He was born Sept. 24, 1929, in Fort Worth, the youngest of four children. After graduating from Paschal High School there, he was bound for Rice to run track. However, he was convinced to go to ACC.

Joining him at ACC was Paschal classmate Gladys Shoemaker, and they married July 12, 1952.

Faulkner earned a master's degree from ACC in 1961, then his doctoral degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth in 1968.

He was a licensed marriage and family counselor. The ACU institute was one of two in Texas to offer an accredited marriage and family therapy program.

A 1979 seminar at the Abilene Civic Center drew 1,600 people. It was videotaped to be shown worldwide. The duo did seminars in 33 states and seven countries over 32 years. Dr. Paul Faulkner was an Abilene Christian graduate who returned to teach for 35 years at his alma mater.

Faulkner preached in Kansas, North Carolina and Texas before joining the ACC faculty. He was dean of men for seven years there.

He retired at ACU in 1992 but founded Resources of Living, a counseling and consulting service, while an adjunct professor in retirement.

The Faulkners would move to Dripping Springs and he retired again in 2008, selling his business.

His wife preceded him in death ...

• Read the rest of this ARN 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.

Photo by Doug Depies

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 20, 2022

LIVING WATERS FOR THE WORLD - “… I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink …” — from Matthew 25

Living Waters for the World (LWW) is celebrating the call of Matthew 25, the gift of pure water and the gift of water partners. ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "El Pasoans Fighting Hunger in dire need of volunteers, donations"

KFOX Photo

• Volunteers an essential component to the operations at the EPFH

By Jennifer Cuevas, Reporter
• KFOX-TV

EL PASO, TEXAS - El Paso’s largest food bank has been struggling to stay afloat amid a variety of challenges stemming from the increasing inflation.

The El Pasoans Fighting Hunger (EPFH) food bank has been facing a drastic decrease in monetary donations, trouble finding food supplies along with getting and retaining volunteers, according to the CEO Susan Goodell ...

• Read/watch the rest of this KFOX report ...

The RETURN of Burgers & Blessings ... TOMORROW at Grace Presbyterian-Midland

Image by Laura Up In the Clouds

• Continuing our summer gatherings of faith, fellowship and food into July

Please join us Wednesdays, during the month of July, at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield Street in Midland, Texas. The dinners begin at 6:00 p.m. and are very casual.

Burgers, hot dogs and "the fixings" will be provided by the church; you just come, bring a side dish or dessert, and the gift of your company.

We hope to see YOU there!

In the News ... "Photo Album: Monsignor Bañuelas last mass given at Saint Mark’s Catholic Church in El Paso"

EPT Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre

 • A time of prayers and cheers, laughter and tears

By Ivan Pierre Aguirre, Photographer
• El Paso Times

EL PASO, TEXAS - After 45 plus years of serving the frontera community, Dr. Bañuelas, who has two PhD’s in Theology, is retiring ...

• See the rest of this EPT photo album ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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

Photo by Brad Sheppard

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 19, 2022

DIANA CHUBAK, NATIVE OF UKRAINE, BENEFIT CONCERT - The Rev. Brad Sheppard, pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, received an email one Sunday from the church’s accompanist, Diana Chubak, a doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Earlier that day, Sheppard had asked Chubak to suggest organizations to support in the wake of the Russian invasion of her native Ukraine.

In his reply to Chubak, Sheppard suggested to her the idea of a benefit concert to raise money for Ukraine ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @chinaaid : "Wife of imprisoned Christian updated for the first time in seven months'"

The ChinaAid 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.

ChinaAid Photo

Wife of imprisoned Christian updated for the first time in seven months'
Distributed by ChinaAid, July 2022 ...

LüLIANG, SHANXI PROVINCE, CHINA – On June 30, Li Xin received an update regarding her husband Brother Zhao Weikai, a co-worker of Taiyuan Zion Reformed Church. Zhao was arrested almost one year ago. The last update she received was more than seven months ago. Imprisoned in Fangshan County Detention Center, brother Zhao is very peaceful and in good health ...

• More on this story from ChinaAid ...

In the News ... "GOOD NEWS: New Racks'"

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA TEXAS - The Odessa Development Corporation recently donated a new racking system to the West Texas Food Bank. WTFB had no problem storing more than 60 pallets of water.

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From @austinseminary ... "The Reed" for July 2022

Honor President Wardlaw's Legacy

The Theodore J. Wardlaw Presidential Endowment recognizes President Wardlaw's unique gifts and memorializes, in perpetuity, his leadership and tremendous contributions as president of Austin Seminary during the first quarter of the 21st century.

To read more about the Theodore J. Wardlaw Presidential Endowment and how to honor Ted’s legacy, click here ....

José Irizarry to become Seminary's 10th president

The Austin Seminary Board of Trustees, at a called meeting on June 27, 2022, unanimously elected the Reverend Dr. José Ramon Irizarry to follow the Reverend Dr. Ted Wardlaw as the Seminary’s next president.

A native of Puerto Rico, Irizarry has served as Vice President of Education at the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) since 2016. A scholar in the field of practical theology, Irizarry teaches at Villanova University and has held teaching and administrative positions at various educational and theological institutions in the US and Puerto Rico. Learn more here ...

Coming in January: Israel Tour

Learn from peacemakers in the region by joining Professor David Jensen and Rabbi Neil Blumofe on a special tour of the Holy Land, January 2-13, 2023. The tour, open to Austin Seminary students, alumni, and the public, will visit wonders of Israel including Jerusalem's Old City, Garden of Gethsemane, and Shabbat at the Western Wall; biblical sites Capernaum, Bethlehem, Hebron, and the Dead Sea; the city of Tel Aviv and much more.

• Learn more and register here...

Professor Aymer Becomes Dean

The Reverend Dr. Margaret Aymer, the First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, D. Thomason Professor in New Testament Studies, added the title of Academic Dean to her impressive resume on July 1. A member of the faculty since 2015, she holds degrees from Harvard University and Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. An engaged and generous colleague, Aymer has broad experience in teaching, administration, denominational service, and research. She has chaired the Biblical Department and was editor of Horizons in Biblical Theology until stepping into the role of academic dean. Below, Kelly Shoenfelt (MDiv’16) Austin Seminary's director of integrated marketing, checks in with Professor Aymer as she prepares for this new position.

Tell me about your family and your family of origin:

I was born in Barbados to a Jamaican and Antiguan mother and father. They met when my father was in seminary in Jamaica and came to the US when he began his PhD at Drew. I am the oldest of three sisters.

Laurent is my husband and he was born and raised in France. He has a PhD in computer engineering from the University of Paris and currently works as a software engineer in Austin. Gabriel is my son and will be nine in September as he begins the third grade. Laurent’s brother and his family live and teach in Athens, Greece, which is where we are headed on vacation this summer.

It is fun for me to imagine that I was Gabriel’s age when my family moved to New Jersey for my father to attend Drew. It was there I learned to ride a bike (and skinned my knees riding around campus!) and pick apples from the campus trees.

Where did you receive your formal education?

I was a US history major in college and received my degree from Harvard University. I received my MDiv and PhD from Union Theological Seminary in New York.

What was your journey to get to Austin?

I left New York City just before 9/11 in 2001 to teach at the Interdenominational Center in Atlanta, where I was for fourteen years. I met Laurent while in Atlanta, as he was doing .com work there. We moved to Austin when I was called to teach New Testament at Austin Seminary in 2015; I am beginning my eighth year here.

What three words would your friends use to describe you?

Gregarious. Kind. Thoughtful.

What excites you the most about the upcoming academic year?

I am excited to see how all of the new faculty and the seasoned faculty combine to create some new things on campus. I’m not sure how to even imagine what those things might look like, but it is exciting to know that there is so much potential.

What does success look like for you in your new role as academic dean and what potentially impedes that success?

I think success looks like facilitating the faculty as a body as they discern where God is leading us forward—helping us move forward in what the dreams are and integrating one another into those dreams.

The biggest impediment is that we are human! We have to remember that 25% of our faculty is new, and a third has been here five years or less. We are still figuring each other out and will work through conflicts and not let them stop us as we learn. It is an immense gift to have this kind of new energy and it will also bring challenges. We are also still obviously working through integrating back into a somewhat post-pandemic life with new tools, new electronic systems, and a new degree program (MAYM).

What is something that the Austin Seminary community likely doesn’t know about you?

I love to crochet! I don’t get to do it very much—I have a lot of half-completed projects around my house as evidence of that. I’m also a 4-in-hand handbell ringer. I began ringing in 2001 and absolutely love it, though I don’t get to do it as much these days. My whole family is very musical. My husband plays the saxophone, my son is a pianist, and I enjoy playing some piano and singing. Music is our shared language.

That leads to an obvious next question of what would be the one song you would choose to sing at karaoke?

That’s a hard question! I love so many kinds of music. Anything with a melody and a story is wonderful music to me. I think I’d like to sing “Snowbird” by Anne Murray or “Black Butterfly” by Deniece Williams.

Support Our Students

Your gift to our Annual Fund supports the formation of Christian leaders.

• Click here to support our students...

My Seminary Spot

Our new campus banners were inspired by the reflections of students and alumni on special places around campus.

Each month we feature one of our new banners inspired by our community's reflections on special places around campus.

In this month's banner, President Ted Wardlaw cherishes all that Shelton Chapel symbolizes for the Austin Seminary community.

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Get the latest news from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in their digital monthly eNewsletter. Features on events, students, faculty, and alumni can be sent directly to your inbox.

• Subscribe to the Austin Seminary Reed

In the News ... "Hezekiah seen as one of the good kings"

Painting by  Vicente Lopez y Portana

• Was commended for his mandate to worship God only and eschew all idols

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - As one of the few good kings in Second Kings and Second Chronicles, Hezekiah erred terribly at times but generally left a commendable record during his reign over Judah from 716 to 697 B.C.

The Rev. Terry Pugh and Rabbi Jordan Parr say Hezekiah was commended for his mandate to worship God only and eschew all idols.

“God told him he was going to die and he brought up all the good things he had done and asked to live longer, so God told him he would live for another 15 years,” said the Rev. Pugh, pastor of the First United Pentecostal Church.

“But he made some bad choices during that 15 years, so it would have been better for him to die when God had intended for him to do.”

Pugh explained that, as described in Second Kings 20:12-19, Hezekiah showed emissaries from Babylon all the kingdom’s treasures and the Babylonians soon returned to take them by force. “Hezekiah was a good king who never led Israel into idolatry as a lot of the kings did,” he said.

“God fully intends for us to change our lifestyles and live holy lives. Where many people have a problem is that they don’t want any restraints on the way they live and that’s pretty appealing to their flesh. Our society doesn’t bow down to any kind of image and make sacrifices, but our culture only believes parts of the Bible and people try to get God to fit into their own personal desires.

“Most have a tendency to want God to agree with what they’re doing, but the reality is that we have to adjust our lives to his expectations,” Pugh said. “They say, ‘I don’t think God will judge me for this,’ but what does the Bible say? He is not going to adjust his word just because we think something.”

One of the extraordinary stories from Hezekiah’s reign is in Second Kings 18:13-36, where King Sennacherib of the Assyria invades Judah and says disrespectful things about God, whereupon an angel comes during the night and kills Sennacherib’s whole 185,000-man army.

Parr, rabbi at Temple Beth El, said the Bible “looks favorably on Hezekiah for bringing the people back to the right path and recognizes that he was a positive force for the kingdom.

“He wasn’t perfect, but he was basically very good to his people,” Parr said. “He was very much for purifying the temple and bringing the people back to the Jewish God and away from idol worship. He made some big mistakes, but he was a pretty good guy who did the best he could.

“When you show off your riches, you allow them to be taken. He displeased God because he appeared to be arrogant and did not show the proper humility toward God or his guests. But he is remembered as one of the good kings. Hezekiah and Josiah put the people on the path where ultimately they were able to survive.”

Asked why the people were so prone to worshipping idols, Parr 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.

The Rev. Deborah Huggins

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 18, 2022

DISABILITY INCLUSION TOOKIT - A new Disability Inclusion Toolkit from the Office of Christian Formation will help Presbyterians continue along the path of congregational inclusivity ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Odessa Church News"

• Today and in the days ahead, in Odessa-area houses of worship

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Coming events include worship services, classes, Bible studies, community outreach, fundraisers, mission opportunities and more. The Odessa American welcomes church special events. Submission deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesdays for consideration for the following Saturday’s edition. Email oalife@oaoa.com.

Odessa Bible Church, 3901 Penbrook St., has scheduled VBS, “Exploring God’s Great Love,” for children who completed K-Fifth grades from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Registration is required.
To register or for more information, visit tinyurl.com/yeymzvce.

Westover Baptist Church, 2540 N. Torrance Ave., has scheduled Vacation Bible School for children ages five through sixth grade from 6:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Visit tinyurl.com/yp92ezj2.

Holy Cross Catholic School registration for the 2021-2022 school year is now open for grades 9-12.
Register at holycrosschs.org/admissions. For questions, call 432-235-1094 or email info@holycrosschs.org.

First Baptist Church and the Black Cultural Council of Odessa will present Fred Hammond in concert on June 15 at the church, 709 N. Lee St.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
General admission is free.
Text CONCERT to 40778 for VIP seating.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/yckf5txw.

Freedom for the Basin has scheduled a Summer Outreach at 7 p.m. June 18 at Sherwood Park, 4400 N. Dixie Blvd.
There will be music, free food, recovery testimonies and prize drawings.
Many organizations from the community will be present standing together to show we believe recovery is possible.
Visit tinyurl.com/bd8p44tw.

Crossroads, 6901 E. Highway 191, has scheduled a Father’s Day Car Show from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19.
There will be more than 100 vintage muscle and classic cars, food trucks, and a cornhole tournament.
Registration fee is $30.
All proceeds go to West Texas Gifts of Hope.
For more information, call Bill Helton at 432-530-6302.
To register, visit tinyurl.com/mxjrjfxd.

Odessa First Assembly and Torre de Refugio y Fortaleza have scheduled Mega Praise VBS Camp, for ages 6-12 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 10-13 at OFA, 1101 N. Lee Ave.
Registration is 5:30 p.m. July 10.
Call 432-332-2559, email Odessafirstag@gmail.com or visit tinyurl.com/ye2xb2xp.

Hope Alive Church, 305 E. 19th St., has scheduled Hope Kids Camp, “Making Waves,” from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 10-13.
Registration fee is $40. Registration is required.
To register or for more information, call 432-332-4673, email hopekids@myhopealive.church or visit tinyurl.com/23hrymct.

Immanuel Baptist Church, 4020 E. University Blvd., will present Spark Studios, a week of VBS for children ages 3 to 6th grade, from 9 a.m. to noon July 11-15.
Family night will take place at 6:30 p.m. July 15.
To register or for more information, visit immanuelodessa.com.

St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 2212 E. 11th St., will celebrate its 85th anniversary from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 23-24.
There will be food, fellowship, church services and weekend reunion with old and new friends.
Visit tinyurl.com/y8f434nk.

Immanuel Baptist Church, 4020 E. University Blvd., will present a Gospel Hymn Sing at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28.
Visit tinyurl.com/4jm6c2da.

Belmont Baptist Church, 806 N. Belmont Ave., offers family meals during its Family Supper time from 5:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. each Wednesday when Awana is in session.
Admission is free.
For more information, call 432-332-0248, email belmont@belmontbaptist.org or visit tinyurl.com/23vkhr47.

St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 2212 E. 11th St., will celebrate its 85th anniversary from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 23-24.
There will be food, fellowship, church services and weekend reunion with old and new friends.
Visit tinyurl.com/y8f434nk.

Immanuel Baptist Church, 4020 E. University Blvd., will present a Gospel Hymn Sing at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28.
Visit tinyurl.com/4jm6c2da.
Catholic Charities Community Services Odessa, 2500 Andrews Highway, need of volunteers for pantry distribution.
Distribution times are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.
For more information on dates and times, call 332-1387.
Visit facebook.com/ccodessatx or ccodessa.com.

The West Texas Street Rod Association has scheduled Cars at Crossroads from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every fourth Saturday of each month at Crossroads Church, 6901 E. Highway 191.
There will be coffee and donuts inside the church.
Visit tinyurl.com/cdjd6pvt.

Door of Hope Mission are in need of financial support to help provide hot meals, a safe place to sleep and shower to those who struggle with addictions through Bible study and counseling.
There a few ways to give:
• PayPal Giving Fund: 100% goes to the mission, visit www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2432315. PayPal does not keep a processing fee when you use this service.
• Door of Hope Mission website, www.doorofhopemission.com/donate.html, or mail a check to Door of Hope Mission, PO Box 1789, Odessa, TX 79760.
• On Amazon or eBay, add Door of Hope Mission as preferred charity, and a portion of purchases will go to the mission.
• On Amazon Smile (www.smile.amazon.com): Login to your account then select Door of Hope Mission Odessa TX so the mission receives donations from eligible purchases when you shop.
• On eBay (charity.ebay.com/charity/charity-name/2432315): Add the Door Of Hope Mission to favorites.
All donations are tax deductible.
For more information, call 337-8294 or visit doorofhopemission.com.

Highland United Methodist Church, 1808 N. Dixie Blvd., and volunteers offer a back door blessing meal at 6 p.m. Wednesdays in the fellowship hall.
There is no charge. Any donations contributed goes toward Highland’s children’s ministries.
Call 332-0261 or email highlandumc.odessa@gmail.com.
Visit highlandodessa.com.

Sherwood Church of Christ, 4900 North Dixie Blvd., offers free clothing on the first Saturday of every month.
With so many families in the community are losing their jobs due to COVID and the downturn in oil, the Sherwood Clothes Closet is an opportunity for people to find needed clothing items for the entire family.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Masks are required to comply with city orders and to protect each other from spreading the virus.

Victory Christian Fellowship Church, 325 N. County Road West, offers individuals assistance who are hurting from addictions to become drug and alcohol free, physically well and most important spiritually alive.
All services are provided for free.
Several homes are located throughout Texas, New Mexico and Chicago.
For more information, call the Rev. Albert Flores at 432-978-9959 or 432-335-8925.
For home locations, call for Odessa, 325-300-0832; El Paso, 915-838-8887; Fort Worth, 817-626-1819; Houston, 713-880-4732; Mathis, 361-547-3755; McAllen, 956-702-2781; San Angelo, 325-658-1061; Albuquerque, N.M., 505-550-5661; Artesia, N.M., 575-745-4294; and Chicago, 773-696-9094.

• 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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 17, 2022

GOD'S LOVE REDEEMS - In the beginning was an idyllic garden — till Eve listened to the beguiling serpent and invited Adam to join her in eating the fruit that God had forbidden. Because they disobeyed God, the couple was expelled from the Garden of Eden and made to face the harsh, uncertain world. Surely, they thought, they could cope, especially with the help of their sons, Cain and Abel.

Unfortunately, the brothers’ story is about the first fratricide — the killing of one’s sibling. Angered over the presumed preference of his parents and of God for his younger brother, Cain murdered Abel. He would not be the last to murder over jealousy and hate. Today, we can discern the marks of that fratricide all around us in the divisions that can kill.

We know, at a visceral level, that this reality is not just something going on “out there.” It is happening here at home ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "2022 Lubbock area Jamaicas"

• Food, fun and fellowship across the South Plains

Staff Report
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - Parishes have begun planning 2022 Jamaicas. Mark these dates on your calendars to join for food, fun and fellowship:

• Plainview: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, July 16 Preview Night, 6 p.m.
• Plainview: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, July 17
• Tahoka: St. Jude Church, July 17
• Morton: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, July 24
• Crosbyton: St. Joseph, Aug. 6
• New Deal: Our Lady Queen of Apostles, Aug. 6, noon to 9 p.m.
• Lorenzo: San Lorenzo Church, Aug. 6, noon to 9 p.m.
• Shallowater: St. Philip Benizi Church, Aug. 6, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Hale Center: St. Theresa Church, Aug. 13, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Slaton: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Aug. 13
• Lubbock: St. Joseph Church, Aug. 28
• Brownfield: St. Anthony Church, Sept. 10
• Lubbock: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Sept. 11
• Seagraves: Saint Paul Church, Sept. 24, 11 a.m. to midnight

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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

Photo by Steven Weeks via Unsplash

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 16, 2022

'SELF DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE' WEBINAR - Self-Development of People webinar discusses rural poverty and the church’s challenges addressing it ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Cooling center moving to Salvation Army

• Those with COVID concerns encouraged to wear a mask, maintain social distance

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Due to low demand, the City of Odessa’s cooling center located Woodson Park will close and an alternate cooling center will be available at the The Salvation Army of Odessa.

The Salvation Army is located at 810 E. 11th Street. The contact number for the Salvation Army is 432-332-0738.

For those with COVID concerns: If you have compromised immunity, or live with someone who does, we encourage you to wear a mask and maintain social distance.

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: “NEXT WEEK, hear new stories of transformation!”

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: “NEXT WEEK, hear new stories of transformation!”

Join us for Miracle of Mobility Live, a one-of-a-kind event to benefit our work in providing wheelchairs to the communities we serve in the developing world.

This year, we are excited to bring back in-person events in addition to live-streaming the program on our website, Facebook, and other social sites!

Join us online on July 21, starting at 6:00 PM PDT, or join us in person in Houston, Texas, on July 13 or in Orange County, California, and Thomasville, North Carolina, on July 21.

• Learn more and register ...

You’ll hear stories directly from Free Wheelchair Mission’s Founder and President, Don Schoendorfer (virtual, Houston, and Orange County), and our CEO, Nuka Solomon (virtual and Orange County), who recently visited our overseas partners for the first time since 2019 and will share heartfelt reflections about their experiences.

Special guest, television personality Mario Lopez will also be joining us (virtual and Orange County), along with musical guests and award-winning artists, We Are Messengers and Hannah Kerr (both virtual).

You won’t want to miss Miracle of Mobility Live!

• Learn more and register ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

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

Today in the Mission Yearbook: July 15, 2022

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY JONATHAN KUTTAB - With a foot in each of two worlds, international human rights attorney Jonathan Kuttabattorney has a unique perspective ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From Synod of the Sun, PC(USA) ... SunSpots: "Introducing Kathy Lee-Cornell"

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

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Introducing Kathy Lee-Cornell

We proudly and officially welcome Kathy Lee-Cornell as the Director of the Synod Partnership for Disaster Response. In this podcast, Valerie interviews Kathy about her dreams for this ministry and how she'll bring her experience as a pastor, social worker, and disaster site coordinator to this new position.

Rev. Lee-Cornell has a B.A. in Advertising and Multimedia Design from Pepperdine University, a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Orleans, and a dual MDiv and MSSW from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the University of Texas at Austin. During her studies at APTS, Kathy was a recipient of a Synod of the Sun Presbyterian Foundation scholarship.

 

Prior to serving at St. Mark, Rev. Lee-Cornell has been an Interim Refugee Resettlement Supervisor for Refugee Services of Texas and served as Associate Pastor for Mission & Outreach at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas.

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You can find SunSpots on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Alexa (“Hey Alexa, play the SunSpots podcast”), or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

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