Mission Yearbook: Presbyterians train in local advocacy

Presbyterians have been raising their voices on social media sites and elsewhere wondering what the church can do to address issues and how to exercise moral action in an increasingly polarized political climate. Presbyteries, synods and seminaries are hosting several upcoming events designed around advocacy training.

Presbyterians for a Better Georgia, a partnership of churches and individual Presbyterians within the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, recently hosted its annual online advocacy training.

The event began with a short presentation about how to communicate effectively and develop relationships with elected officials. These tips can be used in many contexts, both in local municipalities and at the state level. Focused on best practices and feedback from elected officials themselves, they are not restricted to the state of Georgia. Later, Elizabeth Appley, Presbyterians for a Better Georgia’s policy advocate, discussed proposed legislation related to PBG’s core concerns: homelessness, affordable housing and accessible health care. PBG also hosts an annual event at the state capitol to give Presbyterians a chance to meet with their elected officials in person.

A Georgia state senator takes a selfie with members of Presbyterians
for a Better Georgia who show up to the state capitol every year for
Lobby Day. (Contributed photo)

Since 1999, Presbyterians for a Better Georgia has been an “issue-based, non-partisan organization” working across the aisle and with churches all along the political and theological spectrum following the call of Matthew 25 to speak on behalf of the health, shelter and protection of their neighbors. While the focus is on policy specific to Georgia, PBG’s advocacy training can inform others eager to organize churches and people of faith in learning how to influence local and state laws.

“The best way to make change at the state level is through long-term, committed advocacy on specific issues,” the Rev. David Lewicki, a PBG board member and the pastor of North Decatur Presbyterian Church, who described PBG’s approach to “creating small legislative victories that begin to change public policy over time.”

Lewicki highlighted the importance of “getting deep inside specific issues like housing or health care,” which can “allow the advocates to create meaningful victories that change people’s lives.” In addition to PBG’s Online Advocacy Training on Tuesday and Lobby Day, he also be presented on affordable housing for a national advocacy training conference at Columbia Theological Seminary.

CTS’s event, “Call to Justice: Advocacy Days of Training,” focused on equipping people of faith and engaged citizens in the art of effective advocacy. The event featured expert advocates from the PC(USA)’s national Office of Public Witness, Presbyterians for a Better Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center, the Hosanna Preaching Project, and Georgia Interfaith Power and Light.

The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, the PC(USA)’s director of advocacy, opened the conference with a talk titled “Why Do Public Witness?” The rest of that afternoon, speakers and organizations like the PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People program addressed specific issue-based advocacy on topics such as immigration, poverty, affordable housing, environmental justice and reproductive justice, and international concerns like the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"Connection to Transformation: Creating a Partnership Culture in Faith Communities" is an innovative and intentionally interfaith and ecumenical conference hosted by the Synod of the Northeast at the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica in New York City. The conference focused on community transformation through interfaith and civic partnerships, collaborative and sustainable funding models, accessing state resources and navigating public policies, and promoting equity in access to community services.

By bringing together experienced advocates across issues, cities and regions, leaders in presbyteries, synods, seminaries and the national office are finding ways to equip Presbyterians to create change that positively impacts the well-being of their neighbors.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS story)

Let us join in prayer for:

• Jose Jones, Mission co-worker, Democratic Republic of Congo, World Mission, Interim Unified Agency
• Ray Jones, Director, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Interim Unified Agency 

Let us pray:

May the tender mercy of Christ cause God’s love-light to shine upon us so we can reflect light to those sitting in darkness and together follow the Spirit’s guidance into the way of peace — for ourselves, our neighbors and the world. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Congregational Vitality

Have you ever played with Legos — those colorful building blocks that can transform into anything your imagination desires? You can follow detailed instructions to build a skyscraper or a race car, or let your creativity run wild, crafting something unique and beautiful. This freedom to build resembles the journey of faith and community within the church.

“Upon this rock, I will build my church,” said Jesus, emphasizing the importance of a strong foundation. Just as Legos need a sturdy base to support the structures built upon them, so too does a church need a solid foundation to thrive — one built on faith, love and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

First Presbyterian Church, Jeffersonville, Ind. (Marla Edwards)

In the heart of a small town in Indiana stands a church with approximately 150 members. The congregation’s major demographic is beyond retirement age, yet they are vibrant and full of life. Actively seeking spiritual guidance and direction, they remain deeply engaged in missional activities, demonstrating remarkable congregational vitality through their diverse and impactful initiatives.

The Green Team’s commitment to environmental stewardship, the transparent budget and finance team’s efforts to maintain financial clarity, and the Quilters’ creative contributions of prayer blanks for those in need all play vital roles. Special groups for men and women focus on mission work, fostering a sense of community and purpose. Additionally, the congregation's dedication to supporting organizations through initiatives like the Hope Chest, which collects essential items such as school supplies and diapers, showcases a deep commitment to helping others. These activities not only strengthen the bonds within the congregations but also extend the church’s positive influence on the broader community.

This church understands that while the message of Jesus remains unchanged, the methods of delivering that message can evolve. Traditional congregations like this one and many others have their place in the ever-evolving tapestry of faith.

The seven marks of congregational vitality serve as building blocks for a thriving church community: lifelong discipleship formation, intentional authentic evangelism, outward incarnational focus, empowering servant leadership, spirit-inspired worship, caring relationships, and ecclesial health. By embracing these principles, the church builds a robust and dynamic community that can withstand the test of time.

As the members of First Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana, continue to build their community, they are reminded that Jesus remains the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. His teachings are the cornerstone upon which they construct their faith, much like the foundational blocks of a Lego creation.

Marla D. Edwards, Mission Specialist, Interim Unified Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

• Caralee Jones, Program Associate, Presbyterian Foundation
• Debra Jones,  Risk Management Assistant, Administrative Services Group (A Corp) 

Let us pray:

Lord, help us build our faith and community on the unshakable foundation of your love and teachings. Guide our efforts as we seek to serve others, grow in faith, and spread your message of hope and compassion. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Presbyterian Church of Okemos, Michigan, reaffirms baptism vows for a boy named Zach, a beloved member and transgender youth

On Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Presbyterian Church of Okemos, Michigan, engaged in a memorable and meaningful reaffirmation of baptism vows for one of its beloved members, Zach, a transgender boy originally baptized at the church as a female.

“It wasn’t a rebaptism. We were acknowledging he was baptized with a different name. The renaming ceremony was an important part of it,” said the Rev. Dr. Lisa Schrott, the church’s pastor since 2021.

Presbyterian Church of Okemos, Mich., held a service reaffirming the
baptism ofZach, a beloved member and transgender boy. (photo courtesy
of Presbyterian Church of Okemos)

The congregation “was uniformly supportive and loving for Zach. So many people expressed what it meant” in the life of the church, Schrott said. “The church has been with Zach throughout his whole journey.”

“You were first brought to the waters of baptism with a different name, and we return today to remember God’s promises continue with you throughout all of your life,” Schrott told Zach that day. “We gather around these waters as a community to mark your name change. By what name shall you be known?”

“He was baptized in the same church as a baby with the name his father and I gave him when he was born,” Zach’s mother said, “and he reaffirmed that baptism with the name he chose for himself.”

Baptism is “about becoming part of a community and being embraced by that community,” Schrott explained during the service.

The Rev. Dr. Lisa Schrott

“From the moment my son started his transition to becoming a boy over 11 years ago, our church family has embraced him just as he is, with their whole hearts and without hesitation,” Zach’s mother said. “When our congregation said in unison, ‘We see you,’ I thought my heart would burst.”

For the reaffirming liturgy, Schrott sought help from the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, associate for worship in the PC(USA)’s Interim Unified Agency. Gambrell sent several possibilities, and Zach picked the one in which the congregation would affirm to him, “We see you.”

“That nailed it for him. It hit on the whole theme that Pastor Lisa was preaching about, that baptism is not just an individual thing — it’s a relationship with the community,” Zach’s mother explained. “The liturgy was really good at expressing that community.”

Rebecca Mattern, the church’s coordinator of pastoral care and youth ministry, said that during the service and afterward, “I was filled with a sense of the Holy Spirit, an expanded heart for what the church can look like and how welcoming and loving this church has been.”

One example: A youth flipping through a church photo album noticed a picture with captions containing Zach’s former name. “The wrong name is here. What do we do about that?” the youth asked. The captions are being updated with the permission of Zach and the family.

Zach told Mattern after the service how grateful he was, especially because his older brother was home from college to share the experience. “I was surprised the decision [to participate in the service] was made as quickly as it was,” Mattern said. “I had put the bug in his ear a few weeks before and told him and his mom, ‘You have all the time you want to make this happen.’ Within hours, the family said, ‘Yes, we want to do this.’”

Rebecca Mattern

Mattern was taken by the volume with which the congregation delivered the “We see you” line.

“It wasn’t a shy, ‘We see you.’ It was a ‘Yes! We see you,’” Mattern said. “People were paying attention, and the way people said it was meaningful for them.”

“I wonder for those in the congregation who have experiences in their families, how this affects them and their acceptance and ability to articulate it for persons who identify as trans and LGBTQIA+,” Mattern said. “What a witness to say, ‘God sees you and loves you, and the church does too.’”

Zach’s mother said the family “wanted to share this deeply personal moment because right now the world is a frightening place for transgender people. Trans people are being vilified, their right to exist attacked, and many of those attacks are originating from within churches.”

“We share the reaffirmation of his baptism to show a different way forward, one that embraces instead of excludes, celebrates instead of vilifies, expresses love instead of hate.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS story)

Let us join in prayer for:

• Steffan Johnson, Virtual YAV, Young Adult Volunteer, World Mission, Interim Unified Agency
• Emma Johnston,  Mission Specialist, Office of the Middle East & Europe, Interim Unified Agency  

Let us pray:

Good and gracious God, we pray that you would continue to show your face to us as we step out in faith to see what you have for us. We pray that you will make us good stewards of your good gifts. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Around the Table Initiative fosters faith formation through cohorts

Kim Ness

“The church is changing, and we, as a denomination, can be leaders in finding new ways of teaching faith formation,” said Kim Ness, a Christian educator with decades of experience. Ness is offering her experience and her skills as a certified coach to others through the Around the Table Initiative, a Lilly Endowment Inc.-funded initiative through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Ness is one of five coaches leading test cohorts in this coached cohort model that is a hallmark of the Around the Table Initiative, along with the creation of resources and skill-building webinars. “Our initiative is dedicated to creating vibrant, intergenerational communities where meaningful conversations about faith can flourish in everyday life with children and youth at home,” said the Rev. Neema Cyrus-Franklin, director of the Around the Table Initiative. “These cohorts are designed to strengthen the role of households in nurturing lifelong faith and discipleship in Jesus Christ.”

The Around the Table Initiative will offer two waves of online learning cohorts: the first beginning in August 2025 and the second in August 2026. Cohorts will meet in person once during a regional kickoff gathering and then online seven times for 90 minutes over 9-18 months. Applications are now being accepted. Participation is free, and each faith community that actively engages and completes the cohort will receive $1,500 to host a concluding intergenerational retreat.

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Erickson

“I love the sense of community that comes from bringing folks together in cohorts,” said Ness, who serves two Presbyterian churches in Georgia. “These cohorts are more than just opportunities to learn about spiritual practices and brainstorm how to help families practice faith at home. They are reminders that we are not alone in ministry.”

Ness describes the cohort she leads as comprised of leaders in churches with large numbers of active children and youth. The majority of cohort members are Christian educators and ordained pastors that serve in seven states, from Florida to Michigan.

Madeline Alvarez

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Erickson began with the initiative in August 2024 at a training retreat at Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Retreat Center in Allenspark, Colorado. Erickson, who is retired from the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary and who is involved in the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network, leads a cohort of grandparents active in the faith development of the younger generation. The cohort, which has five individuals and a couple whose members hail from Georgia, Virginia, Colorado, Texas and Mexico, has met monthly since the cohort launched in October 2024. The group is faithful to the curriculum set out by the Around the Table Initiative using the Faith Practices Toolkit, which highlights key spiritual practices such as hospitality, prayer, service, storytelling and retreat.

Listening to each other share their stories about the faith practices in their context is its own source of learning in the cohort led by Madeline Alvarez. Alvarez leads one of three test cohorts of Spanish-speaking members. Members of her cohort include pastors originally from Colombia, Venezuela and Puerto Rico who are serving in New Jersey, Georgia, and Puerto Rico, as well as ruling elders and educators from three other Spanish-speaking contexts. Together their cohort reflected on the question: “How can the act of listening to the stories of others deepen your empathy and understanding of God’s work in their lives?”

“Every story is a window into the unique challenges, achievements and faith journeys that shape people's lives,” said Alvarez. Around the table, faith formation practices can be as formal as lighting Advent candles or saying prayers together or as informal as sharing stories.

“By listening to people’s stories, we learn to approach others without judgment and to be curious rather than critical,” Alvarez said as she described the insights her cohort had while reflecting on storytelling as a spiritual practice: “This practice helps us recognize how God’s love and purpose unfold in diverse and beautiful ways. A story that is truly heard brings us closer to understanding and honoring human dignity.”

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS story)

Let us join in prayer for:

• Mikyle Johnson, Administrative Support, REWIM, Interim Unified Agency
• Sandy Johnson, Financial/Budget Analyst, Budgets & Forecasting, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)  

Let us pray:

Creator God, you send us miracles that help us know that in you everything is possible. When we work together and gladly serve one another, great things happen. We are grateful for anyone who takes the equivalent of loaves and fishes and generously feeds others. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ 3K walk raises funds, awareness for Wisconsin warming shelter

The Rev. Dr. Matthew L. Sauer of Manitowoc Cooperative Ministry
is pictured with his dog, Gus. (contributed photo)

Cold weather kills.

When mid-January brought days of near and below-zero temperatures and wind chills approaching minus-40 to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the local Warming Shelter had to turn away people because of limited space.

Manitowoc Cooperative Ministry is partnering with others to bring warmth and hope to those in need.

On Feb. 22, a “winterrific” family-friendly fundraising Coldest Night of the Year 3K Walk helped raise money to expand the shelter’s services, install clothes washers and dryers so that no one must wear dirty clothes, and provide showers for guests.

The Rev. Dr. Matthew L. Sauer is pastor at Manitowoc Cooperative Ministry, an innovative partnership of the historic Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and United Church of Christ congregations serving the community for more than 170 years. The city is located on Lake Michigan, south of Green Bay and north of Milwaukee.

The church’s long-term goal is to raise $1.2 million to purchase and remodel a building for a shelter that will serve 24 people daily, Sauer said.

“Never give up on God! We are a small congregation, 40 in worship,” he said. “But we listened, and God spoke a dream on our hearts and now we are leading a community to live out the Matthew 25 gospel. We are frightened, we don’t know how we can fund this, but our faith is stronger than our fear.”

The Manitowoc Warming Shelter provides a safe, warm refuge for neighbors facing temporary homelessness during the harsh Wisconsin winters. It is more than just a shelter — it’s a place of compassion and connection, Sauer said.

The facility’s permit and space provide shelter for a maximum of 12 people — but on cold nights they may have to turn away double that number, Sauer said.

More than 125 volunteers help run the Warming Shelter, open nightly from November through April, when temperatures can drop into single digits or colder at night, and sometimes the daily high is still below freezing.

“The Manitowoc Warming Shelter is an emergency low-barrier drop-in warming shelter with a simple mission, ‘No one deserves to freeze to death at night,’” Sauer said.

“We operate only in the coldest months, but we also provide two program-based homeless shelters in town: Hope House for single women and families and The Haven, for single men. Folks in our community understand the Warming Shelter stands in the gap and have been very supportive.”

John C. Williams for the Presbyterian Foundation, Special to Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS story)

Let us join in prayer for:

• Kirstie Johnson, Administrative Assistant, Director’s Office, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Interim Unified Agency                                                      
• Melissa Johnson, Mission co-worker, Zambia, World Mission, Interim Unified Agency 

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, help us to keep our focus on you and on what we have in common through Jesus Christ. Keep our eyes on your mission so that we will see what is possible and what is already happening when we work together. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Children’s ministry that forms faith

Jill Benson

Jill Benson, a curriculum coordinator for the Christian Reformed Church, put on a workshop during this year’s APCE’s Annual Event  focused on children’s ministry that forms faith.

“Why do we have children’s ministry available at our church? It’s important to start with the why,” Benson said to workshop attendees meeting in person at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, and online. “For me, I love children, and I learn from them.” Alongside that is the privilege “to see them grow in their faith and form a lifelong faith.”

While Benson took workshop attendees back 85 years to survey the history of children’s ministry, “it goes all the way back to Deuteronomy and the Shema,” she said. For this portion of the presentation, Benson drew from Scottie May et al, the authors of “Children Matter: Celebrating Their Place in the Church, Family and Community.”

The years 1940–1965 saw content-centered children’s ministry, when “ministry was done to children to encourage this process of faith formation,” she said. Children were seen as sponges, and the teacher was “the expert, the boss, the funnel holder and the evaluator.” The traditional Sunday school setting dominated.

The strength during that era was the promotion of biblical literacy. “You could rest assured you were an emerging disciple of Christ,” Benson said. “But biblical literacy didn’t turn into lifelong faith formation.”

From 1965–1990, children’s ministry was student-centered. The goal was to make sure children enjoyed Sunday school, and programming “became elaborate,” Benson said. The teacher was seen as “the coordinator, customer service representative, ringmaster and planner,” Benson noted.

Processed-centered children’s ministry has dominated since 1990. The goal is to help the child to encounter God and God’s story in ways that form faith. The emphasis is on the relationship between the child and the adult and the process by which learning takes place. Children can be seen as a plant, a sheep, a pilgrim or a scientist “who learn and investigate together to find truth,” Benson said. The teacher is seen as a shepherd, farmer, fellow pilgrim or co-learner.

The strength of this model is “the emphasis on more authentic engagement with the biblical story,” while a weakness is “we focus on the quiet, contemplative moments and don’t include enough fun activities,” she said.

“This history does not mean that earlier views were wrong or bad,” but “they were less effective than once thought,” Benson said. “As we learned more about children, we altered the way we did children’s ministry.”

It could be a new era of children’s ministry has begun — one in which educators and other grownups are spiritually formed by children.

According to Benson, May says there have been “many times” she’s been ministered to by children, “but it has usually happened unintentionally. What if we made it intentional?”

Benson asked workshop attendees to break into small groups to discuss questions including, “Are you comfortable with what children’s ministry looks like at your church, or are there aspects of another model that you would like to include?”

“We noticed that the ‘entertainment model’ is often associated with the large numbers and ‘glory days’ of our churches,” said one workshop participant. “But we appreciate now functioning with the ‘with/by’ models, often with fewer numbers.”

Through Visio Divina, Benson then used “The Book of Belonging” and art by A Sanctified Art to tell the story of The Daughters of Zelophehad, reading the story as she might to a child.

Then she asked those in the workshop: Anything you wonder about this story?

Benson called wondering questions “a fantastic way to engage children. They don’t have a specific answer, or a right answer. The point is to help children put themselves in the story.”

Among her favorites is the one she had just asked: What do you wonder about this story?

“Kids jump right in and answer that one,” Benson said.

A link to a 10-question tool for choosing curriculum is here. Lists of five ways to help families grow in faith, help kids to worship and to pray with kids, can be found here.

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS story)

Let us join in prayer for:

• Alonzo Johnson, Coordinator, Self-Development of People, Interim Unified Agency
• Carlton Johnson, Director, Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, Interim Unified Agency 

Let us pray:

Gracious God, we give thanks that you multiply our small and humble offerings and efforts as we work to care for those in need. We ask that you sharpen our focus on you and on ways we may serve. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: ‘Along the Road’ podcast explores the global Presbyterian family

The Rev. Dr. Mofid Wasef

When it comes to what it means to be Presbyterian and why it matters, it turns out that which country you come from makes a big difference.

In January, the “Along the Road” podcast hosted a conversation with Rev. Dr. Mofid Wasef, associate pastor of Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, and his daughter, Ruling Elder Dr. Mirna Wasef, about their experiences as Presbyterians in Egypt and in the United States.

Speaking with “Along the Road” host valerie izumi, a ruling elder in the PC(USA), the two were quick to clarify that the cultural expectations around denominational identity are vastly different in the two countries.

Mirna described finding that in the U.S., “there seems to be a fear of offending somebody if you talk about your own faith.” People don’t feel comfortable saying they are Presbyterian or Christian. In Egypt, however, it’s the opposite, she said. “It’s legally recognized that you’re going to talk about your religion because even on your ID card it says your religion.”

Mofid went further, explaining that in childhood in Egypt, there was a sense of competition even between various faiths and especially different Christian traditions, which motivated young Presbyterians to know the specifics of their tradition inside and out. He said that by middle school, young Egyptians were articulating their beliefs and representing their faith to others. This culture motivated them all, whether Coptic Orthodox or Presbyterian, to study and learn even more about their denomination.

“Along the Road” is a weekly podcast designed with mid council leaders and congregational leaders in mind and hosted by izumi, Manuel Silva-Esterrich, and Martha Miller. New episodes are typically released on Wednesdays and alternate between “Nourish” episodes geared toward ruling elders and deacons, and “Encounter” episodes geared toward mid council leaders. This season has focused on the theme of Presbyterian identity.

In the Jan. 15 episode, titled “Encounter: We Are Part of a Bigger Family Around the World,” izumi reminded listeners that the church — made up of its members, deacons, ruling elders, and teaching elders or ministers — is called “to go forth as agents of God’s mission in the world” (Book of Order, W-3.0502).

Dr. Mirna Wasef

Mirna shared that her journey of coming to understand and embrace her own Presbyterian identity was borne out of her experiences teaching Sunday school as a high school student in the U.S. and recognizing herself and her own upbringing in those teachings. This sense of identity was further deepened as she traveled back and forth between Egypt and the United States and saw what shared beliefs connected the Presbyterians she interacted with in each place.

Both Mirna and Mofid emphasized that understanding one’s Presbyterian identity isn’t just important for knowing how you are different from other Christians, but also how you are connected to other Presbyterians around the world.

“There is a history behind Presbyterians that’s rich and deep,” Mirna said. “Sometimes we lose ourselves in the U.S. context of Christianity. We think being Presbyterian is just about being in the U.S. and the Bible was written for us right now in the U.S. context. But we take out the richness of the culture of Scripture, and the richness of the people who read their own lives into Scripture, too.”

Mirna went on to point out that the Presbyterian Church is global and “every culture has their own experience with Scripture that we should be able to take into account.” Doing so is what it means to be a family, she explained.

Mofid said he believes the pulpit provides a crucial opportunity to teach churchgoers what it means to be Presbyterian.   

“If we teach our people, our members, what we believe and that we are part of a bigger family around the world, that will help the people understand. It’s very important to know that you’re a Presbyterian church and what you believe and who you are.”

All episodes of the “Along the Road” podcast are on the PC(USA) website or on Spotify, Apple and wherever else you get your podcasts.

Layton Williams Berkes, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS story)

Let us join in prayer for:

• Reginald Jean-Mary, Building/Tech Support, Stony Point Conference Center, Interim Unified Agency 
• Ellie Johns-Kelley, Ministry Relations Officer, Presbyterian Foundation 

Let us pray:

Generous God, we give thanks for new opportunities to hear your word and see your grace transforming our lives. Your abundance bridges our cultural chasms and connects us in new communities of discipleship. In Christ’s service we pray. Amen.