News from Presbyterian World Mission – October 2021

Mission Matters In this month’s Mission Matters, mission co-worker Doug Dicks shares his reflection on why mission matters in the context of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Read Mission Matters →

PC(USA) and Czech church (ECCB) host conference The Evangelical Church of the Czech Brethren (ECCB) and PC(USA) hosted a virtual conference focusing on youth involvement recently. Destini Hodges, interim YAV coordinator, served as a co-host. The Church supports Christian witness in the Czech Republic through a partnership with ECCB. (Photo by Jacob Adamson via Unsplash) Learn more → Stated Clerk calls for prayer, lament and action Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), calls for the U.S. to critically analyze our foreign policy in light of recent events that have transpired in Haiti. (Photo by Tijo Conseillant) Learn more →

Congo Mission Network holds free virtual conferences this fall The Congo Mission Network is holding free virtual monthly mini-conferences this fall. Dates and topics include: November 13: "The Church’s Work with Vulnerable Children" December 11: "Christian Literature: How it Is Used in Every Aspect of the Church’s Work." Register here →

Mission co-worker serves as pastor for Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy The Rev. Jessica Derise, a mission co-worker for 18 months, is able to serve in person for the first time as interim chaplain for the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy. She is reviving a congregation fatigued by Covid restrictions and Zoom worship. (Photo provided) Learn more → PC(USA) ministries call for support of African farmers The Presbyterian World Mission’s Africa office joined three PC(USA) ministries and more than 200 organizations in backing a letter from the Alliance for Food Sovereignty (AFSA) calling on major donors to support small-scale farmers in Africa. (Photo by Valery Nodem) Learn more →

Join the Koballs in answering the call of Matthew 25! In Peru, where Jed and Jenny Koball serve as mission co-workers, outside interests have ruptured the time-honored relationship that its people share with the earth. Greedy corporations — by cutting down ancient forests, polluting rivers and bleeding the earth of its resources — have subjected Indigenous people to a life of staggering poverty although they are surrounded by nature’s riches. To love our neighbors — especially the "least of these" — we must come together to stop the poisoning, the destruction and the wastefulness that cause profound suffering and loss. Thank you for standing with the Koballs and others by standing against the exploitation of resources that leads to the exploitation of people. Thank you for joining with the PC(USA) in living out the Matthew 25 vision to eradicate systemic poverty, as together we help restore and protect God’s Creation. Give online →

SAVE THE DATE: Giving Tuesday is November 30, 2021! The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Giving Tuesday campaign is a virtual celebration of the collective power of Presbyterian generosity, as we profess by our actions—and with our gifts—that we can accomplish far more together than any one of us can do alone. This year, we will host an eight-hour livestream, broadcast from multiple locations across the United States, where we will share how your gifts support the mission of the Church as we live out Jesus’ call for us in Matthew 25. We invite you to join with Presbyterians from near and far for worship, fun with some familiar faces, and an unparalleled opportunity for your generosity to make a lasting impact around the country and around the world. Give now →

Border ministry chooses welcome and hospitality The Migrant Resource Center, located in Mexico just across the border from Douglas, Arizona, has served more than 16,000 men, women, and children with coffee, meals, water, first aid and clothing. Rev. Mark Adams and wife Miriam Maldonado Escobar – a fellow mission co-worker – connects people and organizations across the border. (Photo by Sister Judy Bourg) Learn more → Arab and Israeli women work toward just peace Sindyanna of Galilee, a PMA global partner and grassroots group of Arab and Jewish women, is working to share its vision of peaceful co-existence in the region. (Photo by Oren Shalev) Learn more →

We invite you to join us on this journey to become a Matthew 25 church In Matthew 25, the call is loud and clear: we must actively engage in the world around us, so our faith comes alive and we wake up to new possibilities. Becoming a Matthew 25 church involves working to build congregational vitality, dismantle structural racism and eradicate systemic poverty. Over 1,000 churches, mid councils and groups have accepted the Matthew 25 invitation. You too can help our denomination become a more relevant presence in the world. Read more →

Coronavirus/COVID-19 — Latest church resources for congregations and members