Thursday, March 14, 2024

Vitality: March 2024 Newsletter

The Springing Forth of a New Agency

I stuck my head out the window this morning and Spring kissed me, bang, in the face.

-Langston Hughes, “The Early Simple Stories”

Carlton Johnson

The poet Langston Hughes was most aware that spring had arrived when its warmth touched his skin. For others, it is when we see flowers begin to bloom. The celebration of Easter also marks this yearly season of rebirth and renewal.

The Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General Assembly are together witnessing God’s miraculous power to consistently renew and revitalize us. Since the 225th General Assembly (2022), a Unification Commission has been moving carefully through a well-defined process to combine the two agencies.

I have found extraordinary promise in one of the descriptions shared for our new structure: “It will not just be a Mash-Up, but a Start-Up.” A Start-Up. Something new and different. This description beams with hope. Like the forthcoming spring, I patiently await the opportunity to “feel” this new agency. Patience will be important; some changes will be immediate while others will take time … .

Save the Date for the 2024 Evangelism Conference!

Come join us for a journey into a more expansive and authentic understanding and practice of evangelism. For too long, evangelism has been used to grow our churches or convert people to a certain way of believing in God. This expression of evangelism has hurt many people and promoted injustice. During our gathering, we will explore how we are called to embody the good news of God’s healing and compassion — through A Lifestyle that Exudes Justice! More info to come: www.pcusa.org/evangelism.

Rest, Resist and Renew

Liberty Community Church in Minneapolis co-created a healing space with sex-trafficked neighbors. Read more about how patience and hope bring renewal in this ministry committed to healing its neighborhood over several decades.

Seeking Asylum, Staying to Worship

When New York State welcomed an influx of asylum seekers, First Spanish Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn responded with welcome and support and grew its community.

Ministry Can’t Be Done Alone

Aurora Presbyterian Church outside of Denver hosts multiple congregations and became a hub for worship and service that better reflects and responds to its neighbors than what only the original congregation could.