Today in the Mission Yearbook - Volunteer opportunities open overseas for young adults

Spend 10 months in Germany or Poland working with children and youth

July 28, 2024

Poland to offer multiple volunteer opportunities for young adults between the ages of 19–30. Although this program targets the same demographic as the PC(USA)’s Young Adult Volunteer program and is supported by YAV, the selected participants will not be part of the YAV program. Both opportunities begin in September 2024 and conclude in June 2025.

One opportunity resides in Wroclaw, Poland, presented in part by Parafia EA Wrocklaw. Called the “Venice of the North” by Poles due to the different branches of the Oder River that flows throughout the city, it is the third largest city in Poland, with more than 650,000 residents. Volunteers will work with children of the Evangelical Parish, the College of Eastern Europe Jan Nowak-Jeziorański and other youth and local organizations. Some of the listed duties include:

• Organizing activities for children and youth
• Assisting with charitable activities
• Conducting English classes for Wojnowice Castle employees
• Handling the parish’s social media
• Assisting with refugee activities.

Housing, pocket money, travel reimbursement up to $1,000 and Polish language instruction are some of the perks provided.

Alethia White

“Our partners are excited to welcome Americans to join them for a year of volunteer and learning opportunities. Especially during a time of global uncertainty, choosing to make friendships across borders can feel like choosing hope,” said Alethia White, the PC(USA)’s co-regional liaison for Northern and Central Europe and the point of contact for the volunteer positions. “Being in a safe space to learn and grow is an experience that one carries through the rest of life. As regional liaison, I’ve heard our partners’ excitement and enthusiasm for these partnerships and hope volunteers will embrace the chance to spend a year in Europe among friends.”

The Berlin opportunity is provided by ecumenical partner the Berlin Mission. This position will also work with children and youth and people with disabilities. Housing, pocket money, travel costs to Germany (up to $1,000) and language instruction are all part of the compensation provided to the selected individual. Basic German language skills are an advantage but not required, since an intensive language course begins the volunteer’s year of service.

“If you know a young adult looking to explore what it means to be involved in a local community and work with an intercultural group of other young people, this is a unique and exciting opportunity to do that,” said White.

For more information about either of these opportunities, including program applications, contact Alethia White at alethia.white@pcusa.org.

Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Today’s Focus: Young adult volunteer opportunity in Poland and Germany working with children and youth

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Eliane Menezes, Mission co-worker serving in Guatemala, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency 
John Merten, Data Entry Representative, Relationship & Development Operations, Administrative Services Group (A Corp) 

Let us pray

Gracious God, we thank you for moments and people in your lives that give us a glimpse of your kingdom. Help us to seek you in everything that we do, whether it’s hammering nails, feeding a hungry person or siting with someone amid grief. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Equipping Congo’s youth is goal of upcoming PC(USA) conference

Congo Mission Network conference set for March 14-16 is now open for registration

February 23, 2024

At the Congo Mission Network conference, several leaders of 

the Presbyterian Community of Congo (CPC) and the 

Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa (CPK) will explain their 

goals for their schools. Pictured here are students of CPC’s the 

Dipha dia Nzambe school in Kananga. (Contributed photo)

The Congo Mission Network (CMN) is hosting its annual conference on March 14–16 at the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery Conference Center in Charleston, South Carolina.

The conference theme, “Education for Transformation: Equipping Congolese Youth for the Future,” will unite partners in the U.S. and Congo to help strengthen Congo’s sparsely funded education programs.

Registration is free for online attendees outside the U.S.; otherwise, there is a $25 fee. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) staff, mission co-workers, Congolese and college students can also register for free. The in-person attendee fee is $100.

To register, visit congopartners.org/register2024.

PC(USA) is the primary sponsor of the CMN and has been a partner for decades. This year’s conference participants include representatives of churches of the Presbyterian Community of Congo (CPC) and the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa (CPK). The CPC and the CPK oversee about 1,200 Congolese public schools.

Increased technical and vocational training programs in middle 

and high schools are hoped to boost employment among young

Congolese adults. Classes in sewing, tailoring, welding, 

electrical work, and construction are planned. Here are students 

at the IT center at Institute Technique de Kamu. (Contributed 

photo)

According to a CMN press release, discussions to be held during the conference come at a pivotal time in history, as young adults in Africa are being pushed to a dizzying new world role. The birth rates of the already youthful African countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are sharply rising while birth rates in most other countries, including the U.S., are falling. The population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to nearly double to 2.5 billion, or one quarter of the Earth’s population, over the next 25 years, according to the U.N. World Population Prospects 2022.

American and Congolese partners’ goals are to increase employment prospects for youth and young adults in the DRC. They also want to greatly enhance public schools, leadership and entrepreneurship training, technical education and public health measures for them.

The Rev. Zacharie Mboyamba Kabala of Kananga, DRC, will be the keynote speaker. The legal representative of CPC and director of the Department of Evangelism and the Life of the Church, he is well-known for his skill in conflict resolution and community-building. PC(USA) mission co-workers Jeff and Christi Boyd, based in the DRC, and José LaMont Jones, mission co-worker in Kinshasa and educational specialist to the CPK, are also scheduled to participate in various capacities at the conference.

Other speakers include Dr. Larry Sthreshley, senior advisor for innovation, localization and partnerships with Corus International, a former PC(USA) mission co-worker, and Dr. Freddy Nsapu, head of education for CPK.

A full conference program will be posted on the CMN website when finalized.

Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: Congo Mission Network conference

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Jackson Campbell, Communications Specialist, Presbyterian Association of Musicians
Jerry Cannon, Vice President, Ministry Innovation, Board of Pensions

Let us pray

Gracious God, we thank you for witness and ministry. We ask that you would give us courage and strength to respond in word and deed to all those who are in need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - A PC(USA) partner and human rights advocate works diligently for native country against great odds

Red-tagging at core of abuse by Philippine government

November 22, 2023

Editor’s note: Red-tagging is the act of labeling, branding, naming, and accusing individuals and/or organizations of being left-leaning, subversives, communists or terrorists. It’s a strategy used by state agents, particularly law enforcement agencies and the military, against those perceived to be “threats” or “enemies of the State.”

Jimarie Snap Mabanta, a human rights advocate 

from the Philippines, is pictured in front of the U.S. 

Capitol. (Contributed photo)

Red-tagging and other human rights violations are done systematically in the Philippines, according to Filipino human rights advocate Jimarie Snap Mabanta.

It was a key message to her audiences as she traveled the U.S. this past summer embarking on a six-city, two-week tour that included Los Angeles; San Francisco; New York; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Chicago.

Snap Mabanta works in the Ecumenical Education and Nurture unit of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), a unit that focuses on concerns related to women, youth and children. Central to all NCCP’s work is respect of human rights and dignity and being a witness of Christian solidarity toward the transformation of church and society.

The PC(USA) has been a consistent partner of the NCCP in its migration and human rights work. Last year the 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted in favor of an overture promoting human rights in the Philippines, and provided financial support for this summer’s tour, which was a collaboration among the International Coalition for the Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), NCCP and the PC(USA).

Snap Mabanta’s visit to the U.S. not only brought awareness to the human rights violations to American audiences but also reinforced to herself the severity of the problem in her native country.

“When I was in the U.S. I realized how complex the human rights situation is in the Philippines. Every day, something is happening — either someone gets arrested, jailed, forcibly abducted or even killed,” said Snap Mabanta. “During the course of my speaking tour I had to revise and update my working manuscript. Otherwise, it would have become ‘history’ and irrelevant in these fast-paced times.”

Sectoral leaders and indigenous and community leaders being named terrorists by the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Council was one example cited. But Snap acknowledged the systemic human rights abuses that red-tagging begets has been increasing since 2017, when former President Rodrigo Duterte unilaterally terminated the peace negotiations between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Among Snap Mabanta’s stops in the United States was New 

York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. 

(Contributed photo)

“People’s legitimate demands for better conditions are met with suppression and violence resulting in human rights violations on the ground,” said Snap Mibanta. “Aside from drug-related killings, terrorist labelling by the government of known critics — such as progressive civil society organizations, churches and activists that are serving and working with the poorest of the poor — has become more threatening.”

She shared statistics to support her argument that with the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, red-tagging (including surveillance, labeling of progressive groups and vilification) has become systematic.

A report by the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project recorded nearly 50 red-tagging-related violent events targeting civilians dispersed throughout the country between 2020 and June 2023. This includes events where a person is physically harmed or killed but does not include cases of arrests, imprisonment or other intimidation.

According to the Philippine-based human rights group Karapatan, there were 60 victims of extrajudicial killings, eight victims of enforced disappearances, and 11 victims of torture among human rights defenders and activists since President Bongbong Marcos Jr. assumed office in June 2022.

Snap Mibanta said U.S. policy plays a role in the ongoing human rights violations by the Philippine government. While in Washington, D.C., she lobbied Congress on the Philippine Human Rights Act, a congressional bill that seeks to suspend U.S. military aid until specific human rights conditions are met.

She holds an optimistic vision that a just and enduring peace is still possible.

“My vision is like that of what Jesus Christ promised — peace based on justice. For the NCCP, peace with justice means people living sustainably in their communities without fear or threat to their lives and livelihood.”

To watch a video clip of Jimarie Snap Mabanta speaking to activists in Chicago during her U.S. tour, click here.

Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: Jimarie Snap Mabanta, human rights advocate

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Yvette Russell, Vice President, Customer Engagement, Board of Pensions
Joshua Ryker, General Buildings & Ground Assistant, Stony Point Center, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Loving God, give us the strength, will and wisdom to follow the path that leads to life anew, transforming us into plows of peace, hope and love. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Human trafficking victim supported by PC(USA) prayers and gifts receives first family visit in four years

There’s reason for optimism that Mary Jane Veloso will eventually gain her freedom

October 13, 2023

In recent days, Mary Jane Veloso, second from right, got to see family 

and supporters who were allowed to visit her at the Indonesian prison

 where she’s being held. (Contributed photo)

A recent visit by family and supporters to an Indonesian prison sparked renewed optimism that Mary Jane Veloso, a domestic worker and trafficking victim who at one time faced a death sentence may eventually secure her release.

In 2010, Veloso unwittingly carried 2.6 kilos of heroin into Indonesia in luggage provided to her by individuals who had recruited her to work in Malaysia. She was caught by airport security and denied knowing about the drugs but was subsequently sentenced to die in front of a firing squad for the alleged crime. On April 29, 2015, she was granted a literal “11th hour” stay of execution thanks in part by pleas from then-Philippine President Benigno Aquino, ostensibly so that she could testify in the trial of one of her alleged traffickers who had surrendered to authorities the day before.

Earlier this year, Veloso reunited with her family for the first time in four years. Her parents and two sons were able to visit her for two days in the Indonesian facility where she is being held. Also accompanying the family were representatives from Migrante International, a Filipino human rights advocacy group, her lawyers, Bishop Nonie Francisco from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), the Philippine embassy in Jakarta and the Department of Foreign Affairs Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs. Much of their efforts centered on meeting with Indonesian government officials and human rights organizations to appeal for their support toward a presidential clemency that would free Veloso.

Celia Veloso, Mary Jane’s mother, offered this statement via a newspaper article: “Our family is very happy. After a long time, we were able to hug Mary Jane. She saw her two sons who are already young men. When they saw their mother, they did not want to let go of her, always kissing and hugging her.”

Joanne Concepcion, chairperson for Migrante International, notes that pressure and advocacy from human rights organizations around the world were instrumental in granting Mary Jane a reprieve from her death sentence. Letters from Filipino and international supporters, including former Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, expressed support and advocated for her release during this time. In April of this year, just days before Indonesia’s Women Emancipation Day, more than 175 organizations wrote separate letters of support urging freedom for Mary Jane.

“The global campaign calling for clemency mobilized thousands of people and the contributions of Indonesian human rights advocates were instrumental in granting Mary Jane a temporary reprieve. The last-minute actions taken on the part of the Philippine president can be attributed to pressure from the global campaign,” said Concepcion.

Mary Jane Veloso’s supporters and family have kept up efforts to 

get her freed from the Indonesian prison where she’s spent the past 

13 years. (Contributed photo)

In 2020, the two Filipinos who recruited Veloso were convicted of large-scale illegal recruitment. The guilty verdict handed down against them would seemingly prove Veloso’s innocence and at the time there was hope their conviction would result in justice for Veloso. However, three years have passed, and she remains in a Yogyakarta, Indonesia women’s prison.

The most expeditious path for Veloso’s freedom would come from a clemency decree by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. However, last year when asked by Philippine President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to “re-examine” Veloso’s case, Widodo responded they already gave her a “postponement” of her sentence.

What is the outlook for Veloso’s immediate future? Migrante International has continued to lobby the Philippine president in asking the Indonesian government for a pardon. Concepcion says Veloso’s future lies in her eventual ability to testify against her recruiters.

“In our dialogues with Indonesian human rights institutions and the Ministry for Women Empowerment, we learned that the Indonesian government is awaiting the results of the legal case against Mary Jane’s recruiters who are charged with human trafficking,” Concepcion said. “If they are held accountable, this would provide an even stronger legal basis for Mary Jane’s innocence and victimization. However, as a key witness to this case, Mary Jane has still yet to provide her testimony and the Philippine government must accelerate the process, including its cooperation with the Indonesian government, to make this possible.”

Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: Mary Jane Veloso, human trafficking victim in Indonesia

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Ronnika Muhammad, Payroll Specialist, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Jacquelyn Muir, Manager, Client & Admin Services, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

Triune God, may your Spirit grow in us, so that in our transformation our communities may know your transformation. Speak to our hearts that we may know your pain over our brokenness, heed your call, and bear the fullness of your joy, which no one can take away. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - During a U.N. chapel service, mission co-workers ask God to ‘guide us’

The Revs. Nancy and Shelvis Smith-Mather advocate for prayers and peacebuilding in war-ravaged South Sudan

September 12, 2023

The Revs. Nancy and Shelvis Smith-Mather are pictured at Oxford 

University, where Shelvis is studying for graduate degrees using 

research he’s completed over a decade as a Presbyterian Church 

(U.S.A.) mission co-worker. (Contributed photograph)

Presbyterian Mission Agency mission co-workers the Revs. Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather were recently in the United States to meet with several entities at the United Nations to create awareness around the critical needs of those living in South Sudan under the barrage of continued violence and near-civil war. Hosted by the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, the Smith-Mathers led a morning chapel service for a group of in-person and online worshipers via Zoom.

Anthony Harris, a seminarian and intern with PMUN, called the group to worship reading from Psalm 63:1–4. A summer fellow with PMUN, Kayla Hawkins, followed with a litany taken from Psalm 15:1–5 before Shelvis taught worshipers a simple South Sudanese song, “Guide Us Lord We Are Here,” which helped center the worshipers for the day’s message.

Nancy then read from the gospel of Luke, chapter 9, verses 57–62:

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’

“Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’

“He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’

“But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’

“Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’

“Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”

“I’ve never understood that passage or cared for it. How can a person who’s doing good need it and expect it won’t be out of sync with God’s calling?” said Shelvis.

The Smith-Mathers visited the United Nations to discuss 

the refugee crisis occurring because of the conflict along 

the Sudan-South Sudan border. (Photo by Tomas Eidsvold 

via Unsplash)

The tale of a young South Sudanese man helped Nancy to rethink the impact of the gospel passage. She shared the story of Daniel, an aspiring teacher, in the context of educational challenges within South Sudan, including the fact that South Sudan is the third-least literate country in the world. Most teachers there are volunteers who lack formal training. Most schools are under trees or in temporary shelters, against a backdrop of violence and decades of war.

At age 11, Daniel used to wake up at 4 o’clock each morning to walk three hours to reach the village school, then walk three hours home every day with no food or water along the way. He convinced his family to let him move to a refugee camp in Ethiopia so he could continue school, but was forced to flee when violence erupted there.

He eventually received a high school education in Uganda and was awarded a scholarship to attend the Teacher Training College in South Sudan. While there, violence broke out in his hometown twice, threatening the safety of his wife and children.

“It would have been good and expected for Daniel to stop being a student and come home to protect his family,” said Nancy. “But Daniel felt the rare opportunity to become a teacher was God-given. So, he relied on his community and church family to take care of his loved ones so that when he finally came back, he could provide his community with a trained teacher. He felt God calling him to be something different, something beyond what was expected.”

The Smith-Mathers began their calling in South Sudan in 2010. Their work as mission co-workers was interrupted less than a year later when the call came to be a caregiver for Shelvis’ mother, who battled cancer and endured two transplants.

“I have worked in South Sudan during times of civil war and constant insecurity, but caregiving for someone losing their battle with cancer was by far the most difficult ministry I’ve ever been a part of,” said Nancy. “Life is filled with seasons, and some will be called to good, needed and expected work. And there are other times there will be a ministry we’re called to step into that is hard to even imagine.”

“However you feel called, this is your call,” her husband said.

Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: Revs. Nancy and Shelvis Smith-Mather mission co-workers advocate for South Sudan

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Gabe Loredo, Archives Technician, Presbyterian Historical Society
Lisa Love, Counsel, Legal Services, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

Heavenly Father, your unconditional love inspires us to be loving, welcoming and hospitable to our neighbors. Pour into our hearts your compassion; strengthen and guide us as we go forth to make your kingdom tangible. Grant us your peace and surround us with your presence. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - A celebration 122 years in the making

A Georgia church returns to its roots, a sanctuary built by the congregation in 1899

March 21, 2022

Members and friends of Norcross Presbyterian Church in Norcross, Georgia, celebrated the rededication of its new old church on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Norcross Presbyterian Church)

Norcross Presbyterian Church in Norcross, Georgia, held a dedication ceremony during a recent Sunday worship to mark the return to its original house of worship — built by its congregation more than 120 years ago in 1899.

The congregation last worshiped there in 1972 before moving into a bigger, more modern building in 1973. Congregational downsizing and other factors made staying in the newer facility unsustainable, however, so NPC sold that building and had been without a permanent home for the past year until that Sunday’s official ceremony.

The COVID-19 crisis mitigated the need for a physical location to some extent, but that didn’t mean his small congregation didn’t feel the effect of being disconnected, according to NPC’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Fry.

“Our being without a building for a long time lined up with worshiping safely in the conditions we were going through,” said Fry. “Certainly, it had some different challenges than if we would have had a building, but it’s hard to say because we’ve never moved during a global pandemic before. I think we all felt like we were in exile, not just our church family.”

No longer a large congregation, the now approximately 60-member church located about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta saw an opportunity to move back to a thriving, inviting downtown area. Their “new” old building was stripped down to the studs and required extensive renovations, but Fry and the rest of the church staff saw the possibilities and fell back in love with the old church and the chance for new beginnings.

“There is much to be excited about, but the biggest one is being in a location that is alive with people on a regular basis. Opportunities to interact with people we haven’t met yet, get to know new friends and learn from people,” said Fry. “Everyone is very excited about the new facility; we can’t wait to be good neighbors in a new setting.”

The dedication ceremony included dignitaries from the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta; the mayor of Norcross, Craig L. Newton; and remarks by special guest the Rev. Dr. Lewis Fowler, Jr., who was NPC’s pastor from 1966–74 and thus the last pastor to preach in the original church. Fowler shared memories of his time at Norcross and noted the beauty of the renovated sanctuary, likening the old sanctuary to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the birthplace of flight, while the new version is more akin to Cape Canaveral.

NPC’s original structure was dedicated in December 1899. The deed for the lot it stands on was purchased the year prior for $150 and was incorporated under the name “First Presbyterian Church of Norcross.” One of the signature features of the sanctuary was its 10 stained glass windows, some of which remain and commemorate the church’s founder, its first pastor and a prominent early member. A new church organ was presented in 1899 and was used until 1978.

“Even though the building is old, and a part of our history, to be away from it for 48 years and to move back is still to move into a very different location and situation than we have grown used to,” Fry said. “I think we have the chance to build a new kind of church, to be faithful in new ways, to grow with new people and find some different ways to live into grace and love.”

Fry’s overriding message to Norcross residents who may have forgotten about NPC is one of inclusion. The church’s tag line is “come as you are; you won’t be a stranger long.”

“I’d love people to know that a welcoming, inclusive community has just moved back in town into a beautifully renovated historical building that simultaneously feels old and new,” said Fry. “All are welcome here, and we mean as you are, not as you think we want you to be. No matter what you believe or don’t believe, no matter what you wear to church, no matter your past or your present, all are welcome.”

You can watch a replay of the dedication ceremony livestream here. Read a newspaper piece about the church’s return home here.

 Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Anne Marie Mazzone, Director, Financial Operations, Finance, Board of Pensions
John McCall, Mission co-worker serving in Taiwan, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Gracious God, each day we encounter your gifts and the joys of engaging with your world. Orient our service to meet the needs of your creation. Outfit us with your love and give us eyes to see that in serving we are most like Jesus, our brother and Savior, in whose name we offer this and every prayer. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - ‘Our model for that is Jesus’

Sabbatical grants available for new worshiping community leaders

October 26, 2021

1001 New Worshiping Communities (NWC) is offering its leaders and pastors an opportunity for rest, renewal and reflection time through a round of Sabbath and sabbatical grants. There are two opportunities available:

Sabbath retreat grant — A $1,500 award for NWC leaders with at least two years’ experience for a period of at least one week

Sabbatical grant — A $3,500 award for NWC leaders with at least five years’ experience for a period of at least four weeks.

Individuals with at least five years’ experience in new worshiping communities are also eligible for the Sabbath retreat grant.

To apply for one of the grants, visit the 1001 Sabbath & Sabbatical Grants web page here.

The Rev. Jeff Eddings, associate for coaching and spiritual formation with 1001 NWC, said there are 20 Sabbath retreat grants and 17 sabbatical grants available.

“The Sabbath retreat opportunity allows a leader at least one week of sabbath space. They receive $1,500 to help shape that time. The sabbatical grant is at least four weeks, and one receives $3,500 to help shape their time,” said Eddings. “You don’t have to be ordained to receive either of these grants. A lot of our leaders have been doing this work for a long time and not all are ordained.”

Eddings, one of the early pioneers in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s church planting movement, began his career with NWC in late 2017. He explains that sabbaticals are more than just rest — they build spiritual fortitude for the work of church leaders and pastors.

“Our model for that is Jesus. It is very clear in the Scripture that he took time apart frequently and went off on his own to be in contemplative prayer with God, and to be in his own space, to be in the wilderness. Jesus models this way of ministry for us and builds our capacity to be able to do the ministry that is ours,” said Eddings. “It’s a command, God invites us into this space to rest in a way that strengthens us for the work that we’re being called to do.”

According to Eddings, sabbaticals are important tools to help nurture one’s faith journey. Church leaders are often expected to be “on call” 24/7, and depression and burnout are serious and real ramifications of their calling. He hopes these grants provide a transformational opportunity for those who are chosen, and that their Sabbath journey will be life-changing, much like the one that changed him several years ago.

“Metaphorically but somewhat literally, my sabbatical saved my life in terms of where I was personally and in ministry, said Eddings. “I’d been pastoring my community about 10 years and we’d come out of a challenging season which also impacted me personally. I was just ready to be done. Fortunately, my community reflected with me on where I was and helped prepare me to take on the sabbatical. Entering that space was so meaningful and coming out of it I was able to serve my community for five more years and feel refreshed in that service. It helped me understand more fully who I was as a pastor, and who I was being called to be.”

“I think pastors and sometimes communities feel so much pressure to make these sacrifices for Jesus, but Jesus is not calling us to burn out.”

Click here for the Sabbath and sabbatical grant applications in English and Spanish.

 Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Daniel Braden, Managing Editor-Publishing, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Luci Duckson-Bramble, Director of Development & Services, Presbyterian Historical Society

Let us pray

Gracious God, you have taught us to celebrate with those who are celebrating and to cry with those who are crying. May our eyes be open to see and distinguish between the two. Keep us mindful of all those who need your Spirit shining through us as much as they may need our monies and our labors. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Theologian builds zero energy home

Presbyterian Hunger Program hosts webinar to help inspire those striving toward home energy efficiency

September 10, 2021

The net zero home in Henryville, Indiana, owned by the Rev. Dr. Patricia Tull and her husband, the Rev. Don Summerfield. (Contributed photo)

Presented by the Presbyterian Hunger Program, the Rev. Dr. Patricia Tull, an environmental theologian and author of “Inhabiting Eden: Christians, the Bible, and the Ecological Crisis,” recently led more than 50 participants through an online presentation highlighting her and her family’s journey toward building a zero  energy home located in Henryville, Indiana.

Zero energy homes are regular grid-tied homes that are so energy efficient they produce as much renewable energy as they consume over the course of a year. More than “green homes” with just solar panels, a zero energy home combines advanced design and superior building systems with energy efficiency and on-site solar panels to produce a better home.

Tull, a former program director for Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light, has taught and led Earth care efforts among people of faith for the past 15 years. She and her spouse, the Rev. Don Summerfield, himself a Presbyterian pastor, built their Henryville home in 2018–2019, and she shared her experiences in the hourlong “Getting to Net Zero at Home” webinar. Tull said climate healthy homes are homes that not only benefit human and environmental health but are built or retrofitted to contribute much less energy pollution.

“There are a lot of reasons for wanting an energy efficient home,” says Tull. “Besides polluting less, it saves money, is more comfortable and it helps gain some independence from monopoly utilities. Speaking as a homeowner who happens to be an environmental advocate, if I can understand these concepts enough to act on them, anyone can.”

 Tull outlined 12 essential steps to achieve Net Zero Energy: building orientation, simple design, window orientation, thermal mass, tight building envelope, balanced insulation, balanced ventilation, heating/cooling equipment, domestic hot water, efficient appliances, efficient lighting and alternative energy.

Thanks to a bank of 26 solar panels on her carport, Tull’s home at times produces more energy than it uses, and she uses that energy to power her electric Chevy Bolt car. The excess energy produced by her home can also be sent back to the utility company – but that comes at a price.

“We can send excess power out to the grid, and we do,” said Tull. “But since we are on a rural electric co-op that doesn’t offer net metering, we are charged three times as much as we are credited for the power we produce. We send out as little as possible and store what we can in the battery, which also serves as a back-up power source much like a generator would.”

To build her new home, Tull enlisted designer and homebuilder Ted Clifton, owner of Zero Energy Home Plans based in Washington state, who designs homes and zero energy structures throughout the Northwest. Clifton takes a “whole house approach” to his designs, where each system is dependent upon the other to achieve a comfortable, more energy efficient home. With Tull’s residence, he discussed utilizing sun angles to maximize efficiency.

“Generally, we try to get a house facing south. But in this case, we turned it to a 45-degree angle so that essentially, we had two faces of the house — one facing southwest and one facing southeast,” said Clifton. “We built the carport with the solar panels facing due south and with the house we optimized everything for the actual sun angles. It’s unusual to do a 45-degree angle home but it’s not unheard of.”

Tull said there are things you can do to any home and described efforts toward creating an energy efficient home in her 100-year-old Jeffersonville, Indiana, residence, where she and her husband lived prior to building in Henryville. They included finding and plugging leaks in exterior walls, windows and doors; replacing the old water heater with a tankless heater; and adding insulation in the attic. There are also behavioral modifications, like keeping some room vents shut, using the microwave and small appliances more, rain barrels for gardening and a clothesline to replace the dryer. Some of the replacement items came with federal tax credits and utility rebates to the homeowner.

Sustainable living and care for Creation are tenets of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, which offers resources for congregations and communities that recognize we are called to respond to climate change. 

Scott O’Neill, Mission Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Kathryn Threadgill,  Assoc. Dir., Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Doug Tilton, Mission co-worker in South Africa, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Creative God, thank you for loving and caring Christian disciples who help us to know and love you. Show us how to teach and nurture others through the grace of Christ our Lord. Amen.