Today in the Mission Yearbook - How to flourish without feeling restricted

The Rev. Dr. Christine Hong says all God’s children can flourish together

September 14, 2021

Dr. Christine Hong is an assistant professor of Educational Ministries at Columbia Theological Seminary. (Contributed photo)

Hannah Drake’s “Do Not Move Off the Sidewalk Challenge” says a lot about allowing people to flourish in whatever body God gave them.

During a recent Facebook Live event, the Rev. Dr. Christine Hong, an assistant professor of Educational Ministries at Columbia Theological Seminary, told the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty that for her to succeed as a woman of color, “it might cause those in more privileged bodies to feel like they aren’t flourishing.”

“If you have to share space [for more on that, see Drake’s account above of the sidewalk challenge] and move in ways that are different, that may feel more restrictive to you when you are used to taking up a lot of space in order that people like me might take up my share of space, or live and flourish in ways I might live and flourish. It’s going to feel restrictive for people in dominant cultural spaces,” Hong said. But “flourishing isn’t flourishing if it’s on the back of other people’s suffering and oppression. When I say we have to flourish together, I’m not saying it’s the same flourishing occurring in every body or in every community. Some of us need to flourish in ways that are counterintuitive to the way empire has told us that flourishing looks like.”

Hong’s conversation with Hinson-Hasty, the senior director for Theological Education Funds Development for the Committee on Theological Education at the Presbyterian Foundation, can be heard here.

Hong said she tried the sidewalk experiment in her town, Decatur, Georgia. She was determined not to readily yield the sidewalk to white bodies, particularly those of white men.

“I learned it’s not only that white men don’t know how to move out of the way, particularly when people of color are coming toward them,” she said. “But I have conditioned my own body to move out of the way.”

“I have internalized so much of that,” she said. “It’s about what happens out there and [pointing to her heart and her head] what’s happening in here and in here. “I am still working out ways I am reifying and perpetuating the colonial machine.”

“This should not be the responsibility of people of color with less privilege,” Hanson-Hasty responded. “In a predominantly white church, we have a lot of opportunity for growth,” including in ways churches govern and even in the way they set meeting agendas.

“You have to figure out a way to maneuver around that without getting clobbered,” Hong said. “I’d love to be able to walk down the street and not worry, to be able to talk freely about some of the stuff that I write about in some Presbyterian spaces without having to prove with my body that my pain is real.”

Hong and artist/theologian Darci Jaret have been teaming up to teach a seminary class that employs art that students study in depth.

“When you use art as epistemology, a way of being and knowing and conveying your particular understanding of the divine and the concept you are wrestling with, it’s a conduit for a different kind of dialogue than many times seminary allows for,” Hong said. “I have been blown away every single time. I am learning so much. My pedagogy around using art is to approach it in a noncolonial way, not centering my own knowledge as a teacher but to bring my knowledge and experience alongside the experiences students share themselves. … I told them, ‘I don’t know what will emerge. It’s up to the Spirit, how we listen and engage and create, and have the courage to speak the truth we are hearing.’”

Talking about decolonizing — dismantling the structures that promote the status quo and addressing power dynamics — is one thing, Hong said. Actually doing the dismantling is something else. For Native Americans, that would involve returning the land that was taken from them.

“Decolonization isn’t a synonym for social justice. It literally means return the land,” she said. “It’s not a conversation about a concept — it’s a very real giving back what we stole. … It’s not enough that we write and confess these complicities and violence. That doesn’t get us to decoloniality — it’s a process toward that.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Laurisha Tolliver,  Gift Processing Clerk, Mission Engagement & Support, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Mel Tubb,  Associate, Financial Aid, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

However small they may be, may our efforts proclaim God’s kingdom plan – life out of death. May our words and actions bring a smile to the One who smiles upon us all. May what we do be something that lifts up rather than tears down. May those who seek, find, and may those who find, share. In the name of the One who shared everything. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Study may lead to a vaccine for HIV/AIDS

Elite controllers in Democratic Republic of Congo may hold the key

September 13, 2021

Patients at Kakenge Hospital in Kasai Central province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, near where blood samples for a recently-published HIV study were taken. (Photo by Larry Sthreshley)

For the second time in two years, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has played a role in research by Abbott Labs that may lead to a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.

“It’s kind of remarkable,” said mission co-worker Larry Sthreshley from his office in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “How many studies are done where nothing significant is found? There have been two major findings from this research.”

In 2019, Abbott Labs released research about the discovery of the first new variant of the HIV/AIDS virus in 20 years. This month, the company announced that its research in the Democratic Republic of Congo could likely lead to advancing therapies or the creation of a vaccine.

The findings were published in EbioMedicine, part of the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. The research found that an unusually high number of people who had the virus were able to suppress it with no antiviral treatment.

“The finding of a large group of HIV elite controllers in the DRC is significant considering that HIV is a lifelong, chronic condition that typically progresses over time,” said Dr. Tom Quinn, director of the Center for Global Health at Johns Hopkins University and chief of the International HIV/AIDS Research Section of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“The number of individuals with controlled HIV is four times higher here in Congo than the norm, which seems to make sense since it appears the virus started here, and people have had longer to evolve,” said Sthreshley. “One of the more positive things that happened is a lot more people ended up with ability to suppress the virus.”

Sthreshley said knowing the genetics of the people who have the virus will allow the development of a target vaccine.

He said he believes the advances made in developing a COVID-19 vaccine may help speed up the process in developing an HIV/AIDS vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the COVID-19 vaccines are messenger RNA vaccines, mRNA for short, a new type created to protect against infectious diseases. To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into patients. The mRNA vaccines teach cells how to make a protein — or even just a piece of a protein — that triggers an immune response.

Dr. Carol McArthur, one study’s lead researchers, approached Sthreshley about the study when he was serving in Cameroon. He helped gather blood samples from mission hospitals, assisted the company in getting the necessary authorization to conduct the research and also linked her with the Université Protestante au Congo. Two of Sthreshley’s IMA World Health employees, Linda James and Jonathan Niles, served on the research team; both are cited in the latest study. Sthreshley is the current country director for IMA World Health.

Sthreshley said he was happy to play a small part in the research. He has seen the devastating impacts of the disease in his work in Cameroon and his 30 years serving in the DRC.

“When we were in Cameroon, a big portion of the church staff was constantly attending funerals. Our housekeeper died from HIV, someone working in our home that we saw every day. Shortly after, her husband died and we helped support her daughter,” he said. “In this environment there is no safety net. You have to get involved.”

He said he is grateful for the PC(USA)’s commitment to Congo’s national healthcare system and for prioritizing his work there.

Both Sthreshley and his wife, Inge, grew up as children of missionaries in Congo. His parents were Presbyterian missionaries who served in the two Kasaii provinces in the south-central region. Her parents were Methodist missionaries who served in Katanga province in the far southeastern section of the country.

Larry Sthreshley’s long experience in Congo as well as his academic training makes him a good choice for protecting the public health in DRC. He holds a doctorate in international health systems management from Tulane University, a master’s degree in public health from UCLA, and an undergraduate degree in public health from the University of North Carolina.

 Kathy Melvin, Director of Mission Communications, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Tonia Trice, HR Generalist, Human Resources, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Becky Trinkle,  Project Manager, Administration, Communications Ministry/Mission Engagement & Support, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Bountiful God, open in us a sense of abundance rather than scarcity. Bless all those who labor daily to build your realm on earth. Strengthen us to become transforming agents of mission throughout the world. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Christian Formation Celebration Week

September 12, 2021

Children tie prayer ribbons to their church’s railing as part of First Presbyterian Church’s drive-through rally a year ago in Columbus, Georgia. (Photo by Danny Dieth)

Heading into the 2021/2022 church program year holds many questions, anxieties and hopes for new beginnings and new ways of gathering. Faith formation is the heart of our communities, and we are beginning to live into exploring how formation happens in a variety of contexts. Leaders are equipping households to deepen their faith lives, making changes in our communal worship services to be inclusive of all ages and stages, facilitating opportunities for authentic intergenerational relationships and recognizing that service and leadership are also significant in how our faith is formed. Christian education is happening whether we still have that dedicated hour of program or not! It is happening online, in person, out of the building, in homes and in pews and classrooms. It is happening because our Christian educators, youth leaders, elders, pastors and church members are trying new things and reminding us that we can do hard things. Let us celebrate and pray for those who are leading us into new expressions of our faith and life together as Christian community!

Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

The gifts God gave were that some would be apostles,

some prophets, some evangelists,

some pastors and teachers,

to equip the saints for the work of ministry,

for building up the body of Christ.

As members, deacons, elders, and pastors,
we build up the body of Christ.

As teachers and learners, mentors and peers,
we build up the body of Christ.

As leaders and helpers, staff and volunteers,
we build up the body of Christ.

As children, youth, and adults,
we build up the body of Christ.

With stories and songs, with words and actions,
we build up the body of Christ.

In worship and service, discipleship and fellowship,
we build up the body of Christ.

At church, at home, at work, and at play,
we build up the body of Christ.

In the sanctuary or streets, creation or classroom,
we build up the body of Christ.

In times of celebration and seasons of struggle,
we build up the body of Christ.

Through the day, the week, the year, and throughout our lives,
we build up the body of Christ.

All for the sake of the world God loves,

Stephanie Fritz, Mission Coordinator for Christian Formation, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Julie Tonini, Director of Production, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Joel Townsend, IT Help Desk Specialist, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray

God of all generations, teach us to speak your truth in love and help us to grow as Christ’s body, all knit together by your Holy Spirit. Build us up in faith, hope and love, so that we may be faithful witnesses to your saving work in the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - What ‘laying down our lives’ looks like

Actions speak louder than words

September 9, 2021

Jon Tyson/Unsplash

I just don’t want to have to feel guilty being white. That’s what John said after my presentation at a family retreat I was facilitating for a church a few years ago. I was talking about the advantages that whites enjoy in American society that people of color do not always receive, referencing a classic article by Dr. Peggy McIntosh titled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” In it, she points out that whites can typically agree with statements like, “If a traffic cop pulls me over, I can be pretty sure that I haven’t been singled out because of my race,” or “When I am told about our national heritage or ‘civilization,’ I am shown that people of my race made it what it is.”

As I was going through some of these statements, John interrupted me, saying that he didn’t really care about any of the advantages that McIntosh details. As soon as the talk was over, he said those words to me about not wanting to feel guilty because he’s white. I asked him how I could help him get over that guilt. He suggested I simply say that I was not trying to make people feel guilty. I did that, but I wish that instead I had pointed him to 1 John 3:16–24, as it has so much to offer concerning the issues that John and I were wrestling with.

The Scripture reminds us that “God reassures our hearts … whenever our hearts condemn us … God is greater than our hearts” (vv. 19–20). The good news of the Gospel is that God forgives our sin in Jesus Christ. God does not want us to dwell in fear, wondering if grace could somehow be ours. This includes the sense of guilt that often creeps up on us who are white whenever we discuss issues of racial justice. This remorse sometimes prevents us from even entering into these conversations. But it is our confidence in God’s grace that can lead us to lives of gratitude, which join Christ’s mission to the world.

Our passage describes this mission as one in which Jesus “laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another” (v. 16). Relieved of our guilt, we are freed to put others before us in radical and creative ways. Scholar Ronald Cole-Turner remarks that “Sometimes self-sacrifice can mean physical death. More often, the stakes are lower, but the principle is the same. We lay down our lives when we put others first. We lay down our lives when we live for the good of others. We lay down our lives when we make time for others.” And I would like to add that we lay down our lives when we stand up against racial disparagement.

A couple of months ago, a friend showed a socially distanced group of us a YouTube video that mocked Vietnamese siblings’ accent. I was shocked as everyone laughed and joined in with their own imitations, but I remained silent. A young woman in the group, however, spoke up with a stern “Hey, that’s not cool.” The mocking stopped, but it could have easily ended up with this brave woman being insulted herself. In that moment of speaking up, she exhibited what laying down her life looked like. And I was grateful.

“Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (v. 18). This verse challenges me to realize that talking with like-minded friends or writing columns like this is a good start, but not nearly enough. We can learn all we want about the racial disparities in our country. We are good at researching, reading, and holding book studies and discussion groups. But our passage, however, challenges us to move beyond learning, beyond talking and beyond bemoaning the need for change. If we are to bring about change, then we must learn how to love not just in word or speech, but in truth and action.

Chip Hardwick, Transitional Synod Executive of the Synod of the Covenant, including presbyteries in Michigan and Ohio

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Edward Thompson, Senior Church Consultant, Board of Pensions
Mark Thomson, Senior Designer, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Dear God, help us to recognize that all good things come from you. Give us the courage to share what we have received from you for the furtherance of your work. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Presbyterian Higher Education

September 8, 2021

Coe Fountain (Courtesy of the ACPU)

These are troubling times for higher education. With the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest further eroding an already fragile ecosystem, the challenges facing U.S. colleges and universities continue to multiply. In times like these, alliances that help institutions of higher education understand and manage these challenges are more valuable than ever.

The Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities (APCU) is one such alliance. The 54 member institutions represent 54 distinct ways of interpreting their historical relationships to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — and that translates into a diverse set of academic, social and spiritual opportunities for the students they serve. The Rev. Dr. John Kuykendall, president emeritus of Davidson College, notes that this diversity reflects the “genius” of the Presbyterian approach to education because each institution is “free to seek its own way” and discover distinct ways to associate faith and learning.

Stretching across the continental U.S. and around the world, APCU schools serve nearly 150,000 students each year. Their shared commitment to making a college education affordable for all who seek it ensures that more than 90% of these students receive grants and scholarships to help offset their educational expenses. This generosity keeps the average cost to attend an APCU school well below $20,000 per year.

This is important when you consider that more than half of the students being served by APCU colleges and universities are the first in their families to attend college. In addition, 36% of the students enrolled at APCU schools are from underrepresented minority groups and nearly half are from lower-income “Pell-eligible” families. This year, six APCU member schools will be classified by the U.S. Department of Education as “majority minority” institutions, meaning that over half of the students being served are students of color.

To help create a rising tide that lifts all 54 of its boats, the APCU offers support in two critical areas: institutional health and spiritual vitality. With regard to institutional health, the APCU has:

• Developed a Peer Advising and Mentoring Network through which APCU presidents are able to work together to evaluate challenges, implement best practices and share success stories.
• Entered into strategic partnerships with a set of respected higher education service providers to offer APCU members exclusive benefits and discounted pricing that support operational effectiveness, enhance student services and increase educational value.
• Worked closely with the Presbyterian Board of Pensions, the Presbyterian Foundation, and the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program to bring their respective resources and support to bear on cost containment initiatives, capital improvement projects and socially responsible investment strategies.

With regard to spiritual vitality, the APCU has:

• Integrated the Presbyterian College Chaplains Association into the APCU to ensure that our schools continue to honor the dignity and worth of every person they serve, while emphasizing learning, faith, service and connection to each other, the Church and the world.
• Worked with students, chaplains, congregations and mid councils to develop and implement Matthew 25-related initiatives at nearly two-thirds of our schools.
• Partnered with the Interfaith Youth Core and the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education to advance interfaith understanding/appreciation and enrich the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among the students we serve.

Perhaps most importantly, the APCU has worked closely with the Presbyterian Mission Agency to increase support for Presbyterian college students. This past year, nearly $500,000 in grant and scholarship assistance was awarded to these students — more than triple the amount available just five years ago.

While the 54 schools served by the APCU may differ in significant ways, they remain bound by a shared commitment to learning, faith, service and connectivity. As a result, they strive to educate whole people for the whole world — people who excel in their studies and careers, and desire to use their talents to make a difference in our world.

Grounded in faith and driven by discovery. It’s a timeless Presbyterian theme that’s being developed in 54 different ways with a little help from the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities.

Jeffrey E. Arnold, Executive Director of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Ashlee Thomas, Accounts Receivable Clerk, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Erica Thomasson, Help Desk Technician, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

Gracious God, we give thanks for all educators who are closing the gap between the promise of humanity and the potential of human beings. Help us to remember these words from the 16th Proverb: It is better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver. We ask this in the name of the one called “teacher.” Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Moving a Virginia church from one stone edifice to another

Arlington Presbyterian Church tells how it tore down its building and sold its property to help create a 173-unit affordable housing complex

September 7, 2021

Susan Etherton, a ruling elder at Arlington Presbyterian Church who has 35 years experience in redevelopment and affordable housing, was part of a panel that spoke to the NEXT Church national gathering last week.

Susan Ehterton, a real estate developer and ruling elder at  Arlington Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Virginia with 35 years of experience in redevelopment and affordable housing, explained the church’s journey as moving “from one stone edifice to another stone edifice” — one with 173 units of affordable housing and, as it turns out, room for the congregation as well.

Etherton was part of a panel speaking on housing justice to the NEXT Church national gathering. (Also on the panel were the Rev. Ashley Goff, the pastor at APC; the Rev. Chris Dela Cruz, associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon; and the Rev. Hanna Broome, presiding elder at the AME Zion Churches in North Carolina.)

“It’s a quirky congregation,” Goff told the NEXT Church gathering. “It doesn’t always fit the mold of what a mainline congregation is supposed to be like.”

In 2014, the church decided it was called to sell its building and land to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing and worship in temporary home while Gilliam Place, the affordable housing complex, was constructed on the site of the church building, which was demolished. Two years ago, the church moved into part of the first floor of Gilliam Place, where it shares space with its 173 neighbors and La Cocina Virginia, a nonprofit that provides job training and entrepreneurship development services.

“Your well-being is impacted by where and how you live,” Goff said, adding that Arlington’s affordable housing stock had diminished by about 90% in the two decades before Gilliam Place was constructed. Goff said the congregation “risked its own existence for the neighborhood.”

“You’ve got to continue to come outside your walls and get to know the needs of your community,” Broome said. When Broome visits churches in North Carolina, she tries to build in extra time to scout out the neighborhood where the church is located. “As faith leaders, we have to know our neighbors and how we can be a blessing to them,” Broome said.

Dela Cruz formerly served First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica in Queens, New York.

“I think of breaking down the imaginations of what’s possible and breaking down the fear of churches getting involved” in issues like affordable housing, Dela Cruz said. When churches partner with other like-minded organizations, “it speaks to the power we churches have that we often don’t utilize or even see. Developers salivate at the property that churches own. It’s the power that churches have just by having a place.”

In Portland, the city was for a time citing people living in their cars in public spaces. Westminster’s clergy couple, the Revs. Gregg and Beth Neel, “said, ‘We have a parking lot. Folks are going to sleep there and we’re going to take care of them,’” Dela Cruz said.

“We do housing justice because there are people out there trying to survive in an economy where people can’t live in a home,” Dela Cruz said. “The folks who are surviving are leaders. You might as well follow their lead.”

“Resurrection,” Broome said, “is when we aren’t living just for ourselves. We are working with and for others, looking further out than just our own membership.”

“All of this sacramental,” Goff said. “Breaking down suffocating church traditions and structures. Breaking into by listening, recognizing and seeing the neighbor.”

“You may think we’re talking about 173 units of affordable housing,” Etherton said. “Really what happened is the breaking down of the building. We broke down barriers to being community together and listening to what God has for us next.”

“We developed agility and resilience we still have today,” Etherton said. “Ashley calls it improv, and it’s one of our core values today.”

“The call from God to build affordable housing was bigger than the building itself,” Goff said. “Now we’re on the first floor of Gilliam Place along with another nonprofit. When one of us hurts, the other hurts. When one rejoices, the other rejoices.”

“You don’t do this alone. You literally can’t,” Dela Cruz said. “There is beauty in the fact we are interdependent.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Tom Taylor, President & Chief Executive Officer, Presbyterian Foundation
Andrew Thomas, Associate, Young Adult & National Volunteers, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

We praise and thank you for your marvelous Creation. We thank you for the committed men and women who carry out your work in this kingdom. Bless them. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen.