Minute for Mission: United Nations Day

October 24, 2024

The flag of the United Nations flies in New York City. The 

U.N. emblem and flag speak to the hopes and dreams of 

peace and unity for people the world over. U.N. Photo/Mark 

Garten (credit: U.N.)

As I sit here in the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations (PMUN) office across from U.N. headquarters, I can see the large U.N. flag fluttering in the wind. That flag is a beacon of hope for so many around the world.  When the United Nations was created in 1945, after the devastation of World War II, it was determined “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” And yet, almost 80 years later, we are again facing multiple wars and crises posing existential threats.   

In September, world leaders attended the U.N. General Assembly to address these problems and acknowledged that the systems and institutions of bygone years no longer worked so well, “no longer fit for purpose” in U.N. language. From the green-marbled podium, world leaders lamented the loss of trust and solidarity to act for the common good and repeatedly called to restore trust.  That is a tall order. 

PMUN carries out the policies of PC(USA) at the U.N., but perhaps more importantly, we serve in a more intangible way, to be ministry of presence to the U.N. community at large. We are here at the U.N. to be witnesses to God’s love and to follow Christ’s teaching to love our neighbors, to bring moral integrity, and to build trust and understanding. 

The U.N. Charter begins with “we the peoples.” The U.N. was created by and for the people to live in a peaceable world: for the U.N. to defend the rights of the weak, to provide assistance to people who face hunger, disaster and conflict; and to work together to solve world’s problems before conflicts arise. World leaders came together this year to tackle the problems that beset us. All 193 member states signed the Pact for the Future outlining steps needed to build a better world now and into the future. That is a start.   

The flag flutters in the wind. A beacon of hope for a tired and battered world. It may be worn and tired, but there is a sense that the leaders, in fact the world, genuinely desire for renewal. May it be so. 

Sue Rheem, Head of Office and Representative to the United Nations

Today’s Focus: United Nations Day

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Dennis Tomkins, Site Manager, Stony Point Conference Center, Presbyterian Mission Agency 
Julie Tonini, Director of Production, Publishing & Editorial Presbyterian Publishing Corp. 

Let us pray

Lord God of all Creation and of All People, we pray that you will grant world leaders the strength and courage to follow through on their commitments to build a better United Nations and a better world for now and for future generations, and may each of us do our part to create a beloved community as you intended. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Cultural sharing leads to growth

Regional gathering of immigrant church leaders explores cross-cultural learning

October 23, 2024

The Rev. Gad Mpoyo, associate for 1001 New Worshiping

Communities, greets participants at the Inspire! gathering in

Cincinnati.

Culture, like faith, is how people grow. It informs how people care for others and share their daily lives together. It shapes an understanding of the world and how people envision a future beyond themselves.

The growth benefits of understanding and sharing between cultures were in the hearts, minds and spirits of participants at the recent Inspire! Regional Gathering in the Presbytery of Cincinnati.

“We had a truly inspiring few days in Cincinnati, filled with joy and friendship among a diverse group of people from various backgrounds, cultures and many accents,” said the Rev. Rafael Viana, pastor to two immigrant congregations in Atlanta — Casa Brasil Church, a Portuguese-speaking community, and El Camino/On the Way Church, a primarily Venezuelan congregation.

Inspire! is the second regional gathering organized by the Accents! team in response to the momentum gained by a national conference held in Atlanta in April 2023. New immigrant congregations are a site of major growth within the PC(USA) and other Christian denominations and churches nationally and internationally, according to the Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, one of the members of the planning team. The team, which also consists of Viana and the Revs. Gad Mpoyo and Sam Kim, has written a guide called “Accents!” and structures the gatherings around four key concepts of mutuality and relationships taken from cultures around the world. Mpoyo leads Shalom International Ministry and works for the PC(USA)’s 1001 New Worshiping Communities. Kim leads Atlanta Oikos Church and coordinates the Transnational Ministry program at Columbia Theological Seminary.

Korean Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati’s praise band leads 

music at the Inspire! regional gathering.

At the gatherings, Armstrong and Mpoyo invite immigrant leaders within the region to lead worship and facilitate. The inspiring and accessible music of Korean Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati’s praise band set the harmonious tone that carried throughout the weekend as participants sang the repeating refrain, “Way maker, miracle worker. Promise keeper, light in the darkness. My God, that is who You are.”

As more and more immigrant leaders within the PC(USA) express desire to create regional networks, the regional gatherings expand in their purpose and deepen in their content.

In Cincinnati, more time was set aside in groups of two to five for cross-cultural exploration. Armstrong explained how sharing one’s understanding of “nonverbal cues, touch, time and gestures were intentional ways to start in on just exploring cultural differences.” Participants laughed as a thumb and forefinger pressed together could, with a flip of the wrist, communicate consent, praise, payment or an unspeakable insult depending on what continent one resided on. The conference played with cultural concepts of time as various sections were led in accordance with the values and measurement of leaders from Africa, South America, Asia and North America. Testimonies by participants marked transitions between keynotes and group activities. These Ignite! moments gave people a chance to share a cultural practice of something new happening in their ministry context. Each piece of the program encouraged the respecting and sharing of each other’s culture, so that, according to Armstrong, there was always a responsive invitation of “What about you?”

The planning team for the gatherings consists of, from left, 

the Revs. Rafael Viana, Sam Kim, Lindsay Armstrong and 

Gad Mpoyo.

“‘What about you?’ has led to in turn to people feeling heard, valued, seen and culturally respected and known a little bit more and farther along throughout the time together,” said Armstrong. As executive director of the New Church Development Commission within the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, more than half of the 32 new worshiping communities she works with are predominantly immigrant congregations.

The conference also addressed cultural misunderstandings among congregations sharing space together and national issues affecting immigrants during the sermons and through small group discussions. The Rev. Natarsha Sanders, associate for intercultural leadership and recruitment for the PC(USA), called out the injustice of a constantly changing, legally complex and expensive immigration system during a sermon she preached on the Nehemiah 4:11–17 during the closing worship.

“Despite addressing sensitive topics, such as the challenges of fostering strong relationships between immigrant and established churches in the U.S., we were able to create an environment of mutual support and encouragement through sharing our experiences,” said Viana, who offered gratitude for the mid council and congregational hosts that weekend. “The hospitality of the Synod of the Covenant and the Presbyterian Church of Wyoming (Ohio) was exceptional, I really felt at mi casa.”

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Today’s Focus: Inspire! Regional Gathering for immigrant church leaders

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Doug Tilton, Mission co-worker serving in South Africa, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency 
Ken Tolley, Manager of General Assembly Business, Office of the General Assembly

Let us pray

We thank you, God, for all those who incarnate your love as the Body of Christ around the world. Bless our partners and bless even more all those they serve in Christ’s name. We ask this in the name of the Great Physician, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Synod executive preaches on the ‘decent and in order disorder’

‘We might miss the work of the Spirit,’ the Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick says

October 22, 2024

The Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick preaches during 

the opening worship of the Inspire! regional 

gathering of immigrant leaders in the Synod of 

the Covenant.

According to the Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick, when you Google “Why are Presbyterians like that?” one of the top five questions asked is, “Why are Presbyterians called the ‘frozen chosen’?” Hardwick, executive for the Synod of the Covenant, recently preached at a regional gathering of immigrant new worshiping community and church leaders in Cincinnati. Hardwick brought greetings on behalf of the synod, which spans most of Ohio and all of Michigan and as of 2022 had 623 churches reporting 82,264 members, to a group that included the praise team from Korean Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati and other regional leaders as well as immigrant leaders from California and Georgia.

“I think the reason we’re probably frozen chosen, at least in white churches, is because if you put motion sensor lights in a Presbyterian sanctuary, they might not ever go on during a worship service right there. That might not be enough motion to make any life happen,” said Hardwick. He attributed some of the freeze of white Presbyterian churches to be related to a habit of control and what he called “the decent and in order disorder.”

Hardwick looked to the Bible for examples of when God did the unexpected and shook up the order of things. His chosen Scriptures focused on the story of Pentecost in Acts 2 and on the story of Moses in Numbers 11, who commissions 70 elders in the tent of meeting. But in the Numbers account, it is the two extra elders who remained in the camp, Eldad and Medad, who receive the spirit and prophesize in the camp.

“The Holy Spirit’s supposed to come on 70 people, but the Holy Spirit comes on 72 people,” Hardwick said about the Numbers story, which pointed out that “we get not one, but two bonus elders of the Spirit coming, the spirits doing what they don’t expect.” Hardwick characterized Joshua and another objector to Eldad and Medad’s prophesizing as “great Presbyterians.”

“Wait, wait. The Holy Spirit is doing something. Stop, stop, stop. Keep it under control,” Hardwick said, impersonating their reactions. “Presbyterians are great at thinking that we can totally project what God is going to do and when God is going to do it,” he said.

The Rev. Lindsay Armstrong and the Accents! team of 

the Revs. Rafael Viana, Sam Kim and Gad Mpoyo 

introduce themselves during opening worship.

When prophesizing God’s will for the people, more important than the ability to predict and project is the ability to observe, to listen and to understand. In the Pentecost story, Hardwick saw the power of the Spirit not just in Peter and the disciple’s ability to speak many languages into the crowd but also to listen to the many voices speaking back to them. According to Hardwick, God “gave Peter and the disciples the power to understand the languages that came back and to learn from the people who were there from all over the world.”

“We have to admit that the Holy Spirit is just as active in immigrant communities and can teach us in our established churches what’s going on, too,” said Hardwick. “If we only imagine God to work in very specific ways and very specific times, and that we can control them, then we have a decent and in order disorder.” Hardwick ended with the caution that “we might miss that work of the Spirit.”

“The purpose of the Inspire! [events] is threefold,” said the Rev. Gad Mpoyo, associate for 1001 New Worshiping Communities’ Eastern Region. “To celebrate new immigrant church creativity, resilience and commitment; to reflect on best practices for bringing immigrant new worshiping communities and the established church into mutually beneficial relationships with one another; and to have a renewed, shared sense of hope and direction for a vibrant church future.” Mpoyo co-leads the Inspire! events with the Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, executive director of the New Church Development Commission, the Rev. Rafael Viana, organizing pastor of Casa Brasil Church, and the Rev. Sam Kim, coordinator for transnational ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary.

There is another regional gathering planned for Stony Point Center in New York with a new date of Nov. 11–12.

According to Armstrong the Holy Spirit is at work and is not easy to miss. Armstrong said, “The Inspire! regional gatherings continue to gain momentum.”

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Today’s Focus: Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick preaches at an immigrant new worshiping community in Ohio

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Mark Thomson, Publishing Manager, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Church (USA) 
Paula Tibbs, Mission Specialist, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency 

Let us pray

In you, Living God, the young are given wisdom. In you, the old are given enthusiasm. Forgive us for our foolishness and laziness. Unite us in harmony and community with each other and with you, our Triune God. Blessed be the Father, and Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Youth and Young Adult Sunday

October 21, 2024

Young Adult Volunteers filled some downtime at Cafe Justo with 

a game of Uno. On the third day of orientation for the 2024-25 

class of Young Adult Volunteers for the Presbyterian Church 

(U.S.A.), the group had a Sonoran Desert and migration 

experience led by CATPSIC (Centro Atención Psicológica) 

drug rehab center and visited Café Justo, a coffee cooperative 

founded by Frontera de Cristo on Aug. 23, 2024.

At the end of August, many young people, the new group of Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs), gathered from different worlds — some speaking English, others Spanish.

Conversation came slowly and hesitantly as we tried to connect, but the distance of language hung heavy between us. Then, one evening a few days into orientation, everything changed. With just three words, everyone gathered around, and suddenly we were all speaking the same language.

“Let’s play Uno.” The rules are simple, understood in glances and nods, smiles and laughter. The language we had struggled with earlier dissolved, replaced by something deeper. Joy became the bridge we hadn’t known we needed. As someone played a +4 card, suddenly we didn’t need words anymore. Laughter became a universal language. In that moment, all walls came down. The Spirit of God moved through us, carried by the sound of joy. The joy of the

Lord had spoken louder than any language has the power to do. We had found a common tongue, one that didn’t require translation. It was as if the game itself had become a vessel for deeper connection, one that transcends any one language. A game so simple turned into long-lasting memories. We found that sometimes the simplest of things can bridge even the widest gaps, and that joy can be the most profound language of all.

Isabella Ramos, current Young Adult Volunteer

Today’s Focus: Youth and Young Adult Sunday

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Nicki Thomas, Gift Processing Associate, Ministry Engagement & Support, Administrative Services Group (A Corp) 
Edward Thompson, Senior Church Consultant, Louisville, KY, Board of Pensions 

Let us pray

God of the universe, may our hearts be clear and open, ready and willing, calm and pure.
In the stillness, may we hear the voice of God, a gentle hum, a soft caress. May we find solace
in the quiet, the pauses between heartbeats, waiting to be felt.
And as we close our eyes to rest,
may we drift into dreams where the weary find refuge, where our souls are cradled in the arms of eternity,
where the light of justice guides our every step through the night.
And as we awaken, may our spirits rise above the veils that cloud our vision, untangling the
threads that weave hatred where unity should dwell. In the sacred harmony, may the shadows
that seek to divide us be gently dispelled by the light of grace.
May we always find God in the simple things, for in simplicity lies the beauty of the divine,
ever-present, ever-giving, ever-loving.

Amen.

Minute for Mission: Educate a Child, Transform the World

October 20, 2024

Educate a Child – DREEAM House

During my first year as a pastor, there were certain milestones I knew to look forward to. I looked forward to the first time I stood at the Communion table and invited my congregation to share in the feast, and the first time I marked an infant with water and proclaimed how much God loved her in baptism. I looked forward to my first Christmas and first sunrise Easter service. But there were other firsts that I didn’t know about that caught me off guard with their beauty.

One of these unexpected firsts was when the first day of school rolled around in my town. I was able to call or text each of my children and youth and hear about how their new school year started. I got text messages from high school freshmen with concerns about how far they have to get between classes. I talked to a brand-new second grader about how much she already loved her new teacher and how her class gets to go to the library twice each week.

Educate a Child Daycare at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church

These check-ins felt as sacred as the regular rituals of worship. I was letting these young people know that the love their church family has for them extends beyond the walls of the church.

Our love for our schoolchildren extends into their education. It extends into collecting supplies so that all the children in their school have what they need. It extends into attending school board meetings to make sure schools are safe and equitable places. Our love for these children may even send us all the way to the statehouses, to the Senate, to the U.N. advocating for children to be safe and be able to learn and grow everywhere.

And if our love for these children can extend so far and reach out in so many directions, it is amazing to imagine how much wider, deeper, stronger and more powerful God’s love for them extends.

As a pastor and an advocate for education, one of the ways I serve our denomination is on the Educate a Child Roundtable. In this group, we gather to equip, educate and empower churches to support education on the local and national level through direct support and advocacy. For more information, you can reach out to the Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson in the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

Rev. Beth Olker, Pastor, Macedonia Presbyterian Church, Field Staff, Racial Equity and Women’s Intercultural Ministries, PMA Member, Educate a Child Roundtable

Today’s Focus: Educate a Child, Transform the World

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Emma Teichert, International Young Adult Volunteer, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency 
Clayton Thomas, VP, Sales & Relationship Management, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program 

Let us pray

Holy God, since the moment you placed people into your world, you have taught us lessons of compassion, justice, mercy and hope. We pray that the schools in this nation and around the world would be safe places where children of all ages can grow and learn and thrive. Keep helping us extend our love and our hope into the lives of the children we call beloved and the schools we call neighbors. Bless the teachers and staff, the students and parents, and make us all partners in your kingdom work. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - ‘As the body of Christ, we have unique resources and connections that we can share’

Synod of the Covenant webinar gives insight to community partnerships churches can form

October 19, 2024

Photo by Chad Kirchoff via Unsplash

Tim Pollock, commissioned ruling elders and commissioned pastors coordinator for the Synod of the Covenant, recently offered a webinar full of ideas on extending ministry networks to municipal and nonprofit agencies. Watch the hourlong broadcast here.

People on the call shared innovative ideas for how their churches are partnering with schools, local government, food pantries, service organizations and other entities to better serve their communities.

Commissioned Ruling Elder Roger Sibert said Central Presbyterian Church in Massillon, Ohio, partners with the Rotary Club to help provide groceries, household items and food and gas cards to people who need them. Central also counsels and prays with people “if they like,” Sibert said.

“We have developed good relationships through the ministry,” Sibert said, including a partnership with the mayor and other city officials to open a warming or cooling station when they’re needed. “We have made a commitment to use our building in support of the community in general,” Sibert said, including a theater group that rehearses in the basement.

Judith Bender, a CRE at Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Ohio, said the church is next door to a summer concert series, which asked church members to make and sell hot dogs to music-goers and use the proceeds for mission. “We don’t make a huge amount of money, but some, and we have gotten our name out there and our witness,” Bender said. “There are opportunities out there. Part of it is being present, being known, being available and wanting to be part of the community.”

Tim Pollock

In recent years, Vienna Home Day, an annual gathering of current and former residents, was “struggling to find a grand marshal,” Bender said.

“A guy in our church — that was his pipe dream, to be grand marshal,” Bender said. The man’s daughter had a classic convertible, “and so he had the whole nine yards. I suggested him to organizers, and they said, ‘That’s a great idea.’”

“As the body of Christ, we have unique resources and connections that we can share,” said Pollock, who identified himself as the “proud owner of a pretty decent Santa Claus suit.”

“I have done Santa Claus at the library, and most people don’t know it’s me,” Pollock said. “I will walk around the elementary school as Santa Claus, and I never thought it was a thing I could do to serve the community. It was just something I had.”

“I know you all have folks in your congregations who have these unique qualities,” Pollock said. “There is a unique ministry of the people who are gathered [as the church], but each of those people might have their own ministries that they should pursue. What if the church became a hub where members could learn how to connect their own unique ministry outside the church, or adjacent to the church?”

Bender said the local chapter of the National Honor Society was “looking for places where kids could serve.”

What aging church members needed most, she said, was help setting up the Christmas tree each Advent season. “Some of the upper-level decorating was getting to be more of a challenge,” Bender told the teacher, who responded, “Our kids would love to do that.”

The next Sunday, a half-dozen or so students showed up and stayed for the entire worship service, remaining afterward to help set up the tree and decorate it. Church members provided pizza to share.

“It became an ongoing thing,” Bender said. “We are now a service area for the National Honor Society,” which provides the church with services including yardwork. “It’s been a great interchange between our older congregation and the kids,” Bender said.

One person on the call said two offenders assigned by the court to do community service “do yardwork and help out with the thrift store. They are the hardest workers we have.”

Another said his church provides respite care for parents of students with special needs.

“As pastors, our schedules can get busy,” Pollock said. “But there are interesting connections you can make” at places including service club meetings.

“As a pastor,” Pollock said, “I am a community member, too.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Synod of the Covenant webinar

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Tom Taylor, President & Chief Executive Officer, Presbyterian Foundation 
James Tebbe, Pakistan Property Representative, World Mission Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Lord, allow us to be wise enough to know we can always learn from each other and to be humble enough to do so. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - A DREAAM come true

Driven to Reach Excellence & Academic Achievement for Males, a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Champaign, Illinois, reports on a recent experience in Malawi

October 18, 2024

Five members of Driven to Reach Excellence & 

Academic Achievement for Males (DREAAM) 

stand with DREAAM’s founder and executive officer, 

Tracy D. Dace, outside First Presbyterian Church of 

Champaign, Illinois. (Photo courtesy of DREAAM)

Driven to Reach Excellence & Academic Achievement for Males (DREAAM) is excited to report on a recent international experience that was aimed at enhancing excellence in achievement, engagement, and behavioral and mental health among boys and young men ages 3–24 years old.

This unique journey took place from July 29 through Aug. 8. The delegation arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi, on July 30 and departed from Blantyre, Malawi, on Aug. 7.

The DREAAM travelers for this mission included DREAAM’s founder and chief executive officer, Tracy Dace; two staff directors; and five high school DREAAMers.

Now in its ninth year, DREAAM was the brainchild of Dace, an educator and tireless advocate for at-risk youth, who left his doctoral studies program to become DREAAM’s founder and chief executive officer. DREAAM, a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Champaign, Illinois, operates in partnership with the congregation and its members as a separate 501(c)3 organization.

The diverse group embarked on a transformative journey with four key objectives:

1. Experience the beauty and culture of Malawi: Team members immersed themselves in the rich cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes of Malawi, fostering a deeper appreciation for the country’s unique beauty.
2. Engage in community service: DREAAM travelers actively participated in volunteer service activities, including a STEM camp (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and recreational programs with local schools and youth organizations. This engagement helped to build bridges and create lasting positive impacts within the Malawian communities.
3. Explore partnership opportunities: The delegation explored potential collaborations between DREAAM and a similar organization in Malawi, paving the way for future joint initiatives that support the mission of empowering young males through education and holistic development.
4. Expand knowledge of Africa’s vast resources: The experience broadened the travelers’ understanding of Africa’s immense resources and cultural diversity, enriching their global perspective and informing DREAAM’s future programming and outreach efforts.

 

A DREAAM member speaks with the Rev. Lomax D.

Chigwenembe of Matiyah Church of Central Africa

Presbyterian. (Photo courtesy of DREAAM)

“We were thrilled to embark on this international experience, which aligns perfectly with our mission of fostering excellence and holistic development among young males,” said Dace. “This journey not only offered a unique cultural exchange but also strengthened our commitment to community engagement and global partnership.”

Such life-changing experiences are made possible, in part, through the Pentecost Offering, one of the PC(USA)’s four Special Offerings.

Not only do gifts to the Pentecost Offering benefit children at risk through the Educate a Child, Transform the World national initiative, but the Offering also supports the Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium and the Young Adult Volunteer Program.

A hallmark of this shared offering is that 40% of it is retained by individual congregations for local ministries, while the remaining 60% is used to support children at risk, youth and young adults through ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

Driven to Reach Excellence & Academic Achievement for Males (DREAAM) is dedicated to fostering excellence in achievement, engagement, and behavioral and mental health among boys and young men ages 3–24 years old. Through a range of educational and developmental programs, DREAAM empowers young males to reach their full potential and become positive contributors to their communities. Learn more here.

 Tracy Dace, DREAAM, Special to Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Driven to Reach Excellence & Academic Achievement for Males (DREAAM)

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Bryan Taylor, Administrative II, Operations, Presbyterian Foundation 
Nancy Taylor, Executive Director, Presbyterian Historical Society 

Let us pray

Gracious God, you call us and challenge us in new ways every day. Help us to answer that call in ways that glorify your Kingdom. Amen.