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Mission Yearbook
From the door next to their studio just outside of Atlanta, filmmakers David Barnhart and Scott Lansing have been able to watch the comic book kingdom of Wakanda come to life and iconic cars of “The Fast and the Furious” in full chase.
As Christians, this is the promise toward which we live, but it’s not just an eschatological hope. It’s God’s vision into which we are called to live daily, supported by our faith in the One who has given himself on our behalf. Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth and the life” — nothing less — and the guide for our daily living. Our Presbyterian predecessors knew this and strove to give concrete meaning to Jesus’ promise in the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which consists of two parts — the “Book of Confessions” and the “Book of Order.” In the “Confessions,” the Larger Catechism instructs us beyond the command “Thou shalt not kill,” adding that we are “to preserve the life of ourselves and others,” in “forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, … requiting good for evil, … protecting and defending the innocent.” It forbids “the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful or necessary means of preservation of life.” As for the command “Thou shalt not steal,” we are called to “endeavor by all just and lawful means to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own.”
While Christopher Hall’s route to success was not always smooth sailing, he says his life’s journey was boosted by a Rising TIDE.
Rising TIDE (Train Individuals to Develop and Excel) is an afterschool ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California. Hall, who was born into poverty in an urban neighborhood, at age 33 owns two construction/restoration businesses, enjoys being a husband and father of three and relishes his new home.
I recently read a sermon by a friend from seminary detailing a harrowing time when insomnia led to migraines, which led to hallucinations. My friend drew on Jesus’ healing of the demoniac in Mark’s Gospel, and explained that Jesus, today, used medical professionals, effective drugs and sabbath rest to return her to health.
I was always proud to be a preacher’s kid. Growing up in Arkansas and Texas, it surprised many people when I told them my mother was the preacher, not my father. These types of exchanges certainly came with many puzzled looks.
During his junior year at Santa Clara University in California, Noah Westfall learned about the need for volunteers to assist new immigrants preparing for U.S. citizenship exams through the Immigration and Citizenship Program in Santa Clara County.
When seminarian Alexandra Pappas felt the call to ministry while she was in her late teens, she was intimidated and afraid. Although she was doubtful that God could possibly call someone like her to be a pastor — she constantly battles the desire for perfection, especially in worship and preaching — Pappas decided to go to seminary anyway.
The Colegio Americano, an educational ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC), recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. The school, older than the National University of Colombia, began in 1869 when Presbyterian mission worker Kate MacFerren began to teach English classes to a group of 18 girls in Bogotá.
Two congregations that worship in the same Louisville, Kentucky, church are comfortable enough with one another that host church members didn’t even bat an eye recently when the smaller congregation told the larger one that the church had termites.
The right idea in the right place at the right time has led the Presbytery of Arkansas to say yes to the Matthew 25 invitation, one of the most recent mid councils to do so.
