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Mission Yearbook
Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis continues to break down walls between church and community. As an engaged urban partner, it is listening to, and praying for, the concerns of its people.
The church in Davydovo, Russia, was a thriving community of 1,000 members from five surrounding villages before the revolution. It was abruptly closed by the Communist authorities in 1936. The building was used for storage and then as a club but was neglected for 70 years. The roof collapsed around 1960, and there was nothing left but the shell of a building — only walls.
Every morning when I wake up here in San Jose, Costa Rica, I wonder what the day will hold. A trip to the hospital? A phone call from a family in need of food? Over and over in recent months, I have been reminded that being a mission co-worker of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) means standing alongside those in need. Accompanying vulnerable people means entering into their vulnerability and experiencing the unpredictability of life for those who have fled to a new country in search of refuge.
Erica, it’s simple. People who grow food have too much, while some people go hungry. There must be a way to get the excess produce from the growers to the hungry.
There was a way, and my friend John Walker called it “gleaning”— a biblical practice of leaving some of your crops in the field for the poor.
The Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon “would have been appalled” by the heartfelt and spirited salute she received by about 80 people gathered at an event this past winter at Second Presbyterian Church in Louisville, according to the Rev. Dr. Teresa L. Fry Brown.
I began reforming my understanding of mission work when I participated in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Young Adult Volunteer program after I graduated from college in 2002. I served in England, where the PC(USA)’s church partner was running an after-school program for at-risk youth. I received the most profound impression that year from the YAV orientation and all that I learned from global partners in the community in which I was immersed — namely, that I had so much more to learn about the world around me.
Like so many seminary students, I daydreamed about my future ministry while sitting in classes. By the time I graduated, I’d imagined my calling many times before actually experiencing my calling. I visualized cool programs, vibrant music and lively Bible discussions. I thought there would be children, youth groups and church retreats. Obviously, God thought differently.
Mark Eldred had been singing in the choir at Fourth Presbyterian Church for six years when love struck.
A new season had begun, and Gillian Hollis walked into rehearsal after moving to Chicago to pursue her master’s degree at Northwestern. She took her place in the soprano section among several other new members. Eldred was drawn to her and managed to overhear her talking about swimming with one of the other choir members. As he approached her, he decided to introduce himself as a fellow swimmer. Six months later, they were dating. Today, they have been married for six years.
E.P.O.C.A. (Ex-prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement) is an innovative group from Worcester, Massachusetts, that provides leadership and organizing training for formerly incarcerated people. The outcome of this training provides participants with skills and resources that enable them to build capacity through community networks.
May the joy of Christ’s Resurrection be yours this Easter Sunday. Today, we are reminded of the abundant hope we have in Christ.
Resurrection hope points us to the promise of eternal life and calls us to celebrate all circumstances where hopelessness is overcome by God’s grace. A good example of this can be found among our brothers and sisters in Haiti who are thriving in new communities that have sprung up after the devastating 2010 earthquake.
