mission co-workers Archives

Invite a Presbyterian mission co-worker for a virtual visit to your church

Posted July 22nd, 2020

Until in-person visits can resume safely, there has never been a better time to invite mission co-workers to visit your congregation virtually than right now.

Mission co-workers emerge from quarantine in Lima, Peru

Posted July 1st, 2020

After 15 weeks in total lockdown in their apartment in Lima, Peru, mission co-workers Jed and Jenny Koball and their now 3-year-old son Thiago are finally able to go outside again.

Tensions heighten on the Korean Peninsula

Posted June 26th, 2020

Just this week, North Korea announced it had suspended but not canceled military action against South Korea. That action would have sent armed North Korean soldiers back to the demilitarized zone (DMZ). At the Pyongyang Summit in 2018 South Korea and North Korea agreed to remove armed guards along the border to decrease hostilities.

The border as a place of encounter

Posted June 17th, 2020

The border is not just a physical place. When you open your heart to it, it’s a place of encounter.

The least of these,’ members of my family

Posted May 27th, 2020

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a small-group Bible study with other Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission co-workers serving throughout Africa. We were invited to read closely Matthew 25:31–46, where Jesus speaks of when he comes again and is like a shepherd separating “sheep from goats” at the final judgment. We were also invited to ask the questions: “What word or phrase stands out? How does the text resonate with or challenge you? What might the text be calling you to do, be or change?”

Learning from a dedicated partner in ministry

Posted April 29th, 2020

It’s a universal theme among mission co-workers that they often learn more from the people in the cultures they serve than they could ever hope to give. That’s exactly the lesson mission co-workers Richard and Debbie Welch, serving in Guatemala, learned from their longtime partner in ministry, Julian.

The coronavirus and its implications for PC(USA) ministry

Posted April 16th, 2020

An April survey by Research Services of nearly 1,100 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations and mid councils revealed some surprising responses on how they’re dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic:

Small beginnings

Posted March 30th, 2020

A few weeks ago, before coronavirus took over our thoughts in South Sudan, I joined a meeting of women to talk about community development. Women gathered in a circle after the church service, many of them holding young children on their laps. I started the discussion by reflecting on John 10:10, where Jesus expressed his intention to give us “life, and have it abundantly.” What does that mean?

Mission co-workers returning to the United States

Posted March 24th, 2020

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has requested that all mission co-workers with the United States as home-base (United States citizens and U.S. permanent residents) return to the U.S. as recommended by the State Department. World Mission’s crisis management team is meeting seven days a week to coordinate individually with each mission co-worker in each country to determine the best course of action.

Learning from a dedicated partner in ministry

Posted February 21st, 2020

It’s a universal theme among mission co-workers that they often learn more from the people in the cultures they serve than they could ever hope to give. That’s exactly the lesson mission co-workers Richard and Debbie Welch, serving in Guatemala, learned from their longtime partner in ministry, Julian.