Mission in Action - Mission Presbytery

Sunday, January 30, 2005

MOSD 2007 Budget

Border Ministry Team
BARCA __________________________$6,000.00
Comite de Apoyo __________________ $4,000.00
CUPS ___________________________ $5,000.00
Presbyterian Border Ministry
* Proyecto Amistad ________________$10,000.00
* Puentes de Cristo _________________$6,500.00
Su Casa de Esperanza _______________$6,000.00
Loaves & Fishes (Harlingen) __________$6,500.00

International Ministry Team
Congo ___________________________$1,000.00

Compassion/Justice Team
Austin Area InterReligious Ministries ___$1,500.00
Corpus Christi Metro Ministries _______ $4,500.00
Hill Country Ministry _________________$500.00
House of Neighborly Service (S.A.) _____$5,000.00
Manos de Cristo ___________________ $5,500.00
San Antonio Urban Ministry __________ $1,000.00
Timons Ministries __________________ $1,000.00
Victoria CAM _____________________ $1,000.00
Westside Community Center __________ $1,000.00
Religion & Labor Network/Austin ______ $2,000.00
Texas Conference of Churches
Contribution ________________________ $500.00
Texas Impact ______________________$2,500.00

Campus Christian Community
$2,500.00
General Administrative Meetings _________ $500.00
New Mission Init. (2.5%) ______________$1,000.00

Total ________________________$75,000.00

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Mission Presbytery Congo Mission Trip

June 4 - 20, 2006

Would you like a different type of cross-cultural spiritual experience?
Have you always wanted to go to Africa?
Have you wanted to see the mission work that the Presbyterian Church has been doing in the Congo since 1890?
Have you ever thought of getting in touch with the deep faith and spirituality of the African people?
Have you ever thought of visiting African villages in the tropical forest? Can you enjoy a rough, pot-holed, bumpy 10-hour road trip?

Then consider a new life adventure by inhaling an exotic, surprising and energizing mission trip to bustling Kinshasa with its 10 million people, and to more traditional and rural Luebo, the oldest Presbyterian mission station, which at one point in the 1940s was the location of the largest Presbyterian Church in the world.

Led by Rev. Donald Bobb, former missionary who has lived in Lueba and in Kinshasa, the trip is the result of a two-year relationship between University Presbyterian Church, Austin, and the First Presbyterian Church, Lueba.

* Enjoy fellowship with Congolese Presbyterians at work, play and worship

* Enjoy the innumerable music groups and the music which fills the air

* Spend time with young students and children, leading Vacation Bible School classes, learning what they can teach us and we them

* Spend time in the hospital, recuperating from decades of neglect and anarchy

* Work two days on repairs to the old First Church

* Share in daily vesper services at sunset

* Spend time with church leaders as we work on a potential partnership between Mission Presbytery and Luebo-Mission Presbytery

* Dive into the congested, animated, humanizing life of Kinshasa – parliament, university, outdoor bar music, sidewalk and street life

WHO: Presbyterians with spiritual curiosity, open-mindedness, good listening skills and strong bodies. There are currently 8 spaces available.

COST: $ 2500 per person plus pocket money for African art and crafts. We are investigating availability of scholarship funds.

WHY?: God has been in the Congo a long, long time. We will experience deep faith and all-encompassing spirituality. We will spend time together at the end of each day, processing and debriefing all the happenings of that day. We will pray together and share together in an unforgettable cross-cultural experience with Congolese people.

If interested, please contact us at donaldbobb@earthlink.net or at 512-459-0299.

Monday, January 17, 2005

Overture from Jackson Woods

Jackson Woods Presbyterian Church Session’s Overture
Submitted to Mission Presbytery
January 17, 2005

Whereas, the 216th General Assembly of the PC(USA) initiated a process of “selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel.”

Whereas, the PC(USA)’s historical commitment to peacemaking and justice is compromised by singling out Israel and stirs up more unrest than it makes for peace, both in the Middle East and in our Presbyterian congregations.

Whereas, an October 7, 2004 letter to PC(USA) congregations written by Rick Ufford-Chase, Clifton Kirkpatrick, Nancy Kahaian and John Detterick stated: “we believe the Presbyterian Church (USA) faces a God-given opportunity for dialog and improved understanding about this important issue, and for us to make a strong witness for justice and peace in the Middle East.”

Whereas, bringing Israel and the Palestinians to the table of peace must be seen as evenhanded, acknowledging the good, the bad and the ugly in all parties involved.

Whereas, selective divestment in Israel by the PC(USA) exacerbates strife and raises anti-Semitic concerns in our Presbyterian congregations which may result in selective divestment by individuals and congregations in the PC(USA) from such things as the PC(USA) per capita assessment in protest of this unjust policy.

Therefore, the Presbytery of Mission overtures the General Assembly of the PC(USA) to treat Israel and the Palestinians with the equality that has been our history; continuing to support Presbyterian churches and encouraging humanitarian aid in both regions, and eliminating the intrinsically biased idea of divestiture in Israel.

Saturday, January 15, 2005

"It's a Total Disaster" --Noe Sam

Noe Sam is a man of few words. This time it was different. For one solid hour, stories of hunger, suffering, hardship and death poured from his mouth. Hurricane Stan had taken its toll on his country Guatemala, his friends, and his family.

Since 2000, our churches have had an ongoing partnership with CESSMAQ, the social service arm of a group of churches in Guatemala called the Maya Quiche Presbytery. For the past five years, we have worked with Noe, the director of CESSMAQ, to help alleviate poverty through Christian service and outreach. Side by side, we have learned from one another, and shared Christ across cultural boundaries.

Now, our partner churches and communities are in crisis. The massive flooding in Central America has swallowed highways, buried buildings, and left many of the villages inaccessible. Entire communities have been washed away. Small towns have run out of food. The late fall harvest of corn, sugar cane, coffee and sesame is in ruins. Food supplies for the coming year will be incredibly low. Most people earn their living from farming. With no crops, there are no jobs. There were no savings to begin with. The average Guatemalan survives on less than $2 per day. For better or worse, there is no FEMA here.

It is a hunger emergency. CESSMAQ is leading an emergency relief effort for 33 of our partner communities. For just over $2000 per community, they can provide emergency food, clothing, medicine and shelter. We ask you to give what you can.

Here is an idea of what your donation can provide.
Your donation can help…

Feed the hungry: $25 – 100lb. bag of corn
Sustain a family: $160 – A full month’s wage for a Guatemalan farmer
Rebuild a community: $2100 – Basic food, clothing and medicine for an
entire village in need

Thank you for your support!

Make checks payable to: Mission Presbytery ("Guatemala Flood Relief" in memo field)
7201 Broadway
Suite 303
San Antonio, Texas 78209

This date given here is an artifice; please ignore.

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

How Did We Get to This Point in the Divestment Issue?

Here is a brief summary of how the process of phased selective divestment has come before the church in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

1. In 2004, the Florida Presbytery of St. Augustine voted and sent an overture to the 2004 meeting of the General Assembly regarding violence in Israel/Palestine. In addition to affirmation of the "Geneva Accord" as a practical way forward for the Israel/Palestine peace process, that overture called for broad divestment from companies with investments in Israel.

2. The overture was assigned to a committee of commissioners of the 216th General Assembly (those sent by their presbyteries to do the business of the church), when it met in Richmond, VA, June 26-July 3, 2004. After discussion, these commissioners unanimously approved sending an alternate overture to the whole Assembly. The Assembly devoted much time discussing this and adopted the alternate overture, with a vote of 431 in favor, 62 opposed, and 7 abstentions.

3. The resolution approved by the Assembly reiterates PC(USA)’s calls for
* an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands;
* mutual security guarantees; a negotiated, equitable peace;
* an end to attacks on innocent people by both sides;
* the United States to be an even-handed broker for peace;
* a United Nations peacekeeping force in Palestine; and,
* solidarity with our Christian partners in Israel/Palestine.

It also "refers to Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI) with instructions to initiate a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel, in accordance to General Assembly policy on social investing, and to make appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly Council for action."

4. In November, 2004, MRTI set criteria for corporations to engage as part of this process. These include multinational corporations in both Israel and Palestine whose activities and products are used to:
* support and maintain the occupation
* establish, expand, or maintain Israeli settlements
* support or facilitate violent acts by Israelis or Palestinians against innocent civilians
* support or facilitate the construction of the Separation Barrier

5. After several months of study according to these criteria, MRTI announced in August of 2005, that it was beginning the process of "progressive engagement" with five companies: Caterpillar, Citigroup, ITT Industries, Motorola, and United Technologies. Progressive engagement (also known formally as phased selective divestment) is a deliberative process focused on transformation. The hope is that dialogue with corporations will bring productive corporate change, making further steps unnecessary. The process includes:
* correspondence and dialogue with the leadership of a multinational corporation
* shareholder resolutions and proxy voting
* recommendation of divestment to the General Assembly as a last resort.

For more information on each company and on steps in the process, go to http://www.pcusa.org/mrti/actions.htm.

(The date given here is an artifice; please ignore.)

Monday, January 03, 2005

Peacemaking Offering Bulletin Insert

NEVE SHALOM --
WAHAT AL-SALAM
(Oasis of Peace)

A village in Israel established jointly by Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship and engaged in educational work for peace, equality and understanding between the two peoples,

* Educating their children in both Hebrew and Greek

* Sponsoring week-end schools for peace training in conflict management

* Providing facilities for spiritual enrichment

* Demonstrating that people of different ethnicities even in conflictual situations can co-exist in reasonable harmony

Mission Presbytery’s portion of the Peace offering supports this noble endeavor.

Give generously, Sunday, October 2, 2005 to
The Presbyterian Peace Making Offering.


Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Laureate: “When Jews and Arabs
get together, work together, live together, they create their own miracle: Neve Shalom is such a miracle – it deserves our warmest support, for it justifies our highest hopes.”

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Presbyterians Pondering Peace in the Holy Land

MOSD is sponsoring two educational events in September in preparation for our October Presbytery meeting where PC (USA)’s response to the Palestinian/Israeli situation will be discussed. We are hoping that some from your church will be able to attend one of these forums. The forums are entitled:

PRESBYTERIANS PONDERING PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND:
A GATHERING FOR DIALOGUE

Each forum will provide a balanced presentation of the history, issues and what’s at stake in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition, the agenda will also include small group discussions and a panel discussion with voices from both sides represented. The panel will be moderated at each forum by Dr. Whit Bodman, Assistant Professor of World Religions at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Come with your own ideas of an answer to "What would peace in the Holy Land look like to you if it could be achieved?" and be prepared to discuss this in a small group.

We have tried to locate these forums so that it may relatively convenient for anyone to attend from all of our far-flung Presbytery:
September 18 at Grace Presbyterian Church, Corpus Christi
September 25 at New Braunfels Presbyterian Church in New Braunfels [Postponed to October 2, same time and place]
Each will be 3:00 – 6:00 on a Sunday afternoon -

Goals of each forum:
* To help us as Presbyterians gain better understanding of the history of the conflict, the efforts made by the UN and the U.S. to bring about peace, and the issues that keep Israelis and Palestinians from achieving a peaceful resolution to their conflict
* To clarify the reasons for the recommendations included in the action of the 2004 General Assembly calling for the initiation of a process of "selective, phased divestment" in companies that are in some way supporting the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories or are involved in violence there that is harming Israelis or Palestinians.
* To examine concerns that some Presbyterians have about how we can best promote peace in the Middle East in the name of Jesus Christ.
* To explore other options that Presbyterians might consider in advocating for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and keeping the peace with our Jewish neighbors and our Presbyterian friends.
* To engage in a consensus-building process regarding affirmations we can make as Presbyterians praying and working for peace in Israel.

For information on the forum locations:
Corpus Christi
New Braunfels

Saturday, January 01, 2005

What in the World is MOSD?

Maybe within your church you call your group the “Mission Committee.” At Mission Presbytery we call it the “Mission, Outreach and Service Division.” MOSD nourishes, strengthens and mobilizes global mission work and service opportunities, both in Texas and around the world, for the churches of Mission Presbytery.

There are four subcommittees or “teams” in MOSD:
  • International Ministries Team, which fosters and supports partnerships with agencies and churches in other countries. We have a variety of partnerships and fraternal relationships with Presbyterian churches/ministries in Guatemala, Mexico, Lithuania, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere.

  • Border Ministries Team, which promotes Christian ministries along the Rio Grande in both Mexico and Texas such as Puentes de Cristo, BARCA, Comite de Apoyo, Su Casa Esperanza, Loaves and Fishes and CUPS.

  • Compassion and Justice Ministries Team, which encourages prophetic witness to justice and peace, and promotes responses to hunger, homelessness, addiction, and other tragic phenomena in our midst. It promotes agencies such as Manos de Cristo, House of Neighborly Service and Corpus Christi Metro Services. It networks with other prophetic groups, including Texas Impact. It coordinates our presbytery's efforts for both Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Peacemaking. This team basically overseas all ministries not covered by the International and Border teams.
  • Communications Ministry Team, which seeks to keep the whole Presbytery informed about the activities of the other teams, and events and information of general interest to those who lead their congregations in mission outreach, including opportunities for political advocacy identified by one of the teams and approved by the Division.

Katrina Disaster

To Congregations in Mission Presbytery,

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is actively involved in responding to Hurricane Katrina. John Robinson, National Associate for PDA, and members of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) have been in contact with middle governing bodies in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and where Katrina has already hit, and will continue to be in contact to assess the situation and offer any needed assistance.

Eight PDAT members are currently working in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana; eight additional PDAT members are on standby ready to go to any area where they are needed; and at least six PDAT members are committed to long term recovery response.

This storm has caused causing widespread damage. We have already been alerted that several Presbyterian churches have sustained damage. Therefore, PDA has activated designated giving accounts to help pastors who are struggling to help members of their congregations while also struggling with personal loss, and an account to help with church repair and/or rebuilding. Please keep those impacted by this disaster and those working to assist the survivors in your prayers.

If your congregation is interested in making a contribution to this massive relief effort, please go to the following link to get additional information on the three PDA funds that have been set up.

PDA Link

Thank you!

Jim Beall.
Chair, Mission, Outreach and Service Division
Mission Presbytery

(The date given here is an artifice; please disregard.)

Contact MOSD

Jim Beall, Chair,
beracat@earthlink.net, 512-847-3708

Mary Orr, Border Ministry Team
mmorr@stx.rr.com

Lou Snead, Compassion and Justice Team
lpastor@austin.rr.com, 512-892-0947

Craig Deats, International Ministry Team
cdeats@ddollaw.com , 512-452-4364

Moneta Prince, Communication Ministry Team
myongsook@aol.com, 512-708-8293