M M Missionary Messenger
WINTER 2015
KING
2015 YEC IGNITE
MATA DE SAO JOAN CP CHURCH
EXPANSION!
Inside
GIFT
TO THE
OFFERING
PAGE 15
PAGE 6
PAGES 14-15
2015
AMAGA CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH by Lynn Thomas
Advent!
M
GIFTTO THE KING OFFERING
M
W I N TER 2015
MISSIONARY MESSENGER {
V O L.4, N O.4
}
MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM OF THE CUMBERL AND PRESBY TERIAN CHURCH
The birth of new things, a new church, a new presbytery, “Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” The Gift to the King Offering will be used to help the Amagá Cumberland Presbyterian Church with their first worship center. Amagá is a large town of approximately 30,000 people located one hour outside of Medellin, Colombia. This is one of the newest CP churches located in Medellin. The Amagá congregation has an average Sunday worship attendance of 70 participants. The Amagá Church received a Builders Fellowship Call in 2014. That was a great blessing, but the amount given did not meet the needs. The Gift to the King Offering will continue what Builders Fellowship has started. The Amagá Church is important to the future work of the CP Church in Colombia. Because of the growth of the CP Church in Medellin, the Andes Presbytery has asked Mission Synod to form a new presbytery in Medellin in 2016. The Amagá Church will be an important part of the new presbytery. “I am about to do a new thing!” How exciting! … A new church and a new presbytery! The Gift to the King Offering will have an impact on more than the Amagá Church, it will help establish another strong church to be part of the new presbytery. The Amagá Church is currently in a rented building close to the center of the city Amagá. Prior to being rented by the church the rented space was a woodwork shop. The congregation has used a lot of creativity to turn the current rented space into a worship center. Now it is time to use the Gift to the King Offering, in addition to Builders Fellowship, to purchase a place of their own that can be an appropriate worship center. We stand on God’s promise, “I will make a way…” MM
Isaiah 43:19 (NRSV) I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
ART DIRECTOR Sowgand Sheikholeslami
EDITORS Milton Ortiz ext:234 Pam Phillips-Burk ext:203 Lynn Thomas ext:261 T.J. Malinoski ext:232 Johan Daza ext:202
COPY EDITOR Jinger Ellis ext:230
8207 Traditional Place Cor dova, T N 38016-7414 phone 901.276.4572 fa x 901.276.4578 m essenger @cu m berland.org
PRINTER A1 Printing Memphis, Tennessee MEMBER • Associated Church Press W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 1
MM
Missionary Messenger
Contents Feature Stories 5
New Directors For Our Ecumenical Partners National Farm Worker Ministry and Beth−El Farmworkers Ministry announce new directors this year.
11
Where Are We As Cumberland Presbyterians Regarding Immigration In The United States? An overview of the Cumberland Presbyterian perspective on immigration.
7
14
8
16
YEC Ignite 2015 Youth Evangelism Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, See You Later Chi Psa La Chike The Chinese Church in San Francisco, California and McGee Chapel Church in Broken Bow, Oklahoma are doing ministry together. 2 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
Expansion! Here We Go Again! The Cumberland Presbyterian Church seeks new areas to do ministry around the globe.
Louisville Japanese Christian Church On September 20, 2015 Cumberland Presbytery organized the first Japanese C.P. church in the US.
M
M
W I N TER 2015
MISSIONARY MESSENGER {
V O L.4, N O.4
}
ON THE COVER:
Columns
ADVENT Cover Illustration: L ar r y A hok as
VISIT US ON THE WEB
4
ministrycouncil.cumberland.org/currentissue
PERSPECTIVES / Something New
To read the previous issues of the Missionary Messenger visit us at
ministrycouncil.cumberland.org/mmarchives
20
BIBLE STUDY / The Christmas Message W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 3
PERSPECTIVES by Milton L. Ortiz
Something New
I
n the God’s Word Translation of the Bible, Isaiah (43:18-19) says: “This is what the Lord says: Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago. I am going to do something new.” These are challenging words for us as Cumberland Presbyterians. We often tend to live in the past of our denomination rather than in the present and the future. This issue of the Missionary Messenger is full of new things: the Gift to the King Offering will help the Amagá congregation in Colombia to have a NEW building; our ecumenical partners have NEW officers; Colombia is dreaming of a NEW presbytery; a NEW vehicle is needed for Choctaw Presbytery; there are NEW opportunities of missionary expansion; a NEW Japanese church has been organized; CP Women’s Ministry is looking for a NEW program with young Christmas is women; a NEW evangelism conference for youth after Christmas; and Christmas is always a call to here as a NEW opportunity to celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God. share the gospel Isaiah’s narrative continues with God’s intention, “It is already happening. Don’t and to experience you recognize it?” In God’s kingdom, there is no time in the sense we humans repentance, experience it. God’s dimension is not marked by past, present or future. God forgiveness and is going to do something new, which is actually taking place right now, but in the as well. What this means is that we, as NEW life in future Christians are not limited by time regarding what God promises to us, especially related Christ-Emmanuel to ministry in the world. We live our lives and ministries under God’s promises for the future, that are happening already, but we have not yet received them in the way that God has dreamed for us and the world he loves so much. Isaiah 43 continues with, “I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.” The New Testament links this with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world. God opened a new way into the Gentile world, where the gospel was going to be preached to all nations and salvation was available to all peoples. Christ is the way of salvation. Christmas is always a call to share the gospel and to experience repentance, forgiveness and NEW life in Christ-Emmanuel, “God with us.” “This is what the Lord says: Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago. I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.” (Isaiah 43:19 GWT) MM 4 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
Making All Things New by Pam Phillips-Burk
Women’s Ministry is launching an exciting new initiative this new year to reach out to young women. This new “ministry” doesn’t even have a name yet – it is that new. We are targeting women in the age range of 18-35, plus women who would want to serve as mentors to this group of young women. In addition, we are looking to engage a part-time consultant to help in this new work. To get things started there will be a two-day retreat at Camp Clark Williamson in Jackson, Tennessee, February 19-21, 2016 for young women. The cost is $50 or “Pay What You Can”! It will cover two nights of lodging and meals. Registration is online at http://ministrycouncil. cumberland.org/all-things-new. Would you want to be part of this new “thing?” Here’s how: • Sponsor a young woman to attend the February retreat by donating toward the effort. Make checks payable to Missions Ministry Team and indicate it is for Young Women’s Retreat. Mail to 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016. • If you are located in West Tennessee, then volunteer for the retreat by hosting a meal, providing snacks or supplies. • Pray for this event and this new ministry. • Share this information with young women in your church, presbytery or region. • Consider sponsoring/mentoring a group of young women in your presbytery or region. Start out slow by building relationships and getting to know them. Organize a one-day retreat, sponsor a movie night, invite them to join you in a service project. Many are the ways to build relationships. • Share your ideas and support on Facebook – CP Young Women. God is always “making all things new” and we are excited about the new thing that is happening in Women’s Ministry. For more information or to volunteer, contact Pam Phillips-Burk at 901.276.4572 ext. 203 or pam@cumberland.org.
New Directors for our Ecumenical Partners by Pam Phillips-Burk
N
ational Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM) is pleased to announce that Julie Taylor has accepted the position of Executive Director. Julie comes to NFWM from a successful career of fifteen years with United Methodist Women (UMW) in the area of Spiritual Growth and Justice and Advocacy Ministries, including thirteen years of service to the NFWM as the UMW representative to the NFWM Board of Directors. Julie brings to the organization a passion for social justice that recognizes the mutuality of ministry with those that are poor and marginalized and a love for farm workers who so generously provide our food, and a deep understanding of the NFWM’s mission. While serving thirteen years on the NFWM Board of Directors, she held key leadership roles on the executive committee, personnel committee, board Vice President, and other key leadership roles during times of transition and programmatic development. During her tenure on the board, Julie was viewed as a dedicated, dependable and strong leader who consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to the organization and farm worker led justice initiatives. National Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM) based out of Raleigh, North Carolina is a faith-based organization which supports farmworkers as they organize for justice and empowerment. Grounded in faith, NFWM works side by side with farmworkers throughout the United States,
organizing vigils, picketing, coordinating boycotts and educating constituents. Beth-El Farmworker Ministry is excited to announce that Kathleen (Kathy) Dain has accepted the call to serve as the ministry’s Executive Director. Kathy is an ordained minister within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Since 2011, Kathy has served four congregations as an interim/transformational pastor helping the local church rediscover its missional heritage. Prior to entering ministry Kathy worked in real estate sales and television production, most recently producing short documentaries for mission organizations. Dain says of her call to serve as the next Executive Director of Beth-El is an answer to prayer. “Mission has always been at the heart of my ministry. God has brought me full circle to a place where I can utilize all of my professional experience in the work and ministry of Christ in transforming lives. I am honored and humbled by this opportunity.” Beth-El Mission, located in Wimauma, Florida provides encouragement and assistance to farmworkers and their extended family members through open opportunities for worship, participation in Christian educational programs, and secular programs with various partners including the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Welcome to both of these women and we pray God’s blessings upon them and the ministries they lead. MM
Summer Chaplain at Montgomery Bell State Park
T
by Pam Phillips-Burk
his past summer, the Reverend Lisa Cook provided a valuable ministry to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by serving as the Summer Chaplain at Montgomery Bell State Park. Every Saturday afternoon, she visited with campers telling the “CP story” and inviting them to worship the next morning at the Chapel. Then on Sunday mornings she would tell them the “Good News story” of Jesus Christ. A quick review of the Chaplain’s report shows 214 worshipers and a total summer offering of $670.70! But the summer chaplaincy program is not just about numbers. It is about ministry, telling “the Good News story,” and telling the CP story. Lisa did all three! We are also grateful to the CP Women’s Ministry who had the summer chaplaincy as one of their projects for 20142015. Together, Women’s Ministry supported the chaplaincy program with $5,487.00! Thank you so much Women’s Ministry for helping tell “the Good News story” and “the CP story.” And thanks to Lisa for being the storyteller!
Leadership Referral Services Online by Pam Phillips-Burk
Leadership Referral Services (LRS) is now online. There are currently 58 registered users - 26 churches and 32 ministers/ leaders. Congregations use LRS to search for a wide variety of leaders from part-time pastors to senior pastors to children/youth directors to ministers of music. The 2015 General Assembly approved the recommendation that “each presbytery’s Committee on the Ministry urge ministers/leaders who may be open to considering a call to create an online profile.” To help in this effort, LRS sends out a monthly email to ministers, for whom we have an email address, with a listing of churches in an active search, with the name of the search committee chairperson and a link to his/her email address. In that communication, we also encourage ministers to complete an online profile and remain open to the movement and activity of God’s Holy Spirit, which several ministers have done. LRS Online is slowly becoming “bug-free” and accessible to more and more users. Thanks be to God. We know it can, and will be, a helpful resource tool in the discernment process for both church and minister. If your congregation is in search of a minister or church leader or if you are a minister in search of a call, go online today at www.lrs.cumberland.org and create a profile. If you have any questions regarding Leadership Referral Services please contact Pam Phillips-Burk at 901.276.4572 ext. 203 or pam@cumberland.org. MM W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 5
IT’S A
PRESBYTERY by Michele Gentry
L
ast December Andes Presbytery approved a request to Mission Synod to divide its northern section to form a new presbytery. This has been a 10-year project, born out of the unusual geography of Andes Presbytery. Andes Presbytery was formed in the 1980s with a builtin problem: it is geographically divided into two regions. The southern region is the coffee-growing area where the presbyterial office is located, holding a viable cluster of established churches and fellowships. The north region, the Medellin area, there is only a small number of established churches and fellowships. Travel time between the north and south regions is a five to six hours drive over a two-lane, winding, mountainous road – a road that frequently washes out and even more frequently is blocked by a landslide or an accident. Thus travel time between the two regions can vary greatly. For several years Andes Presbytery has worked around this geographical dilemma by carefully electing board members to reflect both centers, favoring video conferences over face-to-face board meetings, holding camps and church training events twice, one in each region. With each passing year the vision and need has grown for an administrative division along geographical lines to form another presbytery. A few years ago careful analysis showed that the only obstacles to this vision seemed to be the lack of proven leaders and the low number of churches in the northern region. Intentional steps were taken to remedy these deficiencies: prospective leaders from the northern churches were actively recruited to serve on presbyterial boards, training programs were intensified there, a regional coordinating committee was established to function like a parallel presbytery to coordinate events much as presbyterial boards would do, giving leaders additional experience in the different areas of presbyterial life; special attention was given to the development of existing preaching points into fellowships, and then moving those
6 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
fellowships into organized churches. Now, finally, the stage is set for a new presbytery. The northern region has three stable churches and two more to be organized within the next few months. There are six active ordained ministers and four in various stages of retirement, plus a generous cohort of licentiates and candidates. Each congregation has a healthy group of trained and committed leaders to supply the boards of a new presbytery. Andes Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry is also on board with this project. In past years they have helped with the organization of circles in the different churches in the north, and at their last annual meeting scheduled a retreat and training event for all the women in the northern region with the expressed purpose of guiding them in setting up their own presbyterial board of Women’s Ministry. In the December 2014 meeting, Andes Presbytery approved a motion to request that Mission Synod, in its 2016 stated meeting, approve the organization of a new presbytery. In the meantime, Andes Presbytery is creating a packet of information to help Mission Synod in its decision. The new presbytery’s proposed name? Emaús or Emmaus Presbytery. Emaús because, rather than a regional name, leadership decided to express their vision of a closer walk with the Master. Will we miss them at our presbyterial events? Of course we will – greatly. They have been so much a part of us for so long. We have worked and contributed to the development of the churches there. We have mentored their pastors from lay leaders to requesting admission as candidates, to ordination. Yes, we will miss them, but Andes Presbytery has envisioned this step for many years that there is no way to go but forward to whereever God is calling Emaús Presbytery. MM
Ignite
BE INSPIRED & CHALLENGED TO SHARE YOUR LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
E
vangelism is a weighted word. Depending on whom you ask the word “evangelism” can carry positive or negative connotations. It can bring to mind visions of charismatic television preachers, tent revivals and folks shouting into bullhorns on street corners. It is no secret that for many young people these methods of evangelism have left a bad taste in their mouth. They want to share their faith but they do not want to shove it down people’s throats. The 2015 Youth Evangelism Conference (YEC) will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, December 27-30, 2015. This event is a collaboration between the Missions Ministry Team and Discipleship Ministry Team of the Ministry Council of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. YEC is a triannual event focused on evangelism. YEC was created to help young people be enlivened by the Holy Spirit to deepen their faith and learn how to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We have created an event that will help inspire young people to share their faith with Jesus. We also aim to educate them about practices and methods of evangelism that they may have not thought about or yet experienced. During YEC this year, youth and adult leaders will be inspired and challenged by messages from Jefferson Bethke.
2015 YOUTH EVANGELISM CONFERENCE by Nathan Wheeler
Jeff is a popular speaker, and New York Times bestselling author of the book “Jesus > Religion”. He has a compelling story of overcoming a painful childhood of poverty and a broken home, giving him a unique perspective on the grace of God and the work of Jesus in his life and the lives of others. It is this perspective that has catapulted him into the national conversation regarding religion and spirituality, allowing his message to connect at a heart level with an audience ranging from atheists to nationally recognized religious leaders. At YEC, youth and adult leaders will also attend several workshops led by Paige Clingenpeel. Paige has combined her psychological training as a Licensed Counselor with her passion for youth ministry as a national speaker. She is the Director of Content at the Parenting site Trends&Teens.com, and continues to provide therapeutic services to local teens and their parents. Paige lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana with her husband and four kids. In addition, YEC participants will have an evangelism immersion experience where students and leaders will go out into the city of Louisville, Kentucky to share the love of Jesus by serving others. Our hope is that YEC 2015 will ignite the faith of youth and adult leaders to go back to their towns and cities to share the love of Jesus Christ. For more information about YEC and to register go to http://ministrycouncil.cumberland.org/2015youth-evangelism-conference. MM W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 7
SEE YOU LATER...
S
an Francisco, California and Broken Bow, Oklahoma are two very different communities in the United States. San Francisco, with a population over 850,000 people, is located in the northern part of California. Broken Bow, with a population of just 4,000 people, is located in Middle America, the southeast corner of Oklahoma. Over 1800 miles separate these two locations, yet they share one thing in common. Each community has a Cumberland Presbyterian church. Through our denomination, an ongoing relationship exists today between the Chinese CP Church in San Francisco/Daly City and McGee Chapel CP Church in Broken Bow. How is that possible? On one hand, you have a church that is predominantly Chinese. On the other hand, McGee Chapel is comprised predominantly of people from the Choctaw Native American group. The relationship began in 1997 in a series of phone
8 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
calls between Reverend Bruce Wong, then, the associate English pastor at the Chinese CP Church in San Francisco, and Randy and Betty Jacob. That led to a team of twenty-three college students and adults traveling to Broken Bow for a short term mission trip. For the next three years, the Chinese Church partnered with McGee Chapel to conduct vacation bible school for the children in the community, light maintenance work around the church and making visits in the community. There were also cultural exchange activities where each group shared a bit of their culture with one another. Trips to Oklahoma dwindled until 2012 when Reverend Mark Tsujimoto, the children/youth pastor at the Chinese Church’s second campus in Daly City (the city immediately south of San Francisco), wanted to start a program to help the younger generation in the congregation to be more mission minded. After looking at various opportunities the decision was made to
CHI PSA LA CHIKE
by Dominic Lau, elected member of the Missions Ministry Team and Member of the Chinese Cumberland Presbyterian Church
see if the Chinese Church could restart the relationship with McGee Chapel. That summer, a team of thirteen college students and adults arrived in Broken Bow for nine days of ministry. This ministry includes both the Chinese Church and adult members of McGee Chapel who are available (most jobs in the area do not have benefits meaning no earned vacation), as well as high school and college age volunteers working together. Vacation bible school is conducted over the course of four mornings. Drivers are sent out into the community to pick up all the children needing transportation. Members of McGee Chapel who are unable to volunteer for the entire week do what they can by taking a day off and rotate as the lunch crew. This crew purchases and prepares lunch for all the children and workers. On several afternoons, a special treat for the children involves a trip to the nearby swimming hole. While part of the team is at the swimming hole, another group is back at McGee busy preparing for the evening dinner, which is then followed by the adult bible study program. To encourage adults to return for the bible study, a concurrent children program is also offered. In subsequent years, a two day youth weekend retreat has been added to provide a more consistent and connectional opportunity with the local youth. Recognizing that many youth appear to inherit church attendance from grandparents, aunts, uncles and parents but lack a personal relationship with Christ, future visits would be organized for McGee Chapel to develop their children and youth fellowship groups. So the efforts of the past two trips have been aimed at that. As connections are built during the week, we actively promote the idea W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 9
CROSS-CULTURE MINISTRIES
of coming to church for the Wednesday night children and youth fellowship meetings. The number of children and youth attending on Wednesday nights have increased this fall in comparison to previous years, according to Faith Jacob Parra, one of several dedicated youth workers at McGee. Despite being separated by 1800 miles, the two churches are now able to keep in touch via emails, phone calls, texting and social media. Relationships started during the summer meetings can now be continued much more easily than fifteen years ago. McGee Chapel still faces an uphill battle as the workers are few, especially at the youth level. The children and youth are coming, but they need more adult leaders to show them what it means to live for Christ. The Chinese Church hopes to return for a fifth consecutive summer in 2016. As we have learned from our friends at McGee Chapel, each time that we leave, it is not a farewell or good bye. Instead, we are only saying “see you later” to one another...or in Choctaw, “chi pisa la chike”. Please pray for our Choctaw family in Christ in Oklahoma, and encourage and support them in whatever manner God moves you. God bless! MM
10 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
?
Where Are We As Cumberland Presbyterians Regarding Immigration In The United States? by Johan Daza
A
recent research project on immigration conducted by Pew Research Center, affirms that the United States is the country with the largest number of immigrants in the world. 1 What comes to your mind when you hear the word immigration? Unfortunately, the word “immigration� has a negative connotation for some people in the United States. It is easy to assume that the word is exclusively related to unlawful immigration. However, an immigrant is a foreign person who lives permanently in the United States (INA 101(a)(15)). 2
W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 11
The Cross-Culture Immigrant Ministries USA Program is embracing the reality of immigration and its effects on the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Church at large in the United States. Currently, there are 50 Cumberland Presbyterian ministries in the United States that include Koreans, Latinos, Chinese, Japanese, and Sudanese. God is opening new opportunities to embrace and welcome other communities through new exploration initiatives and new church developments. All foreign residents in the United States have different immigration status. They are people who have come from a variety of contexts for many different reasons. Many have left their homes with their families seeking freedom from extreme violence
and poverty and many are looking for the same hope for liberty and justice that immigrants have sought out on this soil since the country was founded. Our call is to serve and present the good news of Jesus Christ to all human beings; meeting people where they are. Our initial responsibility is to honor God and give testimony among our immigrant brothers and sisters in the United States and around the world where the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is present. The Cross-Culture Immigrant Ministries USA Program is working toward improving the areas of education and written resources to share with our cross-culture ministries and presbyteries. Our goal is to serve better and we need your support and prayers in this regard.
The 185th General Assembly adopted the following recommendations regarding ministering among immigrant communities: “That the General Assembly encourages all USA presbyteries to explore opportunities for Cross-Culture church starts within their boundaries.” “That according to the Confession of Faith for Cumberland Presbyterians, and the example of Christ, the General Assembly affirms that the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and all its judicatories and agencies are called to minister to all immigrants regardless of their nationality, culture, race, social economics, migration status, and/ or political preference, who are coming to live in countries where the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is present.” That the Mission Ministry Team through the Cross-Culture Ministry USA Program assists the judicatories of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church regarding immigration education and/or resources to embrace ministerial opportunities among communities made up of immigrants within all presbyteries and synods.” MM For more information about immigration and terminology read the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA 101) at www.USCIS.gov. For more information about Cumberland Presbyterians regarding immigration read 185th minutes of General Assembly at www.cumberland.org. 1. http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/09/28/modern-immigration-wave-brings-59-million-to-u-sdriving-population-growth-and-change-through-2065/ 2. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/12/17/changing-patterns-of-global-migration-andremittances/ The INA (Immigration and Nationality Act) defines the term immigrant as every alien (any person not a citizen or national of the United States) except an alien who is temporarily (non-immigrant) in the USA, who has residency in a country other than the USA. For more information read (INA 101 (a)(15)). 12 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
CHOCTAW TRANSPORTATION Has your vehicle ever broken down while you were traveling? Have you had to make vehicle repairs and did not know where the money was going to come from? We can take for granted the reliability of transportation until there are mechanical problems from regular wear and tear, age and unsuspecting malfunctions. Our Cumberland Presbyterian Choctaw brothers and sisters in Southeast Oklahoma have been using a ten passenger van purchased ten years ago through the generous support of C.P. Women’s Ministry. One decade and over 150,000 miles of two lane roads spanning the presbytery and denomination for meetings, medical appointments, job interviews, plus shuttling persons to CPYC, YEC, General Assembly, and PAS classes has ushered the van into a state of vulnerability instead of dependability. Our Choctaw brothers and sisters need your support to replace their current vehicle with a late model SUV or minivan. The Missions Ministry Team calls upon you, your Sunday School class, your youth group, your Women’s Ministry, and your congregation to take on this Second Mile Project to help purchase reliable transportation for the Cumberland Presbyterian Choctaws. Your generous giving will help meet the financial goal of $35,000.00 for Choctaw ministry, missions and travel. MM
FINANCIAL DATA: Total Amount Needed for the Project: $35,000.00 Amount Contributed to Date: $ 0.00 Total Amount Needed for the Project: $35,000.00
DURATION:
December 2015 – December 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please make check payable to the Missions Ministry Team indicating for project #34403 and mail to 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 380167414.
CONTRIBUTIONS:
Contact TJ Malinoski at tmalinoski @ cumberland.org, (901) 276-4572 ext. 232.
{ SECON D M I L E PROJECTS} Contributions for the following projects should be sent to the Missions Ministry Team, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 380167414 indicating on the check the project number:
Leadership Training for Southeast Asia – Project #34400 The Missions Ministry Team has been involved in a Christian leadership training program with the help of Bethel University. Dr. David Lancaster, Associate Professor of Religion at Bethel University, connects weekly by video conference to both Cambodia and Laos to teach a Bible class. Each side of the world is connected by a computer screen and webcam. The bilingual students in these countries translate for those whose primary language is not English. Bethel University has a Certificate of Christian Studies Program offered to those wanting to learn more about the Christian faith in the United States. They never imagined it would be used on our Southeast Asia mission field. We are asking donors to help the Missions Ministry Team pay for these classes. There are 6 students, and several others that are auditing the course. Please help us provide Christian leadership training in Southeast Asia. The financial goal is $8,000. For more information contact: Lynn Thomas at lynndont@gmail.com, (901) 276-4572 ext. 261.
Missionary Set-Up – Project #34041 Rev. John and Joy Park are newly endorsed Cumberland Presbyterian missionaries that will be moving from Atlanta, Georgia to Iloilo, Philippines. This Second Mile appeal is for donations to support these missionaries in their set-up expenses: plane tickets to move to the mission field, an allowance to cover purchase of furniture and appliances, funds to buy a used car, an allowance to help with the legal expenses of visas to live in the country, and buying office equipment. The financial goal is $15,000. For more information contact: Lynn Thomas at lynndont@gmail.com, (901) 276-4572 ext. 261.
Mexico Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry – Project #34026 This project is designed to give financial assistance to the development of a new Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry group in Mexico. The vision is to send a group of women leaders from the United States and/or Colombia to hold training workshops/ retreats, and to offer support to women in Mexico as they work to establish their women’s ministry. The project will also provide some “seed” money to get their “regional” organization up and running. The financial goal is $10,000 (2015) and $10,000 (2016). For more information contact Pam Phillips-Burk at pam@cumberland.org, (901) 276-4572 ext. 203.
Women’s Ministry Asia Immersion – Project #34027 This project is for the purpose of organizing an immersion/ work trip to Asia in 2017 for Cumberland Presbyterian women. The trip will be made up of representatives from Colombia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. The goal is for the women to travel to Hong Kong and meet for three (3) days for orientation and to learn about the Cumberland Presbyterian work in Hong Kong Presbytery. From there the group will be divided into two
smaller groups, travel to either Laos/Cambodia or the Philippines and engage with Cumberland Presbyterian leadership in those countries in a children’s event or some other work project. The financial goal is $15,000. For more information contact Pam Phillips-Burk at pam@cumberland.org, (901) 276-4572 ext. 203.
2016 Convention Offering – Building a Promising Future – Project #34051 This project is designed to raise awareness about domestic violence in Guatemala through educational training in the schools, churches, and communities. Educational programs will be established in local schools and connections made between the schools and the new Cumberland Presbyterian churches being organized in Guatemala and other locations in Central America. The creation of a unique Cumberland Presbyterian ministry called the Center for a Promising Future will be established to provide ongoing education about domestic violence, advocacy work, and the prevention of violence and abuse in Guatemala. It will also serve as a launching point for expanding the ministry throughout Central America. Funding Schedule: First year (Convention 2016) - $5,000 – funds will be used to develop curriculum, provide resources, and transportation to implement the project during the 2015-2016 school year. Second year (Convention 2017) - $10,000 – funds will be used to expand the program into more schools, to train local teachers and leaders to implement the program, and to begin setting up the Center. Third year (Convention 2018) - $20,000 – funds will be used to establish the Center in Guatemala and secure necessary resources to plant this Cumberland Presbyterian ministry of reconciliation and hope firmly in the soil of Guatemala and Central America. Contributions for the following project should be sent to the Discipleship Ministry Team, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414 indicating on the check the project number:
Cumberland Presbyterian Youth Conference (CPYC) Scholarships – Project #33019 Funding to give scholarships to youth participants. Amount Needed: $6,000 Amount Contributed to Date: $2,640.80 For more information contact: Nathan Wheeler at nwheeler@cumberland.org, 901-276-4572 ext. 218.
Children’s Fest – Project #33020 Children’s Fest is a denominational event for children who have completed K – 6th grade. Since its beginning in the summer of 2014, Children’s Fest has brought together over 250 Cumberland Presbyterian children to experience worship, Bible study, service opportunities, and fun and fellowship – all created just for them! Children’s Fest is a one day event that brings children together from various churches and presbyteries along with their adult volunteers who also gain new ministry ideas and build relationships at the event. Your second mile gift will help fund scholarships for children and churches in need of monetary support to attend Children’s Fest and will also assist in keeping the registration fee at a reasonable rate for all Cumberland Presbyterian children to attend. Amount Needed: $1,800.00 For more information contact: Jodi Rush, jhr@cumberland.org,
615-415-9735
For more information about all of these projects go to www.ministrycouncil.cumberland.org/secondmileprojects. W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 13
EXPANSION!! Here we go again! Haiti Mexico
Australia Cambodia
Korea
Philippines
by Lynn Thomas
O
ne of the exciting stories in the Cumberland Presbyterian (CP) Church is about the Church’s expansion on the frontier in the 1800s. The story is about the amazing growth of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church from a rural corner of the USA to all over the USA and it’s territories. The greatest obstacle to faith is not doubt, but fear. Numerous times Jesus encouraged his disciples to Step Out by saying, “Fear not”. Growing the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at the speed in which they expanded
14 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
created many challenges and fears. New ideas and methods had to be developed. Those early CPs faced problems head on, and solved them. Here we go again… The CP Church is working in a communist country in Southeast Asia. We are using video conferencing between Bethel University and future pastors for training. People in two different countries, one being Cambodia, meet around their laptops and are taught by a Bethel University Bible professor, Dr. David Lancaster. Expansion requires new methods to meet new needs.
Hope Presbytery has been working in Haiti via work teams and visits for several years. As a result there are a group of Haitians in training to be pastors and are approaching the CP Church with interest in being part of the international CP family. Are we seriously considering expanding the CP Church in Haiti? That was probably the same question 190 years ago, “Texas? Are you seriously considering opening CP churches in Texas?” Hope Presbytery and the Missions Ministry Team are exploring the opportunity. Ministry on the frontier was fraught with risktaking. It is no different today. In a sense Mexico has experienced a set-back. The CP Church established a work in Mexico, set-up a legal association, started churches, then three lay-people in Juarez that were part of the CP Church secretly met and took control of the legal association and then took all the assets from the CPs in Mexico. That was a set-back. Failure is always the number one enemy of expansion, it hurts. It’s easy to walk away after one gets hurt. After the dust settled in Mexico the six ordained CP pastors and four churches and missions stood back up and got to work. They represent 200 CPs in Mexico. With no assets, they are training CP pastors and expanding the CP Church. The CP work in Mexico is growing. Two new congregations were started, giving us 6 churches and missions. New Mexican pastors are joining us. We are rebuilding. If anything, the set-back gave all CPs in
Mexico greater resolve and commitment to the CP Church and its mission. The CP Church suffered setbacks on the frontier; the amazing thing was how resilient the Church was despite these setbacks. Australia? Yes, later this year there are important meetings in Australia to form a CP Council of Churches. There is an old saying; “we live off the fruits of ministry”. In the past 15 years the CP Church has had great success working with Koreans in the USA. That has lead to new leadership and opportunities of expansion. There is a new CP Presbytery on the East Coast of the USA as a result of our Korean CP outreach. There are 500,000 Koreans in Sydney, Australia and they have CP family and friend connections in the USA. They are asking us to help them become part of the international CP family. Expansion creates more expansion. The fruit of growth is often more growth. What about new churches in Brazil? What about a new church development in Cambodia? What about expansion in the Philippines? What about new churches in Guatemala? Those stories will have to be told in a future article. CP churches can be found in 11 countries around the world. By next year that might be 13 countries, or it might be 14 countries. If we can hold back our fears, we will see a new frontier exploding with growth and opportunity. MM
MATA DE SAO JOAN
CP Church
D
by Lynn Thomas
eep in the lemon groves of Central Brazil, about an hour outside of Salvador, Brazil, is a beautiful country church. Mata de Sao Joan CP Church or The Forest of St. John CP Church derived its name from a small town thirty minutes away. The church was started fifty years ago by Japan Presbytery to reach Japanese immigrant farmers. Japan Presbytery has provided Japanese pastor leadership for many years. Over the past 15 years the rural area has changed, many of the immigrant Japanese families have left the area to move to Salvador. Increasingly the church is being attended by Brazilians that live on the surrounding farms. The church’s services are bilingual, Portuguese and Japanese. Almost all of the Japanese that attend speak Portuguese. Japan Presbytery and the Missions Ministry Team (MMT) are talking about the future. We are exploring ways to transition the Mata de Sao Joan CP Church into a Brazilian/Portuguese congregation that reaches Brazilians in the area and also provides relevant ministry to people of Japanese heritage. It is obvious to all that the church is a third generation immigrant congregation, now consisting of Brazilians and Japanese-Brazilians. In addition to the change in ministry focus, Japan Presbytery and the MMT are exploring new church development opportunities in Salvador, Brazil. We are very interested in using some of the CP Japanese-Brazilian families that moved to Salvador in past years to help start new CP churches. Salvador is a large city of almost 3 million people and there are many opportunities to expand there. Pray for the work in Brazil. MM W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 15
16 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
O rg a n i z at i o n of t h e Lo u i s v i l l e
Japanese CHRISTIAN Church
by Johan Daza
Our First Japanese Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the USA!
he Louisville Japanese Christian Church is writing a new page in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church’s history. The CP history has been continuously written by men and women of God in different contexts since our beginning in 1810. Important and remarkable events demonstrate their impact and implications not only in our CP community, but in our community at large. On September 20, 2015, 17 members and over 20 fraternal members were recognized by Cumberland Presbytery as members of the first Japanese Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Two elders were ordained and installed as members of the new session and Reverend Iwao Satoh was installed as the pastor. A Japanese delegation of 8 brothers and sisters came from Japan Presbytery to be a part of the celebration. Ministers and members of different churches within Cumberland Presbytery were present at the organizational service. It was a very meaningful celebration in the midst of a great diversity of cultures and languages.
Âť
W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 17
ttempt to visualize this: Christianity in Japan represents approximately 4% of the total population. In other words, to be a Christian in Japan is to be a minority. With over 65% of the United States identifying themselves with Christianity, it can be difficult to comprehend what it is like to be a religious minority. Reverend Iwao Satoh affirms that compared to the western cultures, Christianity is not the main religion in Asia and that Japanese Christians always preach the Gospel in the midst of Buddhism and Confucianism settings. Honestly, the differences of the denominations are relatively smaller topics compared to what Christians confront in Asia. As Cumberland Presbyterians, many Japanese pastors and leaders would not have the “denominational pride” before the Presbyterian, Baptist, and other denominations in Japan. All Japanese CPs are more
Reverend Iwao Satoh shared that in Japan Presbytery, ministers, presbytery boards and agencies meet every month. All the members of each agency gather in the afternoon on the fourth Sunday of each month. It means
concerned with how the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is more relevant than Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam according to what we believe as CPs, and what we have written in our Confession of Faith.
Presbytery is also very close, and they show compassion for other churches’ members. The beautiful challenge of being a Japanese Christian in the United States is that they are still a minority among
18 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
the larger Japanese communities. Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is the first task for Japanese Christians and the Japanese Christian Church is a welcoming community that opens their arms to embrace the larger Japanese
The beautiful challenge of being a Japanese Christian in the United States is that they are still a minority among the larger Japanese communities. they meet 12 times in a year to discuss multiple topics. The members of each agency hold the close relationship as a team to deal with the assigned topics. There are about 20 pastors in Japan Presbytery and they also maintain a very close relationship. There is a pastors’ meeting every two months, and some churches organize the regional sessions retreat together. The relationship of church members in Japan
and American communities in Louisville and surrounding cities. There are moments when there are no words to describe our gratitude to God for the impact of the Kingdom of God, and God’s work among all human beings. Cumberland Presbytery, Japan Presbytery, and the Missions Ministry Team believe in our Christian role in the Great Commission of going and making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us. The Japanese Christian Church is a fruit of God’s work in Louisville, Kentucky. Keep this church in your thoughts and prayers. When visiting Louisville, consider worshipping at the church on Sunday at 2:00 pm in the Christ Lutheran Church facility. Thanks be to God for the living Japanese CP History in Japan Presbytery and in the United States. MM
W I N T E R 2 015 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 19
Bible Study by T. J. Malinoski
The CHRISTMAS Message Matthew 1-2 & Luke 1-2
T
he month of December is filled with a flurry of activities in preparation of celebrating Christmas. How we celebrate is often decided by what we are going to cook and consume, what gifts we are going to purchase, the hanging of colorful decorations, the singing of festive songs, the wishing for white fluffy snow, and in the squeezing every ounce out of our Christmas vacation and parties. We move through the season of Advent and Christmas rapidly with our energies targeted on the completion of these activities outweighing the sense of purpose and meaning within them. How we often rush through the Advent and Christmas seasons can be examined by how we blend the two narratives of Jesus’ birth. Over time and within the Christian tradition, we merge Matthew’s and Luke’s first Christmas together to tell one narrative. Both men from the east and the shepherds are present at the manger, local and national governments conspire collectively in census and eradication, prophecies and genealogies synchronize into one report and the different angels’ messages intersect. However, there is great value in distinguishing Matthew’s and Luke’s nativities and to read and hear them as separate narratives. In doing so, each is enriched and adds greatly to their influence and our understanding of the first Christmas. A few examples of what makes their Christmas narratives distinctive are: Matthew
• Genealogy • An angel visits Joseph • Gift wielding men from the east in search of a newborn • An insecure king called Herod • A family’s hasty escape to Egypt to protect Jesus
2 0 M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R W I N T E R 2 015
Luke
• Prophecies • An angel visits Mary • Registering for a census leads to travel • Frightened shepherds • Bassinet is a manger due to no vacancy at an inn We may ask ourselves, “Why point out the distinctions? Do the differences really matter? Matthew and Luke are both writing about Jesus anyway”. To distinguish the variations between Matthew and Luke is not about pointing out inconsistencies or contradictions. Rather paying attention to the particulars is how we grow in understanding of what the first Christmas meant to the writers and what it means for our faith today. This Advent and Christmas, we can read and hear the Christmas narratives again, listening and studying them in their beautiful and vibrant variations, giving Matthew and Luke their due diligence as writers. In doing so, we discover the profound message of the first Christmas where an infant’s birth brings “good news of great joy” to all persons who struggle through the aggravations, brokenness and alienations of everyday life. As Cumberland Presbyterians, we celebrate the profound message of the first Christmas where God acts to heal the brokenness and alienation caused by sin and to restore the human family to community through the reconciliation effected in Jesus Christ (Confession of Faith 3.01). May the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke bind us to one another in love this season and beyond, help us to share the grace of Christ with one another this year and into the next, to bear one another’s burdens every day, and to reach out to all other persons always (COF 5.10).MM
Illustration by Larry Ahokas
CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM
8207 Traditional Place l Cordova l TN Ⅰ 38016-7414 Ⅰ 901.276.4572 For more information and resources visit our website at m i n i s t r y c o u n c i l .c u m b e r l a n d .o r g / g i f t t o t h e k i n g o f f e r i n g
Isaiah 43:19 (NRSV) I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
AMAGÁ Cumberland Presbyterian Church
KING
Gift to the
2015
POLICY:
The Missionary Messenger is published for the Cumberland Presby terian Church by the Missions Ministry Team. Opinions expressed by the individual writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors. The Missionary Messenger does not accept advertising. ADDRESS CHANGE: send new address and label from a recent newspaper to the Circulation Secretary at the address below.
The Missionary Messenger (ISSN 08868344), (Publication permit number: PE14376) is published quarterly by the Missions Ministry Team of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tenn. The magazine is sent free of charge to each household in the denomination. POST MAS TER: Send address changes to: The Missionary Messenger, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.
To order your
MISSIONS GIFT CATALOG visit us online at:
ministrycouncil.cumberland.org/giving You may use the Gift Order Form in the back of the catalog or you can purchase a gift online.
NEW MISSIONS
GIFT CATALOG AFTER CRASH-MM SUMMER 2014.indd 24
Missions Ministry Team Cumberland Presbyterian Church 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016 Phone: 901.276.4572 Fax: 901.276.4578
7/25/14 11:15 AM