IN THIS ISSUE:
VPC to join ECO Denomination
Pastor David Joynt
MOPS Makes a Difference
by Megan Nesvig
Student Yucatan Mission Trip 2023
by Pastor Travis Kingma
Vision for Womens Ministry by Tina Gilbreath
Highlighted Events
Valley Presbyterian Foundation by Ginny Carter
Session Report by Karen Meyer
Finance Update by Kris Bahr
July/August 2023
Vol. 68, No. 3 Valley Presbyterian Church
On May 23, the Presbytery of the Grand Canyon voted 96% to 4% to dismiss Valley Presbyterian Church. You will recall that our Valley 2.0 team, after a year and a half of study, recommended this reaffiliation to our Session. Session agreed and nominated a negotiating team. This was followed by two years of discussion with the Presbytery Administrative Committee (PAC) and consultation with the congregation. The PAC concurred with our desire to go to ECO (A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians) and eventually mediation led to an approved settlement.
In exchange for outright and undisputed control of our property, in the form of a quit claim deed, we agreed to pay over 10 years:
• $312,252 in unpaid per capita
• $766,909 representing 10% of estimated value of our property
• $350,000 in mutually agreed mission funds ($175,000 to Family Promise, already present in our mission budget, and $175,000 to three Presbytery designees: camp scholarships, native ministries, and new worshipping communities).
Some of you are very excited about these decisions and some may be wondering what they mean for our relationship to our past and our prospects for the future:
• Reaffiliation for VPC is an affirmation of our past, not a repudiation of it. It allows us to relate in a deeper way with congregations we have always been close to, like Mountain View Presbyterian, which our predecessors helped to plant, as well as to reconnect with our previous partners in the large church network which left the PCUSA to form ECO several years ago. Reaffiliation means continuity, not discontinuity of our most vital and important inter-church relationships.
• Reaffiliation also allows our theological identity, our intellectual heritage, to continue. The PCUSA is increasingly isolated from the global church and the most vital and diverse sections of the American Christian community. Its theological shifts have made it a kind of tiny island, sacrificing its reformed identity and its place within Orthodox Christianity on the altar of an increasingly radical, revisionist approach to scripture and tradition.
• Reaffiliation is an affirmation of our traditional, confessional, biblical outlook. It increases the possibility of ecumenical connection and partnership.
• Affiliating with a new denomination doesn’t violate the unity our Lord commands from us. At the final dismissal meeting of the Grand Canyon Presbytery, we were accused by one delegate of disobeying Jesus and destroying unity. But what sort of unity does God desire among His followers and their churches?
Jesus names the unity He wants us to have in the gospel of John, particularly in His final discourses. He never mentions legal unity, procedural unity, institutional unity, or denominational unity. He describes five forms of unity:
• Relational unity: “I don’t call you servants any longer but friends.” John 15:15
• Missional unity: “As the Father sent me into the world, so I send you.” John 17:18
• Doctrinal unity: “What the Father gave to me (to know) I have given you.” John 17:7
• Liturgical unity: Jesus includes the disciples in the first communion and His great prayer.
• Final or heavenly unity: “I pray you will know the glory I had with the Father before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24
Formal institutional unity exists only to serve these five deeper unities of friendship, mission, truth, worship, and ultimate transformation. Further, as the ecumenical movement and the history of Presbyterianism shows, all of these forms of unity can be achieved without exclusive legal and institutional ties. Genuine Jesuscommanded unity can happen whenever Christian communities join in shared belief, deep fellowship, real worship, and effective mission. We will have to wait to experience final unity, but I am certain denominations won’t exist in heaven!
During the fall, we will get to experience together some exciting aspects of our new life in ECO. You will get to see the character of our new partnerships and connections, explore our new resources, and hear about new initiatives for impacting the Valley and growing the kingdom. Our staff and Session are very excited about the possibilities. In the meantime, if you have questions or comments, please contact me.
Love and Blessings,
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. —1 Thessalonians 5:11
I have the incredible privilege to be a part of an amazing group of women at VPC: Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). During the school year I look forward to meeting every other Friday to learn about the successes and challenges faced by our community of moms. I'm so blessed by how God is at work at VPC through MOPS; I wanted to let you know what the program means to me, and to show you what MOPS means to other moms in our group.
Connection. Connection with other women is a common theme among our members. MOPS is designed to encourage relationships with other women in similar stages of life. As moms, we make daily sacrifices for our children, and connection with other women is often one of the first comforts we push aside. Motherhood can be overwhelming, exhausting, and chaotic, but it is also joyful, beautiful, and of full of love! MOPS fosters connections through the many candid discussions we have about parenting, marriage, health, and self-care. We connect by sharing a knowing smile, lending a listening ear, or simply nodding along to stories of similar experiences.
Validation & Growth. Members express that they feel validated when they attend, and that participation in MOPS leads to growth as mothers, wives, women, and friends. At every MOPS we listen to a speaker or participate in an activity, and engage in discussions about parenting, relationships, and God. Navigating this season of life can be challenging but being part of a community of other women who fiercely love their children and want to grow themselves is extremely validating.
Support & Encouragement. MOPS moms indicate that their participation in MOPS makes them feel supported and encouraged. MOPS builds communities of women who support each other through the journey of motherhood. Research shows that mothers who feel supported tend to feel less anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness, and instead feel more satisfied and fulfilled. We are often told that “it takes a village” to raise children, but where do we find that village and these villagers? MOPS has a collection of villagers just waiting to provide support, care, and compassion to other women.
Whether you are searching for a village or you are already surrounded by a large group of villagers, I hope you will join us this Fall and say yes to stronger connections and more fun! This year will focus on hands-on activities and community service, giving us great opportunities to talk and connect on a deep level. We will kick off the year on Friday, September 8, with a giant playdate with our kiddos, complete with activities and crafts! I hope you will join us.
Everyone wants to feel connected, validated, supported, and encouraged. We support and encourage one another, we build each other up. Take it from our MOPS moms and their experience with our village – this is a fantastic place to grow and learn with others while maneuvering the obstacles and celebrating the joys presented in this season of life! Here are some thoughts from MOPS moms we collected this spring:
What makes MOPS important to you?
Being a mom of young kids is really isolating. Having a space to connect with other moms, take a breath, have a conversation that a toddler doesn’t interrupt, and have a cup of coffee that a baby doesn’t spill all over your shirt is invaluable...having time to chat with other women in the same stage of life fills my cup and helps me pour into my kids with more patience and gratitude.
MOPS is important to me because it gives me a sense of community that was missing... Getting to connect with other moms makes me feel less alone in the journey of motherhood.
I love having a dedicated, child-free time to connect with other moms and learn about various topics that are important to me.
MOPS is important to me because it is my chance to connect, distraction free, while learning from experts who help me further grow as a mom, wife, woman, and friend.
MOPS is a place where you connect to other moms who are in a similar season of life and feel like you are not alone. It’s a place to get some great ideas and perspectives from those a little further along in the parenting journey.
How has MOPS changed the way you parent?
Speakers provide tangible parenting resources and helpful advice, and sharing my triumphs and struggles allows me to give myself more grace as a parent. Sometimes it feels like you’re alone in your struggles with behavior, consistency, patience, and gratitude; to know that other moms wrestle with those same issues is validating and freeing.
MOPS has changed the way I parent by making me confident— I know I’m not alone or the only one dealing with the struggles. Also, it recharges me. Getting to carve out two hours (almost) every other week just for me to have girl time refuels me inside so I can give more to my family later.
One of the most powerful sessions I attended that changed the way I parent was Parenting on Purpose with Amy Carney. I learned SO much about being intentional with my parenting.
It’s been an encouragement to try some new ideas and a lot of what has been talked about I am tucking away for later.
I love the little moments—the few minutes I get to chat with mamas before and after the speaker. It’s so rare that we get these opportunities without scheduling a date night, and they truly refreshen my soul in immeasurable ways. I’ve also really love when the speaker allows us to ask questions and chat. It’s so hard to get personalized, candid, high-quality parenting advice, and I relish when I can pick the speakers’ brains.
My favorite part of MOPS this year is the group we have. Everyone is so genuine that we’ve been able to connect and share in ways we haven’t previous years.
I have loved the variety of speakers: from flower arrangements to the importance of a will to how to parent without fear - there has been so much learning!
Place to meet moms in the same season of life and make new friends/connections.
Explain a time that MOPS or the MOPS community helped you spiritually or emotionally.
The other mamas at MOPS help me emotionally in both big and small ways. They’ve listened when I’ve shared openly about struggles with parenting and my marriage. They lifted me up and helped me to feel less alone. To be honest, sometimes when I see a speaker listed, I think to myself, “Great… another session where someone is going to make me feel even worse as a parent and make me feel like I need to be more intentional than I’m already struggling to be.” But each time I’ve thought that, the speaker has surprised me by offering non-judgmental advice, sharing their own struggles, recognizing moms’ daily efforts, lifting my spirits both emotionally and spiritually, and giving me hands-on tools that don’t feel overwhelming.
That would be my very first MOPS meeting!! (SEVEN years ago). The whole meeting was about hearing stories from moms who had “graduated” from MOPS and the impact the group had on them. At the time I didn’t have mom friends and I felt alone, after hearing one story I knew I had found a tribe and was no longer alone on the journey of motherhood.
As a mother, you sometimes think all the struggles you have are only experienced by you. It can feel lonely. MOPS has allowed me to connect with other moms, who are experiencing the same struggles, and we laugh and cry together and ultimately try to grow as a person.
Helped me not feel alone in this new season. Helped with new ideas/insights into parenting.
What would you tell someone considering getting involved in MOPS?
I would say that I know it might feel overwhelming to get up and ready, get yourself dressed, and drag yourself to a social gathering in the morning—I understand and relate to that. But when you’re feeling isolated and exhausted, instead of driving home to be by yourself for a few minutes of solitude before preschool ends (which I know feels like what you really WANT), do what you really NEED and come to MOPS. You’ll be surrounded by people that know exactly what season of life you’re in, and they’re ready to love on you, hand you some coffee, offer you some snacks, and share in the struggles of having young kids.
Just go to a meeting. Don’t be intimidated because everyone there is/was in your shoes too!
Try it! It’s always free to come check it out for the first time, the topics are amazing, and the group of women is top notch! AND the childcare is fabulous.
What do you have to lose?! If your children are not in school, your child(ren) are cared for in a wonderful nursery with loving adults. So while your child(ren) is safe, you get to have a whole two hours to socialize and learn with like-minded women. We all love our children and family and just want to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
DO IT! Definitely worth the value. Offers connections, wisdom, solidarity, ideas, self-care, and new friends.
Next Generation & Contemporary Worship
travisk@vpc.church
It is incredible to see how the Lord is at work all around the world and witness how Christ is specifically using VPC to embody his love by serving our neighbors near and far. At the tail end of May, a group of our High School students went on a 10-day/nine-night mission trip to the city of Tizimin on the Yucatan peninsula in the wonderful country of Mexico. Our team was privileged to serve alongside a local mission organization, Acción Ministries in association with the Presbyterian Church of Mexico to build a sport court, an education building floor, and a roof at a local church (Getsemani Presbyterian Church), and interact with the local children through facilitating VBS activities, crafts, and moments of worship.
Our students and leaders worked incredibly hard, making (and lifting), over ten tons of concrete to help build this local church. I was amazed and humbled to learn our team tackled the biggest project that had ever been done by this local ministry organization. Glory to God for this opportunity to make such an impact and serve alongside our Mayan brothers and sisters!
It’s quite poignant that we as a church have been diving deeper into the book of Philippians through the Growing Joy sermon series. Specifically deepening our understanding of what it means to live out one of the core fruits of the spirit: Joy (see Galatians 5:22-23). While in Mexico, we could see examples of the Mayan people living into joy constantly. To see the local children, adults, and ministry leaders celebrate Jesus, play, and express their gratitude for the completion of these new facilities was simply profound. Getsemani Presbyterian Church, the local church we served alongside to help build its facilities, had been waiting 12 years for this project to come to fruition. Additionally, the hospitality we received as a team from the local Mayan people not only highlighted their deep delight in the Lord but compelled us to rejoice in the Lord alongside them as well. To see a bunch of students from Scottsdale, Arizona getting uncomfortable for the kingdom of God was what this trip was all about (working, and even at times dancing while doing it). I think the Lord blessed us all with a little more joy during our time in Mexico.
We asked our students to reflect on some of their thoughts, feelings, observations, and impressions of the experiences of their time in Mexico and this is what some of them had to say:
I found this week really amazing. Being able to work with the community to help better their facilities and getting to play with all the children was truly amazing. Not only that but, also getting to build better relationships with other girls from our church as well. I have made so many more friends after being on this trip, it has been truly amazing. I loved every second (including making concrete)! —Olivia
HollidayI have had the complete honor to help out the church in Tizimin; even though the work was challenging it gave me a different perspective on how hard these people work just to praise the Lord. [This is] A privilege we all share and being able to be a part of that made me very happy. What really made this trip great though was the kind people I was around. I got to meet new people and make new friends. I had so much fun spending time with everyone on this trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat. —Molly
McCuskerThroughout the past week, I have been shocked by the differences in culture and behavior of the people of Tizimin. I have been exposed to an extremely impoverished, yet interlinked and grateful community. My experience this week building alongside these people has made me realize things about myself and remind me that I should always be grateful for what I have. —Ryan
Yoder“This past week in Tizimin and the knowledge I have gained through experiences and reflection would take a long time to describe but there were two things that stood out to me: (1) The love and kindness that the people of Tizimin show and (2) the love and kindness that we show each other. These were both a reflection of what God asks us to do and it was great to see them being lived out this week. —Chase
BradenAs iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17
Relationships with others are vital; we were never meant to live the Christian life alone!
After our Women’s Retreat in May we asked women what they enjoyed the most—more than three quarters of the responses mentioned relationships: I loved being at tables so we could talk. So glad I could attend with my daughter. The discussions with other ladies were uplifting. My friend and I felt so welcomed. I got to meet so many people. Being with my sisters in Christ. Encouraging one another and being inspired together. The fellowship. Meeting new people. Building deep connections with other women.
Few could argue with the invaluable role that women have played in our lives: from mothers and grandmothers to friends, mentors, and colleagues, women have had great influence on all of us. In Scripture we have many examples of women lifting each other up: Elizabeth and Mary, Mary and Martha, Ruth and Naomi. Creating the opportunity for women to build these types of relationships is part of why I am excited to be work with Women’s Ministry this fall!
My hope is that VPC Women’s Ministry becomes an intergenerational and invitational community of women that builds connection, spiritual growth, and encouragement. From social to service opportunities, from Bible studies to retreats, we hope to provide women with the opportunities to walk alongside one another, build relationships, connect with one another, and to grow in faith.
Mark your calendar for these fall 2023 Women's Ministry events:
September 8: MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers & Beyond) Kickoff—meets every other Friday, 9-11:30AM
September 15: Women's Bible Study Kickoff—meets every other Friday, 9:30-11AM
September 28: Social Hour at Tina Gilbreath's home, 6-8PM
December 3: Ornament Exchange, 5-7PM
And, make sure you SAVE THE DATE for our next women’s retreat February 3, 2024!
F or where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matthew
6:21Actor Will Rogers once observed, “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” Our emotions and motivations are connected to the way we spend money.
The good news is, if you’re reading this, you’re most likely someone who understands how to give generously and with purpose. Your connection with VPC reveals you’ve taken the time to align your giving with your Biblical values. Do your kids and grandkids know how to do the same? Here are three ways you can transfer your values to the next generation and help them make God-honoring decisions they can feel proud of:
1. Write it down. We pick up messages through subtle or unspoken cues daily, but the clearest way to communicate your thoughts is to put them in writing. Compose letters for your loved ones that share personal stories, lessons you’ve learned, your journey of faith, and loving words that explain how you feel about them. You could also draft an ethical will which adds a personal, heartfelt dimension to your legacy plan. Be clear about what you want them to know.
2. Collaborate missionally. Do you have funds earmarked for blessing Christian organizations? Invite your loved ones to share input on where you give, then donate together. Or perhaps you volunteer time toward a cause you’re passionate about. Invite family into an afternoon of serving the Lord together. By demonstrating your closely held values in action, they’ll have a roadmap to do the same.
3. Make yourself available. The most meaningful investment you can make in the life of your children or grandchildren is yourself Be a reliable and trustworthy source. Be generous with your time, your presence, and your listening ear. Your love will speak volumes and set a powerful Christ-like example.
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to share the most important things. Inspire the next generation to live and give with purpose. That’s a legacy that will truly last. For more information about how you can transfer values to your loved ones by including Valley Presbyterian Foundation in your estate plan, reach out to any VPF Trustee who would be happy to help or visit: vpc.church/vpf for more resources.
On May 23, the Presbytery of the Grand Canyon voted 96% to 4% to dismiss VPC from the PC(USA). This comes after the Valley 2.0 Team studied our church’s future direction for over a year and recommended to reaffiliate with ECO. Session approved and appointed a Negotiation Committee two years ago. The Committee has negotiated with the Administrative Committee of the Presbytery since then to settle on terms for VPC's dismissal. This led to mediation to approve a final agreement, which Session approved, and the Presbytery confirmed on May 23. There will be a Congregational Meeting early this fall to review our new affiliation, ECO and answer any questions.
Karen Gill Meyer Clerk of SessionFrom March through May, Session has welcomed 19 new members and one affiliate, including eight students.
Session approved hosting the Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event in conjunction with Presbyterian Women's Mission Marketplace on Saturday, November 18. Last year, the events attracted over 700 people, about half of whom were non-members. The cost to host the FMSC packing event will be $30,000 for 101,000 meals, including $15,000 from corporate sponsorships. Meals are sent to food insecure areas around the world.
An Awaken Café Planning Team, chaired by Allen Mills, was formed by Session. Its purpose is to refine the business plan to make the Café financially sustainable.
The VPC Security Committee is hiring an off-duty police officer to be present at Sunday worship services and Vacation Bible School. This is being funded by a private donor.
Session approved the purchase of the Share911 communications app for our campus-wide emergency needs. Share911 is a web-based platform that provides real-time information during an emergency.
Session updated staff and Pastor health and retirement plans, effective July 1, 2023, due to our denominational reaffliation with ECO.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns: kgmeyer@cox.net or 602-568-2196.
Blessings, Karen Gill Meyer, Clerk of Session
