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The Heart of Mission
July 21, 2020
Raindrop Offering 2020 – www.firstpres.church/raindropoffering
I hope after reading today’s newsletter you will gain a small taste of how mission ministries support one another. You have heard me say that one of the interns at Frontera de Cristo is a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer, Hannah Singerline. July 9’s “Coffee, Conversation and Compassion” zoom was all about her experience. I was so disappointed that I missed it but found that you can read about it here:
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/coffee-and-conversations-on-the-border/
And, I apologize if you were disappointed last week like I was that there was not a “Coffee, Conversation and Compassion.” I did not realize they have a break in July. Their newsletter thank you below explains that the Thursday “Conversations” with our mission partners will continue Aug. 6. The good news is that our Raindrop Offering continues through July so we look forward to sharing our gift with Frontera at the Aug.6 Thursday conversation!
Frontera de Cristo recently introduced me to some beautiful music. I hope you will listen to this multilingual song (Spanish, English and French) called “Migrant Wings” by Nancy Cordova. She is a special friend to Frontera de Cristo having raised money in the past with her music for the Migrant Resource Center and CAME. Check out this Youtube video she did
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp9Pz6TWot0&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0pZi–xIrm_hHBsxANjdFrL1DGwhwy-OZYfSnesk3GTUVgGHcpcOzYD00
May you have “migrant wings” this week.
Peace,
Rachel Matthews, Temporary Mission Coordinator
News from Frontera de Cristo –
Dear friends,
We are so grateful for your participation in Coffee, Conversation, & Compassion. Thanks to you–
- 120 COVID-impacted families (600 people) were given 2 weeks’ emergency food relief,
- 6 COVID-19 tests were provided,
- 338 pounds of coffee were bought, and
- $2300 in donations were made to COVID-19 relief.
Our Thursday “Conversations” with our ministry partners have been a resounding success. We enjoyed sharing this time with you. It is our prayer that you gleaned new insight about the work of each of our ministries, the positive impact of relationships across borders, and the importance of your continued support. We are so thankful for the way God moves among us to reach and sustain others, even at a distance.
On Thursday, August 6th, we will resume our “Conversations.” We welcome your ideas and suggestions for topics or ministries that you’d like to know more about. Please send your ideas to mark@fronteradecristo.org.
The coffee “special” will continue through August 31st. You can continue to order your coffee online here and help your sisters and brothers during the pandemic. You will receive delicious 100% organic coffee cultivated, roasted, and shipped by the Café Justo cooperative and your purchase will continue to help families affected by COVID-19. We invite you to comment on the campaign on our Facebook page and invite friends to order Café Justo.
Again, thank you, friends. You are appreciated. And we hope to see you again online very soon.
Grace & peace,
Jocabed Gallegos & Mark Adams
Coordinators
More Mission Announcements:
World Mission Committee 3rd Tuesday meeting July 21, 4:30pm Zoom.
Community Mission Deacons 4th Tuesday meeting July 28, 4:30pm Zoom.
Conversations in Champaign-Urbana on the role of law enforcement –
Join Illinois Newsroom for “What Should Be the Role of Police in Champaign-Urbana?” a Facebook Live event on Thursday, July 23 at 8 pm. WILL News Director Reginald Hardwick will moderate a discussion with a panel of government, civic, and law enforcement leaders, which will include some questions and comments from the audience. https://www.facebook.com/ILNewsroom/
Matthew 25 Congregation News from the Presbyterian Mission Agency:
The next online Matthew 25 event is scheduled for July 29 at 2 p.m. (EDT). Mark your calendars today and watch for more information coming your way.
CU at Home: We are so grateful to all the little ways CU at Home partners with other agencies in Champaign to help our friends without an address along their way. They partnered with Canteen Run and helped a grandmother and her two year old grandchild for a week.
DREAAM (Driven In case you did not hear, the DREAAM community readers exceeded their summer reading goal of 20000 minutes. They read 30,000 minutes! They have also been on a field trip to Fowler Farm. They could not have their Windsor Road Christian Church annual Boys to Men Campout but they did partner with DREAAM in their Safe Outdoor Summer Program in the tent on our back lawn. Such creative leadership!!
Friends of P.E.B. PEB moves through this transition. In their recent newsletter they said,
The teachers are making extraordinary efforts to stay in touch with their students. They are even walking, visiting door to door in their respective villages to contact their students. This way they can provide guidance to their students during this unusual and difficult time as well as motivate parents to give enough time to their children for their studies. Many are holding classes in various homes.
The Academic Department is regularly in communication with the principals of all PEB schools though the schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Academic Department is guiding and helping the principals regarding students so they can continue learning and it is encouraging seeing how the principals and teachers are working hard on their end and using the strategies which suit them for both academics and fee collection.
The team has made and sent formats to all of our schools so they can keep records of sending and receiving homework to the students as well as call logs. All PEB schools were asked to send the contact information of all the students in each school. Now the Academic Department is directly in touch with the parents and asking how PEB can help them better in this tough situation. A call log record is also being maintained.
On June 23 the principals of the various schools met online to discuss reopening. As always, they extend their gratitude to all who contribute to the education of girls in Pakistan.
R.U.M.( Restoration Urban Ministries) I was reading R.U.M’s Facebook page this week and discovered some interesting news. They were setting up an ingenious outdoor shading system in their parking lot for their in-person outdoor worship services. They are reopening but complicated by some recent phone outages. The front office phone is now back up so they can be reached at 217-355-2662 Monday through Friday 10am-3pm. They are located at 1213 Parkland Court Champaign. COVID19 has not kept them down!
Salt and Light: I took some hand sanitizer over to Salt and Light this week and noticed how they are as busy as ever. They had some great sales last week. I really liked a quote on their Facebook post from Steve Corbett from his book When Helping Hurts, “Our relationship to the materially poor should be one in which we recognize that both of us are broken and that both of us need the blessing of reconciliation. Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially por and more about how we can walk together asking God to fix both of us.”
About Jeff and Christi Boyd (Central Africa) – You will want to spend time viewing this wonderful Youtube video presentation from Christi about community ministries in South Sudan – Presbyterian Women, farming, education and environmental concerns covered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n08At-WFXk&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0onk4qYW4ftGsgbxBKojdXSusKZ4SlqQiJotJ68br5Yxsy9owbcu86GMs
The full video presentation made for the 2020 Sudan-South Sudan Mission Network about joint efforts within the Greater Pochalla community of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS) through the “Women Feeding The Nation” agricultural project, the South Sudan Education and Peace Program, and awareness building and advocacy activities about the negative impact of gold mining near refugee camps on long-term food security, children’s schooling, and environmental health. The efforts are accompanied by congregations and Mission Co-Workers of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Mission Possible: And, I will share a wonderful picture that Bill Gamble shared with us on the kitchen progress. Think of the mission possibilities opening up to us when this kitchen renovation and ramp are finished!
Let us keep all our mission partners in our prayers, those who are waiting to go back to their place of ministry and those who are able to work where they are. Listen for God’s call to you in their ministry.
Our PC(USA) Mission CoWorkers:
Mark Adams and Miriam Maidonado Escobar (Mexico)
Farsijanna Adeney-Risakotta (Indonesia)
Jeff and Christi Boyd (Central Africa)
Jo Ella Holman (Carribean and Cuba)
Bob and Kristi Rice (South Sudan)
Our regional and global mission partners:
Kemmerer Village (and Camp Carew)
Lifeline Pilots
Marion Medical Mission
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Opportunity International
Friends of Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan Presbyterian Cuba Partnership
Special Offerings of the PC(USA)
Theological Education Fund
Young Adult Volunteers
Here in Champaign – Urbana:
CU Better Together
CU at Home
CANAAN S.A.F.E. HOUSE
CANTEEN RUN
COURAGE CONNECTION
DREAAM
eMPTY TOMB, INC
FAITH IN ACTION
JESUS IS THE WAY PRISON MINISTRY
THE REFUGEE CENTER
RESTORATION URBAN MINISTRY
SALT & LIGHT
Here at First Presbyterian Church
FPCC Amateur Preachers
FPCC Environmental Committee working with Faith in Place
FPCC Presbyterian Women
FPCC ESL
FPCC Children, Youth and Families
FPCC Mission Possible/Go and Serve
302 W. Church Street
Champaign, IL 61820
217-356-7238
info@firstpres.church |
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