Mission Memo for July 2006

Mission Action

Missionary Support

Although part of the unified giving of your church supports mission personnel, it is also possible and desirable to support individual missionaries/mission families. For instance, the Nagy family is supported primarily by pledges from about 20 congregations in this Presbytery. There are many other missionaries that could use your support. You can meet them via the internet by going to www.pcusa.org/missionconnections. Or call Ginnie and she'll help you find someone that Afits@ your congregation so you can get Aup close and personal@ with one of the missionaries you already support with unified giving.

Mission trips have become a regular part of the life of many congregations. International trips require a lot of money. Most of these trips depend on the assistance of the missionaries working in the country being visited, yet we seldom think about helping support them. Why not?

Staff House at Nkhoma Hospital:

We've committed to building a house for medical personnel at Nkhoma Hospital. About $7000 more is needed to meet our commitment of $30,000. Raising money for it could be a great mission project for a church, youth group, PW, or Sunday School class. If you haven't heard about this before, Ginnie can tell you more, and we should have some photos of what has been done thus far in early August.

Peacemaking Offering:

Has your church begun planning on how to use the 25% you keep for a peacemaking effort of your choice? Presbytery's portion will be divided between helping prisoners make the transition back to life Aon the outside and beginning construction on a Aglobal village at Camp Grier. The back of the Peacemaking Offering flyer in this
Sudan: We need to continue to advocate for our government to work for peace in both South Sudan and Darfur. You can learn more about how by signing up to receive information from the Sudan Advocacy Action Forum with Bill Andress at billandress@ureach.com. If you want to contribute toward peacemaking efforts in South Sudan, you can send your gift to the Presbytery office designated Apeacemaking gathering in South Sudan. About $3000 is needed to bring church leaders from the various factions together to work on ways to reduce the violence.

Mission Education

Mission Networks

In the past dozen or so years networks of PC(USA) presbyteries, congregations and organizations involved in mission in specific countries or with particular mission groups (example: Kurds) have been forming. Some, like the Malawi Network, are well-developed, have a web site, and regular meetings. Others are in their early stages of development. If you have an interest in Presbyterian mission in a specific part of the world, get in touch with me and Ginnie can help you connect, if there is a network.

Pandemic Flu - Don't Panic...Prepare!

If your congregation is not beginning to think seriously about how it will respond to Pandemic Flu - which is almost certainly going to be a reality in the next few years, please visit our Pandemic Flu web-section http://www.pcusa.org/nationalhealth/healthinfo/pandemic.htm. You will find information there about why and how congregations and individuals can prepare. You will also find reliable links to both government and sources of information. We will continue to add information to this section as more is known.

Partners in Wholeness: Congregations and Health Care

A Critical Issues seminar sponsored by @NC Council of Churches, is scheduled for ASaturday, September 30 at First Congregational United Church in Asheville. Dr. Keith Meador of Duke Divinity and Medical Schools will keynote. More info at: www.nccouncilofchurches.org.

Dimmocks visit PWNC:

Frank and Nancy DImmock will be speaking at a number of places between October 18-22. Information will be sent to churches in August. Contact the Presbytery office if you want to receive this information personally.

Missionary CD:

If you'd like a CD which shows all PC(USA) mission personnel, Ginnie can make a copy for you. This might be something to show in the narthex between Sunday School and the worship service.

Prayer

The Middle East!

Presbyterian Church in Guatemala:

Pray for true reconciliation among those in the IENPG (Iglesia Evangelica Nacional Presbiteriana de Guatemala. There are some very complex issues to be sorted out following a decision made at their national assembly in May. Some of the pastors in our partner presbyteries have been threatened. Pray for their safety. Pray also for our mission personnel there, particularly Ellen Dozier.

Trip to Cuba:

Two retired pastors Don Robb and Don Jalvert will represent the Presbytery of Western North Carolina on a visit to Cuba with the Association of Retired Ministers, Their Spouses and Survivors in November.

Joe Dyer:

Home now for health reasons, Joe stays in contact with the brothers and sisters he loves in the Sudan and Kenya, but it is a difficult for him to be so far from them

For more information on any of the above, or other mission, hunger, peacemaking issue, contact Ginnie Stevens at vestevens2@aol.com, or 828-438-4217.