Passing the Peace of Christ to All 34 Gifts to the Peace & Global Witness Offering Are Helping Presbyterians Create a Just and Peaceful World at Home and Abroad
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October 2018 Rural Realities New series dispels ministry myths RESOURCESPartnering with Congregations to Provide Stewardship We’ve been helping Presbyterian churches since 1799 to gather and steward the funds they need for the mission and ministry God calls them to accomplish. Themed stewardship materials, a monthly e-newsletter, stewardship sermons, online training, and the annual Stewardship Kaleidoscope conference are just a few examples of the resources available. Find these and more at presbyterianfoundation.org/churches or call 800-858-6127, option 3 and we’ll put you in touch with your regional Ministry Relations Ocer. Partners in Funding Mission presbyterianfoundation.org Volume Issue CONTENTS October PDS 17116-18-005 28 30 25 18 27 Features Rural realities: white, straight no more Live your best life 18 Presbyterians Today begins a three-part 26 Discover how senior living communities series disproving myths about rural are offering amenities and activities to t ministry. In this issue, PT explores how all lifestyles. growing diversity is reshaping mission and Sue Washburn ministry. Donna Frischknecht Jackson Building a mission village 30 A dwindling church revives with a vision of Including the blind in worship creating a mission village, offering every- 24 A pastor shares how a blind couple opened thing from affordable housing to medical his eyes to what being inclusive looks like. care and schools. Randall Otto Sherry Blackman Passing the peace of Christ to all 34 Gifts to the Peace & Global Witness Offering are helping Presbyterians create a just and peaceful world at home and abroad. Pat Cole On the cover: A rural church nds a creative way to let its light shine. Story on page 4. Photo by Donna Frischknecht Jackson PLUG IN Find us. Follow us. Like us. @presbytoday pcusa.org/today facebookcomPresbyteriansToday v Observe Children’s Sabbath on Oct. 21 34 Go to: presbyterianmission.org/ministries/ compassion-peace-justice/child/childrens -sabbath v Plan a study for Reformation Sunday, Oct. 28 Log on: presbyterianfoundation.org/ reformation-500-resources-and-videos v Get the latest PC(USA) news Visit: pcusa.org/news v One Church, Many Voices — the blog of Presbyterians Today Read: presbyterianmission.org/today also inside Publisher Subscription Services Jeffrey C. Lawrence P.O. Box 52, Congers, NY 10920 Editorial 800-558-1669 4 God Moments Donna Frischknecht Jackson, Editor Advertising Sales Karen Bosc, Senior Copy Editor Fox Associates Letting your light shine | Snapshot Jennifer Cash, Copy Editor 800-440-0231 | [email protected] Design/Production Fox-Chicago | 312-644-3888 6 Exploring Our Dierences Kate Kotla Mark Thomson, Art Director Fox-New York | 800-826-3032 Jackie Carter, Production Specialist Fox-Los Angeles | 805-522-0501 Fox-Detroit | 248-626-0511 Building maintenance can be a mission Circulation Classieds | 800-728-7228, ext. 5772 Dana Dages 800-728-7228, ext. 5627 [email protected] 7 What Presbyterians Believe Gradye Parsons What’s connecting the connectional church? Acceptance of advertising does not imply Biblical quotations, unless otherwise endorsement by Presbyterians Today or the noted, are from the New Revised 8 Encountering God in the Silenced Magdalena I. García Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Standard Version. 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Presbyterians Today OCTOBER GOD MOMENTS | Donna Frischknecht Jackson Letting your Christ light shine We all have a passion to share usk descended onto the little village, but the that I carried into adulthood, and even when I couldn’t D sleepy stillness that usually followed was nowhere persuade friends — or spouse — to join me in the fun, to be found. It was Halloween in Salem — upstate I’d do it by myself. I pulled the car over to admire the New York, that is, not the one in Massachusetts known “pumpkinpalooza” in front of me. I realized then that this for its late 17th century witch trials. As a new pastor, I’d road didn’t get much trafc, so this person wasn’t doing been informed by my congregation that this night was this for others. He or she did this out of the simple joy not to be missed. it gave them. And still, the carved pumpkins touched “Wait till you see the crowds of children that come into someone. Me. the village,” said an excited elderly woman, who offered That’s when the idea came. I didn’t need to carve my to sit with me outside the church to hand out Halloween one, lonely pumpkin anymore. I could share my passion candy to the children who walked by. with others in my congregation. And rather than carving Successful business people know that location is faces on the pumpkins, we could carve out an inspira- everything, and the location of the church’s candy table tional message. And rather than keep the message for was not ideal. The table was by the chapel door, which ourselves, we could place the pumpkins on the front was some distance from the main thoroughfare, the lawn of the church so that on Halloween night, when sidewalk. For a pastor, nothing is more humbling than to hundreds of children came trick-or-treating, they would be waving desperately, shouting, “Come to us! We have see God’s word lit up. candy!” Halloween came. The pumpkins were carved and Some children would take the long walk over to us. lined up in front of the church. As the sky grew darker, Others would wave as they continued walking on the the message grew brighter: Let God’s light shine. sidewalk. I couldn’t blame them. The path they were on Ninjas, Darth Vaders and princesses didn’t walk by. led to the Methodist church, which had been offering They stopped and stared. Parents stopped, too, and apple cider and hot dogs on Halloween night for many took their children’s picture in front of the pumpkins. years. They had excelled at Evangelism to Kids 101 — Little children who couldn’t read would ask what the meet the children where they were and give them what pumpkins said. I would tell them and then hand them they needed. In this case, it was food for their bellies. When I realized what was happening, I coaxed the woman sitting with me to move the candy table closer CALL TO ACTION to the sidewalk. It took some doing. There was a nip in the air, and she wanted to be closer to the kitchen An easy way to get an inspirational message carved out to refresh her mug of hot tea. Even with the move to of pumpkins for your church is to invite the congrega- a better location, though, the children kept passing by tion church school or youth group to come up with a on their way to the cider and hot dogs. It was a beloved message After deciding on a message put each letter of community tradition, and no amount of candy from the the message on a piece of construction paper and hang it Presbyterians — who never had a presence in the village up where all can see it A few Sundays before Halloween on Halloween night — would change that. Until the fol- invite people to take a “letter” to carve into a medium to lowing year. large pumpkin Invite carvers to drop o the pumpkins at Days before Halloween, on one of the many rural a designated time A word of advice Don’t use candles backroads I drove, I spotted a weathered farmhouse to light the pumpkins Even though the flickering light is whose sagging front porch overowed with carved jack- dramatic wind can blow candles out If you have access o’-lanterns. There must have been more than 30 designs, to an outdoor outlet it’s best to string white Christmas ranging from the traditional triangle eyes and one- lights through the row of pumpkins Or use battery-oper- tooth grin to artistic renderings of animals. I’ve always ated luminary candles loved carving pumpkins. It was a childhood tradition OCTOBER Presbyterians Today DONNA FRISCHKNECHT JACKSON Inspirational messages carved in pumpkins every Halloween, pictured here and on the cover, have become a tradition at First United Presbyterian Church.