August 27, 2007

Greetings from Managua!

I often open letters this way, but this time it feel strange because I’m not supposed to be in Managua. I should be in Atlanta right now. I spent over three hours yesterday trying to get on a flight from Managua to Atlanta, which was oversold, which means I couldn’t get on the flight. My plan was to attend the inaugural meeting of the Cedepca-PC(USA) mission network. I could have decided to fly up today, but by the time I got there, I would have missed most of the meeting. So here I am in Managua, a place I love, wishing I were in Atlanta.

PC(USA) Nicaragua Mission Network meeting in October 2006.

I’m disappointed to miss the meeting because these network gatherings always leave me energized. They provide a space to worship together and exchange ideas, joys, challenges, concerns, and vision about being part of God’s in mission in a particular country or with a particular partner. The work of partnerships is strengthened through the relationships developed through the network.

In the case of this network meeting, our partner institution is Cedepca, Central American Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies. As it says on their Web site, “Cedepca is an ecumenical training center that provides safe, accepting, creative spaces where women and men from many different Christian traditions can deepen their faith while they strengthen their ability to confront the key issues facing their communities.”

“Cedepca seeks to form thoughtful, compassionate disciples of Jesus Christ whose world is big enough to include all God’s children and who care for all of God’s creation.

“Cedepca offers people the tools to eradicate violence and injustice in their world, especially violence against women and children.”

Several PC(USA) presbyteries and congregations engage in God’s mission in Central America through and with Cedepca. I was looking forward to being with these committed people and representatives of Cedepca who traveled up from Guatemala to be a part of the formation of this new mission network. Over thirty people are in attendance.

At World Mission, we hope that these networks will be a space for developing a strategy for common mission and for mutual accountability. We’d love to see mission networks become a place of Christian community that can serve as “a check and balance for all of us through mutual consultation, discernment, and common action. ‘Mutual’ includes our partners in another country as well as in the United States.” (See “Presbyterians Do Mission in Partnership: A Manual for Establishing, Growing and Renewing International Partner Relationships.”)

Another vision for mission networks is that they become learning communities, that is, “Communities first, not just a group of autonomous individuals who happen to share the same interest, but a ‘new creation’ that is built on trust, honest and critical reflection (of ourselves first and foremost); and sincere efforts at discernment of God’s will. And learning communities: a holy space where, despite distances, we are each of us teachers and learners, struggling together with the difficult faith issues that face true partnership with each other in the United States and with our brothers and sisters in other places.”

Mission networks can be an enriching experience. As regional liaison, part of my job is to help with the formation of and accompany PC(USA) mission networks relating to Central America. By the end of 2008, we hope have at least one established for each of the five countries of the region where our denomination is present. Please let me know if you, your church or your presbytery is involved in mission in Central America so that we can be sure to invite you to be part of the appropriate network.

I’d also like to let you know about a big event that’s about to unfold in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It’s called Mission Challenge ’07. During October, 47 PC(USA) missionaries will spend a week sharing the stories of their ministry in 143 presbyteries. That’s more than 80 percent of our presbyteries.

We hope to put speakers in 700 churches that month to share the news that every day, in Christ’s name—and thanks to your faithful support—lives are being saved, wells are being dug, and hope is being shared with people in need around the world.

Another part of Mission Challenge ’07 is an appeal to every church in the denomination to support Presbyterian missionaries like me.

In mid-September a letter will go to the pastors and clerks of session in all 10,884 churches in our denomination. This will inform them of materials coming in early October that interpret the excellence of the Presbyterian Church as a mission-sending agency and invite them to offer financial support to Presbyterian missionaries through World Mission.

During the first week of October, a box will arrive in every church with bulletin inserts equal to the church’s average Sunday attendance. The inserts include a call to action, inviting all to participate in mission by praying faithfully and giving generously. These are accompanied by a DVD featuring our new director, Hunter Farrell. It contains two brief but compelling videos that bring to life a representative sample of our missionaries.

We can’t send a missionary to every church this October, but I’m hoping that all churches will participate in Mission Challenge ’07 by choosing a Sunday to view the DVD and distribute the bulletin inserts.

Will you support and encourage your church’s participation in Mission Challenge ’07?

Blessings and peace,

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 38