A Year of Service and Shared Mission

Dear Friends,

I apologize to you that we did not get this issue of “On the Wind” out last week. The delay was entirely due to me. I am writing this on the last day of September, and tomorrow marks one year of my work as your Executive Presbyter. During this past year, I’ve convened three leadership retreats for the Presbytery Coordinating Team, visited about two thirds of our congregations, attended countless meetings, and done a lot of collaborative problem solving. Let me tell you some of what I have seen and learned.

First and foremost, our people are outstanding!  The volunteer workers who convene our committees and do God’s work with their energy, intelligence, imagination and love are second to none. They are courageous, smart, loving, and faithful. The church members I’ve met are equally inspiring, committed to do the work to which God has called them. And our staff – Catherine, Joseph, and Rachel – are excellent. As I’ve said many times, we have the courage, heart and brains we need to do the work to which God has called us!

As you know, our Presbytery covers a lot of territory – it’s 410 miles from Coffeyville in the east to Tribune in the west. We have 46 churches of varying size and composition, each one with a unique ministry in their context. That’s a lot of people, buildings, miles and ministry to attend to!

The challenges we face are multifaceted. Populations have shifted away from more rural areas. Church membership is decreasing, and those who stay tend to be older. The economy has felt uncertain of late, and of course the weather is never predictable. But we are strong prairie people, and we know that God is present with us, even in times of trouble.

One of the biggest goals our leadership has set is helping us be more connected to one another, and to God. We pride ourselves on being a connectional church. One challenge we face is that fewer than half of our congregations made a pledge of shared mission support. That mission support, along with per capita funds, is shared by the Presbytery with the Synod and the General Assembly. The portion we keep here in the Presbytery of Southern Kansas provides the infrastructure we need to support the many ministries of our churches across that 410 miles of Kansas.

Please prayerfully consider how your congregation will support the work of the whole church through its shared mission pledge and per capita. God is doing great things among us, and we hope that you will give what you can to join in that work.

1 Peter 4:10-11 reminds us: ¹¹ Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Grace and Peace,

Christina