Engaging the World Together: A Presbytery in Action

Catherine Neelly Burton

Mission and Ministry Connector

Dear Presbytery of Southern Kansas,

Churches are part of communities. You know this. Your churches are part of neighborhoods and towns. You partner with other churches, ministry organizations, and community organizations. I see this again and again in my work. Some of our presbytery churches give out food, or sell affordable clothes, or provide transportation. Other churches give space or partner with schools. There is not a church living out the gospel that exists for itself. Churches that live out the gospel engage with the world.

But what about a presbytery? What does it look like for a presbytery to be part of “the community” and to engage with the world? For us it looks like our Cuba partnership. It looks like relationships with other presbyteries, the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation, and The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

In many ways we engage with the world through you, through individual churches. We partner together in lots of ways, and this June we’re trying something new.

Biking Across Kansas is a 50-year tradition of people riding bikes across the state of Kansas. This June the route goes through our presbytery. Christina Berry and I started wondering what it would like for our presbytery to be part of the week-long event. We’re engaged in conversations with pastors, church leaders, and Biking Across Kansas representatives. Opportunities include providing meals or offering water and snacks. If you want to be part of these conversations, please reach out to me.

On another note, it’s almost April 1, and you still have a few days to turn in your congregation’s application for a $500 mission grant. The link to the application is on the front page of the presbytery website. The Presbytery Coordinating Team approved the first 23 applications last week, and we’ll start sending checks soon.

I’ve been on the road a lot this month. I preached in El Dorado and McPherson, and I’ll preach in Sterling on Palm Sunday. I participated in the WRCC worship service on March 15. I coordinated the pastor lunch in Newton and was glad to fellowship with colleagues. It was a joy to attend Pastor Christy’s Kass’ Doctor of Ministry presentation in Hutchinson. A synod commitment I have has also kept me busy.

Please reach out to me if you’d like a visit, have church questions, or you have an idea you want to collaborate on!

In Christ,

Catherine Neelly Burton