Wednesday, December 8
The Presbytery of San Diego
California
Nicasio Rojas, stated clerk of the Presbytery of the Northwest Border, Bob Battenfield, Bill Tayler, and Clark Cowden attend Bill Soldwisch’s retirement party.
The Presbytery of San Diego’s identity and role are in a state of flux. In the past, many presbyteries have functioned like regulatory bodies. San Diego is moving into a more missional framework, becoming like a greenhouse that creates a stimulating environment in which churches can grow in their missional calling in Jesus Christ. The presbytery is also like a laboratory that encourages churches to experiment with new forms of biblical mission and move out into their neighborhoods and ask, “What is God doing here?”
An evangelist has been ordained to start a ministry to inner-city middle and high school students. A couple of churches have held community service days to address practical needs and show that the church cares. Some pastors and congregations are participating in a missional pastor survey and church survey process to develop new skills and address adaptive challenges that lack apparent solutions. The presbytery has sponsored training opportunities as it becomes more of a learning community. One suburban church is planting an inner-city youth ministry that combines evangelism and social action and has hopes it will grow into a new church. The presbytery commissioned a lay pastor to start a church to reach out to second-generation, English-speaking Latinos. That church is becoming a multicultural community.
The Presbytery of San Diego is proud to have 15,566 members and 32 congregations.
Let us join in prayer for:
Rev. Clark Cowden, member, GAMC
Elder Jack D. Shelver, member, GAMC
Elder Joe Kinard, member, GAMC
Elder Pat Kellenbarger, member, GAMC
Presbytery Staff
Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden, executive presbyter
Linda Therien, stated clerk
Steve Rybicki, finance and administrative director
Heather Paton, secretary
|Sharlene McKinstry, bookkeeper
Rev. Peter Lual, Sudanese-American ministry
Efrain Romero, Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana
Norma Ruiz, secretary, Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana
Elder Marc Pena, commissioned lay pastor, Trinity Life Church
Roger Christiansen, director,
Presbyterian Urban Ministries
Rene Gonzalez, case manager, Presbyterian Urban Ministries
Gladys McMillan, office manager, Presbyterian Urban Ministries
Felipe Huguet, resource coordinator, Presbyterian Urban Ministries
PC(USA) Agencies' Staff
Ricky Velez-Negron, GAMC
Natalie Vessels, FDN
Debby Vial, GAMC
Prayer
Lord, we pray for the churches and members in the Presbytery of San Diego. Please pray that they can make a paradigm shift in their ministries, as they seek to reach out to their unchurched community. Amen.
Daily Lectionary
Ps. 50, 147:1–11 and Ps. 53, 17
Isa. 6:1–13
2 Thess. 1:1–12; John 7:53—8:11
