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Click on the arrow to hear the song
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| Sobre Todo (Por Amor) Spanish |
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| One hour of instrumental worship music |
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| Bless the Lord, O my soul |
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Here is the new
Electronic newsletter of Tres Rios Presbytery for JANUARY 2016. Please, let us know your opinions, comments and suggestions, and forward the newsletter to all who may be interested in the work of our Presbytery.
We also invite you to check our Facebook page "Tres Rios" and our Presbytery Website on these links:
If you have any comment or suggestion about the Facebook Page please email
[email protected]
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| GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHAPEL IN SAN ANGELO.. A YEAR LATER
La Capilla Presbiteriana de La Gracia en San Angelo... Un año después
By David Byrd, Elder and Treasurer of Grace Chapel
Grace Presbyterian Chapel of San Angelo has now been meeting for 1 year. Over that time we have met in worship every Sunday morning at the wonderful Chapel provided by the First Christian Church of San Angelo. We certainly appreciate the help that First Christian has given us. We have enjoyed the preaching of a number of different ministers over this time. The various ministers have been from the retired ranks around the Presbytery and Texas, seminary students and active ministers from around Texas.
We are excited to report that we have become a congregation of PCUSA and are currently working on incorporating with the State of Texas. A session has been elected and installed on January 24. Rev. Flint Long is our first Moderator, having been assigned by Presbytery.
As we move forward into the New Year, we have arranged to have several ministers commit for 5 to 7 weeks at a time. This will allow us to have weekly Bible studies along with a "Minister", should one be needed for any member that needs such a service. We are very pleased that Rev. Dr. Jerry Hilton is serving in this first series of weeks. He and Mary are already part of the Family.
Having started with an uncertain future, we are certain that God has called us to this place and feel that Grace Presbyterian Chapel has a very bright future.
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| Training for the new elected elders at St. Paul Church in San Angelo |
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ALTERNATIVE GIFTS
Regalos Alternativos
By Rev. Jobeth McLeod, Moderator of Tres Rios Presbytery and pastor in Alpine
As many of you know, the First Presbyterian Church in Alpine hosts an Alternative Gift Market for our congregation, our community, and our cluster. We understand this to be one component of our mission and outreach program. We also participate in the Samaritan's Purse shoebox gift program and collect donations for Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services and Casa Hogar at our Presbyterian Women's Cluster luncheon in early December.
Alternative gifts have been my Christmas gifts of choice for the past thirty years. They are so meaningful and important in my extended family that my mother and sister have introduced alternative gift giving into their congregations. At our annual family Christmas celebration at my mother's home, we each open our cards and read to one another what has been donated in our honor. We try to match the gift to the personality or the interests of the person receiving the donation. This year my mother gave me a bathroom for a family in India. This may sound strange to you guys, but family bathrooms protect women and girls from being attacked or kidnapped and provide a place to bathe and wash clothes, rather than having to use the nearest river. My daughter, who has grown up receiving Alternative Gifts for Christmas, now asks me to send her an Alternative Gift for her birthday as well, because she would rather know that another girl has been rescued from sexual slavery in her honor, than to receive a gift for herself. For the last three years my great-niece, who is now in the third grade, has asked her birthday party guests to bring pet food and pet supplies rather than gifts for her. She takes great joy in donating all the items in her own name and volunteering at a local animal shelter.
This Christmas I sent an Alternative Gift to every Tres Rios Presbytery pastor as well as our presbytery staff and officers. My goal was to surprise and remind my dear colleagues about the many ways we can bless one another and aid the world in the name of Jesus Christ. Each gift was 40 doses of medicine for use by backpack medics. Together these gifts amounted to about 1080 does of medicine for refugees in Burma's remote jungles. Imagine what that will mean - over 1000 people may survive malaria and pneumonia as a result of these small gifts. I invite and encourage each one of you to consider some form of alternative gift giving in 2016. May God inspire, equip, and bless us as we seek to love one another and our neighbors as ourselves.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN MARFA TEXAS IS MOVING FORWARD
La Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana de Marfa, Texas está avanzando
By Rev. Gary Dill, pastor
First Presbyterian Church in Marfa is an intimate congregation that benefits greatly from the vision and commitment of its founders. The church facilities include a beautiful sanctuary and well-designed fellowship and educational facilities. The small congregation actively seeks to be a good steward of its resources and explores creative ways to be involved in ministry and mission in the community of Marfa and Presidio county.
During 2015, a variety of activities and events filled the calendar. Several children used the church facilities to receive music lessons and present recitals. In cooperation with the Marfa Ministerial Alliance, the congregation hosted a "5th Quarter" event for Marfa High School students to gather for food and games following Friday night football game. In October, the congregation welcomed our new pastor, Gary Dill, and in conjunction with Tres Rios Presbytery, hosted visitors from several sister congregations as well as many from the ecumenical community in the pastoral installation service. In an expression of Big Bend hospitality, the festive occasion included fellowship, food, and live music.
As part of the regular congregational experiences, several members and children have been involved in planning and conducting worship and enthusiastically participate in decorating the sanctuary appropriate for the seasons of the church year. During Advent and Christmas celebrations, the children of the church have been specially focused and involved.
As we begin 2016, the church is collecting non-perishable food for the Marfa Food Pantry and will conclude the food drive on February 7th with a special "Souper Bowl" event. Following the morning services, the congregation will present the Director of the Marfa Food Pantry with non-perishable food and monetary contributions.
Visitors to the Marfa congregation find friendly faces and loving people. This small congregation in the heart of the Highlands of the Big Bend seeks to be a faithful family of faith. The welcome mat is always spread. Come see us!
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TRYC 2016 .. JUST BECAUSE
ACTS 2: 32-35
Conexión Juvenil de Tres Rios Simplemente porque...
Hechos 2:32-35
By Jeri Vines - Event Co-Coordinator - University church in El Paso
Six churches with their youth and sponsors attended this year's Tres Rios Youth Conference held at Prude Ranch in Fort Davis, Texas January 15th, 16th and 17th. . It was a wonderful time filled with worship, fun, reflection, team building, fellowship, and cooperative completion of a worthwhile mission project.
Gary Holloman and Wade Hatter, both previously from Tres Rios Presbytery, and their "Cross Roads" team from Grace Presbytery in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area lead an awesome event. They mentored 10 college youth who assisted with various parts of worship and also served as Small Group Leaders. David Slyter from Grace Frist Presbyterian in Weatherford, Texas was the Key Note Speaker. He also coordinated a mission project, new this year, "Kids Against Hunger".
The theme was "...just because"; the supporting scripture was Acts 4:32-35. The key note presentations focused on gifts and talents, and how and why we as Christians are called to use them.
The camp attendees were divided into "small groups", based on age, and gender. They were led by the college youth from Grace Presbytery. In addition to small group sessions, there were "large group" activities, horseback rides, hikes, basketball and trips to town. On Saturday afternoon, all participants, youth and adults, helped to package 10,800 meals for a mission project, Kids Against Hunger. These meals will be delivered to Mexico. On Saturday night there was a series "Team Building" games for the small groups to work through together, followed by a dance. The small group leaders did a wonderful job of captivating and engaging the youth during their small group sessions and the team building activities! Saturday evening ended with Vespers, led by one of the college youth, Daniel Abaraoha, a student from Cornell University.
Sunday morning wrapped up with the final key note, followed by new and old friends saying goodbye, sharing contact info, and many group pics and "selfies". It truly was a wonderful event and we hope all who attended will share their experience and return next year with friends.
We have asked Gary, Wade, and their team to return again next year. They are excited to do so and to incorporate a Tres Rios Youth Task Force during the event and in its planning. Next year the Task Force will be open to those in grades 9-12. All churches in the presbytery need to encourage Task Force applicants and attendance for next year's event. Events like this grow friendships and leadership skills in our young folk, and ultimately develop future church leaders.
Next year's event is scheduled for President's Day weekend, February 17-19, 2017. Pray for another successful event, mark your calendars, and make a commitment to encourage participation!
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EXPANDING MISSION AND OUTREACH IN SEMINOLE
Expandiendo la misión y buscando a otros en Seminole
By Dennis Haralson, elder of Seminole church
For 2016, First Presbyterian Church in Seminole is seeking to expand our mission and outreach in the Seminole area. Through expanding some of our existing mission projects and starting some new ones we hope to reach out to those in our community who do not have a church home. Through the Bob Lewis Mission our monthly food distribution with the South Plains Food Bank has been expanded to 100 clients a month who now receive food to help them through the month. Joining us on the fourth Monday of each month for our distribution have been members of the Templo Nuevo Vision Church, Crossroads Church and the Mormon Church along with their bicycle evangelists making this a truly ecumenical effort.
This past Christmas the Bob Lewis Mission has taken over distribution of the Toys for Tots program in Seminole. Along with our local Christian Motorcycle Association we distributed toys to needy children for twelve families this year. Along with the toys we also handed out Bibles and prayed with the children and parents. Our newest outreach program will start on February 4th, as we will start holding the addiction recovery program, "Celebrate Recovery" at our church each Thursday evening. Celebrate Recovery is an addiction recovery program based on the beatitudes from Matthews Gospel. Five members of FPC Seminole have been attending a Celebrate Recovery program in Denver City at Trinity Church in order to learn how the program works for the last two months. We plan to meet in our fellowship for the worship portion and then divide up into small groups using our existing classrooms. Also several members from Trinity Church are going to attend our first few meetings to help us get started. And finally we are going to show the movie "The War Room" on February 28th at our Jr. High Auditorium free of charge for the general public. As we enter 2016 we are excited about where God is leading us as a church in this new field of outreach.
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ST. MARK, THE FAITH FUN-HOUSE
San Marcos, la casa
de la fe alegre
By Rev. Craig Meyers (HR), pastor
Two and a half years ago, St. Mark was at a cross roads. After a long period of gradual decline, and in spite of the excellent care of Commissioned Ruling Elder Gary Elmquist with Rev. Flynn Long, the momentum, the financial decline had brought the congregation to the point where survival was an issue. There was seemingly not the necessary energy in an elderly, small congregation, with few resources and minimal worship attendance.
After being encouraged by the COM member Bart Teeter to visit with the session, after serious and soul searching conversation, the session and I entered a covenant. They would lead the congregation in doing the work necessary to grow a church in every way and I would become their pastor with an affordable cost and the work load required to meet our goals.
Since that time, in two and a half years, fifty new members have joined the St. Mark family; worship has doubled to over an average of 50 per Sunday; an unused portion of property was sold and the facility had a totally renovated interior after years of deferred maintenance. There have been a number of new children and youth, but traditional Sunday School has been difficult to create. However, an excellent youth group leads worship four times a year, does hands on mission in the community, assists in church maintenance , and is a vital presence. Equally as important in keeping with Jesus' mandate to welcome and include the poor and to be open to all kind of folks, our growth has brought to our congregation to a point where approximately 405 of our members are ethnically or economically non traditional.
Mission? We are supporting Presbytery mission at a level above the median in Tres Rios, gave at the top of those churches to the Border Children's effort, to the Mission Convocation with the Colombian Church, established a sister relationship with Pital church in Colombia. We support Project Dignidad and House of Faith, provide monthly emergency food boxes for APS, have started a food pantry that now feeds over 70 people a month with two weeks of food, and become a center of referrals for counseling and help in the community. The pastor's benevolence fund provides over $5,000 a year for rent, utilities and medicines. We paint and rehab houses for the Neighborhood &Revitalization Program in San Angelo.
Most of all, everyone is having way too much fun. Session meetings are half business, half harrassment of one another. As for me the six month renewal process is scrapped, and at 75 years of age, I am here until the congregation becomes financially able to call a full time installed pastor that meets their needs, or I step off a curb, or forget how to find the church, and then it will be all over.
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