June E-Mission Newsletter - Presbytery of the Pacific

Please forward this information to Deacons, Mission Teams, Youth Leaders–anyone in your church with a heart and passion for mission.

Also, please share emails of people in your church who would like to receive our mission e-news: heidi@pacificpresbytery.org. Thank you!

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst

One Great Hour of Sharing:

Please give generously

Habitat for Humanity:

Yes!! At long last, we are building on Globe Avenue in Culver City!! Praise God!!

It is with great joy and gratitude to YOU, Pacific Presbytery, that we celebrate the beginning of the Habitat build on Globe Avenue in Culver City, across fromCulver City Presbyterian Church. Thank you for collectively raising over $200,000 as a Presbytery to purchase one of the ten homes on Globe Ave.

A special thanks to our Habitat Presbytery Team. In addition to reaching out to our churches, our Presbytery Habitat Team has engaged in advocacy at City Council meetings, solicited additional corporate donors, and remained faithful over the long haul of many years on this project. In fact, this team has been so stellar that they have become the model for other faith groups to organize and fundraise collectively–how great is that??

Our Presbytery Habitat Team is co-chaired by Rev. Dr. Frances Rosenau and Elder Judith Wong (Culver City Pres) and its members have been Karen Lehman (Knox), Mark Jones, Rev. Travis Overbeck, and Elizabeth Whitehead (Westwood), Marietha Dubin and Brian Pratt (Bel Air), Rev. Dave Worth (Retired), Julia Brode and Marie Brown (St. John’s) and Rev. Karen Claasen. Staffed by Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst.

The Last Saturday of each month will be Pacific Presbytery’s build day. Pacific Presbytery has the last Saturday of the month throughout the duration of the build (which we anticipate to be 12-18 months). Currently we are scheduling these three months: June 30, July 28, and August 25. Contact Chris Untiet to sign up to recruit a team from your church and/or register yourself: chrisu@habitatla.org.

There will be no additional fee for our Saturday build day. Because we’ve raised over $200,000 collectively, Pacific Presbytery is considered a Habitat Corporate Donor, meaning that any church in the Presbytery volunteering on a Pacific Presbytery Saturday will not be charged an additional fee on Saturday.

We have 25 spots for our Saturday build days, and ask that for small teams of 3-5 from each church. We want to mix it up as the churches in our Presbytery, and ask that each church organize 3-5 volunteers from their church for the monthly build days so that we can have the diversity of our churches represented on each build day. We want to work side by side in our as a Presbytery in this moment and have fun swinging a hammer together.

Last Saturday Build Day Details. Our build days will last from 8am-4pm at 4044 Globe Ave Culver City. Parking is available on Washington Blvd and Washington Place (please do not park on Globe ave) and there is limited parking in the Culver City Presbyterian Church parking lot.

HERE IS WHAT WE NEED EVERY CHURCH

IN PACIFIC PRESBYTERY TO DO:

Designate a “Habitat Lead” person from your church

We ask that you designate a Habitat point person from your church. Please designate someone from your church willing to coordinate a small group of volunteers on our build days. Please email Chris Untiet chrisu@habitatla.org to them him/her know who your church contact person is. Thank you!

The Poor People’s Campaign:

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 50th

anniversary of his death to finish Dr. King’s work

As Pacific Presbytery celebrated the 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s death in April 2018, we were reminded that at the time of his death,

Dr. King had been speaking with deep concern about the American future and called for a Poor People’s Campaign. This spring, all across America, a

multi-state nation-wide Call for Moral Revival, led by Rev. Dr. William Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, is leading the faith community in a new

Poor People’s Campaign. The National Council of Churches has officially endorsed this campaign, and Pacific Presbytery, at our May 19, 2018 meeting, voted unanimously to “encourage local congregations to get involved in the Poor People’s Campaign as a Presbytery initiative.”

What is the Poor People’s Campaign? It is a continuation of Dr. King’s vision for a moral movement throughout the United States to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation to revive the nation’s moral conscience through non-violence and acts of civil disobedience, as taught by Dr. King. Currently there is an action at 25 state capitals every Monday throughout the country for 40 days. Read an excellent article on it HERE, the comprehensive moral agenda of the campaign HERE, and an inspiring video HERE.

Pacific Presbytery’s caravan to Sacramento June 11th. Pacific Presbytery is taking a caravan on June 11th to Sacramento. There may still be room on the bus, and you are welcome to join the caravan leaving downtown LA on Sunday June 10th at 2pm and arriving back in LA Sunday June 11th at midnight. For details contact Rev. Rae Huang, rhuang@cluela.org.

SAVE THE DATE:

Saturday September 22, 2018 8:30am-1pm

Pacific Presbytery’s Annual Mission-Focused Presbytery Meeting:

Racism, White Supremacy and the Call to the Beloved

Community at Wilshire Presbyterian Church

Saturday October 22, 2018 ALL DAY

Crossroads Anti-Racism Training, location TBA

HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING TASK FORCE: LEARN HOW TO CONNECT WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND MOVE PEOPLE FROM THE STREETS TO A HOME

Example of a permanent supportive housing site in Los Angeles

Homelessness and Housing Task Force, Pacific Presbytery

Next Meeting June 18, 2018 1-3pm Pacific Presbytery Offices at Covenant Presbyterian Church 6323 West 80th St LA

Why a task force?

“The task force is a place for the local church to band together and challenge one another to thoughtfully and courageously join the fight to end homelessness…The city and counties of Los Angeles are resourcing programs designed to house the homeless at an unprecedented level and as the people of God we are called to seek the good of our cities, learn what is already working in this fight and mobilize our congregations to seize this moment.”

–Rev. Peter Dunn, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Redondo Beach

Who can attend? Anyone from your church: mission team lead, Deacons, Church Administrator, Pastor–anyone who encounters people experiencing homelessness and has a heart to serve.

When do you meet? Typically the last Thursday of the month from 1-3pm at the Presbytery of the Pacific Offices, located at 6323 West 80th St LA 90045. Next meeting is 6/28/18 at 1pm. Featured speaker: Annie Fox, LA Voice, on faith-based advocacy for permanent supportive housing.

Who leads it? Amie Quigley, Director of Urban Outreach at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Staffed by Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catayst, Pacific Presbytery.

What is it about? We come together as people of faith to pray; learn from one another; support each other; learn from experts; connect to city and county-wide initiatives; make goals for our churches; move people experiencing homelessness into permanent supportive housing.

How do I sign up? Just show up! We meet at the Presbytery Office!

Questions? Contact Amie at aquigley@fpch.org or Heidi at heidi@pacificpresbytery.org.

Other great needs:

Church Property. If you have property that is under-used or vacant, set up a free property assessment to build permanent supportive housing units on it. Contact heidi@pacificpresbytery.org.

Church Parking Lot. We need parking lots for campers and cars. If you have parking lots that could be available (8pm to 6am) for homeless RVs and campers, for case managers work with them to move into permanent supportive housing, contact Scott Sale for the Safe Parking Initiative.

Homelessness and Housing Task Force!

We Would Love it if You’d Come and join us!!

What is M25 Movement?M25 is a post-denominational,

neo-evangelical faith-based prophetic movement for immigration in Los Angeles, based on Matthew 25/Mateo 25 to protect and defend the vulnerable in Jesus’ name. There are over 300 M25 churches involved throughout Southern California, including several in Pacific Presbytery!

Visit the website, and follow the Facebook Page. It is a hopeful, powerful faith-based movement for a more just and humane immigration system in

the U.S.

Get connected. Get on our immigration and refugee action email and receive regular email calls for prayer, action, and monthly meetings. Contact heidi@pacificpresbytery.org for more info.

Serve. Calling all retired attorneys: WE NEED YOU. Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project needs attorneys of any time to be trained to help they’re already-stretched-thin attorneys. Contact heidi@pacificpresbytery.org

to be connected.

Educate. Does your church have immigrants who may be vulnerable to the immigration enforcement system right now? Are you in a neighborhood of immigrants and would like to know how to protect them? #M25 is partnering with World Relief to conduct “Know Your Rights/Prepare To Stay” workshops for churches. Contact heidi@pacificpresbytery.org for more info.

Advocate. The current practice of CBP separating refugee children from their mothers at the border is immoral, illegal and a dangerous abuse of children and human rights. Please see this Facebook Post by Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst, that explains these issues in depth.

Become a Matthew 25/Mateo 25 Church. We stand with the poor and vulnerable in Jesus’ name. Contact heidi@pacificpresbytery.org.

Gulf Coast Mission Trip

Awesome Trip to the Gulf Coast April 30-May 5, 2018! So grateful to our

co-leaders, Simone Jackson (Wilshire Pres.) and John Toillion (Mililani Pres.) for leading.

It’s a great mission trip, please consider sending a work team from your own church. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance desperately need volunteers on the Gulf Coast, especially in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Please contact Eden Roberts at the PDA Call Center PDA.CallCenter@pcusa.org.

Presbyterian Peacemaking Trip to Korea November 2018

Peacemaking and Travel Study Seminar:

The Conflict In Korea November 5-17, 2018

More info HERE. Click HERE for an application.

Applications due July 1st.

Please pray for Nicaragua

In April, President Ortega called for an increase in social security taxes which sparked protests. This resulted in violent police and government repression in response, which resulted in many deaths of protesters, many of them university students. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHCR) conducted an investigation at the end of April and found widespread abuses by the government of Nicaragua. Read the results of their report HERE. Also, the Presbyterian News Service wrote an article with statements issued from PC(USA) partners in Nicaragua.

Due to the political instability it has been recommended that we cancel our trip to Nicaragua this summer. We hope to send a small delegation to a CEPAD Partnership Encounter in the fall.

Please pray for CEPAD, our PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker Tracey King-Ortega and her family, and our beloved partners of the COOPEMULNAGTLE cooperative serving rural villages northwest of Leon.

Above picture of the peaceful protest in Managua

to end the violence by the government.

Overtures to General Assembly

By unanimous vote of Pacific Presbytery on February 22, 2018 we became an originating presbytery on the overture: On Calling for Greater Solidarity and Action on Advocacy, in partnership with the Reformed Calvinist Church of El Salvador. Read the overture and corresponding letter from Rev. Joel Berdugo, President, Reformed Calvinist Church of El Salvador HERE. Pacific Presbytery also voted unanimously to be a concurring presbytery for divestment from fossil fuels, brought by Culver City Presbyterian Church. Read the fossil fuels overture HERE. Want to stay current on what is happening throughout the week of General Assembly? Click HERE.

Scripture

”All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.” -Acts 34:32-34

Mission Quote

“There is no religious left and religious right.

There is only a moral center.

The scripture is very clear about where you have to be,

to be in the moral center–

you have to be on the side of the poor,

the working, the sick, the immigrant.”

–Rev. Dr. William Barber, author, The Third Reconstruction and founder of Moral Mondays and the Poor People’s Campaign.