Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am writing to you, as a friend of Presbyterian Global Fellowship, to give you an update on our vision and to invite you to partner with us to make that vision a reality.
In 2006, the year Presbyterian Global Fellowship began, I was a solo pastor in my first call and beginning to feel the weight of pastoral ministry. The loneliness of this type of call, the difficulty of being a young adult in an older congregation, and the struggle of knowing that I desired to be more than just a chaplain were slowly beginning to wear me down. It was through this lens that I was first introduced to PGF. In the quiet of my study I began to watch PGF’s first conference online. I listened with rapt attention as Steve Hayner, Vic Pentz, and Scott Dudley spoke about the possibilities open to congregations and pastors when they begin to take risks for Christ and join God wherever he is working. I distinctly remember the hope that began to well up inside of me, not only because I resonated deeply with what they were saying, but also because I realized that I was not alone. I felt, for the first time in quite a while, that I was surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses.” Watching that day encouraged my heart and strengthened my resolve to continue cultivating an environment in our congregation that propelled people out of their comfort zones and into the lives of their neighbors whom Christ called them to love. On that day and the days that followed, PGF gave me and the congregation I served hope by reminding us that, as John Calvin so poignantly stated, “The church is only the church when it exists for others.”
The giving of hope and cultivation of missional imagination in churches of all sizes and all contexts are at the heart of PGF’s call. This is an incredibly exciting mission, but it is also one that we cannot do alone. We are looking for those who are willing to partner with us through their prayers and financial gifts. We, of course, are aware that this is a difficult time for congregations in the PC(USA). Denominational uncertainty, economic woes, and shrinking membership rolls have caused an enormous amount of anxiety for most of our communities of faith. This anxiety can easily cause us to hunker down, limit our imagination and diminish our desire to risk. PGF, though, believes that these very times of upheaval and disruption can serve as incredible opportunities for the Holy Spirit to shake us from our secure foundations and force us out of the comfortable places which often hinder our being scattered into the world.
With this in mind, we are moving forward in 2012-2013 by sponsoring ten regional gatherings called “Moving Back into the Neighborhood” with Alan Roxburgh and Mark Lau Branson. These two day events for elders, pastors, and staff will spark the missional imagination among local church leadership—leading our churches to engage our neighborhoods with the good news of Jesus Christ. In addition, we will work with each region to establish missional leadership cohorts of pastors. Imagine the impact of lay and clergy learning together, dwelling in God’s word together, and encouraging each other to take risks and be faithful to our missional calling.
In the days ahead, PGF is looking for people who are willing to partner with us as we move forward with the call we have been given by Christ. Together we can play a role in seeing church leaders renewed by hope, congregations transformed by being sent out, neighbors reconciled through the work of Christ’s body, and the light of the gospel illuminated throughout our communities and world. If you are interested in joining with us in this journey we would love to discuss with you the many ways in which we can partner together for Christ’s mission in this world: developing a regional conference, sharing your story, and supporting PGF financially and prayerfully.
If you would like to give to PGF you can send a check to Presbyterian Global Fellowship, 120 Stevens Ave., Solana Beach, CA 92075 or contact Jerry Deck at jerry@sendingout.com
