Crescent Hill folks interested in Guatemala mission gathered at Brad, Soni, and Kara’s house on Saturday morning. Folks expressed concern for a number of people with health problems - Shannon, Annie, Bruce, Martha’s neighbors, and Soni’s mother-in-law – and for survivors of the flooding earlier in the week - including South Enders Debby and Ken & Amy and folks at Soni’s work.
Pastor Jane shared with us news of two upcoming activities actual or possible. After talking about doing this ourselves, Crescent Hill folks have been talking with the presbytery’s Latino commission (including our own Ada and Sandra) and folks with two Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations on the other end of Crescent Hill in Clifton: James Lees Memorial Presbyterian Church and Covenant Community Church (which meet at James Lees, which is on Frankfort Avenue almost down to Mellwood). The idea is that the three congregations would pool people and resources to put together twice-weekly – for limited terms – English as a second language classes, children’s activities, and meals – probably at James Lees (we’ve got an idea that there are more Spanish-speaking residents on the other end of the neighborhood).
Folks are invited to a preliminary meeting with Crescent Hill, James Lees, and Covenant Community folks at 5:30 p.m. this Tuesday, August 11, at James Lees. After that, the whole presbytery has two Saturday morning events scheduled at Strathmoor Presbyterian Church on Bardstown Road between Taylorsville Road and the Watterson Expressway: an informational meeting on August 22 and a training on August 29. It’s not yet decided when the near East side congregation’s activities might begin and how we might reach out to near east side Spanish-speaking people who would want to be involved. A fall kick-off event is a possibility.
Pastor Jane also explained that Ada had started out teaching Spanish classes several years ago and that had petered out. Crescent Hill church is going to try again, this time reaching out to the community for possible students. The idea this time is, again, twice a week and with a limited term and – in this case – paying a modest tuition to the teacher (probably Ada). There was a very brief discussion about how to do outreach for this.
Twice during the gathering Carlos called Pastor Gerardo in El Estor. An Estoreño Presbytery executive committee meeting was to take place Saturday morning, but apparently our first call beat them to it. (This committee is essentially their Guatemala-Crescent Hill mission task force.) Carlos had called Gerardo this past Monday to ask if he would be around Saturday morning and to ask for prayer for Shannon. Later Saturday morning Carlos called Gerardo back – probably during the middle of their meeting – and let him know also about the Kentuckiana flood damage and asked for prayers for flood survivors including church members. Folks thought it was important to know that we too face some problems they face – flooding – and to help burst any bubble they might have in their minds about trouble-free life in the United States.
Gerardo also reported that the Estoreño presbytery continued to struggle with growth, as they start new churches and try to better equip existing churches old and new. The last time we talked Gerardo had told us about their quest for roofing material for the mission church in El Chupon, west of El Estor, that his church, Arca de Noe, had helped start. (Later we talked more about issues roofing raised).
Gerardo also told us a little about Estoreño dialogues about the Acts 2 scripture we jointly studied in the spring leading up to Pentecost. Ellen and Carlos had found and adapted some Spanish-language materials about Pentecost and e-mailed this along with the Acts 2 scripture in Spanish (but not in Q’eqchi’). Roman Catholics originally developed those materials, and Carlos and Ellen had tried to delete clear Catholic references. However, a word that remained was ecumenical (or a related word). (Stephanie confessed she didn’t know what this meant: the original Greek means the inhabited world. In the United States this has come to mean interdenominational – although denomination is a U.S. term – and so it can be different branches of the church coming together.)
Much of the history and identity of Guatemalan evangelical Presbyterians is as NOT Catholic and NOT Mayan spirituality. Gerardo recounted that early on in his theological training a Guatemalan Presbyterian leader had warned that ecumenism – ecumenical activities – were to be avoided (almost like it was a bad word too). So he said seeing this raised red flags for some of the presbytery leaders. But, interestingly, Gerardo said they wanted to know more. Carlos and Ellen also said that ecumenism might be associated – in Guatemalans’ minds - with Catholicism or with left-wing guerillas (from the civil war period). Folks talked about trying (as with Pentecost) to find some Spanish-language material on ecumenism and/or identifying a scripture on which to focus. Gerardo, Carlos, Jane, and Ellen had talked on the phone about John 17, in which Jesus offered parting words about church unity. Ellen also suggested scripture passages from Galatians or Ephesians. The group ended up resolving to look for materials on ecumenismo while continuing to talk among ourselves and with the Estoreño folks about possible scripture passages.
(Perry also mentioned later that United Crescent Hill Ministries, the renegade Catholic congregation that worships in our sanctuary, and the conservative Southern Baptist takeover of Southern seminary all raise practical, local ecumenical issues for us. Later on the group also said we should ask Gerardo about any additional issues that the Estoreño folks’ study of Acts 2 raised.)
Gerardo said that the Estoreño Presbytery annual assembly would take place on from 10 a.m. Friday, September 18, through Saturday, September 19. The group talked with Gerardo and then with ourselves about having a fast and prayer vigil between 8 a.m. and 12 noon Saturday (at the start of the second day of the presbytery assembly), in the sanctuary, with a labyrinth/stations of the cross set-up as folks prayed for each of the congregations in the Estoreño presbytery (if not also for the Presbyterian Women and youth and young adult organizations or others?). Folks discussed the possibility of having people sign up so we make sure there were at least a few people at all times and the possibility of having a short worship service with a hymn and scripture reading at the end. (Earlier the group had talked about getting together to break the fast after the fast and vigil at a restaurant, but had rejected this since everyone would be coming at different times. With a short service, the lunch possibility might rear its head again.) The group talked about the significance of fasting and the vigil and the importance of educating Crescent Hill folks before and during the vigil about both of these: Guatemalan church groups regularly have fasts and prayer vigils. In spring 2009 on the wall of the Espiritu Santo church where both the 2007 and 2009 mission trips wound up was a schedule of dozens of fast during the rest of the year. Christians have fasted for centuries partly to empty ourselves so God can fill us with spiritual food. (I could use some help here.) Ana and Andrea, from the Worship Council, will be helping spearhead this event, which will need some education and publicity, starting in the September church newsletter.
Later the group talked about packaging the fast and prayer vigil as part of something like an extended, big GUATEMALA MISSION WEEKEND (other, more catchy names?). The group talked first about the arrival in Louisville of Dennis Smith, a PC(USA) mission co-worker in Guatemala who is an expert about Guatemalan religion and politics and wrote two pieces that the 2007 mission team read before or during the trip. Smith is one of a couple of hundred (?) mission co-workers coming to tour and speak around the United States in October (Ellen and Lora are helping put this together). Many of these are getting an early start on Tuesday, September 22. Smith, however, will fly into Louisville on Monday, September 21 (the Monday after the vigil), apparently partly to speak at Crescent Hill church. The group talked about whether Smith would speak in English or Spanish and English (probably in English only), but talked less about exactly when and where (Fireside Room?) Smith would speak and how the church would publicize it (probably outside the church community).(seminary? other churches? Spanish-speaking communities? university?) (Consultations with Patti and Jane seem in order.)
Later the group also talked about the possibility of inserting a third event into a Guatemala mission weekend: a Guatemalan Nazarene pastor, Delia (DAY-lee-uh) Leal (LAY-ahl) who Ellen knows, who has worked with Q’eqchi’ people, and whose brothers the military or allies killed during the civil war. The group talked about Pastor Delia – if it’s possible for her to fly to Louisville – preaching at church on Sunday, September 20. (Consulting with Jane would be key here too, and let’s keep in mind that Leal doesn’t speak English.)
Smith and perhaps Leal would be coming at the start of the month of mission co-workers touring around talking with congregations and presbyteries about their work. At the end of this month Presbyterian mission activists from around the country will meet up with these mission co-workers in Cincinnati, for a Mission Celebration and conference, Friday, October 23-Saturday, October 24. Before that big conference many of the mission networks will meet, and the Guatemala mission network will meet from Wednesday evening, October 21 (for a joint dinner with other Central American mission networks) through Thursday afternoon, October 22. The Guatemala mission network is made up of Presbyterians working with folks in Guatemala. Two years ago Soni and Perry connected with them in Louisville, and last November Ellen and Stephanie went to a mission network gathering in Guatemala. One of us (Perry) already plans to go to the mission network part of the event. Other might go – perhaps just for the day Thursday (since Cincinnati is about 1 ½ hours away by car – maybe even car pooling). Registration for the whole 24 hours of mission network events (which covers most food but not transportation or lodging) is $70.
The group also talked about another group of Presbyterians working with Guatemalans – the Amigos de K’ekchi group of congregations and presbyteries that works with Q’eqchi’ folks in particular. Last summer six Crescent folks participated in a Nashville gathering of this group. The group gathered again in Spokane this spring, and they have asked for Crescent Hill folks to participate in a steering committee. During the past week Crescent Hill folks received detailed notes from that meeting, and a summary is on the blog (at “Amigos de K'ekchi update”). Follow-up may be appropriate.
Ellen and Perry updated the group about goings-on in Guatemala and elsewhere (some detailed elsewhere in the blog): the political crisis in Guatemala, the coup in Honduras (that some Guatemalans want to emulate and that has endangered some Honduran community leaders), the hunger strike by parents of children whom people part of the Guatemalan adoption industry have kidnapped (started and finished), and the move of Crescent Hill friends Jeff and Soila from Guatemala through Honduras to Pennsylvania (that the U.S. government finally approved). Ellen said she feared for the safety of PC(USA) mission co-workers and their family members in Honduras. Carlos said he has a friend on the right in Guatemala, and he understands that these folks are planning for regime change in Guatemala, with or without the presidential election that comes up in some two years.
Perry reported that – in addition to a poster about the partnership in general in the Gathering Room – a bulletin board – with a new info sheet and new photos each week – has gone up in the Narthex. This past week Patti and Perry got off schedule and the bulletin and bulletin board clashed (Arca de Noe vs. Altar de Noe churches). But most weeks the bulletin and the bulletin board ask Crescent Hill folks to pray for the same church. Often Pastor Jane or whoever is leading church prayer time – sometimes with a prayer request card reminding them – leads prayer for that church, its pastor, and members. Perry said sometimes he also puts photos and info about that church up in FaceBook, which a number of church folks are on. Eva recently also suggested that the list of congregations that are to pray with also go back in the newsletter each month (for folks who don’t take home church bulletins). The group agreed that Crescent Hill should continue to go through each congregation each week, continuing to rotate. Ellen said this keeps the congregations at least in the back of folks’ minds. Up during the rest of August are: Espiritu Santo church, Monte Sinai church near Puerto Barrios, Livingston church, and Peniel church in Boqueron.
Soni also suggested the group have some photos available if the group continues to do phone conversations with Estoreño folks during the big meetings (so that everyone can picture who we’re talking with). Late in the gathering the group concurred that such phone conversations ought to continue – perhaps with a cell phone with a better speaker phone capacity – even though it’s hard for mediocre and non-Spanish speakers to keep up. Just being around for the conversation seems important.
During the June gathering the group had talked about being involved in a fall outreach event – either involving Latin American and Latino entertainment and/or aimed at our Spanish-speaking neighbors. But the group now thought enough events were planned. Perhaps some kind of kick-off event for the English as a second language activities will be in order.
Perry volunteered to draft a newsletter article, although it will be useful if some additional details can be included, but the group undertook no broader conversation about communicating with the congregation.
The group also talked a little about how a Louisville visit by Estoreño folks would go. Jane had suggested some follow-up about future visits, but – running overtime – the group did not get to this.
Perry mentioned that Outreach Council had talked about asking the Stewardship Council to raise money in worship in August again for water causes: Marion wells, Living Waters for the World, or Edge ministries. Some of us are less enthusiastic about raising money for people we don’t meet or follow up with, but the wells last summer triggered a lot of passion as Crescent Hill folks raised $3,000 plus. If Outreach pushed to do some August fund raising, is there any reason to raise money for roofs for church plants in Estoreño instead of for water projects? This triggered an interesting if longish discussion that ended with Martha suggesting the church (through a church school class) go through a Just Faith curriculum that raises questions about giving, charity, and relationship-building. To find out more see below:
http://www.justfaith.org/JF124.htmlThe group agreed that we would gather next at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, a week before the vigil, at Perry, Stephanie, and Vincent’s behind the Chenoweth Lane Heine Brothers in St. Matthews, at 3928 Kennison Avenue.
-- Perry
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