Learning new ways to be Christian, deepening our spiritual life, and engaging in transcontinental mission are three core elements of the three-year-old partnership between Crescent Hill church and eastern Guatemala’s Q’eqchi’ Estoreño Izabal Presbytery. Visits, prayer support, exchange of news, and joint or parallel Bible study and theological reflection, as well as a couple of Guatemala building improvement projects, have been important partnership activities. Spanish-language worship, Spanish-language Bible study, a Spanish class, an English language learners teaching ministry, and prayer vigils have been local Crescent Hill activities that have emerged as extensions of Guatemala partnership activities.
In summer 2009 a Crescent Hill mission team visited most of the congregations that form the Estoreño Presbytery and helped construct a partnership covenant that the Estoreño Presbytery executive committee and the Crescent Hill session subsequently approved. The covenant called for a 2012 review of the partnership. Although Crescent Hill and Estoreño representatives have gathered twice outside of the Guatemalans’ home area since then, no Crescent Hill representatives have visited Izabal since 2009. A possible Crescent Hill Guatemala mission trip would offer invaluable opportunities for: (1) formal review of the partnership: (2) discussions about possible shared mission efforts and Bible study; (3) visits to Estoreño congregations that Crescent Hill folks have not visited before; and (4) formation of the first intergenerational Crescent Hill Guatemala mission team since 2009.
Estoreño and Crescent Hill representatives have been discussing possible July trip dates. The task force might allocate some of the existing partnership funds to the trip, supplemented by contributions by the team members and additional fund-raising, which the task force asks the Outreach Council and session to bless. The task force will put on a Sunday lunchtime educational program about the trip, in advance, to widen interest and possible participation. In addition, the task force will keep Crescent Hill folks updated about trip plans and the actual trip through the partnership blog and Facebook, and return to share with the congregation via the newsletter and a special themed worship service.
-Perry
In summer 2009 a Crescent Hill mission team visited most of the congregations that form the Estoreño Presbytery and helped construct a partnership covenant that the Estoreño Presbytery executive committee and the Crescent Hill session subsequently approved. The covenant called for a 2012 review of the partnership. Although Crescent Hill and Estoreño representatives have gathered twice outside of the Guatemalans’ home area since then, no Crescent Hill representatives have visited Izabal since 2009. A possible Crescent Hill Guatemala mission trip would offer invaluable opportunities for: (1) formal review of the partnership: (2) discussions about possible shared mission efforts and Bible study; (3) visits to Estoreño congregations that Crescent Hill folks have not visited before; and (4) formation of the first intergenerational Crescent Hill Guatemala mission team since 2009.
Estoreño and Crescent Hill representatives have been discussing possible July trip dates. The task force might allocate some of the existing partnership funds to the trip, supplemented by contributions by the team members and additional fund-raising, which the task force asks the Outreach Council and session to bless. The task force will put on a Sunday lunchtime educational program about the trip, in advance, to widen interest and possible participation. In addition, the task force will keep Crescent Hill folks updated about trip plans and the actual trip through the partnership blog and Facebook, and return to share with the congregation via the newsletter and a special themed worship service.
-Perry
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