Workshops

Different groups of Crescent Hill mission team members helped lead three different workshops in El Estor. Among those there were pastors and other church leaders participating in the first week of a theological training institute and elders and deacons from various churches. Two of the workshops team members had planned in advance; one was planned more or less on the spot.

On Sunday afternoon, the half a dozen women mission team members led workshop with a couple of dozen Guatemalan women. Operating primarily in Spanish and Q’eqchi’, they created silly-putty figures of how they God operating in their lives, and talked about these. Afterwards, some of the men joined in as women representing women at each of Estoreño Presbytery’s churches received a box of Q’eqchi’ Bibles that presbytery leaders had bought with money Crescent Hill had sent.

On Monday morning a group of mission team members led a church leadership led a church leadership workshop with pastors, elders, deacons, and some women from most of the presbytery’s churches. The leaders present split into groups (each with Crescent Hill and Estoreño folks) and acted out the stories of different leaders in the Bible (including, for example, Noah and the Good Samaritan), using Looking for Lilith/Faith Stories principles learned in part in the workshop Jennifer Thalman Kepler and Shannon Wooley had led with the team in June. A general church leadership discussion ensued.

On Tuesday morning, a small group of mission team members led a church history workshop. Peter led the way with a world map and long butcher-paper time line that started with the birth of the church at Pentecost , continued with the Reformation, described the rise of the Presbyterian church in the United States and Guatemala, and ended with the founding of the World Council of Reformed Churches. The seminary professor in town for the theological training institute, of which this workshop formed the second session, added important detail and questions and comments followed.

 - Perry