Refresh. Reconnect. Reaffirm. St. Stephen All-Church Retreat at Mo Ranch Labor Day Weekend – August 30 – September 1, 2014 The ad hoc Communications and… Read More »Refresh. reconnect. Reaffirm. SSPC All Church Retreat at Mo Ranch!
Due to localized flooding, today’s orientation meeting for Room In The Inn is postponed. The new date will be determined in upcoming days. The summer… Read More »Room In The Inn Orientation postponed
I will be away from June 12-18 to attend the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly in Detroit. I will be there not as a delegate, but as an advocate, hoping to dissuade commissioners from voting in favor of divesting from, boycotting, or sanctioning Israel and businesses supporting it. Those who promote boycott, divestment, and sanctions (called “the BDS movement”) are good-hearted people outraged by the plight of Palestinians in the occupied territories. Unfortunately, sanctions on Israel are not a solution to the problem and reflect a misunderstanding of the situation on the ground. Furthermore, for our church to promote such sanctions will only further alienate our Jewish friends in the United States while doing little or nothing to advance us to a positive role in promoting peace in the Middle East. To take such a position undermines the very nature of Presbyterian peacemaking: we are a reconciling community, not one that chooses sides.Read More »PC(USA) Sanctions Against Israel Are the Wrong Way to the Right Answer
Briten Up Your Summer!! All Adult Classes are Combined as Brite Divinity Professors and Brite Doctoral Students Share Their Knowledge Summer Long!! June 1 – August 17; … Read More »Briten Up Your Summer, Adult Lecture Series Each Sunday Morning
Youthful Pioneers On Mission to Change Themselves and Their Destinations
By Beth Fultz, Director of Christian Education
Over Memorial Day Weekend, I had the opportunity to return to the Kansas City area gathering more information on the Youth Mission Trip for our return July 19 – 26. My original goal for the trip was to venture to Omaha, Nebraska, for the wedding of Angela Rose, a youth member from my last church assignment in Plano, over nine years ago. Thankfully, Dolores Morgan, Business Manager at St. Stephen, was free to be my travel companion as we took five days to journey the routes of Olathe, Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas; Omaha, Nebraska, and Oklahoma City – home of my younger brother. On our journey we took in scenic beauty of the American Plains, observed historical routes, played the license plate game (only 13 shy of 50 states), stopped at hometown bookstores, and met with personnel at all four church sites for the Youth Mission Trip.
Arriving in Olathe at First Presbyterian Church, I realized again that this church lay on the historic Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails. The Oregon and California Trails began when pioneers sought new opportunities and new homes. They headed out of St. Louis on river boats to Independence, Missouri, where they boarded wagon trains and headed west. Most of the seekers were shopkeepers and farmers hit hard by the economic times of 1837. Their journey lasted over 2,000 miles and 90% of those who ventured, gained.
The Santa Fe Trail was a two-way commercial route for settlers in the Mexican territory to retrieve supplies. A frontiersman, William Bucknell, took off to trade with the Indians and wound up in Santa Fe. The purpose of this 750 mile trade route was profit not homesteading.Read More »Youthful Pioneers On Mission to Change Themselves And Their Destinations
Further Insights from My Recent Middle East Trip
By Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, TX
This June, I will be attending the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly meeting in Detroit, MI. I’m not going as a delegate, but rather as an advocate. I will be trying to convince commissioners to vote “no” to the several motions that will be before the assembly this year to use economic sanctions and other tools to punish Israel for its occupation of the West Bank. I will be there in cooperation with an organization called “Presbyterians for Middle East Peace” (PFMEP), whose stated mission is to promote investment in peace rather than divestment in Israel. They sponsored my trip this past February to Israel and the PalestinianTerritories. It was an eye-opening trip that confirmed my opinion that boycotting, divesting, or sanctioning Israel is a bad idea for Jewish-Christian relations, Palestinians and Israelis, and peace in the Middle East. Read More »Presbyterians and Middle East Peace
Youth Mission Trip, July 19 – 26, 2014, Kansas City & Olathe, KS Projects: United Church of the Good Shepherd (PCUSA)- Painting, Waxing, Parking Lot Striping, &… Read More »Youth Mission Trip to Kansas City, Kansas, July 19 – 26
STUCK (LIKE A DOPE) ON A THING CALLED HOPE!
Luke 24.13-35 1 Peter 3.13-22
Warner M. Bailey
The road to Easter travels from ugliness to beauty; from sadness to joy. The road to Easter travels from loneliness to community; from separateness to family; from being scattered to being gathered together again. The road to Easter travels from subsisting off of dead traditions to living by Scriptures that flame up in your hearts. The road to Easter travels from hopes, dashed to the depths, to the heights of hopes unheard of; from the abyss of cynicism toward life in a reborn commitment to live fully because, after all is said and done, it is worth the living.
This is road down which the Easter message traveled when disciples made the trip from Jerusalem to Emmaeus and back again. Their body language gave away how much they were crushed inside. When Jesus asked them what was going on, to give an account of themselves, all they could do was to tell him of how their hopes had been ripped out of their hearts. When Jesus began opening the Scriptures to them in a way they had never heard them explained before, their hearts began to flame up in a strange new way. When they asked Jesus into their home and gave him hospitality, he helped them in the breaking of the bread to make the final connection that the message of resurrection was indeed true. Immediately they got up from the dinner table and walked half the night back to Jerusalem to gather again with the disciples in the intensity of that first Easter’s joy. “We have seen the Lord in the breaking of the bread!”
Our Epistle Lesson today challenges us: “Always be ready to give an account of the hope that is within you.” Disciples on the road to Emmaeus were no-count in the category of hope, could give no account of hope. Only by Jesus making a home with them through Word and Sacrament did their hearts flame with hope and they desire to return to be with God’s people. Read More »Stuck (Like a Dope) on a Thing Called Hope!
Dear Parents! We are learning to put our VBS and Music Day Camp forms online. Currently you may find them by this link: http://f89.5d0.myftpupload.com/music-camp-registration/ http://f89.5d0.myftpupload.com/vbs-registration/… Read More »Vacation Bible School & Music Camp Forms Online!
ROOM IN THE INN (RITI) — A Meaningful Connection to the Homeless
by Mike Tyson
One of my more rewarding volunteer activities this year was spending the morning of April 3rd at the Homeless Connect at First Presbyterian Church. This is an annual event where the homeless in Fort Worth can receive on-the-spot services ranging from health care to assistance with food, housing and jobs.
It was my good fortune to work as an appointment taker at the haircutting station, where up to 20 hair stylists volunteered their time to transform completely the image of more than 100 homeless clients. Many hair stylists took “selfies” with their clients who not only sported a new look, but a huge smile!
One of the best things about participating in this event was seeing many of our friends who have been guests at RITI this past year. After an exchange of greetings, they always asked, “How is everyone at St. Stephen?” generally followed by, “I miss seeing you each week and look forward to returning to St. Stephen this summer.”
Which brings me to the subject of sharing the RITI volunteer experience with you:
I became involved in RITI last summer, shortly after joining SSPC. RITI has been significant to me—not only because it has provided a meaningful connection to the issue of homelessness by giving it faces, names and life stories that could be any of ours—but also because it has built friendships with SSPC members with common concerns. This is an important mission of St. Stephen, and I encourage you to do yourself a favor by getting involved.
In case you’re not familiar—RITI is our outreach project to homeless in our community. During the hottest and coldest months of the year, our guests are provided a comfortable place to sleep in a friendly environment, as well as a good dinner and breakfast the following morning. The summer session of Room in the Inn will begin Tuesday, July 1 and will continue each Tuesday evening/ Wednesday morning through August 26/ 27.
Read More »Room in the Inn (RITI) – A Meaningful Connection to the Homeless by Mike Tyson
