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07474 August 1, 2007
Mission pastors to consider 'the shape of things to come' November gathering to be held in Louisville
by Jerry Van Marter Presbyterian News Service
Editor's note: Information for this story furnished by the Rev. Jim Milley, APMP president and associate pastor for outreach and equipping at La Canada (CA) Presbyterian Church.
LOUISVILLE - With the world and its churches changing rapidly, the Association of Presbyterian Mission Pastors [http://www.missionpastor.org/] (APMP) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will gather here this fall to discuss the challenges facing congregations engaged in global outreach.
The annual gathering of the group - which brings together more than 90 pastors and leaders of local and global mission outreach in PC(USA) congregations around the country - will take place Nov. 28-30 at the downtown Holiday Inn here.
The theme of this year's gathering is "The Shape of Things to Come: Preparing for Our Role in God's Work." Organizers say the opportunity to "compare notes" with mission pastors from other congregations can be invaluable. "Each church has its own mission DNA," said Melissa Brown, director of missions for Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston. "It is good for us to step out of our familiar environments and experience new and different ideas. It keeps us focused on what the Lord wants us to do!" That idea sharing helps forge friendships and creates an important network of colleagues. "Those very same people, throughout the year, become my go-to folks when I have a question about some aspect of mission ministry, or I wish to share an opportunity for joint partnership," said Marilyn Borst, director of global ministry for Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.
"As we come together as a group, we seek to continually redefine as well as practice the best strategies for lifting up, to our congregations, how God is at work in our cities and around the world," she said, "and how we can join Him." Among the featured speakers is the Rev. David Zac Niringiye, associate bishop of the Kampala Diocese in Uganda and a veteran of more than two decades of missionary work in Africa. Other featured speakers include Tim Dearborn, associate director for faith and development at World Vision International; the Rev. Steve Hayner, associate professor of evangelism and church growth at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA; and the Rev. Mark Labberton, pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA.
Beyond the lectures and discussions, the APMP Conference is valued for the professional rejuvenation it provides for those who attend. "Every year at APMP, my soul gets a spiritual boost that helps me keep going the rest of the year," said APMP President Jim Milley, associate pastor for outreach and equipping at La Canada (CA) Presbyterian Church. "I come away from APMP each year with the feeling of having a family, a place where I am understood and valued." The Rev. Tom Theriault, associate pastor for missions and outreach at Solana Beach (CA) Presbyterian Church, has had similar experiences.
"I always leave challenged in my mission thinking and full of promising ideas for the mission program of my church," he said. "And even better are the warm and stimulating friendships made and nurtured each year.
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