I am a cradle Presbyterian.  My parent’s met when my dad’s dad was the chair of the Pastor Nominating Committee at Riley Presbyterian Church, which called my mom’s dad to be their new pastor.  I’ve got deep Presbyterian roots on both sides of my family, and might be what one would call a dyed in the wool Presbyterian.

While some at HPC have a story similar to mine, many people who are part of our church community come from different backgrounds and are part of Heritage because it is home, not because it has the word Presbyterian after its name.  This seems to be true to a cultural shift we are experiencing.  More and more people do not choose a church out of denominational loyalty.  They just look for the church that is going to be the right fit for them.

It is because of this shift, that I often end up in conversations where others are wondering about why I am so loyal to the denomination that raised me, the PC(USA).  While there are many reasons for my commitment, I’ve lately been reminded what one of the biggest is.

Today, people from a number of churches in our Presbytery stopped by to drop off these clean-up buckets and hygiene kits, to be donated to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which is actively responding to the damage and loss caused by both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.  Last week, Sally Wright from our Presbytery office called and asked if we would be one of four collection sites for these kits in and around our metro area.  Sally and others are already actively working on putting together a volunteer delegation from our Presbytery to head to Texas as soon as PDA is up and ready to accept volunteer teams there.

I love being  a part of the PC(USA) because it is a connectional church and we are capable of doing so much more together than any one of our churches could do on our own.  The One Great Hour of Sharing special offering of our denomination that we collect each Easter is what funds in large part Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.  We are able to do incredible disaster relief ministry because we are connected one to another and combine our time, skills and resources to do ministry together that impacts the lives of so many.  In a time, when so many in our nation are suffering and in need of help, the importance of what God is able to do through us as part of the PC(USA) is made so clear.

I know many of you have already responded to the Hurricanes and wildfires currently effecting our nation.  If you are still looking for ways to help, here are a few:

• Preparing a Clean-up Bucket
• Preparing a Hygiene Kit
• Make a Monetary Donation to PDA
• If you would be interested in volunteering with the Heartland Presbyterian Delegation, let me know so I can keep you informed as plans develop.
• Continue to hold all effected up in prayer.

We will be collecting clean-up buckets and hygiene kits this Sunday, September 17th and possibly into next week.  Heartland Presbytery plans to either ship them to PDA or send them down with a group from one of our churches who would like to transport them.

I love being a part of a connectional church and seeing the ways God can work through the Body to spread Christ’s love, hope and peace in our world.

I can’t wait to share with you about another opportunity to partner with other Presbyterian brothers and sisters around our Metro area to serve our community.  Stay tuned to learn about an exciting day of service that will take place on Sunday, October 22nd, when we and five other Presbyterian congregations will move out into our community to…