How can we be more effective in our mission? Where have we gone wrong? What practices and partnerships serve our mission goals?

Articles tucked within the January 31, 2022 issue of The Presbyterian Outlook offer ideas about these questions and other topics.

“This issue rethinks the church’s mission work and embraces a position of cultural humility,” states the “in focus” summary of the issue contents. “Mission committees will find help and hope in how they can contribute to Christ’s ministry in meaningful ways.”

Teaching elders and congregational leaders within the Presbytery of Lake Michigan can access digital copies of The Presbyterian Outlook through a subscription provided by the presbytery. New editions are distributed at least once monthly to each congregation via an email address that the presbytery set up.

Articles included in the January 31, 2022, issue include:

  • Making mission matter: Four steps to strengthen your mission committee – Includes thoughts about each step, questions to consider as a group and resources for additional study.
  • The four “R’s” of partnership: What we can learn from our community partners – Considers how engaging righteousness, relationships, resources and response in partnership allows God to be vast.
  • Five hidden superpowers of congregational missional leaders – Examines the difference between charitable giving and mission participation then provides ideas about how to shift towards creating a “round table” where gifts are shared and needs met.
  • The antidote to share and pride when participating in God’s mission – Explores how admitting we do not know it all allows participation in God’s mission.

Archived digital copies of The Presbyterian Outlook may be found in the password-protected Presbytery Records folder, along with a host of other information and resources tucked there by the Presbytery of Lake Michigan. Click here or go to the “Documents” tab at https://lakemichiganpresbytery.org/ to find a link to the folder.

To access the folder, key the unique email assigned by the presbytery as the user name and then the password set by the pastor, clerk of session and/ or administrative staff person. If someone in that team cannot access the Presbytery Records folder, they should contact the presbytery’s tech manager, Kristen Schell, at tech@lakemichgianpresbytery.org for help.