We should have a meeting of our group prior to the next general meeting to discuss logistics for the trip.  I would like to propose Saturday morning, Feb 23 at 9:00 AM.  Does anyone have a conflict on that date and time?  

Let Rick know of your availability... Check your email for his message and "reply all"

Most of the 22 people planning on  going on the church's June mission trip to Costa Rica gathered at the church Saturday morning, 2 February. After a brief introduction to the intent of the meetings we will be having, Matt led us in a reflection on God, God's mission, and our mission. He structured his discussion around three passages from the Gospel of John -

            1: 1-4  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

En el principio ya existia la Palabra; y aquel que es la Palabra estaba con Dios y era Dios. Él estaba en el principio con Dios. Pro medio de él, Dios hizo todas las cosas; nada de lo que existe fue echo sin él. En él estaba la vida, y la vida era la luz de la humanidad.

3: 16-17  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, god did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Pues Dios amó tanto al mundo, que dio a su Hijo único, pare que todo aquel  que cree en él no muera, sino que tenga vida eterna. Porque Dios no envió a su Hijo al mundo para condenar al mundo, sino para salvarlo.

            1: 14  And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

Aquel que es la Palabra se hizo hombre y vivió entre nosotros, lleno de amor y verdad. Y hemos visto su gloria, la Gloria que come Hijo único recibió del Padre.

We closed out our reflection with a look at some of the denomination's recent writings on the place and central meaning of mission in our church. 

The Good News of Jesus Christ is to be shared with the whole world. As disciples of 

Jesus Christ each of us in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is sent into the world to 

join God's mission. As individuals and as a church we are called to be faithful to this

discipleship. Our mission is centered in the triune God. Our mission is God-called, 

Christ-centered, and Spirit-led. Our mission is both proclamation and service. It is 

the reason the church exists.... 

The church is part of God's plan. We are called into the community of the church, 

and we call new disciples into that community. With Christ as our head, the church

community exists for the sake of God's mission. We learn to serve in mission in a 

way that is faithful to the triune God. We are to model the kind of community God 

intends for all humanity. To be the church is to be one large mission society.

Matt left us with two ideas to ponder: 

   How is my faith the story of God's mission to me?

   How is my participation in this trip a part of God's continuing mission to the world?

During the rest of the morning we were provided an introduction to some aspects of culture as they may be reflected in the behavior of people "different" from us, we had a short Spanish lesson, we had a chance to sample some tipico Tico food, discussed some of the

    

social justice challenges in Costa Rica, and discussed how we would organize to get ready for the trip. There will be three on-going planning groups: fundraising, interpretation, and logistical planning. Following the meeting we adjourned downstairs to build the sub sandwiches to be sold the next day - our first fundraising event!