Esperanza: Visions of Hope at PPC!

On Sunday, April 15, Pasadena Presbyterian Church began a very exciting, nine-week Adult Education Class. It's called "What Do You See? Visions of Hope at PPC."

On Sunday, our topic was "Visiones de una Nueva Esperanza," and PPC's English and Spanish speaking members explored the new Mission Plan together for Spanish Language Ministry. It is very exciting! The new Mission Plan has been drafted and presented to San Gabriel Presbytery with the help of Andrew Warner, Rubi Benitez, Andy Gutierrez, Fried Wilson, Paul Kang, and the Rev. Dr. Mark Smutny. San Gabriel Presbytery and Presbyterian Women have each pledged $50,000 over the next five years (a total of $100,000) to assist in funding a full-time pastoral position for Spanish Language Ministry. We are making a request that the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii pledge $50,000 toward this great effort as well. We give thanks to San Gabriel Presbytery, Presbyterian Women, and the leadership of Pasadena Presbyterian Church for making this possible.

With great excitement and hope, we list some of the objectives from the Mission Plan below:

1) Lead a dynamic, joyful Sunday morning worship service that proclaims the wonderful Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invites people into a grace-filled, loving relationship with Jesus through Pasadena Presbyterian Church and sends them out renewed, healed, and filled with hope.

2) Nurture a new partnership between the women of PPC's Spanish-Language Ministry and Presbyterian Women of PPC.

3) Develop a person-to-person evangelism program whereby church members personally invite family and friends to attend church.

4) Train and equip new church leaders with skills in Presbyterian governance, organizing and leading meetings, and gaining confidence in speaking and writing.

5) Engage the congregation in ministries of social witness, advocacy, and education, especially on issues of immigration and the undocumented, giving a human face to real people who are affected by these issues.

6) Feed the hungry through the God Loves You Food Ministry and provide additional physical, spiritual, and emotional support, as well as to the families that PPC assists.

7) Mentor children and youth academically and spiritually through a "Covenant Partners" program, where adults are paired with young people tutoring them in math, English, and other subjects, and provide them with spiritual guidance.

8) Train youth and adults in financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills to enable them to discover their God-given gifts; and to help them succeed in a competitive global economy.

9) Extend PPC's long and rich tradition of music to a new generation of Latino children and youth, in the hopes that many of them will discover their God-given talents in music.