PCJH Pinnacle Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2022 VOL 14

PINNACLE

Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole

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Quarterly Newsletter I VolUME no 14 WINTER 2022

where are we being sent?

senD it

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SENT BY THE SENDING GOD

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being sent to france pg.12

to be a c o m m u n i ty, Rooted in Christ, reaching out in love

Table of Contents Volume NO 14 I winter 2022

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The great modern German theologian Karl Barth said, “The gathered life of the Church is for the sent life.” What does this actually mean? Who is sending us? Where are we being sent? What does being "sent" look like? All these are incredibly important questions and conversations to have. In the following pages, we are privileged to hear from people all over the world who wrestle with this very concept in their particular contexts. As you read, be challenged and encouraged to know that the God of love is a God who sends and who is sending you, me, and PCJH on a beautiful mission.

May God bless us all on this amazing journey.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” u Acts 1:8

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THE CHURCH: A SENT PEOPLE

~ Re v. Ben Pascal

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sent to children

~ Dylan Wade

sent to serve our community

~ Sayre Jorgenson

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sent to teenagers

~ Alli Lane

sent to the poor

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~ Bob Kopp

sent to those in need

~ Laura Soltau

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sent to the national parks

~ Ste ve Iobst

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sent to serve jackson

~ Lucy Webb

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SENT BY THE SENDING GOD

~ Re v. Dr. Darrell Guder

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Being sent to france

~ Re v. Tamara Mitchell

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get to know us

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pcjh.org calendar for updates as all PCJH events subject to change due to COVID �

DECEMBER 8~ th

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Christmas Caroling at Wednesday Take-out Dinner

10AM-3PM

Arts, Crafts & Food Festival

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FEBRUARY

JANUARY 9~

11:30 am pcjh sanctuary TH

Ordination & Installation of Elders and Deacons

Check pcjh.org/events/ often for calendar updates. Simply use your smart phone to scan below with ease!

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Annual Congregational Meeting

Encounter Storytelling Event

Christmas Cantata & Pageant dahlquist chapel

Blue Christmas Service

Scan  QR CODE above

PCJH Offices Closed

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for ongoing

CALENDAR UPDATES

Christmas Eve th

services

calendar @pcjh.org/events

Services th

4:30 PM @ PCJH

in person & Live stream

5:00 PM @ JHMR

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Hotel Terra in teton village in person

6:15 PM @ PCJH in person

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4:30PM Livestream Christmas Eve Service Available in your homes

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t C h r i s tma s tim e w e wi l l a l l l ik e ly give and receive gifts. Many of us in Jackson Hole who live far away from family will send our gifts in the mail. What would happen if we didn’t send our gifts? The answer is simple.

The person the gift was intended for would never receive it. In order for someone to receive the gift, it must be sent. So it is with the gift of the gospel: God’s love for humanity. The gospel is meant to be sent and we, as Jesus’ disciples, are the mail couriers.

After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to the disciples.

It is recorded in the Gospel of John 19:21 that Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

These words are still words for us today in the 21st century. When we give our life to Jesus and begin to walk with him as his disciple, he will challenge and encourage us to be sent into the world with his message of hope and love. That is our vocation as the Church. We are a sent people! Our faith is not a private individual gift. It is a public communal gift. We are sent in Jesus’ name to a world in great need of faith, hope and love.

The Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, spoke of being sent too. Isaiah 6:8 says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

May we too be like Isaiah. Our Lord is looking for people who are willing to be sent. As disciples of Jesus may we say, “Here am I. Send me!” Send me into the lives of my family so that I can share God’s loving care and forgiveness; send me into my neighborhood so that I can be a light of hope; send me into the schools so that I can walk alongside young people; send me into the hospitals so that I can care for the sick; send me into the jails so that I can visit those who are imprisoned; send me into public service so that I can serve my neighbors and the stranger; send me into business so that I can bring Jesus’ values and ethics into the marketplace; send me into the government arena so that I can craft and administer laws that are just and good. Send me!

Where and how are you being sent in Jesus’ name? If not now, when? If not you, who? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

After Jesus told the disciples that he was sending them out into the world, it is recorded in the Gospel of John 19:22, “And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” We must remember that we are sent not only in Jesus’ name, but also in the power of the Spirit. Pray for the Spirit to be upon you; to give you the wisdom, courage and kindness as you are sent, so that all you do, whether in word or deed, is done for the good of humanity and to the glory of God.

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In this Pinnacle edition you will learn and reflect on what it means to be a sent people. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ you are being sent. If you are a member of PCJH you are being sent. Where and how are you being sent in Jesus’ name? If you would like to discuss this further, please reach out to Pastor Tammy or me or any of the wonderful authors included in this Pinnacle edition.

This Christmas may we all reflect on the Church as the sent people of God. I am forever grateful that our Heavenly Father sent the gift of Jesus to Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, as a baby lying in the manger. What would have happened if God had never sent Him? May we follow in his footsteps as people who are witnesses to God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Here am I. Send me! ✝

~ Rev. Ben Pascal

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sent to teenagers /send/ verb. past tense: sent cause to go or be taken to a particular destination C l o s e y o u r e y e s a n d t r y to r e m e mb e r what it was like to be in high school. For some, high school was the best years of their life; friends, sports, new freedoms and exciting adventures to come. But for many, high school is dark, lonely and filled with anxiety about how to navigate social and academic pressures. Now add in social media and a divided culture.

Who would want to enter that teenage chaos?

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I do.

I am standing in the ‘Rotunda’ at Jackson Hole High School with loud music blaring and flashing strobe lights all around while watching 300 teenagers jump up and down with their fists in the air on a Saturday night in October. This is the scene of the annual homecoming dance that I have volunteered to chaperone for many years. I often ask myself, “Why on earth are you at the high school at 10:30pm on a weekend? Don’t you have better things to do?”

3 1 ACMNP led Gondola Worship service at JHMR 2 Youth mission week,

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clean up 3 Bob Kopp in Nicaragua 4 ALLI LANE and friends 5 PCJH MISSION—operation christmas child 6 Dylan wade encouraging JOY Summer camp excitment

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I really love teenagers. And when you love someone, you GO to where they are. Just the simple act of showing up communicates you care.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” —Theodore Roosevelt Kelsey was one of those girls. I met her when she was a sophomore. She was dating a guy that came to Young Life and it took her almost a year and a half to realize I cared. After �

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A SENT PEOPLE

showing up in her life over and over, she agreed to talk. I just asked her questions about her life and it was clear she was struggling; depression, anxiety, relationship tension, the list goes on. I later found out she was on the verge of suicide.

Over time, we had many conversations about faith, God, church and what it means to follow Jesus.

And that is why I am sent into the crazy, weird, awkward and sometimes awfully sad teenage culture - to let teenagers know I care, and ultimately that Jesus cares too!

ALLI Lane is the Area Director of Young LIfe and mission partner of PCJH. She and husband Colter Lane proud parents of Dillon (2) and Lucy (1). She loves skiing and playing hockey.

sent to those in need Like many of my daily prayers, it is from a song. The hymn was written by Dan Shutte based on Isaiah, and the lyrics are: “Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” ~ Isaiah 6:8 I was moved to tears knowing God was calling me. After I registered these words and his call, I stood still. Frozen.

And let me stop there. I don’t want that to sound arrogant or for you to think I am special in some way. I want to gently remind you that God is calling all of us! Daily. I sometimes catch myself assuming that the idea of “being called” or “sent” refers to drastic, life changing events- like being called into ministry. But these daily calls from God can be as simple as reaching out to someone God has placed on your heart. Those little actions make big ripples.

On that day in high school, my first memory of being called, I went through the gamut of emotions. This is the same, consistent emotional roller coaster I still must push through when I feel that I am being sent by God to serve.

I first feel fear. What does it mean to go or be sent?

Where will this lead? Will this call require sacrificing my comfort, changing the way I live? I fear change, I fear ridicule, then I fear failure. What if I can’t do it? This is a fear I still struggle with.

Then I usually move to self-doubt and lack of confidence in my skills and worth. My immediate family are all gifted healthcare workers. I grew up with and sometimes still fall back on this idea of missions being related to medical aid. In high school I remember being confused on what I could offer? Even now when I feel called, I question what I can bring to others. I think of the beautiful

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voices that fill our sanctuary on Sundays and the gifts those musicians have been called to share. I think of the delicious meals that are shared on Wednesday evenings or have been shared with my family during times of need. I can’t sing at all, and my cooking skills are definitely still in the developing stages! What can I give?

Finally, after pushing through those emotions attempting to keep me stagnant, I am always filled with amazement, wonder, pride and gratitude. God is calling ME! He sees me, He loves me, and He wants to use me.

God has sent all of us to Earth to serve those around us and to make a positive impact.

What can I offer others?

I can listen to those who need a friend, and I can listen and value the stories of those around me.

I can welcome people into my home.

I can give my time to serve those around me, in our community and around the world.

I can speak and help amplify the voices of those who are silenced, who need to be heard.

I can love.

I am continually inspired by the way our church family is sent to serve those around us. I love that the depth of this mission holds a foundation with our local neighbor and community, but it extends beyond that to our nation and our world.

As we embrace this holiday season, for many of us it is filled with joy and blessings. And at the same time this season may bring pain, grief and struggles to some of our neighbors. God has sent us to care for His people and to follow Jesus’ example to care for ALL of his people.

Will you join me and hold me accountable in getting out of my comfort zone this season and in 2022? Let’s help each other remember that we have been sent to this world for doing the work alongside us, and providing comfort behind us. Thank you to this church family who has served me and my family in so many ways and inspired me to continue hearing God’s call.

Here I am, Lord! ~1 Peter 4:10-11 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen

LAURA Soltau PCJH Elder for Mission and Executive Director of Teton Literacy Center.

Laura and her husband, Will, have lived in Jackson for 14 years. They have two boys, Scott (6) and Jack(4) keeping them busy.

sent to children When I look back at how I got to where I am today, it is awesome to see where God guided me along the way, mostly without me knowing it at the time. I had a rock solid plan once I finished my senior year of college. I was going to be a scientist, a molecular botanist to be precise.

I would go to graduate school, get my masters degree, head straight to my doctoral/postdoctoral degrees, and eventually end up as a professor of molecular botany at a college or university. Before attending the University of Wyoming for a masters in Botany, I needed cash and something to do in the summer.

A good friend of mine in college kept raging about this amazing Christian camp outside of Yosemite in California.

I was a new Christian, thought California was the coolest place ever, and had never been to Yosemite. So why not?

After an interview or two, Yosemite-Sierra Summer Camp hired me as a boat driver and lifeguard. A few weeks before I flew out to California, the camp asked if I would also run the nature center at the camp and lead campers in a nature activity. I said yes, and that “yes” changed my career path and discipleship path forever.

It took several years for me to understand my plan to be a college professor was not necessarily God’s plan, at least not yet. From then until now, I believe I am sent to minister to kids and to minister to those who are to minister to kids. Perhaps some day, the Lord will send me to reach college students. However, this is where I am called now and I’m so thankful. The joy I found teaching campers about newts, snakes, and Ponderosa Pine cones had a huge impact on me.

I discovered I had a purpose and connection to kids.

As I wrestled with this new reality, God was sending me mentors who showed me how to follow Christ. They modeled for me what it was like to connect to others and show them God’s love. As a result, God was sending me to show kids how to follow Jesus Christ. God’s sending plan has continued to enrich and transform my life in countless ways.

One of my roles at PCJH is to be the director of JOY Summer Camp. In this role I continue to feel that my purpose is to build relationships with kids, but I have also found I have been sent to connect with those who minister to kids. One of the hardest parts of this job is to find counselors and program staff for the summer; however, it is also the most rewarding. Each member of the JOY team “is sent” to our program having traveled on a different path, coming from near and far, all having different life experiences. Some are a little older, some a little younger, each with different abilities and talents,which allow them to connect with just the right kinds of campers at just the right moment. They were sent to minister

to JOY campers by God. I and the leadership team are in the awesome position to help them do just that. Camp is a place where this joy of connection happens everyday through a collection of sent people. Through this camp experience, I feel I see a piece of heaven on earth, which I believe is the whole point of being sent in the first place.

What do you feel God is sending you to do?

DYLAN WADE and Catherine have three children, Robby, Charlotte, and Lily, and have been members of PCJH since 2015. Dylan is PCJH Children's Ministry Coordinator.

sent to serve our communitiy My name is Sayre Jorgenson, and I've lived in Jackson all my life. I enjoy playing volleyball, skiing and simply walking around in our beautiful town. I have attended PCJH since I was born and truly can call it home.

Through my years of attending PCJH I have heard the phrase “sent from God” quite a few times. To me, this phrase means that the believers of God are here to carry out and pass on God's work and Word. It means that we can take what we have learned from the Bible and the stories told about God, and help others with the goodness in our hearts.

Along with going to church all my life, I have also participated in lots of PCJH activities. One of which was PCJH’s middle school mission week, which is a summer camp led by Liz Collins and Catherine Morahan. I have gone to this camp 3 years in a row, and this past summer, I was a student leader. It's a full week of community service and learning to help others. It truly is amazing.

During those weeks, I can feel God’s presence watching over me like I know He always is. Some of the community projects we participated in include, picking up trash around town, helping out Jackson Hole Food and Rescue, playing charades with the elderly, reading books to kids at Teton Literacy, and cooking food for the Good Samaritan Mission.

The most amazing thing about the camp is seeing how it impacts the people we help. We get to see big smiles and grateful nods from people who have been serving the community for decades. It's wonderful being able to give back to them. You also get to see how it affects the kids in the camp. Most of them are there because their parents signed them up, but as the week goes on, it's amazing to see how they shape into good �

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Samaritans and disciples of God, sent to carry out his Word. Although the camp starts out seeming like just another summer camp, it ends up being an experience that causes you to realize just how lucky you are. So, in the end, if you started the week off not knowing what being “sent from God” felt like, the gracious faces and praising words from the people you were fortunate enough to help, showed you that being “sent from God”, is a privilege and can shape you into a more caring and selfless disciple.

Sayre Jorgenson 9th grade student at Jackson Hole High School Favorite Subjects: Engineering and History Hobbies: Volleyball, skiing and friends

sent to the poor What is “Poverty”? I thought I would start at the dictionary definition which reads “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions”. I found this to be surprising in its reference to “socially acceptable”. I had to ask myself, “what would that benchmark be here in Jackson?”

Given where we live, it is very easy to lose perspective on what true poverty is. In his recent visit to Jackson, Alberto Solano, the President of Agros International, reminded us that at some point in all of our pasts our family was poor. The only difference between us and those that remain poor is the opportunity to escape poverty. In other words, do we realize how blessed we are?

Gaining perspective on poverty is not only difficult given where we live, but also very uncomfortable. As Mary Chapin Carpenter sings in one of her songs referencing the homeless “we give a dollar when we pass and hope our eyes won’t meet”. We have all been there - hoping to buy away our disease.

My trips to Central America with Agros have forced me to make my eyes meet the eyes of the poor and see what true poverty is. Blue tarps for a roof, children going hungry when the beans and rice run out, babies being born without medical care, no opportunity for education. And the list goes on and on.

But I have also seen what happens when the poor are presented with an opportunity that they never thought would be given to them. In one of our first visits to Tierra Nueva, an elder of the village said they now had to learn to live with hope that never existed before. People are moving

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along the Agros Path to Prosperity; from being without a home and experiencing constant food insecurity to achieving a relative level of prosperity, but certainly not “socially acceptable” by our standards. However, spending time with these people certainly makes one reevaluate these standards. Visiting the concrete block home of a villager who tells you that this is her “dream home”. Seeing a 70 year old man carrying a 40 pound bag of coffee he grew with a smile on his face. Having lunch in a villager’s home and having the children tell us what they want to be when they grow up. Seeing the pride and happiness on the parents’ faces when their children are attending school. All things we take for granted in most of our lives.

However, we do not have to travel to Central America, Haiti or Africa to learn more about poverty and to help create that life-changing opportunity to break the chain of generational poverty. Even amidst the great wealth of Teton County people are going to bed hungry and living in substandard conditions. Writing a check can provide much needed funds, but is that the only way out? Are there opportunities for any of us to meet the eyes of the poor and provide them with assistance? What would this service do to challenge and enhance our perspective and appreciation for the blessings in our lives?

In 2013 two young women in Jackson were experiencing this food insecurity and resorted to “dumpster diving” to feed themselves. They were very surprised to find how much food was being thrown away each day. This inspired them to start an operation to salvage this food and feed the hungry. Hole Food Rescue now provides an average of 20,000 pounds of food each month for our community and has mobilized many new volunteers. What other opportunities like this are out there?

Reflecting back on one of my first Agros trips I often think of the comment by one of the village elders that they have always been “materially poor but spiritually rich”. As we evaluate the meaning of poverty and our role in being part of the solution, may we seek to achieve a balance of these qualities in our lives. God has sent me to care for the poor in the best way I can. I believe God has a special place in his heart for those who experience poverty, hunger, homelessness, and destitution. It is all around us. Maybe God is sending you as well?

BOB KOPP Long-time member of PCJH, serves on the board of Agros International.

Leader of many mission trips to Nicaragua.

sent to the national parks

sent to serve jackson

Over forty years ago, upon arriving in Yellowstone National Park, our third assignment with the National Park Service, we were asked to attend a church service at the Mammoth Chapel, the last structure built by the U.S. Army at Ft. Yellowstone. The church service was sponsored by A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP).

The Mammoth chapel was Debbie’s and my place of worship for 23 years – served by ACMNP. My career has sent us to Grand Teton, Shenandoah, Rocky Mountain, and Yellowstone (twice). We have been worshipers, surrogate moms and dads, mentors, counselors, and bakers-of-treats to hundreds of “ministry students” in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain National Parks, and more recently Jackson Hole Mountain and Grand Targhee Resorts.

Upon being sent to a new national park and new job, ACMNP was there for us. Each summer we have been blessed by the fellowship of young men and women sent to parks, committed to their Lord Jesus Christ and willing to share with co-workers and visitors what they are experiencing, struggling with, and doubting about their faith.

Often, they discover that God will show them the skills and knowledge gained from experience (often that same summer) they possess to do something extra-ordinary in the lives of others, as well as their own. Whether it’s in a dorm room, on a hike, or in the kitchen cleaning pots and pans – they share their faith and help others know that they are known to someone named Jesus Christ and that others are praying for them. Their epiphany is that they realize why they were sent to spread peace, joy and love.

This ministry means so much to Debbie and me.

It was our first church! What ACMNP provides young adults, who are sent to serve, is a life-changing experience while changing the lives of others. They bubble over with enthusiasm and love for their co-workers and accept with great humility that they live in contrast to most they are among. In retrospect, I understand why God has sent us to National Parks. It is to be in the presence of worker-ministers whom we can reassure and encourage on their journey as Christian leaders to upset the status quo with a message of God’s love and grace in a broken world.

Hi, my name is Lucy Webb, and I want to share a little bit about myself and my experience at PCJH’s middle school mission week. I am now a freshman in high school.

I love to play soccer and the piano, and hanging out with my friends. I enjoy the wintertime - watching the snowfall outside, and I love Christmas! When I was in middle school I enjoyed going to the Breakfast Club at PCJH, hosted by Liz. Mission week was a great experience for me. It was the first time that I helped out around the community. It was a great bonding experience and a wonderful way to learn more about God. To be honest, my mom was the one that signed me up for mission week, she wanted me to be busy and help out around the community. At first, I was confused, asking myself what these small projects would do for people. I remember clearly one of the projects we did at the Therapeutic Riding Center. When we first arrived, I was thinking “Ewh! Are we going to have to clean up all of the horse poop?!,” but that is not what we did. We actually did small projects; including, sanding a little red bench that sat outside the main doors, and cleaning the cowboy boots that were placed on a little brown shelf. Another project that I very clearly remember was cooking and serving dinner at The Good Samaritan Mission. That was definitely my favorite, by far. I love eating and cooking, so it was a perfect two-in-one combo. When we went there it was kind of chaotic, but fun. We all helped out and worked together as a team. When people started to come in and sit down, we served them food and sat down to talk to them. Personally, I feel like we made their day. (They definitely made mine).

I look back on this week and I realize that God “sent” us to this place because they needed help, and we were “sent” by God just in time to help them. We did the smallest of things that made a big difference to them. God taught me that it’s good to help people for small reasons.

This whole week was to help others without expecting anything in return. And since that mission week, I have tried to do that, too! I believe that God always has a reason, and our reason was to help!

STEVE ioBST is aPCJH Elder, retired

lucy webb 9th grade student at

deputy superintendent of Yellowstone

Jackson Hole High School

National Park, enjoying a blessed life in

Favorite Subjects: Language Arts

Teton Valley, Idaho.

Hobbies: Soccer, basketball, piano and friends

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A theological reflection

Interview with Lissa Hunter & Kyle ?

sent by the

sending god ~ Re v. Dr. Darrell Guder Friend and mentor—Pastor Tammy first knew Darrell Guder as her YL leader and later her mentor. Darrell is one of the leading missional thinkers of our day.

W

hen starting a seminary class on mission, or addressing a group of pastors in a presbytery gathering, I would often ask the participants where they would find the term “mission” in the Bible. There was never a response. I would then ask them if they were conversant in Latin. Again, no response.

“Mission,” I would then say “is the Latin translation of ‘sending.’” Rarely a hand would go up and someone would tentatively propose, “’As my father has sent me, so I send you’ in John 20:21?” “Right! – if you quoted the Vulgate translation, you would in effect say, “As my Father has ‘missioned’ me, so I ‘mission’ you.”

In the Gospel of John, the term ‘mission’ has to do with God’s purposes and how they are being worked out

by Jesus, the crucified and risen Christ. There are in John frequent references to Jesus’ ‘sending,’ summarized by Jesus in the high priestly prayer of John 17: ” As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18).’ The terminology of ‘sentness’ and ‘sending’ has to do with the fundamentals of biblical faith. God ‘sends’ himself as Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

The self-sending God makes himself knowable to his creatures. He calls out a people to serve his ‘sending,’ a people of witness who demonstrate their obedience to their calling

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by joining God’s ‘sending’ throughout creation. The entire biblical record can be read and interpreted as the witness to God’s sending and sentness. The challenge before us is to reclaim the dynamic of sending and sentness as we explore the challenges confronting the Christian movement today.

The focus upon ‘sending’ and ‘sentness’ became a broadly held consensus of theologians of mission in the latter decades of the twentieth century. In that theological discourse we find many versions of this basic claim: God the Father ‘sends’ the Son, the Father and the Son ‘send’ the Holy Spirit, and, thus, Father, Son and Spirit ‘send’ the church into the world. In this way of doing a theology of mission, ‘mission’ and ’sending’ have become virtually interchangeable. To say the one is to mean the other.

Except in the church’s common language. I have not discovered that congregations are forming ‘sending committees’; I don’t see ‘sending fairs’ on local church calendars; there don’t appear to be seasons of the year in which our preaching and teaching center on ‘sending.’ I have not come across congregations that devote a lot of effort to formulating their ‘sending statement.’

What happens to our understanding and practice of mission if its ‘sentness’ is given attention? What is the outcome of a theological process which intentionally defines

"Our sentness is not about our savedness

but about God’s healing love for all people, to which we are sent as witnesses." mission as God’s sending, enlisting us in his service for his witness in the world, ranging from Jerusalem to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8)? What would be the impact upon a congregation that took seriously that it is ‘sent’ by the ‘Sending God?’ What would a witnessing community look like that understood itself in terms of God’s sending and therefore its sentness?

“During the past half a century or so there has been a subtle but nevertheless decisive shift towards understanding mission as God’s mission” (David Bosch, Transforming Mission, 2011, p. 398). To grasp the significance of this shift, we need to ask what it was from. What was mission about if it was to shift to being God’s mission?, the ‘missio Dei?’ It is obviously a complicated story, but it is fair to summarize centuries of development in the theology and practice of western mission by saying that mission was about the church itself. It was about the expansion and maintenance of institutional Christianity in the cluster of western cultures which had defined themselves as Christian for centuries. Mission was ultimately defined by the church’s institutions, its buildings and wealth, its hierarchies, and its constituencies. It wasn’t so much sent as it was established for its own preservation. The church has thus become an end in itself, validated by its own existence rather than responding to its sentness in the service of Gods mission. It is clear that such a reduction of God’s mission, with the corresponding loss of a sense of divine sentness, does not adequately translate the meaning of God’s call as witnessed to in Scripture.

Based on their history from Abraham onwards, the people of God in the Old Testament best understood themselves as a tabernacle community: a tent following its God through time towards his goal, the healing of the nations.

It understood its sentness in the context of God’s call and promises to Israel, and beyond that to all nations. God’s chosen people were to be a source of blessing and healing for all humanity, as the nations experienced God’s mission bringing them healing. This was the understanding of the church’s tentlike sentness which emerged in the apostolic mission of the early centuries of Christian mission.

But then the church as it evolved in western Christendom came to understand itself as a temple, a large, solid, immovable structure. It was not moving towards God’s purposes for it. The healing of the nations would depend upon all peoples converging upon the temple mount of Zion.

As we come to terms with the radical changes we are experiencing in the modernity of western Christendom, we are challenged by the biblical witness to recognize and repent of the reductions we have absorbed into our understanding and practice of our calling as the church. This is especially urgent with regard to our understanding of our mission, our sentness. The missio Dei (mission of God) is not reducible to the preservation of a particular culture. It is not the maintenance of certain institutions. It is not the care and tending of individual Christians as they work out their own salvation. It is not the agency which “meets the spiritual needs” of its adherents.

Our mission is illumined by our sentness. God loves the world so much that he sends his Son (John 3:16). How that sending happens is the theme of biblical discipleship.

Our sentness serves God’s salvific sending as we respond to the divine commission: “You shall be my witnesses” Acts 1:8). Peter, in his first epistle, powerfully summarizes the missional calling of God’s sent community: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10) Our sentness is not about our savedness but about God’s healing love for all people, to which we are sent as witnesses. To be God’s called and sent people is all about our faithfulness to our vocation of sentness.✝ REV. DR. DARRELL GUDER has authored nine books and is currently one of the leading translators of theologian Karl Barth. Darrell recently retired as the Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology Emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary.

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Q & A

Interview with Lissa Hunter & Kyle ?

being sent to

f r a n c e ~ Re v. Tamara Mitchell

T

he following is an excerpt from an interview with Pamela Konstant. Pamela currently serves with Greater Europe Mission as the director of Camp des Cimes in Le Bourg-d'Oisans.

Pamela was a longtime resident in Jackson and involved at PCJH. PCJH currently supports Pamela as one of the overseas missionaries. Tammy visited Pamela in France during her sabbatical and was able to see firsthand this powerful ministry.

Tammy: How would you describe what “being sent”

means in your context?

Pamela: God has always created certain people for certain points in history and sent them on tasks that he had preordained. Throughout the Old Testament, we see Abraham being sent for all nations, Moses was sent to lead the people out of Egypt, David was sent to be Israel’s king, and the list just goes on and on. In the New Testament, Jesus was sent by God and he sent the disciples.

The Church of Christ is a people sent by God. TM: Say more about what you mean about Jesus

sending the church.

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being sent

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PK. Genesis talks about working in partnership with God for God’s purposes. It is a huge privilege for us as finite human beings. God has privileged us to be part of God’s Redemptive plan in some way. He does this by sending people like you and me because we all have some role to play in God's plan.

God sends us people who need his love and compassion and in need of seeing his light in some miraculous ways.

TM: You have an amazing story about that very thing.

PK: One day, I was down about why I was sent to this camp.

Just then, the propane driver came to make a delivery to the camp. After he finished, he asked if I could help him with a special English writing project. During the conversation, he asked about the camp. I shared it was a Christian camp and what we did. Before I knew it, we started an incredible discussion about God and why God is important. Since then, I’ve continued to enjoy this ever-expanding relationship with him, his wife, and two kids. They’ve invited me to dinner in their home several times to continue our discussion. Their son came to the camp for a week. Time and again we continCoffee talk at locals ue to have discussions about Jesus. I believe that happened hangout Picnic Cafe. by divine appointment. God sent me to France, and God sent

Photo: Beth Ricciardi

winter 2022

“When I was an Uber driver in Jackson, it seemed like God put certain people in my car for a reason." me that person at that time. I felt as though he sent me somebody who needed to seek out the Light to show me that his plan in sending me really transcends everything. It has turned into this amazing opportunity to share the gospel.

TM: This is not the first time this has happened.

PK: When I was an Uber driver in Jackson, it seemed like God put certain people in my car for a reason - maybe to shine the light of God's love to them. I did not have to go overseas to learn this. God uses us wherever we are to shine for Him. It was astounding to me to see how God works in two different ways. Yes, God sends us, but God also sends people to us to make a difference in their lives.

TM: How did you know you were being sent

to France?

PK: The first time I went, it was a natural, steady progression. I had served as a missionary in Belgium before I moved to Jackson. This last time was, in a word, astounding.

Not long ago, I took my daughter to revisit some favorite places. We were standing in front of my former house and out of the blue, she said, “Mom, you need to move back.” She had no idea I had already had the nudge. Then, God sent a whole stream of people from all different parts of my life who began saying various things. French people, who rode in my Uber car would say, “you speak excellent French.

What are you doing in Wyoming?” After a discussion with my boss about the future, she said, “you need to go back to Europe where you feel like you're home.” Person after person in my life would randomly say I needed to go back to France. I tried to put it off, but it was consistent and so frequent, it couldn’t be ignored.

TM: Was there a unique turning point?

PK: I thought I could never afford to move to France.

But I decided to try and look for a house. I actually found 3 houses! One house stood out, so I wrote to the French agent at two in the morning. He called me back at eight and said, “It's a good thing you sent me an offer at two in the morning because at eight, I had another offer on my desk but yours was first.” Amazingly, this house had been on the market for eight years with no previous viable offers. Then, out of nowhere, somebody knocked on my door and said “Hey, I would like to buy your house, and can you be out in two weeks?” When that happened, I couldn’t ignore the call any longer. God’s time frame was far faster than mine!

TM: Did you ever have doubts about this?

PK: Of course. I started getting doubts like “What am I doing? I have a super great job, in a great place, with great people. I'm stepping out and I have no idea what God wants me to do. All I know is He’s pushing me to France pretty fast.” I spent that evening praying, “Lord just show me what it is you want me to be doing.” The next day, I was led to reach out to Greater Europe Mission. I felt I was supposed to call them, but I had no idea why. I just told them, here I am. They connected me to the field office, and it was such a Spirit-filled conversation. The field director said, “We have been praying for years somebody with your skills will show up and help the camp - who already knows how to speak French. We all doubted we would ever find anyone and now God has dropped you out of the sky.” Think about it, I was praying and having doubts and saying to myself, “I have no clue what God wants me to do. Lord, just show me.” And that was their exact prayer as well. From that point on, I knew that the camp was exactly where I needed to be.

TM: That is such a miraculous story.

PK: God knows exactly what is needed even when we don’t.

Now, when I look back, the reason he pushed me so fast was because he knew Covid-19 was coming. God knew the camp would not survive unless there was leadership which could manage the crisis resulting from the restrictions of confinement. God's hand has been in it all.

TM: What encouragement would you offer PCJH

on “being sent?”

PK: Being sent is an incredible faith experience. Not only does it give us a whole new perspective on God, his character, and his loving nature; it gives us a new perspective on how he works within us. He is so patient. He has a way of speaking to us in our innermost being. Once you experience his calling, you start seeing God’s hand around you in such amazing ways, you just can't get enough of it. Then you just crave for the next time God will show his plans for you. It is amazingly humbling at the same time because it has nothing to do about me or you. I am just me, being there, being available, and trying to be attentive to his lead, and following as he opens doors. Even through my weaknesses and all my faults, the God of the universe chooses to send and to work through us. He does amazing things! ✝

pcjh.org

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PCJ h B i r t h d ay s / a n n i v e r s a r i e s

DECEMBER

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Pastoral Staff

03 Naomi Pascal

01 Macye Maher

02 Yvette Werner

04

03 David & Marian Meyers (41)

04 Kate Kool

Rev. Ben Pascal

Senior Pastor

bpascal@pcjh.org

x 101

Rev. Tammy Mitchell Associate Pastor

tmitchell@pcjh.org

x 104

John Shipman

05 William Soltau 06 Debbie Iobst 07 Cammy Lawson 14 Daniel Hennessy Kathy Johnson Tom Deltz 15 Carol Poole 17 Susan Conner Shirley Piper Bob Benz 18 Fred and Linda Walker (35 ) 19 Michele Halle 21 Carol Kelleghan

Rich Viola 23 Isaac Hayden Yvonne Henze Barb Huhn

Jenifer Snider

Rick Unruh 24 25

Robyn Jones Patricia McDonald

26 Nancy Dunlap 28

05 Tiffany Tate Mike Jones 06 Linda Hanlon Brad Herman 07 Brian Remlinger 08 Ralph Hudelson Michael Massie Pastor Tammy Mitchell Karin Unruh 11 Jennifer Baki Sue Bybee 12

Ingrid Watsabaugh

13 Donna Clark 14 Tom Jordan Bill Neal 15 Liz Collins Pam Flores Therese Metherel

John and Linda Hanlon (22) 25 Bob Kopp 28

Larry and Paula Jorgenson (55) 05 Kathy Robertson 06 Don Harger 07 Cindy Dahlin 08 Diane McGee

Cindy Dahlin cdahlin@pcjh.org Church Administrator

x109

10 Bill Ward

Ally Kiefer

Communications Coordinator

11 Mike Jackson

Program Staff

14

Laura Huckin huckin@silverstar.net Worship & Music Coordinator x123

Paul & Shirley Piper (29)

16 Charles Atwater Sheri Calder 17 Kacy O’Hare 19 Cathy Blount

Bob & Vickie Jones (56) 21 Chris Sandvig 22

Jack Larimer

23 Betsy Forster 25 Debbie Schlinger

Effie Edwards

Trent and Erin Abel (9) 29

Office Staff

Patrick McGaugh

Jessica Miller

Larry & Barbara VanGenderen

(58) 29 Grace Berg Dorothy Neckels Billy Robertson 30 Andi & Huntley Dornan (3)

Amanda Lack Little Lambs Director

akiefer@pcjh.org x102

alack@pcjh.org

x111

Dylan Wade

Children’s Ministry Coordinator

dwade@pcjh.org

x103

Liz Collins lcollins@pcjh.org Youth & Young Adult Ministry Coordinator x124 Heather Martin hmartin@pcjh.org Director's Assistant to JOY and Little Lambs Ruling Elders

Clerk of Session: Ken Blount

Class of 2022

2023

2024

Laura Soltau* Mission

Caryn Haman Adult Ministry

Wes Lucas* Stewardship

Ryan Allen Children’s Ministry

Josh Ziolkowski Young Adult Ministry

Susan Conner Congregational Life

Alan Lund Personnel

Steve Iobst* Buildings, Grounds & Vehicles

John Scott Finance

Patty McDonald Assimilation & Nomination

Marian Meyers Youth Ministry Becky Kimmel Worship

Teaching Elders: Rev. Ben Pascal & Rev. Tamara Mitchell

Deacons Class of 2022 Bill Klyn* Dorothy Neckels Catherine Wade Sierra Fulton

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winter 2022

Class of 2023 Michael Schrotz* Ponteir Sackery Brian Bultima Sandra Guido Fernandez

*Serving second term

Class of 2024 Lori Dodd* Brad Herman* Joy Steiner* Tom Segerstrom

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get to know US

Sandra Guido fernandez / Deacon Hello PCJH family! My name is Sandra Guido Fernandez and I've been a part of PCJH since about 2011 and in the Jackson area off and on since 2004. I'm originally from Lima, Peru where most of my family still lives, and I live in Jackson with my husband Brian. I currently work as a Human Resources Manager for Continuum Hotel. Growing up in a culturally Catholic setting and having come to a truer faith in my adult years, I never would have seen myself in leadership in the church. But isn't that when God works? I've seen God work most often in times when I've least expected it and when I've had to rely on Him rather than on my own strength.

When COVID hit in March 2020, we went through several difficult months in lockdown in Peru, and reconnected with PCJH, since moving back to Jackson in the fall of 2020, our PCJH family has been such a refuge and source of hope. I've also seen PCJH's light shine so brightly in the community this past year. I feel honored to serve PCJH as a Deacon and find ways to reach out in love to others just as we were cared for so well last year.

MARIAN meyerS / elder for Youth Ministry Marian grew up on a farm in Winona, Mississippi, and was raised at Moore Memorial United Methodist Church which was built by her great grandfather in 1898. A lifelong Methodist, Marian did not formally join the Presbyterian Church until she was asked to serve as the Children Youth and Family elder at PCJH in 2000. Prior to attending physical therapy school, Marian worked in Yellowstone where she met her husband, Dave. Their journey included years in San Diego where Dave was from and a short time in Salt Lake on the way to WY. In 1996 they moved to Jackson with their newborn daughter, Sydney, and began attending PCJH where services were held at the Middle School. The church was an integral part of family life with Sydney being confirmed in the church by Pastor Paul and baptized in String Lake by Pastor Ben! As a Wyoming girl, Sydney now lives in Sheridan, WY where she works at Habitat for Humanity. Being able to work as a pediatric physical therapist throughout her career and now in the valley has been one of God's many gifts to Marian. Over the years in Jackson, Marian has also enjoyed serving as Deacon at PCJH and serving on the boards of Teton Recycling, Snake River Fund, Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, JH Figure Skating Club, and currently The Teton Climber's Coalition.

becky kimmel / ELDER for Worship Raised in a small Presbyterian Church outside of Pittsburgh, PA, my life was radically uprooted at age 14 when we moved as a family to a small town near Toronto, Ontario Canada. I learned to love ice hockey and sing the Canadian national anthem. Three years later, the tragic death of my earthly father from a sudden heart attack caused me to question my heavenly father. How could He have allowed this to happen to my dad? Did He really love me? Could I ever trust Him again?

I became a spiritual wanderer in the wilderness for the next 20 years. During that time, I looked to meditative practices from other faith traditions, and realized that nothing was filling the God-shaped hole inside of me. It was a Christian retreat center based on contemplative prayer that brought me back home to Christianity. The opportunity to return to my roots felt like I was beginning a “crash course” in Christianity. I studied on my own, participated in many bible classes offered by the Presbyterian Church and joined a weekly covenant group, which has also been a source of inspiration. I enjoy a daily practice listening to the Word on the bible application YouVersion, and I love the worship experience at our weekly services.

I feel truly humble to be invited to serve as the Worship Elder for PCJH. And the least worthy, although willing to serve in this important role. I ask for your prayers of support, and for the wisdom of Holy Spirit to guide me in my service.

pcjh.org

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Address Service Requested Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit # 189 Jackson, WY 83002

S P iRiT

1251 South Park Loop Road, P.O. Box 7530, Jackson, WY 83002 I pcjh.org I 307 - 734 - 0388

sightings

PHOTO: Beth Ricciardi

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. u John 1:9