The Upper Room Fellowship Focus 2017

WINTER 2017

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News and Updates for Friends of The Upper Room

Fellowship Focus “As the deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.”

—Psalm 42:1

Come, Lord Jesus, Come

by Marti Williams-Martin, director of interpretation

The Advent season invites us to shift our focus from a broken world and our broken hearts to something holy and full of promise.

We await the Christ Child, God with us, Emmanuel.

We thirst to feel God’s presence anew. We long to experience peace on earth and peace deep within our souls.

For many—including some of our staff—this was a year of great distress and discord.

Hurricanes, earthquakes, fire, and war forced people from the only homes they have ever known. Words of division fueled hate and fear. Crowds were terrorized and people were killed in countless cities around the world: Aleppo, London, Paris, Barcelona, and closer to home: Charlottesville, Nashville, Las Vegas, and Sutherland Springs.

The Upper Room daily devotional was born during a time of crisis. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, Frances Craig shared a vision with her Sunday School class at Travis Park Methodist Frances Craig Church in San Antonio, Texas. Together, they prayed for a resource that would help families spend a little time with God each day. Their prayers gave birth to the publications and ministries of The Upper Room.

The Upper Room exists for such a time as this, when the world is longing for healing, thirsting to feel God’s presence.

We are thankful for prayer partners, friends, and donors who helped us tend to the spiritual needs and challenges of 2017.

The ministries and initiatives highlighted in this newsletter would not have happened without the support of generous people like you.

The staff of The Upper Room wishes you a very blessed Christmas.

May this season bring you peace.

Your prayers and donations connect a longing world to God and community each day, even on the hard ones. Thank you.

Visit The Upper Room Online The Upper Room has expanded our digital offerings. Visitors to our re-designed website will find: • The Upper Room daily devotional—at the top, highly visible, and more accessible • The Upper Room Disciplines, our premier devotional book—prominently featured and available as a digital subscription • Sight Psalms, our daily photo-based devotional • Current news and stories from various ministries of The Upper Room • Prayers submitted to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center, inviting visitors to join our global prayer community, praying for one another by name and need.

Visit www.upperroom.org

PO Box 305150 • Nashville, TN 37230-9891

The Divine Center I grew up in “hurricane alley” on the gulf coast of Texas. Despite their ferocity, hurricanes have always fascinated me.

by Stephen D. Bryant, publisher

Paradoxically, at the center of a hurricane’s force is a still, calm space. This “eye” defines it as a hurricane, rather than as just random winds, and helps to intensify and organize its power.

The redemptive power of the Christian life is certainly different from the destructive fury of a hurricane. And yet, the hurricane reminds us that the secret of Christians living as a sustained force for good in the world depends on maintaining an interior space for God. Then we become more than merely gusts of good intentions and breathless

activity. We and our churches become a powerful force for God. In A Testament of Devotion, Thomas Kelly writes of the sacred space at the center of our lives. He says that “deep within us all there is an amazing sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice.” This center calls us home to itself as we rediscover our destiny in God. When we yield ourselves to “these persuasions” and willingly commit ourselves to the “Light Within,” our true life begins.

pause for a few moments to make a place for God in the quietness of your heart; listen for an invitation from within; commit yourself wholly to God’s leading; let your time with God bring peace to your soul and shape your life in the world.

Excerpt from Prayers for Hope: Words of Faith for Difficult Times (Upper Room).

Attending to the divine center is the secret of Jesus’ holy life and transforming power. Discover this secret for yourself.

Make space for “holy” reading daily—either scripture or devotional material. Then

Responding to the Storms

Pray with Us.

by Marti Williams-Martin, director of interpretation

• PRAY. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit prayer-center.upperroom.org to request prayer.

When there is a crisis or natural disaster, volunteers for The Upper Room Living Prayer Center are first responders.

This year, prayer center volunteers and covenant prayer groups responded to hundreds of calls and emails related to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate.

Paul instructed the Galatians to do.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

(Galatians 6:2, NIV)

care, not a passive thing done by those unwilling or unable to act. Gathering supplies, providing shelter and food, rescuing the stranded, and praying are all ways of carrying each other’s burdens as

When people or storms get in the way, The Upper Room Living Prayer Center community brings those in need into the light and presence of God.

Publisher Stephen Bryant compares A woman named people who pray for Julianna in New others to the four Jersey prayed for men who lowered a Charlie in Florida. paralytic man through Diane in Canada a roof to see Jesus requested prayer for (Mark 2). “When we the Simpsons. Joseph pray for the needs in South Carolina of someone else, we requested prayer for carry that person into friends in Texas and the healing presence Louisiana. Manda from of Jesus,” Bryant Kansas prayed, “Lord, says. “In the midst be with those affected of hurricanes, those by the hurricanes. Help James Tissot, The Palsied Man Let Down through the Roof in need are focused them feel your arms on rising water and around them.” dangerous wind.

They need others to have For those involved in this ministry, prayer faith for them.” is a meaningful act of compassion and

• VOLUNTEER. We currently need volunteers to cover the prayer line on Saturdays. Visit the website above for more information.

• GIVE. Donations cover costs of training volunteers and the technology required to connect hundreds of people each day.

2 | Your gift connects a longing world to God and community each day. www.upperroom.org/gift

Carmen’s Call

by Amy Skerratt, donor relations manager

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Carmen Ana Pérez Ríos reached out to The Upper Room with a simple, yet meaningful request: 3,000 copies of the daily devotional for people in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

El Aposento Alto, the Spanish Carmen, a pastor in Puerto edition of The Upper Room Rico, serves on the board daily devotional. of directors of Discipleship Ministries of The United Staff and board members Methodist Church. Since of The Upper Room and conditions in Puerto Rico Discipleship Ministries rallied prevented her from attending around the cause. One board an October meeting in member offered a matching Nashville, Tennessee, gift, and within 24 hours, 47 she sent word that the people raised $3,727 to print Carmen Peréz-Ríos Methodist Church in San San Juan, Puerto Rico and deliver 3,000 copies of El Juan was working to provide Aposento Alto to Puerto Rico. groceries and supplies for Amid the tragedy, the daily devotional will people in need. Sacks were to be filled provide a source of connection and hope with bottled water, food, first-aid kits, to the people of Puerto Rico. and, if the money was raised, copies of

Left: The Spanish edition of The Upper Room.

Below: Staff of Discipleship Ministries gathered to pray over copies of El Aposento Alto before they were shipped to Puerto Rico.

On September 20, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico as a high-end category 4 hurricane, causing damage and a humanitarian crisis throughout the island.

I Turned to Prayer

by Migdiel Pérez, manager of The Living Prayer Center

As manager of The Upper Room Living Prayer Center, I hear stories of people in need of prayer day in and day out.

After Hurricane Maria basically destroyed my homeland of Puerto Rico, my family and I became the ones in need of prayer.

I needed to continue with my daily duties at work, focusing on the prayer needs of others, but my mind and heart were back on my Island. I felt powerless, far away from loved ones at a time of need.

It was hard to concentrate. I could not get in touch with my family or friends; I could not go there physically; I could not send any care packages; the mail was not working. What could I do?

I turned to prayer.

I could not reach my family, so I did not know exactly what to pray. What did they need?

Were they alright? I remembered Romans 8:26: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; We do not know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit intercedes.”

I released my pain and worries—and the pain and suffering of those back home—unto the Lord. I focused on the promise that God is present with them, and with me. The more I prayed, the more I started to feel the peace that surpasses all understanding and the assurance that God is in control. Sometimes it is easy to take prayer for granted, and we forget how important and powerful it is. Even when it doesn’t seem to change all of our circumstances, prayer changes us.

The Methodist Church in San Juan distributing food and supplies after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.

Update from Migdiel: “Every member of my family is accounted for, but some still have no electricity, no signal to call, and no running water. Gas and supplies are scarce, but they are okay considering the situation.

Thanks be to God.”

Return your donation in the enclosed envelope or give online at www.upperroom.org/gift | 3

This year, generous people like you helped connect a longing world to God and community each day.

25% was from first-time donors.

7,531 DONORS

the ministries of GAVE $769,559 toThesupport Upper Room this year.

THE UPPER ROOM daily devotional guide was distributed in

100 countries 33 languages

This year, partners in Asia began conversations with us about publishing possibilities in Vietnamese, Lao, and Hmong languages.

*

*From Nov. 1, 2016 thru Oct. 31, 2017.

65

WALK TO EMMAUS

members of the Fellowship Circle gave monthly via an automatic bank withdrawal or credit card charge.

of gifts to The Upper Room 94 percent were less than or equal to $100.

Small

weekends were held for the first time in

HUGE IMPACT make a

Donors from

AROUND THE WORLD Indonesia India Italy Japan Korea Malaysia Netherlands Philippines

Argentina

who also hope to grow a new Walk to Emmaus community in their home country soon.

THE ACADEMY FOR SPIRITUAL FORMATION announced it will launch

This year, support came from: Australia Bahamas Barbados Brazil Canada Colombia Germany Hong Kong

Bolivia

The 38 participants included individuals from

Puerto Rico Singapore Switzerland Thailand United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Virgin Islands

2 Two-Year Academies in 2018

LIVING PRAYER CENTER received and responded to

25%

“Use my gift where most needed.”

of all gifts were given

ONLINE

$187,165 TOTAL

111,991

prayer requests from people experiencing a range of issues including concern for people in harm’s way, grief, unemployment, fear, and illness.

OVER HALF OF ONLINE DONORS SAID,

www.upperroom.org/gift

THANK YOU.

The Upper Room relies on income from product sales, participant fees, and the generous support of donors to cover all ministry expenses. We receive no apportioned funds from The United Methodist Church or any other denomination.

Donations are needed each year so The Upper Room can continue to help people around the globe experience God more fully.