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Sunspots are highlights of the many ministries and missions happening on the surface of the Sun – That is, the Synod of the Sun. A region of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with ALOT of dynamic and hopeful ministry happening in the name of Jesus Christ. We are Presbyterians in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Sunspots can be anything from small congregational ministries, regional networks to international missions. They are caused by the interactions with the Holy Spirit. Like the cap on a soda bottle: shake it up, and you can generate a big eruption! Sunspots occur over the 11 presbyteries in the synod with intense Holy Spirit activity, and when that energy is released, solar flares and big impact can erupt from Sunspots. We pray that you will find inspiration, resources, community and connection in the Sun.
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Ministry for our immigrant neighbors is happening in North Texas and you can help! Listen in for an invitation from Armel Crocker to join an ongoing interfaith effort at the Dallas ICE facility, and keep your eyes open for a broader conversation coming soon! Ways You Can Help Our Immigrant Neighbors in Dallas: https://tinyurl.com/39ps7kka CLEAR DFW Website: https://www.cleardfw.org/
Libby Janes views her role as SPDR Director as a call to ministry. When she preaches, she hopes to meet people where they are, hold communities' experiences of grief with gentleness, and point to the presence of God with us, through every moment of our lives. This sermon "Take Courage" on Haggai 1:15b-2:9 tells the story of the people of Jerusalem, who have returned from exile in Babylon 18 years before. The people are encouraged by God through the prophet Haggai to take courage, and rebuild...
On this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Libby Janes, the new Director of the Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery. We find out about her deep roots in the Presbyterian Church, her background in social work and ministry, and her experiences ranging from youth mission trips to serving as a cardiology social worker in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Libby shares how these diverse experiences shaped her call to ministry and led her to this role, which blends her passions for social wo...
On this episode of Sunspots, Kathy Lee Cornell interview Rev. Philip Blackburn about his work with the Town Square Collaborative, a program at the University of the Ozarks that supports rural congregations, pastors, and communities. Blackburn shares his journey from urban ministry to focusing on rural churches, highlighting the isolation these congregations often feel and the lack of tailored resources for them. Funded through multiple Lilly Endowment grants, the Collaborative pro...
Episode 5 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger series Immigration affects ALL of us: our individual and communal histories, as well as our current realities. Scripture is clear on our responsibilities to welcome the stranger(s) because we have all been strangers. In this final episode of this series, Rev. Marta Pumroy and Kristy Rodgers talk about what’s happening at the border now and what we, as individuals and communities of faith can do to bring the truth and love of God into both the narra...
Episode 4 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger series As a student at Lyon College, Allison Mundy went to El Paso for a Border Encounter as part of the Synod’s Imagine event in 2019. A few years later, as she prepared to graduate from Med school, Allison talked with Kristy Rodgers about that experience and the ways it has shaped her life and ministry since. Be encouraged and inspired! This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can learn more about N4...
Episode 3 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger series The largest part of the US-Mexico border (1254 miles) lies in the state of Texas. In this episode, Rev. Tim Blodgett, Rev. Lynne Hargrove, and Rev. Charlie Smith, presbytery leaders in our Synod, talk with Kristy Rodgers about their visits to the border and if/how immigration issues affect congregations and presbytery ministry in their areas. This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can learn mo...
Episode 2 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger series As a young girl, Lynn Hargrove grew up in El Paso, Texas, long before she became the general presbyter for The Presbytery of New Covenant. Listen in on this conversation with Border Ministry Coordinator Marta Pumroy about what she remembers of the past as we compare it to the current situation on the US/Mexico border. This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can learn more about N4DR on th...
Episode 1 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger series Tres Rios Border Foundation partner liaison, John Nelsen, shares the history behind border ministry in the El Paso/Juarez region. In this conversation with Border Ministry Coordinator Marta Pumroy, John shares the current work that Tres Rios does in partnership with hospitality sites in the area focusing on changes that have happened in 2025. This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can le...
FPC/Kerrville Flooding Response Update with Jasiel Hernandez Garcia SPDR continues to coordinate with and support all those involved with the Texas Hill Country Flooding relief efforts. Leaders from Mission Presbytery, First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance offer the following updates and resources. Tim Hutchon, President and CEO of Mo Ranch has also provided the following update - Click HERE for the Facebook video. Read more on how to help at: http...
Hill Country Flooding Update with Kathy Lee-Cornell, Bobby Musengwa, Laurie Palmer, and Kathy Riley SPDR continues to coordinate with and support all those involved with the Texas Hill Country Flooding relief efforts. Leaders from Mission Presbytery, First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance offer the following updates and resources. Tim Hutchon, President and CEO of Mo Ranch has also provided the following update - Click HERE for the Facebook video. R...
On this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Lindsay Freeman-McCarthy, Communications Contractor for the Synod. Lindsay is a 12th generation Presbyterian and daughter to two Presbyterian ministers. She’s an ordained Presbyterian Deacon and Ruling Elder, former camp counselor at Ferncliff, and was an active youth and young adult in the church. While on a study trip to Spain and walking the Camino de Santiago with her mother, she meets a young Dutchman named Mitchell which led to her decision to m...
On this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Kristy Rodgers, who is a Commissioned Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Bartlesville Director of Family Ministry. Moderator 2022 and Coordinating Team Chair 2023. Also with us is Rev. Jennifer Grantham, minister at large in Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery. Kristy and Jennifer are leading a study in their Soul Training series called What Does the Bible Say About Immigration? Using the Women of Welcome’s curriculum, this study will take place on Zoom b...
Today's episode features two Ruling Elders from Tres Rios Presbytery. If you are not familiar with Tres Rios Presbytery, it is a group of congregations and ministries located in the westernmost portion of Texas, and it’s known as Tres Rios because the presbytery is marked by three rivers: the Concho, Pecos, and Rio Grande. In our disaster work, we actually don’t hear a lot coming out of Tres Rios Presbytery, because historically, this is an area that does not experience many of the types of e...
This is a recording of a Hurricane Preparedness Webinar and Table Top exercise that the Synod hosted on July 11, 2024, just four days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the coast of Texas. Earlier this year, many forecasters predicted that this years’ Atlantic hurricane season will be more active than usual, with as many as 25 named storms to form from now through November. And as we have just witnessed, Hurricane Beryl is the earliest Category 5 storm on record. In addition to the heavy ...
On today’s episode, we have a conversation with the Rev. Mitchell Miller, who was unanimously elected at the Spring 2024 Stated Meeting as the new Synod Leader/Stated Clerk of Synod of the Sun. Interviewing Mitch is Rev. Elizabeth Brinegar, who served on the Search Committee and Rev. Steve Shive, our current Bridge Interim Synod Leader and Stated Clerk. March 2024 Issue of Synod Newsletter, introducing Mitch: https://conta.cc/3PfqIEd
Today’s episode is all about volunteering and disaster recovery. Kathy joined a mission trip with a group of Presbyterians from Iowa as they as they work on storm damaged homes in Eastern Oklahoma. For this podcast, Kathy spoke with the group leader, the Rev. Tim Maxa, who is the pastor of two congregations who has been leading teams of youth and adults on these trips for over 30 years. The synod has recently updated the SPDR section of the website to highlight our volunteer work partne...
On this first of a two part episode of Sunspots, Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., Founder and Executive Director of The Privilege Institute, talks about the upcoming White Privilege Conference that will be held on April 3-6 in Tulsa, OK. Click HERE to read his bio and event details Dr. Moore is interviewed by: Natarsha Sanders, who is the Director of Centering the Sacred. Natarsha also serves on the Columbia Theological Seminary admissions team as a Connector. Kristy Rodgers is a Commissioned Pastor a...
On November 9th, Steve Shive welcomed Fran Hilton Shelton to Liminal Conversations. The focus of the conversation was “How is the Diminishing Impact of our Churches and the Death of many Churches Affecting our Presbyteries and Churches Emotionally and Spiritually?” A founder of Faith & Grief Ministries, Fran leads bereavement workshops and spiritual retreats. She is a preacher and a keynote speaker at conferences. For twenty years, Fran served PC(USA) congregations in Texas, primarily i...
On October 28, Thomas Riggs welcomed fellow staff member Kathy Lee-Cornell, Director of the Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery. The focus of our conversation was "The Church's Vocation Found in Disaster Resilience". You can read more about the Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery on the Synod's website at: https://www.synodsun.org/spdr-about-us. Also, check out the Synod's blog for articles by Kathy about the faces and stories of disaster recover at: http...
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