Matthew 25
Presbytery Ponderings on Matthew 25
Some thoughts from Rev. Dr. Sue Westfall, General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley—January 2024 Greetings, friends, As you know, the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is part of the PCUSA’s Matthew 25 initiative. As of today, 1,180 congregations have embraced the vision. In addition, 96 mid councils and 66 groups have committed to helping our denomination become a more relevant presence worldwide. The Matthew 25 invitation focuses on Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and goats…
Partnering to Relieve Homelessness
Avery Rhodes, Founder and Executive Director of Birmingham’s Community on the Rise, spoke to a warm and wonderful SHPC crowd at a special Chili After Church event on Sunday, January 28, 2024. Community on the Rise works with people experiencing homelessness in our community. Their truly problem-solving approach embraces survivors by celebrating their strengths and gifts, providing housing in the beautiful Marigold House, and offering a full range of counseling and gainful employment in an eco-friendly business. All to help…
Update on Our Afghani Friends
by Laura Chapman Editor’s Note: We received word near the end of August 2023 that the Akbarys’ asylum application has been approved. Thanks be to God! It’s been 2 years since our Afghan allies, including the Akbary family, fled Afghanistan due to the fall of their government to the Taliban. They were invited to live in the United States and, with the help of resettlement organizations like Inspiritus and friends like many of you, they are moving forward and successfully…
Matthew 25: An Imperative
When Columbia Theological Seminary president Dr. Victor Aloyo visited South Highland in May 2023, he made a big impression with impassioned preaching and teaching. One highlight of his visit was a Sunday School class where he spoke on the topic of “Matthew 25: An Imperative,” highlighting the importance of understanding Jesus’ teaching in Matthew’s gospel. If you missed the class, you may watch the Zoom recording below.
Thinking Outside the Toolbox
I was quite moved during the construction of a Habitat home for the Tonnesha Banks family last fall. On my first day at the build, I noticed a blessing written on a stud in a wall. The next week there were more prayers and blessings written on the frame of the house. This continued for several more weeks until the frame was covered over with sheet rock and siding. God’s presence can be found in every room of the Banks’…
Inside Matthew 25 at SHPC
South Highland has now completed two years as part of the Matthew 25 Initiative. The goals for this initiative are described on the Presbyterian Mission website. Our group of Matthew 25 Initiative advisors are known as the M25 Ambassadors. In-person and Zoom meetings occur quarterly. At the 2016 Together for the Gospel Conference, historian-theologian-author Jemar Tisby spoke of the essential elements of all genuine racial reconciliation, an A.R.C. of Racial Justice (also economic and social justice). Tisby said there must…
New Year’s Resolutions
Are you looking for ways to keep your New Year’s Resolutions? The Matthew 25 Initiative suggests you consider volunteering to assist migrants arriving in Birmingham in January. Trinity West in Homewood expects to receive and assist these migrants in arranging their travel plans from Birmingham to other cities to unite them with their sponsors. Trinity West Homewood is the location. Volunteers will greet the migrants, provide them with food and warm clothing, assist them in contacting their sponsors in other…
A Year of Resettlement in Alabama
South Highland’s Matthew 25 team partners with Inspiritus Birmingham to minister to refugees who have relocated to this area. Here is an update on the team’s first year of service in this important mission. The Inspiritus Alabama Refugee Resettlement Team is celebrating ONE YEAR since the arrival of our first client ever on December 3rd, 2021! We have welcomed 112 refugees and Afghan allies to Central Alabama since launching our refugee resettlement program. We have also grown by two new…
Family Gratitude
On December 10, 2021, Nasir, Gul Bakht, Omid and Arman Akbary arrived in Birmingham, having fled Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 25th. All they wanted was a chance – for safety, work, education, and a home. As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of their arrival here, Nasir and Gul Bakht wish to thank the many South Highlanders who are easing this transition. Your ongoing donations of time, transportation, goods and money are so greatly appreciated. South Highlanders have been driving instructors, car…
Welcoming the Stranger to Alabama
Since December 2021, eighty-six special immigrant visa holders, humanitarian parolees and refugees have some to Alabama from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Yemen. Supported by Inspiritus, SHPC’s care team walks with one family as they adjust to life in America after fleeing Afghanistan last year. The Akbary family now has stable housing, employment for the father, kindergarten for the older son, and transportation. The family has come a long way since December but they still have lots of new things to…