“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

At a recent eye exam, John learned his vision had worsened and he needed a new pair of prescription glasses. His optometrist’s office called a week later to tell him that the glasses were ready.

When John first tried on the glasses, the world around him looked blurry. But he figured since he hadn’t updated his prescription in a few years that he simply needed to get use to the new lenses.

But the blurriness didn’t go away. Now, John felt dizzy and bumped into things. He even had trouble parking his car one night and hit a mailbox, leaving a long scratch on his car door. That’s when his wife urged him to make another appointment with his optometrist.

At the second appointment, John’s doctor checked the prescription. He quickly realized that someone on staff had accidentally switched John’s lenses with another patient’s glasses. This was the cause of John’s accident and his visual problems.

It wasn’t that the world around John had changed. Rather, the problem was John couldn’t see clearly.

This can happen to us, too. An illness, job loss, or tragedy can make you think that God has changed or moved, which can alter the way you see God. But, remember, while your circumstances might shift, God never changes and never abandons God's children.
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Faithfully yours,
Danny C. Murphy
General Presbyter
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​​In the midst of a new and predictably less severe surge of COVID-19 this winter season, the question has been asked: How have churches fared through all of this?  

The congregations of Trinity Presbytery have fared differently across the board. From two church closures, Queens Memorial and Welcome, to churches regaining momentum with new hybrid worship services, where participants worship together in-person and via live-stream. 

Thom Rainer, founder and CEO of Church Answers, studied data and anecdotal information from churches that have struggled like all other churches but are doing well during the pandemic. Although they face lower turnout rates than before COVID-19, they are starting to grow, gain new momentum, and see opportunities that other church leaders may not have seen.
 
According to Rainer, while some churches have incorporated a few of these 12 traits, churches doing well during the pandemic have incorporated all 12 traits into the life of their congregations.

What are the 12 traits?
 
Trait 1. Faithfully preach and teach the Bible. Of course, this seems obvious. However, these healthy churches give top priority to the preaching and teaching of the Bible. People need to listen to God more than ever in these days of unprecedented uncertainty.
 
Trait 2. Intensify your evangelistic efforts. There are two realities related to this second trait. First, most, if not almost all, churches lost their evangelical focus and priority before the pandemic. Second, in the transforming power of God, these healthy churches decided to renew their commitment to evangelism.
 
Trait 3. Give hope and encouragement during the pandemic. The leaders of these churches seem to know how to proclaim God's redemptive work in a way that gives believers encouragement and hope. Members of their churches continue to feel that God has not abandoned them, that God is working for their good in difficult times.
 
Trait 4. Stay away from political struggles. You will not find the leaders of these churches on Facebook discussing the latest hot topic. They stay focused on Christ and his work. "Most of the time, the members of your church will follow your example," says Rainer.

​Now, I must admit that this trait of Rainer's leaves me a little perplexed because the role of Prophet is definitely the work of Christ. I believe there are times when we have to perform the Prophet's role and prophetically speak truth to power. The reluctance and outright unwillingness to focus on Christ and this aspect of his work, in my opinion, is a contributing factor that has made the Church complicit in the racial inequalities and systemic racism that exist in America today.
 
Trait 5. Re-evaluate your staff structure. Churches across our country are at the start of a massive staff realignment. These healthy churches have leaders who recognize that they are on the verge of a mass movement. They want to understand it so that they are ready to make the right changes.
 
Trait 6. Support or adopt churches. These churches actively try to help other churches. Sometimes the kind of help is providing resources and people for a season. This is fostering church support. Other times, these churches become multisite congregations by formally adopting a church into their family and making it an offsite campus of their congregation.
 
Trait 7. Do more to become a welcoming church. The leaders of these churches recognize that many members and guests return to in-person worship with a sense of hesitation and uncertainty. They understand that whoever greets them when they arrive is more important than ever.
 
Trait 8. Pay close attention to your groups and the structure of your small groups. A church with healthy groups is likely to be healthier in evangelism, service, assimilation, and administration. The importance of caring relationships to the health of the church only increased during the pandemic.

​Trait 9. Raise the bar of expectations. This trait seems contradictory. If people are less engaged in church, today, why not adjust to the lower level of engagement. Conversely, healthy churches see the pandemic as an opportunity to raise the bar in a culture of low expectations.
 
Trait 10. Become a friend of your community. Although the communities in which they live may not be respectful of Christian values, these churches still see a great opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ in a meaningful and tangible way. They continue to maintain an outward incarnational focus as they seek to find a wound and heal it or find a need and satisfy it. As a result, some of these churches are winning over their communities.
 
Trait 11. Form mini prayer groups. The leaders of these churches are not too busy organizing large prayer meetings. Yes, it is great when many church members come together to pray. However, these leaders celebrate when only a few members get together to pray. Mighty prayer can come from a few.
 
Trait 12. Stay persistent. The frustration and confusion are as real to these church leaders as it is to any other leader in the midst of these troubled times. Nevertheless, the leaders of these churches are not giving up. They really feel that God will see them through the uncertainty and confusion. They may not understand what is going on, but they know God is still in control.

On a scale of 1 to 12, how many of these traits are active in the life of your congregations?

Faithfully yours,
Danny C. Murphy
​General Presbyter

​​A worldwide pandemic, coupled with recent extreme weather conditions during the month of August 2021, makes one wonder: When is it ever going to end?
 
We have seen cases of Covid-19 continue to rise as the more contagious Delta variant leads to spikes in infections and hospitalizations across the globe.  In the U.S., southern states experienced a surge in cases, with many hospitals at or near capacity. According to a recent New York Times article, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, and parts of Texas are reporting some of the highest case rates in the country.
 
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake stuck the Tiburon Peninsula in the Caribbean nation of Haiti. At least 2,200 people were confirmed dead, 12,260 were injured, 136,800 houses and buildings were destroyed or damaged, 24,400 people were displaced, and 650,000 people required humanitarian assistance.
 
Floodwaters inundated Middle Tennessee, where Waverly, a city in Humphreys County, Tennessee, was the hardest hit. Search and rescue efforts were suspended after identifying 20 people who were killed as a result of water topping the banks of area waterways and flooding the county. Among the dead were 7-month-old twins, swept out of their father’s arms by floodwaters,  and 55-year-old Linda Almond Bryant. Bryant started a Facebook Live video. “We’re being flooded right now,” she said as water pushed debris by a door. “Really scary.” It was the last video she appeared to post to her Facebook page. The flood claimed her life, according to her son.
 
Flash floods swept across western North Carolina in the wake of Tropical Depression Fred. Five people were killed and one person was missing in Cruso, NC, where homes were swept off their foundations. The flood caused at least $300 million worth of damage and destroyed 225 structures in Cruso. This figure did not include damage in the towns of Canton and Clyde.
 
Ida, a category 4 Hurricane, blasted ashore in Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out the New Orleans power grid, blowing roofs off buildings and reversing the flow of the Mississippi River as it rushed from the Louisiana coast into one of the nation’s most important industrial corridors. Hurricane Ida made landfall exactly 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the state to become one of the deadliest and the costliest hurricanes to hit the U.S. in recorded history.
 
The devasting Caldor wildfire that set California ablaze has caused thousands of people to quickly flee South Lake Tahoe as the resort city came under an evacuation order and the wildfire raced toward the lake. Our Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center in Nevada, has so far been spared from the furious wildfire raging in California and the Tahoe basin, and has become a safe haven for more than 100 people. At least 729 structures, including nearly 490 homes, have been destroyed by the Caldor Fire.
 
I am pleased to announce that through our Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) program the Presbyterian Church (USA) is responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and to each of the natural disasters mentioned above. 
 
Due to the connectional nature of our denomination, you and/or your congregation may join with other presbyterians and help support our Church’s response using the links below.
 

COVID-19 RESPONSE
PDA pulled 2.7 million dollars from reserves to seed the COVID-19 ongoing response fund, both in the United States and internationally. These are funds that have been given by donors to PDA’s general fund, meant to meet the response needs of disasters, small or large, that are not able to be funded by special appeals.

Support the COVID-19 response with designated gifts to DR000148
 

HAITI EARTHQUAKE
Working closely with Presbyterian World Mission, our traditional partners on the ground and ACT Alliance, PDA is responding to emergency needs such as WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), emergency power generators, shelter, food, first aid and more. 

Support the Haiti Earthquake response with designated gifts to OG100000-Haiti
 

TENNESSEE FLOODING
PDA is responding to this disaster and processed initial assistance grants to meet emergency needs.

Support the Tennessee Flooding response with designated gifts to DR000191
 

NORTH CAROLINA FLOODING
PDA is working with Presbyterian leadership on the ground as they assess the flood damages caused by Tropical Depression Fred. 

Support the North Carolina Flooding response with designated gifts to DR000191
 

HURRICANE IDA
PDA is responding to Hurricane Ida. The initial assessment of the damage is staggering. The needs of those impacted is changing daily due to lack of access to power, refrigeration, water and housing. 

Support the Hurricane Ida response with designated gifts to DR000169
 
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CALDOR WILDFIRE
PDA is responding to U.S. wildfires.
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Support Caldor Wildfire response with designated gifts to DR000165
 
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PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to serve on a response team that is mobilized to help people who are suffering due to natural disasters, then please contact Elder Laura Jordan, the moderator of Trinity’s Disaster Assistance Team (TDAT), at 803-466-8440. If your church has a disaster assistance/response plan in place, please share that information with Laura, as well.

Faithfully yours,
Danny C. Murphy
General Presbyter

Live spelled backwards is Evil. We are to live a life that moves us forward into a deeper relationship with God. However, when we live a life that’s backward, we succumb to evil and move in a direction that takes us away from God.
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The good news is that with the Holy Spirit’s help we don’t have to succumb to evil by giving in to vengeance, revenge, and retaliation. We can conquer evil by choosing to live our life by doing good toward those who mistreat us.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV

I find it so easy to be thankful when everything is going well. When my prayers are being answered; when things that I've been visualizing are physically manifesting themselves in my life; and when I'm executing the plans and achieving the goals that I've set for myself, it's easy for me to be thankful. However, I find it more challenging to be thankful when things aren't going so well in my life.

How about you?

Do you find it easy to give thanks when your day is going well? You’re wearing your favorite t-shirt. You got a great parking spot. Your coffee is the perfect temperature with just the right mix of sugar and creamer. You get lots of likes on the selfie you posted to Instagram.

But what about those moments when things aren’t going so well? You spill your coffee on your jeans. You have to wait in a long line of customers at the bank or grocery store. You realize the battery in your smartphone is dead.

In moments like these, giving thanks is difficult. But giving thanks is also essential if you want to navigate these experiences with a positive outlook. This doesn’t mean being phony or pasting on a smile no matter what.

Rather, it’s about taking a moment to shift your focus. Instead of grumbling about the long line of customers, thank God for the cashier and pray for her family. When your smartphone needs a charge, thank God for all of the impressive technology to which you have access. Put differently, shift your focus by choosing to turn the uncomfortable moments in life into thankfulness.

Let's pray:
God, when I’m tempted to complain and grumble, help to stop and shift my focus. I want to be someone who lives in continual gratitude. Let me never lose sight of the blessings You’ve poured out on me. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
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