Presbyterian Border Ministry

How To Get Involved

HELP PBM CELEBRATE ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY!

Last year, 2009, was the 25th anniversary of Presbyterian Border Ministryâ€¦and we’re still celebrating this year! The PBM Council* is asking all of our partner churches on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border to participate in a common worship service to celebrate 25 years of God’s work along the border and to look forward to many more years of ministry. Using a special common liturgy, we will highlight 25 years of accomplishments, while looking ahead to what’s next for the six local sites of Presbyterian Border Ministry. This is a way to honor 25 years of PBM and to support God's future work along the border.

Here’s how you can participate. We have developed an Order of Worship to be used on both sides of the border. When your church decides to participate, simply download, print and copy the bulletin from the jpeg file below. It’s that easy. If you can’t download or open it, just contact our PBM office in San Antonio, Texas, tell us how many you need and we will be happy to send you a supply of the printed bulletins.

Participating churches are encouraged to plan this special common worship for Sunday, July 25, in keeping with the $25 for the 25th theme. But the service can be held anytime in 2010, whether on a Sunday or at a midweek service. And the $25 for the 25th offering can be received at any time in 2010, even without programming the special worship service or using the common liturgy bulletin.

You choose the hymns to be sung. Also attached is a list of talking points for the preacher to use in a sermon on the common topic “25 years of Presbyterian Border Ministry: doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God”. If you choose not to use the talking points for a sermon, they can be used for a moment for mission, as well.

You may choose to have a “birthday party” after the service. If so, consider hosting a Border Gift Market at the same time. This is a way for the congregation to provide tangible gifts that support PBM, so ask us for more information.

During the service, congregations are asked to receive a special offering, and we’re suggesting a gift of $25 per family for the 25th year of Presbyterian Border Ministry: $25 for the 25th! Offerings received for this special anniversary should be sent to:

Presbyterian Border Ministry, 319 Camden Street, San Antonio, TX 78215 ]

Offerings received in Mexican Presbyterian churches in MÃ©xico should be Â directed to the nearest local site of PBM, to be forwarded to the office in San Antonio. Gifts of support received in Mexican churches may also be sent to the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, at its offices in Mexico, D.F. Churches anywhere in Mexico or the U.S. can participate in this anniversary observance and special offering.Â If your church, presbytery or synod has had a relationship with a church, presbytery or synod in Mexico through the work of Presbyterian Border Ministry, you are encouraged to participate by planning a worship service with the bilingual liturgy bulletin.

PBM is excited to celebrate its 25th anniversary and many more to come!Â We hope you are, too.

*The Presbyterian Border Ministry Council is comprised of representatives from all of the presbyteries and synods along the entire U.S./MÃ©xico border, as well as representatives from the PC(USA) and our partner denomination, the National Presbyterian Church of MÃ©xico (INPM for its initials in Spanish)