Please continue to pray for the Reformed Episcopal Church in Cuba. Their economic situation is dire, with 16-18 hour a day rolling blackouts and increasing prices for food. Our congregation here at Good Shepherd in Harrisburg is in the process of forming a relationship with one of the congregations in Cuba, The Casa de Dios, or House of God. Please pray that God will bless Casa de Dios as a place where His word is proclaimed effectively to draw the Cuban people closer to Him.
We will begin this Sunday to pray each week for The Casa de Dios and their Lay Reader, Alcides Medina Pavon.
For learn more about the REC in Cuba, read the Cuba Chronicles newsletter at this link: Cuba Chronicles
Dear Good Shepherd Anglican,
Please read the following letter from the REC Board of Foreign Missions and join in praying for people of Cuba:
Reformed Episcopal Church Board of Foreign Missions
30 May 2024
Dear friend of REC Foreign Missions,
Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Cuba, and for all the people of that land. For some time now they have been living without electricity most of the time, with minimal water supply, and often with no food. The situation worsens every day, and are asking for the prayer of the whole Reformed Episcopal Church for their diocese.
The churches are sharing what they have, but everyone is suffering, and frustration is mounting by the hour. Pray not only for provision, but for the presence of God’s people throughout the island to be the light, leaven, salt, and refuge during this current upheaval. Pray for an outcome that improves the lot and lives of all. Pray for the progress of the Gospel. Pray for the Church to be the voice of Goodness, the calm of Jesus, and the hope of Peace.
All the parishes in the Missionary Diocese of Cuba have agreed to pray Morning Prayer at 8:00 am every day during this crisis, joining their voices together for God’s mercy and provision. Perhaps you or your parish could join them and pray at the same time with and for them.
The Rt. Rev’d John Peter Boonzaaijer
REC International Missionary Bishop
Suffragan for Iglesia Episcopal Reformada de Cuba
Board of Foreign Missions, President
www.REC-BFM.org
Tel +1 972.741.2837
May 2024 Missions Moment
The Reformed Episcopal Board of Foreign Mission has organized a mission trip to a church planting training in Croatia this summer from June 1-8. While we at Good Shepherd won’t be able to join them physically on this trip, we can support them in prayer as they come together to focus on the work of advancing the gospel in central Europe. Read a description below from Rev. Michael Vinson, the rector of St. Benedict's Anglican Church in Rockwall, Texas who will be leading this trip with Bishop John Boonzaaijer:
Bishops, clergy, and church planters from Germany, Holland, Croatia, Serbia, and the Free Church of England will attend a church planting training in Croatia. The training will include visits to various parishes and church plants, providing an opportunity to connect with European partner churches. Through this training, attendees will witness how the church re-evangelizes Europe by using parish ministry and church planting to spread the Gospel.
For more information on the Reformed Episcopal Church in Croatia, follow this link
April 2024 Missions Moment
- In May at the REC’s Women's Day event, an offering will be taken to support missionaries Gerhard and Grace Meyer, who will soon retire after 50 years’ service in Germany. During his ministry, Bishop Meyer has overseen several missions, supervised students at Saint Benedict Seminary in Schwarzenborn, and assisted his wife, Grace, at several Christian camps, including one that welcomes English-speaking high schoolers from the US. To learn more about the Meyers, the state of the church in Germany, and the Meyers’ work over the past 50 years, please visit the REC BFM Germany website https://www.rec-bfm.org/germany.
March 2024 Missions Moment
- Does the Anglican Church care about missions? Aren't we instructed in the Great Commission to "go and make disciples of all nations"? Is there such as thing as an Anglican missionary? The answer to all this questions is "Yes!" The REC Board of Foreign Missions (https://www.rec-bfm.org) is active around the world, and we have the opportunity to partner with them by supporting missions with prayers and donations, and even in some cases, missions trips. This "Missions Moment" paragraph will be appearing once a month as a place for you to learn about some of the REC missionaries, and will help acquaint you with their work and locations around the world. The more we learn, the better we are able to pray for them and support them in this important work of taking the gospel to all nations. For more information please speak with Betsy LeGrand.