The Water Dichotomy

I can't help but share in the excitement. The Church is Alive Water Project has met it's goal. Seriously. As of Thursday night, and because of the incomprehensible generosity of this community, you've raised over five thousand dollars to change the the lives of those in a community in need. On behalf of the Church is Alive, thank you.

A few weekends ago, I visited my brother in Nashville, Tennessee. We had a great time seeing the sights, going out on the town, and catching up with some old and new friends. The very next weekend, Nashville and the surrounding area saw over a foot of rainfall in a two-day period. The Cumberland river, which flows through downtown Nashville, crested at nearly 52 feet. The damage done has been horrific, and our hearts go out to those who lost cars, homes, and loved ones. The flooding also put one of the city's water treatment plants out of service, prompting a water conservation effort to ensure that all have access to clean water.

Nashville is at risk of not having enough clean water to go around. The same weekend, Boston had a similar misfortune. The water crisis doesn't have to be in a third-world country. The water crisis affects all of humanity.

Water is a necessity of life. One to be respected, both for it's destructive potential and our dependence on it to sustain life. You. Us. We. We're sustaining life. We're now making it possible for a community in need to have access to clean water. Pause and think about that, and perhaps offer a prayer to those to whom water now represents grief and loss.


Image courtesy of Leslie Rodriguez Photography. Video from Michael Deppisch.

The Church is Alive & Charity: Water

"If you are going to ask yourself life-changing questions..."

I don't subscribe to cable television, so I don't watch a whole lot of television. It isn't much of a surprise, then, that I totally missed out on an MTV documentary that aired last week called "Summit on the Summit." The premise? Kenna (actually a pretty great musician) and some famous friends of his, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the global clean water crisis. Check out the trailer below:




Guess what? We're not the only ones concerned about the clean water crisis. This is a global movement. A movement of compassion toward those with less. A movement to makes the lives of people better. Guess what else? We've already made a tangible impact. With the donations received so far, Charity:Water will be able to provide clean, safe drinking water to 90 people for years to come. Think about that.

We've put our thoughts, prayers, energy, and passion for providing life-giving water to yield a tangible result. Where would we be if everyone did that?

"If you are going to ask yourself life-changing questions, be sure to do something with the answers."
- Bo Bennett

The Church is ALIVE at New Hope Presbytery

The church is certainly alive through youth leadership at the New Hope Presbytery of eastern North Carolina. Check out the video above to see why.

Totally biased shout-out: not only is this Presbytery pretty amazing, it is also very close to the hearts of some of the Church is ALIVE crew. Representatives of CiA were recently blessed to participate in one of the retreats shown above. They truly are a wild and passionate group, and a testament to what can be done through youth-led ministry.

Get hyped. Get hyped. New Hope's got what you like.

Check 'em out here: http://www.nhpresbytery.org/

The Church is ALIVE at United Campus Ministry!

If you have any doubt about the merits of campus ministry...watch this video!

Carol Howard-Merritt and the crew from United Campus Ministry in our nation's capital share some testimony about the impact of campus ministry on their lives. We are reminded that campus ministry provides a place of worship, spiritual development, and Christian fellowship for students who might not have the opportunity for these things otherwise! As John Welton says towards the end, it is the comfort and the challenge of the gospel that calls people into this fellowship and out into the world.

If you aren't a part of a campus ministry...get involved! If your campus doesn't have one set up...take charge and work to set one up! The spirit of the Lord is alive and moving in campus ministry!

The Church is alive!

Thanks be to God!

Check 'em out here: http://www.ucmcollegepark.org/

The Church is STILL Alive in East Tennessee!

Today's video comes to us from - once again - the Presbytery of East Tennessee Youth Council! Nancy Meyer has this to say:

"The faith of these youth is alive and well!"

Keep 'em coming, folks!

The Church is ALIVE in Church Activism

Today's video comes from Tennessee. She has the following to say about how the church is ALIVE to her...

On February 4, 2009, prisoner Steve Henley was executed in Nasvhille, Tennessee. A brief statement from the website www.stevehenley.org sums up the unjust nature of the case:

"Two men were implicated in the murder of Fred and Edna Stafford. One served five years in prison.

The other received the death penalty."

The 171st General Assembly of the PC(USA) states: "capital punishment cannot be condoned by an interpretation of the Bible based upon the revelation of God's love in Jesus Christ," and calls on Christians to "seek the redemption of evil doers and not their death." The statement goes on to say "the use of the death penalty tends to brutalize the society that condones it." (This statement can be found here, as well as other resources regarding general facts about the PC(USA))
On February 3, some Presbyterian friends and I attended a candlelight vigil outside the prison until 1:00 in the morning when Steve Henley was executed by lethal injection. We prayed for clemency until the very last moment.

This was a very powerful experience for me in my faith. TCASK, or Tennessee Coalition Against State Killing, organized the candlelight vigil. Stacey Rector, the executive director for TCASK, was the associate pastor for my church (Second Presbyterian in Nashville, Tennessee) until she felt that her call was to lead this organization (here is a brief article on her decision to join TCASK).


I say it was a powerful experience in my faith because this was not just gathering of Presbyterians. There were people from all walks of life attending this vigil for Steve Henley and we all were able to put differences aside to join together and be present for Steve Henley's final moments.
I think the Presbyterian Church is alive in moments such as these, when we are able to gather with our brothers and sisters of other faiths and beliefs and yet who share this world with us to stand up for what we believe in. When we show the world that, despite our differences, we love each other, and simply do the right thing in this crazy world in which we live, we fill our church with life.

Thanks for your submission! We here at thechurchisalive.com are dedicated to representing any and all who feel the church is alive in their area. Send us your video today!

The Church is Alive at the Church of All Nations!

Today's submission comes from the Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Jin S. Kim, the submitter, writes:

"The Church is alive when it risks its own institutional life for the sake of doing the ministry of reconciliation. The Church of All Nations in Minneapolis was founded in 2004 to be a high-risk, low-anxiety church that always pushes the boundaries of what it means to be church so that we might be a living parable of good news to a broken and divided world."

Thanks Jin!

The Church is ALIVE at the Church of the Pilgrims!

This newest submission comes to us from Gerry Hendershot on behalf of the Church of the Pilgrims (PCUSA) in the National Capital Presbytery of Washington DC.

To the folks at the Church of the Pilgrims, it looks like service - specifically Habitat for Humanity - is yet another example of how we're called to give to others, and how the Church is ALIVE!

Check out their website here: Church of the Pilgrims

Presbyterian Student Fellowship (PSF) at Vanderbilt University

Over their spring break, Vanderbilt University's Presbyterian Student Fellowship sent a group on a mission trip down to New Orleans, Louisiana to continue in the effort to rebuild homes that Hurricane Katrina destroyed in 2005. These PSFers recorded this video for us while they were on that trip to let us know how they see the living Church in our world today! Vanderbilt's PSF shows us that the Church is alive through loving and helping those in need. Thanks PSF!

Check out the Vanderbilt PSF website HERE!

follow them on twitter!
and visit their facebook group!

The Church is Alive in Palo Alto, CA!

It's....ALIVE!!

The Youth Group of First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto, CA sent us this creative video explaining why they think the church is alive.

They remind us that "we base our Church on Jesus as the body of Christ," and that "people keep each other alive in a community." What a prophetic message to hear! The youth of this church are reminding all of us of our calling to live and serve together, as we are called to be the body of Christ. How much clearer can it get? Let us think of the message this group sends us every time we participate in communion, meditating upon the "body of Christ." And remember, the grape juice is for the kids!

Here's their website

(nice "church is alive" shout-out on their youth page!)

Thanks Youth Group of FPC Palo Alto!

The Church is ALIVE because of LOVE

This latest submission comes to us from Atlanta, Georgia via Laura Brekke. Brekke believes the church is alive because of LOVE.

Brekke is in the process of applying for seminary (she has interviews tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday!), and she's been to Guatemala twice on mission trips with her college - Queens University of Charlotte. She's also applying to be a counselor at Montreat this summer.

Thanks Brekke!

Read her blog

Check her out on facebook

Iglesia Presbiteriana Puerto Nuevo

The church is alive in San Juan, Puerto Rico! Today’s submission comes from Jose Rosa of the Iglesia Presbiteriana Puerto Nuevo. The Iglesia Presbiteriana Puerto Nuevo sees the living church in their mission group Ministerio Vida Abundante, or Abundant Life Ministry. This video is a collection of video clips and pictures that demonstrate the activities of the group during the Maratón de Paz, or Peace Marathon. The music in the background is Daniel Calveti’s “En Paz.” I’m going to include my best shot at a rudimentary translation (*not exact*) so you can reflect on the lyrics while you watch the video. Jose Rosa mentioned that there is more to come from the Iglesia Presbiteriana Puerto Nuevo – we can’t wait to see what else they have going on!

Daniel Calveti - En Paz

En paz me acostaré y asi mismo dormiré
(peacefully I will lie down and peacefully I will sleep)
Porque solo tu señor me haces vivir confiado
(because only you Lord make me live in confidence)
Quien me libra del temor
(who frees me from fear)
Quien me quita la ansiedad
(who takes away my anxiety)
Sino eres tú
(if not you)
Quien me Abraza con su Amor
(who embraces me with love)
Quien me da de su perdón
(who pardons me)
Sino eres tú
(if not you)

Laura Mendenhall @ Columbia Seminary

Today's submission comes from Laura Mendenhall, President of Columbia Seminary. Laura has served Christ through the Presbyterian Church USA in many ways, as pastor, educator, speaker, and now as President of Columbia Seminary. Laura has been President of Columbia Seminary since 2000, and in August will retire from her position and move back to Texas. Those who have had the honor to work and know Laura, know her as a kind and selfless leader, who's deep love of Christ is made known in her loving and caring manner. She has been a true visionary and leader of the Church, and we are thankful to hear her perspective on how the Church is alive.

Columbia Seminary Website

The Church is Alive in the Dominican Republic!

We got a pretty amazing submission the other day: This one comes from Michael Fagans on behalf of the Self-Development of People initiative from the PC(USA).

To Michael, the church is alive in service to others and in bettering the lives of those in need. He says this about his submission:

A ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Self Development of People is a partnership of love, justice and empowerment reflecting the image of God who stands with all people.

To each of us is given a gift for the building of a community of caring,
where we can learn to embrace our pain and overcome those oppressive
structures that would keep us in bondage and make us anxious.
-- Elizabeth O'Connor

This is why the church is alive!

This is a truly remarkable project, and one that everyone should check out.

For more information on how to get connected to this project, check the links below:

The Self-Development of People Website.

The SDOP YouTube Channel.

The SDOP facebook page.

The Church is ALIVE At Union-PSCE!

Dr. Brian Blount is the president of Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia.

On May 7, 2008, during his Inauguration sermon, he asked us a simple question, "Are You Ready?" Drawing upon the story of Lazarus, Dr. Blount expressed how easy the temptation is to be "dead." We tend to get too comfortable with the condition of stagnancy. However, Christ is calling us OUT of this condition of stagnant death and into a life where we do what God requires of us! Here's an excerpt from his sermon:

"But are we ready to respond? Jesus expects response. Notice, Jesus doesn’t go in the tomb and get Lazarus. Lazarus has to get up and come out. It must be hard if you’re dead to get up. It’s hard for me to get up from a nap on a cold, rainy day. Imagine trying to get up after you’ve been dead for four days. I’m sure you’d want to pull the covers of creation all around you and sleep on into eternity.

When we think about it that way, it’s almost good to be dead, isn’t it? There in the tomb there are no worries, no frustrations, no life to live under the duress of grand expectations, no midterms and final exams, no faculty meetings, no financial issues, no building maintenance problems, no fundraising to be obsessed with. It’s almost good to be dead. Maybe that’s why institutions so often don’t wait for nature to bind them up in death; we kill off ourselves, then bind ourselves up in tombs of lethargy, tombs of tradition, tombs of doing things the same way we’ve always done them because there’s peace in that even if there is no transformation in that. The idea is to get comfortable with being dead, so you don’t hear those voices calling you out into the struggles of mission, worship, and theological education life. Actually, the best thing to do is to figure out the most lively way to be dead. I think that’s my fear for the church and for the seminaries that educate its leaders, that we’ll get too used to being ill and dying, that we’ll get seduced by the calm and peace of the tomb, that we’ll start decorating in there, make ourselves at home with our own decay, ignore the stench of stale approaches, and ignore the call to get up from that deadness and come out because, in the end, to be dead is at the very least to be comfortable. But let us remind ourselves about Jesus’ love. Because Jesus loves us, Jesus is not going to come to Union-PSCE or to the churches we serve and sit in the decay with us. Jesus is going to call...us...out! The question is, are we ready to come out?"

In Dr. Blount's video post, he reminds us of the excitement found in God's call. Christ calls his disciples to follow him, and this is where the church begins!

The church is ALIVE because of the number of people taking this call seriously in whatever vocation they pursue. The church is ALIVE because of seminary students who are committing to serving the church and spreading excitement of the wonderful ways God is working in this world. The church is ALIVE because of YOU!

Connect to this video:

Union-PSCE website

The Church is alive in East Tennessee!

This submission comes from Bryce Elliot and the Presbytery of East Tennessee Youth Council, based out of Knoxville, TN.

To them, the church is alive when we reach out and connect with one another and with God.

Bryce says this about his video:

"Hope for the Future."

Speaking of connections, check the links below:

First Presbyterian Knoxville, TN

Bryce Elliot on Facebook

Adam Copeland and Congregational Song

Adam is in his third year at Columbia Seminary, in Decatur, GA. Adam has deep interest the music of the Church throughout history, and in the present. He spent last year in Scotland doing an internship with the Church of Scotland. He has this to say about his video:

The Church is Alive in its Congregational Song
"Did you know the church is in the midst of deep and wide interest in congregational song? Compilers of a recently-published hymnal considered over 10,000 texts and tunes for publication. As the church claims its heritage in the songs of the past, and as the Spirit moves us to sing a new song to the Lord, we sing the confession: Christ is alive; all praise be to God!"


You can check out Adam's blog and/or follow him on Twitter:
Adam Copeland blogs at http://adamjcopeland.com
Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ajc123

Other sites Adam recommends:
http://www.hymnary.org/
http://presbyterianhymnal.org/HymnalSplash.asp