Freeing Congregational Mission

Adult Education Study: Sundays, January 29 through February 19, from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.

On Sunday mornings during the 9:45 a.m. Christian Education hour, the Shadyside Presbyterian Church Adult Christian Education Team invites you to participate in a four-week study co-sponsored by the church’s Domestic and International Mission Committees, beginning January 29 and concluding February 19. Together, we will explore the book Freeing Congregational Mission: A Practical Vision for Companionship, Cultural Humility, and Co-Development, by the Reverend Dr. B. Hunter Farrell and the Reverend S. Balajiedlang Khyllep, who are the Director and Associate Director of the World Mission Initiative of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Facilitators of this study will include the Reverend Kendra L. Buckwalter Smith, member Phillip D. Jones, Elder Laura C. Duncan, and the authors of the book. Meetings will take place in the Hulme Room, with the option to participate in person or over Zoom videoconferencing. Copies of Freeing Congregational Mission are available from the bookcase in the Parlor (adjacent to the Sharp Atrium) for a suggested donation of $10; alternatively, the book may be purchased on Amazon Kindle.

You are encouraged to join us in this opportunity for education and fellowship. We would be blessed by your presence.

About the Book

Based on the latest mission research, the authors see the local church community as well positioned to build a spreading circle of relationships centered in Jesus Christ. They have written this book to help congregations lay the foundation for more faithful and effective missions with three core elements:

  • a Christ-centered theology of mission rooted in companionship
  • an appetite and competence to engage across differences with cultural humility
  • insights and strategies to accompany local and global neighbors in co-development.

About the Authors

Rev. Bala Khyllep and Rev. Dr. Hunter Farrell

The Reverend Dr. B. Hunter Farrell joined the staff of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary as the Director of the World Mission Initiative (WMI) in 2017. He has been a professor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, coordinator of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s mission work in East and West Africa, community organizer addressing issues of poverty and justice in Peru, and director of World Mission for the PC(USA) in Louisville. Dr. Farrell has published articles in periodicals including Missiology, The Journal of Latin American Theology, and Christianity Today. His educational background includes studies at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (doctor of anthropology), École Pratique des Hautes (post-graduate diploma), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and University of Texas at Austin (B.A.).

The Reverend S. Balajiedlang Khyllep is the Associate Director of the World Mission Initiative (WMI) of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Rev. Khyllep grew up in Northeast India. He belongs to a Khasi people group, which is an indigenous group that was evangelized by Welsh Presbyterian missionaries in the 1840s. He attended Shillong College, India, for his Bachelor of Science degree; Serampore College, India, for his Bachelor of Divinity (equivalent to M.Div.); and Princeton Theological Seminary for his Master of Theology degree. Prior to joining WMI, Rev. Khyllep co-pastored a church along with his wife in Britton, South Dakota. Bala enjoys working with people from different cultures, and he is excited for the opportunity to engage local churches and students at PTS in global and cross-cultural mission.

Reminders

For Virtual Participants: Access links are typically delivered to participants by email on Sunday mornings. If you have questions, or want to be sure you will receive the email invitation, please contact the church office.

For In-Person Participants with Children: Childcare for infants through two-year-olds starts at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings, and Children’s Ministry leaders are ready to welcome older children during this time should families choose to participate in person.

For additional information, please contact the church office.