Rola writes: As you read this, less than three months separate me from the end of my journey at Parkview! It has been a rich journey, in which not only I learned about intercultural ministry but I also got the chance to be involved with mid-councils and the National office. I would like to give you an overview of my current ministry outside Parkview.

I am currently involved with four different national offices. The first is the office of Vital Congregations, which is an initiative to revitalize the PCUSA churches. I joined the team over two years ago, I helped writing resources for the initiative and envisioned parts of it, and am currently one of their coaches, in charge of five presbyteries that I connect with on a monthly basis to check their progress and provide help if needed.

Secondly, some of you will remember Samuel Son who visited Parkview back in November. He is the moderator of an intercultural leaders gathering, that I am part of. We usually meet once a month over zoom, however throughout summer we were meeting more frequently to plan and prepare for the Intercultural Transformation national gathering that just ended on September 26 and which some of you have attended.

As I wrote to you before, I am an apprentice with the office of 1001 New Worshipping Communities. This office coaches and supports individuals who want to start new church plants. As I get ready to start my Yoga-based New Worshipping Community that will be nested at Westminster Presbyterian Church, I continue to attend weekly cohorts with colleagues walking through similar journeys, as well as monthly meetings with my coach.

I am also serving on the board of the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) which is the big umbrella under which all of the above offices operate. The PMA board sets the policies and advises the General Assembly on programs and strategies for the ministries of the Presbyterian Church. As a member of the PMAB, I also serve on two national committees also in charge of setting policies and mission work plans and budgets for the various ministries of the PMA.

At the local level, you all know by now that the Presbytery of Sacramento and the Presbytery of Stockton are coming together to form the Presbytery of North Central California. Since summer, I have been on a planning and envisioning team along with other members of the two presbyteries; this team is looking into setting policies and procedures, plans and visions for our newly formed presbytery.

And finally, I recently joined the Syria and Lebanon Partnership Network (SLPN). This network partners with my former Presbyterian church in Lebanon and Syria and supports its ministry. I am serving as Vice Moderator of the Steering Committee of the SLPN.

This is all exciting work, and I am grateful for having this wonderful opportunity to serve in multiple capacities and appreciate your and the pastoral team’s continuous support.