The Annual Focus is a program designed to encourage increased awareness and support of God’s work being done through the Agencies and Boards of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Each Presbyterial, along with every local church, is encouraged to place particular emphasis on a specific Agency or Board at every opportunity throughout the year to ensure that everyone becomes familiar with the great work being done throughout our communities and the world for the sake of Christ. With increased awareness, we trust more and more people will want to be part of this great work and answer God’s call to support our Agencies and Boards through financial support, volunteering time and talents, and prayer.

Below is listed the rotation of Presbyterials and their yearly assigned Agency or Board:

Two important things to remember about the Annual Focus:

• It is NOT an ‘extra‘ thing to do: layer and weave this into what you are already  doing; and
• It is NOT intended to focus on one Agency or Board at the expense of another. The suggested Agency/Board focus is your over-arching theme for the year; You may present and promote other Agencies or Boards as appropriate.

Below are some suggested ways to layer and incorporate your Agency or Board throughout the year. (Compiled from the Presidents/Vice-Presidents/Meeting, Family Bible Conference 2011):

The ARP

• Sharing articles at meetings
• Give the magazine to each family group
• Use the children’s articles in Sunday School classes
• Give a free subscription for a year to new members

Bonclarken

• Use as site for your retreats and mini-retreats
• Intentionally educate new members about Bonclarken—what it is and what it does
• Pray for the staff as they host groups and manage the grounds and buildings
• Send “praying for you” notes to staff

Christian Education Ministries (CEM)

• Ask CEM staff for specific prayer needs and their schedule of events, and then pray at your various meetings
• Send notes of encouragement
• For churches with libraries, alert your staff about CEM’s bookstore online; find ways to let your congregation know of the resources available through CEM
• Pray for and support Camp Joy
• Touch base with your pastor, ask what has come across his desk from CEM in the way of information on events, books, etc.

Erskine College and Seminary

• Prayer support
• Pray for the student choir, the dining hall staff that feeds the student body, the campus student ministry
• Adopt a student—send campus goody bags
• Have an Erskine recognition day
• Pray for the Erskine Board of Trustees
• Send notes of encouragement—have circles send cards
• Pray for the Erskine interns and support them financially

Outreach North America (ONA)

• Invite ONA staff to speak at your events
• Paper drive—share with a mission church
• Invite women in church plants to your meetings
• Establish email correspondence with planters’ wives
• Save devotionals and offer to send to planters’ wives
• Make prayer cards
• Raise awareness of the ONA newsletter—provide copies for viewing
• Get your shut-ins involved in prayer for ONA
• Create bulletin boards with ONA emphasis
• Intentional outreach to the wives of church planters
• Adopt a particular church plant to encourage and support

World Witness (WW)

• Invite staff to speak at your events
• Ask for specific prayer requests and then PRAY
• Fundraiser meals
• Send care packages to missionaries (check first for their needs and any mailing restrictions)
• Have the children make posters; immerse them in the missionaries’ country—learn simple words in the language, familiarize with customs, clothing—anything that would help them to better understand what the people are like and what the missionaries are experiencing
• Have Christmas in July for a missionary family
• Provide displays in church