On this episode of Sunspots, we meet Tammy Stepka. Tammy is known by the folks at Grace Presbytery as the Office & Ministry Coordinator. In the Synod of the Sun we are getting to know Tammy as our new Interim Administrative Assistant. Tammy has served on the staff of Grace Presbytery since 2017 and joined our staff in January of this year. Tammy has a B.A. in Organizational Leadership and is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Garland.

Tammy talks about her role at Grace Presbytery, how so much of her Synod job is virtual when her Presbytery job is in-person, and what first brought her to the Presbytery and what brought her to the Synod.

In a conversation with guest host Kristy Rodgers, medical student Allison Mundy shares how a 2019 border encounter trip organized by the Synod of the Sun profoundly shaped her views on immigration. Motivated by Lyon College’s focus on service, the 12-hour journey from Arkansas to the border exposed her to the real-life struggles of migrants, highlighting the importance of empathy, dignity, and systemic advocacy. The experience continues to influence her work in medicine and her commitment to social justice, reinforcing the value of firsthand engagement in fostering deeper understanding and lasting impact.

On this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Elizabeth Brinegar, Teaching Elder from the Presbytery of Arkansas and the returning Director of Operations for Solar Under the Sun.
Elizabeth is a familiar face in the Synod, having served six years as a Commissioner, was elected Moderator for 2019, was the Coordinating Team Chair, and served on the Search Committee for the Synod Leader.

Elizabeth discusses the mission and ministry of Solar Under the Sun, which is dedicated to providing clean, sustainable, and transformative energy to communities facing energy poverty. She reflects on her return to the role of Director of Operations, sharing the reasons behind her decision to come back. Elizabeth also addresses the evolving relationship between Solar Under the Sun and the Synod, particularly after the organization transitioned from being a Synod Network to establishing itself as an independent 501(c)(3).

To find out more about Solar Under the Sun and how you can get on board as a volunteer or bring your church to a Solar School:
https://www.solarunderthesun.org/

On this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Lisa Almon, Co-Moderator of the Hispanic Mission Ministry Network and hear about the Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today workshops. Lisa talks about how there was a need for training Commissioned Pastors and other Lay Leaders in Hispanic congregations and how the Holy Spirit guided some key leaders to create this series of six workshops.

Lisa describes the first five in-person training events that have happened over the Fall of 2024 and the Spring of 2025 and previews the sixth of these workshops that will take place at the HMMN Annual Meeting at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary on March 7-8.

To find out more about HMMN and the Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program:
https://www.austinseminary.edu/lifelong-learning/programas-en-espanol/hispanic-ministries-mission-network

On this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Lindsay Freeman-McCarthy, Communications Contractor for the Synod. Lindsay is a 12th generation Presbyterian and daughter to two Presbyterian ministers. She’s an ordained Presbyterian Deacon and Ruling Elder, former camp counselor at Ferncliff, and was an active youth and young adult in the church.

While on a study trip to Spain and walking the Camino de Santiago with her mother, she meets a young Dutchman named Mitchell which led to her decision to move there instead of returning to the US. As she self-describes on her BlueSky account, she is now an American Girl who became Dutch by Way of Spain.

She once again became active in the life of the church when coming on board with the Synod. Lindsay assists with CSP, building websites for mid-councils and Presbyterian entities, as well as assisting Tom with mass e-mails, and creating beautiful social media.

To find out more about the Communications Services Plan: https://www.synodsun.org/csp

On this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Kristy Rodgers, who is a Commissioned Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Bartlesville Director of Family Ministry. Moderator 2022 and Coordinating Team Chair 2023. Also with us is Rev. Jennifer Grantham, minister at large in Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery.

Kristy and Jennifer are leading a study in their Soul Training series called What Does the Bible Say About Immigration? Using the Women of Welcome’s curriculum, this study will take place on Zoom beginning on Thursday, February 13th from Noon to 1:00pm.

In the podcast, Kristy and Jennifer discuss the political climate surrounding immigration and the challenges immigrants face, such as the uncertainty of obtaining citizenship and the constant fear of deportation. Kristy stresses that immigration is not limited to border regions, noting that immigrants are also present in rural areas across the country. They also highlight the effects of immigration on local communities, particularly the relationships between immigrants and their neighbors. Both agree that the issue is complex and does not have a simple, clear-cut solution.

To sign-up for the class, email Kristy.Rodgers@fpcbok.org

To find out more about Women of Welcome: https://womenofwelcome.com

On today’s episode, we have a conversation with Neil McKown, Director of Student Ministry at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX and the self-appointed Commissioner for the Souperbowl of Caring Smackdown in Mission Presbytery.

Now in its seventh year, the Smackdown is a competition among almost two dozen churches in Mission Presbytery to see who can donate the most non-perishable food items and funds to the agency of their choice in their own community. The winner gets the Smackdown Wrestling Belt for the year!

In 2024 with 22 churches participating , almost 19,000 items were collected with over $39,000 donated.

Can this competition go beyond Mission Presbytery’s borders? Neil is ready to take on other presbyteries in the Smackdown!

And with Colbert Questionnaire questions, Neil becomes ‘fully known’ to the Synod.

Email Neil HERE: neil@shpc.org

Watch their 2025 promotional video HERE: https://youtu.be/JyWJipJZMVo?si=C8NQWRLw1Z8ayNt7

Read more about the Souperbowl of Caring HERE:
https://tacklehunger.org

Today's episode features two Ruling Elders from Tres Rios Presbytery. If you are not familiar with Tres Rios Presbytery, it is a group of congregations and ministries located in the westernmost portion of Texas, and it’s known as Tres Rios because the presbytery is marked by three rivers: the Concho, Pecos, and Rio Grande.

In our disaster work, we actually don’t hear a lot coming out of Tres Rios Presbytery, because historically, this is an area that does not experience many of the types of environmental disasters we are used to across other parts of our synod.

I even looked back through the history of Tres Rios Presbytery and found that there was one flooding event in 2009 and a wildfire in 2011 that were significant enough for the presbytery to receive financial grants from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to support its response to those events.

But I want people to know about Tres Rios Presbytery, that even though they are not often impacted by tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and fires themselves, the presbytery already has a culture of generosity when it comes to responding to disaster needs across other parts of our synod and beyond. In my time working with them, there has never been any hesitancy from the presbytery to send their funds and prayers wherever they are needed, and from their recent response to Hurricane Helene, I know this generosity remains strong.

Part of my work with this presbytery over the past year has been to contextualize what disaster preparedness looks like for their communities and congregations. This year, two congregations stepped forward to pilot an initiative focused on enhancing Church Safety & Crisis Response. So, on today’s episode, you are going to hear from Connie Chapman of Grace Presbyterian Church in El Paso, Texas, and Jeanie Holbrook of FPC Odessa, Texas, about how their congregations are willing to assess their capacity to respond to medical and critical incidents that churches are more likely to encounter than natural disasters. You’re going to hear how their collective efforts have made an impact not only within their church but also in developing important relationships with emergency responders right in their own neighborhoods.