Yellowstone Presbytery
Montana
 Elder Jim Tarr harvests Jerusalem artichokes from the St. Andrew Community Garden. Photo by Ben Larson.
The Montana Rescue Mission, the Billings Food Bank, and community residents have received fresh produce from the Community Garden of St. Andrew Presbyterian in Billings for over five years. In more than half of the garden’s plots are sweet corn, squash, pumpkins, and beans that are harvested to be given away or sold at the local farmers’ market. Church members and community residents rent smaller plots to grow what they want and are asked to donate at least 10 percent of their produce to a service organization or needy family of their choice.
The gardeners conserve water with a drip irrigation system where possible. They don’t use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, and they offer organic gardening seminars to the Billings community. Elders Grady Skaggs and David Kimball oversee the management of the organic garden, and many congregation members and local residents help keep out the weeds and rocks.
A few years ago the Rev. Brent Long received a call from a woman who had walked a labyrinth in every state except Montana. With the help of the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator on the Internet, she found the fiftieth one at St. Andrew. The congregation built the classical seven-circuit labyrinth in 2004 around the base of two large shade trees, with a path that is wide enough for a wheelchair.
Yellowstone Presbytery has 27 churches serving 2,678 members. Within the bounds of the presbytery are Westminster Spires Church Camp, Rockhaven Camp, and Rocky Mountain College.
Presbytery Staff
Revs. George and Kathy Goodrich, co-general presbyters
Sheryl Hallin, treasurer
Susan Seibert, administrative assistant
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Rebecca Rayner, GAMC
Dreama Reams, GAMC
Lord of creation, God of abundance, renew our connections today with the work of your hands in the people, creatures, and earth around us. May we be mindful as we walk this planet of the health we can share and receive from others and the bounty of your creation. In the nurture of your grace, we pray. Amen.
Ps. 88, 148 Ps. 6, 20
2 Kings 9:17–37
1 Cor. 7:1–9; Matt. 6:7–15
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