SPDR

By Libby Janes Written on April 7, 2026 I gazed out from the balcony, across a vast indoor water table. “It even smells like the river! exclaimed the person beside me.  In March, I visited Baton Rouge for the Volunteer Louisiana’s Disaster Summit , which included a tour of the LSU Center for River Studies. Their Lower Mississippi River Physical Model is a powerful tool for understanding river processes, coastal restoration, and river management. This to-scale 10,800 square-fo

(OK tornadoes & Synod-wide storms) Written by Libby Janes Over the past week around our Synod, we have experienced some severe weather events. In Oklahoma, there were seven confirmed tornadoes in Oklahoma on Thursday, March 5th, and nine tornadoes on Friday March 6th, including an EF-3 tornado in Beggs, Oklahoma. (For more National Weather Service data on the Oklahoma tornadoes: https://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-ok-2026 ) There have also been high wildfire risk warnings

Installation at Synod Assembly The Evening Worship & Installation Service for Libby Janes during the Synod gathering included several meaningful highlights that reflected the breadth and spirit of the community. Representatives from all of the synod’s presbyteries participated as liturgy readers, symbolizing the shared voice and unity of the region. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Ted V. Foote Jr., who preached a message titled “Watch-persons with Lanterns and Networking.”

The Synod of the Sun gathered for its Stated Meeting February 23–24, 2026, at the Presbyterian Mission Center in Irving, Texas, where commissioners met to review ministry work, share reports, and set priorities for the coming year. After organizing for the meeting and approving the agenda and previous minutes, the Assembly participated in an orientation designed to help commissioners better understand Synod operations, available resources, and expectations for service. Synod

Libby Janes, Director of the Synod of the Sun Partnership for Disaster Recovery Warming center volunteers prepare the center for overnight guests at Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church in Richardson, TX From January 23 rd through 28 th , a huge winter storm moved through the Synod of the Sun. Two days before the onset, the Synod of the Sun Partnership for Disaster Recovery (SPDR) sent out an alert sharing meteorological updates and NOAA forecast images from the Gulf Coast Regio

Also see : January Travels Part 2: Hospitality in the Presbytery of South Louisiana Over a three-day visit, I received a warm welcome from the Presbytery of South Louisiana! I had quite the adventure. I met with my predecessor and now PDA colleague, Rev. Kathy Lee-Cornell, who provided a wonderful orientation to the SPDR director role, and helped explain many processes to me. Thank you Kathy, for always being so generous and helping to answer my questions! We forgot to take a

Also see : Hospitality in the Presbytery of South Louisiana Part 1: Planning, Preaching, & Visiting in Mission Presbytery Visit to FPC Kerrville I was blessed to be invited to preach at the First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville on January 4 th , which was Epiphany Sunday, as well as the six month date of remembering the tragic flooding events in July. I preached about the movie It’s A Wonderful Life , which I watched for the first time this December, and we reflected on Jame

Dear Synod of the Sun, Please take care to be sure your homes and church buildings are winter ready. This weekend, we are expecting freezing temperatures and precipitation around all of our Synod. Meteorologists are noting similarities to the 2021 Winter Storm Uri. See the attached images from a meteorologist who presented during a VOAD meeting today. Some northern areas in our Synod are anticipating over 8 inches of snow! Here are important winter readiness suggestions from

Hello Synod Disaster Partners! Welcome to the SPDR Web , a regular update to share with you something I’ve learned. Sometimes it’s weather, sometimes its disaster readiness advice, sometimes it’s a resource to be shared. Back by popular request – the 2026 Church Disaster Preparedness Calendar! Making sure your church is ready for whatever comes may seem like a daunting task, but it can be divided into smaller tasks to complete each month! Each step will ensure your church has

Libby Janes, SPDR Director Hunger is an ongoing crisis in our country that has been intensifying during the 43-day government shutdown and the temporary suspension of SNAP and WIC benefits. Churches around the Synod of the Sun have been courageously growing their ministries in creative ways to meet sharply increasing needs in their communities. Arkansas Presbytery’s Disaster Preparation and Response Team quickly responded by offering grants of up to $1,000 to support Arkansas

After a thorough search process, the Leadership Team of the Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery (SPDR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth “Libby” Janes as the new Director.   Libby is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with extensive experience in hospital, counseling, and community social work settings. She holds a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Master of Social Work from Texas Tech University, and a Bachelor of Arts f

Many across the Synod of the Sun have held the people and places dear to our hearts in ceaseless prayer since the deadly flooding of the...

Wynne Tornado - Long Term Recovery Update On March 31, 2023, an EF3 tornado hit the town of Wynne, AR. Wynne Presbyterian Church...

Last year, the Religion News Service published an article  about the challenges many churches are now facing as insurance coverage...

"The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members. – William Temple, former...

During the month of March, 34 wildfires raged across the state of Oklahoma. Four died, over 200 injured, and hundreds of homes and...

by Sandra Murray, SPDR Liaison Many years ago, I was in a church that was devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The one thing I...

A whole year ago, we started off with what felt like a blank slate. Three hundred and sixty five days later, how did the events of this...

Did you know your presbytery has a designated SPDR Liaison? This past September, some of our SPDR Liaisons, along with members of the...