NOVEMBER 2011
We are also Pilgrims
in this land...
Plus:
A Letter to Our Readers pg 3
The First Pilgrims pg 5
WM Prayer Emphasis Program pg 9
Contents
November 2011
FEATURES
3
A Letter to Our Readers
ARP Magazine Board Chairman Oran Smith updates readers on
ARP Magazine operations and challenges you to participate in a
promotion to support the denomination’s publication. —Oran Smith
COVER
PHOTO
5
The First Pilgrims
6
Moderator’s Focus
7
Synod Emphasis: The Offer of the Free Gospel
This Thanksgiving, we remember their hardships.—Rev. Ray Cameron
ISSN 0362—0816
Do you want your church to grow?
—Rev. Andrew Putnam
Prayers were prayed, the Bible was taught and preached, and people
—Rev. Scott Robar
loved each other...but our church was dying.
8
A Pastor’s Perspective
9
2012 Prayer Emphasis Program
Practical steps toward obedient churchmanship.—Rev. Dean Turbeville
Prayer is a developed lifestyle, a cultivated habit binding us to God.
—WM Spiritual Life Chairman Kathy Folks
THE ASSOCIATE
REFORMED
PRESBYTERIAN
VOL. XXXVI
NO. 9
Delores P. McDonald, Editor
Susan L. Tanner, Assistant Editor
Advertising rates on request; ask
for current rate card. Advertising
competitive with any agency or institution of the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church is not accepted. Publication of advertisements
does not necessarily constitute an
endorsement by this magazine.
BOARD OF THE ASSSOCIATE
REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
Dr. Oran Smith (2013), Chairman; Walter F. Payne
Jr. (2012), Vice Chairman; Rev. Charles Hammond
(2014); Leslie Milling (2013); Joel Reed (2015); Rev.
Sam Roper (2017); Charles Walden (2015); Gail
Fowler (2017); John Wingate (2017); Martha Waldrop
(ARP Women’s Ministries representative).
MINISTRIES
21
Bonclarken
24
Outreach North America
22
Christian Ed Ministries
25
World Witness
23
Erskine
26
ARP Women’s Ministries
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian (Publication No.
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EVERY MONTH…
16
News in Brief
28
All in Our Family
19
Prayer Calendar
30
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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible
Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2
Blessed are those whose strength is in
you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage
(Psalm 84:5).
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THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
A Letter to Our Readers
Dear Subscriber,
Because of our strong renewal rates, chances are, you have been with ARP Magazine for some time. During that time,
you have seen lots of changes. As for me, it’s amazing to see the improvement in our denominational magazine since I
first subscribed in 1994. I hope you agree the contrast is like night and day – better design, better organization, more
family life, more reformed theology, and more news than ever from our Church make The ARP a must for everyone.
But as you may have also noticed, printed publications have really taken a hit lately. This is especially true for newspapers, but magazines like The ARP haven’t escaped unharmed. Folks don’t read as much as they used to. And, some readers
have switched to electronic versions of their favorite publications, or enjoy online content that is not subscription based
(paid), but ad based (free).
At the same time, magazines with over 1,000,000 subscribers do quite well because of the scores of ads they contain.
Unfortunately, another favorite magazine I subscribe to has become mostly advertising.
But here at ARP magazine, we don’t publish for advertisers, we publish for you. That’s why I’m taking this unique opportunity to appeal to you to help us expand our tent.
One of the biggest challenges for any ministry (or business) is finding new customers. The ARP is no exception. Producing a great, inspirational product is only half the job. To be effective, the content must be read. And except for printing,
the cost is the same, whether we have 3,000 subscribers or 10,000.
To help us expand, I have included a handy “Renew Me and Give Three” form on the back of this page.
The deal is simple. If you will renew (or extend) your subscription at the regular rate of $20, we will send the magazine
as a gift from you to three friends for the special rate of $16.50 each. You receive a Christmas present for those who are
so difficult to buy for, and we are introduced to new friends! A good bargain for everyone. We will even send a “Do Not
Open ‘til December 25” card to your friends announcing your gifts.
Of course, you don’t have to give three – you can give two or one...or one each to every member of your Sunday school
class or circle. (If the number reaches 8 or 10, we will make you an even better deal.)
Will you help us reach out...and honor a friend or three...and share the ministry of the ARP Church?
Your magazine is working harder than ever to inform and inspire you, but we are only partially funded by Synod,
therefore we have taken this unique opportunity in this November issue to ask for you help. We hope you will answer the
call and take this opportunity to share the gift of The ARP with you family and friends.
Thank you for your help.
Grace and peace,
Oran P. Smith
Chairman
Board of The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
P.S. You will notice fewer magazines in your mailbox in 2012. This is a cost
saving measure we regret. But, based on our staff’s research, our annual subscription rate for the minimal advertising we carry is still a real bargain, and our new
schedule is more common to magazines. To close the gap, please be sure to provide
us with your email address so we can send you news in between issues of the
printed edition. There is no charge for ARP News Update to subscribers.
One more thing: you may have never heard this before, but please know that we
sincerely thank you for your subscription.
NOVEMBER 2011
3
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THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
The First Pilgrims
By Rev. Ray Cameron
I
imagine many know the names
William Bradford and Squanto.
But you may not know their personal stories, which are both sobering
and encouraging.
William Bradford was the first governor of Plymouth Plantation, and
was deeply committed to Christ. He
boarded the Mayflower in 1620 with
his wife, Dorothy, and sailed to America to seek refuge with other likeminded believers – to worship freely.
Yet Bradford knew what it was to be
a pilgrim without a home at an early
age. His father died when he was oneyear-old. His grandfather died when
he was six. And his mother died when
he was seven. Under religious persecution at age 18, he fled his homeland
of England to live in Holland. A few
years later, he married Dorothy, and
they had a son.
When it was time to sail to America, many agonized over the perilous
journey before them – and their family’s fate. The Bradfords chose to to
leave their only child, 4-year-old John,
behind – for fear of losing him. After
finally arriving in America, the Mayflower anchored off Cape Cod. While
Bradford and many of the Pilgrim
men were were off exploring places
to settle, Mrs. Bradford fell overboard
and drowned.
Mr. Bradford remarried two years
later, and had three children. Meanwhile, his son, John, made a safe journey to Plymouth to join his father.
NOVEMBER 2011
Of course, years before Bradford
and the Pilgrims settled in America,
tribes of Native Americans were living on this land. But in 1608, English
traders kidnapped many of them,
including a 12-year-old boy named
Squanto, sailed to Spain, and sold
them into slavery. A monk took pity
on Squanto and brought him into his
home, where he was taught the Bible
and English. When the monk learned
English ships were sailing to America,
he sent Squanto to live with a family
in England, so he would one day be
able to sail home.
Ten years after he was kidnapped,
Squanto finally arrived home. But he
soon found an epidemic carried by
white men had wiped out his entire
village. Squanto lived nearby with a
neighboring tribe, until he discovered
a group of English families had settled
in the village that was once his home.
But it had been a difficult first winter
and spring for the Pilgrims there, and
many had died.
One can only imagine William
Bradford’s amazement and gratitude
when he heard the kind Indian stranger say, “Good morning, my name is
Squanto.” Squanto soon taught the
starving Pilgrims how to fish and
plant corn. In his journal, Bradford
would later call Squanto “a special
instrument sent of God for their good
beyond their expectation.”
Children’s author Eric Metaxas draws a biblical analogy from
Squanto’s life and imagines Bradford’s conversation with Squanto:
“It is like the story of Joseph, from
our sacred Scriptures... Like you, Joseph was also taken from his home
and sold as a slave. But God had a
plan for him. Through Joseph, God
was able to save many people from
starving. What man intended for
evil, God intended for good.”
Then Bradford smiled at Squanto
and said, “Perhaps God has sent you
to be our Joseph.”
And you know the rest of the
story: Months later, Bradford, Squanto, the Pilgrims, and many Indians
would celebrate the first Thanksgiving together.
This Thanksgiving, as we remember their hardships, and perhaps bear
our own, might we also draw strength
from their hopeful perseverance, gratitude to God, and joyful celebration.
For the psalmist reminds us that we
are also pilgrims in this land, and
how blessed are those whose strength is
in you (God), whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley
of Baka (literally, ‘weeping’), they make it
a place of springs; the autumn rains also
cover it with pools. They go from strength
to strength, till each appears before God
in Zion (Psalm 84: 5-7).?
Ray Cameron is pastor of Lake
Placid (FL) ARP Church.
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Moderator of Synod
Do You Want Your
Church to Grow?
REV. ANDREW K. PUTNAM
Moderator
I
n considering the challenges before
the ARP Church, the need for new
mission work and ministry, I have
one important question I want you to seriously consider: Do you want your church
to grow?
Don’t be too quick to answer. Most
folks would say “yes,” but in truth they
don’t want the church to grow – they just
don’t want it to die. There is a huge difference between wanting the church to grow
and just not wanting it to die.
If you want the church to grow, you
are willing to see the kind of revival and
growth that we find in the book of Acts,
where thousands were added daily. You
want new folks, that are different than
you, to become involved and active in the
congregation. You are willing to let the
Holy Spirit take over and do some amazing and radical things in the church.
Growth: Outside Comfort Zone
If you want the church to truly grow,
you are going to be concerned with reaching the lost, the unchurched, those that are
completely different than you. It will involve stepping outside your comfort zone,
changing the way you “do” church in many
cases and intentionally being welcoming
and friendly to folks you don’t know.
It may require you to give up a long
held position in the church, so that new
people can get involved (maybe an official
position or just something you’ve always
done). If you want the church to grow, then
the ministry of the church is not about you,
but about others. This does not require giving up on our theology or watering down
the Scriptures – far from it. We should
6
preach and live the Word with boldness.
But there is a world of difference between a book of the Bible like 2nd Timothy, and the unwritten “book of 2nd opinions.” The old adage is that there are seven
words you should never say in church:
“We’ve never done it that way before.”
If you want the church to grow, then you
need to turn that phrase into a challenge
to do things new, rather than use it as an
excuse to keep doing the same old thing.
Dying: No Change Necessary
If all you are really concerned about
is whether or not the church is going to
die, all you need to do is figure out how
many folks your church is going to lose in
the coming year, and aim to replace them.
Preferably with folks just like them (who
perhaps tithe more money). If your concern is that the church doesn’t die, then
the programs and activities at the church
should be designed around your comfort,
your concerns, and your needs only.
Outreach, if any, needs to make you
feel comfortable and good, without causing you to have to work too hard. The
preaching, while perhaps biblically solid,
shouldn’t cause you any real concern, nor
should it “step on your toes.” Instead, it
should educate and edify, while justifying
your preconceived notions.
Churches that don’t really want to grow,
should be more concerned with the comfort
and compatibility of the church members.
They need to make sure that everyone is
getting along and in agreement. There is a
desire to make sure that any new members
(or visitors) fit a certain mold, appear a certain way, make a certain amount of money, or hold to a certain theology (before
they become members or involved in the
church). Many times, this pursuit of purity
can occupy the longing for outreach. If you
don’t want the church to die, it will usually
survive for a while, at least for one more
generation. While folks in these churches
may say they want to grow or revive, they
may be the first to complain about funds
going to establish new mission works.
The concepts of revitalization are hard for
them to accept. They don’t want to make
the necessary changes.
Unfortunately, when you look at the
statistics and history of the ARP Church,
it’s easy to see we have a large number of
churches (new and old) that really don’t
want to grow – they just don’t want to die.
If today’s ARP Church is going to be
obedient to God’s Word, and if it’s going
to survive, we must change our hearts
about growing the church. We must become open to the work that the Holy Spirit
can do in our congregations, regardless of
the church’s age or location and we must
pray that the Lord will continue to use the
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
for his glory and honor.?
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
Our church was dying...
Synod Emphasis
By Rev. Scott Robar
O
nly 20 people attended Sunday morning worship, when
I first came to New Covenant
ARP Church in Charlotte, NC, in late
2010. We seem to be recovering now;
but we still have a long way to go.
Of those 20 people, three have died,
six have moved away, and one is too
weak to attend. That leaves 10 from
the original group – all white, all except two are retired, and no children.
New Covenant sits within a neighborhood, which, according to statistical information, is 50% black, 35%
white, and 15% “other.” Clearly the
demographics have changed since
the church’s formation in 1967. Some
might think the change in the neighborhood was brought about by the
decline of the church. Yet, as far as
I can tell, the real problem was that
two dying churches merged in 1967
and continued dying, because meaningful evangelism and outreach had
never been, nor did it become, part of
the church’s ministry.
Please understand that prayers
were prayed, the Bible was taught
and preached, and people loved
each other. It’s just that all of that
was mainly confined within the
church building on Sunday mornings. Please also understand that as I
describe what we have done, it is very
clear to us that the Lord is at work in
our midst – apart from Him we can
do nothing.
You will be relieved to know that
there is nothing here that is hard to
grasp – no expensive seminar, no
lengthy study, and no need for a
NOVEMBER 2011
praise band. Our small church only
has one musician. Our worship
services are unashamedly Reformed
and traditional.
We’ve more than doubled in size
in 20 months, although we’ve lost 10
of the original group. Now we average between 35 and 40 in attendance.
Thirteen people are newcomers from
the neighborhood, six more are from
beyond the neighborhood, and 12
more are there because the man of
the house is on staff (which includes
my family). That’s 41 people. Fifteen
of those are children. There had not
been children in the church for many
years. Of the 41 people, 15 are black,
one is Asian, two are Hispanic, and
23 are white. We’re looking like the
neighborhood and we are looking
like heaven (Revelation 5:9).
Cause for Growth
Our turn-around has been aided
greatly by two things – hiring interns
from a nearby seminary and providing lunches after worship. We pay
$3,000 per year for two interns (Reformed Theological Seminary doubles that money for their tuition), and
we let another intern use the manse
rent-free. Two more seminary-trained
men have also joined us.
Sunday is our big day for “work”
as it is described in Isaiah 58:6-14.
We not only attempt to do the things
listed there; we also hope to receive
those blessings, in the form of personal, church, and community revival. The interns teach Sunday school in
rotation. They preach once every two
months. My call is part-time, so this
works out well.
Our lunch provides a perfect opportunity to get to know people’s
needs – there are plenty! We’re just
loving people – it’s that simple. All
newcomers attend the lunches. After lunch, the interns and I have a
meeting. We talk about all sorts of
things and pray. Then we listen to
and critique the sermon for the coming Sunday. Then, some of us go into
the neighborhood knocking on doors,
and others go to a local nursing home
to provide a worship service at 3:30
p.m. Other members join us there.
When a church is dying, some hard
decisions need to be made. We had
to sell our Bonclarken house. We no
longer have a music director or secretary. However, the New Covenant
congregation has given me what I
asked for – several interns – energetic
young men with servants’ hearts who
are also evangelists.
Most of you reading this are terrified by the idea of witnessing to
strangers; yet that is no big deal to
most seminarians. If your church is
within an hour of a good seminary,
you really should avail yourselves of
the blessings these interns can bring
to your church. You’ll also be a blessing to these future pastors, their families, and the congregations they will
later serve.?
We are looking like the neighborhood
and we are looking like Heaven.
7
A Pastor’s Perspective...
By Pastor Dean Turbeville, All Saints’
ARP Church, Charlotte, NC
any in our churches think
of churchmanship as a
modest and antiquated
virtue, rather like good penmanship
or knowing how to tie a bow tie:
nice enough, but not really important in life. Others have drunk the
post-modern Kool-Aid and believe
that any concern for the organizational and procedural life of the
institutional church is not sufficiently
“spiritual” and/or “relational.”
But if our understanding of churchmanship is taken from the New
Testament, we get a very different
picture. Paul labored heroically to
both establish congregations and
to see that they were organizationally healthy. The appointment of
qualified leaders, the maintenance of
sound doctrine, and the discipline of
unrepentant sinners in the churches
fill the pages of his epistles.
The unity and doctrinal cohesion
of the early church was secured in a
general assembly of the church’s leadership in Jerusalem. All of this was
more than just ensuring that things
were done “decently and in order,”
though that was no small concern (1
Corinthians 14:40).
Churchmanship is also a crucible
of the soul and battlefield for the kingdom. Paul’s language to the Galatians
is almost war-like. And nobody’s
light burned brighter for the maintenance of the visible church in faithfulness like Jesus Christ, of whom it was
said, “zeal for the Lord’s House consumes him (John 2:17).” His clearing the temple of moneychangers
and his establishing the Church as a
confessional institution at the time of
Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ messiahship are examples of churchmanship
par excellence. His affirmations and
M
8
Churchmanship is
not penmanship
rebukes to the seven churches in the
Revelation are the epitome of lovedriven churchmanship. And he gives
we who serve him the ministry of the
keys of the kingdom, that we might
continue in his train (Matthew 16:19).
Decades of Neglect
The evangelical Protestant
church’s current low ecclesiology
and contempt for churchmanship are
not only evidence of our superficial
reading of Scripture, but they also
constitute an abandonment of our
reformational heritage. Moreover,
the near-apocalyptic decline in the
corporate life of American denominations of the Church can substantially
be traced to decades of negligent and
gutless churchmanship. When I was
a minister in the PCUSA, I saw constant evangelical isolationism: “I’ll
just pastor my own church and leave
church politics to those who are interested in it” (i.e., inevitably liberal
clerics who had little interest in the
ministry of the Word).
And, indeed, I know that I have
often been a lazy churchman myself;
I must repent and embrace the high,
holy and often hard calling of serving
the Head of the Church through such
a labor.
So, in good hope, and preaching to
myself first of all, I would urge the following seven practical steps towards
an obedient churchmanship:
• Show up to your session, presbytery or General Synod meeting, and
be prepared: read everything sent to
you in advance. We should no more
fail to do this than we would fail
to show up to preach on Sunday or
to be prepared to lead worship. Do
not leave the meeting early for any
light reason.
• Pray as elders for the work of
the courts of the church. And it is an
especially good sign when congregations actively pray for these meetings
as well. The era of keeping congregations in the dark about the large
issues in church affairs should end.
• Speak up when you are convicted about some matter before the
court. Relying on more outspoken
men to speak is a dereliction of duty;
in all likelihood they are only speaking because they know you will not.
• Both large church officers and
small church officers are presbyters
and should contribute in this way. No
false modesty or unbiblical inferiority
complex should thwart the vows we
all made at our ordination. And the
same can be said for ordained seminary professors: it is your church too!
• Combine passion for truth with
dignity and respect for the court. Remember that it is the visible church
which is “the Kingdom of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the house and family of
God, out of which there is no ordinary
possibility of salvation” (Westminster
Confession, Chapter XXV, II).
• Love your fellow presbyters as
brothers, but be willing at any point
to do the right thing for Christ and
the church, even if your best friend
thinks differently.
• Take a multi-generational view of
the church, accepting our role as spiritual fathers to others. In this way, we
leave a more faithful institution to our
sons who will lead it in the future. It is
hard to think of a better gift we could
give them and others who will make
up the church of the future.
In sum, churchmanship is far more
than a modest virtue. It is for brave
hearts, sanctified minds and loving
spirits. In all of this, may Christ be
glorified, and his church reclaimed
as the “church of the living God, the
pillar and foundation of the truth!”
(1 Timothy 3:15)?
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
Prayer Emphasis 2012
Praise, Privilege, Posture, Penitence, Passion, Power,
Priority, Plan, Petition, Perseverance, Promise
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it, with an attitude of thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2).
Day 1 – Privilege, Posture, Praise
Verse – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be
made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Shorter Catechism Q.98 “What is prayer? A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to
his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.”
ARP Psalter with Bible Songs – “O LORD, I Will Exalt You” #30
”Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” #205
Hymnbook – “Be Thou My Vision” #303
“At the Name of Jesus” #143
Trinity Hymnal – “Holy God We Praise Your Name” #103
“Soldiers of Christ, Arise” #575
This Prayer Emphasis, including scripture references and questions, is intended to bless, encourage and strengthen our prayer
lives. Prayer is a developed lifestyle, a cultivated habit binding
us to God. Jesus’ fulfillment of the Covenant of Grace is faith’s
foundation, the springboard of our call to prayer.
What is prayer? Prayer is privileged communication with God,
priority responsibility for Christians deepening our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is coming to Christ and laying
our requests before Him, seeking Jesus’ face, kneeling to His
Lordship, submitting to God’s will. Jesus is the only way to the
Father (John 14:6) and the sacrifice of the cross the source of
forgiveness to penitent, repentant hearts.
Prayer is hard work that encounters supernatural conflict.
Spiritual warfare causes us to struggle to pray. Satan discourages at every opportunity. We must be prepared and recognize
the warfare. We should be prayer warriors wearing Ephesians 6
Christian armor with prayer part of our sure defense.
Some of our best lessons on prayer may be a
parent’s example.
Why should I pray? Pray because you are weak and He is strong, our Lord, our Eternal Father, our source for all of life.
Pray because you love God, want to glorify Him and because Jesus told us to pray (Luke 18). James 4:2b says we don’t
have because we don’t ask. Satan uses struggles and trials to discourage us from praying – depression, stress, grief,
exhaustion, inadequacy, lack of eloquence, ill health, or spiritually dryness. Persevere, focusing on the Godhead – eyes
on Jesus (Hebrews 12). Trusting God strengthens faith and fades anxieties.
How do I pray? Reverently approach God, devout in your pleading, coming into God’s holy presence with humility
and thanksgiving – earnestly, fervently, genuinely worshipful. Pray “in Christ” (Ephesians 1; 1 John 5:20), remembering praise is key in prayer. The process starts within you to rejuvenate and enrich your prayer life, for you must come
confessing your own sinfulness, forgiving others. Heart humility is the right attitude, this “heart posture” is more
important than physical posture.
NOVEMBER 2011
9
The truth of the Gospel should shape our praying. Bible prayers, especially the Psalms, are models for us, reflecting
every aspect of human experience – from utter despair to hopeful elation; fear to rage; doubt to faith; discouragement
and loneliness to love, unity and strength.
What do I pray? Some of our best lessons on prayer may be a parent’s example. Pray for what God lays on your heart,
possibly as The Lord’s Prayer guides – praising God; for His kingdom; that His will be done; for daily provision; for
forgiveness of sins and your forgiveness of others; for protection from sinning and evil, and for His honor and glory.
When? Ephesians 6:18 says “at all times.” Prayer should be a natural part of our lives as is God’s Word (Colossians
3:16-17). Some prayer times are short, others lengthy.
Where do I start? The Puritans said something like, “Pray until you pray.” As you pray more, it becomes more natural. Jesus begins and ends The Lord’s Prayer with worship, honoring and respecting God who is holy and worthy of
worship. Coming pridefully takes His name in vain. We are sinners so we can only come into God’s presence through
Christ.
Awesome, merciful, loving Father in heaven, hallowed be your holy name. We praise you for who you are, thankful for
our blessings and your easy, strong yoke of help, rest and peace. Renew, refresh, delight and inspire us in your service.
In Christ we pray, Amen.
Quote: “If we never know what it is to commune with God as our Father, we fail to grasp the meaning of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us” – Derek Thomas.
Pray for: ARP pastors, officers and church staffs; The ARP Center; Synod, ARPWM, government and family leaders.
Day 2 – Passion, Power, Pattern, Priority
Verse – “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Catechism Q.99 “What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer? A. The whole word of God is of use to direct
us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called
The Lord’s prayer.”
Psalter – “How Blessed the Man” #166
“Listen to My Words, O LORD” #5
Hymnbook – “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” #399
“Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine!” #139
Hymnal – “Come, Ye Disconsolate, Where’er Ye Languish” #615
“Come, O Come, Thou Quickening Spirit” #331
Anchored in Christ we won’t drift. Jesus is our lifeline. God is holding us in His loving arms. Prayer draws us close
to God (James 4:8), helps us focus on Him (Philippians 3:10), and is the route to forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Pray with the
saints of the Bible, or use The Lord’s Prayer Jesus gave us, a great prayer and a wonderful model. Make each petition
your own, praying it from your heart in your words or from different translations.
What should I ask? Ask in Jesus’ name (John 16:24) and receive that your joy would be made full. Prayer clarifies our
needs (Colossians 1:9, Philippians 4:6). It allows us to lift up others (Psalm 55:1, Ephesians 6:18). When you feel prayerless, remember that Jesus the Priest intercedes for you. God always answers rightly, even when He says “wait,” which
can lead to renewed strength as in Isaiah 40:31.
What if I don’t feel like praying? Commit your prayer life to God, cultivating healthy prayer habits. Praying encourages (Luke 18:1) and comforts (Psalm 4:1). It pleases God (Proverbs 15:8). Jesus made prayer a priority, so passionate in
Gethsemane that He sweated blood. Prioritizing prayer means blessing – and time, sacrifice and discipline.
What if my prayers sound stupid and seem pointless? God knows our hearts and hears the prayers of His children.
10
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
Confess, giving it all to Him, for He cares and wants to hear you ask. Prayer should not be a me-centered list, but
should lift up needs and burdens as you seek God’s will for your life. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses the contrast between lengthy, hypocritical, manpleasing babbling and genuine heartfelt prayers. He says to “...go into your inner
room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret...”
and ”...when you are praying do not use meaningless repetition...”
What help can I get? There is no perfect formula, timing, or technique. Consciously plan to pray, setting goals. What helps you focus – lists, a specific time, a certain
structure or order? For accountability, consider a prayer partner, prayer group,
or being mentored or discipled. Try a prayer journal for writing out your prayers
– and God’s answers.
How can my prayers make a difference? Starting and concluding with worship,
The Lord’s Prayer also emphasizes the priority of God’s kingdom. We should pray
for the lost to come to Christ and the church to grow with the blessing of God’s
truth in its rightful place. That is kingdom praying. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us
not to be anxious “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Pursuing
the things of God challenges and blesses.
Prayer helps us through all hazards and hurdles to the finish line. God is at the beginning and end, helping you at every footfall, each uphill and downhill encountered. The Balm of Gilead will heal all wounds and the crown of righteousness
awaits you.
Jesus is our lifeline.
We believers are not alone. Jesus says (John 8:3), “If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Hebrews 7:25 reminds us “...he is able to save forever those
who draw near to God through Him since he always lives to make intercession for them.” The Holy Spirit interprets
your prayers into elegant missives to heaven.
Philippians 4:3 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Praise God! We can even pray.
Gracious Triune God, make us Prayer Warriors, passionate about prayer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Quotes: “Prayerlessness is often an index to our ignorance of God“ –D. A. Carson.
Pray for: Christian Education Ministries; Erskine College & Seminary; ARP Magazine; Bonclarken.
Day 3 – Plan, Petition, Perseverance, Promise
Verse – “Evening, morning and noon I will pray” (Psalm 55:17).
Catechism Q. 100 “What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us? A. The preface of the Lord’s prayer (which is,
Our Father, which art in heaven) teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to
a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.”
Psalter – “But as for Me, I’ll Call on God” #55C
“Answer When I Call” #4
Hymnbook – “Sweet Hour of Prayer” #398
“The Church’s One Foundation” #437
Hymnal – “May the Mind of Christ My Savior” #644
“Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face” #378
NOVEMBER 2011
11
Prayer eloquence is the language of the heart, not the
vocabulary level or melodic quality of your voice. Abraham’s devotion, Hannah’s earnestness, Daniel’s love for
God, Paul’s diligence, David’s heart, Jacob’s wrestling
with God, Moses’ reliance on God and Elijah’s courage
and passion are examples of genuineness in prayer, but
so is a child’s simple plea to God.
How does prayer communicate? As we learn to listen
to God speak through His Word, guiding us through
the Holy Spirit, we hear truth. Amazingly, in prayer the
sovereign God of creation, timeless ruler of all existence,
is listening to and communicating with us personally
because He loves us. Psalm 62:8 tells us to pour out our
hearts to Him, bringing our joys and sorrows to Him.
Pray to God’s glory and according to God’s will.
How do my prayers relate to God’s will? Prayer leads us initially to the forgiveness Christ offers in salvation and
evolves as we genuinely seek His will in our lives. We should want God’s will and learn about it through preaching and
teaching, earnestly praying for it to be fulfilled, seeking to be obedient to it. God is listening to us and we need to listen
to Him through His Word, His servants, His creation. In Colossians 1:18 Paul prays for the filling “...of the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and understanding.”
God made the universe from nothing. Mankind also made a contribution – sin. That is all we have to offer God. Be
thankful that Jesus took our sin on Himself. Acknowledge your unworthiness of anything other than hell, telling God
how thankful you are for the gift of eternal life with Him (John 5:24; 6:44, 47; 3:16, 36; 14:6).
What does this mean in my life? God requires obedience. Trusting God is our confidence. We need not be anxious, but
this does not preclude having an orderly plan (1 Corinthians 14:40) and setting biblical goals. The gift of salvation was
costly, but it is also priceless. Praise God He has given it to us through Christ because He is our only hope as this is a
debt we cannot pay. John 3:16-17 engraves it in our memories and hearts.
How do I pray for others? Pray to God’s glory and according to God’s will and as Ephesians 6:18 tells us “With all
prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
Can I really do this? Habits can be weights or they can be wings. Seek God’s glory letting His agenda dictate yours,
making His desire your own, His will your purpose and His honor your goal. Make time with God a habit in your life,
and make prayer a priority and a passion of praise. Aim to be like the healthy church in Acts 2:42 “... continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” It can start with us.
Be sober-minded, obedient, alert and discerning insofar as you are able. Motives can become selfish and words are inadequate, but when we humble ourselves before God seeking His will and glory, He is blessed and hears the cry of our
hearts as we kneel at the foot of the cross.
May the Amen of our prayers be a coda of agreement with you, our loving Father in heaven, the ruler of the universe and
gracious King who answers our prayers. Make us people of prayer. In Christ we pray, Amen.
Quotes: “Our prayers must be fervent, of course, and they ought to be frequent, but they do not need to be fancy.” Philip Ryken
Pray for: Missionaries, church planters, youth, children, elderly, & the military.?
12
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
A Devotion From Serenity Acres
When We Finish Our Race...
By Barbara Thayer
never thought tombstones and
memorials could tell a story, until
our recent trip to Europe. We went
to many cathedrals and visited an old
graveyard beside a church. Instead of
listing only a name and the dates of
birth and death, these folks from long
ago wrote about the person who was
buried at the site.
I
The cemetery at the Church of the
Holy Rood Stirling, Scotland
The impressive memorials told of
those who gave their lives for their
beliefs.
In the Cathedral of St. Giles in Edinburgh, Scotland, there was a tomb
of a man who had served the king,
but was ultimately beheaded for his
Reformed faith. Other cathedrals
had memorials to women who were
listed not only as beloved wives but
also as god-fearing women who died
in the faith and touched other lives.
What a beautiful tribute to a life, and
I thought to myself how much I want
that to be said of my life as well.
When we finish this race, what will
be our legacy? Obviously, the graves
of those I observed had made it their
NOVEMBER 2011
life’s ambition to live for Christ, and
to this end we are all called. In his
letter to the Corinthian church, the
Apostle Paul uses an athletic metaphor to describe how we are to run
with perseverance in our Christian
life: “Do you not know that in a race
all the runners compete, but only one
receives the prize? So run that you
may obtain it. Every athlete exercises
self-control in all things. They do it to
receive a perishable wreath, but we
an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the
air. But I discipline my body and keep
it under control, lest after preaching
to others, I myself should be disqualified” (I Corinthians 9:24-27).
Paul’s use of this metaphor is effective in that an athlete has to discipline
himself/herself in order to reach their
goal. It requires perseverance, singlemindedness and determination. Our
mindset, if we are to make an impact
on our world, is to look only at the
goal of our high calling in Christ.
With every activity we do, we need
to remember our purpose is to glorify
God in word and deed. The people
whose graves I visited lived their
lives in this manner. They made a difference in their sphere of influence,
and the testimony is written in stone
– literally.
In his letter to Timothy, Paul further expands on this idea of focusing
on the goal: “I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness
which the Lord, the righteous judge,
will award to me on that Day, and not
only to me but also to all who have
loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:78). This is the testimony we need to
strive for in our own lives. It’s not
how we built our business, made the
most money, had the biggest house on
the block, or became a famous person.
Instead, we are to reflect the character
of Jesus Christ in our lives so that others might be drawn to Him.
Key Elements
We run our race well when we do
not neglect three disciplines: fellowship, Bible study and prayer. These
are the key training elements which
we must embrace in order to face the
challenges that come our way in life.
Training for a race is not easy. No one
said it would be. In fact, Jesus said
we would face tribulations in this
life, but He also told us to be of good
cheer, because He has overcome this
world. With the Holy Spirit as our
trainer, we do have what it takes to
live a legacy before our family, community and church.
As we lift up our Lord before
others, He will one day lift us up
as well.?
The tombs of a husband and wife in a
chapel wing of the Church in Stratford
on Avon
13
Give Thanks!
30 days of Gratitude for the Thanksgiving
month of November!
By Jennifer Jordan and family
Materials:
Wood board (although you can use just about any flat surface you want)
Canvas (any color)
Staple gun
Mod Podge
Glue gun
Glue stick
Variety of coordinating scrapbook paper
Different colored thin ribbons (I used brown, green, yellow and orange)
Light-colored Cardstock for writing your “thankful message” on.
30 Coin Envelopes. Mine were 3 3/8” x 6”.
Hole punch
Directions:
• Get a wood board. Mine is a piece of plywood measuring 24” x 28”. Using a staple
gun, attach the canvas to the piece of plywood.
• Take your 30 coin envelopes and cut them down to 3 3/4” tall. Make sure you cut off
the top part that is already open so you still have the pocket to insert your cards in later.
• Use a glue stick to adhere the scrapbook paper to the front of the envelope. I used a
variety of coordinating papers.
• Lay out your cards on your board. I was able to do five rows of six cards each. I
wanted to arrange them first so I could make sure no two matching papers were right
next to each other.
• I then used my Silhouette to cut out the numbers 1-30, but you could use stickers,
stencils, create a Word Document or go online to find some printable numbers to cut out.
• Use Mod Podge to glue on the numbers to the cards and then Mod Podge over the
entire front of the card to cover your scrapbook paper. It makes the card sturdier and
helps it to last for years to come. Be careful not to glue your envelope shut!
• After your Mod Podge is dry, hole punch two small holes in the top of your envelope. Just hole punch the scrapbook paper side. Take your ribbon and put it through both
holes and tie a knot.
• Use your glue gun to adhere your envelopes to your board. This is where I tried a
few different glues.....learn from my mistakes....the glue gun worked the best by far!!! I
also recommend that you place the hot glue a little bit away from the edges of the envelope. This allows your cards to go in and out more easily in a later step.
• Use Mod Podge to adhere your “Give Thanks” (or the phrase of your choosing) to
the top of your board. I used my embroidery machine to create the words. Then, Mod
Podge over the whole phrase.
• Cut out light-colored cardstock to slide into your envelopes. Mine ended up being
two light shades that I cut to 3” by 4 1/2”. Place them inside your envelopes.
Each night in November at dinner time, I am going to pull the cardstock out on the
appropriate day and have each person write or say what they are thankful for that day.
When next year rolls around, I’m going to use the same cardstock and have them write
on the back. For the following years, I’m just going to add some more cardstock in the
envelopes.
Stephen and Jennifer Jordan live in Muscle Shoals, AL. Stephen is currently seeking a call.
Their children are Noah, 12, Elijah, 8, Elizabeth, 6 and Phoebe, 2.
14
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
As the leaves fall outside, take advantage of the many opportunities to involve
your kids in ministry and outreach. Here are a few ideas:
g Partyurch
n
i
v
r
a
C
h
your c
mpkin
Leaves of Thanksg
to
o
in
hb rPu er parents
our neig ave
y
h
t
in
o
s
h
ilie
.H
ate wit
ite fam
r house llow
Coordin plies, then inv party at you
m
h
ars a
e sup
carving d maybe a m rents and
in
k
provid
p
a pum
ntest an
and pa written
hood to , a carving co ors for kids
d
t
u
ice han
av
a cooko s out party f ormation, a n -o-lantern.
f
as
ck
roast. P ome church in le for their ja
d
s
n
e
a
c
d
a
lu
inc
and
thanks
note of
ivin
g
This fall, instea
d of bagging al
l the leaves cove
yard, save pretty
ring the
ones and start a
family project. H
family member
ave each
take three leaves
and write somet
are thankful for
hing they
on each one. Col
lect them in a ba
days leading up
sket. In the
to and during Th
anksgiving and
have a family m
Christmas,
ember read a le
af and lead in pr
might keep this
ayer. You
basket year-rou
nd as a reminde
goodness and a
r of God’s
conversation piec
e for guests.
(Ideas from onmission.com)
Answers from October puzzle:
Down
1. God
3. Three
5. Pray
7. Everything
9. Christ
10. Heaven
Leaf Rake Party
Adopt a family - for example, a single mother, elderly couple, couple with a newborn - in your neighborhood who need
some yard work done and arrange a work day. Involve the
kids. Break out the rakes and blowers and give the kids their
own responsibilities, explaining why you’re doing this work.
“We want to share the love of Christ with this family.” Show
them by example how to share the gospel.
Across
2. The Lords Prayer
4. Everywhere
6. Ten
8. Bible
Thanksgiving games
I’m Thankful
Start with the youngest person in your group. That person
says something they are thankful for, like “I’m thankful for
mashed potatoes.” The next person repeats what the first person
says, and add something of their own: I am thankful for mashed
potatoes and a warm bed.” The next person repeats those two
things and adds another: “I’m thankful for mashed potatoes, a
warm bed and my cat.” Keep going until everyone has had a
chance to add something or until someone messes up.
Candy Corn Drop
All you need are some small paper cups
and a few bags of candy corn. First, give
each player a paper cup filled with candy
corns. Have players stand in a line with an
empty paper cup between their feet. Holding a candy corn to their chin, they have to
try to drop it into the cup by their feet. The
person who drops the most corns into his
or her cup in one minute wins!
(Ideas from www.thebanner.org)
Thankful
Words
Family Memory Verse
Give everybody at your table a pencil and a
piece of paper. Challenge them to see how many
words they can make out of the letters in the words
“Thanksgiving Day.” Words have to be longer than
two letters, and no people names are allowed. Don’t
forget that plurals count as separate words.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever
(Psalm 107:1).
NOVEMBER 2011
If you or someone in your church
has an idea for The Family Page
please send your ideas to Susan
Tanner at [email protected]
or call 864-232-8297.
15
News in Brief
David Sides, French Camp Church, Receive Laity Awards
By Delores McDonald
During the Laity in Action Conference Sept. 15 & 16 at Bonclarken, families gathered to hear Dr. John W. P. Oliver speak on the theme,
“Valiant in Battle: Less Heralded Men of God.” Ann Marie Tribble from the Ora Church served as music leader with Harriet Linderman
as pianist.
Following Dr. Earl Linderman’s Friday night Psalm Sing, special music was provided
by the Pinecrest Church Choir and Veronica Unda. A ladies trio from Reformation Church
also sang. In special duet by Anne Marie & Kathryn Tribble. Kathryn signed the words.
Missionary Updates
Missionaries Rob & Rachel Turner from Turkey brought an update of their work. Missionary candidates Mark & Natasha Witte shared their testimony and spoke on their
upcoming work in Mexico. Short-term Mission Coordinator Sheila Osborne provided instruction for the children in attendance. Following the Friday evening session, the ladies
of the Sandy Plains Church hosted a reception in Founders Hall.
John Lutz from the Pisgah Church was in his usual place as the sound tech guy. George
From left, Turner family, Witte family and
and Alita Moser served as conference registrars.
Sheila Osbourne and daughter.
Onesimus Award
David Sides from the New Sterling Church, Stony Point, NC, was the recipient of this year’s Onesimus Award (Slave to Christ). Mr. Sides has been married to his wife Betty for over 55 years. He is an
elder in the New Sterling Church. He has taught Sunday school and served as a lay preacher. He has
served First Presbytery as moderator on three occasions and currently serves as reading clerk.
Sides is also a former Moderator of the General Synod. For seven years, he worked for North
Carolina Soil and Water Conservation and lived in Raleigh. A farmer and avid gardener, he is known
throughout the region for his generosity in providing delicious produce to friends and neighbors.
Barnabas Award
The 2011 Barnabas Award was presented to the French Camp (MS) Church. Many know of French
Camp and associate it with the boarding school on its campus. However, there is an active ARP congregation there too. Many from the congregation are greatly involved in ministering to the students
at the school. They provide encouragement and mentoring and develop strong personal relationships
David Sides and wife Betty.
with the student body. In the past three years, there has been significant growth in the church. Attendance of local folks averages 120. When the school is in session,
the students swell the congregation’s attendance with over a 100 more. Located in a rural setting, the
congregation is making a great impact on the community around it.
As the group from French Camp accepted the award, each told of the parts they play in the life of
the church, elder Larry Littlejohn had this to say:
“Each person here today has presented something of the diversity of opportunities which the Lord
gives us there. Our anchor though is neither our rich heritage nor our bright future, which we anticipate. Our anchor is in the truth of the Word and the person of Jesus.
“Since joining the ARP, we have been so blessed to find others of like heart and mind. We have
been encouraged by your testimony and fellowship. Members of the Mississippi Valley Presbytery
joined us in prayer and supported us with their presence when we requested a gracious release with
our property from the PCUSA.
“Now four years later, the French Camp Church continues to receive confirmation that we made
the right decision in joining the ARP. We have experienced many blessing as a result of our union. One
of the main ones is the emphasis on missions. Teams from our church went to Wales, Austria, Mexico,
Dallas/Fort Worth, and New York this last year.
“Thank you for recognizing what the Lord is doing in our church with this Barnabas Award. We
invite you to come and see firsthand what He is doing to display His glory in French Camp.”
Pastor Alex Coblentz, far left,
French Camp Pastor Alex Coblentz adds: “We are still astounded and humbled to have received and group from French Camp.
any recognition at all... It’s not about us! God has been so good to us, and it is we who have been
tremendously encouraged by our new-found brothers and sisters in the ARP.?
16
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
News in Brief
Betty Sides
Receives
Survivor Medal
Betty and David Sides on their recent
trip to Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston,
where Mrs. Sides received the 75-year
survivor medal. Since the program began
in 1970, only 41 medals had been awarded to individuals who have survived 75
years or more with type 1 diabetes. Mrs.
Sides was the 42nd recipient, and traveled from Stony Point, NC to receive the
award. During her trip to Joslin, she also
participated in the “50-Year Medalist
Study,” which began in 2005. The study
is looking at how individuals with 50 or
more years of type 1 diabetes may be protected from developing diabetic complications including eye, kidney, nerve and
heart diseases.?
Mississippi Valley Presbytery
Fall Stated Meeting, October 3-4, 2011
Providence Reformed Church
Bartlett, TN
Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery
Fall Stated Meeting, Sept. 17-18, 2011
Hanmaum ARP Mission
Madison, AL
• Heard from Rev. Frank van Dalen, about
the work of ARP missions throughout
the world.
• Heard from Dr. David Norman about the
work of Erskine College and Seminary
• Elected Mr. Larry Littlejohn, an elder at the French Camp Presbyterian
Church, as the incoming Moderator
of MVP.
• Heard a sermon by Rev. Matthew Heathman on 2 Samuel 7:18-20. Rev. Heathman
was also examined by the presbytery
and received a call to the Covington ARP
Church (Covington, TN).
• Heard a report from the Minister and
His Work Committee concerning the
formation of a church in the home of a
minister of the presbytery without the
permission of the presbytery. The minister repented of his error and asked
the forgiveness of the presbytery, which
was granted.
• Received Rev. Mike Yarman, a retired
U.S. Army chaplain, as a member of the
presbytery.
• Dissolved the pastoral relationship between Rev. T.J. Gentry and the Covenant
Reformed Presbyterian Church.
• Revised the procedure for churches requesting loans for purchase of property
from the presbytery.?
• Held a workshop for members conducted by
Steve Brown of the PCA.
• Heard a report from the Muscle Shoals Property Commission regarding progress in negotiation for the potential sale of the property in
Muscle Shoals, AL.
• Approved a motion to reserve funds from the
sale of the Muscle Shoals property for use in
new church development.
• Approved a Memorial to the 2012 General
Synod to refer the “Revised Form of Government Draft 2011” back to the committee of
Synod for further work and to extend the time
for consideration before sending to Presbytery
for ratification.
• Allowed C. F. Edgar to resign from Presbytery’s Christian Education Committee.
• Named J. Gregory Duke Presbytery’s representative to the Synod Board of Christian Education Ministries until 2016, and to chair the
corresponding committee of Presbytery.
• Named Charles W. Bradley as Presbytery’s
representative to the Executive Board of Synod
until 2016.
• Approved a motion that Presbytery continue
supporting the Hanmaum and Riverside Missions at current levels for one year.
• Directed the Outreach Tennessee Alabama
Committee to identify two locations for potential church planting efforts and to report the
same at the Spring Stated Meeting 2012.
• Directed the Christian Education Meeting to
plan another workshop to be held in conjunctionwith a stated meeting of Presbytery.
• Accepted the invitation from the Riverside
ARP Mission to host Spring Stated Meeting
for 2013.?
Peachtree Corners Helps Stop Hunger
On Sept. 17, members of the
Peachtree Corners ARP Church joined
the fight to “Stop Hunger Now” by
packaging over 10,000 meals which
will be distributed through school
feeding programs and orphanages in impoverished areas around
the world.
Each highly nutritious, dehydrated meal package serves six
people and is easily transported, stored for up to five years
and distributed to those in greatest need.
ARP minister, Jeff Lewis, helps distribute these and other
types of necessities to the people of Haiti.?
NOVEMBER 2011
Charles Bradley, Stated Clerk
Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery
17
News in Brief
Providence Celebrates
175th Anniversary
New ministers and new employees attended a 2-day ARP Synod orientation
program Sept. 26 & 27 at the ARP Center in Greenville, SC.
Front row (left to right): Soon Jeong Hwang, John Lim, Young Bong Choe,
Suk Ho Jin, Jen Rolison, Joseph Rolison; Second row (left to right): Shadrach
Chung, Sam Hoi Jung, Man Soon Park, Melissa Livingston, Cliff Smith, Tobe
Frierson, Myeong-Jin Hwang, Stephen Frey; Back Row (Left to right): Mario
Russo, Derek Thomas, David Earle, Jason Allen, Trey McCurry, David Park,
Judi Hodges; Not pictured: Barney & Tricia Heyward, Brandon Barrett, Scott
Robar, Paul & Mary Robelot, Derek Thomas.
Prosperity Celebrates 189 Years
On September 11, Prosperity, the oldest Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church in Alabama, celebrated its 189th anniversary.
Neighbors from the other churches in the Marion Junction community, and ARPs from Camden and Bethel ARP congregations, came
together for worship and a bountiful meal.
Coinciding with the national observance of 9/11, Rev. Rabun
Williams’ sermon emphasized that as Christians, we look back on
what God has done and build on it as we look forward with hope
to the Second Coming. Between the final Psalm (Prosperity sings
exclusively the Bible Songs) and benediction, a moment of silence
for those lost in the war on terrorism was observed.
Founded in 1822, just three years after Alabama became a state,
Prosperity is in a yoked pastorate with Camden and Bethel, and has
services on the 2nd Sunday of each month.?
Providence ARP Church in Clinton, SC, began its 175th
Anniversary celebration on Sept. 11, 2011, to the sweet sound
of bagpipes playing Amazing Grace. Bagpiper David McLeod
is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Daryl McLeod of Greenwood,
and great grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Lowry Wilson
– longtime members of Providence.
Special music was also presented by seventh generation
members Joseph Stewart and Anna Wages. Former Erskine
President Dr. Randy Ruble was guest minister. Jamey Dagenhart has served as student supply for the past year.
Following the worship service, more than 100 members, former members, and guests enjoyed a catered lunch and fellowship. Guests were invited to participate in a Psalm sing and go
to the historic Providence Cemetery, the site of the first church
building erected in 1836 and located just outside of Clinton.
In commemoration of this historic day, former member and
family historian Jane Todd Presseau compiled and edited a first
supplement to the 1977 History of Providence ARP Church by
James P. Sloan. The history includes pastors in ministry since
1977, church officers, baptisms, marriages, deaths, new members and loss of members. A pictorial directory and tributes to
several deceased members are also included.
Also for this special year, Bob Wages of Atlanta designed a
commemorative logo, displayed on an outside banner and used
on bulletin covers.?
Oldest & Youngest Retired Col. Walter B. Todd,
Sr. 95, and Allie Wages, 14 months, held by Ruth
Todd Shealy.
Rev. Rabun Williams (center) is our
interim pastor. Prosperity’s elders
are Bernard Sanderson (left) and
Tom Moore (right).
Dr. Nolon Carter is greeted by Dr. Randy Ruble
after the service.
18
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
November Prayer Calendar
Synod’s Committee on Worship has authorized this calendar for use in private devotions and family altars throughout the denomination.
Scripture readings, memory verses and Westminster Shorter Catechism questions correspond with those used in the Adult Quarterly
Sunday School curriculum published by Christian Education Ministries. In support of the ARP denomination, we ask that you include
the churches and individuals listed below in your daily prayers.
WEEK ONE
MEMORY VERSE
Do not think that I have come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew
5:17).
SHORTER CATECHISM
Q.56. What is the reason annexed to the
third commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers
of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will
not suffer them to escape his righteous
judgment.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Psalm 32:1-5. Sherwood Forest
ARP Church, Columbia, SC: Mark
Hering, student supply. Chaplain
Lawrence Hamrick, Jr., Fort Campbell, KY, army.
James 5:13-18. Statesville Korean
ARP Church, Statesville, NC: Rev.
Song Choi, pastor.
Luke 6:37-42. Wellspring Presbyterian Church, Daleville, VA: Rev. David Blugerman, pastor.
Matthew 18:21-35. SonLife Church,
Jacksonville, FL: Rev. Robert Hovey,
mission developer.
Luke 7:40-47. Sandy Plains ARP
Church, Tryon, NC: Rev. James
Mitchell, pastor.
Matthew 5:17-26. Retired missionaries: Imogene Covone, Gold Gate, FL;
Kathy Warner, Flat Rock, NC, on their
birthdays.
WEEK TWO
MEMORY VERSE
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly
Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
SHORTER CATECHISM
Q.57. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the
Lord they God: in it thou shalt not do any
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant nor
thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within
thy gates: for in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that
NOVEMBER 2011
in them is, and rested the seventh day:
wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbathday and hallowed it.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Matthew 22:34-40. Shepherd Road
Presbyterian Church, Lakeland, FL:
Rev. Kent Adrian, pastor.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9. First ARP
Church, Statesville, NC: Charles
Rickert, clerk of session.
Leviticus 19:13-18. Messiah Christian
Fellowship, Asheville, NC: Rev. John
Spence, pastor.
Leviticus 19:33-37. First Presbyterian Church, Tucker, GA: Rev. Anthony Locke, pastor.
Ephesians 5:25-33.Travelers Rest ARP
Mission, Travelers Rest, SC: Rev. William L. Barron, mission developer.
Titus 2:1-5. Progressive Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NC: Rev.
Percy Coleman, pastor.
Matthew 5:43-48. Shiloh ARP
Church, Lancaster, SC: Rev. Mark
J. Miller, pastor.
WEEK THREE
MEMORY VERSE
But when you pray, do not be like the
hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street
corners to be seen by men. I tell you
the truth, they have received their reward in full (Matthew 6:5).
SHORTER CATECHISM
Q.58. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the
keeping holy to God such set times as he
hath appointed in his word; expressly one
whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath
to himself.
14
15
16
Genesis 32:6-12. Troy ARP Church,
Troy, SC: Rev. John Paul Marr, pastor.
Numbers 14:13-19. Prosperity ARP
Church, Marion Junction, AL: Rev.
Rabun Williams, supply.
2 Samuel 7:18-29. Retired minister’s
widow: Martha Morris, Pottsville, AR;
Retired minister: Dr. C.M. Coffey, Davidson, NC, on their birthdays.
17
18
19
20
1 Kings 17:17-23. Pressly Memorial
ARP Church, Statesville, NC: Rev.
Stephen Myers, pastor.
Isaiah 12. Providence Reformed
Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN:
Rev. Joseph Donahue, pastor.
Jeremiah 29:10-14. Retired minister:
Dr. L.M. Allison, Due West, SC, on
his birthday.
Matthew 6:5-15. Reformation Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville, NC:
Rev. Matthew G. Lucas, pastor. New
Windsor ARP Church, New Windsor,
MD: Rev. Paul Matthews, pastor.
WEEK FOUR
MEMORY VERSE
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be
given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).
SHORTER CATECHISM
Q.59. Which day of the seven hath God
appointed to be the weekly sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the
resurrection of Christ, God appointed the
seventh day of the week to be the weekly
sabbath; and the first day of the week ever
since, to continue to the end of the world,
which is the Christian sabbath.
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Psalm 37:1-8. Grace Hill ARP
Church, Hillsborough, NC: Rev.
Ross H. Durham, mission developer; Rev. Stephen Crotts, associate
pastor.
Matthew 13:18-23. Providence ARP
Church, Gastonia, NC: Rev. Gilbert
Rowell, pastor.
Luke 21:29-36. Retired ministers: Dr.
Douglas O. Jones, Flat Rock, NC,
pulpit supply Pinecrest ARP Church,
Hendersonville, NC; Rev. R. Lionel
Morgan, Huntersville, NC, on their
birthdays.
Matthew 10:24-31. Unity ARP
Church, Piedmont, SC: Rev. Mark
Wright, pastor.
Matthew 10:16-20. Retired minister:
Rev. Bob E. Murdock, Sr., Rock Hill,
SC, on his birthday.
1 Peter 5:6-11. Smyrna ARP Church,
Smyrna, SC: Ken VanVoorhis, clerk
of session.
Matthew 6:25-34. Thomson Presbyterian Church, Thomson, GA:
Rev. John D. Cook, pastor.
19
WEEK FIVE
MEMORY VERSE
Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing (Isaiah 40:17).
SHORTER CATECHISM
Q.60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a
holy resting all that day, even from such
worldly employments and recreations as
are lawful on other days; and spending
the whole time in the public and private
exercises of God’s worship, except so
much as is to be taken up in the works
of necessity and mercy.
1
2-3
3-4
4-6
6
8
9-10
11
11-13
14-15
19
21-25
23-27
24
24-25
27
28
29
30
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16, 23-24. Retired
missionary: Dr. E. Reynolds Young,
Due West, SC, on his birthday.
Deuteronomy 5:22-27.Lifeline Community Church, Gibsonia, PA: Richard Doorley, clerk of session.
1 Chronicles 16:28-34. Hanha Presbyterian Church, Gardena, CA: Rev.
Sung Ku Kim, pastor; Rev. Kye Jong
Chung, associate pastor.
* denotes mission church.
Lessons and/or Readings based on International
Sunday School Lessons. The International Bible
Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2001
by the Committee on the Uniform Series.
November Events
New Church Community (NCC) Meeting (ONA)
Minister & His Work Meeting, 6 p.m., Bonclarken
Board of Benefits Meeting, 2 p.m. Orientation, 3 p.m.
meeting, Bonclarken
Catawba Presbytery Middle School
Retreat, Bonclarken
Daylight Savings Time Ends
Investment Committee, Conference Call, 2 p.m.
Dunlap Board, 3 p.m., Bonclarken
Remembrance Day (Canada); Veterans Day (US)
First and Second Presbyteries Middle
School Retreat, Bonclarken
ONA Board Meeting
Erskine Homecoming
Thanksgiving Break, Erskine Seminary
Thanksgiving Break, Erskine College
Thanksgiving Day (US)
ARP Center Offices closed, Thanksgiving Holidays
First Sunday of Advent
110 Calvary Home Circle, Anderson, SC 29621
864-296-5437
www.calvaryhome.org
“Providing help and hope to children in need
through the power of Christ”
20
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
By Chip Sherer
PRESIDENT
“Faith Apartments
were so named because they were just
that – a venture in
faith.” - Jim Brice
I
always appreciate the feedback
from my monthly articles and am
so encouraged by the comments,
letters, and emails that we receive.
The articles which seem to generate the most response are the articles
that focus on the history of a particular building or facility. This month I
focus on a very popular housing
facility here at Bonclarken – Faith
Apartments.
Jim Brice served as Bonclarken’s
executive director from 1988 to 2006.
Jim has told me bits of the story of
how Faith Apartments came into being, but I recently asked him to give
me the whole story. If you have ever
spent a night, weekend, or week in
Faith Apartments, you know them
to be very efficient and comfortable.
How these apartments came into
Bonclarken’s possession is another
example of God’s providence.
In late February 1991, Founders
Hall was almost complete. The goal
of having Founders open for Synod
in June 1991 was on schedule and this
new housing facility was clearly going
to be a fine addition to Bonclarken.
“We were so focused on finishing Founders that the idea of adding
another housing facility was the last
thing on our minds,” Brice said. “But
God had other plans for us. Ed Cox,
a member of the Peachtree Corners
Church and a retired engineer, was
serving as Bonclarken’s representative with Sherman Construction in the
NOVEMBER 2011
building of Founders. Ed had just recently completed his own Bonclarken
house on Dirk Lane.
“Ed received a call from the contractor who had built his Bonclarken
house. The contractor had a contact
with American Standard Buildings
(ASB), who had just finished a modular set of six apartment buildings for a
client in Myrtle Beach. The client had
gone out of business and now ASB
was stuck with these apartments...
and they were willing to sell for half
the original price. Would Bonclarken
be interested?”
(A story has circulated that these
apartments were already on their
way to Myrtle Beach when ASB found
out their client was out of business,
but Jim could not verify this interesting twist.)
“On March 4, 1991, I proposed to
the Bonclarken Board’s Executive
Committee that we buy these apartments. We anticipated the total cost
(including furnishings and site preparation) to be around $300,000, all of
which would have to be borrowed.
The Executive Committee was confident we could handle the debt and
agreed to recommend it to the full
Board. During a conference call on
March 7, the full Board approved.
“To say this decision was a venture in faith was an understatement.
I so appreciated the Board’s willingness to step out in faith so that Faith
Apartments could become a reality.
And not only did we have Founders
Hall ready by Synod, we had Faith
Apartments ready as well.”
I appreciate Jim’s recollection of
this fine story. Was this rapid action taken by the Bonclarken Board
justified? Twenty years later, Faith
Apartments continue to be one of
our most popular housing facilities. The Board’s venture in faith in
1991 continues to be a blessing to
Bonclarken today.?
Bonclarken’s Faith Apartments
21
Bonclarken
A Venture in Faith
Christian Education Ministries
Christian Education Ministries would like to recommend the following book as an invaluable tool to help in studying our
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22
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
DUE WEST, S.C. — “Each one of us is
a tangled web of life experiences, hopes,
dreams, fears, and passions,” Erskine
College and Seminary President Dr. David Norman told assembled students,
professors, staff members and guests at
the school’s Formal Opening Convocation Sept. 8. “But God has called us to be
here, right now, together.”
Norman spoke during the worship
service in the Due West Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Alluding
to Erskine’s mission “to equip students
to flourish,” Norman said rhetoric about
human flourishing is usually “happy and
optimistic” but “can sound a bit fluffy,”
so he took as his topic “The Other Side of
Human Flourishing.”
The president said he believes he did
get one thing right in his first formal
opening address last year—“If we try to
be a community that exists for its own
sake, we are wasting our time.”
Last year Norman laid out his vision
for Erskine, focusing on academic integrity, financial sustainability, and service
to the poor. This year, spotlighting the
element of service, he said academic communities “try to offset their elitist tendencies” by using a system of service to run
alongside the academic program.
But even in such well-intentioned
efforts, real service to the poor is often
replaced by “a self-righteous system of
résumé building” or “some shallow form
of charity that dehumanizes the poor by
putting a thin whitewash over the tomb
of injustice,” the president said.
Task Force Commissioned
“And that is why, although I talk
about service to the poor a lot, I haven’t
rushed off to start some new program or
system of quick fixes to long-term problems,” he said.
Instead, a task force commissioned by
the president will offer proposals based
on “their year of listening and learning,”
he said. “I believe that together, if we
are smart about it, we can authentically
NOVEMBER 2011
address some of the bad things we see
around us.”
Norman recounted the story of a
wealthy friend who began to understand
service to the poor in light of Jesus’ call to
“take up your cross.” His comfortable life
was no longer enough. “He began to see
a whole new dimension of Christ’s deep,
authentic, and crazy kind of love.”
Considering how his friend’s lesson
might be applied to Erskine as an “authentically Christian liberal arts community,”
Norman said his three-word response
would be “I don’t know,” summarizing
about 90 percent of the answer.
“I’m not giving up on an answer,” he
explained. “I really think that ‘I don’t
know’ is the answer. If we can’t admit
that we don’t know, we can never learn
anything. And if we think we have it all
figured out, we are stuck up in our irrelevant ivory tower again. This is an intellectual aspect of service to the poor.”
Identify With Poor
Then Norman homed in on his message. “Here is the really, really beautiful
thing about the other side of human flourishing: when we identify ourselves with
the poor, we join the community that most
urgently seeks God’s blessing,” he said.
“And whether that community of
seekers is defined in spiritual, physical or
intellectual terms, we recognize our utter
dependence on God and on each other,”
he continued.
Such a community is blessed by
a whole new dimension of love—“that
crazy kind” that Norman’s wealthy
friend discovered.
Taking up the pulpit Bible, Norman
read the account in Luke 18 of “the rich
young ruler” who is seeking eternal life
and says he has kept all the commandments since his youth. Jesus tells him, “...
sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto
the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come, follow me.”
Jesus’ response to the man’s unwillingness to give up his possessions is his famous description of how difficult it is for
a rich man to enter heaven—“it is easier
for a camel to go through a needle’s eye.”
Norman said the passage that immediately precedes the story of the rich young
man—“Whosoever shall not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child shall in
no wise enter therein”— represents the
overall principle the story illustrates.
“That is the message I really want to
leave you with today,” Norman said,
speaking especially to students. “Don’t
get too uptight! Have faith. Don’t worry.
Don’t try to prove yourself. Have fun.
Enjoy God. Enjoy each other.”
He added, “Take advantage of the
good things God is doing in, around and
through Erskine. And don’t worry about
the bad stuff. That’s my job!”
Moving toward the conclusion of his
address, the president said there is a line
from the epic poem Idylls of the King by
Alfred, Lord Tennyson that “goes along
with this theme of the joy that comes
through childlike humility.”
The line, etched on one of the walls of
Erskine’s McCain Library, is: “Live pure,
speak true, right wrong, follow the King.
Else, wherefore born?”?
Norman speaks during Formal Opening Convocation at Due West ARP Church.
23
Erskine
Erskine community marks new
academic year
Outreach North America
Is God Calling You to Grow and Change?
DR. ALAN J. AVERA
Executive Director
I
n our From the Field article this
month, Brandon Barrett tells us
about how a phone call from an
old friend became the conduit for a
new call from God.
These kinds of calls do not neces-
Grace Presbyterian–
By Rev. Brandon Barrett
A year ago I answered the phone and
heard the voice of an old friend. Ten years
earlier we had been together, along with our
wives, in a church small group in Chapel Hill,
NC. They were calling to see if I might be interested in moving to Columbia, SC, where
they now lived, to plant a new church.
I almost laughed. My wife Liz grew up in
Charlotte, NC, where they refer to Columbia as “the armpit of the South.” We had
never seriously considered church planting.
I was serving as the senior pastor of a PCA
church in Williamsburg, VA – a beautiful
town that had never been called the armpit
of anything. As my friend and I talked, Liz
The Barrett family
24
sarily come just when we are looking
for a change. Sometimes God knows
we need to grow and stretch in
precisely the ways we had not been
seeking to grow and stretch. Sometimes God has been preparing us
for exactly the kind of challenge that
only He knew we soon would be
called to face.
From my own experience as a
church planter over 20 years ago, I can
tell my readers that church planting is
not easy. In fact, it is the most difficult
thing I have ever done. Though difficult, church planting also has been
the most rewarding thing I have ever
done. I grew through the challenges
of church planting in ways I could
never have anticipated.
How is God calling you to grow
and change? If you are a pastor or
seminary student, is God calling
you to the challenging task of multiplying disciples through planting
new churches? If you are comfortable in your pew each Sunday, is
there some way God is calling you to
be more active in serving your church
or your community? Perhaps God is
even calling you to help in one of our
new congregations.?
looked at me from across the kitchen and reminded me to at least talk and pray about it before
saying no.
That night we had a call from a friend – and the beginning of a new call from God. Over
the next year, we walked through the process of thinking, praying, and interviewing to be
the mission developer for Grace Presbyterian Church in Northeast Columbia. Through these
months, we often thought of closing the door and staying put in Virginia, but at each point we
simply felt that God had us in the process for a reason and that whatever the outcome would
be, we were to trust Him and His timing. With each visit to Columbia, we found something
strange happening to us – we were feeling that Columbia was our home.
Called to Serve
Through the process, God made it clear that He was calling us to Columbia to help start
this church. Since moving to Columbia in June, we have been at First Presbyterian Columbia,
the sponsoring church of this Catawba Presbytery plant. I have been teaching a Sunday School
class, getting to know people, and sharing the vision for this new church that God is creating.
God is faithful. Just as He called us here, He is calling others to be a part of this church.
Recently, we started meeting as a Launch Team: 28 adults and 22 children. We will be
working together to get to know people in Northeast Columbia, learning how to be a church
together, and growing as a team in the mission and vision to which we have been called.
We have a lot to learn about how to reach this part of our city, but there are a few things
we do know: God has called us to be a church committed to reaching the lost and unchurched
and de-churched. We want to be, in the words of another pastor, “sinner-safe” – a church that
welcomes sinners and graciously offers them the words of life.
We want God’s grace toward us to make us gracious towards others. And we want to live daily in the reality that Christians are people
who have been called into a mission by God – a mission to be his witnesses wherever we are, making disciples of all nations, to the glory
of God.
We hope to begin public services on Palm Sunday, but we know
that we have to take our time, get to know our city, and love our neighbors. We will not open our doors until we actually know the people
we hope to reach and are ready to invite them into this community of
God’s people.
Liz and I are finding Columbia to be beautiful in ways we had not
expected. We have been warmly and graciously received here. We are
making good friends, seeing God’s provision at every step, and growing in our heart to see God’s mission go forward here, in Columbia,
our new home.?
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU VOLUNTEER OTHERS FOR MISSIONS
By Alex and Jamie Pettett
United States – As you may know, we served
in Israel with World Witness from 2006-2009. In
2009, Israel refused to renew our visas. For the
last several years, the government branch in
charge of the long-term visas has been intentionally weeding out missionaries and Christian
workers in Israel. The Israeli government told
us we had to take a leave for six months from
Israel in order to renew our long-term visa.
While stateside, I was honored to represent World Witness at the Third International
Congress on World Evangelism in Cape Town,
South Africa. The Congress challenged us to
volunteer our respective agencies and churches
to reach the 600 or so yet unengaged people
groups in the world. An unengaged people
group is one that is unreached (i.e. less than 2%
of the group are evangelical) and has no missionaries trying to reach it.
In southeastern Turkey, I noticed a group
of Arabs speaking a dialect of Arabic called
���Just be
�������
on Sunday
�
“Northern Mesopotamian.” I remembered that Eric and Laurie Meberg were living in that area and may
have encountered this group. So, like a good American, I volunteered the Mebergs to “go get ‘em.”
A few months after returning from Cape Town, the Israeli government issued us a final notice
stating they would not allow us to obtain a long-term visa. We felt the Lord gently and yet with great
finality, telling us to move on. We grieved at the closing of this door and occasionally still feel pangs
of loss. Regardless, the Lord has given us new joy and direction.
He has called us to face our convictions of reaching the unreached and unengaged. And it is by
God’s good grace that He is sending us to the very area I volunteered World Witness to reach almost
one year ago, southeastern
Turkey. Where non-believers
may see ironic justice, we see
perfect providence.
In October, we joined
the Mebergs in Mardin to
spread seed among the unreached and unengaged of
southeastern Turkey.?
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25
World Witness
A NEW FIE L D O F S E RV IC E . . .
ARP Women’s Ministries
TEACHABLE MOMENTS
ELAINE REED
President
Love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on
your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at
home and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands and
bind them on your foreheads. Write them
on the door frames of your houses and on
your gates (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).
I
n Deuteronomy Chapter 5, Moses gathers the children of Israel
and restates the Ten Commandments for all to hear. As the text continues into Chapter 6, the Israelites
are challenged to incorporate God’s
laws and precepts daily into their
lives. Parents are to teach their children the knowledge of God’s will;
demonstrating these instructions are
for all generations. Even today, parents should take advantage of opportunities to teach their children about
God and His desire for their lives.
Recently, I was reminded of these
verses as a friend shared a story about
her son. The boy had been playing
with a toy he had made with the help
of his dad. When she entered the
room, she found her son surrounded
by Styrofoam pieces scattered across
the carpet. Imagine the look of disappointment that must have been
26
on her face. Immediately, the young
boy realized his actions were wrong
and he sought the forgiveness of
his mother.
As part of his discipline, the boy
vacuumed up the Styrofoam. Once
the living room was restored to its
original condition, the boy picked
up his toy to resume playing. As he
looked at his toy, he realized it was
now disfigured and had been damaged forever. He was consumed with
guilt and remorse. Repeatedly the
mother attempted to console him.
She gently brushed away his tears
and provided reassuring hugs, but
nothing could change what had happened, nor could it remove this overwhelming feeling of remorse.
Lessons Learned
I wonder how God will use this
teachable moment as he grows up.
Will he find himself using this experience to help a fellow Christian
through a difficult time? After hearing
this story, I recalled several situations
God used to teach me greater lessons.
Some took place when I was a child,
like the time I dropped my baton on
my kitten’s head—literally knocking
it senseless. Others occurred as an
adult, such as hurting someone’s feelings without realizing it.
As Christians, the Holy Spirit lives
within us. Like a parent, the Spirit
comforts us in our hour of need. When
we are grieved so deeply we can not
find the words to utter, the Spirit intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:2627). He stirs our conscience when we
sin. He is our Advocate, teaching us
all things and reminding us what has
been revealed in scripture (John 14).
At the point of our effectual calling,
the Spirit united us to Christ by faith
(Westminster Shorter Catechism 30).
It is the same Spirit who raised Jesus
from the dead, who now lives within
those that profess Christ as their Savior (Romans 8:11). Think of the power available to us to resist sin if we
would only submit to God’s will.
Is Christianity simply a lifestyle
for Sunday or is it deeper and more
meaningful to our lives? Question
one of the Westminster Shorter Catechism states it is the chief end of
man “to glorify God, and to enjoy
him forever.”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary
defines forever as a limitless amount
of time. Paul provides a snapshot of
this concept in 1 Corinthians 10:31—
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory
of God.” When I fail to glorify God
by my actions, is my heart pricked
with guilt and remorse like the boy
felt when he realized his toy was
damaged forever? I am afraid not often enough.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving,
may we remember to praise God for
the teachable moments He has used
to mold our lives.?
Volunteers Needed
The 100th Annual Meeting of
ARP Women’s Ministries will be
held in 2014. Volunteers are needed to plan this special event. If
you are interested in sharing your
gifts in support of planning this
event please contact Elaine Reed
[email protected] or
843-572-6427.
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
ELIZABETH M. BURNS
Coordinator
G
ive me a moment to explain!
Recently I was introduced
to a great idea for reaching
out to neighbors: “Tie One On Day.”
This is the brainchild of EllynAnne
Geisel, whose website (www.apronmemories.com) has loads of fun facts
and history about aprons.
Geisel’s love of aprons and joy of
Thanksgiving led her to the idea of
reaching out to a neighbor in need.
From her website she says, “Four
years ago I noticed that Thanksgiving was talked about in terms
more commonly associated with
stress than joy. I remembered my
mother ’s absolute love of Thanksgiving as a day more than anything
else of sharing and gratefulness.
So I created National Tie One On
Day as an annual opportunity to
“give” to Thanksgiving by sharing
our good fortune with someone in
need of a kind gesture.”
The basic idea is simple and requires only two aprons, a loaf of
bread (or other baked good), and
a note card. You put on one apron,
lay the other apron on a table and
place the loaf of bread in the center. Write a short note of encouragement or Scripture; place it in
the pocket of the apron, wrap the
apron up neatly and tie it, if possible. Then, with your apron on,
walk out your front door to the
front door of the neighbor you
have chosen to receive the apron.
NOVEMBER 2011
Knock on the door, give them
the gift, say a prayer with them, if
appropriate, and off you go. The
idea from the website is to do this
on the day before Thanksgiving,
which this year would be Wednesday, Nov. 23. I don’t know how to
make breaking the ice with someone any easier than this! The opportunities to use this, I believe,
are endless and don’t have to be
confined just to the day before
Thanksgiving.
I thought of so many other
times you could use this idea: any
holiday of choice; birthdays; anniversaries; illness; death; new
baby; new neighbor; or, just because. Now that you’ve met your
neighbor(s), it makes it a bit easier
to speak to them on the street and
to approach them again to invite
them in for tea or a cool drink.
I particularly appreciate the
idea of putting on your own apron
as you do this. Now before you
think aprons are too old fashioned,
let me assure you they are not.
In fact, aprons are very much in
vogue right now. Just go on your
computer and search the word
“apron,” and you will pull up an
avalanche of websites devoted to
aprons – showing them to be very
much in demand.
God’s Servant
But the main reason I appreciate the apron is because it reminds
me that I am a servant – God’s servant; a servant to the King. As a
servant, I’m to do the King’s bidding for His sake, not mine, thus
relieving my “fear” of approaching
the unknown and of being rejected or ridiculed. I’m sure many of
you have been challenged by our
Moderator, Andy Putnam, through
our focus this year, “The Free Offer of the Gospel.”
Like me, maybe you’ve been
wondering just how you might
take up this challenge for the sake
of Christ and His Gospel. I believe
God has provided a wonderful
way for women to go boldly forth
with Scripture notes and prayers
of blessing to serve and share
the Bread of Life with those
around us who are lost and hurting and hopeless.
If you are interested in this for
your women’s ministries, just go
to the website listed above and you
will find everything you need to
get started. Although this is a secular website, this idea can be fully
wrapped and infused with Christ
and the Gospel. One of the churches in my area which is involved
in this ministry has set aside two
Saturdays before Thanksgiving to
present ideas on different types of
aprons to use; how to sew your own
apron; how to tailor the apron’s
contents for specific needs, which
could be used any time during the
year; suggested Scriptures; recipes
for different kinds of breads and
appropriate baked goods – along
with tips and coaching for those
not quite sure what to say when
they first knock on someone’s front
door; and even some ideas on how
to follow up with that neighbor.
I thank God for this timely idea
and for the opportunity to serve
others on behalf of our King Jesus.
So join me, won’t you? Together,
let’s Tie One On for the Gospel!?
PLEASE MAKE A NOTE: NEW EMAIL
ADDRESS FOR THE COORDINATOR:
[email protected].
27
ARP Women’s Ministries
TIE ONE ON FOR THE GOSPEL!
All In Our Family
By Sharon Griffin
Personal Mention
BETHANY (SC): Louise Biggers turned 90
20.
on Sept. 10.
Hogue, Aug. 20.
CRAIG AVE. TABERNACLE (NC):
CRAIG AVE. TABERNACLE (NC): Bob &
FRENCH CAMP (MS): Jenn Barlow & Ja-
Armstrong, 85, died July 28.
Norma Owens celebrated their 60th wed-
son Geiser, Sept. 2.
ding anniversary Sept. 2.
FROSTPROOF (FL): George Jackson, 66,
UNITY (Lancaster, SC): Noelle Marie Marsh
deacon, died Aug. 14. Frances “Sweet-
EBENEZER (SC): Rev. & Mrs. Charles
& Brenner Jackson Hartley, Sept. 10.
mama” Griffin Mulcay, 96, Sunday school
(Mary Alice) Mitchell celebrated their 62nd
Kelly Marie Brooks & Ricky Lee
Births
FAYETTEVILLE (TN):
AVON PARK (FL): Matt & Dena Soto, a
celebrated her 80th birthday Aug. 25, Alise
Austin, her 90th on Sept. 13, and Martha
Henry, her 80th on Sept. 14.
GASTONIA FIRST (NC):
Mary Rose &
Tom Campbell celebrated 54 years of marriage Sept. 14.
GREENWOOD (SC): Phillips & Elsie Tinkler
marked 64 years of marriage on Aug. 30.
PISGAH (NC): Ed Carson recently completed 50 years of perfect attendance at
Sunday School. Bill Whitesides recently
celebrated his 80th birthday. Matt Faulkner
was selected Most Valuable Player for JV
Baseball at Hunter Huss High School.
RICHLAND (TN): Pat & Ruth Billingsley
celebrated 52 years of marriage Sept. 5.
SEBRING (FL):
Seniors who recently
Ruth
teacher, died Aug. 20.
wedding anniversary Aug. 25.
Drennan Horsley
91, died Aug. 10.
GREENWOOD (SC): Virginia Dale Puck-
daughter Alma Gloria, July 19.
ett Cheatham, 89, died Aug. 31.
LAKE WALES (FL): Francis “Frank” M.
BACK CREEK (NC): Erin & Josh Smith, a
Coyne, 83, deacon, elder, Elder of Visita-
son Harrison, July 30.
tion for 13 years, died Aug. 29.
BETHEL (SC): Doug & Christa Herrera, a
LAUDERDALE (VA):
daughter Ana Lynn, Aug. 23.
Craft, 89, died Aug. 15. William Edward
CENTENNIAL (SC): Jake & Cristina Ra-
Johnson, 91, died Sept. 3.
Vanita Hostetter
mos Deputy, a son Jacob Dallas, Aug. 15.
NEW AMITY (NC): Mildred Jenkins Miller,
CHESTER (SC): Rev. & Mrs. Clint (Patti)
79, died Aug. 20.
Davis, a daughter Sarah Grace, Aug. 30.
OLD PROVIDENCE (VA): Dennis Wood-
COLUMBIA FIRST (SC):
row Conner, 82, died Aug. 7.
Legare & Tap
Gresham, a son Charles Richard, Aug. 16.
ROCK HILL FIRST (SC): Nancy Collins
Anna Claire & Jon Dando, a son Charles
Orr, 83, died Aug. 8.
Bridges, Aug. 25. Tracy & Rick Folks, a
daughter Sydney Michaela, Aug. 26.
COVINGTON (TN): Mr. & Mrs. Kent Zent,
a daughter Katherine Elizabeth, July 6.
SEBRING (FL): John C. Freeland, 91, died
Aug. 12. Dorothy Fisher, 87, died Aug. 26.
STATESVILLE FIRST (NC): Jean Moore
Bradford, Camp Joy attendee for 31 years,
marked special birthdays were: John Den-
EBENEZER (SC): Garret & Julia Brink, a
died Aug. 4. Faye West White, 89, died
ning (94 years Aug. 23) and Edie Trotter
daughter Frances Adelaide “Addie,” Sept. 1.
Aug. 19.
(93 years on Aug. 31). George & Kathryn
GREENVILLE (SC):
Rev. & Mrs. Matt
Thompson were married 55 years as of
(Lindsay) Miller, a daughter Elise Noelle,
Aug. 24.
Aug. 25.
THOMSON (GA): Bill & Lorena Johnson
GUM TREE (MS): Mr. & Mrs. Adam Potts,
recently celebrated 54 years of marriage.
a son Zane. Mr. & Mrs. Clay Coggins, a
WILDHURST (VA):
son Todd Kellum. Mr. & Mrs. Raul Cruz, a
James & Rosalee
Hedrick were married 54 years in Aug.
daughter Angelina Isabella.
Marriages
NEELY’S CREEK (SC):
BACK CREEK (NC): Lauren Baucom &
Jeremy Brown, Aug. 20.
BURLINGTON (NC): Bob Hilton & Gwen
Andrews, Sept. 3.
CROWDERS CREEK (NC): Lauren Elizabeth Elliotte & Daniel David Beech, Aug.
28
New Communicant
Members
BURLINGTON (NC): Caroline & Reighanna Bailey, Bennett, Janice, & Kathryn
Richardson, Shauneen Roy, Hannah
Baird, David & Nicole Newton.
Matthews, a daughter Hollins Gray, July 27.
CENTENNIAL (SC):
Osborne.
RIVERSIDE (AL): Nate and Molly Jaeger,
EFFINGHAM (SC): Ernie Davis.
twin boys Tim and Mark on June 21,2011.
FAITH (Merritt Island, FL): Josiah Soule.
Eric & Jennifer
Jason & Ginger
FAYETTEVILLE (TN): Paisley Cowley,
Anna Claire Dickey, Hugh & Beth Dickey,
Caroline Mills, Meg O’Connor, Ashton
BARTOW (FL): Francine Barfield Mercer,
Towry.
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
Deaths
FROSTPROOF (FL): Danny & Julie Darby.
GOOD NEWS (MD): Tommy Antrim.
GUM TREE (MS): Scotty & Tanya Rudy
and daughter Savannah.
LAKE PLACID (FL):
Carmen Bonilla,
Chase Leblanc.
NEELY’S CREEK (SC): Maggie Bowyer,
Beth Dickerson, Chandler Fowler, Grace
Gallagher, David & Courtney Kimball,
Ryan Williams.
NEW AMITY (NC): Kim Morrison.
Please join us for the arts at Erskine this season.
Theater Productions
PISGAH (NC): Haven Jenkins.
REFORMATION (NC): Callie Oldham.
SHERWOOD FOREST (SC):
FALL 2011 ARTS CALENDAR
Andrew
Erskine Players present Shakespeare's The Tempest
November 3 & 4, 7:30 pm
November 5, 2:30 pm
MacLeod.
STATESVILLE FIRST (NC): Grace Overcash.
Visual Arts
Art Department Faculty Show
Special Services
Through December 8
COVENANT (Statesville, NC): Homecoming was held Sept. 18 with Rev. Charles Evans preaching. The church was 46 years
old on Sept. 12.
Tuesday, November 15, 7:30 pm
FIRST MONROE & REHOBETH (NC): The
churches held a joint picnic on Sunday after-
Dr. Craig Cramer, Organist
noon, Sept. 18, at Cane Creek Park. About
70-75 were in attendance for the meal and
recreation. The two churches are about 20
minutes apart from each other in southern
Union County, NC.
PROSPERITY (AL): The church celebrated
its 189th year on Sept. 11 with a special service and a dinner. Prosperity is the oldest
ARP church in Alabama.
SHERWOOD FOREST (SC): Homecoming
was celebrated Sept. 11. Festivities included lunch and a hymn sing.
UNITY (Lancaster, SC): Homecoming Day
was held Aug. 28 with guest minister Rev.
Bob Elliott. The day included a psalm sing
and a picnic lunch.
Talich String Quartet
Thursday, November 17
Masterclass – Choral Hall, 3:30 pm
Recital – First Presbyterian, Greenwood, 7:30 pm
Erskine Student Chamber Music Ensembles
Friday, November 18, 8 pm
An Erskine Christmas
Friday, December 2, 8 pm
Saturday, December 3, 6 pm
(Ticketing information: [email protected] or 864.379.8728)
Women's Chorale Christmas Program
Tuesday, December 6, 11 am
Music Department Honors Recital
Tuesday, December 6, 7:30 pm
Opera Workshop
Graduations
Friday-Saturday, January 6 & 7
CENTENNIAL (SC): Whitney Fox, Master’s degree, Clemson University.
PINECREST (NC):
Music
Karla Reese, Mas-
For more information on arts events, call 864.379.8858
ter’s degree, West Carolina University.?
NOVEMBER 2011
29
CLASSIFIED ADS
Bible Chronology – Bible history without chronology is myth. http://paulhansen.mysite.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Erskine Director of Alumni Affairs Buddy Ferguson announces he will provide an Erskine representative to speak at your church. “We can come on
a Wednesday or Sunday night, or speak at any other program that fits your
schedule. We are excited to have a chance to meet with ARP churches and
share with them about Erskine. Contact Buddy Ferguson, PO Box 608, Due
West, SC 29639. Or call his office: (864) 379-8727. Cell: (864) 378-5836.
Email: [email protected]. See Erskine’s website: www.erskine.edu.
FOR RENT
BONCLARKEN HOME Weekend or weekly rental at 200 Pine Drive: full
kitchen; complete with washer/dryer and dishwasher. Cozily sleeps 10.
Available year-round. Call 828-674-8277 for reservations.
FOR SALE
ROBAR CHRISTIAN BOOKSELLERS. We buy, sell and trade new and
used Christian books. Contact us at Robarbooks.com.
BONCLARKEN – Kit and Mary Grier’s home at 103 Sycamore Dr. Approximately 1800 sq. ft. w/ central heat and air. 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, great
room with vaulted ceiling. Family room with hardwood floor and stone
fireplace. Two wooden decks and screened-in porch. Laundry room with
W/D hook-ups. Great mountain view! Call Effie Jordan 864-379-2888 or
Bill Grier 828-808-1492.
C
REAL ESTATE
BONCLARKEN - For Sale: Betty Stewart’s home on Bonclarken Lane,
Flat Rock, NC. Two apartments: 1 with 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths; other
has 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths. Deck, garage, laundry room. 2 lots. Asking
$250,000. Call Roxanne Spencer, 704-860-3384.
SERVICES
SABO GRAPHICS®
WEB & GRAPHIC SERVICES: Providing great finished graphics from
design stage to finished printed product, or website. Large format print
capabilities. Mention ARP Magazine and receive a 10% discount.
864.268.4266 or www.sabo.ws.
SERVICES NEEDED
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY - Established congregation located in a growing
population area in Catawba Presbytery is searching for a pastor with a heart for
evangelism and church growth who is interested in a challenging bi-vocational
call. If you feel God is leading you in this direction, contact Stephanie Bishop
at Central Services, The ARP Center, by calling 864-232-8297, ext 222 or email
[email protected] to obtain a Ministerial Data Form.
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES - Looking for adults or teenagers who can provide insight
in using technologies such as: YouTube, Facebook, webcast, etc. Contact Elaine
Reed at [email protected] if you are willing to provide information.
ome see why our residents live longer,
happier, healthier lives.
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STEEPLES
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Box 388, Troutman, N.C. 28166
Phone 704-528-5321
For over 50 years.
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Call 888.485.0930
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Call collect (864) 277-3795
Write: 1401 Piedmont Hwy., Piedmont, SC 29673
THE ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
Indelible Grace
A portable stage was pieced together and set up over the small hardwood platform that usually holds a pulpit, a few chairs and a baptismal font.
In their places sat a full drum set, guitar amplifiers, and microphone stands. A large screen was mounted in front of the organ pipes. As the band
members settled behind their instruments, more than 300 people filled the pews of First ARP Church in Rock Hill, SC, and waited in anticipation for
Matthew Smith to strum the first chord of “I Need Thee Today.”
Synod’s Committee on Worship sponsored the Matthew Smith & Indelible Grace concert and hymns seminar to expose ARP and other area
churches to new resources that might enrich their worship. “This was a significant step for our denomination,” said Committee member, church
planting resident, and emcee of the Rock Hill event Rev. Andy Stager.
“Just months after the Committee proudly sponsored the 50th Annual Bonclarken Music Conference, we honored our musical heritage in a brand new way by exploring ways to bring hymnody
into modern musical genres.”
Before the opening song began, Stager welcomed those who came in droves through the back
doors of the sanctuary to hear this collection of “new-old hymns.”
During the pre-concert seminar, Matthew Smith told of his personal spiritual renewal as he
encountered the gospel through hymns for the first time in college. He testified to a major impact
that the resurgence of hymnody is having on a new generation looking for a robust expression of
Christian faith.
“A typical Nashville love song, as well as much current church music, goes straight for the emotions,” the Nashville songwriter explained. “But hymns engage your intellect, your imagination,
your emotions, and your will – all at once. They put the full beauty of Christ on display.”
The marriage of old hymn texts and new music is proving to be a happy one. In it, believers in
their twenties and thirties find faith challenged, their intellect stoked, their articulation of the faith The band Indelible Grace draws a large
audience at First ARP, Rock Hill (SC).
made more winsome, and their hearts enlarged with Jesus and his gospel.
Full of word-pictures, hymns like George Mathison’s “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go” invite
the church on an ancient journey in which hope thrives in the midst of suffering. “When you sing ‘I trace the rainbow through the rain,’” Smith pointed out, “you’re singing covenantal truth. You’re preaching the gospel to one another much better than simply saying ‘well, this too shall pass.’”
Area youth groups heard electric guitars and hymns together. Winthrop University students from Reformed University Fellowship and Campus
Crusade, area pastors, elders, and church musicians sang old hymns to new melodies. Young and old sang the gospel to one another as the word of
Christ dwelt richly in the air of the sanctuary.
“Judging by the turnout, we seem to have struck a chord,” Stager said of the event. “It delights me to know that our great-grandmothers’ hymnbooks are in good use.”?
Correction:
At the end of the October magazine feature, A Debtor Nation, on page 7, the concluding line should have been a footnote
appended to an earlier paragraph in the article, and the fourth of five footnotes in all. The article should have concluded with
the previous line: “This is a time for repentance, and let us first of all demand repentance of ourselves. We should not expect
divine blessings to course into the culture until the way is opened by repentance in the church.”
Living in Greenville, Mr. Jacobs has been writing for over ten years. Recently published works
include Honorable Intentions and The Factory.
Honorable Intentions: A saga about a man who
inherits a Charleston plantation only to find
himself a target of those wanting to possess
it. His only route of escape? A time machine.
That’s where the real adventure begins.
Kerry Jacobs
A Southern Author
Former ARP Missionary
NOVEMBER 2011
The Factory: The economy of the world has
collapsed. Jack, retired former Lt. Colonel
finds a new job at a factory in Atlanta. Little
does he know the world of hurt he’s about to
enter. No rights, little respect. Something’s got
to change.
Published 2010
Published 2011
Available from Amazon.com or kerryjacobs.com
31