Fall 2016
Glorify God. Follow Christ. Transform Lives.
we strive t o c r e at e authentic disciples of Jesus
What is a disciple? by Pastor Stan | page 2 Discipleship at Eastminster by Ben Marquez | page 8 All disciples GO with the gospel GO Stories pages 7 & 10
What Is a Disciple? by Pastor Stan Van Den Berg You are probably reading this article as a member of Eastminster. Do you know what Jesus told me to do with our members? He told me to make disciples! Everywhere I read in Scripture, Jesus is telling me this. So what’s a disciple? A disciple is a learner and a follower. The disciple embraces the teaching and worldview of his or her master and follows their way of life. I don’t become a disciple of Jesus only by reading about him or hearing a pastor talk to me about him. I actually learn how to be a disciple, by doing what disciples do with other disciples. When I learned how to fly an airplane, I did not learn how to do it by reading a book. Sure I read a book, while I was taking flying lessons, but I mainly learned how to fly by being a disciple of another pilot more experienced than me. He taught me how to be a pilot. I also learn how to be a disciple by being with other disciples. There are four main ways we make disciples at Eastminster. All involve interacting with God’s Word in authentic community with other believers. These ways include:
Small Groups Small groups, where the participants mold themselves after God’s Word through study, and mutual encouragement and accountability.
Sunday Classes
begin by creating a lifestyle and rhythm to life that intentionally follows Christ, learns from him in his Word, and spends time with him in prayer.
“A disciple is a learner and a follower. Together we interact with God’s Word in authentic community with other believers” If you are not doing any type of discipleship activity, I would invite you to attend one of our introductory Starting Point Groups this fall on Wednesday nights. Who Is Jesus? is led by Ben Marquez starting on September 14, and Discipleship 101 led by me starts October 26. Both groups will run six weeks. We will cover the how to’s of discipleship and from that class we will recommend or design a discipleship program for you. See complete details on page 9 or eastminster.org/startingpoint. The church is supposed to be full of authentic followers of Jesus Christ. At Eastminster we want to make sure everyone is. Right now we are journeying through the book of Exodus. Exodus presents a picture of God’s plan of redemption of which we are a part. We are born as slaves, God sets us free and passes over judging us because the blood of the lamb has been applied to us. We pass through the waters of baptism just as Israel passed through the Red Sea, and then we follow God as he leads us to the promised land of heaven sustained by the bread of Heaven who is Jesus Christ.
Sunday classes, where a primary teacher leads class discussion and participants interact with God’s Word and with each other.
Spiritual Direction Spiritual direction where a spiritual director suggests spiritual disciplines for you to practice that will deepen your relationship with Christ.
Triads Discipleship in triads where a disciple maker disciples two others and the three of them together form a community of honesty and accountability as they seek to live out God’s Word. If you are not intentionally seeking a lifestyle of discipleship,
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I invite you to join us in reading Exodus, as we are reading two chapters per week until the beginning of Advent. Find the Bible reading plan at eastminster.org/readexodus or at church kiosks and join in. Striving to follow Jesus along with you, Pastor Stan
Thank You, Pastors!
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and our staff is sharing a few words of thanks and encouragement for our three pastors who lead us so well, and show us what men following after Jesus look like. by Jennifer Garrett, assistant to Pastor Stan and PK (pastor’s kid) Who is a pastor? What is their job? They preach and teach on Sundays and Wednesdays, right? Yes! But they also do so much more. Merriam-Webster defines pastor as a spiritual overseer especially: a clergyman serving a local church or parish. Wikipedia defines pastor as a person who is usually an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. 1 Timothy, chapter 3 says this about a pastor, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (ESV) Here at Eastminster, our pastors care for people in their time of need. When congregants get sick, the pastors will visit them in the hospital. They help a family grieve and plan a funeral or memorial service when a loved one dies. Pastors are counselors. They give pre-marital counseling to engaged couples planning to get married. They counsel married couples struggling in their marriage. They counsel individuals struggling in their faith. Sometimes they simply listen to someone who just needs to talk to a pastor. They share meals with congregants at their homes or at restaurants. They listen to the complaints about the way things are done or not done. They pray for and with people. Oh and, yes, they preach and teach on Sundays and Wednesdays. (And I haven’t even mentioned yet all the meetings they attend
and sometimes lead – in the church, in the Presbytery and in the General Assembly.) The job description of a pastor is impossible to put on paper because the needs of people are so vast. However, pastors become pastors because they care for people and want to direct them to the one they know can change their life and lead them through life, which is Jesus Christ. I grew up as a PK, a preacher’s kid. My dad was a youth pastor and then an associate pastor. As an adult I have worked as an administrative assistant for multiple pastors in a few different churches. Even though my dad and all these other pastors have different personalities, they all have a passion for leading people to Christ and following after him and his ways. They pour their lives into whatever it takes to accomplish this task. This means they have to carefully monitor their time spent “on the job” because truly the job of a pastor is so much it could easily become a 24/7 job, which isn’t possible or even healthy for a pastor. Our pastors here at Eastminster work hard to care for the church, the flock. They still spend way more than 40 hours a week “on the job,” but they also work hard to monitor that time so they can be healthy individuals and have healthy good relationships with their families. We have seen our pastors, Pastor Stan, Pastor Paul and Pastor Mike drop everything to talk to a congregant in need or pray with someone. We have seen them leave early from a presbytery meeting, which was hours away in a different city, so they could make it back to Eastminster in time for Trunk or Treat. Our pastors have traveled to do a wedding in a different city on a Saturday and then back to preach or do the liturgy in a worship service or teach a class on a Sunday morning. Our pastors have traveled hours to visit a sick or dying congregant in the hospital. Our pastors are truly pastors because they care deeply about their church, the flock here at Eastminster Church, and God’s Church! Eastminster Presbyterian Church
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I enjoy working for and with Pastor Stan. He genuinely cares for people. In fact, I think back to one of the characteristics that the Pastor Search Committee was looking for and it was “shepherd.” That’s what Pastor Stan is, a shepherd. And he goes beyond the walls of Eastminster Church. Two brief stories: He and his wife, Nancy, took time out of their personal schedule to have dinner with my family and a girl who is visiting from Spain. She is learning English and doesn’t understand it well. Knowing that Pastor Stan speaks Spanish, I asked him to have dinner with us so that Maria could have someone to talk to without having to work so hard to understand. Of course, Spanish is Pastor Stan’s second language, so it is work for him, but he willingly and kindly spent much time in conversation with her. She was thankful and blessed. My other story is about something that Pastor Stan did for my dad. Recently, my dad’s dad, my grandpa, passed away. Pastor Stan has met my parents once when they were visiting from Tulsa, but he doesn’t know them. He came out of his office and asked me what my dad’s name was. Came back with a handwritten note for him and asked me to address it for him. My dad received the kind note and was very touched, and noted that he hadn’t received a note from his own pastor. It meant a lot to my parents and to me. I am blessed and thankful for Pastor Stan. Pastor Mike is a sweet spirit and a gentleman. One of my favorite moments with Pastor Mike happened the first spring he was here. It was pouring down rain and expected to hail at some point at the end of a work day. A lot of people had already left when Pastor Mike came into the main office, and asked the few of us girls that were still around if he could bring our cars around for us. We all declined, but were so impressed that he was willing to do that for us. I’ve never talked to his daughters, but I imagine he’s a great dad. Pastor Paul is so enthusiastic and passionate. When he gets excited about something, it’s very easy to get caught up in his passion for whatever it is. One of his passions is for missions and last summer there were two missions trips that he wanted to participate in but had to choose one. Once he decided which one, he was tasked with finding another staff member, preferably a female, to go on the other trip. I don’t know who all he asked before me, but he did end up coming to me and like I said, it’s very easy to get caught up in his passion. I was on that other mission trip and had one of the most memorable times of my life. I am thankful for his passion for Christ and the work of his Kingdom. Thank you Pastors Stan, Paul and Mike! We truly do appreciate you! May God continue to bless you and use you for his glory!
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Libby Derby, Associate Director of Children’s Ministries This is my first job out of college, my first full-time big-girl job, and I was blessed to work at a church with such lovely, wonderful pastors. They are so sweet and kind. They love our community, and they want them to know how much Jesus loves them. They never miss an opportunity to invest in people’s lives. It’s such a privilege to serve alongside them. One quick story. There’s administrative professionals day. There’s bosses day. There isn’t really an “associate” professionals day. So the associate pastors, Paul and Mike, took it upon themselves to invite the three associate directors out to lunch. It was a wonderful time to connect and share our passions and our stories.
Matt Jaderston, Director of Student Ministries Being here for the last five year I have been under the senior leadership of three godly men. Pastor Stan has proven to be a man of integrity, vibrant faith, and leads in a way that allows his staff to utilize our gifts for the Kingdom. You can tell by the way invests in the youth of Eastminster that he has a father’s heart. Pastor Mike is one of the most thoughtful and hardest working people I know. His desire to see the unreached come to know Jesus shines through in nearly every conversation you have with him. Whether you see balloons floating in the Sanctuary, a tall man preaching from scaffolding, or a pint of honey pouring into a kids mouth...when Pastor Paul preaches it will likely be an unforgettable experience. Paul has been a friend and an encouragement to me over the last five years. His passion, creativity and his ability to engage with people of all ages, make him truly unique.
Mike Jaderston, Associate Director of Student Ministries I have great appreciation for our pastors Stan, Paul and Mike. Stan is a great pastor to work for. He is very wise and shows interest and care in what we are doing. He leads our church with wisdom and grace. I sincerely appreciate Stan showing interest in the students, whether it’s coming to parent meetings, showing up at youth group, or helping us with tough situations. I appreciate the attitude of Paul
to take on any task given to him, and his passion when it comes to growing our church. Mike has done a fantastic job with missions at Eastminster, and I also appreciate the fact that he cares about our students and their involvement in missions. We are blessed to have pastors that care for our church, our community, and us on staff. Thank you for all you do!
Joey McLaughlin, Discipleship/Student Ministries Coordinator Dear Pastors, I appreciate your sincere heart for the Lord, and your passion to see others come to know Christ. It is very evident that you all have a strong desire to see Christ proclaimed throughout this city and into the world. Thank you for your dedication to the gospel.
Steve Falke, Director of Audio/Video Support Pastor Stan, it has been exciting and educational to serve under your pastoral leadership. I admire the way you steadfastly shepherd our congregation and encourage your staff. Pastor Mike, I have truly enjoyed getting to know you and deeply appreciate your passion for missions ministry locally and globally. I love the compassion you show in your prayers for others. Pastor Paul, it has been an honor and a pleasure watching you grow as a young pastor in your first calling - you home church. Your passion for ministry is inspiring and contagious!
DeLynn Fowler, Director of Accounting and Database Management
Pastor Stan, Thank you for coming to Wichita and loving our city! We appreciate you taking the time to learn and participate in our local hobbies and culture. I enjoy your sermons and frequently share the link with friends and family on difficult topics that we had been discussing to provide the clarification we were looking for. Thank you for serving the Lord at Eastminster! Will continue to pray for you and your family!
Dana Miller, Administration Coordinator Dear Pastors, I am so thankful for your heart and passion for Jesus and sharing God’s Word each Sunday morning and throughout the week. It is a privilege to be able to come to work and be encouraged to take time to pray for each other and our areas of ministry.
Marcia Davis, Missions Coordinator Pastor Mike is not only the Associate Pastor of Mission, but he has served as a missionary on the ground in a difficult place. He can speak directly to those issues that many of our missionaries are experiencing. He has a pastor’s heart and cares for each and every one of our mission families through working diligently to help them be successful but also by praying for them. He understands and values the relationships and the bonds of trust with those he serves here at Eastminster, in the Wichita community and around the world. Have a question about our mission program or want to be more involved? He’s the person to talk to, and he listens.
Ben Marquez, Director of Discipleship
Pastor Mike, Thank you for coming to Eastminster. God’s love and joy show on your face, and we appreciate your faithfulness and gentleness as you minister to us. I pray for God’s peace and blessings on you and your family! Pastor Paul, Thank you for your ministry at Eastminster! We appreciate your passion, energy and vision for furthering God’s Kingdom. You truly are a light for others to know Christ, and your generosity is inspiring. Praying that God will continue to bless you and your family as you have blessed others! Can’t wait to see your treasures in heaven!
Pastor Paul, I want to thank you for you commitment to Eastminster and for you enthusiasm and friendliness. You do not know a stranger and are always eager to help others connect. Thank you for serving as a pastor at our church!
Pastor Stan, Thank you for shepherding our church and for regularly reminding us to let Jesus live his life through us. Your thorough, steady, and unwavering commitment to the spreading of the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit is always a great source of encouragement for me. Eastminster Presbyterian Church
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Pastor Mike, Thank you for your commitment to the gospel of Jesus and the mission of his church. May the Lord bless you as you help lead Eastminster church to greater faithfulness.
Eric Hein, Maintenance I appreciated when Pastor Stan took the time to sit and talk with me when dealing with the loss of my mother. His words made it easier for me and remembering our conversation also made it easier for me when I lost my dad. I also appreciate when Pastor Paul told his folks that I do a lot of metal scrapping, and I was invited to his dad’s property to scrap out some metal for his dad.
Julie Pritchard, Children’s Ministries Coordinator Pastor Stan, It has been fun getting to know you these past few years. I’ve watched you step out of your introvert box and join us extroverts a few times and it makes me smile. Your passion for our church and our city is contagious. My prayer is that you would continue to show us what loving Jesus looks like as he draws us to love others in the same way. Pastor Paul, I love your zest for life! Your mind is thinking constantly about how to better Eastminster and include everyone. My favorite memory of you will be when you showed up to Trunk or Treat as the tallest Peter Pan I’d ever seen! Thank you for your love for Jesus and all people.
Courtney Browning, Director of Communications What an honor and privilege to serve with such a godly man as Pastor Stan. I have seen over and over how his greatest desire is for others to know the love of Jesus. Everything he does drives at making authentic disciples of Jesus at Eastminster and telling those outside our church the good news of the gospel. I know he is serious about his initial prayer as he came to Wichita, “Lord, give me Wichita or I die.” He desires Eastminster to be a change agent in the city for the gospel. Also, it is never about him. He strives to make decisions that honor Jesus and are best for the church body, no matter the personal cost. He never draws attention to his work, but quietly cares for his flock. You many not know that, among many other things, he writes personal notes to people who have lost loved ones, and makes personal phone calls if someone has not been in worship for a while. In a church this
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size, it’s not always a given that a senior pastor would do that, but he takes the time to care for his church family. He is gentle and trusting with his staff, believing the best in us and allowing us freedom in doing ministry. He also has a fun and funny side which makes working with him a joy. Because of that I have gotten to hear his rendition of the Gaston song from Beauty and the Beast and it’s pretty stellar! Pastor Stan, thank you for all you do, both publicly and behind the scenes, to love our church well and to show us what it looks like to be an authentic disciple of Jesus. Pastor Paul is one of the most exuberant and enthusiastic people I’ve ever met, and his zeal for Jesus and for Eastminster is contagious. He is a great thinker who loves to dream up new ideas and problem solve. We always have the best talks about ministry and how the church and culture intersect. He loves his family deeply and loves the church he serves. He is so gifted in pastoral care, and blesses many with personal visits and hospital calls. I have also never seen him ruffled, and he stays calm even in stressful situations, which has been a blessing to me on several occasions. Thank you, Pastor Paul, for loving and serving the church so faithfully! You will never meet someone more gentle and gracious than Pastor Mike. He cares deeply and loves openly, often praying over members of our staff and I’m sure many others. You can tell his heart and passion is for the unreached people groups of the world, and for refugees (both of whom are often Muslim). He longs to see those who are the “least of these” in our time be cared for by the church and know the love of Jesus. He embodies what it means to not just “do mission” but to “live on mission” and I’m so grateful for his leadership. Pastor Mike, thank you for showing us what the thoughtful and caring love of Jesus looks like.
Louisa Markley, Receptionist/Event Coordinator One of my relatives has never really been a churchgoer before, but recently she started attending Eastminster with us. She is a very experienced gardener and works at a local nursery. Pastor Stan was really great about talking and reaching out to her. He was working on his landscaping at his home and would occasionally ask her questions. He told her that anytime he emailed her with a question or advice about gardening she could email him with a question about God. I appreciate the kind and fun way that you reached out to my relative. Thank you so much, Pastor Stan! A little over six months ago Pastor Paul invited my husband and me to join his small group. Every week he opens his home to us and does everything he can to make everyone who attends feel welcome. My husband and I never would have sought out a small
group on our own. Paul’s consistent encouragement for us to join his group is now a time that we look forward to each week. Thank you, Paul! Pastor Mike is such a sweet and genuine person. Seeing him throughout the week brightens my day!
Dave Fowler, Director of Facilities (and office king of sarcasm) For Pastor Stan I am setting up a pastor’s training class on how to operate the new vending machines. He had a problem getting a can of pop. And for Paul, Facilities is looking for a taller lift for the Chancel with a safety harness for the next time he wants to preach up by the ceiling in the Sanctuary. We love our pastors and their sense of humor.
No Agenda But Love by an Eastminster disciple
I heard the facts in church from Pastor Mike. “The world is coming to the United States through the thousands of international students coming here to study. Ninety-five percent will never hear the gospel while here. Less then half will make an American friend, even fewer will ever step foot in an American home.” Then I heard another fact a few days later, “WSU has more than 2000 international students.” I said to my wife, “Let’s have some international students over this Thanksgiving.” We contacted ISI at WSU and told them we were interested in hosting two students at our home during Thanksgiving. A week before Thanksgiving we were given the names and numbers of two students. We called them and invited them. They were expecting our call since they had signed up to experience this holiday. We picked them up at their house and drove them to our home. We enjoyed getting to know them and learned about their respective countries. We told them about the Thanksgiving holiday, about the pilgrims, and how they gave thanks to God and that we also give thanks to God. We drove them home, having a pleasant enough experience to do it again. My wife and I agreed. We would just love them. A month later we invited them over for Christmas. We told them about our traditions, we read the Christmas story, and gave them stockings with gifts. We invited them over again during Easter. We told them why we celebrate Easter. At this point, I need to mention that we needed to be culturally sensitive. Muslims don’t eat pork, so we could not serve ham, and Hindus don’t eat beef, so we could not serve that, but there are still many things we could serve them. Since they were in our country for two years, we personally made a two-year commitment to them. We repeated the same holiday invitations as the year before. During the course of that year, we
asked them to tell us about their faith. And of course we loved them and prayed for them. A break through might have come when we asked for their help with our computers. They were overjoyed to help us. It was after helping us, that one blurted out, “I don’t believe in God anymore. I cannot say this to my family, but I say it to you.” This opened up an opportunity for me to share why I thought there was a God. The other student did not participate in our conversation, but he was listening intently. Two weeks later I got a text from the other student asking if he could go to church with us. He attended and this time I could share about what we believe. I don’t know what eternal fruit will come from this. We are still loving them and maintaining the relationship with them. At the very least, they will go home to their respective countries, thinking well of Christians and of Americans in general. At the most, they will someday come to Christ and carry the gospel back to their countries of origin. We don’t think of ourselves as missionaries, but the pastors at church tell us we are missionaries right here in Wichita. We asked, “What can we do?” We thought, “We could practice hospitality and make a commitment to love and show kindness to a guest in our country and city.” We had no agenda but love, and if the Spirit gave us opportunity, we would share with others the One who taught us to love. We are realizing, that if we just love and serve whomever we come across, God sometimes gives us opportunity to talk about him. We have no agenda but love. But our love will prompt the world to ask us “Why?” And when they ask, we can tell them about Jesus who taught us to love. If you are interested in hosting an international student(s) go to isiwichita.org and click “I’m an American.” Or sign up to host a student at Thanksgiving. If you don’t do computers, the number is 316.655.3549. However, we’ve found International students mostly communicate through text message. Church 7 Eastminster Presbyterian
Discipleship at Eastminster by Ben Marquez, Director of Discipleship
Back in February I was reading my morning devotional and came across an article that really struck a chord in me. The article was titled “The Ordinary Means of Grace” by Ray Ortlund and it was found in Tabletalk Magazine put out by Ligonier Ministries. Each month Ligonier puts out a new devotional with a theme, and February’s theme was Awakening. All the articles spoke about different aspects of revival and Ortlund’s article caught my attention. There was nothing earth shattering about what he said, but it was the simplicity and clarity of what he said that made so much sense to me. For those of you who may not know what is meant by the ordinary means of grace let me explain. Many people, believers and unbelievers, may ask the question, “How can I access the grace of God for my needs? The question is answered, “You can access the grace of God for your many needs through God’s ordinary means of grace.” As parents with three young children, Ashlee and I are eager to provide our kids with all they need and more, but there is a manner in which we direct them to access their needs. First, they must make their request known to either her or me. Making their request known to one of their siblings will not work. And second, they must be willing to receive what they need on our terms. This requires them to trust that we know what is best for them even if their request is not fulfilled the way they’d like. They may not always like accessing what they need through mom and dad’s primary means, but if they are committed to doing it the way mom and dad have established, then in due time they will be satisfied and happy. This is the best way I can explain what the means of grace are. Simply put, the means of grace are the primary means by which we can access all we need from God. These primary means as put forth for us in the Westminster Shorter Catechism are the Word of God, baptism, the Lord’s Supper and prayer. God has concentrated our access to him through these means, and when we give ourselves to these means through the power of Holy Spirit, God’s grace is readily available to all who will come. So what does all this have to do with discipleship at Eastminster? Well, let me explain. Here at Eastminster to be a disciple is to be a person who is regularly interacting with other believers in the Word of God and prayer through the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that when the church engages in this simple process with anticipation and expectancy, then God will accomplish his will for
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our church and our community through us. Our hope is that our engagement in discipleship will lead us to participation with God to take the love of Jesus and the message of the gospel to the ends of the street and the ends of the earth. Let me share with you a personal story to illustrate how God might do this. When Pastor Stan got here a little over two years ago he had a vision that we would take the gospel to the end of the street and the ends of the earth. This has been the constant refrain in his sermons and in our staff meetings. After hearing him share this one day after staff meeting I went to the local convenience store where I usually buy my afternoon caffeinated drink to get me through the rest of the day. I visit this store at least twice a week and had been trying to become friendly with the cashiers. This particular day I noticed one of the ladies behind the counter may have been pregnant. Not wanting make a scene I said nothing (you never want to be wrong about something like that) and left the store telling the Lord that if in the weeks to come I found out she was pregnant then I would do something to demonstrate his kindness. Well, about a month later I saw her again and she was pregnant. I struck up a conversation with her and asked her how she was feeling and whether she was having a boy or a girl. She shared with me she was nervous and excited, like most new mothers, and that she was having a boy. It was nice exchange and then I left. After I left I went down the street to Target and bought a gift bag filled with diapers, wipes, and clothes and took it back to her at her work. She was moved to tears and very grateful. About a month later, a week before she had her baby, I went back to the store and took her a blanket that a good friend of our family had sewn after I shared the story with her. Friends, to be disciples of Jesus is to take seriously our commitment to read, study and pray through the Word of God individually and corporately (God’s means of grace). As we do this, the Holy Spirit will knit within our church a spirit of love and unity that will lead us to take the love and message of Christ to the ends of the street and the ends of the earth. If you want the Spirit to lead your life, then you must engage in the ordinary means of grace with others. We do not gather simply to store knowledge, but to learn, listen and GO. If you are not currently a part of a Sunday morning or weekday group where you are regularly interacting with the Word and in prayer with others, then please join me Wednesdays this fall for a Starting Point group on the Life of Jesus. If this does not work for you, we have many other options you can choose from. Come talk with me or just go to eastminster.org and see what is available. My prayer is we all are becoming more like Jesus in order to help others become more like him.
Discipleship means you’re becoming more like Jesus in order to help others become more like him Starting Point Groups
starting point
sunday classes
New here or looking to connect? Our six-week starting points are for you. Each group is led by an Eastminster staff member and is designed to help you make connections, explore faith, and answer your questions about God and the Bible. After your Starting Point Group has ended, the leader will help you take next steps through connecting to another small group or class. Choose the topic that’s the best fit for you and let’s get started! Starting Point: Who Is Jesus? Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.; C-13/14. Begins September 14. With Ben Marquez Starting Point: Discipleship 101 Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.; C-13/14. Begins October 26. With Pastor Stan
Sunday classes
Find complete details at eastminster.org 8 a.m. The Gospel of John 9:30 a.m. The Minor Prophets, Intimate Allies: A Class for Young Married Couples, The Gospel of John, Marriage God’s Way: Communication & Finances, Jesus Taught with Stories: Relationally Speaking 11 a.m. The Apostles’ Creed, The Book of Revelation
Small groups
small groups
Find complete details at eastminster.org Weekdays The Book of Galatians, Tuesday Men’s Group, Let the Bible Speak: The Book of Revelation, Grief Share, College/Young Adult Group, Young Adult/Young Married Group For Women For Mothers of Young Children, The Faith-Shaped Life, Women in Action, Mothering from Cradle to Graduation, Martha-Priscilla Circle, Rebecca-Ruth Circle, Abigail Circle, Hannah: Women Connecting, Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World Other Groups To join a small group meeting in a home, contact Ben Marquez at 634.0337, ext. 211, or bmarquez@eastminster.org.
Eastminster Presbyterian Church
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Showing Some Shocker Love
Recently, our elders served Wichita State students as they moved into the dorms. Not only was it a chance to be present in our community, it was a chance to GO with the gospel as the elders loved and served students and their families.
Why did you choose to serve WSU students during move in? Susan Lear: At our July session meeting, Zac challenged us as elders to serve together in a service project for the community. He had information about WSU Move-In Days and invited us to help incoming dorm students in this super practical way. My schedule was open on both the Friday and Saturday time slots, I wellremembered my own college move-in days and those of each of our five kids, so it was easy to say YES! I didn’t think I would provide much muscle-power, but I did think I could bring students and their parents a smile and a warm welcome on a day I remembered as being pretty tough physically and emotionally! Zac Spear: At our July session meeting, the elders of our church decided that it would be a good idea to participate in a service project in our community. In addition, it was a great opportunity for us to GO into our community and serve in a very unexpected way! It was an amazing experience to be a welcoming face to so many students and their families during what can be an emotional time.
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Why do you think it’s important for followers of Jesus to be active in the community? Susan Unless you already know and love Jesus, you probably won’t ever step inside a church building except for the occasional wedding or funeral. So how will the people all around us (the people God loves and Jesus died for) ever get a taste of his love unless we carry it to them where they live and work and play? People living far away from God really do need ambassadors, and my heavenly Father has called me to “re-present” Jesus everywhere I go! That’s such a privilege and pretty easy when he’s just calling us to love him and love people! Zac First of all, the joy I personally experienced in serving our community was pretty special, but I also think it is an opportunity to share that joy with others who may not have a personal relationship with Jesus.
What were people’s reactions to our church members serving? Susan Every single person I spoke with was super positive about our volunteer help. They were also pretty consistently surprised that a church was doing this and yet really appreciative and welcoming. This simple act SPOKE to them – students and staff and families alike! Zac Almost every person I met was surprised that our church was there to help. Even more so, they were even more surprised that we were actually having a good time! Most of the time,
helping someone move usually doesn’t create a sense of joy in the volunteer, however, I know our joy was coming from the Holy Spirit and it was pretty infectious.
What was your favorite story from the day? Susan Since I served two days, I had lots of great experiences! In fact, after the blessings of serving day one, and noticing there were so many more volunteers on day two, I felt I might be pretty unfruitful finding anyone to befriend that second day. Until I met Naomi. Naomi and her husband and family had driven their oldest child from Minnesota to start her freshman year at WSU. They had moved to the US from Kenya eight years earlier, and now moving their daughter to a strange city where she knew no one – well, this was a really big transition for everyone in the family! We unloaded their seven-passenger vehicle and I met Sharon and three other siblings. As the luggage was carried up to the dorm by all the strong volunteers, Naomi and I began to visit outside in the courtyard. She was anxious as a mom to say farewell to her dearly loved daughter, and I understood all her mixed-up feelings. I told her I’d moved each or our five kids into dorms; I remembered the excitement/sadness/joy/grief very well. I asked if I could pray for her, that God would comfort her heart and protect and love her daughter once she had to drive away. She was so open and just hugged me as I prayed. Then she asked if I might come into Sharon’s dorm room and pray with the family and over the room and over her daughter.
The next half-hour was God’s gift to each of us! Besides sharing powerful prayer, we exchanged photos and emails and phone numbers. I was invited to become Sharon’s “Wichita mom” and Sharon joined us in Sunday school and worship and for lunch at our home Sunday. I don’t know how God will write this next chapter in Sharon’s story or ours, but I know that God blessed me to be a blessing! I’m praying that one act of volunteer service will bear fruit that lasts in a relationship with Sharon that knits both our hearts together in love for Jesus and love for one another!
Zac There are so many stories from the two days. From the impromptu soccer match in the courtyard on Saturday to eating pizza with 30 international students in the cafeteria ,I’m not sure I can pin point a single story. I did enjoy looking across the commons area and seeing some of our elders taking a “selfie” with WU; or maybe it was seeing Dave Martin direct traffic so well that the campus police left him in charge at Fairmount Towers. I think if I was to drill down to one aspect of the day, it was the fact that I had the opportunity to be a blessing to a student and their families.
How did you see God at work because of serving at WSU? Well first of all, for a Saturday in the middle of August, it was only 85 degrees. We were blessed with great weather! I also saw God work through our elders volunteering and the smiles on everyone’s face. I’m still amazed at how enjoyable the experience was serving. Eastminster Presbyterian Church
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Eastminster Presbyterian Church 1958 N. Webb Road • Wichita, Kansas 67206 316.634.0337 • www.eastminster.org
Worship Services Sundays at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.
The goal of Eastwind is to support the mission of Eastminster Church: Glorify God. Follow Christ. Transform Lives. Director of Communications: Courtney Browning (cbrowning@eastminster.org). Associate Director of Communications: Jill Clavin (jclavin@eastminster.org).
Upcoming Highlights
Find details at eastminster.org Membership Class Wednesdays, September 14 – October 19, 6:30 p.m.; C-15 Ready to join the church? Our team of pastors, elders and leaders will make sure you’re fully equipped to become a part of the Eastminster family. We’ll learn about our beliefs, mission, ministries, denomination and so much more. New member candidates will also have the chance to dialogue with our elders during a short interview process. We’ll also walk through an assessment called Uniquely You to help you discover your spiritual gifts. Register with Ginger Cox at 634.0337, ext. 207, or gcox@eastminster.org. Wednesday Equipping Night Begins September 14 dinner at 5:30 p.m., classes at 6:30 NEW CLASS! Thriving in Babylon with Rick Hilscher and Jeremy Rausch We’ve added an additional class to the previously published Wednesday line up. Today’s cultural attack on biblical values can leave us frustrated. Larry Osborne takes us through the book of Daniel to learn how to not only survive but thrive. Learn more at eastminster.org.
eastminster women’s conference September 17 | 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Student Center
IF:Gathering is designed to gather, equip and unleash women to live out their purpose. At this year’s women’s retreat we’ll learn from inspiring leaders like Jen Hatmaker, Jennie Allen and Christine Caine through watching IF:Gathering’s 2015 simulcast. IF:Gathering is an annual two-day event in Austin, Texas, and simulcast all across the world in local homes, churches and communities. IF:Gathering brings Jesus followers together to wrestle with essential questions of faith and encounter God in a way that allows us to be unleashed to give him away. The day includes worship, teaching and the opportunity to connect with other women. Child care is available for ages 0 to 10 with registration by Sunday, September 11 ($10 per child/$20 family max) Cost $20 which includes lunch from a food truck, snacks and other goodies throughout the day Registration Register online at eastminster.org/if or at church kiosks. Walk ins are welcome the day of the event, but child care must be reserved in advance.