WITNESS: August 1, 2008 by Park Cities Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Church in America

pcpc "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." —Philippians 1:6

Andrée Seu and the heart of the matter

Hear Him in the quiet 3 Winning Tex-Mex recipe from Juarez

Families don’t build in vain

Mixing gospel passion with community 6 Phone call brings blessing bonus

Learning to be a loving pro-lifer

Grieving in peace

Choir plans trip

Children’s choir records new CD

Growing up in LPF

Confessions of an ESL teacher

Philippine students report in

Glimpses of gospel growth in Japan

Arts Festival praise

Christ in the office

Florida tradition gets even better 18 PCA meets in Dallas 19 Staff gets to know its new leader 20

Vol. XIX, No. 3 • Park Cities Presbyterian Church • AUGUST 2008

Onward Christian soldiers VBS mobilizes children with the gospel LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT…

The chants sounded through the halls of PCPC June 23–26 as hundreds of children heard the gospel, learned scripture songs, played games, constructed training manuals, and prepared for outreach through this joint effort by PCPC, New St. Peter’s, and Providence Presbyterian churches. Over 100 youth and adult volunteers came together to design and run our Boot Camp, and we rejoiced as we witnessed God’s victory in our lives and in the lives of our children and their friends. Our officer leadership team worked diligently to insure that every dimension of training was shot through with the Boot Camp theme. Skits instructed the troops in the proper use of the armor of God described in Ephesians 6. Music and chants reinforced the truths of the gospel and made sure the message hit the target. A variety of special activities enhanced the children’s understanding of this vital spiritual instruction for the battle against sin, self, and Satan. Bill Lamberth and Patrick Lafferty from PCPC, Colin Peters (NSP), and Carlton Wynne (PPC) endured target practice (a dunking booth) on Thurs-

day. (Bill had bruises to prove it.) A whole troop of youth and adult volunteers rallied to guide our recruits through activities and then again through carpool—a massive operation in itself! Paint and collage projects helped the recruits explore the darkness of sin, Christ’s righteousness, and God’s renewing of the heart. On Thursday, each child created a shield of faith. It was our prayer that these crafts would help each one to know how God works in our hearts and that His grace would be known to each of them. The recruits took home their training manuals to remind them of their time at Boot Camp and help them explain to others what they learned. The greatest story of all

Susan Huffman was our Master Teacher for the week. She reports that God used Boot Camp to teach her some important lessons about transforming pride to humility: “Since I love to tell Bible stories, I accepted the challenge of this role. But, after reviewing the curriculum, I realized it wasn’t exactly telling Bible stories. We’d be teaching kids about man’s total depravity, imputed righteousness, salvation, justification, sanctification—lots Mojo (Brent Baker) reports for duty at Boot Camp.

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Greener grass and lost lambs

A trite observation for those who wander | Andrée Seu (Author Andrée Seu will be the fall luncheon and dinner speaker for PCPC Women’s Ministries on October 23.)

have a new insight into faith that may appear so trite that this will never be published. It starts where I always start, loitering discontentedly around the edges of the land of unbelief, peeking over the hedges of my Father’s garden to see if it’s not better on the other side after all. I generally begin with a few complaints: Why aren’t things clearer in Your Word? Seems to me a few carefully worded verses would dispel a lot of the controversies around here— like baptism, like the gift of healing, like the end times, like when divorce is permitted, like what kind of music you want to hear on Sunday mornings. But those are just the corporate churchy questions—others are close to my gut. I don’t understand why little kids suffer day after day and You don’t do anything about it. I don’t get why You aren’t forthcoming when I beg for guidance—guidance to live for You! When I beg for a specific answer to a specific problem, I wonder why there is silence. How much do You think we can handle here? Don’t You remember we are dust? I admit—and am duly grateful—that some things in the Word are clear. For example, ”love your enemy,” ”be slow to speak”—stuff like that. Helpful. Yes, one can go a long way with the handful of marching orders that are not opaque: If we get busy on those we will have a lot to do. (See how conciliatory I am being—lest You thought I was a troublemaker.) I also recognize concentric circles of applicability. Some commands in 2 • PCPC WITNESS

scripture are applicable only once: ”Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing” (Titus 3:13). Some commands have limited, situational spheres of application: ”Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust” (1 Peter 2:18).

He love me? What’s the deal with prayer? Blah blah blah. And so the tangled web I weave, tying myself in my own string with postmortems and second-guessing on last week’s mistakes. Soon it’s back down the path of the ”higher critical method,” which is most pleasing to the Enemy. But like a steady ocean breeze abides the ubiquitous command, of all commands the biggest underachiever in my life: ”Do not fear, only believe.” Sometimes I mess up again and cannot show my face at the throne of grace—so I excommunicate myself for a season. All the while He says still, ”Do not fear, only believe.”

But one command is so broad that rather than apply it to all situations, some of us have applied it to none. A simple Bible concordance study of ”believe” will drive a stake through your heart. Listen to Jesus say ”Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36). You can tell He is saying that for the hundredth time and has had a long day (”O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” Mark 9:19). How often, and in how many ways, can He say it before we stop living like lost lambs moaning ”Been there, done that. Give me something new to do.”? Time for more complaints. I have made some bad decisions lately—and how could He let me do that when I prayed like gangbusters? Doesn’t

Sometimes I have an unconquerable mountain-to-climb week (I say it’s unconquerable; He didn’t say that) and my joy is sapped. He says I can have that joy—on one condition: ”Do not fear, only believe.” So here’s my trite observation: Placing your total faith in Jesus relieves strife and tension. If that isn’t happening, your faith is an abstraction and useless. If you haven’t yet fine-tuned the particulars of what you should believe about those messy controversies cited in paragraph two—let that not waylay you. I think He settles for us just believing in His Person. Remind me in another minute when I forget it all again. Used by permission | (c) WORLD magazine, all rights reserved | Subscriptions: 800-951-NEWS or www.worldmag.com. AUGUST 2008

How could a women’s reflective retreat, set in the gorgeous and serene atmosphere of Montserrat Center on Lake Dallas, be called an adventure? A group of 25 PCPC women and I found out one 24-hour span in March. It all began as Kay Mighell, my daughter Darian Reichert, and I tried to get out of Dallas on a Friday afternoon. As I railed at the traffic, Darian would ask, “Mom, do you

decor. (I know some of you are wondering what things looked like.) After a devotional, our leaders offered some suggestions on how to use our few hours alone with the Father meditating on the steadfast love of the Lord. A list of scriptures was provided along with some quotesbysaintsthroughout church history.

Adventures

I awakened early the next morning and walked out to the lake just as the sun was rising over the water. I plopped my-

Reflecting

For me, the pinnacle of this adventure was the time alone in my room that evening.The talking and listening between us (God and me) was unstructured, relaxed, and focused. It fed my hungry spirit and led me to the peace I had needed. Why had I been lacking peace? It was not because God wasn’t sending me wisdom, Susan Keyes and Kay Mighell watch a butterfly escape. strength, and insight. Right, a retreater enjoys time with the Lord. It was because the want me to drive?” Kay sat quietly bustle of my Dallas life precluded my in the back seat, no doubt thinking, receiving it. I normally struggle to “This woman really needs to relax and haveextendedperiodsoffocusedtime retreat!” She was so right! alone with Him and end up doubleminded,withthoughtswhirlingaround The adventure improved as we arrived in my brain constantly. (Am I the only to find we each had a lovely private one?) room that included a recliner and fresh rose in a vase along with the expected My “date” with God led me to this bed and dresser. I started to unwind. A scripture: good dinner with the other retreaters “If any of you lacks wisdom, let in a lovely dining hall overlooking the him ask God, who gives generlake prompted further relaxation. ously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him We met after dinner in a library tasteask in faith, with no doubting, fully appointed with mission-style for the one who doubts is like a AUGUST2008 2008 AUGUST

wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8).

self in a swing and drank in this miracle. It occurs every day, but I don’t normally stopandenjoytheadventure—myown private worship time complete with a light show! As our time together ended, all the retreaters’personaladventuresmelded together. We each released a live butterfly as a token of whatever we had realized was a hindrance to our spiritual growth.Whatabeautiful,graphicpicture of our time with our Lord. I am signed up for whenever the next silent retreat is scheduled. Maybe next week? p.s.: Darian drove home. —Judy Franklin

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Women’s Ministries mission trip

Tex-Mex cooking at its best

t should be a recipe for disaster: mix twelve diverse women, multiple job descriptions, assorted skills and gifts, travel stress, a foreign environment, and sweltering heat for one week. Stir in lots of dirt, busy children, and poverty. Cook until boiling.

But this group had an amazing Chef—the Lord Himself—and it was a privilege to be an ingredient of the second annual women’s mission trip in June to Monterrey, Mexico, and to see Him produce amazing things at Casa Hogar. This is a home for 50 children ages four months to nine years who are abandoned or whose parents are unable to care for them. Martha Rojas, a wonderful Presbyterian woman who runs the home, tries to stretch the government funds and private funds it receives, but there is never enough. Our first impressions were of extreme heat, drab walls, a dirt playground, overgrown flower beds, loads of children, crowded dorms, and overwhelming heat. Did I mention the heat? We sweated constantly—whether working inside or out. Our projects at Casa Hogar included gardening, painting a mural on the inside of the courtyard walls, and holding an art camp for the children. Over the course of our four days there the children heard Bible stories, sang songs, and did a variety of

art projects, including self-portraits which were later copied and painted Back row: Jacque Lacy, Suzie La Rash, Sara Wood, D’Ann Moxley, Annie on the inteRoberson, Sally Spaniolo, Patty Moody; rior courtFront row: Rebecca Wood, Barbara Barton, Kayla Woodruff, Laura Knight yard walls. (Kay Gabrysch missing) Thoughout it all we loved on the children by need and all that we are. holding them, playing with them, Our final evening in Monterrey was reading to them, tickling them, and spent participating in a women’s wiping their noses. It was a joy to be evangelistic event hosted by the newthe hands and feet of Christ to these est church plant there, Cumbres del precious young ones! Rey. One of our team members taught the 50 of us there about the dangers Lots of work in the hot sun transof materialism and holding on to anyformed the courtyard surrounding thing other than Christ, using the rich Casa Hogar from a dusty, drab area young ruler as an example. We sang to an amazingly vibrant and colorand fellowshipped around the tables ful, upbeat place. It was great to see over dinner, sharing the gospel and our small part of the body of Christ encouraging our sisters in the Lord. work together to get it done. Martha and the children were overwhelmed That recipe for disaster never got by their new space and loved seeing cooking. (Even if we did in the heat.) their drawings permanently painted Instead, perhaps the most amazing on the wall. We held a big fiesta there aspect of the trip was the melding of our last evening with the children, the hearts of the twelve team memcomplete with games, skits, dancing, bers, many of whom had never met. music, balloons, and face painting. God allowed us to love, help, and encourage one other with power beMutual dependency yond ourselves. None of the projects Working with these children who had would have been completed with nothing and were dependent on the smiles and laughter if we hadn’t all kindness and generosity of strangpitched in with servants’ hearts, willers reminded us that we, too, have ing to do whatever was needed at nothing apart from Christ and His the moment. It was a great testimony gracious and abundant love. We also to God’s grace which enabled us to must depend on Christ for all that we work together as the body of Christ. —Suzie La Rash

The courtyard wall of self-portraits Left, Barbara Barton and Patty Moody feed the little ones. PCPC WITNESS WITNESS 44 •• PCPC

AUGUST 2008 AUGUST 2008

Young Families mission trip

ONE HOUSE AT A TIME

Most of us didn’t know what to expect.

We had followed the grim news about increasing violence since January 2008, but we also saw pictures and heard enthusiastic stories from the 17 families that went to Juárez last year. Even then our PCPC team of 10 adults and 10 children was not fully prepared for what we saw as we crossed the border on June 11. By American standards, El Paso is not an affluent city, but compared to the Mexican side, it’s a glittering metropolis. At the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez border, mighty industrial power and wealth meet third-world poverty in a gritty, sometimes violent, always vibrant collision. Jeff and Jen Pinar, Missions Ministries directors in Juárez, helped us load our suitcases on the bus to the compound where we would stay. Warped shacks made from wooden pallets, cardboard, and plastic sheeting lined the bumpy sand road. Stray dogs, old car tires, playing children, tattered plastic bags caught in fences, and trash dotted the landscape. We had to stop a couple of times to remove broken power lines down across the road. Large multigenerational families often share the cramped huts. Electricity is found only near the highway. Sewers and running water are usually missing. Residents buy water for cooking and collect it in barrels. The lucky ones have a primitive stove to ward off the chill of the cold desert nights. Missions Ministries has been building homes and providing medical care for local families in Juárez for 18 years. They usually host two short-term construction teams a week. The work on the house we were to build started early the next day. The slab foundation had already been poured, and other building materials were on site, pre-framed, cut, and marked. By lunch all the walls and the roof were in place. Judging by our dirty faces and torn-up clothes, the youngest and the oldest worked equally hard. We hammered, glued, painted, and put insulation on the walls inside and tar on the roof. The family of seven who would occupy the home worked alongside us. The next day we painted the outside of the house and connected electricity; we even hung the beautiful crosses we had brought from Dallas as a gift. AUGUST2008 2008 AUGUST

On Friday night we worshipped together with “our family” (the family we had built the house for) and others at church. We all had tears in our eyes as we sang, I long to love you, Lord. Scott Krikorian, our worship leader, taught us this simple song before we went to Juárez, and it quickly became our motto and motivator: I long to love You, Lord, much more than I do; learn to seek Your face and the knowledge of your grace. I long to love You. Birds in the sky sing their songs to You, and the trees in the fields lift their arms to You. I want to sing to You and I want to lift my arms to you.

The poverty we saw could have easily overwhelmed us, but the incredible strength and resiliency of the people and the joyful and contagious faith of the Mexican Christians humbled us instead. They have an amazing passion for life and for God, and, surprisingly, they are content. Kit Case, our team leader, pointed out, “The Missions Ministries’ people would have probably built that house three times faster if we were not interrupting them with our labor.” But we not only got to work hard to permanently change the life of one family in Juárez, we also were deeply humbled by the experience and continually reminded that “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) —Marzena Dunham Ed. note: Thirty adults and children from PCPC took a second trip to Juárez to build another house July 27-30.

Top, Christie Krikorian contributes her labor. Above, the Young Families Juarez team

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surrounded by drugs, crime, teen pregnancy, and violence, and they have too few friends, family, and backup resources available to them. They are living in a state of daily crisis. I remember some advice I received several years ago: be very sensitive to the daily frustrations that many people in poverty experience as a way of life. The Psalmist states in 34:17, “The righteous cry and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” One of PCPC’s Urban Ministries’ goals is to help our members and ministry partners gain a better understanding of the cries of the least, the lost, and the lonely here in the Metroplex so we can serve them better. On June 6–8, 2008, Urban Ministries partnered with PCPC’s Pastoral Counseling Ministry to host a forum called Extending Grace in Times of Crisis: Practical Tools for Urban Ministry.

Denise Nixon, Judy Scott, and Judy Ferguson help register participants at the Friday seminar.

Urban Ministries Expo Weekend

“T

“Throughout history, there has been a deeply embedded conviction that, under the proper conditions, some people are capable of helping others come to grips with problems in living” (Gerard Egan, The Skilled Helper, page 4). To this end, many of us have mobilized ourselves through our individual efforts, family units, local churches, agencies, and other institutions to help others come to grips with their challenges. Egan continues: “Since helping and problem-solving are such common human experiences, training in both solving one’s own problems and helping others solve theirs should be as common as training in reading, writing, and math.” We must all agree that this is not always the case. How then, can PCPC become an agent of a sustained effort to help others deal with the daily problems of living in the DFW area? There are numerous stories describing the challenges for those who seek to mentor youngsters in a cross-cultural context. Their families are often in a desperate struggle to survive; it is a daily crisis for them. Many of these children have to witness abuse in the lives of their loved ones, as well as in their own lives. Their behavior patterns are usually indicators that they are experiencing some horrific trauma. Many children in urban settings are 6 • PCPC WITNESS

Reality hits the road At a kickoff breakfast in our Fellowship Hall, each of the 11 ministry partners that PCPC supports was well represented, and a significant number of our members attended as well. Jeff White, our Director of Counseling Ministry, opened our time with a poignant sermon addressing “Ministry under Fire.” We then held three lively break-out sessions led by staff, members, and visiting professionals. One session dealt with identifying what makes children angry, and how to prevent them from exhibiting anti-social behavior. Dr. Philip Monroe, a psychologist and associate professor of counseling at Biblical Theologi-

cal Seminary in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, was our principal speaker. He gave an encouraging talk during our luncheon called “Serving without Losing Heart.” He ended the afternoon with a longer session about abuse in the body of Christ. Those in attendance unanimously expressed their desire to see PCPC host more events that help us serve those who live in a daily crisis mode. Sunday morning, at an expo for our ministry partners, the attendance was most encouraging. Members of PCPC both young and old interacted with all of the representatives. A luncheon led by the Dallas Pregnancy Resource Center followed the expo (see story on page 8).

Urban Ministries recognizes the untiring efforts of so many PCPC members in serving the least, the lost, and the lonely in Dallas and in the world. We are extremely grateful for the many partnerships that the Lord has forged throughout the area as this church seeks to extend God’s transforming presence within us, among us, and through us all. We ask that each of you commits to pray for our 11 ministry partners who are on the frontlines serving God’s people here. We also ask that you pray for us in Urban Ministries as we seek to host more opportunities for our members to be encouraged in their individual service to the Lord in our own city. —Julian Russell

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Serving the Lord in the Inner City A divine appointment is faithfully kept

It is such a privilege to be used by the Lord for His purposes. When you are doing what the world would consider the most menial task, sometimes that is when you recognize a divine appointment. Such was the case while I was answering telephones at the Center of Hope.

my ears to listen in a different way. As we talked, I learned that she had a debilitating physical condition and was recovering at home, unable to work. She and her nine-year-old son were running out of food. They were eating out of cans or whatever was left in their pantry.

Many women call in each day, desperate to find housing. Some are finishing a substance abuse program but are not working yet and therefore cannot afford an apartment. Some

I told her that I might be able to find her some help and would call her back. I talk to many needy women every day, and I have never called the church for help before! I called

have been evicted from their apartments because they are behind on their rent. Some have been living with a boyfriend and don’t want to stay anymore, but have nowhere else to go. Some have been irresponsible all their lives, living with relatives who have finally pushed them out the door hoping they will become responsible; now they have no money, no job and nowhere to go. When they call, they are all desperate to find shelter.

Julian Russell to see if there were any way we could help this woman. He referred me to the Good Samaritan Ministry at PCPC, which gives limited financial help to nonmembers. This money is available when the committee feels that helping them would not be a Band-aid in a situation that is spiraling downward, but would get them past a desperate time in their lives so that they could go on.

I had the most wonderful afternoon. It was a joy to meet her and her son. They are precious people, and PCPC was able to give her enough money to pay what she needed for her rent. Next month she will begin to receive disability, and, through a friend at Union Gospel Mission, I was able to make arrangements to get some additional food to her and her son in the future from a food bank in Garland.

I called her to let her know that I didn’t know if the church could help, but a man from the church would be calling her to ask her some questions. Pastoral intern Shawn Newsome called her and got all the details of her situation. He had several conversations with her and later called

Mark Davis mentioned in a sermon recently that he knows God doesn’t need him, but He uses him, and it is such an awesome privilege. This is truly the abundant life we have in Christ. Could we really ask for more? —Diane Steele

On this particular day, a woman called who was behind in her rent and feared possible eviction. She had never called a homeless shelter before. I heard something different in her voice. I believe it was the Holy Spirit pricking my heart and AUGUST 2008

to see if I had ever spoken with her again. But as we talked, he told me that they were on their last cans of food. That afternoon, prompted by the Holy Spirit again, I went to Garland to meet this woman and her son and take them some groceries. What a blessing that visit was! She was still in much pain and on chemotherapy due to other physical problems. She had trusted in Christ years ago and completely depends on Him today. She had been praying for food. God had provided once again! When I went to put the groceries in her refrigerator, I found it completely empty. We talked for a long time and she shared her life with me, and we prayed together.

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S.L.E.D. Four differences between a preborn and a newborn:

SIZE: Does how big you are determine who you are?

LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT:

Are 20-year-olds more human than 10-year-olds, since they are smarter and stronger?

ENVIRONMENT: Does being inside a house make you more or less a person than being outside? Does being located in his mother’s body rather than outside make a child less human?

DEGREE OF DEPENDENCY: Does dependence upon another determine who you are? Is someone with Alzheimer’s or on kidney dialysis less of a person? from Randy Alcorn’s, Why Pro-Life?

Why choose life?

What do you say when your friend confides that her unmarried, college-student daughter is pregnant? Or your son confesses that his girlfriend is expecting, and he has no way to support a baby?

On June 8 and 15 the Care and Counseling Ministry hosted a training event with Urban Ministries and the Dallas Pregnancy Resource Center (DPRC) at PCPC that equipped dozens of our church members to have a sensitive and caring conversation with pregnant women considering abortion that would encourage them to explore other options and help connect them with the resources they need during such a hard time. We hope that God uses this training in powerful ways to serve those in our church, neighborhoods, workplaces, and city who will make decisions about a pregnancy. The statistics were eye-opening. The issue is widespread in our city, as well as in the church. (It is estimated that one in four church-going women has had an

DPRC is an organization that assists women who face needs due to an unplanned pregnancy. Its counselors understand that facing an unplanned pregnancy involves many difficult decisions. Factual information, paired with thoughtful consideration, is necessary in order to make an informed, responsible choice. DPRC offers confidential and non-judgmental assistance in a caring and supportive environment. Their services are available to all women without regard to race, religion, marital status, or financial circumstances. If you or someone you know has a question or concern related to pregnancy, please don’t hesitate to go to www.dallaspregnancyresource.com. —Jeff White

A healing kind of grief

I was 16 years old when my dad died. The hole in my family left by his passing was big and confusing. I didn’t know what grief looked like or how to talk about it. The loss my family felt seemed so unique, so private. While I was surrounded by loving support, I felt pressured to give an upbeat and hopeful response— one befitting of a good Christian teen. But those answers and that smile were more for everyone else than for me. As each year passed, my grief changed; each time I thought I was “over it,” a new feeling and perspective emerged. Years later, I realize that my loss will always impact my heart, and my grief rests comfortably in the arms of the tender healing that Christ has given me. Personal experience has shown me the importance of grieving in a healthy way, and that is the goal of a new ministry at PCPC—GriefShare. When someone close to you dies, it is normal to experience grief. Connecting with people who understand is an important part of healing from the loss of a loved one. Often, as we grieve, we feel the need to make life as normal as possible, and we push our feelings aside. Even mature Christians need ongoing comfort

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abortion.) In the future, we hope to offer a safe and confidential group for those who have struggled with a past decision and have yet to fully experience God’s grace and understand how that decision has impacted their lives. Please pray for leadership and the right timing for such a ministry.

and encouragement as they grieve. GriefShare is a Christcentered ministry designed to help participants deepen their faith in Christ as they consider questions about death, dying, and eternal life. It is a place where people can gain knowledge and share feelings with others experiencing grief. GriefShare met for the first time this summer. The format of each meeting included a video, with teaching and stories from experts and everyday people, as well as group discussion and prayer. Participants had personal workbooks with daily exercises to help explore grief and work through it in healthy ways. They also experienced connection and closeness with others who understand. They turned to God’s Word to find comfort and learn His purpose for their lives, and they learned to use their grief as a tool to know God more intimately than ever. A new 13-week series of GriefShare will begin September 10. For more information, please go to www.pcpc. org. If you have lost someone close to you, I invite you to join us as we journey from mourning to joy together. —Caty Coffey AUGUST 2008

VBS

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of heady stuff. My pride said, “You need to tell sweet Bible stories—you can do that. “I asked the VBS leaders for permission to alter the lessons, but I was asked to stick to the curriculum. So I prayed and asked everyone I knew to pray! As prayers were answered, I began to grow hopeful and excited rather than fearful and anxious. God kept me very dependent upon Him during my preparations—a good cure for pride. For four days I got to tell the sweetest story ever—God saves us from our sin. As the kids responded, I realized God was pulling it off, not me!” The recruits began to learn how to apply what they learned through an outreach effort to encourage our military troops. Families contributed items, and children put together gospel booklets to mail to soldiers on active duty. Many parents shared their appreciation for the enthusiastic reports their children brought home. This kept the leaders motivated throughout the week to beseech the Lord to use His truth to penetrate deeply into the AUGUST 2008

lives of our little recruits. Wedneday night was family camp, a fun time of outreach to families complete with bounce houses, dinner rations, a musical presentation by the recruits, and a video documentary of the week made by Bert Mueller. Later, one mom remarked, “The one thing that gave me chills and made me well up with awe and thankfulness for our God is something we all witnessed Wednesday night; it was the little boy [five years old] who was being interviewed for the video. He was talking about how we’re constantly in a battle with the enemy, so we need to be armed with God’s Word and assistance. Then he said, ‘But the battle is already won.’ That was what the week of VBS was all about, and it made me ecstatic to hear such a young heart formulate

that sentence and verbalize that thought and truth.” May God bless abundantly all those who offered their lives in the Lord’s service in this week. See you next year… HOORAH! —The VBS leadership team: Colonels Renea Conser and Jody Dodson (PCPC), Leslie McCabe (PPC), and Kelley Tiffany (NSP)

Top left, first-grade recruits and their sergeants gather around their banner. Top right, Diane Lowrance holds her own young soldier, Will. Above, Sam Lipper and Charles Wilson learn hand motions to a song. PCPC WITNESS • 9

Neglected mission field gets attention Chancel Choir will travel to England and Scotland

In the summer of 2009, the Chancel Choir will partner with the World Missions Ministry to undertake its first missions trip to Great Britain. We are excited about this collaboration and the unique prospect of ministering to a diverse group of people in a variety of locations. Because of the strategic place the United Kingdom holds in world influence, many internationals from throughout the global community come to Britain to work and study. Often these transplants are the best and brightest representatives of their country, and therefore have the capital to relocate to the U.K. Here, a unique opportunity for gospel outreach has developed. One of our goals is to serve these internationals by fostering their desire to make connections in community; whether families in the neighborhoods of London or university students in Durham. We also plan to give a concert in Inverness, Scotland, to raise funds to equip those who serve the poor and needy. On October 12, at 7:30 pm, we

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kick off our year of preparation with an exciting festival concert, featuring our favorite dual-pianists Nielson and Young and the PCPC choirs. During the concert we will announce more particulars about the trip. All proceeds from the offering at the concert will be given toward the cost of sending the choir on this mission. One of our denomination’s missionaries captured the vision well: “I am glad to hear of your desire to be of service here in the U.K. It is my opinion that England and Scotland are relatively neglected in terms of the amount of U.S.-sent missions they receive, even though we as a nation owe them practically everything.” —J. Marty Cope

Above, Frances Cope, Greg Morris, and J. Marty Cope met with the leaders at York Minster this summer on a planning trip. The choir will sing there as choir-in-residence for three days of evensong services. (l to r) Frances, Greg, Canon Precentor Jeremy Fletcher, and J. Marty. Left, The choir will also sing during worship services at All Souls Church Langham Place, London, Over 2,000 worshipers representing 70 nationalities attend each Sunday.

AUGUST 2008

Covenant Choir CD

Hard work and long hours reap many kinds of fruit

Rehearsals for Covenant Choir this past spring included many hours in preparation for five days of recording a new CD of psalms and hymns. Thirty-two singers, grades 5-8, along with five high school mentors, eagerly anticipated recording in the wonderful acoustic of our Sanctuary. Singers looked forward to the opportunity to contribute their voices to creative arrangements composed by PCPC’s Robyn Howland, Colin Howland, Stephen Nielson, and Brian Piper. In June, their anticipation was met with delight in experiencing the colorful variety of instrumentation used in the arrangements—piano, organ, flute, oboe, violin, string quartet, brass ensemble, percussion—a wonderful palette of musical expression skillfully unfolded by outstanding professional musicians. Although singers were stretched by the long hours of such focused attention, they were also fed spiritually as God’s Word was planted deeply in their hearts through singing biblical text AUGUST 2008

again and again. And, as He promised, His Word will not return void.

God showed me that with Him, I can do all things.

When asked what they learned during their many hours of rehearsal and recording, these young musicians offered a number of insightful responses. Their learning went well beyond developing their musical understanding and gaining a new appreciation for the demands of the recording process. Here are some of their thoughts:

I learned a lot about the people around me. I used to not even know their names. I’m glad that I got to know more about them because I can talk to them without being shy.

Before this opportunity, I usually never talked to anyone I didn’t know. When I started this project and was together with a lot of people for long periods of time, I started noticing people who looked lonely, or never had anyone to talk to or sit next to. After I made an effort to go sit by them, introduce myself, and talk to them I found that it wasn’t as hard as I thought. Now they are some of my best friends. God taught me that there are millions of wonderful people in this world. All you have to do is go up and introduce yourself!

God has taught me patience and sensitivity for others. I have learned how to overcome shyness. I learned that you can make friends if you just say “Hi!” God has taught me to reach out to others and to not expect everyone to reach out to me first. God has helped me to remember that singing isn’t “just a recording,” it’s for God. We aren’t just “singing,” we are giving praises to the Lord. And the date for the release of this new recording of psalms and hymns? Stay tuned… —Lynda Fray PCPC WITNESS • 11

Creator of my soul

A testimony from Lao Presbyterian Fellowship

any changes have occurred at the Lao Presbyterian Fellowship (LPF) over the last decades. I became a part of the congregation when my family first immigrated to Texas from Laos about 20 years ago. (At that time it met at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.) I came to know the Lord because a few people were willing to pick us up each Sunday morning and bring us to church. Kind people like Bob and Kay Mighell, David and Barbara Horn, and Mary Dunlap had a heart to serve in this ministry that was reaching out to the Southeast Asian community in the East Dallas area. They brought us to church every Sunday, taught Sunday school to the Lao kids here, and volunteered their time to teach English to the adults.

Right now, I’m on a journey to discover the purpose that Christ has for my life. I’m currently a nurse at Methodist Dallas Hospital. Slowly I’m beginning to see the gifts God has given me to serve Him. I’m proud of my Lao heritage. I see that my ability to speak Laotian has been able to help many older Laotians who can’t speak or understand English without translation. I also enjoy taking part and teaching Sunday school to the Lao children of LPF. I hope some of the Lao children will be able to see the love of Christ in me as I saw Christ in those few kind Americans. This is only a small part of how God is using me to serve Him. I’m excited to see how He will use me in the next part of my journey. I am comforted by the story of the potter in Jeremiah 18. God is the potter and creator of my soul and I can’t wait to see the final masterpiece. —Vanida Sakdavong

Eventually after-school and summer programs sprang from the ministry. I grew up in those programs. I continued in those programs because there were kind American who showed me love. They said that they were able to love me because Christ loved them first. I wanted to get to know that kind of love, because growing up in the inner-city ghetto of Dallas didn’t show that love to me. As I became a teenager, then an adult, I came to know more and more the love of Jesus Christ for me. It gives me hope to know that even as a sinner and as broken as I am, Christ died for me and called me to be His child. At 26 years old, knowing that and believing it is what sustains my life. PCPCWITNESS WITNESS 1212• •PCPC

Top, the little girl who came to LPF, Vanida Sakdavong displays her catch. Her brother, Vilath Sakdavong, fishes with her. Back, Kay Mighell, Vanida, Barbara Horn Front, Ratsamee Suvannachakkham and Mary Dunlap.

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A Fresh Wind Blowing in ESL I

’m burnt out, ill equipped, and scared. What on earth does the Lord want me to do? It can’t be ESL. I do okay passing out cookies and kisses, but this does not a ministry make. At least for the summertime. Lord, please let me be as far away from ESL as possible!

minimal as it is, has taught me a lot, translating into changes in the PCPC ESL ministry. First, the program will have a new three-part teacher training plan: a high-quality 10-hour workshop (September 19, 20), mentors/coteachers to help out at the beginning of each semester, and a

Enter the fresh wind, Jessica Young, who asks me, “Would you like to observe the Chinese ESL classes I’m teaching in Richardson this summer?”

play is a fringe benefit for us teachers this summer because we hang out with our students after class—another tool I’ve been remiss about encouraging over the years. I didn’t know that it could be so much fun, but it is! So there’s another change you can expect to see—teachers spending time with students outside the classroom. We also will ask that teachers come early to pray before class begins—of course, after having prepared their lesson plan. The lesson plan is the killer. Personally, I still don’t have a handle on it. Speaking English correctly is a far cry from actually knowing the rules. How do teachers know all that stuff and teach it, too? English is hard!

“Absolutely” I say, feeling that I have been kicked in the stomach (a way the Lord has of poking me). “Perhaps you’d consider teaching the second summer session,” continues Jessica. Where? Nineveh? “I will give you a new heart and Who am a new spirit I will put within you. I—Jonah? “Yes!” saith the Lord. “You go!”

And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 26:36

Despite my inner kicking and screaming, I am now coteaching English to Chinese students, and, boy, have things changed! My heart has softened, my spirit has stirred, and my appreciation for the plight of the ESL teacher has been relocated. An outgoing personality helps, but does not replace a lesson plan. Not by a long shot. I already knew that, but just couldn’t do one, and certainly couldn’t help anyone else do it. This summer’s teaching experience, AUGUST2008 2008 AUGUST

Back row, left: Carol Baker and Jessica Young gather with their students before playing mahjong.

second workshop in October to hone teachers’ skills. Still more changes are under discussion. The committee is considering changing the way scripture is introduced to our students, and we may teach even beginner classes in English. Further, every ESL volunteer must enlist a prayer partner who will pray for them and their students by name. We’re also assigning the same curriculum to all the classes, according to language level, of course. Did I mention mahjong? Learning to

All ESL teachers need three things: good training, easy-tounderstand English grammar reference books, and a mentor/ coteacher for a month or so. That’s the vision for PCPC’s ESL this fall.

I’m sorry my vision has been askew all these years. I knew it was, but I didn’t know how to fix it. I’m clearly convicted of the disservice this has been to our students, our teachers, and the Lord. En garde! ESL is changing. The old director has a new heart—and needs more volunteers to make the vision a reality in the classroom. Will you come be a missionary for Christ right at PCPC with us? Dare to dream. Dare to trust in the Lord. —Carol Baker Director of ESL PCPC WITNESS PCPC WITNESS• •1313

Praying for God’s perfect timing Thien and Huyen Troung are a couple (mid-20’s) from a Southeast Asian country it is best not to name, studying at Presbyterian Theological Seminary in the Philippines. Their goal is to work with a new Presbyterian movement in their country to provide theological training to pastors and leaders. PCPC is supporting this young couple (soon to be parents of their first child!) as they work toward their graduate degrees. Here is their latest update sent after a recent visit in Manila by Curt and Sue Dobbs.

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20+ Community

All the nations of the earth will be blessed

Japan: beautiful, compact, densely populated, success-driven, and full of rice. Compared to America, the Japanese trump our fashion, have notable train systems, put our toilets to shame (with their warm seats and fancy buttons), and prove that if you can dream it up you can make it happen. Although the view from the outside makes it look like people are happy, successful, and lack any real needs, spending time there will quickly contradict those assumptions and prove that the Japanese are as much in need of Christ as anyone.

David Lott and Haris Bista at Asakusa Kannon Temple PCPC’s 20+ Community short-term trip to Japan had three main goals: • to plant seeds by showing the love of Christ to those who likely had never heard of Him; • to support the missionaries by helping to build and strengthen connections between them and Japanese college students; • to deepen our own appreciation for the global work of the gospel. Having been on this same trip twice, I am thrilled to report that the ministry is on an upswing. A year ago, none of the Mission to the World missionaries was dedicated full-time to campus ministry. Now they have three missionary units focusing on AUGUST 2008

campus ministry. In addition to missionary presence, the team focuses on networking with different campus groups, which helps reach out to more students. Praise God!

On this trip, we had a solid rap-

port with several Japanese students after only two days. We met a group of students who have a connection to the study-abroad program at the University of Alabama. God used this existing interest in America to create a natural inroad for these students to want to spend time getting to know us. As we toured Tokyo with some of the Japanese students, we were able to build strong relationships that were focused on the joy of loving each other and pursuing a friendship that will continue to grow over time. Even after returning to the States, we are talking with them daily on Facebook and seizing every opportunity to share the truth of Christ with our new friends. Interestingly, we met two students from Nepal who are studying abroad in Japan, Haris and Joshi. Because these two have not been able to fit in with the Japanese community, they have formed relationships with the missionaries. Whether from Japan or Nepal, the connections we made with each student provided opportunities for us to show the love of Christ. One team member was blessed with the opportunity to spend an entire day with Haris and as they parted ways, our teammate provided a Bible for Haris to read. The students wanted to talk with us about Christianity and what we meant when we said we were “helping our friends at Oyumino Church.” While students thoroughly enjoyed attending

our events and outings, the real fruit of our labors began to show on our last day in Japan. After the Sunday worship service, several students joined us for lunch. As we wrapped up our conversations, they presented each of us with gifts to show their gratitude for our friendship—an amazingly ornate origami, a fan with our names written in Japanese (including notes written to each of us resembling those of a high school yearbook), and other little goodies to remind us of our time spent with them. Although the gifts were rare treasures for us, the true gift was seeing how we had touched their lives. As one of the missionaries put it, “Wow! I have never seen the students react this way—this is a really big deal.” It was a joyous, tearful moment, and an answer to our prayers and the prayers of our friends and family in the States!

Walking away from this trip, it was

clear to us that the Japanese people are in need of the love of Christ. Join us in continuing to spread the Good News in Japan. As God said to Abraham, “And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). May we be expectant of what God is going to do in the nation of Japan. —Amy Schofield

Suguru Futagami and Amy Schofield at Karaoke PCPC WITNESS• •1515 PCPC WITNESS

Reflections of an outsider An audience member at the drama and dance performance during Beginnings, PCPC’s Arts Festival 2008, wrote this letter to Pete Deison: April 9 Dear Pete, I wanted to tell you how I felt about the sacred dance and music presentation last night... Entering the church, the first thing I noticed were the banners lining the sides. They were not the garish, primary colored hangings that pass as art in many churches; they were subtle and did not quarrel with the architecture. The soft greys and off whites proclaiming HE IS RISEN pleased my eye and my soul. Then I noticed the two trees, obviously living trees, and the powerfully handsome wings (a work of art in themselves). I began to read the program, first the “curriculum vitae” of the participants, and knew this was not to be an amateur production. I looked at the music to be played, and I could see this was not to be a sentimental wash lacking depth or seriousness. The choices of music were grandly appropriate. When I saw that Barber’s Adagio for Strings was to be played at the end, I remembered again the strong association I have with the piece. It was played on all television stations almost non-stop throughout the days following JFK’s assassination, so that music is indelibly connected in my mind with sadness and anguish. I’ll bet that others in the audience had some memory, perhaps subliminally, of that linked sadness. Vivaldi, in my mind and heart, means joy and liveliness, and during the play16 AUGUST • PCPC WITNESS 2008

ing of the selection from the Four Seasons, Jennifer’s joy in her body and in the language of her body was a joy to watch. She is a glorious dancer with the Godgiven ability to express from head to toe what she feels, what she believes and what it is to be human. You did not pick amateurs and were not content with the second rate. In all honesty, many church sanctuary productions I have seen over my many years have been (there is no other word) cornball, amateurish, well meaning but forgettable. Not so here. I am beginning to lose some hearing, so that I could not hear all that was spoken, but the bodies conveyed the scripture freshly. As the Book of Common Prayer puts it, “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” It was almost like reading the Bible with a new and different pair of glasses, enabling one to see what has not been noticed before, making plain what was blurry, and giving dimension to what had (from over-familiarity perhaps) become flat, one dimensional. In one way, it is “fleshing out” the Bible, involving eyes, ears, voices, bodies, minds, and hearts in a new and creative way. We all, or at least I do, get over-familiar with repeated Bible passages or stories, and they lose some of their freshness and their power. We tend to tune out, and what the art critic Robert Hughes calls “the shock of the new” is what is needed to provide new vision into the depth and richness and truth of the Word. Beginnings tells the “Age-Old Story” in an fresh, untold way. Your parishioners can thank you for giving them a new way of seeing, a new venue for old truth to become present truth... Those who took the time to go will be in some measure changed, may see God’s glory a little more clearly and be more thankful for His gifts of body, mind, eyes, ears, and souls that sing. I thank you for a bold, stick-your-neck-out endeavor, the courage of which is not lost on me. Thank you, Pete, Sincerely, Anne Coke P.S. For an instant I though the bird was part of the production, then I realized it was a lucky fluke. It even made a happy verisimilitude. Some might call it serendipity; I call it providence. AUGUST PCPC WITNESS • 2008 16

WorkPlace Ministries forum begins Taking Christ to the office

Why do I exist? What can I offer the world? What’s my purpose? Paul reminds us, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

ness skills and spiritual life. You’re likely to hear details of a deal transpiring, but also discussions about integrity, a biblical principle, current events and their spiritual ramifications, or prayer being offered to the Lord who cares about our every thought. Frank says, “We pray about everything: their latest romance, the deals they’re working on, life situations—everything. I want them to learn that God cares about every part and every minute of our lives, not just our Sundays. We try, Deo volente, to craft our business and our lives to the glory of God.”

Beginning in January of this year, PCPC business leaders have met monthly at WorkPlace Ministries (WPM) to discuss what it means to be involved in God’s work between Sundays in the workplace. Each month, a different business leader makes a presentation about what God is doing in his workplace. And as the group heard in May, discipleship can take place in the workplace, as well as it can in a place of worship. Some folks are confused about what it means to follow Christ between Sundays and do God’s work. Not PCPC elder Frank Bullock. At the May 28 meeting, Frank explained how he is attempting to do God’s work in his business. Frank’s love for commercial real estate, his thirty years of experience in the field, and his passion to teach and shape the lives of young followers of Jesus led him to form Revere Commercial Realty in 2006. Frank chose the name Revere not only because of his love of history, but because of the man behind the name. Paul Revere was a French Huguenot silversmith famous for his midnight ride. However, he was much more than an excellent horseman. He also taught young apprentices his silversmith craft and was the quintessential networker, connecting various strata of revolutionary Boston society around the common cause of freedom. Add to this the fact that revere is the ultimate term we use to describe our love for our Heavenly Father. Going to the bullpen Visit Revere and you’ll walk straight into Frank’s “bullpen,” where his six protégés watch him do business and relate to people, and where he can coach them both in their busiAUGUST 2008

Justin Schoellkopf, center, is one of the many young people Frank and Susan Bullock have taught and mentored at PCPC, and Justin now works at Frank’s real estate business.

Seeds sprouting There has been an exciting response to this meeting where Frank Bullock spoke. Pat Hamner has accepted the challenge to begin a venture capital company along the same lines of Frank’s real estate company that would combine Christian mentoring, ethics, and success. Stay tuned for more stories as working men and women of PCPC take the call of Christ seriously every day of the week. —Bill Peel WorkPlace Ministries meets the last Wednesday of the month, and after a summer break will resume meeting August 27, 7:30-9:00 am, Oak Lawn West. A free breakfast is served, and any business person, young or more mature, male or female, is welcome. Please let Lawan Andersen know you are coming: 214224-2740 or lawan.andersen@pcpc.org PCPC WITNESS • 17

Big D gets his feet wet O

ne month before PCPC’s yearly youth trip to Florida, a new Big D arrived in Dallas. When Don Admire came to PCPC from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, at the beginning of May, the prospects of leading a new batch of kids seemed daunting. As more than 100 teens gathered outside of three buses in the parking lot behind Talbots, the new Pastor to Youth whipped out his iPhone. He began systematically working his way through huddles of kids, typing in names, phone numbers, and short descriptions. “This one has short hair, that one is a senior, this one plays football... Going to Florida was like drinking from a fire hydrant in terms of just getting to know our kids,” Don said. “I’ve been trying to meet kids, and having 130 or so around you 24/7 [in Florida] was like my initiation.” Every summer since 1994, PCPC’s youth have ventured to Florida at the closing of every school year for beachside fellowship and discipleship. In the early days, vans shuttled just a handful of kids to Florida’s Gulf coast. This year about 20 leaders accompanied the 130 students to Panama Beach City. Once in Florida, students split time between testing waves in the Gulf, fiercely competing in the highly-anticipated volleyball tournament, and parsing scripture in large group 18 • PCPC WITNESS

meetings and with cabin counselors. This year, the church capitalized on a number of recent high school graduates and college students who agreed to return to Florida as counselors to augment the ministry staff and volunteer team. One such student-volunteer was University of Texas sophomore Sam Thomas. “I was a really late decider in this whole thing,” explained Sam, who didn’t decide to join the group until the last 48 hours before the buses rolled out. “In the end, I’m so glad I decided to come. I grew a lot and was surprised God could use me talking to kids just a few years younger.” Both Sam and Don agree: PCPC’s Florida experience doesn’t end when the buses get back to Dallas. “The key to any trip like that is what you do after it: the follow-up,” Don says. “It’s a tough demographic for follow-up because they travel so much.” But the new youth pastor has a secret weapon in the quest to promulgate fellowship among the scores of students itching for community: unlimited text messaging. With his signature “text bombs” Don’s been able to follow up on the Florida experience with impromptu lunches, hangouts, and a senior Bible study. “They’re becoming more open,” he said. “We’re just blowing and going.” —John Dawson AUGUST 2008

PCPC serves multitudes at General Assembly

he 36th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America met in Dallas June 10–12, hosted by the North Texas Presbytery. A total of 1,185 commissioners attended, of which 881 were teaching elders (preachers) and 304 were ruling elders.

In addition to our teaching elders, the following ruling elder commissioners attended the business meetings: Tommy Bain, Jim Chenoweth, Tim Jeffress, Pat Moore, Bill Thomas, Steve

Ruling elder Brad Bradley addresses the great assembly.

Vanderhill, and I. At the meeting Bill was elected to serve a full term on the Mission to North America (MNA) Committee. Tommy is presently serving as Chairman of the Campus Ministries (RUM) Committee, and deacon Mark Jaudes is serving on the Retirement and Benefits (RBI) Committee. Dr. Paul Kooistra, coordinator of Mission to the World (MTW), the international missions agency of the PCA, was elected as moderator on the first ballot. In the PCA this is largely an honorary position, but the moderator

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does preside over the General Assembly while it is in session. There were no large overriding issues to be dealt with at this General Assembly, and it could be termed one of the least controversial in the last few years. A more detailed report on the business conducted can be found at www. pcaac.org/clerksletter.htm. PCPC played a large role in hosting this event, financially and through volunteer efforts. I served on the host committee, which planned and supported this event along with the Stated Clerk’s office in Georgia. Colin Howland played a important role in helping plan all of the worship services while serving on the Worship Committee. PCPC volunteers in various capacities included Colin, J. Marty Cope, Lynda Fray, a large number of our Chancel Choir, and our Covenant Choir for the opening worship service on Tuesday evening, June 10. Colin also served as organist for the Wednesday night worship service; on Thursday night, J. Marty served as organist and Stephen Nielson as piano soloist.

participating in our wide range of activities. Cathy Evans, Lauren Bell, and Gale Emerson put together our program along with our youth interns. Keith Mullen was a hit as the teacher and storyteller for the children. Other highlights were an organ concert by Colin and a piano concert by Brian Piper. A big thank-you is in order for the many volunteers from PCPC that made this General Assembly a success. The PCA has a reported membership of 342,041, with 1,666 churches in 76 presbyteries. More than 10,200 professions of faith were reported in 2007. MTW has 594 long-term missionaries and 136 two-year missionaries. The organization sent out 6,006 people on short-term mission trips during the year. MNA placed 53 church planters on the field in 2007. There are 172 PCA endorsed chaplains, many of whom served in the Iraq-Afghanistan war zones in 2007. Reformed University Ministries (RUM) works on 117 campuses, with seven more slated for 2008. —Brad Bradley

Marvin Brown and Bryan Keyes headed up the committee that prepared the Lord’s Supper on Tuesday night. With over 2,200 in attendance, this was no small task. A team of fifteen PCPC members including Carol Brown, David and Nancy Burgher, Jim Chenoweth, Helen Deering, Martha French, Elsie Harris, Marge Hurt, and Judy and Denny Scott set up and cleaned up afterwards. PCPC also provided volunteers to assist with the serving of the Lord’s Supper and to collect offerings. Bill Eldridge and I served as tellers for the handing of the offerings for all three of the worship services. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, PCPC hosted 65 elementary children as a key component of the children’s program. The children enjoyed being in PCPC’s facilities and

Teaching elder Patrick Lafferty brings daughter Savannah along for a Presbyterian good time.

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Monday: the Lego look-alike contest

Tuesday: Will Nielsen spends time with the Lord.

Wednesday: Staff “cars” go through the “car wash.”

Tuesday: Stephanie Byrd searches for a quiet spot.

Staff Retreat

Tuesday: Mark Davis opens the morning at the Arboretum with some guidelines for individual prayer time.

In a series of mini-retreats the week of May 19-23, the staff of PCPC played, prayed, learned, laughed, and ate together as it got to know its new leader Mark Davis better and hear his vision for PCPC. On Monday the staff played games, heard Mark’s testimony, and watched a skit in which Brent Baker drank a truly disgusting liquid. Tuesday was Arboretum day, with time for individiual prayer and meditation with the Lord. On Wednesday a wide, and sometimes wild assortment of competitions ended with staff members getting to fire away with giant water guns at the pastors as they ran an obstacle course complete with a “car wash,” sidewalk sudoku, and bounce house. The retreat ended on Friday with worship and praise in the Chapel.

Wednesday: Lily Riemer cheers on the obstacle course competitors.

AUGUST 2008 • Vol. XIX, No. 3 Park Cities Presbyterian Church 4124 Oak Lawn Dallas, Texas 75219 www.pcpc.org

Periodical Postage Paid at Dallas, Texas